Awards and Accomplishments

• 2019 Awards

  2019 Awards

  2019-2020 CALS Teaching and Advising Award Winners Associate Professor Melanie Correll received the CALS Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award and Education/Training Specialist Shannon Noble received the CALS Excellence in Graduate Program Support Award.

  University of Florida Distinguished Alumni Award ABE Alumnus and Advisory Board Member Robert Horton received the University of Florida‘s Distinguished Alumni Award.

  Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Professor Senthold Asseng was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science as part of the Section of Agriculture, Food, and Renewable Resources.

  Web of Science Group 2019 Highly Cited Researcher Professor Bin Gao was named a Web of Science Group 2019 Highly Cited Researcher in the Engineering and the Environment and Ecology categories. Professor Senthold Asseng was named a Web of Science Group 2019 Highly Cited Researcher in the Cross-Field category. Professor Emeritus Kenneth Boote was named a Web of Science Group 2019 Highly Cited Researcher in the Agricultural Sciences category.

  2019 Florida Climate Institute Faculty Fellow Award Senior Lecturer Wendell Porter received the 2019 Faculty Fellow Award from Florida Climate Institute.

  UF CALS International Student Outstanding Achievement Award Ph.D. Student Raminder Kaur received the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences International Student Outstanding Achievement Award.

  UF International Center Certificate of Excellence Ph.D. Students Shirin Ghatrehsamani and Yulin (Patrick) Zheng received the UF International Center Certificate of Excellence from Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.

  ABE Distinguished Alumni Award ABE Alumnus Dana Eller received the ABE Distinguished Alumni Award.

  ABE Distinguished Achievement Award Professor Emeritus Fedro Zazueta received the ABE Distinguished Achievement Award.

  ABE Distinguished Service Award ABE Alumnus David Still received the ABE Distinguished Service Award.

  ABE Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Pennsylvania State University Assistant Professor Daeun Choi received the ABE Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

  ABE Distinguished Alumnus Award Kansas State University Engineering Interim Dean Gary Clark received the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award.

  ABE Graduate Student Mentoring Achievement Award Postdoctoral Research Associate Shunchang (Jack) Yang and Ph.D. student Victoria Morgan received the ABE Graduate Student Mentoring Achievement Award.

  2019 ABE Three Minute Thesis Results First place to Bhagatveer Sangha, second place to Jerrett Kandzer, and People’s Choice Award Video to Lory Willard.

  Ken and Cindy Campbell Graduate Fellowship Ph.D. Student Lory Willard received the Ken and Cindy Campbell Graduate Fellowship.

  Fellow of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Dr. Kati Migliaccio was inducted as a fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for the Class of 2019.

  ASABE Evelyn E. Rosentreter Standard Award Dr. Michael Dukeson received the 2019 Evelyn E. Rosentreter Standards award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

  ASABE Heermann Sprinkler Irrigation Award Dr. Michael Dukeson received the 2019 Heermann Sprinkler Irrigation award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

  ASABE Netafim Microirrigation Award Dr. Brian Boman on received the 2019 Netafim Microirrigation award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

  ASABE Florida Section Teacher of the Year Dr. J. Adam Watson received the 2019 Teacher of the Year Award from the ASABE Florida Section.

  ASABE Florida Section Distinguished Achievement Award Dr. Sanjay Shukla received the 2019 Distinguished Achievement Award from ASABE Florida Section.

  ASABE Florida Section Outstanding Young Researcher Award Dr. Eban Bean received the 2019 Outstanding Young Researcher Award from ASABE Florida Section.

  ASABE Florida Section Outstanding Young Extension Worker Award Dr. Yiannis Ampatzidis received the 2019 Outstanding Young Extension Worker Award from ASABE Florida Section.

  ASABE Florida Section Graduate Student Presentation Competition Graduate students Shirin Ghatrehsamani and Thiago Borba Onofre on received first and second place respectively.

  UF/IFAS International Fellow Award Dr. Gerritt Hoogenboom was selected by the IPAT’s International Awards Committee to receive the 2018 UF/IFAS International Fellow Award that recognizes outstanding international career accomplishments.

  North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Educator Award Dr. Richard Scholtz was selected for the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Educator Award.

  IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award Academic advisor Robin Snyder received the 2019 IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award in the Administrative/Supervisory category.

  UF Graduate Student Research Day Poster Competition Graduate student Shirin Ghatrehsamani received first place poster in the Engineering Category at the UF Graduate Student Research Day.

  New Faces of ASABE Award Alumna Julianne Chechanover was selected as the 2019 winner in the College Edition category of “New Faces of ASABE.”

  UF/IFAS ABE Distinguished Alumni Award USDA NIFA National Program Leader Dr. Steven J. Thomson received the UF/IFAS ABE Distinguished Alumni Award.

  ABE Poster Symposium Nick Cavallaro received first place in the 2019 ABE Poster Symposium. Satbyeol Shin received second place in the 2019 ABE Poster Symposium. Xue Zhou received Best Overall First-year Graduate Student in the 2019 ABE Poster Symposium. Vy Nguyen received Best Overall Undergraduate in the 2019 ABE Poster Symposium.

