Graduate Student Awards

Leonard A. Maynard Graduate Award

L.A. Maynard was one of Cornell University’s most distinguished nutritionists. An endowment in his name was established by Edith S. and Russel A. Rasmussen '88, to honor graduate students who have a nutrition-related program. Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate program in the Department of Animal Science and selection is based on “outstanding graduate performance.”

Winners

  • 2025 Miranda Farricker and Vishwa Basnayake
  • 2024 Fabian Gutierrez-Oviedo and Keith Ou
  • 2023 Trent Westhoff and Awais Javaid
  • 2022 Andres Ortega and Tanya France
  • 2021 Brianna Tate and Jorge Barrientos-Blanco
  • 2020 Kasey Schalich and William Myers
  • 2019 - Ananda Fontoura and Rodrigo Molano
  • 2018 Amanda Davis and Andrew LaPierre
  • 2017 Michael Dineen, Niko Kochendoerfer, Sarah Lyons, and Maureen Valentine
  • 2016 Allison Lawton and Sarah Williams
  • 2015 Matias Stangaferro, Alessandro Zontini, and Sam Fessenden
  • 2014 Brittany Sweeney and Marcelo Gutierrez
  • 2013 Maris McCarthy, Kristen Davis, and Xi Yan
  • 2012 Ryan Higgs and Kennan McRoberts
  • 2011 Juliana Huzzey and Jose Ramos Nieves

Danny Fox Fellowship

The Danny G. Fox Graduate Fellowship recognizes Fox’s 35-year career at Cornell focused on development of data, methods, mathematical models and computer software to more accurately predict cattle nutrient requirements and nutrients derived from feeds with wide variations in cattle type, environments and feeds. The Fellowship is given to a graduate student who is pursuing research that falls under Fox’s areas of interest.

Winners

  • 2025 Rebeca Villalobos-Barquero
  • 2024 Alex Benoit
  • 2023 Haowen Hu
  • 2022 Jorge Barrientos Blanco
  • 2021 Andres Ortega

Charlie Sniffen Graduate Student Award

Sponsored by Kemin Industries, Inc.

Charlie Sniffen’s dedication and enthusiasm for dairy nutrition research inspired Kemin to establish the Charlie Sniffen Graduate Student Award at the Cornell Nutrition Conference in 2016. The $1000 award honors animal science graduate students at Cornell University and Miner Institute/University of Vermont that exemplify Sniffen’s leadership in conducting and communicating impactful research.

Winners

  • 2025 Vishwa Basnayake, Cornell University
  • 2024 Gift Omoruyi, Miner Institute/ University of Vermont
  • 2023 Trent Westhoff, Cornell University
  • 2022 Andres Ortega, Cornell University
  • 2021 Geneva Graef, Cornell University
  • 2020 Andrew LaPierre, Cornell University
  • 2019 Michael Dineen and Michael Miller, Miner Institute/University of Vermont
  • 2018 Allison Kerwin, Cornell University
  • 2017 Rodrigo Molano, Cornell University

CALS Outstanding Teaching Assistants Award

Given annually by CALS, this award recognizes outstanding graduate TA in each of the departments or graduate fields in the college.

Winners

  • 2024-2025 Sydney Jewell and Charlotte Wang
  • 2023-2024 Agustín Olivo and Joseph Thorsrud
  • 2022-2023 Arianna Ferguson and Emile Fierro Morel
  • 2021-2022 Geneva Graef and Keith Ou
  • 2020-2021 Brianna Tate and Rink Tacoma
  • 2019-2020 Cassandra Orndorff and Laurie Francoeur
  • 2018-2019 Sarah Lyons and Asha Miles
  • 2017-2018 Christian Posbergh and Sarah LaCount
  • 2016-2017 Nikola Kochendoerfer and Brittany Leno
  • 2015-2016 Rachel Lemcke and Viju Pillai
  • 2014-2015 Lan Tu and Maris McCarthy
  • 2013-2014 Emmaline Long and Claire Stephens
  • 2012-2013 Katherine Churchill and Kristen Davis
  • 2011-2012 Ranji Singh and Fernando Migone
  • 2010-2011 Rick Watters and Kristin Gill
  • 2009-2010 Katie Schoenberg and Keenan McRoberts
  • 2008-2009 Melanie Soberon and Jeremy Weaver
  • 2007-2008 Julie Huzzey and Anne O’Donnell
  • 2006-2007 Jose Ramos-Nieves and Mary Ellen Urick
  • 2005-2006 Sarah Giesy and Helen Markewich
  • 2004-2005 Kevin Harvatine and Dave Kirschten