From Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): 

Hank Harris, DVM PhD, Co-founder of Genvax Technologies, and Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University, is the recipient of BIO’s George Washington Carver Award for Leadership in Agriculture and Environmental Biotechnology.

Dr. Harris has worked to reduce the time it takes to produce animal vaccines. His company Harrisvaccines (acquired by Merck Animal Health) gained USDA licenses for vaccines against diseases in swine and poultry, including the first-ever vaccine against pandemic H1N1 in pigs and the first vaccine for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus which, at the time, caused more than 8 million piglet deaths in the first year of entering the U.S. pig population. His discoveries have shaped the way we raise livestock, combat animal disease threats, and protect the nation’s food supply. As co-founder of Genvax Technologies, Dr. Harris continues working to develop vaccine technology to aid in rapidly responding to foreign animal disease outbreaks.

The George Washington Carver Award, sponsored by the Iowa Biotechnology Association, recognizes individuals who have advanced biotech innovation to make supply chains greener and have worked successfully toward that goal in the private sector, governmentNamed for celebrated agricultural scientist George Washington Carver, whose discoveries improved the lives of farmers and the health of American soils, the award pays tribute to those who are building on Carver’s legacy.