• 2018 Awards

  2018 Awards

  International Educator Award for Junior Faculty Dr. Aditya Singh received the International Educator Award for Junior Faculty for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

  Highly Cited Researcher Award  Dr. Bin Gao received a Highly Cited Researcher award by Clarivate Analytics.

  University Term Professorship Award Dr. Nikolay Bliznyuk, Dr. Eric McLamore, and Dr. Clyde Fraisse received the University Term Professorship award.

  UF International Center Certificate of Excellence for College of Engineering Graduate student Thiago Onofre received 2018 UF International Center Certificate of Excellence for the College of Engineering. Undergraduate student Sirapoom Peanusaha received the 2018 UF International Center Certificate of Excellence for the College of Engineering.

  Alec Courtelis Award  Graduate student Hao Gan received 1st Place for the 2018 Alec Courtelis Award from the UF International Center.

  Everglades Foundation ForEverglades Scholarship  Satbyeol Shin received the Everglades Foundation ForEverglades Scholarship 2018.

  International Student Outstanding Achievement Award  Graduate student Hao Gan received the International Student Outstanding Achievement Award from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

  A.S. Herlong, Sr. Scholarship  Graduate student Hao Gan and Raminder Kaur received the A.S. Herlong, Sr. Scholarship from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

  Sanford N. Young Scholarship from American Water Resources Association Graduate student Miles Medina received the 2018 Sanford N. Young Scholarship from American Water Resources Association, Florida Section.

  UF Research Foundation Professors Award Dr. Kati Migliaccio and Dr. Sanjay Shukla received the 2018 UF Research Foundation Professors Award for their distinguished current record of research and a strong research agenda.

  UF/IFAS Best Doctoral Dissertation Dr. Natalie Nelson, ABE Alumna and NC State Assistant Professor, and Dr. Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, Nelson’s Advisory Committee Chair, received 2018 UF/IFAS Best Doctoral Dissertation.

  Trellis Fund Grant Raminder Kaur was selected as one of nine recipients from the University of Florida to be awarded the Trellis Fund grant.

  Urban Landscape Summit Poster Competition Mary Szoka won the Urban Landscape Summit Poster Competition.

  Superior Accomplishment Awards Dr. Wendell Porter, Daniel Preston, and Shannon Noble are recipients of 2018 IFAS Superior Accomplishment Awards. Dr. Porter received his award in the Community Service category. Preston received the award in the Scientific/Technical category and Noble in the Administrative and Professional category. This program recognizes staff members who contribute outstanding and meritorious service, efficiency and/or economy, or to the quality of life provided to students and employees.

  Water Institute Poster Awards Enrique Orozco-Lopez and Kathleen Vazquez were award recipients for posters presented at the UF Water Institute conference. Orozco-Lopez won the Water Institute Student Poster contest.  His poster was titled "Concepts, Theories, and Models of Macropore Flow in the Riparian Vadose Zone". Vazquez's poster was judged to be one of the 4 top-scoring winners in the student poster competition and was titled "A Mechanistic Bacterial Transport Model to Inform Food Safety Management of Agricultural Pond Water".

  Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference Awards Kira Hansen and Miles Medina placed 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the poster competition at the Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference. Kira's poster was titled "Compact Bed Plasticulture for Decreased Environmental and Economic Footprints". Medina's poster was titled "Nonlinear dynamics in treatment wetlands: Identifying systematic drivers of volatile outlet concentrations."

• 2017 Awards

  2017 Awards

  Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award Dr. Kati Migliaccio has received the G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering award for superior research and extension programs fostering water conservation by irrigators in the eastern US. Migliaccio is the first woman receiving this award.

  Graduate Student Research Award Joe Sagues won the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award at the 2017 ASABE AIM. This award recognizes excellence in the conduct and presentation of research to build the knowledge base needed by engineers who design equipment, facilities, and processes for the sustainable operation of a biological system. The Award consists of a written competition, and an oral competition held during the ASABE Annual International Meeting. Joe is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Zhaohui Tong's laboratory.

  ABE Robotics Team places 4th at ASABE The UF ABE robotics team placed 4th in the ASABE Robotics Competition at the ASABE meeting in Spokane, Washington. Team members included Shirin Ghatrehsamani, Tyler Poon, Akram Gholami, Eduardo Carrascal, Hao Gan.

  ISFS Fellows Dr. Senthold Asseng and Dr. Gregory Kiker were selected as part of the 2017 inaugural class of the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems’ (ISFS) Fellows Program. As an ISFS Fellow, he will have a unique opportunity to build and lead a collaborative team over two years to address significant issues in the sustainability of food systems and decision-making.

  Florida ASABE Award Winners Congratulations to the following ABE faculty and students who were recognized: Eban Bean, Ph.D. – Outstanding Young Extension Worker Award 2017 Jim Leary, Ph.D.- recognized for 25 years of active membership Richard Scholtz, Ph.D. – recognized for Outstanding Service and Dedication- Chair of the Florida Section of ASABE 2017 Carlynn Chappel – Outstanding Student Award 2017 Karl Max Wallace – first place grad student presentation competition Hao Gan– second place grad student presentation competition

  2017 Prudential Productivity Award Winners Max Williams and James Canter were named Prudential Productivity Award recipients for developing on-line submission portals for P-cards and Travel. The award honors dedicated state employees who develop and implement innovative, cost-saving, and efficient improvements.

