Distinguished Alumni

Recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award are ABE alumnus or alumna (undergraduate or graduate) who have excelled in his or her chosen field or have performed outstanding service for the profession. Below are the current and previous recipients of the Distinguished Alumni award, separated by year.

Melissa Germain

Co-founder and CEO, The Illuminate Group (non-academia)

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  Since 2007, Mrs. Germain has been the Director of Innovation and Development for Blueye, LLC, a cold chain technology development company. She was the Assistant Director of Cold Chain Research in the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory at the Georgia Tech Research Institute from 2012 to 2015. From 2010 to 2012, Mrs. Germain was responsible for research, strategic planning, and alliances for the College of Technology and Innovation at the University of South Florida Polytechnic for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

  In her free time, Mrs. Germain loves spending time with her husband and son. This includes enjoying the outdoors, spending time on the ocean. She is also a passionate technical cave scuba diver who loves traveling to exotic places to discover the underwater world.

Dr. Isaya Kisekka

Professor and Director, University of California, Davis (academia)

• 2023 Recipients

  Dr. Paulo Younse Robotics Engineer, Robotic Systems Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (non-academia)

  Paulo Younse is a robotics engineer in the Robotic Systems Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. His experience resides in mechanical design, machine vision, systems engineering, system architecting, and planetary sample collection. Previous projects include development of the Mars 2020 rover sample caching architecture and sample tube hermetic seals, work on unmanned underwater vehicles at the Boeing Company, and visual navigation and control for agricultural robots at the University of Florida. He is currently the Product Delivery Manager of the Robotic Transfer Assembly System for the Mars Sample Return Capture, Containment, and Return System, as well as Co-Investigator for the Mars Returned Sample Handling Technology Development task for extracting Martian samples from sample tubes after return to Earth. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, an M.E. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University.

  Dr. Ken Stone, P.E. Research Agricultural Engineer & Lead Scientist, United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (Academic)

  Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Stone, P.E. is a Research Agricultural Engineer and lead scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in Florence, South Carolina.  Dr. Stone’s research focuses on optimizing spatial water applications, using low-quality waters in irrigation, treating animal wastewater, and reducing agriculture’s environmental impacts on nutrient-sensitive ecosystems.  He has made numerous national and international invited presentations on water table management, stream and ground water quality, constructed wetlands for animal waste treatment, subsurface drip irrigation, water management for bio-energy crops, and variable rate irrigation.  His research has been documented in more than 170 peer-reviewed journal articles, invited book chapters, and technical conference proceeding papers. Dr. Stone was awarded the 2018 ASABE Heermann Sprinkler Irrigation Award, his research and technology transfer was recognized by awards from the 2020 Federal Laboratory Consortium, the 2020 Irrigation Association’s Vanguard Award, and the 2020 USDA-ARS Technology Award.  In 2022, he was inducted into the 2022 class of ASABE Fellows for his insightful engineering research that significantly improves irrigation management while conserving and protecting resources.

• 2022 Recipients

  Michael A. Register, P.E. Executive Director, St. Johns River Water Management District (non-academia)

  Michael Register is a registered professional engineer in Florida with a Master of Engineering and Bachelor or Science in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Florida.  During his time at Florida he lettered in Football, was a member of the Alpha Zeta Honor Fraternity and served as president of the student chapter of ASABE. Upon graduating, he began his professional career as an engineer working for the St. Johns River Water Management District. During his 31-year career at the District he has worked in the District’s regulatory, engineering, ground and surface water modeling, water supply planning, and minimum flow and levels programs.  During his time leading the regulatory programs, he instituted reforms to improve the permitting process to increase their efficiency and effectiveness.  He developed an agricultural assistance team and agricultural cost share programs to help agricultural operators comply with regulatory requirements and implement conservation practices.  He oversaw the development and adoption of minimum flows and levels for 5 Outstanding Florida Springs (including the iconic Silver Springs) ensuring their protection for future generations.  In September of 2021, Michael was selected by the District’s 9-member Governing Board to lead the organization as its new Executive Director.  His appointment was just recently confirmed by the Florida Senate. Michael lives in his hometown of Seville, Florida with his wife of 35 years on their family farm which she operates with their son, both of whom are also graduates of the University of Florida with degrees in Agricultural Education and Communication.

