Goals of this Program:

• Recognition of the accomplishments of our alumni
• Enhance Alumni - graduate student contacts
• Highlight mentorship of current faculty
• Increase awareness of Plant and Soil Science in college and at UK.

Nominators: All faculty and emeritus faculty in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences are eligible to submit nominations of up to two alumni.

Nominees: The nominee will have completed an M.S. or Ph.D degree in the Crop Science, Plant Physiology, Plant and Soil Science, Soil Science, or Integrated Plant and Soil Science graduate programs at least five years prior to the date of the nomination.

Nomination criteria: The nominator is expected to provide a current vitae of the nominee that includes information in the following areas: 

• Current position title and location
• Degrees received: major, dates
• Professional positions held: List positions, dates, organizations and locations
• Honors and awards received
• Nominee’s achievements in one or more of the following areas:
  • Teaching, extension or industrial education
  • Research contributions (basic or applied)
  • Service to profession
  • Leadership (scientific or administrative)

The nominator must also provide a one page summary of the most significant personal and professional achievements which qualify the nominee for selection as a Plant and Soil Science Distinguished Alumnus lecture. 

Deadline for nominations: Nominations should be submitted annually to the chair of the Distinguished Alumni Committee before October 1.

Award selection: The Distinguished Alumni Committee will review the nominations and make a recommendation to the Chair of the Plant and Soil Sciences Department. The individual selected will be invited to present a departmental seminar during the spring semester and meet with graduate students and faculty. The individual will receive a recognition plaque, an honorarium ($500) plus travel expenses. One individual per academic year will be selected for the Plant and Soil Science Alumni Lecture Series. Names will be added to a plaque to be maintained in the Plant and Soil Sciences Building. Those nominees not selected will be retained and considered by the committee the following year.

Previous recipients of this award are:

Organization Responsible for Award: IPSS Graduate Student Association

Award Criteria

• Nominee must have earned a doctoral degree in Integrated Plant and Soil Science or a degree program that was incorporated into IPSS at the time of the program’s creation.
• Nominee must have graduated from the University of Kentucky between five and 15 years prior to award date.
• Nominee must be currently employed in a position related to plant and soil sciences.

Nomination Protocol

Nominations can be submitted to the GSA by email prior to October 15. Nominations may be submitted by the nominee’s doctoral advisor, the director of graduate study, faculty, or graduate students.

Selection Protocol

GSA officers will narrow the nominee pool to three candidates by vote according to the achievements of the nominees post-graduation as made available on their CV and professional websites (LinkedIn, University webpage, industry webpage, etc.). The final candidates’ professional information will be shared with GSA members prior to voting at the November meeting. The awardee will be selected by popular vote. In the event of a tie, ballots will be recast; a tie after recast ballots will be broken by the GSA President. Absentee votes will be accepted so long as they were relayed by official University communication methods such as email up to one day before the meeting. An absentee ballot will not be counted if the casting person votes in person at the meeting.

Previous winners include:

This award is in recognition of exceptional contributions toward advancement of the science and practice of no-tillage agriculture. Previous lecturers are:

Established in 1991 in memory of PSS Faculty member Doyle E. Peaslee and updated in 2020 in memory of PSS Faculty member Ron Phillips, this award is presented annually to an outstanding graduate student in Plant and Soil Science to recognize exceptional academic achievement and outstanding potential for contributions to American agriculture in the areas of soil science, crop production, and other scientific areas in which PSS faculty are engaged.

Award basis:

• Current Ph.D. or M.S. student in Plant and Soil Sciences
• Excellent Grades
• Innovative Research and Evidence of Productivity in the fields of soil science, crop production, or other scientific areas in which Plant and Soil Sciences faculty are engaged
• Service to the Land Grant Mission
• Potential for "Contributions to U.S. Agriculture"

Previous winners include:

This Fellowship was created to support graduate student travel to scientific meetings. Travel can be national or international and preference will be given to advanced students (M.S. or Ph.D.) presenting the results of their research and to students that have not previously received this fellowship. Either oral or poster presentations qualify. A committee will identify award recipients based on the seed-relatedness of the research and the qualifications/potential of the applicant. Recipients of the Fellowship are expected to report to the Seed Biology faculty on their experience, including a description of the most interesting scientific finding they encountered at the meeting. They are also expected to submit photos and text to the PSS Department for development of an online news feature.

Applications are typically due in February. Contact Abbie Cain for more information.

Application

Previous winners include:

Established in 2020 by Mrs. Sandra Johnston and Dr. Richard Carringer, both alumni of the Plant and Soil Sciences Department, this award is meant to support one or more annual award(s) for graduate student(s) in the Department who demonstrate excellence in academics, as well as professional development in research, extension, or instruction, in Weed Science, Plant Biology, or other scientific areas in which Plant and Soil Sciences faculty are engaged.

Award basis:

• Current M.S. or Ph.D. student in Plant and Soil Sciences
• Excellent Grades
• Extraordinary accomplishments/efforts toward professional development in research, extension, or instruction in Weed Science, Plant Biology, or other scientific areas in which Plant and Soil Sciences faculty are engaged.