  UF President's Medallion Dr. Fedro Zazueta received the UF President’s Medallion for his outstanding service and contributions to the University. This is the highest honor UF awards to an individual.

  Team Professorship Dr. Sanjay Shukla was selected to receive a University Term Professorship award. These three-year professorships are given to recognize and reward faculty achievements.

  Inductee Dr. Kati Migliaccio was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Members are eminent graduates of the biological and agricultural engineering program of the University Of Arkansas.

  ASCE-EWRI Fellow Dr. Mike Dukes was recently approved as an Environmental and Water Institute of American Society of Civil Engineers Fellow (ASCE-EWRI).  The 2017 EWRI Fellows will be recognized during the Welcome & Awards Ceremony at the 2017 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress in Sacramento, CA.

  2017 Cuba Infrastructure Scholarship Competition The winning team this year was from UF’s own Ag & Bio Engineering Department. Students on the team (L-R holding award) are Carlyn Chappel, Margaret Bellow, Julia Richter, and Sarah Wittig. The team was led by Dr. Eric McLamore and supervised by Dr. Eban Bean. This is the 8th year of the competition.

  North American Rolex Scholar BE undergraduate student Leah Potts has been selected to be the 2017 North American Rolex Scholar of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. Leah was one of three highly qualified finalists who were flown in for the interviews. As the Rolex scholar, the next year of her life is spent constantly traveling around the world, working with leaders in water-related fields (engineering, research, exploration, conservation, anything water-related), with all-expenses-paid for by Rolex.

  Superior Accomplishment Max Williams was selected to receive a 2017 IFAS Achievement Award in the Administrative/Professional category. Max is the Coordinator of Administrative Services and facilitates the interface between departmental programmatic functions and administrative functions.

  Superior Accomplishment June Kraus was selected to receive a 2017 IFAS Achievement Award in the Clerical/ Office Support category. June serves as an office assistant and coordinates the payroll and personnel details for the employment of students, faculty, and staff for the ABE Department.

  Advisor of the Year ABE Academic Advisor Robin Snyder was selected as the 2016 College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Undergraduate Professional Staff Adviser of the Year Award winner. She will also be considered for possible selection as the University Undergraduate Professional Staff Adviser of the Year winner.

  UF Water Institute Fellow Dr. Kati Migliaccio was selected as the 2016-2019 Water Institute Fellow.

  Florida Climate Institute Fellow Dr. Clyde Fraisse was selected as the 2016-2019 Florida Climate Institute Fellow.

  ASABE Fellow Dr. Michael Dukes was elected to the Grade of ASABE Fellow. This is an honorary status to which members of distinction must be elected.  This action recognizes the significant contributions Dr. Dukes have made to the profession. He will be recognized at the ASABE Annual International Meeting during the Induction and Honor Ceremony.

• 2016 Awards

  2016 Awards

  Early Career Scientist Dr. Young Gu Her was funded for his UF/IFAS Early Career Scientist Seed Fund proposal. The program facilitates the development of new faculty research, jumpstarts their research programs, and provides a platform for their future success. His proposal was titled "Development of a Simulation Tool for Holistic Assessment of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Impacts on South Florida’s Agriculture and Hydrology".

  UF Water Institute Faculty Fellow Dr. Kati Migliaccio was selected as one of the 2016 University of Florida Water Institute Faculty Fellows.  This award is a well-deserved recognition of her excellent interdisciplinary water research and extension programs and her substantial contributions to the goals of the UF Water Institute.  The fellowship term will be for 3 academic years, beginning in Fall 2016.

  FCI Faculty Fellow Dr. Senthold Asseng has been selected by the Florida Climate Institute as a 2016-2019 Faculty Fellow. He was selected from a distinguished candidate pool for his excellent interdisciplinary climate and extension programs that contribute to the goals of the FCI. The fellowship term is 3 years and will begin in Fall 2016.

  President iAABE Dr. Fedro Zazueta was elected President of the International Academy of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. The iAABE under the umbrella of CIGR was formed in 2014.

  New Teacher Award Dr. Eric McLamore, Associate Professor received a USDA Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences. Eric received one of two National awards for New Teachers at the APLU Annual Meeting.

  Packaging Engineers win First Place in Design Challenge Packaging students representing the ABE Department won First place out of 72 entries in the Paperboard Packaging Alliance 2016 Student Design Challenge. Students won $3000 in travel scholarships to Pack Expo conference to attend PPA Award Luncheon. Each student shared in $5000 Prize and UF Packaging Program received a $5000 donation. For a list of students and a look at the winning entry visit: http://www.paperboardpackaging.org/university-features/2016-sdc-winners-and-entries

  Extension Award Caroline Staub received a first-place award in the Extension-Education Poster Competition from the Extension Education Community at the American Association of Agronomy at the annual ASA, CSSA and SSSA meeting.

