Faculty Awards
For over 150 years, the AAAS has worked to advance science, engineering and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people. Elected fellows are members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Arthur Hunt (2017) - Biological Sciences
Fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by the American Society of Agronomy. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Up to 0.3% of the Society’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow. The award consists of a certificate, a complimentary ticket to the award ceremony and ASA Fellow pin.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Dave Van Sanford (2011)
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment Research Office solicits nominations for the Excellence in Grantsmanship Award in the amount of $1,000 to be presented to the CAFE faculty member receiving the most significant external award, or combination of awards while employed at UK. This award is given in memory of Dr. Bobby Pass, who chaired the Department of Entomology from 1968-2001, and was dedicated to promoting scientific excellence.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Jason Unrine (2022)
One award ($500) is given each year in honor of George Mitchell, an outstanding graduate student advisor and mentor. This award is to recognize outstanding career contributions to graduate training in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Mark Coyne (2021)
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Research Office solicits nominations for the Research/Extension Impact Award. The award provides $1,000 to be presented to faculty in a CAFE research program that has resulted in a fully developed extension program at UK. The awards will go to both the research and extension faculty program leaders, if they are different.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Ray Smith (2022)
The Master Teacher Award is one annual award of $700 to recognize outstanding teaching in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Criteria include, but are not limited to, effectiveness in the classroom, dedication to students through activities in and out of the classroom, and evidence of activity to improve teaching.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Todd Pfeiffer (2009)
The Research Office solicits nominations for the Prestigious Research Paper Award in the amount of $1,000 to be presented to a CAFE faculty member based on the most prestigious research paper published while employed at UK.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Tomo Kawashima (2022)
Fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by the Crop Science Society of America. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Up to 0.3% of the Society’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow. The award consists of a certificate, a complimentary ticket to the award ceremony and ASA Fellow pin.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Dave Van Sanford (2011)
Each year, UK recognizes faculty and graduate students for outstanding teaching. The awards are intended to identify and recognize individuals who demonstrate special dedication to student achievement and who are advancing meritorious success in their teaching. These awards emphasize the university's commitment to the importance of teaching as its vital core mission in the commonwealth, the nation and the world.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Larry Grabau (2009)
The SEC Faculty Travel Program was established in 2012 and aims to foster relationships that stimulate collaboration between SEC member universities relative to exchanging ideas, developing grant proposals, presenting lectures, conducting research and delivering performances.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Lauren Brzozowski (2023-2024)
This award recognizes an early career soil ecologist within 5 years of earning their Ph.D. who has demonstrated excellence and outstanding future potential in research and discovery within soil ecology. Prior participation in SES may be considered during the selection process but is not required.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Ernest Osburn (2023)
The Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award is designed to recognize a mid-career soil scientist who has made outstanding contributions in the areas of soil physics. This award is supported by the Don and Betty Kirkham Fund established through the Agronomic Science Foundation and administered by the Soil Science Society of America. The award consists of a certificate, an engraved bronze medal and $4,000.
The award winner is encouraged to deliver the "Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award Lecture” at the Annual Soil Science Society of America meeting. The talk will be in one of the Division’s sessions and scheduled by the Soil Physics and Hydrology Division Chair. The award winner is expected to pay regular abstract fee, registration costs and travel costs for the meeting.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Ole Wendroth (2023)
Fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by the Soil Science Society of America. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Up to 0.3% of the Society’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow. The award consists of a certificate, a complimentary ticket to the award ceremony and SSSA Fellow pin.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Ole Wendroth (2009)
Established by the will of Dean Cooper, the award is presented in recognition of outstanding career research achievement by a member of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment faculty. Designed to recognize and encourage research excellence, the Thomas Poe Cooper Research Award is the college’s premier award for distinguished scientific accomplishment.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Ling Yuan (2023)
Each year, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association recognizes six professors for outstanding teaching and honors them with a plaque and a cash award at a recognition luncheon or dinner. It is the oldest continuously-given award for teachers at the University of Kentucky. The six recipients of the award are announced at a luncheon or dinner, attended by students, other faculty and past recipients of the award.
Since 1961, when the program was started, 319 faculty members have been honored. Recipients are selected by a committee appointed by the UK Alumni Association's Board of Directors and representatives of the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Dave McNear (2020)
The University Research Professorships were established by the UK Board of Trustees in 1976 to recognize outstanding research achievements.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Jason Unrine (2019-20): Unrine's research focuses on investigating the environmental fate, transport and ecotoxicology of trace-elements and engineered nanomaterials, with attention to transformations and impact of trace-elements and nanomaterials in terrestrial and wetland environments. His work has resulted in 109 articles with 5,339 citations to-date, and has been funded by NIH, NSF, USDA, EPA, as well as state and regional sources.
Fellows are active members of WSSA who are honored for significant meritorious contributions to weed science and to WSSA in more than one of the following areas:
- Professional publications (research, educational and/or extension). List those for the last 10 years and indicate career totals.
- Educational contributions other than publications.
- Development or improvement of weed science programs, practices or products.
- Service to WSSA.
- Service to the profession outside of WSSA.
