By Whitney Baxter
Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Beta Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture, held its annual award ceremony on April 23 in Curtiss Hall’s Dolezal Auditorium. Iowa State University students, faculty and alums were presented awards, and new members were inducted into the organization.
Mission awards were presented to faculty and staff whose work exemplifies Iowa State’s mission in teaching, research, extension and international agriculture. The following individuals were recognized:
- Juan Steibel, professor of animal science, Mission Award for Research
- Dawn Koltes, assistant professor of animal science, Mission Award for Teaching
- Gail Nonnecke, Morrill Professor of horticulture, Mission Award for International Agriculture
- Laura Greiner, associate professor of animal science, Mission Award for Extension
The Alumni Award of Merit was presented to Gene Gourley, who earned a bachelor’s degree in farm operation in 1986 and a master’s degree in animal science in 1993. Gourley is the founder and president of Gourley Research Group, LLC.
James Dickson, professor emeritus of animal science, received the Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award. Dickson has been appointed to the roster of experts by the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for his extensive research related to controlling foodborne pathogens on food from animals. Even in retirement, Dickson continues sharing his knowledge via workshops, short courses and webinars.
Two scholarships were given to students in the sophomore and senior classes with the highest grade point average among their classmates. Harriet Tuck, a sophomore in agronomy, and Isaiah Bates, a senior in horticulture, were this year’s recipients.
During the ceremony, 37 undergraduate students, 38 graduate and veterinary medicine students and three faculty members were initiated into Gamma Sigma Delta’s Iowa Chapter. The new members include:
Junior students
- Breckyn Carney, animal science
- Katerina Nicole Casas, animal science – pre-vet
- Darcy Renee Heltzel, food science, animal science
- Taylor M. Jensen, animal science – pre-vet
- Candace Lein, animal science
- Jack Mason, agricultural studies, international agriculture, agronomy
- December McGrew, agronomy
- Ava O'Connell, environmental science, geology
- Grace Oglesby, animal science
- Stuart Satterwhite, industrial technology
- Anna Cecilia Schuster, environmental science, community and regional planning, geographic information science
- Tessa Tauke, animal science
- Allison Treacy, animal science – pre-vet
Senior students
- Keaton Bertrand, animal science – pre-vet
- Yuke Cai, landscape architecture
- Clayson Cox, biology, global health
- Caelan Engelbrecht, agricultural systems technology, international agriculture
- Lydia J. Flinders, animal ecology, fisheries and aquatic sciences
- Hayley Foss, agricultural education
- Jennifer Louise Holliday, agricultural studies, journalism and mass communication, international agriculture
- Julia Patricia Letsche, global resource systems, agriculture and rural policy studies, Spanish
- Allison Long, landscape architecture, sustainability
- Ella McGrath, horticulture, global resource systems
- Sarah Mitchell, agriculture and life sciences education
- Calvin D. Moioffer, animal science
- Wren A. Murzyn, genetics
- Irene Nielsen, dairy science, agricultural communication, international agriculture
- Carson Ruen, agricultural business – finance emphasis, international agriculture
- Holly Schmitt, agricultural and life sciences education, event management
- Aiden Skow, animal science
- Madeline Stadtmueller, biochemistry, agronomy
- Eliana Joy Thompson, agricultural business
- Daniella Thuerauf, global resource systems, environmental science, forestry
- Meredith Tigges, biology
- Gabrielle Townsend, animal science
- Eian Philip Weber, animal science – pre-vet
- Emily Zilisch, agronomy, dairy science
Graduate and veterinary medicine students
- Natan Angelo Seraglio, crop production and physiology
- Julia Bowman, agricultural engineering
- Erez Jacob Brandvain, agronomy
- Bridget Buol, animal science, nutritional physiology
- Yureni Carvajal, meat science
- Rwit Chakravorty, economics
- Justin Chapman, agricultural education
- Gaelan Combs, animal science
- Abraham Corrales, plant breeding
- Fatokimi Esther Olawumi, agricultural economics
- Ahlea Marie Forster, animal science, immunology
- Mark Gibson, agronomy
- Inés Glineur, agronomy
- Abigail Marie Halley, agricultural education, extension
- Jorja Hoover, biomedical science
- Ahmed A. Iman, agronomy
- Swaminathan Jayaraman, population sciences in animal health, statistics, computer science
- Anu Karki, agricultural education, agricultural communication
- Eric Ryan Keller, agricultural education
- Li Peng, population sciences in animal health
- Isadora Fernanda Machado, population sciences in animal health and veterinary preventative medicine
- Jessica Nelson, soil science, environmental science
- Annamarie Nye, veterinary medicine
- Alexandra Juliet Ostrowski, veterinary medicine
- Srikanth Panthulugiri, plant breeding, statistics
- Jacob G. Parr, agricultural education
- Diya Sarah Paul, food science and technology
- Elias Jerome Perez, meat science
- Anne-Ultelie Poincon, forestry, statistics
- Jan Kathleen Punzalan, agricultural and biosystems engineering
- Joe Ramstad, agricultural education
- Robert Ridpath, industrial technology – occupational safety
- Yanben Shen, plant breeding
- Ravi Prakash Singh, agricultural and biosystems engineering
- Reagan Suubi, agricultural education and studies, agricultural communication and youth engagement
- Hunter E. Wells, wildlife ecology
- Hanna Jo Wickman, industrial and agricultural technology
- Adam Yakubu, soil science
Faculty members
- Tina Krug, assistant teaching professor of horticulture
- Alyssa Rockers, assistant professor of agricultural education and studies
- Amber Rice, associate professor of agricultural education and studies
Gamma Sigma Delta is the honorary society of agriculture. The organization’s objectives are to encourage excellence in the practice of agricultural pursuits and promote high standards of scholarship throughout agricultural science and education.