A full tent of former students helped honor Robert Goodband on Thursday at the World Pork Expo when he received United Animal Health’s 2026 John B. Swisher Leadership Award, celebrating his lifelong contributions to the swine industry.
“Dr. Goodband has dedicated his career to advancing the swine industry through practical, producer-focused research,” says Matt Ritter, senior vice president of research and development at United Animal Health. “His work in swine nutrition, feed ingredient evaluation, feed processing and production management has helped shape modern pork production and provided producers with solutions they can apply on the farm.”
Goodband has authored hundreds of scientific publications, secured significant research funding and contributed knowledge that continues to influence global pork production. But that’s not what matters most to Goodband. It’s his family (wife Dani and son Brady), his students, and the producers and industry leaders he has worked beside throughout his career.
Perhaps that’s why his nominators were many and their supporting letters revealed so much more than a list of achievements. One nominator wrote that Goodband doesn’t simply provide answers — he teaches people how to find them. Another described him as someone who bridges the gap between scientific discovery and the daily realities of production.
“He has always placed the success of his students, colleagues and producers above his own recognition,” Ritter says. “His leadership is not defined by titles or accolades, but by his willingness to invest time in others and help them succeed.”
37 Years to Remember
During his 37 years at Kansas State University, Goodband worked with his best friends and mentored over 150 students. Originally from Massachusetts, he received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 1984 and his master’s and Ph.D. from Kansas State in 1986 and 1989. Upon graduation, he joined the faculty at Kansas State in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry.
Many of today’s pork industry leaders trace their development back to his influence, Ritter adds.
“Several nominators referred to the vast network of professionals that he has mentored throughout his career — the “Goodband Tree” — a legacy that continues to grow through the people he has taught and inspired,” he says.
Presented annually during World Pork Expo, this award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the swine industry and who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership throughout their career. Per his request, United Animal Health donated the $5,000 award in Goodband’s honor to the Kansas State University Foundation, in support of the Swine Team Legacy Endowment.
You can listen to Goodband and his longtime colleague and friend Mike Tokach (winner of the 2025 John B. Swisher Leadership Award) here on The PORK Podcast. The pair retired in January 2026 from legendary careers serving the pork industry through research, teaching and outreach.
