Several faculty and students in the College of Agriculture at Auburn University recently received national awards and recognitions. Read some highlights below.
Beckmann receives NSF Career Award
John Beckmann, assistant professor of medical-veterinary entomology and biotechnology in the Auburn University College of Agriculture, recently received a National Science Foundation Career Award.
Presented by the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program, the Career Award recognizes early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
Lawrence named Society of Nematologists Fellow
Beckmann’s colleague in the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology Professor Kathy Lawrence recently became a Society of Nematologists Fellow.
This award recognizes distinguished contributions to the science of nematology in research, teaching, extension and service. No more than 0.4% of membership may be awarded in a year.
Lawrence has made distinguished contributions to applied agricultural nematology through her work on cotton nematodes and related soilborne diseases. She has also translated that work to extension and teaching efforts and served SON in most if not all offices.
Mulvaney named American Society of Animal Science Distinguished Teacher
Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences Don Mulvaney was recently named a recipient of the American Society of Animal Science 2024 Distinguished Teacher Award.
The award was celebrated during the 2024 ASAS-CSAS-WSASAS Annual Meeting in Calgary, Alberta, on July 21.
Mulvaney has worked at Auburn since 1983, when he joined the faculty as an assistant professor. In addition to his teaching duties, he has held positions including coordinator of leadership and student development, secretary of the Auburn University Senate, and most recently chair of the senate.
Pickens, Coneva recognized by NACAA
In July, two faculty from the Department of Horticulture were recognized by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA).
Assistant Extension Professor Jeremy Pickens was recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for Excellence in Extension Education Programs, and Elina Coneva, Dozier Endowed Professor and Extension Specialist, was a national finalist in the applied research poster category by the association’s Professional Excellence Council.
The mission of NACAA, an organization of professional extension educators, is to further the professional improvement of its members, communication and cooperation among all extension educators and provide for enhancement of the image of extension and the development of personal growth opportunities for extension professionals.
Graduate students present well at national competitions
Kayla Sullins, graduate student under the advisement of Amanda Strayer-Scherer, won second place in the Ph.D. poster division at the American Peanut Research & Education Society meeting also in July.
Azaz Zaman, third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, placed second in the Graduate Student Section and Council on Food, Agricultural & Resource Economics 2024 Policy Communications Competition at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) annual meeting. He was also one of only 20 recipients nationwide of the 2024 AAEA Teaching Academy Grants.
Katherine Sofia Sierra, a poultry science graduate student in Amit Morey’s Lab, won the 2024 Meat Industry Supplier Alliance Scholarship, worth $10,000.
Ally Jackson, a poultry science graduate student in Bethany Baker-Cook’s Lab, received a travel award and Research Excellence Award for her presentation at the 2024 Poultry Science Association Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. She was also named the Outstanding Master’s Students by the Auburn University Graduate School and the College of Agriculture.
Biosystems represents Auburn well at ASABE meeting
The Department of Biosystems Engineering represented Auburn well at the 2024 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting in Anaheim, California.
The department brought its largest-ever contingent to the meeting with 42 faculty and graduate students. The faculty and graduate students who received awards are summarized below.
- Brendan Higgins received the New Holland Young Researcher Award and Outstanding Associate Editor
- Simer Virk was named Outstanding Manuscript Reviewer
- Former Ph.D. student Kritika Maholtra and her advisor Jasmeet Lamba received the Superior Paper Award
- Former master’s student Preetika Kaur and Lamba came in first place for the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award (M.S. Category)
- Rachel Day, Noor Fatima, Vivian Usha and Raziyeh Jokar came in second place in the Bioprocess startup competition
- The Auburn Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Honors Society was named the Most Outstanding Chapter Award and Ayden Kemp and Usha were there to receive the award on behalf of the chapter
- Kemp came in first place for the K.K. Barnes Student Paper Award for undergraduate students
