Alumni News In Brief—Vol. 7 Nov. 2

Alumni Honored By Cals, Isu Alumni Association

The following awards are conferred at the ISUAA Honors and Awards Ceremony at Homecoming each fall. The 2013 Honors and Awards Ceremony, Nov. 8, marked the 82nd year of the event.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award by the ISU Alumni Association

  • Matthew Leu (’99 animal science, MBA ’07), Pewaukee, Wis.
  • Catherine Swoboda, (’08 agronomy, MS ’10 crop production and physiology), Des Moines, Iowa

Floyd Andre Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  • David Morrison (’69 food technology, ’71 MS chemical engineering), Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Henry A. Wallace Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  • Jim Blome (’85 agronomy and pest management), Raleigh, N.C.

George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  • Jon E. Kinzenbaw, Williamsburg, Iowa

Superior Achievement Award for Early or Mid-Career Alumni by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  • Sarah A. Low (’02 public service and administration in agriculture), Arlington, Va.

Lauver Named Future Giant Of Seed Industry

Andrew Lauver (’12 agricultural studies), a Frank Ross International Business Intern at DuPont Pioneer, was presented with Seed World Magazine’s 2013 Future Giant of the Seed Industry award at the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) annual convention in June. Lauver was also nominated to serve on ASTA’s Seed Foundation Board.

Arnold Honored For International Work In Soils

Dick Arnold (’52 farm operations, PhD ’63 agronomy) received the 2013 Lomonosov Gold Medal from the Russian Academy of Sciences in recognition of more than 30 years of domestic and international work teaching about soil formation, erosion and conservation. Arnold worked for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and through the U.S. Agency for International Development he worked with underdeveloped countries to expand the knowledge of soils.

In Memoriam

Garren Benson (’71 PhD agronomy), died May 25. Benson served as an ISU Extension agronomist, specializing in corn and soybean production from 1964 until his retirement in 1996. He remained on the faculty in the agronomy department until 1999.

Roger Mitchell (’54 agronomy, ’61 PhD crop physiology) died June 4 after a prolonged illness with leukemia. Mitchell was director of the farm operations curriculum at ISU in the 1960s and led agriculture travel courses in the United States and Europe. He served as chair of agronomy at the University of Missouri, dean of University of Missouri Extension and vice president for agriculture at Kansas State University. From 1983 until his retirement in 1998, Mitchell served as dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri.

Kenneth Frey, distinguished professor emeritus in agronomy, died July 14. Frey served on the faculty for 40 years and was recognized both nationally and internationally as a plant breeder. In 2007, ISU established the Kenneth
Frey Endowed Chair in Agronomy, currently held by Thomas Lubberstedt.

Rich Robson (’64 animal science, ’66 MS biochemistry, ’69 PhD) died on Aug. 4. Robson served for more than 30 years as a professor in the departments of animal science and Roy J. Carver biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology.

Thomas Wickersham (’41 animal science, ’54 MS) died Aug. 12. Wickersham was an emeritus professor of animal science at Iowa State University where he began teaching in 1950. He also served as an ISU Extension agent and sheep field specialist for many years.

Dick Thompson (’53 animal science, ’57 MS) died on Aug. 17. Thompson was a co-founder of Practical Farmers of Iowa. He was honored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture with the 2004 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture.

Tarté Honored By American Meat Science Association

The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) announced that Rodrigo Tarté is the recipient of the 2013 AMSA Meat Processing Award. The award, established in 1977, is sponsored by Smithfield Foods. Tarté (’87 food technology, ’90 MS, ’96 PhD food science and human nutrition and animal science) was honored at a special reception and awards banquet at the AMSA 66th Reciprocal Meat Conference in June.