FORT ATKINSON, WI (May 4, 2026) —Drs. Larry Chase, Dennis Funk and Richard Grant, along with Drs. Chris Keim and Dan Hornickel from Sunshine Genetics, have been selected as the 2026 National Dairy Shrine Pioneer Award winners. Over their lifetime, these Pioneer individuals have made significant contributions to the dairy industry, and each is recognized as one of the greatest of all-time in their particular field or career.

Dr. Larry Chase has spent his career in dairy nutrition research and extension, focused on providing answers to questions of immediate importance to dairy producers. Through his combined work in extension and research, his findings were rapidly translated into practice, making an immediate impact on the dairy industry. His research spanned several areas, including milk urea nitrogen levels of dairy herds on pasture, uniformity of mixing and delivery of TMR, and evaluation of corn silage hybrids for cow performance, to name a few.

Additionally, Dr. Chase has served as a major or minor professor for four Ph.D. candidates, seven M.S. students and two M.P.S. graduates. He co-taught an applied dairy nutrition course to undergraduates at Cornell for many years. He’s been recognized by the Distillers Feed Research Council, the American Dairy Science Association, the New York State Association of Agricultural Agents and more.

Dr. Dennis Funk’s career represents a lifetime of transformative leadership in dairy cattle genetics. His impact spans research, education, genetic evaluation systems, global genetic commerce, germplasm preservation and the implementation of breakthrough reproductive and genomic technologies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in dairy science, a master’s degree in animal breeding, and a Ph.D. in animal breeding with a minor in statistics all from Iowa State University.

Through the Holstein Association USA, Funk was the first to develop and implement a formal genetics training program for Holstein field consultants and classifiers. As a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he authored dozens of columns for Holstein World and established the Wisconsin Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding. He delivered educational programs to dairy breeders around the world, driving increased international demand and sales of U.S. dairy genetics. He went on to achieve even more through ABS Global and the National Animal Germplasm Program. Funk has also served with or been recognized by nearly a dozen organizations in the dairy industry, and served as President of National Dairy Shrine in 2021.

Dr. Richard Grant has left a national and global impact on dairy nutrition and management, and producer-focused outreach through his leadership, scientific contributions and practical vision for the dairy industry. His career exemplifies the spirit of the Pioneer Award, with field-changing contributions that have fundamentally influenced how the industry thinks, feeds, manages and evolves.

Dr. Grant has shaped the ration formulation standard, especially for fiber needs, advanced understanding of cow behavior and feed bunk dynamics, and driven a more cow-centered approach to management. In partnership with Lallemand Animal Nutrition, he helped establish a Forage Center of Excellence at the Miner Institute. Additionally, his strong commitment to education and mentorship has directly impacted 19 graduate students. He has served on 63 M.S. and Ph.D. committees across the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, University of Vermont, Cornell University and others. The exceptional nature of his work is reflected in awards received from the University of Nebraska, American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and more.

Dr. Chris Keim and Dr. Dan Hornickel were the original founders and owners of Sunshine Genetics, Whitewater, Wisconsin. Sunshine Genetics began as a dream made reality in the 1970’s by these two friends in the University of Illinois Veterinary school. They both left their practices and started Sunshine Genetics in 1983, fostering their passion for elite dairy cattle and the newly developing field of advanced reproductive technology. Since that time Drs. Hornickel and Keim have developed a world-renowned embryo transfer business and facility known for providing special care and superior embryo transfer services to cattle breeders from around the world who will confidently “send her to Sunshine.”

In 2009, Drs. Keim and Honickel welcomed Dr. Greg Schueller to join the team. With many years of experience in ET, Dr. Schueller began developing the quickly evolving in-vitro (IVF) program. In 2016, Aaron Prososki joined Sunshine Genetics and brought with him a passion for genomics and marketing. Drs. Keim and Hornickel retired in 2017 after having a very long, successful and satisfying career.

All recipients will be recognized at the National Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet on Monday, September 28, in Madison, Wisconsin. Their portraits will be permanently displayed in the Dairy Hall of Fame in Fort Atkinson.