Some students are still embarrassed when their parents show up on campus.
Not Dylan Badger of Potsdam, New York.
Since he is studying in Ireland, and missed the UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Honors Day on April 15, he sent his parents to accept his five awards and deliver brief remarks on his behalf.
So as CALS chair of plant and soil science Deborah Neher presented the awards, Rob and Carolyn Badger stood before the audience of perhaps 150 people in Benedict Auditorium. Rob held up a mask-style photo of Dylan. Then he gave his son’s professor Mark Starrett a book. Carolyn held certificates for the Agronomy, Soils and Sustainable Agriculture Senior Recognition; Lewis Ralph Jones Award; Seymour Horticultural Prize; and the Outstanding Horticulture Student Award and Collegiate Scholars Award both from the American Society of Horticultural Science. She pointed out later that Dylan will also miss commencement, so this was truly the family’s only rite of passage marking Dylan’s UVM accomplishments.
In her remarks, Neher explained that Dylan’s ecological agriculture major included research investigating the use of organic fungicides on hops. “Growing hops in Vermont is difficult due to fungal diseases and is something Dylan is eager to overcome because he aspires to produce organically-gown hops at his grandparent’s homestead in southern Vermont,” she said. “He and his brother hope to sell ‘Alumni Ale’ at Brennan’s Pub in the Davis Student Center some day,” she added, observing that Dylan’s semester abroad in Ireland was perfect for “sampling the many different brews available there.”
His older brother is a graduate of the University of California-Davis’s professional brewers’ certificate program, their father reports, and he himself is a longtime home brewer.
This surprise presentation was a happy diversion during the annual awarding of 34 College awards to 72 scholars – of these, 16 were men. Seventy-four members of the Green Mountain Chapter of Alpha Zeta agricultural honorary society were also named in the Honors Day program.
Top College-Wide Award Winners
Erin King took home the most top honors. She received the Animal Science Faculty Award, American Society of Animal Science Award and recognition for distinguished undergraduate research. And this Cranston, Rhode Island senior isn’t finished yet. In May she will receive CALS Outstanding Senior Award. In July, in New Orleans, she will compete nationally with other winners of the URECA (Undergraduate Research: Endeavors, Competitive Award).
Others earning CALS recognition for distinguished undergraduate research were Melissa Croteau in dietetics, Stephanie D’Amore in animal science, Caitlin Dugan in molecular genetics, Rachel Glaser in community development and applied economics, Amanda LaCroix in animal science, Wingyin Lo in animal science, Caitlin Loretan in animal science, Emily Potter in dietetics, Elle Roberson in biochemistry and Kathryn Turnbull in animal science.
Danielle Leahy received the Alexander Kende Academic Merit Award, which recognizes a second‑semester junior majoring studying biological science, for academic excellence, interest in medicine or bio‑medical research and service.
Teaching assistants Joshua Fontaine and Amara Forgues were honored for their work in the labs of the College-wide, first year-seminar foundations courses.
Faculty members presented the following department awards:
Animal Science
Kayla Clark received the Elmer Towne Award.
Brittany Sweeney took home the George Walker Award.
Clare Stanley earned the Brian Hawley Scholarship.
Aska Shiratori-Langman and Caitlin Loretan received Donald J. Balch Awards.
In addition to King, winners of the American Society of Animal Science Awards were: Seniors Emily Andersen, Rebecca Calder, Rudi Richmand, Marissa Ruppel, Claire Stanley and Sarah Moylan.
Also: Juniors Marie Burneko, Hannah Face, Rebecca McBride, Pamela Rooney, Julianna Kattermann, Gabrielle R. Tetschner and Jenna Makarewicz.
Finally: Sophomores Ashley Ackert, Anne Kaufman, Christopher Alling, Douglas Klein, Hannah Chance, Kirsten Weberg and Jared Gagnon.
The Brett Klein Memorial Scholarship for CREAM student herd advisors went to Matthew Sammons, Brittany Sweeney, Gina Candela and Luisa Hoyt.
Equestrian Sarah McEachern took home the Triona Wilder Marno-Ferree Memorial Award.
Biological Science Program
Senior Clayton Barnes and junior Kyriel Pineault earned Scholastic Achievement Awards.
Community Development and Applied Economics
This department gives awards to students with the highest grade-point-average in each major. They are: Jacob Bobrow and Robert Mullins in community entrepreneurship, Claire Goodwin in community and international development and Lindsey Bachelder and Molly Dunham-Friel in public communication.
Clare Albers, Lindsey Bachelder, Caroline Caligari, Elizabeth Durfee, Claire Goodwin, Rebecca Roche, Annie Whalen, Karia Young-Eagle and Michael Verla were recognized for cumulative grade points in the top 10 percent of the department.
Michael Nazzaro was recognized for his excellence as an undergraduate teaching assistant.
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Nicole Ferland received the Warren R. Steinbring Outstanding Senior in Microbiology Award.
Nutrition and Food Sciences
Kimberley Davy received the Blair Williams Award.
Hanna Joerg was presented the Cornelia Wheeler Irish Memorial Scholarship Award.
Danielle Leahy won the Bertha Terrill Award.
Jennifer Moltz took home the Nutrition And Food Sciences Faculty Award.
Emily Potter and Benjamin Raymond received the Nutrition And Food Sciences Research Award.
Jamie Sheahan received the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award.
And Erin Shippee earned the Agnes T. Powell Award in dietetics.
Plant Biology
Amanda Bousquet was this year’s recipient of the Sproston Award.
Derrick Deming, last year’s Sproston winner, was the 2011 winner of the Superior Performance Award.
Plant and Soil Science
In addition to the Badger awards mentioned earlier, these students took home several awards each:
Senior Michael Lamb received the James E. Ludlow Endowed Scholarship, W.H. Darrow Horticultural Prize and American Society for Horticultural Science Collegiate Scholars Award.
Junior Samuel Hoadley also received the James E. Ludlow Endowed Scholarship, W.H. Darrow Horticultural Prize and American Society for Horticultural Science Collegiate Scholars Award.
Senior Jesse Ackemann took home the American Society for Horticultural Science Collegiate Scholars Award.
And Junior Sara Ziegler also earned the American Society for Horticultural Science Collegiate Scholars Award.
Staff and Faculty
Three College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty and staff members also received awards. Jane Kennedy O'Neil, a 33-year veteran of UVM animal science, took home CALS' Outstanding Staff Award. O'Neil has worked as a lab technician and now supports the business side of the department. Lecturer Don Stratton received the College's highest honor for teaching, the Joseph E. Carrigan Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Associate Professor Mark Starrett received a teaching award of merit from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. Watch for future features on these three.