West Virginia Universitys Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences honored five students as outstanding seniors for 2007 at its honors ceremony Friday, April 20.

One student is chosen to represent each of the Davis Colleges five academic divisions. This years honorees are: Elizabeth Ann Gebhard, Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences; Emily Kaminski , Division of Plant and Soil Sciences; Danielle (Gray) Sheperd , Division of Forestry and Natural Resources; Anna J. Warner , Division of Resource Management; and Allison Wolfenden , Division of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Gebhard is an animal and veterinary sciences major from Moon Township, Pa., a Davis-Michael Scholar and student in WVU s Honors College. She is among the 30 graduating students selected as WVU Foundation Outstanding Seniors. During her time as a student, she has cultivated a profound dedication to animal well-being, working to bring the Paws With A Cause program to campus. The program trains assistance dogs to help persons with disabilities live more independently. Gebhard has also been instrumental in the efforts to establish an enrichment program at the Coopers Rock Mountain Lion Sanctuary. She has been accepted to two schools of veterinary medicine.

Kaminski, a horticulture major from Beckley, W.Va., isnt afraid to get her hands dirty to beautify WVU s landscape. During the summer of 2006, she grew over 1,000 garden mums at WVU s Agronomy Farm for planting on campus. Representatives of the firm that provided the mum cuttings commented on the excellent quality of Kaminskis efforts. She has also grown cut flowers for use in the Davis Colleges floral design course. With her eye on a career in the floral business, Kaminski has secured an internship with a firm owned by the president of the Specialty Cut Flower Association of America.

Sheperd, a recreation, parks and tourism resources major from Sterling, Ohio, has been active in both her academic discipline and in efforts to recruit students to the WVU Davis College. In addition to serving as president of the Professional Recreation and Parks Society, Sheperd was also active with the Davis College Ambassadors, a student organization committed to introducing prospective students to WVU s programs in agriculture, forestry and consumer sciences. After graduation, she will begin work with Five River Metro Parks, conducting horticultural education programs at the Cox Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio.

Warner, an agricultural and extension education major from Manchester, Md., is also a student in WVU s Honors College and was named one of 30 WVU Foundation Outstanding Seniors. She has been active in a wide range of extracurricular activities including service as a Davis College Ambassador, secretary of the Davis College Student Council, president of the WVU chapter of Collegiate FFA , and held various leadership positions with Sigma Alpha, a professional agricultural sorority. She has prepared for her educational career by being a teaching assistant for courses in agricultural and natural resources communications, agricultural mechanics and poultry evaluation, and is currently a student teacher at Hundred High School. After graduation, she will pursue her masters degree in agricultural education and communications at the University of FloridaGainesville.

Wolfenden, an interior design major from Harpswell, Maine, has combined academic excellence, international opportunities with community outreach during her time at WVU . During her sophomore year, she was a part of the delegation that represented WVU at the Consortium for Design Education conference in Mexico. During her junior year, she spent a semester studying in Costa Rica. She has served as the president of the WVU chapter of the American Society for Interior Designers and as a teaching assistant for the programs residential design studio course. Wolfenden also participated in a special project involved in the redesign of the Rhododendron, Laurel and Monongahela rooms in WVU s Mountainlair. She has devoted hundreds of hours of service to the Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity and Sundale Nursing Home. After graduation, Wolfenden is going to spend some time at home in Maine and consider a variety of job opportunities. He was also chosen as the Davis Colleges outstanding senior and will represent the college at WVU s Commencement Honors Convocation Friday, May 11.