Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Beta Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture, held its annual award ceremony April 16 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:
- Anna Johnson, Morrill Professor of animal science, Mission Award for Research
- Quincy Law, assistant professor of horticulture, Mission Award for Teaching
- Christen Burgett, associate teaching professor of animal science, Mission Award for International Agriculture
- Rabail Chandio, assistant professor of economics, Mission Award for Extension
Brian McCulloh (‘81 animal science) was awarded the Alumni Award of Merit. McCulloh is a co-founder of Woodhill Farms, a balanced-trait, data-driven Angus genetics company that does business on five continents.
The Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award was presented to Robert G. Riley, Jr. He is the chairman emeritus of Riley Resource Group, a collection of agriculture-focused companies including Feed Energy, FEC Solutions, Decision Innovation Solutions and Riverhead Resources. Riley also serves on several agricultural boards, including the North Central Poultry Association, The Nature Conservancy of Iowa, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, the American Feed Industry Association, the Iowa Innovation Corporation, the Iowa State University Research Foundation and more, continuing to improve the state of Midwestern agriculture.
Two scholarships were given to students in the sophomore and senior classes with the highest grade point average among their classmates. Joshua Fenwick, a sophomore in animal science, and Katerina Casas Solis, a senior in animal science, were this year’s recipients.
Donald Beitz, distinguished professor of animal science, was honored for his sustaining service to Gamma Sigma Delta. Beitz was inducted into the honor society as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois in 1961, received the Alumni Award of Merit and the Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture awards and has remained involved as a committee member and advisor. Beitz received a clock as a token of appreciation, and a tree will be planted near Kildee Hall in honor of his 65 years of dedicated service.
During the ceremony, 47 undergraduate students, 41 graduate and veterinary medicine students and three faculty and staff members were initiated into Gamma Sigma Delta’s Iowa Chapter. The new members include:
Juniors
- Ashton Byal, biochemistry
- Emily Carr, global resource systems
- Jesse Crutcher, agricultural engineering
- Nolan Engelbrecht, agricultural business
- Augustus Garcia, food science
- Gabriel Gibson, forestry
- Madalyn Gibson, animal science
- Alexa Huber, animal science
- Adelyn Koch, agricultural studies
- Kaden McAtee, biology
- Kendyl Perron, forestry
- Lauren Phillips, agricultural communication
- Jadeyn Pundt, microbiology
- Katherine Shepherd, environmental science
- Harriet Tuck, agronomy
- Lydia Wigdahl, culinary food science
Seniors
- Alyssa Aguilar, animal science
- Avery Allan, nutritional science
- Julia Biehl, agricultural communication
- Kayley Birkland, animal science
- Emily Bray, agricultural and rural policy studies
- Maya Bruening, agricultural communication
- Kristal Claudio, industrial technology
- Sara Curtis, food science
- Ryan Entriken, agricultural business
- Natalya Griffin, animal ecology
- Gage Haines, animal science
- Avery Heller, biology
- Hayden Holdgrafer, agricultural studies
- Morghan Hurst, nursing
- Broden Johns, industrial technology
- Kennedy Kuehni, microbiology
- Nic Larsen, biology
- Carly Lawler, agricultural systems technology
- Callie Lindgren, animal science
- Emma Malloy, animal science
- Ivy Mehlhaff, animal science
- Kylan Mower, animal science
- Sophia Poquette, agricultural communication
- Mayci Rasmus, animal science
- Keira Simmons, agronomy
- Mak Simpson, animal science
- Nora Sperfslage, biochemistry
- Ethan Sproule, biology
- Casey Thomas, animal science
- Madelyn VanSickle, agricultural studies
- Sarah Wassom, animal science
- Kaitlyn Zeedyk, animal science
Graduate and veterinary medicine students
- Mamata Adhikari, agricultural education
- Sandhya Adhikari, plant pathology
- Amanda Bauer, agronomy
- Shadrack Gyamfi Boadi, industrial and agricultural technology
- Taylor Boonstra, agronomy
- Madison Brockman, animal physiology
- Baishali Chakraborty, biomedical sciences
- Elisa De Conti, population sciences in animal health
- Haimantika Dey, biochemistry
- Brannigan du Preez, food science and technology
- Anne-Marie Tafadzwa Dzinoreva, agricultural education
- Mackenzie Griffin, meat science
- Caleigh Grote, animal physiology
- Kassidie Gunnell, agronomy
- Noah Hartleben, veterinary medicine
- Swaminathan Jayaraman, population sciences in animal health
- Yan Jiang, agricultural and biosystems engineering
- Lakshmi Jitta, agricultural and biosystems engineering
- Jibin Jose, economics
- Ghanshyam Kandel, agricultural education
- Megan Kemp, farm food and enterprise development
- Melissa Kerns, veterinary microbiology
- Tracy Kinch, agronomy
- Cameron Krumm, horticulture
- Ashley Madson, agronomy
- Katherine Mahlmeister, wildlife ecology
- Amina Moro, crop production and physiology
- James Ochse, plant breeding
- Sirisha Parameswaran, biomedical sciences
- Felipe Rodrigues Picchi, agricultural and biosystems engineering
- Anthony Romero, industrial and agricultural technology
- Noah Schultz, forestry
- John Sheriff, agricultural engineering
- Ian Shofner, animal physiology
- Adam Steffensmeier, veterinary microbiology
- Elizabeth Thomas, veterinary microbiology
- Ning-Chieh Twu, veterinary microbiology
- Allison Vander Plaats, veterinary medicine
- Nathan Vander Werff, animal science
- Isaac White, meat science
- Bopitige Udith Ravindu Wijemanna, animal science
Faculty and staff
- Shelby Gruss, assistant professor of agronomy
- Richard Roth, assistant professor of agronomy
- Randall Vos, agriculture and natural resources extension specialist
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.