Awards Convocation Thursday

Bumpers College and the Division of Agriculture honor students, faculty and staff at awards convocation in the Arkansas Union Theater Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

            FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Awards recognizing accomplishments of students, faculty and staff of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas and the U of A System’s Division of Agriculture will be presented at an annual Awards Convocation at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Arkansas Union Theater.

            The convocation will follow the Scholarship Luncheon for donors and recipients of some 470 scholarships awarded for 2005-2006 by Bumpers College and departments in the college from a total endowment of $11 million.

            Vice President for Agriculture Milo Shult, Dean Greg Weidemann, College Alumni Society board member Darlene Baker and other officials will present awards at the convocation.

            Tory Hodges, the daughter of John and Cheryl Hodges of Alpena, will receive the John W. White Outstanding Student award. She will graduate in May as an agricultural business major with a pre-law concentration and minors in international agriculture and political science.

            Hodges and three other students will receive the Senior Scholar Award as graduating seniors with the highest grade point average. The other recipients are Dana Stewart, daughter of David and Rita Martin of Judsonia, agricultural education, communication and technology; Lauren Kemp, the daughter of Judge John Dan and Susan Kemp of Mountain View, apparel studies; and Ledia Guci, the daughter of Andrea and Mariora Guci, of Korca, Albania, agricultural economics.

            Dale Bumpers Distinguished Scholar awards are for the outstanding undergraduate transfer student and the outstanding M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students.

            The transfer student Distinguished Scholar is Dilynn Dodd, the daughter of David and Debbie Dodd of Springdale, agricultural education, communication and technology. The M.S. Distinguished Scholar is Peter Tomlinson, the son of William and Carol Tomlinson of West Hartford, Conn., crop, soil and environmental sciences; and the Ph.D. Distinguished Scholar is Robert Ty Baublits of Fayetteville, animal science.

             The Spitze Public Policy Legislative Intern Scholarship provides for a summer internship in the Washington office of an Arkansas senator or congressman. The recipients, both rising juniors with majors in agricultural business, are Laura Sossamon, the daughter of Bill and Liz Sossamon of Ozark, and Kerri Boling, the daughter of Danny and Rebecca Boling of Gravette.

            The Presidential Scholar award goes to the junior with the highest grade point average: Brittany Adams, the daughter of Jeff and Jeannie Bonds of Jonesboro, food science.

            The Bumpers College Alumni Society sponsors an annual scholarship and names two Ring Scholars. The scholarship recipient is John Christopher Looney, the son of Dr. Charles Looney of Camden and Cathryn Looney of Monroe, La., animal science and agricultural business.  Ring Scholars are Frances Elder, the daughter of Franklin and Roberta Elder, agricultural education, communication and technology; and Connor McNair, the son of Malcolm and Martha McNair of Fayetteville, agricultural business.

            Sung Man Lim, head of the plant pathology department, will receive the Spitze Land Grant University Faculty Award for Excellence. The award recognizes career accomplishments as an administrator at the U of A and a faculty scientist and teacher at the University of Illinois from 1967 to 1991.

            The Jack Justus Award for Teaching Excellence goes to David Longer, professor of crop, soil, and environmental sciences. He was instrumental in developing a new minor in Wildlife Habitat and is co-director of the Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center.

            Awards named for John W. White, the first vice president of agriculture when the U of A System’s Division of Agriculture was created in 1959 recognize accomplishments in teaching, research, extension and teamwork.

            John  W. White Award recipients are:

            - Research: John R. Clark, horticulture, coordinator of a highly productive fruit breeding and genetics research program.

            - Teaching: Navam Hettiarachchy, food science, teacher and student mentor in the area of protein chemistry.

            - Extension: Rosemary Rodibaugh, nutrition specialist, state coordinator of programs on obesity and related concerns. Two county extension staff chairs will also receive the award: Mike McCarter of Murfreesboro and Rick L. Thompson of Harrisburg.

            - Team: The Arkansas Turfgrass Program of teaching, research and extension to support the turfgrass industry, which includes golf courses, sports fields and parkland. Team members are Mike Richardson, Douglas Karcher and James A Robbins, horticulture; Eugene Milus, plant pathology; and John Boyd, extension pest management specialist.

            The Alumni Society Outstanding Advising Award will be presented to Nancy Jack, animal science, developer and coordinator of the Dorothy E. King Equine Program and a new equine science minor.

            Charles F. Whitaker, director of the physical plant at the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters, will receive the Non-Classified Support Personnel Award.

            The Classified Support Personnel Award will go to Connie Stewart, accountant in the department of animal science, and to Johnny Woodley, Sr., shipping and receiving clerk at the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters.