AMES, Iowa – Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Beta Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture, held its annual award ceremony on April 21 in Dolezal Auditorium, Curtiss Hall. Iowa State University students, faculty and alumni were presented with awards, and new members were inducted into the organization.
Mission awards recognize faculty members whose work exemplifies Iowa State’s mission in the areas of teaching, research, extension and international agriculture. This year’s recipients are as follows:
- Jennifer Bundy, assistant professor of animal science, received the Mission Award for Teaching
- Steven Lonergan, Morrill Professor of animal science, received the Mission Award for Research
- Matthew Wenger, program specialist in animal science, received the Mission Award for Extension
- Sergio Horacio Lence, professor of economics, received the Mission Award for International Agriculture
The Alumni Award of Merit was given to John Lawrence, the vice president of Extension and Outreach at Iowa State University. He is recognized for his direction in advancing agriculture in Iowa, supporting communities, and encouraging youth to become the leaders of tomorrow. Lawrence has also held many other positions, including associate dean and director for Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension and director of the Iowa Beef Center.
Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, received the Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award. Naig was elected to his current position in 2018, and he previously served as the deputy secretary at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Throughout his career, Naig has focused on encouraging responsible use of natural resources and supporting farming initiatives that do so.
Every year, Gamma Sigma Delta awards one sophomore scholarship and one senior scholarship to the students who earn the highest grade point average in their respective classes. This year’s recipients were Cooper Hess, sophomore in biology, and Samantha Schepers, senior in biology.
During the ceremony, 17 undergraduate students and 36 graduate and veterinary medicine students were initiated into Gamma Sigma Delta’s Iowa Chapter. The new members include:
Junior and Senior Students
- Ashley Althaus, junior in agricultural systems technology of Sublette, Illinois
- Wyatt Bailey, junior in agronomy and seed science of Mitchellville, Iowa
- Sidney Brazzle, senior in animal ecology of Rancho Murieta, California
- Erik Gerdts, junior in agronomy of St. Ansgar, Iowa
- Timothy Hillberry, senior in landscape architecture of Iowa City, Iowa
- Ashley Lohman, senior in animal science of Sperry, Iowa
- Payton Lorack, senior in agricultural and life sciences education of Lone Tree, Iowa
- McKenna Maus, senior in animal science of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Mickayla McGill, senior in agricultural and life sciences education of Knoxville, Iowa
- Jennifer Merryman, senior in forestry of Ames, Iowa
- Desiree Mignone, senior in biology
- Colton Moore, junior in agricultural business of Randolph, Iowa
- Matthew Pfab, senior in biology of Bernard, Iowa
- Jenna Simon, senior in horticulture of Dow City, Iowa
- Jenna Smith, senior in agricultural and life sciences education of Newton, Iowa
- Elizabeth Vorsten, junior in agricultural studies and international agriculture of Polk City, Iowa
- Allie Wicklund, junior in animal science of Andover, Minnesota
Graduate and Veterinary Medicine Students
- Jacob Baker, graduate student in agricultural education and studies of Clear Lake, Iowa
- Amruta Bapat, graduate student in genetics of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
- Kia Barry, graduate student in microbiology of Tortola, British Virgin Islands
- Abigail Boyd, graduate student in food science and human nutrition of Wilmette, Illinois
- Hory Bakan Chikez, graduate student in industrial and agricultural technology of Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, Congo
- Karin Cho, graduate student in food science and human nutrition of Toyonaka City, Osaka, Japan
- Derek Jansen Cornelius, graduate student in seed technology and business of Monticello, Illinois
- Sarah Dewolf, graduate student in microbiology of Pella, Iowa
- Kayla Elmore, graduate student in animal science of Burlington, Iowa
- Carli Erickson, graduate student in agricultural education and studies of Sheridan, Illinois
- Maria Hakimi, graduate student in microbiology of Ames, Iowa
- Mikayla Hartl, graduate student in agricultural education and studies of Central City, Iowa
- Anna Hedges, graduate student in biomedical sciences of Davenport, Iowa
- Cynthia Hicks, graduate student in agricultural education and studies of Ames, Iowa
- Nathaniel Boyd Arbuckle Higdon, graduate student in immunobiology of Overland Park, Kansas
- Tammy Hirakawa Sugajara, graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering of Ames, Iowa
- Kari Kennedy, graduate student in immunobiology of Ankeny, Iowa
- Calvin (Cheng-Yu) Ko, graduate student in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine of Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Ario Kordestani, graduate student in agricultural engineering of Jackson, Minnesota
- Brittany Larsen, graduate student in neuroscience of Yankton, South Dakota
- Susanne Je-Han Lin, graduate student in veterinarian pathology of Taipei City, Taiwan
- Gabrielle Meyers, graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering of Underwood, Iowa
- Justin Mohr, graduate student in biomedical sciences of Carroll, Iowa
- Julia Nutter, graduate student in food science of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aries, Argentina
- Njeshi Charity Nya, graduate student in toxicology of Ames, Iowa
- George Obeng-Akrofi, graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering of Tema, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
- Oyeyemi Raphael Oyeleke, graduate student of agronomy of Inisa, Osun, Nigeria
- Devin Radosevich, graduate student in entomology of Denver, Colorado
- Taylor Marie Reth, graduate student in industrial and agricultural technology of Hopkinton, Iowa
- Jason Smith, graduate student in agricultural education and studies of Mills, Massachusetts
- Mario McQuade Smith, graduate student in agronomy of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
- Christopher Tonkel, graduate student in agronomy of South Bends, Indiana
- Ivair Valmorbida, graduate student in entomology of Modelo, Santa Cantarina, Brazil
- Jody Wilhelm, graduate student in agronomy of Fall Creek, Wisconsin
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.
