Faculty/Staff/Student
Achievements

Brian K. Coffey, Ag Economics, won a 2001 Southern Agricultural Economics Association Graduate Student Paper Distinguished Professional Contribution Award. Advisors on the paper included Carl Dillon and John Anderson, Ag Economics, and Eric Vanzant, Animal Sciences.

Gary Cromwell, Animal Sciences, is chair of the Committee on Animal Nutrition of the National Research Council (National Academy of Science).

Meizhu Du, Plant Pathology graduate student from Beijing, China, recently introduced a delegation from her home country to Kentucky burley tobacco production. The team was in Kentucky to gather the information necessary to advise the Chinese government on quarantine and import issues relating to U.S.-grown tobacco, and blue mold in particular.

Jennifer L. Flowers, graduate student in Plant Pathology, was recently selected by the American Phytopathological Society (APS) for an APS Foundation travel award to support her attendance at the APS annual meeting, where she presented a poster project. Flowers was also honored as the first to receive the College of Agriculture’s Harry E. Wheeler Travel Award.

Sharon Franklin, Animal Sciences, was named chair of a multi-state project entitled “Management systems for improving decision making and profitability of dairy herds.” The project will encourage cooperative research among states to attack specific problems. In addition, Franklin serves as secretary/treasurer of the Midwestern Section of the American Dairy Science Association.

Kevin Laurent, Animal Sciences, received the Association of Kentucky Extension Specialists’ Outstanding Extension Associate Award.

Jennifer O’Banion, sophomore Horticulture student from Campbellsville, Kentucky, finished a term as President of the National Junior Horticulture Association in November 2000.

Tony Pescatore, Animal Sciences, is program chair of the first joint meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, the American Dairy Science Association, the Poultry Science Association, and the American Meat Science Association. He recently completed a three-year term as founding board member of the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS).

The Philip Morris Agricultural Leadership Development Program was named Outstanding Program for 2000 by the Association of Kentucky Extension Specialists. The program is directed by Larry Jones, Ag Economics.

Jerry Skees, Ag Economics, was appointed to a three-year term on the governing board of the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE). This is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the national presence of the agricultural economics profession.

Will Snell, Ag Economics, has been appointed to Governor Paul Patton’s Tobacco Marketing and Export Advisory Council. The Council is charged with developing plans to ensure global competitiveness and future growth in Kentucky’s burley industry.

Jennifer Thompson, Forestry, received an Environmental Merit Award from the federal Environment Protection Agency for her work in the Kentucky Natural Resources Leadership Institute.

Steve Vickner, Ag Economics, and Stephen Davies, Colorado State University, have been awarded the 2001 Outstanding Article Award by the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

The Wildcat Way to Wellness, a total fitness program, won the 2000 Outstanding Project Award given by the Association of Kentucky Extension Specialists. Janet Tietyen, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, is the program’s originator.

Craig Wood and Ag Communications’ Distance Learning Program team received a gold medal at the National Epsilon Sigma Phi meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award was part of the national broadcast teleconference which highlighted outstanding programs submitted from across the nation.

Tim Woods, Ag Economics, has been appointed to serve as economist for the Commonwealth’s Phase I Tobacco Settlement Board.

Julie Zimmerman, Rural Sociology, was named Outstanding New Specialist by the Association of Kentucky Extension Specialists.