  Dr. Suat Irmak Professor and Department Head Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department The Pennsylvania State University (Academic)

  Professor Irmak received his Ph.D. degree from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department at the University of Florida with the emphasis on Land and Water Resources Engineering. After joining University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004 as an Assistant professor, he received his Full Professorship in 2012 and Harold W. Eberhard Distinguished Professorship in 2013. He joined Penn State on July 1, 2021, to serve as a Professor and Department Head of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. By his peers, he is considered as a worldwide renowned scientist/researcher and passionate educator and a servant leader in soil and water resources engineering who is nationally and internationally recognized for his dedication of learning through research and science and sharing his knowledge and teaching others. He has made significant contributions and exhibited exemplary accomplishments in soil and water resources and irrigation engineering, soil and water conservation, agricultural water management, evapotranspiration, impact of climate change on water resources and agricultural and natural resources productivity, and environmental biophysics. Professor Irmak has made contributions to science, engineering and education through measurement and modeling of surface energy balance variables, including evapotranspiration, evaporation and transpiration, for various agro-ecosystems; climate science; coupling soil, water and microclimate and plant stomatal response relationships to develop more robust evaporative losses estimates; developing extensive crop response to irrigation and evapotranspiration functions for various cropping systems under different irrigation and soil management practices.

• 2021 Recipients

  Brian Roy, P.E. President, Royal Consulting Services, Inc. (Non-academia)

  Brian Roy is president and operating manager of Royal Consulting Services (RCS), Inc. and Enviro-Tech Systems (ETS), Inc. Through his close work with agricultural clients at Royal Consulting Services, Roy recognized a need for a streamlined process of engineers and contractors working closely together, allowing for a unique insight to the way projects were conceptualized and designed in an engineering atmosphere and then constructed in actual field conditions with precision planning. In 2004, Roy founded Enviro-Tech Systems, a licensed and bonded construction company that specializes in agricultural construction, to address this specific need. Roy is renowned throughout the agricultural and water resources industry in Florida for utilizing innovative technologies to successfully design and construct projects that meet the needs and goals of the client, while conserving or improving important natural resources in a state with increasingly strict regulatory requirements. Today, Roy is a Professional Engineer, Certified General Contractor, Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor, and Certified Mold Remediator and Assessor in the State of Florida. Roy is also a Professional Engineer in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York. Both RCS and ETS have expanded their services outside the borders of Florida, providing engineering and construction services throughout the Eastern United States.

  Dr. George Vellidis University Professor and Director of Academic Programs, Crop and Soil Sciences Department, University of Georgia – Tifton Campus (Academic)

  Dr. George Vellidis is a professor at the University of Georgia Department of Crop and Soil Science. He applies principles of engineering and the sciences to measure, model, and manage the interaction between agricultural production systems and the environment. Under this umbrella, he has developed two areas of focus – precision agriculture and water resources. He has received in excess of $20 million in extramural funding, received one patent, licensed two technologies, and published more than 130 refereed journal articles and book chapters and over 150 conference papers. Vellidis received the University of Georgia’s D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Research in 2015 and the International Society for Precision Agriculture’s Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Award in 2016. He was named a University Professor, a title bestowed on faculty at the University of Georgia who has had a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling their normal academic responsibilities, in 2020 and elected to the university’s Teaching Academy in 2021.

   

• 2019 Recipients

  Dana Eller President, MWI Pumps (non-academia)	Dana Eller is President at MWI Pumps, a world leader in pump design, manufacturing, sales, and rentals. He received his B.S. of Biological Engineering from the department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Florida in 1995.
  Dr. Gary Clark Sr. Associate Dean and Professor, Kansas State University, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering (Academic)	Dr. Gary Clark is Sr. Associate Dean and Professor at Kansas State University, in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. He received his B.S.E. in Agricultural Engineering in 1980, and he received his M.E. in Agricultural Engineering in 1982, both from the University of Florida.

• 2018 Recipients

  Steven Thomson

  (non-academia)

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  Ashim Datta

  (academic)

• 2017 Recipients

  Robert Horton

  (non-academia)

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  Direlle Baird

  (academic)

Distinguished Achievement

The ABE Distinguished Achievement Award is given to individuals with exceptional achievements in agricultural and biological engineering, for demonstrated leadership, and for other exemplary accomplishments that merit the special recognition of the department.

Dr. Paul Heinemann

Professor, Penn State University

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  Dr. Heinemann’s teaching duties include a graduate course in biological and agricultural systems simulation, a 3rd year Biological Engineering course in modeling biological and physical systems, a two-course capstone sequence for the BioRenewable Systems major, and the BioRenewable Systems Colloquium. His research focuses primarily on tree and small fruit production mechanization and automation, and AI applications to specialty crops. His past research includes mushroom production, odor and emission analysis and reduction, sensor applications for produce quality evaluation, and plant tissue culture production and mechanization.

