Gamma Sigma Delta Announces 2008 Award Recipients
and Inducts New Members

The fall initiation and awards banquet of the UT Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture, was held November 11, 2008. Dr. Fred Allen, chapter president, presided over the evening’s events, which featured Dr. William Brown, Dean and Director of UT AgResearch, as the guest speaker. Faculty and student awards of excellence were also presented. Publication-quality copies of the photos are available from Margot Emery.

Faculty Award of Excellence Recipients:

Research Award – Dr. Burton C. English, Professor, Agricultural Economics

Teaching Award – Dr. Svetlana Zivanovic, Associate Professor, Food Science and Technology

Extension Award – Dr. Thomas J. Samples, Professor, Plant Sciences

Alumni Award - Mr. Murray Miles, Food Science and Technology
(news article)

Service Award - Dr. John Riley, Professor, Agricultural Economics

College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Outstanding Student Merit Awards:

The Outstanding Freshman Award is presented to the student with the highest grade point average at the end of their first year.
Outstanding Freshmen:
          Melissa Ann Edwards, Animal Sciences
          Timothy Paul Fraysier, Animal Sciences

The Outstanding Sophomore Award is presented to no more than the top five sophomores.
Outstanding Sophomores:
          Jacob Ian Lewis, Food Science & Technology

Outstanding Junior:
          Amber Marie Bowling, Animal Sciences

College of Veterinary Medicine Outstanding Student Merit Awards:

First Year: Greta L. Schmoyer

Second Year: Rebecca A. Costello
                     Emily C. Pearman
                     Joshua A Rowe
                     Jody F. Thomas
                     Laura A. White
          
Third Year: Kelly Jean Rogers

The following undergraduate students were initiated into Gamma Sigma Delta:

Tyler Blystone (Wildlife and Fisheries Science)
Amber Bowling (Animal Science)
Robert Hamilton Davis (Food Science and Technology/Food Science Technology Pre-Professional)
Jeremy Hamlington (Forestry Wildlife and Fisheries/Wildlife and Fisheries Science)
Daniel J. Houlihan (Animal Science/PreVet)
Glenis Moore (Animal Science/PreVet)
Joni Mullinix (Animal Science)
Beau Robert Neal (Agriculture Education)
Leah Soro (Environmental Science)
Charles Todd Vinsant (Environmental Science)
Shawna Kay Walker (Animal Science/PreVet)

The following graduate students were inducted into Gamma Sigma Delta:

Kristin Abney (Plant Science)
Qunkang Cheng (Entomology and Plant Pathology)
Justin S. Clark (Entomology and Plant Pathology/Plant Pathology)
Tabatha Cooper (Animal Science)
Dustin J. Donahue (Agricultural Economics)
Sarah B. Elliott (CEM/Equine Nutrition)
Dustin Lewis (Plant Sciences)
Oluseyi Lydia Fajolu (Entomology and Plant Pathology)
Ben Fallen (Plant Sciences)
Andrew Preston Griffith (Agricultural Economics)
Jason C. Head (Biosystems Engineering Technology)
Rajesh Kumar Jena (Biosystems Engineering)
Amanda Jenkins (Agricultural Economics)
Minfeng Jin (Food Science)
Jessica S. Journey (Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science/Soil Science)
Estanislao Peixoto (Animal Science)
Adam Thoms (Plant Sciences)
Raymundo Trejo (Food Science and Technology/Food Science)
Nicolas F. Villarino (Comparative and Exp. Medicine/CVM)
Jonathan D. Willis (Entomology and Plant Pathology/Entomology)
Nan Zhao (Plant Science/Plants, Soils and Insects)

The following College of Veterinary Medicine students were initiated into Gamma Sigma Delta:

Martha G. Cline
Virginia R. Kiefer
Emily Carol Pearman
Jody F. Thomas

The following UTIA faculty and staff were initiated as members of Gamma Sigma Delta:

Russell D. Kriewald (Animal Science)
Lorna Norwood (Marketing and Communications)
David Yates (Eastern Region Extension)

The Chapter extends its hearty congratulations to all award winners and a warm welcome to all new members.

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