  South Florida Graduate Research Symposium Congratulations to two ABE students who won awards for poster entries in the 5th Annual South Florida Graduate Research Symposium at the Southwest Research and Education Center in Immokalee. 1st Place: Kira Hansen (left), SWFREC, Immokalee (advisor: S. Shukla) 2nd Place: Angelica Engel, SWFREC, Immokalee (advisor: S. Shukla)

  Pierre C. Robert Senior Scientist Award ABE Advisory Board Member, Dr. George Vellidis, received the top precision agriculture award – Pierre C. Robert Senior Scientist Award, for his significant and lasting contributions to precision irrigation and yield mapping. He is currently a professor in the Crop and Soil Science Department at the University of Georgia, Tifton.

  ASABE Certificate of Appreciation A Certificate of Appreciation was awarded to Kati Migliaccio. Her dedicated work was recognized at the annual ASABE meeting for outstanding service as a NRES Technical Community associate editor for ASABE journals.

  Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award Rajendra Sishodia, ABE Ph.D. student, received the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award at 2016 ASABE AIM. This award recognizes excellence in the conduct and presentation of research to build the knowledge base needed by engineers who design equipment, facilities, and processes for the sustainable operation of a biological system.

  Robert E. Stewart Engineering Humanities Award Paul A. Lengemann, an undergraduate ABE student, received the 2016 ASABE Robert E. Stewart Engineering Humanities Award for excellence in engineering research and scholarship while cultivating a passion for German language and culture and receiving minor in German Studies. This national award recognizes an outstanding student for their contributions to the advancement of the interaction of the profession and the humanities.

  John Deere Gold Medal Award Dr. Mike Dukes was named the recipient of the 2016 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) John Deere Gold Medal Award for impactful and relevant research and extension in water conservation of irrigation systems.  This award honors engineering ways and means for improved manipulation, use, and conservation of soil and water resources.

  Florida ASABE Awards The following ABE faculty members were recognized at the Florida Section of ASABE: Rachata (Chot) Muneepeerakul - 2016 Outstanding Young Researcher Award Melanie Correll – 2016 Teacher of the Year Richard Scholtz – 2016 Outstanding Service Award Rafael Muñoz-Carpena – 2016 Distinguished Achievement Award

  Citrus Engineer of the Year Dr. Reza Ehsani, a UF/IFAS associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, received the Citrus Engineer of the Year Award at the 59th Biennial Citrus Engineering Symposium at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (REC) in Lake Alfred, Florida.

  Best in Group Poster Award Caroline Staub won a Best in Group Poster Award at the UF 2016 Postdoc Research Symposium. The title of her poster is: Agricultural drought index explains inter-annual variations in rainfed maize yields in Nebraska.

  Best Poster Award ABE graduate student Joe Sagues won the Best Poster Award in the 38th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. There are only two winners. One is for fundamental science and one is for applied science. The title of his poster is: Ironing out the kinks: A two-step ferric catalyzed process for monomeric aromatics and purified cellulose from whole biomass.

  Outstanding Graduate Student Award The International Society of Precision Agriculture has selected ABE Graduate Student Daeun Choi for an Outstanding Graduate Student Awards. Daeun received a complimentary registration to the 13th International Conference on Precision Agriculture with a one-year membership in the ISPA.

  GBAS Credentialing Award Max Williams, Administrative Services Coordinator III for Ag & Bio Engineering, recently received the 2016 Gator Business Administrator Services (GBAS) Credentialing Award. The GBAS Credential is awarded to participants who effectively use a variety of the components offered by the GBAS program to the benefit of their unit, department and/or college.

  UF Research Foundation Professor ABE Professor Senthold Asseng was named a UFRF Professor for 2016-2019. The recognition goes to faculty who have a distinguished current record of research and a strong research agenda that is likely to lead to continuing distinction in their fields.

  2016 Postdoc Research Symposium Poster Caroline Staub, a postdoc in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, won 2nd place for her poster entitled " Agricultural drought index explains inter-annual variations in rainfed maize yields in Nebraska".

  Best Poster Award - Biotechnology Symposium ABE graduate student Joe Sagues won the best poster award in the 38th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. The title of his poster is: "Ironing out the kinks: A two-step ferric catalyzed process for monomeric aromatics and purified cellulose from whole biomass."

  2016 Outstanding Gator Engineer M.S. Scholar ABE graduate student Brianna Posadas was selected as the Outstanding Gator Engineer M.S. Scholar by the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, with recognition at both a college award ceremony and commencement.

  2016 New Faces of Engineering - College Edition Honoree ABE undergraduate student Sarah McIntyre was selected as a winner in of the 2016 College Edition Award. DiscoverE presents this award to 13 of the nation’s most promising engineering professionals of tomorrow. These students exemplify the vision, innovation and leadership skills that form the foundational elements of a successful engineering career.

  2016 Climate Change Seed Fund Dr. Melanie Correll is the recipient of a seed fund grant opportunity to address Climate Change and Florida’s Agricultural, Natural Resources and Human Systems. The title of her project is "Building the Tools to Manage and Breed Climate Change-Adapted Crops for Florida."