  Dr. Heinemann received a B.S. in Meteorology and an M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Penn State. In addition, he also received a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Here he focused on using atmospheric boundary layer models to predict frosts and freezes in Florida citrus groves.

• 2023 Recipient

  Dr. Ken Campbell Professor Emeritus, University of Florida Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

  Ken Campbell completed his BS in Agricultural Engineering at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He then earned his MS and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Iowa State. Ken’s research and teaching focused on agricultural water quality management, in particular preventing the runoff from surrounding cattle farms from polluting the water in Lake Okeechobee while maintaining the viability of the agriculture, and on hydrologic/water quality modeling. He served the UF Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering as Professor, Associate Chair, and Interim Chair until his retirement in 2007, after which he became Professor Emeritus. In 2000, Ken received the Fulbright Scholar Award from the U.S. Department of State and was a Visiting Professor at the University of Natal in South Africa for a year. Ken received several Research Achievement Awards and a Professorial Excellence Program Award from the University of Florida and was named UF Research Foundation Professor from 2000-2003. He was a fellow of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and received the Hancor Soil and Water Engineering Award in 2006.

• 2022 Recipient

  Eldon Muller Retired Manager of Worldwide Safety Critical Processes For The Walt Disney Company

  Eldon is a graduate of the University of Idaho holding both a BS (1980) and MS (1982).  His graduate work was analyzing physiological losses in Sugar Beet storage from root damage caused by equipment used in their piling.  In 1982 he took a position with the Walt Disney Company helping to open The Land at Epcot Center a 40,000 controlled environment agriculture facility.  Eldon worked for Disney until November 2021 when he retired as the Manager of Critical Process Analysis for Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide Safety.  In his career Eldon held positions in engineering design, research and development, sustainment engineering, project management, program management, risk analysis and management, and operational management.  While always working for the Walt Disney Company, he served in several segments of the company including Epcot Science, Ride and Show Engineering, Safety Accessibility and Advanced Technology, and Worldwide Safety Assurance.  Eldon has a long history with ASABE and UF including serving as a Florida Section Officer including Chair and several national technical committees.  Additionally, he is a current member of the UF ABE Advisory Board.  Eldon holds a patent for an irrigation control device for containerized crops, has been awarded a Walt Disney World Achievement Award, the Florida ASABE Section Distinguished Achievement Award and National ASAE Young Education Engineer of the Year Award.  Eldon is married to a 2nd generation Florida Graduate with an MS in Agronomy who is also retired after a career with the USDA-ARS in biotech research.  They have a son who is an Electrical Engineer working in cyber security for Chick-fil-A and a daughter in-law who is a Construction Manager, both graduates of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

• 2021 Recipient

  Mike Ferrari Founder and President, Ferrari Innovation Solutions LLC

  Mike Ferrari is the founder and president of Ferrari Innovation Solutions, LLC. His focus is on innovation in packaging and printing, coaching Consumer Product Companies to delight consumers and grow their brands. His purpose is to educate, guide, and inspire companies as a strategy coach, author, and educator. Ferrari is a guest lecturer at the University of Florida for the Packaging Engineering program, teaching Consumer Driven Innovation Methodology. He was recruited to The Procter & Gamble Company upon graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1978. He completed a successful 32-year career as a Global Research and Development Associate Director, including six and a half years as an international manager living in Germany. Ferrari delivered initiatives to the marketplace for some of the world’s leading billion-dollar brands. He is the sole and co-inventor of several patents and winner of the prestigious 2009 and 2010 DuPont Global Packaging Innovation Award. Ferrari is now enjoying the ocean breeze and life in the Florida Keys while supporting an environmental transformation to municipal solid waste by creating an endless loop of circularity to end the practice of landfills.

