2013 AGNR Convocation and Awards Ceremony

Faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) came together on Wednesday, May 8 for the 2013 Convocation and Awards Ceremony. The theme of this year’s event focused on promoting public health through our food supply. Featured speakers included faculty members from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, the Department of Animal & Avian Sciences, and University of Maryland Extension.

Following the morning’s presentations, the College took time out to celebrate staff members marking a milestone in years of service, from five years to 40 years.

Additionally, a number of staff and faculty members were presented with 2013 College of AGNR Excellence Awards. The honorees included:

Off-Campus Staff Excellence Award

Pamela Chollet, Administrative Assistant II, Talbot County UME

Since joining University of Maryland Extension’s Talbot County office in September of 2004, Pamela Chollet has consistently gone above and beyond to serve the public and support UME programs throughout the county. As the sole administrative assistant in Talbot County, Pam’s duties vary depending on many factors including the time of year, program needs and requests from clientele calls or walk-ins. Whether maintaining budget and financial records, serving as a first point of contact in the office or preparing and distributing educational and promotional materials, Pam’s colleagues describe her as a consummate team player and outstanding resource for volunteers, community organizations, businesses and residents of Talbot County.

On-Campus Staff Excellence Award

Sandra Nola, Administrative Services Director, ANSC

Sandra Nola joined the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences in 2010 as Director of Administrative Services and has impressed colleagues with her “can-do” attitude and outstanding work ethic ever since. Hired to oversee all of the department’s budgets, employee contracts, personnel functions, financial and administrative reporting, resource allocations, facilities planning, and purchasing, Sandra’s broad background in all areas of administration and relationships with key university stakeholders make her an outstanding resource for faculty, staff and students.

Non Tenure-Track Faculty Excellence Award

Steven Cohan, Professor of Practice, PSLA

Steven Cohan, Ph.D., joined the faculty at the University of Maryland in 2000 as Professor of the Practice in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture and has also served as coordinator of the landscape management program since that time. Although Steven has a 100 percent teaching appointment, he has been instrumental in the development and coordination of UMD’s Green Roof Research Team – a multi-disciplinary team formed in 2007 that has received funding from the Maryland Environmental Services (a division of the Maryland Department of the Environment), UMD’s Maryland Industrial Partnerships, and the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative.

Off-Campus Junior Faculty Award:

Jennifer Rhodes, Extension Educator,Queen Anne’s County UME

Jennifer Rhodes, University of Maryland Extension Educator for Queen Anne’s County, is considered by her peers to be a true champion for Maryland agriculture, UME and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She was first hired by UME in 1996 as a nutrient management advisor in Queen Anne’s, which is the state’s highest corn and soybean producing county. In 2007, Jenny had the opportunity to fulfill her long-term dream of becoming an Extension agent for her home county. Described as passionate, devoted and outspoken, Jenny works tirelessly to educate farmers about new technology, research and regulations and inform citizens in her increasingly urbanizing county about the importance of agriculture production for the economy, environment and quality of life.

On-Campus Junior Faculty Award

Paul Leisnham, Assistant Professor, ENST

Paul Leisnham, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology (ENST) who is passionate about his research and instruction in EcoHealth. This emerging field examines intrinsic multi-component links among ecological processes, social factors, and human well-being. Paul’s research focuses on the ecology of native and invasive mosquitoes that transmit wildlife, livestock, and human diseases, and that utilize water-filled containers, wetlands, and drainage systems.

Faculty Research Award:

Siba Samal, Professor, VetMed

Siba Samal, Ph.D., began his tenure at the University of Maryland on January 1, 1988 as an assistant professor and has spent his entire career at UMD. During this time, he has established an internationally recognized research program in virology and has earned a reputation as a renowned virologist. Siba is a universally acknowledged expert on three important animal pathogens: Newcastle disease virus (NDV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and Aquareoviruses. His laboratory is known around the world for developing novel vaccines using “reverse genetics” techniques – a cutting edge method of producing infectious viruses from cloned DNA.

The Paul R. Poffenberger Excellence in Teaching & Advising Award:

Chris Walsh, Professor, PSLA

Christopher Walsh, Ph.D. has been teaching and advising students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels for nearly 20 years, demonstrating a sincere dedication to instruction and creativity in course development. Over the past five years, he has developed three new courses for the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA) including a popular I-Series class focusing on the agriculture of specialty crops throughout history. Christopher holds an 80 percent teaching and 20 percent research appointment for PSLA and is known for artfully integrating laboratory practicum, activities and excursions to enhance the student learning experience.

UME Extension Excellence Award:

Shannon Dill, Extension Educator, Talbot County UME

Shannon Dill has served as an educator for University of Maryland Extension in Talbot County since 2001. During her time with UME, Shannon has demonstrated a creative, dedicated and energetic drive to develop and provide innovative and effective farm business management and profitability programming, fulfilling a critical need of Maryland farmers and communities. In the last 12 years, Shannon has served as lead author or co-author on 26 UME peer-reviewed publications, two journal articles and helped write the curricula for AgSploration, an innovative youth agriculture education program geared toward middle school students. Shannon has been invited to present at numerous national, regional and state conferences and served as PI or co-PI on grants amounting to more than $1 million.

The Dean Gordon Cairns Award for Distinguished Creative Work and Teaching in Agriculture:

Jianghong Meng, Professor, NFSC

Jianghong Meng, Ph.D., is a professor of food safety in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science and Director of the Joint Institute for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) at the University of Maryland. Jianghong is an internationally renowned expert in microbial food safety and a dynamic, highly-regarded faculty member. He has conducted innovative and cutting-edge research to address major issues in microbial food safety and other areas that impact public health.  He is widely recognized as one of the country’s top researchers in the development of rapid, molecular biology-based diagnostics for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms in food, and the use of these technologies to help discover the source of and risk factors contributing to foodborne disease both in the United States and throughout the world.

Congratulations to this year's winners!