  AWRA Student Presenter ABE Ph.D. student Alice Alonso was selected as one of two poster presenter winners chosen in the American Water Resouces Association (AWRA) Student Presenter Competition at the 2015 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference held in Denver, Colorado.

  C200 Linda Hudson Scholarship Mubarakat Shuaibu was chosen as a recipient of a $5,000 Linda Hudson Scholarship Award in the Committee of 200 Scholar Awards competition. C200 Awards are provided to outstanding women MBA and graduate students who exemplify extraordinary leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to supporting other women.

• 2015 Awards

  2015 Awards

  2015 Fountain Wars Six ABE students compete in the American Society Of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) International Fountain Wars Competition where they took home the championship title by placing first internationally. The University of Florida Fountain War team consisted of team captain Matthew Guthart and members Becca O’Toole, Noelle Rabideau, Bailey Harrell, Michael McGowan, and Andrew Crosby.

  ASA Presidential Award Dr. Jim Jones was selected as the 2015 American Society of Agronomy Presidential Award as the Team Leader for AgMIP – the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project.  Others recognized were Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig of Columbia University, Dr. Jerry Hatfield of ARS in Iowa, and Dr. John Antle at Oregon State University. This award is given to those who have influenced agronomic science so greatly that the impact of their efforts will be enduring on future science. Dr. Jones's work focuses on climate change and he is the leader of the Florida Climate Institute.

  UF Water Institute Faculty Fellow Dr. Michael Dukes was selected as one of the 2015 University of Florida Water Institute Faculty Fellows.  This award is a well-deserved recognition of his excellent interdisciplinary water research and extension programs and his substantial contributions to the goals of the UF Water Institute.  The fellowship term will be for 3 academic years, beginning in Fall 2015.

  Preprofessional Engineer of the Year Max Wallace (ABE Masters student) is the recipient of the 2015 Roger R. and Laura M. Yoerger Preprofessional Engineer of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding scholastic achievements, leadership skills and involvement in engineering projects, the community, and ASABE.  In addition, Max received a third place in 2015 Barnes Student Paper Awards competition.  The top three papers will be posted at ASABE website.

  Florida ASABE Teacher of the Year Dr. William Pelletier has been selected by Florida Section ASABE to receive the 2015 Teacher of the Year Award. Dr. Pelletier is a Lecturer in the ABE Department. The award was presented at the annual conference in June.

  Graduate Research Award Nathan Holt (ABE Masters student) won the Boyd-Scott Graduate Research Award for his Masters research.

  FCI Faculty Fellow Dr. Clyde Fraisse has been selected by the Florida Climate Institute as a 2015-2016 Faculty Fellow. He was selected from a distinguished candidate pool for his excellent interdisciplinary climate and extension programs that contribute to the goals of the FCI. The fellowship term is 3 years and will begin in Fall 2015.

  Royal Academy of Spain and ASABE Awards Dr. Rafael Muñoz-Carpena was elected Corresponding Member ("Académico") of the Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain. Professor Muñoz-Carpena will present his inaugural speech and receive the distinctive emblems of his new rank of "Académico" (Royal Academy medal and Member Diploma) at the ceremony in Madrid. He was also selected by the American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) to receive the 2015 Hancor Soil and Water Engineering Award for his exceptional accomplishments in hydrological and integrated environmental modeling and education of next generation of soil and water scientists and engineers.  He has also been selected  Fellow of ASABE this year.

  ASABE Young Educator Award Dr. Eric McLamore, has been selected by ASABE to receive the 2015 A.W. Farrall Young Educator Award for his outstanding teaching and mentoring of ABE students. The award honors outstanding success motivating the application of engineering principles to the problems of agricultural engineering.

  University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award Dr. Bin Gao was selected to receive a University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award. These three year professorships were created to recognize faculty who have established a distinguished record of research and scholarship that is expected to lead to continuing distinction in their field.  Awardees are commended for the key role they are playing in the University’s research enterprise and our growing emphasis on graduate education.

  International Academy of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Dr. Fedro Zazueta was inducted into the International Academy of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.  There are only two other Americans in this group (Bill Stout and Bill Chancellor). This is a recognition of Dr. Zazueta's scientific accomplishments and his national and international leadership  in the professional organizations ASABE and CIGR.

  Adviser of the Year Robin Snyder was selected as the 2014-2015 Professional Undergraduate Adviser of the Year for the College of Engineering. This honor is based on an extensive review of Robin's credentials, letters of recommendation, and peer and student evaluations and recognizes her excellence in advising.  Award winners are also submitted for consideration for the university-wide Professional Adviser of the Year Award.

  Superior Accomplishment Awards Two ABE employees were recipients of Superior Accomplishment Awards from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Shannon Noble (L) in the Clerical/Office Support Services category and Cheryl Porter in the Administrative/Professional category.

  Award of Excellence Dr. Sanjay Shukla received an Award of Excellence for Graduate Research from UF/IFAS for 2015.