• 2019 Recipient

  Dr. Fedro Zazueta President, International Academy of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (iAABE); Secretary General, International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR)

  Fedro S. Zazueta obtained a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. He worked at the University of Sonora in the Civil Eng. Department as an instructor of Fluid Mechanics, Hydromechanical Installations and Mathematics. He later became an instructor at the Division of Engineering of Tecnólogico de Monterrey teaching Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Transport Phenomena, Thermal Engineering and Drip Irrigation Design. During this time, he developed innovative algorithms for computer aided drip irrigation design and worked as a private consulting design engineer for irrigation, hydraulic installations, and computer control engineering. He enrolled in the M.S. programs of Mechanical Engineering and Agronomy at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Graduate School. After completion of his degree, he enrolled at Colorado State University where he obtained a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering. After obtaining the Ph.D., Zazueta joined the Agricultural Engineering Department of the University of Florida (UF) as a visiting assistant professor in 1982, where he remained for 36 years. With the vision of a “desktop computer in every farm”, Zazueta developed research, teaching and extension program that focused on the use of computers in agriculture. This program was recognized by the Secretary of Agriculture of the US with the USDA Superior Service Award for “improving efficiency of Florida agriculture in domestic and international markets”. Zazueta served UF in the roles of Professor, Director of the IFAS Software Support Office, Director of IFAS IT, Director of Academic Technology and Associate CIO. He has served as consultant at the cabinet level in Asia, Europe, Latin-America and Oceania. During the last 20 years of his tenure at the University of Florida, he served developing and implementing the Institutional IT Strategic Plans. Including, the use of IT infrastructure and services to improve teaching outcomes and reduce the cost of instruction that came to be recognized among the best in the USA and were ranked as first in the nation by independent reviewers.

• 2018 Recipient

  Dr. Jim Jones Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Agricultural Systems Modeling, University of Florida Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

  Dr. James (Jim) Jones is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, retiring from the department in 2010. He continued to work on research projects until 2016 when he accepted an invitation to serve as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and co-lead the major funding multidisciplinary and multi-agency opportunity (Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems, jointly funded by NSF and USDA-NIFA). While at NSF, he led the development of a new multidisciplinary research initiative called Signals in the Soil (SitS). He completed his responsibilities at NSF late in 2019, and he now works part time at the University of Florida on various initiatives locally, nationally, and internationally. Jones currently serves on the National Academy Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, with leaders of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and other professional societies and organizations involved food and agricultural systems issues. His work emphasizes use of convergent systems approaches to develop food and agricultural systems that are more productive, sustainable, and resilient.

• 2017 Recipient

  Adam Skolnik Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Agricultural Systems Modeling, University of Florida Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

  Adam's professional experience and skill set comes from over 35 years leading and growing companies such as Senninger Irrigation Inc., and Irrigation Components International Inc., private manufacturing and distribution companies. He also spent several years at an executive level of Valmont Industries Inc., (“VMI”), a publicly-traded global manufacturing company. Adam has been involved in numerous merger and acquisition transactions, including, while CEO of ICII, being acquired by a private equity group and becoming the platform company several mergers were built upon.

Distinguished Service Award

This award recognizes an ABE alumnus or alumna who has highly distinguished him or herself through exceptional public service to the state of Florida or the nation at large. Such public service is defined as any of the following: service in elected or appointed public office; service in public or private education at any level; service in any judicial system or law enforcement agency; service in any volunteer agency or entity devoted to any aspect of public welfare.

Daniel Rutland, PE

Senior Water Resources Project Manager

• 2023 Recipient

  Dr. Fedro Zazueta Professor Emeritus, University of Florida Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

  Dr. Fedro Zazueta joined the Agricultural Engineering Department as a water management visiting assistant professor, where he remained for 36 years. Immediately after his arrival, Zazueta developed research, teaching and extension programs focused on the use of computers and agriculture, and specifically water management.  Notable accomplishments include:  1) The creation and management  of a self-supported IFAS Software Support Office, 2) organization of a conference that became what is today the World Conference on Computers in Agriculture, 3) design and delivery of graduate courses in agricultural software engineering, 4) over 50 pieces of software widely used by the irrigation industry worldwide (during the 80’s and 90’s), 5) over 500 publications, 6) a research program that involved innovative uses of computers in water management, and 6) Principal investigator on grants totaling over $24 million. Throughout his career, Zazueta was involved with professional societies, not only the existing well-established societies of his profession of ASABE and CIGR, but was also instrumental in promoting and founding societies such as the International Federation of IT in Agriculture (INFITA) and the Latin American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ALIA).  He has received numerous recognitions as a pioneer of IT in agriculture.  He is currently in high demand as a keynote speaker at international meetings in topics related to a future vision of IT in agriculture and education. He served as a consultant to World Bank, United Nations, and ministry level organizations in Asia, Oceania, Latina America. During the last 20 years of his tenure at the University of Florida, he served developing and implementing the Institutional IT Strategic Plans. Including, the use of IT infrastructure and services to improve teaching outcomes and reduce the cost of instruction that came to be recognized among the best in the USA.

