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CORVALLIS - James E. Oldfield, professor emeritus of animal science at Oregon State University, has received the Klaus Schwarz Commemorative Medal, given by the International Association of Bioinorganic Scientists for outstanding accomplishments in biological trace element research.

The association recognized Oldfield for his contributions to research on selenium. He was presented the award at an international symposium on uses of selenium and tellurium held recently in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The award is named for Klaus Schwarz, a nutrition scientist who discovered that selenium, at low dietary levels, is an essential nutrient. Oldfield first studied selenium in animal nutrition in the 1950s when he joined a team of scientists at OSU researching the causes of white muscle disease in livestock.

Oldfield and his colleagues eventually determined that selenium deficiencies caused the disease and Oldfield went on to study the role of selenium in animal nutrition throughout his career at OSU.

Retiring from the university in 1987, Oldfield has remained active as an internationally known authority on animal nutrition and in service to OSU.