The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources honors its outstanding faculty, staff, and students each spring during the Celebration of Excellence ceremony. The 2025 event was held on Thursday, April 17, at the Bond Life Sciences Center. Awards recognized excellence in academics, teaching, research, advising, extension, service to the college, and safety leadership.
Frederick B. Mumford Awards
Outstanding Staff: Cindy Greenwood
Outstanding Faculty: Bing Yang
Distinguished Service: Richard Fordyce
Outstanding CAFNR Student Awards
Outstanding Freshman: Annabelle Carlisle
Outstanding Sophomore: Bailey Schneider
Outstanding Junior: Ava Kemper
Outstanding Senior: Preston Kellenberger
Outstanding Student Organization: Financial Planning Association
Graduate Student Awards
William R. Lamberson Distinguished Thesis: Riley Sullivan (advisor: Rod Geisert)
William R. Lamberson Distinguished Dissertation: Samantha Carter (advisor: Robin Rotman)
Staff Award
Outstanding Staff: Michelle Li
Safety Leadership Award
Teaching Awards
Outstanding Early Career Teacher: Amy Petry
Outstanding Mid-Career Teacher: Shuangyu Xu
Outstanding Senior Teacher: Sonja Wilhelm Stanis
Advising and Mentoring Awards
Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor: Jenna Fusinatto
Outstanding Graduate Mentor: Chung-Ho Lin
CAFNR Teaching Academy Inductees
J.W. Burch State Specialist Agricultural Extension Award
Research Awards
Early Investigator Research: Morgan Davis
Outstanding Mid-Career Research: Abe Koo
Distinguished Research: Mary Hendrickson