Students, faculty and friends of the West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences were honored for their achievements at the annual initiation and awards banquet of Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society for Agriculture, held April 14.
The evening featured initiation of new members, including undergraduate and graduate students and Davis College faculty. Awards were presented for outstanding academic achievement, student service and leadership, and meritorious performance by WVU faculty.
Honorees are as follows: Distinguished Service to West Virginia Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, Paul Smith , assistant professor emeritus of animal and veterinary sciences and longtime operator of the WVU ice cream plant; Outstanding Service to the West Virginia Chapter, Rich Russell , associate professor of animal and veterinary sciences; Senior Faculty Award of Merit, Jeff Skousen , professor of soil science and Extension land reclamation specialist; Junior Faculty Award of Merity, Harry N. Boone, Jr. , assistant professor of agricultural and environmental education; Extension Faculty Award of Merit, David A. Seymour , Pendleton County Extension Agent; and Non-Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences Faculty Award, Roger Toffle, M.D. , obstetrics and gynecology, WVU School of Medicine.
Scholarships and student awards are as follows. Outstanding Sophomore Scholarships were awarded to: Jaime Lauren Bills , textiles, apparel, and merchandising; Christopher J. Glover , landscape architecture; Michelle Greathouse , biochemistry; Brittani Rachelle Kokot , interior design; Ashley N. Latos , animal and veterinary sciences; Katherine Lott , animal and veterinary sciences; Alison Moore , animal and veterinary sciences; and Lisa Ann Tokars , animal and veterinary sciences. Outstanding Junior Scholarships were awarded to: Natalie Bumgarner , horticulture; Dirk D. Hillegass , forest resources management; William Beau Keen , horticulture; Jesse Morgan , forest resources management; and Marcus D. Shaffer , biochemistry. Outstanding Senior Scholarships were awarded to: Natalie G. Sanders , animal and veterinary sciences; and Kathleen Coffers , child development and family studies. The Student Service/Leadership Award went to Jessica Bright , recreation, parks, and tourism resources. Scholarships are awarded based on outstanding academic performance.
The following Davis College undergraduate students, listed by academic division, were initiated into the organization: Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Stephen Harold Bush II, Wai-Chu Chan, Jessica E. Clark, Erika Lynn Garmen, Crystal R. Hott, Angela Nicole Pepe, Christen N. Searman, Marcus D. Shaffer , and Mica Ann Vapner ; Division of Family and Consumer Sciences, Megan E. Hershey, Johnna Sacchetti, Kate Louise Seymour, Jenna Straface, and Ann Marie Yahn; Division of Forestry, Robert Scott Alonso, Alexander Gileo Baer, Jessica Bright, Eric G. Rice , and Joshua C. Scullen ; Division of Resource Management: Matthew Wesley Knopp, Diane E. Ogg, Jennifer Lee Rogers, Kelly Lee Street , and Lance R. Woodford .
The following Davis College graduate students were initiated into the organization: Kimberly A. Bjorgo, Gregory M. Etter, Jason Evans, Rachel E. Gainor, Jesse E. Gandee, Robert L. Herrod II, Ellen E. Hrabovsky, Brittany Kathleen Lucci, Andrea McCardle,
John R. Noffsinger, Thomas A. Page, Amy S. Parsons, Kenneth L. Stewart, Tamara M. Terry, David William Thorne, Melissa VanTine, Alison Margaret Weddle , and Robin Yeager.
The following WVU faculty were initiated into the organization: Kelly S. Bricker , assistant professor of recreation, parks, and tourism resources; Rakesh Chandran , Extension specialistintegrated pest management; John Bryan Jacob , assistant professor of textiles, apparel, and merchandising; and Mark Sperow , assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics.
Gamma Sigma Delta is dedicated to the advancement of agriculture in all its phases, the maintenance and improvement of the relations of agriculture and related sciences to other industries, and the recognition of the responsibilities of those engaged in all aspects of agriculture to humankind. The society seeks to encourage high standards of scholarship and worthy achievements in all branches of the agricultural and related sciences as well as a high degree of excellence in the practice of agricultural pursuits. The WVU Chapter was installed on May 8, 1959. More than 1,300 students, alumni, and faculty have accepted membership since then.