2013
Tifton campus folks celebrated their own May 14, 2013 at the annual University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Tifton Campus Awards Ceremony.
Awards and Recognitions presented for FY2013
(Beginning July 1, 2012 — Ending June 30, 2013)
- Awards for Excellence
- Certificates of Service
- Recent Retirees
- Student Accomplishments
- Special Achievements
Friend of the UGA Tifton Campus Award
The Stripling Family of Camilla, Ga., received the 2013 Friend of the UGA Tifton Campus Award. Representatives of the family accepting the award were Dr. Charles Stripling and Kay Stripling Byer. Also pictured are Dr. Joe West (far left) and Dean Scott Angle (far right).
Awards for Excellence
| Award | Recipient |
| Senior Scientist - Research | W. Carroll Johnson |
| Senior Scientist - Extension | Alton "Stormy" Sparks, Jr. |
| Junior Scientist - Research | Guy Collins |
| Junior Scientist - Extension | Rajagopalbabu "Babu" Srinivasan |
| Teaching | Diana King |
| Technical Support | Russell P. Griffin and Lara Lee Hickman |
| Service Unit Support | Steve LaHue and Robert Marchant |
| Administrative Support | Jolain Luke and Kathy Marchant |
| Tifton Campus Ambassador | Unessee Hargett, Jr. |
| Student Employee | Michasia Harris |
Certificates of Service
25 Years of Service
- Peggy Ozias-Akins - Horticulture/NESPAL
- Timothy Brenneman - Plant Pathology
- T. Dudley Cook - Crop and Soil Sciences
- Thomas D. Cook - Entomology
- Roosevelt Daughty, Jr. - Animal and Dairy Science
- Franklin Griffin - Animal and Dairy Science
- Linda A. Hagerson - Southwest Research and Education Center
- Ed Troxell - Field Research Services
20 Years of Service
- Boen Alan Brock - Attapulgus Research and Education Center
- Debra Rutland - Entomology
- Katherine L. Stevenson - Plant Pathology
- Melissa Tawzer - Animal and Dairy Science
15 Years of Service
- Larry M. Baldree - Crop and Soil Sciences
- Patricia Ann Boatner - NESPAL
- Sylvia Marrotti - Office of Communications and Technology Services
- Phillip M. Roberts - Entomology
10 Years of Service
- Glenda Gibbs - Physical Plant
- Ivey W. Griner, Sr. - Stripling Irrigation Research Park
- L. Gail Hargett - Tifton Campus Conference Center
- R. Curt Lacy - Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Christopher Lee Luke - Physical Plant
Recent Retirees
Roosevelt Daughtry, Jr. – Animal and Dairy Science
Cynthia Harrison – Animal and Dairy Science
G.W. Stone – Animal and Dairy Science
Sara Cates – Crop and Soil Sciences
Marilyn Law – Crop and Soil Sciences
Tim Ross – Field Research Services
Bruce Tucker – Horticulture
Jim Graham – Physical Plant
Bonnie Evans – Plant Pathology
Sandra McNeill – Plant Pathology
Kathy Patterson – Southwest District Extension Office
Ronnie Pines – Southwest Research and Education Center
Waldene Barnhill – USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit
Thomas L. Hilton – USDA-ARS Crop Protection and Management Research Unit
Student Accomplishments
Fall 2012 Graduates
- Emily Reece - Agribusiness
- Wesley Thompson - Agricultural Education
Spring 2013 Graduates
- Brandi Bishop, magna cum laude - Agricultural Education
- Ashley Cochran, magna cum laude - Agricultural Education
- Jamison Cruce - Agricultural Education
- Christopher Earls - Agricultural Education
- Jessica Exum Goodman - Agriscience and Environmental Systems
- Kyle Harris - Agricultural Education
- Blaine Holbrook, magna cum laude
- James Judson - Agricultural Education
- Brittaney Schwing - Agricultural Education
- Tiffany Walker, magna cum laude - Agricultural Education
Summer 2013 Graduate
- Justin McCorvey - Agricultural Education
Tifton Campus Graduates
Special Awards and Scholarships
2013 Student MVP Award
Brittaney Schwing (left), the Student MVP, is pictured with Karen Nikitopoulos, representing the Georgia Cotton Commission.
Marie Gaskins Prince Scholarship
Michasia Harris was presented with the 2013 Marie Gaskins Prince Memorial Scholarship ($1,000).
Special Achievements
Ronnie Barentine, Cooperative Extension Southwest District - Received the Walter B. Hill Fellow Award 2013.
John Beasley, Crop and Soil Sciences - 2012 Senior Extension Specialist Award from the Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents; and Chair, 2013 Annual Meeting Local Arrangements Committee and Chair, Site Selection Committee for the American Peanut Research and Education Society.
John Bernard, Animal and Dairy Science - Received the Cady Award from the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association this year.
Tim Brenneman, Plant Pathology - Received the Science Alumni Award, 2013 from the Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, VA.
Albert Culbreath, Plant Pathology - Received the 2012 D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Research from UGA CAES; and Invited Symposium Speaker at the 7th International Integrated Pest Management Symposium in Memphis, TN.
