AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture, has announced the winners of annual awards presented to Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty, students and alumni.
Typically, these individuals would have been recognized during an awards ceremony, but due to COVID-19, the event was canceled this year. Each winner will receive a certificate from the Gamma Sigma Delta parent organization in recognition of their excellence.
Four Mission Awards were presented to individuals in recognition of their exceptional contributions to Iowa State. Each was nominated by their respective departmental chairs. The awardees are as follows:
- Larry Tranel, dairy field specialist for ISU Extension and Outreach, and Erin Hodgson, associate professor and Extension entomologist in entomology, received the Mission Award for Extension
- Dirk E. Maier, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Christopher K. Tuggle, professor of animal science, received the Mission Award for International
- Stephanie Hansen, associate professor of animal science, received the Mission Award for Research
- Christen Burgett, associate teaching professor of animal science, received the Mission Award for Teaching
This year’s Alumni Award of Merit was presented to Michael Pugh, owner/operator of Westwood Embryo Services in Waverly, Iowa. Pugh holds three degrees from Iowa State – bachelor of science in animal science in 1996, master of science in animal production in 1999, and doctor of veterinary medicine in 2006.
Additionally, Mark Rasmussen, professor of animal science and director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, was selected for the Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture award.
Two students were named recipients of scholarships offered by Gamma Sigma Delta. Kasey Sullivan, sophomore in microbiology from Medina, Minn., received the Sophomore Scholarship, and Emily Franciskato, senior in genetics from Lees Summit, Mo., received the Senior Scholarship.
The honor society also welcomed four faculty, 43 undergraduate students and 32 veterinary and graduate students into its Iowa Chapter. The new inductees include:
Faculty
- Christen Burgett, associate teaching professor, animal science
- Ebby Luvaga, associate teaching professor, economics
- Kurt Rosentrater, associate professor, agricultural and biosystems engineering
- Nick Serao, assistant professor, animal science
Junior and Senior Students
- Georgia Ackley, junior in food science of Fredericksburg, Iowa
- Grace Avery, senior in biology of Roscoe, Illinois
- Vishesh Bhatia, senior in genetics of Delhi, India
- Matthew Bormann, junior in agricultural studies of Mason City, Iowa
- Anna Marie Bruen, senior in horticulture of Humboldt, Iowa
- Lauren Burrough, senior in food science of Ames, Iowa
- Tessa Chen, senior in animal science of Ottumwa, Iowa
- Crystal DeWulf, senior in landscape architecture of Long Grove, Iowa
- Jessica Eisma, senior in animal science of Le Mars, Iowa
- Lauren Ellerbach, senior in animal science of Waukee, Iowa
- Emily Everhart, senior in food science of Coon Rapids, Minnesota
- Jacob Ewart, junior in agronomy of Wapello, Iowa
- Dawson Fischer, junior in agricultural business of Pomeroy, Iowa
- Nicholas Frye, senior in agricultural engineering of Marseilles, Illinois
- Hannah Garland, senior in horticulture of Dixon, Iowa
- Makayla Garland, senior in agronomy of Pilot Mound, Iowa
- Emily Hass, junior in food science of Marshalltown, Iowa
- Brayden Jacobs, junior in industrial technology of Polk City, Iowa
- Macy Janssen, junior in agricultural business of Shell Rock, Iowa
- Kelsey Karnish, senior in environmental science of Donahue, Iowa
- Zackery Leist, senior in agricultural business of Clarion, Iowa
- Gabriella Luke, senior in animal science of Huxley, Iowa
- Halle Mason, junior in agricultural studies of Duncombe, Iowa
- Madeline McGarry, senior in agricultural and life sciences education of Cambridge, Iowa
- Tyler Meyer, senior in agricultural business of Montezuma, Iowa
- Pamela Miksell, senior in forestry of Des Moines, Iowa
- Summer Murdick, senior in animal science of Potosi, Missouri
- Jolynn Nissen, senior in agricultural systems technology of Luckey, Ohio
- Sydney Paris, senior in animal science of Ames, Iowa
- Kathryn Post, senior in culinary food science of Des Moines, Iowa
- Alyssa Rosenbaum, senior in horticulture of Sioux City, Iowa
- Ellen Sattler, senior in horticulture of Clive, Iowa
- Samantha Schepers, junior in biology of Adel, Iowa
- Austin Schleich, senior in agronomy of Fairview, Illinois
- Kara Smith, junior in animal science of West Des Moines, Iowa
- Maggie Smith, senior in animal science of Waterloo, Iowa
- Emilie Tamblyn, junior in animal science of Manteno, Illinois
- Dillon Tartaglia, senior in animal science of Fishers, Indiana
- Cody Tjossem, senior in agricultural business of Sutherland, Iowa
- Jennifer Vander Lee, senior in animal science of Hartley, Iowa
- Gracie Vatthauer, senior in agricultural and life sciences education of Wheaton, Minnesota
- Kayla Wernsing, senior in environmental science of Sauk City, Wisconsin
- Emily Zahurones, senior in agricultural and life sciences education of Baxter, Iowa
Graduate and Veterinary Medicine Students
- Mariel Camacho-Arriola, graduate student in food science and human nutrition
- Jian Cheng, graduate student in animal science
- Tanner Cook, graduate student in agronomy of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Carson De Mille, graduate student in animal science of Macon, Georgia
- Edison Magalhaes, graduate student in veterinary diagnostic & production animal medicine of Uberlandia
- Jacob Froelich, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Toluca, Illinois
- Mariana Gomez Botero, graduate student in agronomy of Cartago Valle, Colombia
- Débora Goulart, graduate student in veterinary microbiology & preventative medicine
- Elliana Huffman, graduate student in biomedical sciences
- Ma Cristine Concepcion D. Ignacio, graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering of San Mateo, Isabela
- Jacob Johnson, graduate student in entomology of Belvidere, Illinois
- Logan Johnson, graduate student in animal science
- Jeremiah Kaufmann, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Washington, Iowa
- Zoe Lambert, graduate student in biomedical sciences of Macomb, Illinois
- Cassandra Lavoie, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Fernando Mauri Marcos, graduate student in plant pathology and microbiology
- Bailey McGuire, graduate student in animal science of Ames, Iowa
- Joshua Michel, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Wapello, Iowa
- Eric Moore, graduate student in agronomy
- Piyush Padhi, graduate student in biomedical sciences of Ottawa
- Eric Pooler, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Sonoma, California
- Crystal Roach, graduate student in animal science
- Matthew Sacia, graduate student in biomedical sciences of Eldridge, Iowa
- Jayamuni Vasuki Vindiya Silva, graduate student in animal science
- Terry Sizemore, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Willowbrook, Illinois
- Trevor Smith, distance education graduate student in agricultural education and studies of Ottumwa, Iowa
- Rachel Maria Sorensen, graduate student in natural resource ecology and management
- Paul Subart, distance education graduate student in agronomy of Steele, North Dakota
- Namah Taku – Forchu, graduate student in agricultural education and studies
- Michelle Thayer, graduate student in genetics development and cell biology of Runnells, Iowa
- Nicola Timbas, graduate student in agronomy
- Wei Wang, graduate student in landscape architecture of Ames, Iowa
Gamma Sigma Delta is a faculty-governed agriculture honor society. Its purpose is to encourage excellence in agricultural pursuits and to encourage high standards of scholarship in agricultural science and education.