More than 50 outstanding students accepted awards at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences annual Honors Day ceremony April 17 at Benedict Auditorium on the University of Vermont campus. CALS student Katelyn Wuebbolt received a University-wide award —- the Mortar Board Sophomore Award for "outstanding service, scholarship service, scholarship, and leadership." The College's top award went to Vanessa Patten, a junior, who received the Alexander Kende Academic Merit award for "academic excellence, interest in medicine or bio-medical research, service, integrity, personal courage and good humor." The award honors the late Alex Kende '00, a sixth generation Vermonter and Biological Science major. Several students across the College were recognized for their distinguished research. They are: Marlow Duffy, Mark Freedman, Jennifer Fricke, Christopher Graves, Katelyn McLaughlin, Erin E. Osmanski, Michael Skillicorn and Jessica Spiltoir. Animal Science In Animal Science, Eila Susskind received the Vermont Dairy Association's annual Elmer Towne Award, and Coral Kent-Dennis received the George H. Walker Award for dairy science. William Kieber received the Brian Hawley Scholarship Award. Both Briana Clark and Benjamin Whitcomb were presented a Donald J. Balch Award for their contributions to equine or companion animal activities. Miranda Bartlett received another equine award —- the Triona Wilder Marno-Ferree Memorial Award. The Brett Klein Memorial Scholarship went to Kent-Dennis, Osmanski, John Wright, Megan Haughey and Amy Keiser. Valerie Koenig received the Animal Science Faculty Award. Clark, Kent-Dennis, Koenig and Patten, along with Abbey Dattilio, Sarah Muntyan, Danielle Funaro, Megan Foy, Jennifer Haber, Lauren Thresh, Michaela Martin, Erin King, Marissa Ruppel, Jennifer Moltz, Kathryn Turnbull, Rudi Richmand and Katelyn Wuebbolt were recognized as future leaders with the American Society of Animal Science Awards. Biological Science The top three Biological Science students received Scholastic Achievement Awards. They are: senior James Berry, junior Stephen Fulling and sophomore Johanna Mayerhofer. Community Development and Applied Economics The top graduating seniors in each area of Community Development and Applied Economics were recognized. They are: Joseph Hardie and Tate Morris for community entrepreneurship, Emily Falta and Jonathan Maddison for community and international development and Rachel Brett and Zoe Kosmas for public communication. The top seniors were recognized: Benjamin Bezark, Conor Casey, Marlow Duffy, Falta, Jonathan Kyle, Samantha Lederfine-Paskal, Maddison, Tate Morris and Michael Skillicorn. Top teaching assistants, Jordan Crasilneck and Michael Kirk were also awarded. Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Katelyn McLaughin was awarded the Warren R. Steinbring Outstanding Senior in Microbiology Award. Jacob McFadden received the Lucille P. Markey Outstanding Senior in Molecular Genetics Award. Nutrition and Food Sciences Kevin Stanton was chosen for the Nutrition and Food Sciences Faculty Award. Jesse Curran received the Agnes T. Powell Award for an outstanding senior in the dietetics major. And Brianne Keefe was presented the Blair Williams Award for high professional standards and a broad range of interests in nutrition and foods. The Nutrition and Food Sciences Research Award went to Dana Notte. Danielle Pothier was named Outstanding Dietetics Student. Danielle Bois took home the Cornellia Wheeler Irish Memorial Scholarship Award. And the Bertha Terrill Award went to Morgan Rivers. Plant Biology In the Plant Biology Department two awards distinguish its top seniors. Hillary Kessler won this year's Lewis Ralph Jones Award. Timothy Perez received the faculty's Superior Performance Award. Plant and Soil Sciences Kate Turcotte took several of the Plant and Soil Science Department's top awards. They are: the Agronomy, Soils and Sustainable Agriculture Senior Recognition Award, American Society for Horticulture Science Outstanding Horticulture Student Award and the James Ludlow Endowed Scholarship. The latter she shared with Christopher Simard. Simard also received the American Society for Horticulture Science Collegiate Scholars Award, along with: Benjamin Crockett, Jeremy Burchett, Lydia Petty and Derek Eckhardt. Crockett received the W.H. Darrow Horticulture Prize. Daviid Ferrell was awarded the Seymour Horticultural Prize for original horticultural research. Kaitlin Harris received the top Plant and Soil Science Teaching Assistant Award. A faculty award and a staff award were also presented during Honors Day. Rose Laba received the Outstanding Staff Award and Interim Dean Tom Vogelmann received the Joseph E. Carrigan Teaching Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Stay tuned for upcoming CALSweb stories on these two distinguished awards. CAPTION: Clockwise from upper left, Christopher Simard and Benjamin Crockett should have won the Best Tie Award; Award winners: Kate Turcotte; Katelyn Wuebbolt; Vanessa Patten; Jacob McFadden; Tom Vogelmann and Rose Laba. ~ Cheryl Dorschner photo