Timothy Grey, Crop and Soil Sciences - 2012 Outstanding Educator Award from the Southern Weed Science Society; Editor, Peanut Science journal - American Peanut Research and Education Society; and Associate Editor, Weed Science journal - Weed Science Society of America.
Karen Harris-Shultz, USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit - 2012 ARS Early Career Scientist of the Year Award.
Unessee Hargett, Jr., Plant Pathology - Received the 2012 CAES Diversity Award.
C. Corley Holbrook, USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit - 2012 American Peanut Council Research Award.
Laura Perry Johnson and Melinda Miller, Cooperative Extension Southwest District - Received the CAES Diversity Award for the Georgia 4-H VISTA Project (headquartered in SW District).
Robert C. Kemerait, Jr., Plant Pathology - Received the 2012 D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Extension from UGA CAES.
Richard Lowrance, USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed - Area Senior Scientist of the Year — Each year, USDA-ARS selects one person from each of its regions (Areas) for this award. Dr. Lowrance received the 2012 award for the South Atlantic Area. The award is accompanied by $20,000 to be used for his personal research program.
Melinda Miller, Rachael Hubbard and Kris Peavy, Cooperative Extension Southwest District - Received the Epsilon Sigma Phi-Alpha Beta Chapter Distinguished Team Recognition for "Your Money Your Future;" and NEAFCS: Dean Don Felker Financial Management Award - 1st place state (August 2012) and 2nd place regional (September 2012).
Duncan McClusky, Library - Elected to be Lt. Governor for the Georgia Kiwanis District, October 2013 term; and Received the John C. Thompson Outstanding Kiwanis Advisor Award at the Georgia Key Club District Convention.
Calvin Perry, Crop and Soil Sciences - Outstanding Support by an ANR Professional for Southwest Extension District presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the Georgia Association of Extension 4-H Agents.
Phillip Roberts, Entomology - Awarded the 2013 State Extension Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the Georgia Soybean Industry from the GA/FL Soybean Association.
Brian Schwartz, Crop and Soil Sciences - Board member of the Turfgrass Breeder's Association; Bermudagrass Advisory Committee member for the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program; Associate Editor for the International Turfgrass Society Research Journal; and Committee Chair, Turfgrass Science Symposium - Crop Science Society of America.
Stormy Sparks, Entomology - Elected to the Governing Board of the Entomological Society of America.
Scott Tubbs, Crop and Soil Sciences - Early Career Award in Research presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the Southern Branch - American Society of Agronomy.
Graduate Students
Peter Eure (PhD), Crop and Soil Sciences
- Major Professors: Eric Prostko and Stanley Culpepper
- 4th Place Individual, 2012 SWSS Weed Contest - Southern Weed Science Society
- 1st Place in Herbicide Symptomology, 2012 SWSS Weed Contest - Southern Weed Science Society
- 1st Place in PhD Graduate Student Paper Contest at 2013 annual meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society
Mavis Finger (MS), Plant Pathology
- Major Professors: Katherine Stevenson and Pingsheng Ji
- 2013 Outstanding Student Presentation Award (1st Place) from the Georgia Association of Plant Pathologists
Thomas Ingram (MS), Plant Pathology
- Major Professor: Tim Brenneman
- Southern Division APS, Student Travel Award
- Cedric Kuhn Plant Pathology 2013 Outstanding Student Award from the Georgia Association of Plant Pathologists
Rand Merchant (MS), Crop and Soil Sciences
- Major Professors: Eric Prostko and Stanley Culpepper
- 1st Place in Graduate Student Paper Contest (1 or 16 paper presentations) at 2012 annual meeting of the American Peanut Research and Education Society
- 2nd Place in Graduate Student Paper Contest at the 2013 annual Beltwide Cotton Conference
- 1st Place in M.S. Graduate Student Paper Contest at the 2013 annual meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society
Kenneth E. Papa, Plant Pathology
- 2013 Award for Outstanding PhD Student from the Georgia Association of Plant Pathologists
- Invited Symposium Speaker for the American Phytopathological Society I.E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium, 2012, Providence, RI
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award from UGA Graduate School 2013
- Sigma Xi Grant in Aid for research 2013
- Southern Division American Phytopathological Society Travel Award to attend the 2013 SDAPS Annual Meeting in Baton Rouge, LA
- UGA Graduate School Travel Grant to attend the 2012 Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting in Providence, RI
- UGA Graduate School Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research Grant for Doctoral students 2012
Imana Power (PhD), Plant Pathology
- Major Professor: Albert Culbreath
- Raymond J. Tarleton Student Fellowship from the American Phytopathological Society, 2013 — This is the highest award given by this society.
Jason Sarver (PhD), Crop and Soil Sciences
- Major Professor: Scott Tubbs
- 1st Place in Graduate Student Oral Competition at the 2013 annual meeting of the Southern Branch - American Society of Agronomy
- Received the 2013 Future Leaders in Science Award from the American Society of Agronomy
Anita Shrestha (PhD), Entomology
- Received the Georgia Entomological Society Scholarship
- 3rd Place - C M Beckham Award PhD Student Paper