The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (EPP) hosted its Annual Winter Awards Banquet on December 6, 2023. The evening, marked by camaraderie, recognition, and a spirited game of White Elephant, provided EPP students, staff, and faculty with the opportunity to reflect upon the achievements of the 2023 year.
The event recognized our outstanding 2023 graduates Rebecca Butler, Corey Day, Kassie Hollabaugh, Autumn McLaughlin, Aaron Onufrak, Noah Parker, and Ryan Vichich for their accomplishments.
In addition to the graduate recognitions, the banquet highlighted the 2023 departmental award winners. These individuals achieved remarkable accomplishments and made significant contributions to EPP during the the year. The list below details each category and award presented at the event:
- Russell and Bobbie Bull Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Student Award in Entomology: Julian Cosner
- Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Student Award in Plant Pathology: Aaron Onufrak
- Distinguished Alumni Award in Entomology and Plant Pathology: Don Sudbrink Jr., Austin Peay State University
- Pless to Outstanding Faculty: Dr. Jerome Grant
- Pless to Outstanding Technical Staff: Sarah Boggess
- Pless to Outstanding Administrative Staff: Sonya Dexter
- Entomology and Plant Pathology Outstanding Student Research Publication Award: Dawson Kerns
- Charles Wheeler Most Outstanding M.S. Student Award in Entomology: Carmen Black & Makhali Voss (co-recipients)
- Charles Wheeler Most Outstanding M.S. Student Award in Plant Pathology: Alina Pokhrel
The EPP social committee extends sincere gratitude to the distinguished guests who attended the occasion, including UTIA Vice Chancellor and Vice President Keith Carver, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation Initiatives Brad Day, Dean of Extension Ashley Stokes, Interim Dean of Herbert College of Agriculture Dave White, and Dean of AgResearch Hongwei Xin.
The evening concluded with a special note of appreciation from the EPP social committee to all attendees, expressing gratitude for making the event memorable. Congratulations to all the award winners and graduates.