MSU ag unit faculty, staff, students honored
Faculty, staff and students from Mississippi State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station (MAFES) were honored at an awards ceremony.
At the ceremony, nearly 24 people with the department were honored for their contributions through hard work, research and teaching. MAFES staff were also recognized for their work throughout the year, operating the university’s vari-
ous experiment stations located throughout the state.
MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean and MAFES Director George Hopper lauded all those who received awards.
“We have been awarding our outstanding educators and researchers for many years,” Hopper said. “We have the best faculty in the nation, and they are committed to student success. Their creativity to improve student learning in the classroom, laboratory and field; whether it is a lecture or a research project; is evident and deserving of recognition.” Honorees for 2018 include: Assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering LaShan Simpson received the CALS Teacher of the Year and Excellence in Teaching Award, upper division. The
lower division excellence in teaching award went to associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering Joel O. Paz. The college’s graduate level excellence in teaching award went to Lori Elmore-Staton, an assistant professor from the school of human sciences.
The New Faculty Award went to assistant professor of plant and soil sciences Te Ming Paul Tseng, who began teaching at MSU following a postdoctoral associate position at Purdue University.
The Excellence in Research Faculty Award went to MAFES research professor of plant and soil sciences Raja Reddy. The Mississippi Land Bank sponsors this award.
Plant pathology professor Sead Sabanadzovic took home the MAFES Outstanding Publication Award for collaboration on a study titled “Virus Taxonomy in the Age of Metagenomics,” which was published in the
journal “Nature Reviews Microbiology.” The MAFES Most Impactful Publication Award went to Eric Stafne, an associate extension research professor of plant and soil sciences stationed at the Costal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. Stafne was part of a team publishing the first peer-reviewed publication addressing druplet disorders in blackberries.
Plant and soil sciences doctoral student Chathurika Wijewardana and senior agronomy major Hunt Walne won the graduate and undergraduate MAFES Excellence in Research Awards, respectively. The MAFES Outstanding Research Staff Award went to research associate Thomas Horgan, stationed at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona.
The Outstanding Faculty Service Award went to plant and soil sciences professor Richard Harkness, for his
service on several committees within the university, college, department and community.
Food science, nutrition and health promotion assistant professor Terezie Mosby and agricultural science doctoral student Christien Russell received the CALS/MAFES Diversity Faculty and Student awards, respectively.
Assistant research professor Carrie Vance received the MAFES Grantsmanship Award, which goes to the scientist receiving the largest amount of extramural grant funds.
Finally, assistant dairy plant manager James “Jay” McClelland and administrative assistant to the Division of Forestry, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Ericka Bazzil received the CALS/MAFES Outstanding and Professional staff and Outstanding Support Staff awards.