Quarterly CFANS awards roundup | Q3 2024

In our quarterly celebration of award recipients across CFANS, we recognize students, faculty, and staff who've received significant accolades. Congratulations to all recipients — we're #CFANSProud of you! The list below highlights awards received and/or announced in July through September 2024. 

University Awards

• UMN Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost Award for Excellence in Academic Service
  • Omar Espinoza, Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
  • Brad Heins, Animal Science
  • Robert Stupar, Agronomy and Plant Genetics
• University of Minnesota Community-Engaged Scholar Award
  • Julie Grossman, Horticulture
• University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Awards
  • Student Award—Roger Faust, Graduate Research Assistant, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology

Beyond the University

• 2024 American Society of Animal Science Fellow, Research Category: Gerald C. Shurson, Animal Science
• International Society of Precision Agriculture Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Renzo Negrini, Precision Agriculture Center, Soil, Water and Climate
• Fellow of the American Meteorological Society: Timothy Griffis, Soil, Water and Climate 
• 2024 Society of American Foresters (SAF) Student Diversity Scholars: Lauren Thompson (NRSM ‘24) and Emma Ihlenfeld (ESPM ‘25)
• MN Society of Arboriculture Tree Climbing Championship, 2nd place: Dan Gjertson, Urban Forestry Outreach and Research Lab and Nursery
• Planet Forward’s 2024 Storyfest Competition, Best Written Story by a Non-Media Student: Mickki Garrity, NRSM graduate student
• Mark Cook Pulletzer Prize Faculty of the Year Award, Midwest Poultry Consortium Center of Excellence Program: Anup Kollanoor Johny, Animal Science 
• 2024 National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) Lifetime Achievement Award: Rex Bernardo, Agronomy and Plant Genetics
• Entomological Society of America 2024 Awards and Fellows:
  • Elaine Evans (Extension Professor and Researcher) - Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension
  • Michelle Boone (Entomology PhD alum) - ECP Extension, Outreach, and Engagement Award
  • Hailey Shanovich (Entomology MS and NRSM PhD alum) - NCB John Henry Comstock Award
  • Deb McCullough (Entomology PhD alum) - Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management
  • Henry Y. Fadamiro (Heimpel postdoc alum) - ESA Fellow
  • Bill Hutchison (Professor, Entomology) - P-IE Lifetime Achievement Award in Entomology
  • Jenalyn Ostendorf (Undergraduate, Insect Science Minor) P-IE Undergraduate Student Achievement Award
• Filippo Silvestri Memorial Award: George Hemipel, Entomology 
• National Agricultural Alumni Development Association (NAADA) Up and Coming Award: Heather James, Development
• World Dairy Expo National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest
  • 1st place Overall: Gopher Dairy Club (Coaches:  Dr. Les Hansen, Dr. Isaac Haagen, and alumni Eric & Gabriella Houdek)
  • 1st team Oral Reasons (by a 10 pt margin)
  • 1st team Guernsey
  • 1st team Milking Shorthorn
  • Individually (of 64 contestants):
    • Megan Meyer (Rollingstone, MN) -- 4th overall, 3rd reasons, 3rd Guernsey, 4th Jersey, 6th Milking Shorthorn, 7th Red & White 
    • Sarah Hagenow (Poynette, WI) -- 5th overall, 4th reasons, 2nd Milking Shorthorn, 9th Brown Swiss
    • Megan Ratka (Cold Spring, MN) --  6th overall, 5th reasons, 1st Milking Shorthorn, 3rd Brown Swiss, 10th Guernsey

To submit awards for inclusion in the next roundup, please complete this form and be sure to select the "Share an award recipient and corresponding award information" drop-down option. The next roundup will be published on our website in early January and will include awards received and/or announced in October, November and December 2024.