• 2014 Awards

  2014 Awards

  Column 1
  Thomas O. Hunter Award ABE undergraduate Rebecca O'Toole was awarded a Thomas O. Hunter Scholarship. The award is given to undergraduate and entering students. Emphasis is given to demonstrated leadership, economic need, and academic excellence.
  Irrigation Association Award Dr. Michael Dukes is the 2014 Excellence in Education Irrigation Foundation Award winner. Recipients of Irrigation Association national awards were recognized during the general session of the 2014 Irrigation Show and Educational Conference in Phoenix. He was also awarded the UF-IFAS 2014 Christine Taylor Waddill Extension Professional and Enhancement Award with a term professorship and program support for promoting outstanding educational programs and demonstrating scholarship in Extension.
  NIFA Partnership Award Clyde Fraisse, ABE faculty, and his team were selected to receive a 2014 NIFA Partnership Award for the Southeast Climate Extension project. SCE’s overall goal is to develop an information system involving climate forecasts and information, together with decision support tools for agriculture, to improve management decisions and reduce risks associated with climate variability, climate change, and extreme weather events.
  ASABE National Awards ASABE Fellow Dr. Dorota Haman was named a Fellow of the ASABE. ASABE defines a Fellow as a member of unusual professional distinction, with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience in, or related to, the field of agricultural, food, or biological systems engineering. This is ASABE's highest honor. Robert E. Stewart Engineering Humanities Award Natalie Nelson, Ph.D. student, received the Robert E. Stewart Award. The Award recognizes an outstanding student for their contributions to the advancement of the interaction of the profession and the humanities. ABE Faculty Kati Migliaccio and Clyde Fraise were Blue Ribbon Winners for their 'Smartirrigation Apps". Other members of the winning team were G. Velladis, K. Morgan and J. Andreis Max Wallace – First Place- Undergraduate Poster Competition. Honorable Mention, Video Stephanie Leavitt, Natalie Nelson, Cininta Pertiwi (Ph.D. Students)– First Place in Video Competition.
  ASABE Florida Section Awards Dr. Brian Bowman - 2014 Distinguished Achievement Award Dr. Zhaohui Tong – 2014 Outstanding Young Researcher Award Dr. Kati Migliaccio – 2014 Outstanding Young Engineer Award Dr. Chis Martinez – 2014 Outstanding Service Award Dr. Eric McLamore – 2014 Teacher of the Year Award   ABE Graduate Students Natalie Nelson – Graduate Student Best Paper Award – first place Geraldine Klarenberg – Graduate Student Best Paper Award – second place ABE Undergraduate Students Sarah Luther - 2014 Outstanding Student Award
  Spring 2014 eWiTS Winning Team ABE graduate student Ziynet Boz (3rd from right) was a member of the First Place team during the spring 2014 eWiTS® program for their EZMediTest proposal. About 50 women participated in the 10-week program in teams headed by experienced women entrepreneurs. Each team formed a simulated company and created a business plan and investor pitch based on a real technology developed at the University of Florida. Teams presented their plans to a panel of women investors at the last session.
  FSHS Natural Resources Best Paper Maria Zamora and Dr. Michael Dukes were the recipients of this year’s FSHS Natural Resources Best Paper Award. This award is presented to the authors of the best and most meritorious paper printed in the previous year’s proceedings. The paper was entitled Optimizing Sprinkler Irrigation Cold Protection in Strawberries: Two Years of Field Results.
  NACTA Teacher Fellow Award ABE Lecturer Dr. Wendell Porter was awarded the Teacher Fellow Award from the North American Colleges & Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA). The award recognizes those individuals whose efforts represent the very best in agricultural higher education.
  UF Rainworks Team wins 1st Place in EPA Challenge ABE graduate student Natalie Nelson was among members of the University of Florida Student Team which won First Prize in the Master Plan category of the U.S. EPA second annual Campus RainWorks Challenge. A total of 84 student teams from 29 states submitted green infrastructure designs for the challenge.
  Sanjay Shukla - GSC Exemplary Faculty Award Sanjay Shukla received a faculty award for exemplary service on behalf of graduate and professional students from the Graduate Student Council at the University of Florida.  This is a recognition for his mentoring of the graduate students who nominated him for this award.
  Shannon Noble - GSC Exemplary Staff Award ABE Education Coordinator Shannon Noble received a staff award for exemplary service on behalf of graduate and professional students from the Graduate Student Council at the University of Florida. Shannon was nominated by graduate students in the ABE Department.
  Alireza Pourreza - Presidential Service Award ABE Graduate student Alireza Pourezza was a recipient of a Presidential Service Award. The award is intended to recognize students who have dedicated their time and efforts while at the University of Florida to promoting social justice, community awareness, and civic engagement on campus and in the community.
  Shannon Brown - Four-Year Scholar and NSA Fellowship ABE Senior Shannon Brown is the recipient of the Four-Year Scholar Award from the College of Engineering. She will be recognized at the Spring Commencement Ceremony. Shannon is also the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
  Water Symposium Awards Three ABE graduate students received awards at the 2014 University of Florida Water Institute Symposium this week. Natalie Nelson received one of three awards for the best poster and Wes Henson and Stacia Davis received an honorable mention for their posters.

