Established in 1991 in memory of PSS faculty member Dr. Doyle E. Peaslee and updated in 2020 in memory of PSS faculty member Dr. Ronald E. 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.

Eligibility:

• 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

2024 Recipient

• Brian Rinehart

The Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science recognizes top-notch graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in crop science disciplines. Departments select students based on academic achievements, research and teaching contributions, leadership accomplishments, service activities and personal qualifications. The award honors the first CSSA President, Gerald O. Mott, who trained 75 graduate students during his 45-year career at Purdue University and the University of Florida. Many of his students have become eminent forage scientists.

The award is offered by the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and recipients receive a certificate and are recognized in CSA News.

2023 Recipient

• Andrea Webb

Spring 2024 Winners

Oral Presentations

• Paul Cöckson – 1st place
• Travis Banet – 2nd place
• Jack Eaker – 3rd place

Poster Presentations

• Shelby Watkins – 1st place
• Joyce Robinson – 2nd place
• Jenni Fridgen – 3rd place

Learn More

2024 Winners

Outstanding Continuing Ph.D.

• Janelle Hager - 1st place
• Paul Cöckson - 2nd place
• Ashwini Shivakumar - 3rd place

Outstanding Continuing M.S.

• Shelby Watkins & Will Fleming - 1st place tie
• Rob Nalley - 3rd place

Outstanding New Ph.D.

• Lucca Madeo Cortarelli - 1st place

Outstanding New M.S.

• Bridget Bolt - 1st place
• Shelby Stanley - 2nd place
• Will Fleming - 3rd place

Established in 2020 by 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.

Eligibility:

• 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

2024 Recipient

• Paul Cöckson

Fall 2024 Winners

• Abdaal Ali - 1st place
• Maddy Jenkins - 2nd place & People's Choice - Student
• Paul Cöckson - 3rd place
• Chris Matocha - People's Choice - Faculty/Post-Doc/Staff
• McCulley Lab - Lab Participation

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.

• Travis Banet (2023)
• Alayna Jacobs (2022)
• Daniel Quinn (2021)
• Rebecca McGrail (2020)
• Stuart Lichtenberg (2019)
• Mahtaab Bagherzadeh (2018)
• Maythem Al-Amery (2017)
• Lindsey Slaughter (2016)
• Craig Schluttenhofer (2015)
• Atanas Radkov (2014)
• Yang Yang (2013)
• Jonathan Judy (2012)
• Martin Navarro (2011)
• Donald Schwer (2010)
• Mark Fairchild (1997)
• John Fellers (1996)
• Louis McDonald (1994)
• Susan Trawatha (1993)
• Brent Jacobson (1992)

• Daniel Quinn (2021)
• Rebecca McGrail (2020)
• Jesse Carmack (2019)
• Mitchel Richmond (2018)
• Katie Russell (2016)
• John Orlowski (2015)
• Martin Battaglia (2014)

Spring 2023 Winners

Oral Presentations

• Sara Qian - 1st place
• Travis Banet & Jarad Cochran - 2nd place tie
• Paul Cöckson - 3rd place

Poster Presentations

• Josh SIngleton - 1st place
• Shelby Stanley - 2nd place
• Letícia Pacheco Inoue - 3rd place

Spring 2022 Winners

Oral Presentations

• Maria Paula Castellari - 1st place
• Jordyn Bush - 2nd place
• Andrea Keeney - 3rd place

Poster Presentations

• Tim Shull - 1st place
• Sapana Pandey - 2nd place
• Jason Simmons - 3rd place

Spring 2021 Winners

Oral Presentations

• Mohammad Foteh Ali – 1st place
• Rebecca McGrail – 2nd place
• Andrea Keeney – 3rd place

Poster Presentations

• Patsy Wilson – 1st place
• Kent Pham – 2nd place
• Annie McGraw & Hannah Somerville – 3rd place tie

Spring 2020 Winners

Oral Presentations

• Rebecca McGrail – 1st place
• Kelly Mercier – 2nd place
• Tim Shull – 3rd place

Poster Presentations

• Jason Simmons – 1st place
• Elzbieta Szuleta – 2nd place
• Layne Ellen Harris – 3rd place

Spring 2019 Winners

• Cintia Sciarresi – 1st place
• Sanjay Joshi & Lydie Fitzgerald – 2nd place tie

2023 Winners

Outstanding Continuing Ph.D.

• Brian Rinehart - 1st place
• Jia Tan - 2nd place
• Travis Banet - 3rd place

Outstanding Continuing M.S.

• Danielle Doering - 1st place
• Caleb Perkins - 2nd place

Outstanding New Ph.D.

• Letícia Pacheco Inoue - 1st place

Outstanding New M.S.

• Bridget Bolt - 1st place
• Shelby Stanley - 2nd place
• Will Fleming - 3rd place

2022 Winners

Outstanding Continuing Ph.D.

• M.Foteh Ali - 1st place
• Sanjay Joshi - 2nd place
• Alayna Jacobs - 3rd place

Outstanding Continuing M.S.

• Jordyn Bush - 1st place

Outstanding New M.S.

• Danielle Doering - 1st place

2021 Winners

Outstanding Continuing Ph.D.

• Tim Shull - 1st place
• Daniel Quinn - 2nd place

Outstanding Continuing M.S.

• Sam Leuthold - 1st place
• Brian Rinehart - 2nd place

2020 Winners

Outstanding Continuing Ph.D.

• Daniel Quinn - 1st place
• Kirtley Amos - 2nd place
• Kelly Mercier - 3rd place

Outstanding New Ph.D.

• Sara Qian - 1st place
• Travis Banet - 2nd place

Outstanding Continuing M.S.

• Sam Leuthold

Outstanding New M.S.

• Brian Rinehart

Spring 2019 Winners

Outstanding Continuing Ph.D.

• Katherine Rod - 1st place
• Elisane Weber Tessmann - 2nd place

Outstanding New Ph.D.

• Daniel Quinn - 1st place
• Alayna Jacobs - 2nd place

Outstanding Continuing M.S.

• Cintia Sciarresi

• Letícia Pacheco Inoue (2023)
• Brian Rinehart (2022)
• Daniel Quinn (2021)

Fall 2023 Winners

• Magdalena Ricciardi - 1st place
• Yan Zhou - 2nd place
• Upama Dev - 3rd place
• Rob Nalley - People's Choice - Student
• Rebecca McGrail - People's Choice - Faculty/Post-Doc/Staff

Fall 2022 Winners

• Danielle Doering - 1st place
• Alayna Jacobs - 2nd place
• Tajbir Raihan - 3rd place & People's Choice - Student
• Dr. Rebecca McCulley - People's Choice - Faculty

Fall 2021 Winners

• Tajbir Raihan - 1st place
• Kent Pham - 2nd place
• Umma Fatemah - 3rd place

Fall 2020 - Postponed due to COVID-19

Fall 2019 Winners

• Daniel Quinn - 1st place
• Stuart Lichtenberg - 2nd place
• Mohammad Foteh Ali - 3rd place
• Sanjay Joshi - People's Choice - Student

Spring 2019 Winners

• Mohammad Alsabri - 1st place
• Daniel Quinn - 2nd place
• Rebecca McGrail - 3rd place
• Mohammad Alsabri - People's Choice - Student

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.

Winners

• Ran Tian (2019)
• M. Foteh Ali and Umma Fatema (2018)