STONEVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension professor has received the U.S. Aquaculture Society’s Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the aquaculture industry.

Jimmy Avery, an Extension professor in the National Warmwater Aquaculture Center at the Delta Research and Extension Center and director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023.

The U.S. Aquaculture Society is a chapter of the World Aquaculture Society. These organizations provide forums for the exchange of timely information among aquaculture researchers, students and industry members. The achievement award recognizes a longtime commitment of service to aquaculture that is deemed highly significant and enduring.

Avery’s commitment to the societies spans decades. He is a past president of both organizations, serves on the U.S. Aquaculture Society elections committee and past presidents committee, and has served on the awards and publications committees.

He is an advisor to many commodity organizations, including Catfish Farmers of America, Catfish Farmers of Mississippi and Catfish Institute. He has assisted in the formation, organizational procedures and writing of by-laws for at least four U.S. aquaculture industry groups. He has served on several USDA aquaculture committees.

When leadership of the U.S. catfish inspection system changed from the Food and Drug Administration to the USDA, Avery arranged educational sessions, farm tours and processing plant visits to train inspectors. He also led efforts to acquire access for aquaculture producers to traditional agricultural assistance programs through workshops for programs including the USDA Farm Services Agency Disaster Assistance Program and USDA Farm Services Agency Conservation Reserve Program.