• 2013 Awards

  2013 Awards

  Lei-Wu - Best Dissertation Award Lei Wu’s dissertation “Filtration and transport of colloids and nanopaticles in dense emergent vegetation: theory, experiment and modeling” was selected as best ABE Dissertation for 2013.

  Maria Zamora - Best Thesis Award Maria Zamora’s Thesis "Pressure and spacing effect of sprinkler irrigation for cold protection in strawberries"  was selected as the best ABE Thesis for 2013.

  James Rummel - Superior Accomplishment ABE Senior Engineering Technician Jim Rummel was awarded an IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award for 2013 in the Scientific/Technical Category

  EPAF 2013 Awards Dr. Mike Dukes was awarded the Wells Fargo Extension Professional and Enhancement Award and Drs. Chris Martinez and Sanjay Shukla were members of the Extension Initiative Innovation Teams that received awards.

  Jim Leary - Undergraduate Adviser Dr. Jim Leary was named the Engineering Undergraduate Adviser of the Year as a recipient of the 2012-2013 Teaching and Advising Awards. Dr. Leary is the Undergraduate Coordinator for the Biological Engineering major. He will move on to consideration for the University of Florida 2012-2013 Advising Award.

  Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, Mentor Award Dr. Rafael Muñoz-Carpena received a Mentor Award from the National Postdoctoral Association. The mission of the National Postdoctoral Association is to improve the postdoctoral experience by supporting enhanced research training and a culture of enhanced professional growth to benefit scholarship and innovation. He was also named a University of Florida Water Institute Fellow.

  Three ABE Grad Students on winning RainWorks Challenge Team ABE graduate students Wesley Henson, Angelica Engel, and Natalie Nelson were part of the University of Florida EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge team that won the competition this year. This new design challenge was created to inspire the next generation of landscape architects, planners, and engineers to develop innovative green infrastructure systems that reduce stormwater pollution and support sustainable communities.

  Gayathri Ram Mohan, Graduate Student Gayathri presented her research project at the American Association for Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) International Conference held at Greenville, SC and was awarded the 1st place with a $1000 cash prize and a certificate of excellence. Gaythri recently graduated with a Ph.D. degree.

  Brian Boman - Superior Accomplishment & International Educator ABE Professor Brian Boman is the recipient of three awards. He was awarded an IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award and a University of Florida Superior Accomplishment Award in 2012. He was also named a 2012 Senior Faculty International Educator by the University of Florida International Center.

  Cheryl Porter - International Educator ABE Coordinator of Computer Applications Cheryl Porter was the CALS staff nominee for the UF International Educator of the Year Award for 2012. The award recognizes the important contributions of UFstaff to the internationalization priorities of the campus. Cheryl is currently the Leader of an international Information Technologies team on a major international project. She organizes and leads the components of AgMip international workshops at UF and abroad.

  Early Career Seed Grants Awarded Dr. Chris Martinez and Dr. Eric McLamore were selected by IFAS for career seed funding. The intent of this funding is to facilitate the development of new faculty research, to "jumpstart" their programs, and to provide a platform for future success and extramural funding. Funding decisions were based on the recommendation of a panel of IFAS scientists who conducted a very rigorous review of each proposal submitted.  Chris Martinez proposal is entitled Resolving the Pan Paradox:  Using evapotranspiration as an indicator of climate and Eric McLamore's proposal is entitled PhysChip:  A non-invasive biochip technology for physiological sensing in agricultural sciences.

  Wendell Porter - Undergraduate Adviser Dr. Wendell Porter was named the IFAS Undergraduate Adviser of the Year as a recipient of the 2012-2013 CALS Teaching and Advising Awards. Dr. Porter is the Undergraduate Coordinator for the Agricultural Operations Management major. He will move on to consideration for the University of Florida 2012-2013 Advising Award.

  Robin Snyder - Superior Accomplishment Award Robin Snyder was awarded an IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award for 2012-2013. Robin is the Academic Services Coordinator for the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department for both undergraduate and graduate students. She will move on to consideration for the University of Florida 2012-2013 Award in the Administrative/Professional category.

  Veronica Campbell - Superior Accomplishment Award Veronica Campbell was awarded an IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award for 2012-2013. Veronica is the Senior Chemist for the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department. She will move on to consideration for the University of Florida 2012-2013 Award in the Scientific/Technical category.

• 2012 Awards

  2012 Awards

  Clyde Fraisse - Achievement Award Climate expert Dr. Clyde Fraisse was awarded an IFAS/UF International Achievement Award. Fraisse’s work focuses on developing and providing information to help agriculture, forestry, and water resource managers cope with risks associated with climate variability and change. Dr. Fraisse was also the CALS junior faculty nominee for the UF International Educator of the Year Award.

  Stacia Davis - Award of Excellence Graduate student Stacia Davis received a Best in Class 2012 FSAWWA Water Conservation Awards of Excellence for her research program titled Year 1 of Implementing Smart Controllers in Orange County, Florida.

