14 SEPTEMBER 2019 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG IN MEMORIAM Meryl Broussard, known by his family as Buddy, fought a five-year battle with cancer before succumbing in May. He was a fighter to the end and maintained a positive attitude that undoubtedly helped him keep active and productive until the very end. He planned to attend the 50th anniversary of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) meeting in New Orleans in March of this year but ultimately was unable to participate in the celebration because of his weakening condition. He was a modest man who was highly productive in his professional life and highly respected by colleagues and co-workers. Buddy Broussard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was married to his wife Florida (known as Flor) for 35 years. They had two sons, Jake and William, along with a number of grandchildren, step- grandchildren, aunts, uncles and nieces. Meryl was a dedicated father who was devoted to his family, with whom he shared his love of the outdoors, sports and history. Meryl attended Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) where he received his B.S. in 1972 and his M.S. in 1975. His M.S. major professor, Bill Simco, recommended that he pursue his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, which he obtained in l979 under his major professor, Robert Stickney. Meryl was Stickney’s first Ph.D student. After receiving his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, he served as an instructor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at TAMU. Meryl was then selected to join a team of advisors who were funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to develop a tilapia hatchery in the Philippines that would provide millions of fingerlings to rice-fish farmers. Meryl was responsible for fish production and remained in the Philippines and oversaw that activity from 1980 through the end of the grant in 1984. It was arguably one of the most successful USAID projects at the time. While Meryl made many contributions to aquaculture science, perhaps his outstanding leadership in facilities development, training, and production of tilapia were the most important. The objective was to put animal protein in the diets of rice farmers through the integration of rice and fish farming. The USAID grant was to the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). It was during his involvement with the BFAR project that Meryl met Flor, the woman who became his wife. Following his consultancy, Meryl joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the first National Program Leader for Aquaculture in a split appointment with both the Cooperative State Research Service and Extension Service. In 2002 his leadership led to his promotion to the position of Director for the Animal Systems Division within the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) of USDA. In 2007 he became Deputy Administrator for Plant and Animal Systems within CSREES. In 2008 he provided leadership for the establishment of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in which he was appointed to the position of Associate Director for Programs in 2014. In service to WAS, Meryl was a Director on the WAS Board beginning in 1992 and was elected President of the Society for the 1996-1997 term. He was PastPresident in 1997-1998. Meryl C. Broussard, Jr. (1950-2019)
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