Inaugural collegewide awards celebration honors community

Faculty and staff from across Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Cornell CALS) came together on March 4 to honor 30 awardees at the inaugural CALS Faculty and Staff Awards, held in the Statler Ballroom.

Celebrating outstanding accomplishments in research, teaching, extension and service, the event showcased a series of gallery displays highlighting awardee portraits, biographies and endearing quotes of acclaim from colleagues for event attendees to enjoy. 

Ben Houlton, Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Cornell CALS, gave opening remarks to a crowd of several hundred attendees.

“As the world changes, our college remains focused on the future, building upon its founding goal and reaching for new ways to solve great challenges and improve life,” Houlton said. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have staff and faculty who are so collectively engaged and visionary — always looking for new ways ‘to do the greatest good.’”

The college will continue to acknowledge the outstanding work of its faculty and staff members each year in this fashion. Nominations for the 2024-25 CALS Faculty and Staff Awards will be accepted Sept. 1-Oct. 15, 2024, followed by an awards celebration in spring 2025.

“All of the award recipients here today are a huge part of bringing the CALS mission to life in ways that leave an indelible mark on people around New York state, the country and the globe,” Houlton said. “It’s a rare moment to step back and reflect on the value of what we are all doing here together — and to support deserving colleagues by honoring their outstanding contributions.”

Congratulations to this year's CALS Faculty & Staff Awardees:

CALS Core Value Staff Awards Recipients

• Communication | Magdalen Lindeberg, assistant director, School of Integrative Plant Science
• Growth | Alicia Caswell, chair’s assistant, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Inclusion | Miyoko Chu, senior director for science communication, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Initiative | Keith Payne, technician – Smith Lab, School of Integrative Plant Science
• Integrity | Devon Jenkins, program manager – Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, Department of Global Development
• Judgement | Adrienne Mason, administrative manager, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
• Unsung Hero | Kurt Jirka, research support specialists, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
• Vision | Lynn Morris, undergraduate program coordinator, Department of Global Development

CALS Kathy Druckman Berggren Diversity and Inclusion Award

• Hale Ann Tufan, associate professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, adjunct associate professor, Department of Global Development

CALS Early Career Faculty Teaching Award

• Daniela Scur, assistant professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

CALS Louis and Edith Edgerton Career Teaching Award

• Rich T. Curtis, senior lecturer, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

CALS Robert H. Foote Mid-Career Teaching Award

• Lauren Chambliss, senior lecturer, Department of Communication

CALS Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/Outreach Award

• Keith Tidball, assistant director, Cornell Cooperative Extension; senior extension associate, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment

CALS Outstanding Accomplishments in Research Award

• Michael Scanlon, professor, School of Integrative Plant Science
• Cédric Feschotte, Barbara McClintock Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

CALS Outstanding Accomplishments in Science and Public Policy Award

• Bradley J. Rickard, professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

CALS Career Accomplishment Award

• H. Kern Reeve, professor, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
• Barbara Gillian Turgeon, professor, School of Integrative Plant Science

CALS Outstanding Service to the CALS Community Award

• Antonio DiTommaso, professor, School of Integrative Plant Science
• Lawrence Van de Valk, senior extension associate, Department of Global Development 

CALS Early Achievement Award

• Angeline Pendergrass, assistant professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Donald C. Burgett Distinguished Advisor Award

• Kathie Hodge, associate professor, School of Integrative Plant Science 

Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Students in Independent Research Award

• Irby Lovette, Fuller Professor of Ornithology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology  

Professor of Merit Award

• Jeremy Allen, lecturer, Department of Animal Science 
   

CALS nominees for the SUNY Chancellor's Awards
(Awardees announced late spring 2024)
 

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

• Harry M. Kaiser, Gellert Family Professor of Applied Economics and Management, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship

• Ashley Shea, head of instruction initiatives, Mann Library 

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service

• Christy Agnese, director of development, CALS Alumni Affairs and Development

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities

• Natalie Bazarova, professor, Department of Communication; associate vice provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Reza Moghimi, senior lecturer, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service

• Kelli Carr, assistant to the chair, Department of Communication