• 2022 Recipient

  Bill Reck, P.E. National Environmental Engineer Natural Resources Conservation Service United States Department of Agriculture

  Bill Reck, P.E. is the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Environmental Engineer. Bill has over 25 years’ experience in hydrology and hydraulic engineering, wetland restoration and treatment, design and evaluation of conservation practices, and extensive experience in the area of animal waste management structural design as well as evaluation of existing structures. Bill started his career in Florida after having received his Bachelors and Masters of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Florida.  Bill has worked on projects such as Everglades Restoration, design of livestock and poultry waste management systems including innovative technologies and waste to energy projects, evaluation of new technologies for inclusion in NRCS standards, and development of software design aids. Currently, Bill has national responsibility for NRCS’s 20 environmental engineering conservation practice standards which includes waste management, mortality management, agrichemical handling facilities, and on-farm secondary containment of petroleum products.

• 2021 Recipient

  Jason Strenth, P.E. State Conservation Engineer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

  Jason Strenth graduated from the University of Florida in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering. Upon graduation, Strenth started working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia. While in Georgia, he served as a project engineer where he assisted the Fort Benning Army Base on erosion control projects. Strenth also served as the Area Engineer for 40 counties in the Northwest part of Georgia, where he provided engineering assistance to local NRCS offices in the implementation of the Farm Bill programs and conducted inspections on watershed dams. Strenth transferred to Gainesville, Florida, in 2003 to serve as the State Agricultural Engineer for NRCS in Florida. In this position, Strenth assisted NRCS area and field engineers in the design of erosion control, wetland restoration, irrigation, and drainage conservation practices. In 2016, he was selected as the State Conservation Engineer for NRCS in Florida. In this position, he is responsible for the overall NRCS engineering program in Florida. Strenth is also the Program Manager in Florida for NRCS’ Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, which provides financial and technical assistance to local governments to help recover from damages to the local watersheds resulting from natural disasters. Jason is a licensed professional engineer in Florida and Georgia. He is also a member of ASABE, where he has served the Florida Section as the Chair and Vice Chair for Programs.

• 2019 Recipient

  David Still

• 2018 Recipient

  Lisa Collins

• 2017 Recipient

  Bill Reck, P.E. National Environmental Engineer Natural Resources Conservation Service United States Department of Agriculture

  Bill Reck, P.E. is the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Environmental Engineer. Bill has over 25 years’ experience in hydrology and hydraulic engineering, wetland restoration and treatment, design and evaluation of conservation practices, and extensive experience in the area of animal waste management structural design as well as evaluation of existing structures. Bill started his career in Florida after having received his Bachelors and Masters of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Florida.  Bill has worked on projects such as Everglades Restoration, design of livestock and poultry waste management systems including innovative technologies and waste to energy projects, evaluation of new technologies for inclusion in NRCS standards, and development of software design aids. Currently, Bill has national responsibility for NRCS’s 20 environmental engineering conservation practice standards which includes waste management, mortality management, agrichemical handling facilities, and on-farm secondary containment of petroleum products.

Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna

Recipients of the Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna Awards are ABE alumnus/alumna (undergraduate or graduate) who have excelled in his or her chosen field or must have performed outstanding service for the profession.

Dr. Hao Gan

Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee

Dr. Natalie Nelson

Associate Professor and University Faculty Scholar, North Carolina State University

• 2023 Recipients

  Madison Keller Product Development Engineer, Printpack

  Madison is a Product Development Engineer at Printpack, a leader in flexible and specialty rigid packaging with headquarters in Atlanta, GA. During her time at Printpack, she has supported large CPGs with a focus on salty snack and bar packaging. Madison has worked on developing new to market compostable, paper, and all-polyethylene structures for multiple applications and customers. She also has previous experience working in food processing, manufacturing, and quality with The Kraft Heinz Company and Publix Manufacturing. Madison holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Biological Engineering with a focus in Packaging Engineering and Food Science from the University of Florida.

  Dr. Alireza Pourreza Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, University of California, Davis

  Dr. Alireza Pourreza is an assistant professor and extension specialist in the biological and agricultural engineering department and the Digital Agriculture Lab director at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Pourreza leads research and extension education in digital agriculture, remote sensing, precision agriculture, and mechanization. Dr. Pourreza’s research program focuses on solving immediate challenges in crop production systems identified by stockholders. His lab develops practical and data-driven decision-support tools that help farmers increase profit while decreasing waste and environmental footprint.

