Nominations have opened for the 2015 Celebration of Excellence, the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ annual event that honors outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends.

The ceremony will occur April 9 at the Reynold Alumni Center. Nomination deadline for CAFNR faculty, staff and student awards is March 6.

Awards are presented for teaching, advising, research, extension and volunteering, and to outstanding staff, alumni, students and student clubs.

At the end of the evening three people are honored with CAFNR’s signature award, the Mumford, recognizing an outstanding faculty member, an outstanding staff member and someone who has given the College distinguished service. Frederick Mumford was the College’s fifth dean, and served in the position for 27 years.

Keith Goyne was the 2014 Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award winner. He was presented the award by Vice Chancellor and Dean Tom Payne.

Teaching awards include the Outstanding Senior Teacher and Outstanding Early Career Teacher. Award winners are judged by demonstrated excellence in classroom and laboratory teaching, teaching outside of the classroom and other teaching-related activities.

There are two outstanding advisor awards—the Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor and the Outstanding Graduate Advisor. Recipients must demonstrate unusually effective ongoing mentoring relationships with advisees during their programs of study.

The Early Investigator Research Award recognizes demonstrated excellence in research performance that indicates a trajectory toward national or international recognition through individual research or contributions to research team efforts.

The Distinguished Research Award highlights work in research performance, national or international recognition and special contributions to research team efforts.

The J.W. Burch State Specialist Award recognizes achievements in agricultural extension. It honors specialists for their effectiveness of program leadership with field staff, quality of extension publications, presentations and other educational materials, and recognition by state and national peers for their program quality.

There are four alumni awards – the Alumnus of the Year, Citation of Merit, Honorary Membership and True Tiger Volunteer Award. The alumnus award recognizes the accomplishments of someone who had added to the excellence of Mizzou. The merit award details the efforts to support a person provides to the academic curriculum or a MU division. Honorary membership is given to a person, who is not a former student, who has demonstrated exemplary interest in CAFNR. The volunteer award recognizes an individual who has advanced the College’s mission through volunteer efforts.

The Staff Recognition Award highlights the achievements that demonstrate outstanding ability and performance in productivity, quality of work, congeniality, judgment, dependability, initiative, leadership and dedication to the mission and values of the College.

The Student Recognition Award honor an outstanding freshman, sophomore and junior who demonstrates leadership and involvement in CAFNR. The Outstanding Student Club recognizes the most significant student organization of the year.