- Other professional contributions.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Michael Barrett (2009)
The Wethington Awards program serves five purposes that are linked to our efforts to move the university toward national prominence:
- Increase the number of applications to extramural funding agencies
- Increase the level of grant and contract funding
- Provide enhanced opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral training
- Enhance the level of indirect costs revenue for redistribution and investment
- Facilitate the recruitment and retention of research-oriented faculty
This award program is designed to recognize the success of individual faculty in contributing to the university's research program by competitively obtaining extramural funding. The criteria for the selection of nominees must include, at a minimum, evidence of scholarly productivity and excellence.
Recent PSS Recipients:
2019-20
- Arthur Hunt
- Brad Lee
- Rebecca McCulley
- Robert Miller
- Luke Moe
- Olga Tsyusko-Unrine
- Jason Unrine
- Ole Wendroth
- Zhu Hongyan
The William B. Sturgill Award is presented annually to a graduate faculty member for outstanding contributions to graduate education at UK.
Recent PSS Recipients:
- Mark Coyne (2019)
Faculty Award Archives
The Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize shall be awarded annually to a full-time faculty member at the University of Kentucky who is deemed to have made outstanding contributions to original research or (creative) scholarship within the last four academic years.
Recent PSS Recipients:
Joe Chappell (2003)
- Arthur Hunt (2017) - Biological Sciences
- Paul Bertsch (2010) - Agriculture, Food, and Renewable Resources
- Joe Chappell (2009) - Agriculture, Food, and Renewable Resources
- Dennis Egli (1995) - Agriculture, Food, and Renewable Resources
- Dave Van Sanford (2011)
- Ole Wendroth (2008)
- Glen Aiken (2006)
- Todd Pfeiffer (2003)
- Jimmy Henning (2002)
- Lloyd Murdock (2002)
- Anastasios Karathanasis (1999)
- Paul Bertsch (1997)
- AJ Powell, Jr. (1995)
- Bob Blevins (1994)
- Paul Cornelius (1993)
- Charles Dougherty (1993)
- Bill Evangelou (1993)
- Mike Collins (1992)
- Wilbur Frye (1992)
- Dick Barnhisel (1991)
- Scott Smith (1990)
- Garry Lacefield (1989)
- Dennis Tekrony (1989)
- Lowell Bush (1983)
- Dennis Egli (1983)
- Ken Wells (1982)
- Jack Hiatt (1980)
- Norman Taylor (1980)
- Glenn B. Collins (1979)
- Bob Buckner (1975)
- Bill Templeton (1975)
- Ron Phillips (1974)
- Tim Taylor (1974)
- John Ragland (1970)
- Grant Thomas (1969)
- Jason Unrine (2022)
- Joe Chappell (2011)
- Mark Coyne, Plant & Soil Sciences (2021)
- William Witt, Agronomy (2002)
- Ray Smith (2022)
- Carrie Knott (2019)
- Andy Bailey (2007)
- Todd Pfeiffer (2009)
- David Williams (2002)
- Larry Grabau (1988)
- William Survant (1975)
- Tomo Kawashima (2022)
- Hongyan Zhu (2019)
- Hongyan Zhu (2010)
- Joe Chappell (2008)
- Dave Van Sanford (2011)
- Glen Aiken (2009)
- Paul Cornelius (1994)
- Mike Collins (1992)
- Dennis Tekrony (1990)
- Dennis Egli (1989)
- Garry Lacefield (1989)
- Lowell Bush (1983)
- Jack Hiatt (1980)
- Norman Taylor (1980)
- Glenn B. Collins (1979)
- Bob Buckner (1975)
- Bill Templeton (1975)
- Tim Taylor (1974)
- Larry Grabau (2009)
- Lauren Brzozowski (2023-2024)
- Arthur Hunt (2018-2019)
- Ernest Osburn (2023)
- Ole Wendroth (2023)
- Ole Wendroth (2009)
- Scott Smith (2002)
- Anastasios Karathanasis (2000)
- Paul Bertsch (1998)
- Bob Blevins (1994)
- Bill Evangelou (1993)
- Dick Barnhisel (1992)
- Wilbur Frye (1992)
- Ken Wells (1982)
- Ron Phillips (1974)
- Grant Thomas (1969)
- Ling Yuan (2023)
- Jason Unrine (2020)
- Hongyan Zhu (2018)
- Dave Van Sanford (2014)
- Carol Baskin (2012)
- Dennis TeKrony (2004)
- Joe Chappell (2002)
- Arthur Hunt (1998)
- George Wagner (1997)
- Bill Evangelou (1994)
- Charles T. Dougherty (1991)
- George M. Cheniae (1987)
- Dennis B. Egli (1981)
- Lowell Bush (1977)
- Dave McNear (2020)
- Mark Coyne (2014)
- John Grove (2013)
- Wilbur W. Frye (1980)
- William G. Survant (1972)
- Harry H. Bailey (1969)
- Michael Barrett (2009)
- Bill Witt (1997)
- Jim Herron (1985)
- Mark Coyne (2019)
- Glenn B. Collins (1981)
