In 1999 the parasitic organism Sarcocystis speeri was named for C. A. Speer, UT dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and professor. An internationally known electron microscopist, Speer was part of the team that discovered the parasite, and the team named it after him. His research, conducted principally during his 25-year tenure at Montana State University, emphasized parasitic diseases that affect livestock and humans, and his research has been instrumental in identifying and characterizing a number of previously unknown parasites.