• 2022 Recipients

  Allison Mica Bacardi OC Project Manager

  Allison Mica is a fifth generation Floridian and loves the beautiful state of Florida. Originally from Tallahassee, FL, she graduated from UF in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Packaging Science and in 2017 with her MBA. Allison is a member of Florida Blue Key, Kappa Delta, and the Florida Cicerones the University of Florida, which holds a very special place in her heart. Her career started as a Packaging Engineer in spirits industry in 2012. Currently she works for Bacardi, recently transitioning into the global supply chain team as the Bacardi Supply Chain Brand Manager. Previously with Bacardi she was leading and supporting innovations through the Packaging and Project Management teams. Allison currently resides in Jacksonville, FL. Outside of work, she has a passion for volunteering, reading, enjoying a delightful cocktail, and cheering on the Gators.

  Gloria Teague Water Resources Engineer, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.

  Gloria Teague has over 10 years of professional experience managing, designing, implementing and evaluating water resource projects for clients in public and private sectors. She specializes in hydrologic/hydraulic modeling as well as development of software tools to support data analysis, visualization and quality assurance/quality control – she is highly skilled in quantifying spatial/temporal impacts and incorporating forecasts of future conditions to propose strategies for adaptive management. Ms. Teague currently assists with efforts in urban stormwater management such as data analytics, best management practice (BMP) evaluations, stormwater master plans, and geospatial analysis.

• 2021 Recipients

  Dr. Erin G. Webb Group Leader, Bioresource Science and Engineering, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  Dr. Erin G. Webb graduated with her Doctor of Philosophy from ABE in 2005. Her research interests include developing technologies and systems to produce, harvest, store, process, and transport biomass for conversion to biofuels and biomaterials and building and applying simulation tools to design biomass supply chains that are cost-effective, sustainable, and safe. As a Group Leader at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Webb leads strategic visioning and implementation of research and development to develop and apply quantitative tools to advance our understanding of how bioresources can be sustainably and reliably produced, delivered, and utilized to expand the U.S. bioeconomy while also preserving ecosystem services. Webb hopes to lead multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers to collaboratively develop innovative, reliable solutions for renewable energy and a sustainable bioeconomy that expands economic opportunities in rural America while protecting critical ecological systems.

  Marcos Montes De Oca, P.E. President, MDO Engineering, Inc.

  Marcos Montes De Oca obtained his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering in 2000 and his Master of Engineering in 2001. After graduating, Montes De Oca worked as a consultant in agricultural and civil engineering. In 2012, Montes De Oca became the City of Belle Glade Public Works Director and established MDO Engineering, a boutique engineering firm. Currently, Montes De Oca serves as a City Administrator for the City of Okeechobee and the President of MDO Engineering. Montes De Oca attributes his experience at the University of Florida as one that molded him into the professional that he is today. During his professional career, Montes De Oca has been involved in many organizations, including the Florida Engineering Society, the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2015, the Leadership Glades Class of 2014, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Okeechobee Kiwanis International, and Brother of Okeechobee Masonic Lodge.

• 2019 Recipient

  Dr. Daeun "Dana" Choi Assistant Professor, University of Florida Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC)

  Daeun (Dana) Choi is an agricultural engineer working as an assistant professor at Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). She earned B.S. degrees in Bio-mechatronics Engineering and Economics from Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea in 2011. She earned M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from the University of Florida in 2013 and 2017, respectively, specializing in precision agriculture technologies with artificial intelligence (AI).  Inspired by real-world challenges in agriculture, her research focuses on developing field robotics and AI in agriculture, which can assist human operations in specialty crop production with an emphasis on improving sustainability, productivity, and safety. Motivation of her research is to improve traditional farming practices for the optimal use of biological, time, and financial resources by designing low-cost field devices through the newest data processing and automation techniques. Two significant research areas of her lab are: (1) intelligent sensors for accurately monitoring field variables in agriculture, and (2) automated multi-robot systems using drones, robots, data, and information and communications technology (ICT).

• 2018 Recipient

  Dr. David Kaplan Associate Professor, University of Florida Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences

  David Kaplan is an Associate Professor and Director of the H.T. Odum Center for Wetlands. Research in Dr. Kaplan’s Watershed Ecology Lab focuses on linkages among the hydrological cycle, ecosystem processes, and human activities, with the goal of advancing natural resources conservation and management. He has worked extensively with water and environmental management agencies to tie hydrological modeling to ecological outcomes, predict restoration effects, and guide water management.

• 2017 Recipient

  Jordan Mock