AUBURN, Ala.— Five Auburn University College of Agriculture faculty have been appointed or reappointed to professorships, and several faculty and students in the college have earned high honors for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2012-13 academic year.
- Horticulture professor Dave Williams has been appointed the first recipient of the now–fully funded Elbert A. and Barbara L. Botts Endowed Professorship in Horticulture, while professor and current department head Jeff Sibley has been reappointed to the Barbara and Charles Bohmann Endowed Professorship and professor Gary Keever to the Thomas H. Dodd Jr. Endowed Professorship. Nannan Liu, professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, has been reappointed as the Auburn University Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Endowed Professor.
- Auburn Provost Timothy Boosinger has named agronomy and soils professor David Weaver the Ralph “Shug” Jordan Professor of Writing, a three-year appointment that begins Aug. 15. Weaver is only the second Auburn faculty member appointed to the Jordan professorship, which Auburn Athletics established in 2009. As Professor of Writing, Weaver’s duties will include serving on the University Writing Committee, attending Writing across the Curriculum conferences, presenting faculty development workshops, promoting writing in the College of Ag and serving as a resource to faculty across campus.
In year-end award ceremonies:
- Amy Wright, associate professor in the Department of Horticulture, was one of four faculty members campus-wide selected by the Graduate Student Council as Outstanding Graduate Mentor for the 2012-13 academic year. Wright and the three other winners were selected for the honor from a pool of nearly 40 nominees. The awards recognize graduate faculty members who go above and beyond their duties as teachers, advisers and mentors.
- Scott McElroy, associate professor in agronomy and soils, was named the Auburn University SGA Outstanding Faculty Member for the College of Agriculture for 2012-13 and animal sciences/pre-vet senior Drew Lowry was recognized as the SGA Outstanding Student in the college.
- Four College of Ag master’s and Ph.D. students were selected as Auburn University’s 2012-13 Outstanding Graduate Student Award honorees. Leanne Dillard in animal sciences and Ting Li in entomology and plant pathology were named two of 10 Outstanding Doctoral Student Award winners, and Julie Davis in fisheries and allied aquacultures and Zach DeVries in entomology and plant pathology were among 10 Outstanding Master’s Students cited campus-wide. Animal sciences professor Russ Muntifering, entomology professor Nannan Liu, fisheries assistant professor Bill Walton and entomology and plant pathology professor and department Art Appel, respectively, are the four students’ major professors.
- Zhen Tao, a graduate student in fisheries and allied aquaculture working under the direction of associate professor Cova Arias, as named the College of Agriculture’s Outstanding International Graduate Student for 2013. Each of the college’s eight academic departments nominated its top international grad student, and Tao was selected from among the eight nominees.
In the College of Agriculture’s spring semester 2013 graduating class:
- Horticulture’s Kira Chaloupka received both the 2013 Dean’s Award, presented to students who have demonstrated leadership and service to the college and exhibited excellence in scholastic accomplishment, and the Claude Hardee Memorial Award in Agriculture, awarded annually to recognize an outstanding senior student in the college based on scholarship, leadership and character. Chaloupka will remain at Auburn to pursue a master’s degree in the public horticulture program.
- Mary McClosky, animal sciences/pre-vet, received the Comer Medal for Excellence in Agricultural Science, which is presented to the highest ranking student in their class and in their field of study. McClosky will enter Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the fall.
- Agronomy and soils graduating senior April Maxwell was selected as graduation marshal for the College of Agriculture for spring 2013. To be selected for this honor, students must have distinguished themselves by service to the college and possess the qualities of leadership, citizenship, character and promise of professional ability.