  UF Packaging Engineering Team Wins First Place PMMI awarded the top prize in the Student Packaging Solutions Contest to the UF team. Students Colleen Delaney, Alex Tipton, Michael Grandinetti, and Gaby Cruz will share a $4000 scholarship award. They were accompanied on the trip by their UF Advisor Dr. Bruce Welt.

  Jim Jones, AAAS Fellow Dr. Jim Jones was named a 2012 Fellow of the AAAS for leadership in modeling dynamic crop, soil, climate, and management interactions and developing decision support systems for climate risk management in agriculture and water resources.

  Bin Gao, Giglia Endowment Award for Innovative Agriculture Dr. Bin Gao received the 2012 Giglia Endowment Award for Innovative Agriculture.  The award will be used to support Dr. Gao’s work to develop innovative approaches to use biochar technology to promote water conservation and enhance soil quality.

  Wen Ji, ABE Graduate Student Wen Ji received the Scarborough-Maud Fraser Award, sponsored by the Scarborough Insurance Company at the 2012 Outstanding International Student Awards ceremony.

  Art Teixeira, Outstanding Florida 4-H Extension Specialist Dr. Art Teixeira received the Florida Association of Extension 4-H Agents Outstanding Specialist 2012 Award for his efforts in food engineering. His research work has led to increased safety assurance of sterilized canned foods producing optimum quality at a lower cost and with improved efficiency.

  Kati Migliaccio, Young Extension Worker Dr. Kati Migliaccio received the 2012 ASABE Young Extension Worker Award for her outstanding contributions in agricultural sustainability, water resource conservation, and water protection as a teacher, researcher, and extension specialist.

  Wendy Graham, ADS/Hancor Soil & Water Award Dr. Wendy Graham was the recipient of the 2012  ADS/Hancor Soil and Water Engineering Award for her outstanding contributions in the development of innovative stochastic hydrologic modeling techniques and in establishing a major interdisciplinary water institute.

  Jim Jones, John Deere Gold Medal Dr. Jim Jones received the 2012 John Deere Gold Medal Award from ASABE in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to teaching, technology transfer, and the understanding of climate change, environmental impact s, and sustainable agricultural systems.

  Wendell Porter, Teacher of the Year Dr. Wendell Porter received the 2012 ASABE Florida Section Teacher of the Year Award. Dr. Porter specializes in energy and resource efficient building and process systems, IEQ and sick building investigations, heat and mass transfer. Dr. Porter also serves as the AOM Undergraduate Coordinator.

  Bin Gao, Outstanding Young Researcher Dr. Bin Gao received the 2012 ASABE Florida Section Outstanding Young Researcher Award. The award honors dedicated use of the scientific methodology to seek out facts or principles significant to agricultural engineering. Dr. Gao specializes in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Contaminant Fate and Transport, and Surface and Groundwater Hydrology.

  Suguna Jairam, Best Graduate Student Paper Suguana Jairam received the 2012 ASABE Florida Section Best Graduate Student Paper Award. Her paper title was Polystyrene Butyl Acrylate encapsulated lignin-clay hybrid via miniemulsion polymerization. Suguna is a Ph.D. student in the ABE Department.

  Eric McLamore, Excellence Award Dr. Eric McLamore received an Excellence Award to Assistant Professors. from the University of Florida. He was the only IFAS assistant professor to receive this award. Dr. McLamore specializes in biotechnologies for sustainable water use and physiological sensors for monitoring biological transport.

  Jose Garcia, ABE Jose Garcia was named a College of Engineering Outstanding Four-Year Scholar. He conducted research with Dr. Brian Sorg in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and participated in various community service projects and organizations at UF. Jose recently graduated with a B.S. degree in Biological Engineering and will be attending graduate school in Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

  Brian Boman, IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award Dr. Brian Boman received the 2012 Superior Accomplishment Award from the University of Florida for his continuous efforts as the Statewide Best Management Practices (BMPs) Coordinator and for his outstanding international work that in the last two years has been focused in Haiti.  Since 2010 Dr. Boman has been working as a chief irrigation infrastructure and implementation advisor for USAID on the Caribbean island.

  Dorota Haman, Gamma Sigma Delta Award Dr. Dorota Haman received the Distinguished Leadership Award of Merit. from Gamma Sigma Delta at the 2012 award banquet at the University of Florida. Dr. Haman is the Chair of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department.

  Jim Jones, Distinguished Professor, elected to NAE Dr. Jim Jones, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Director of the Florida Climate Institute, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).  He was one of 66 new members announced Feb. 9. Election to NAE is one of the highest professional distinctions an engineer can achieve. Potential members can only be nominated by a current member and are elected by the NAE membership. Jones was elected to NAE’s Special Fields & Interdisciplinary Engineering Section, which encompasses agricultural engineering and atmospheric sciences. It is one of 12 sections representing broad engineering categories. Jones was elected on the basis of his outstanding contributions to engineering, notably his work on climate change, environmental impacts and sustainable agricultural systems. He is perhaps best known for developing computer models to support agricultural decision-making. These models help farmers make crop-yield projections under various weather, soil and management conditions.