MONTICELLO, Ark. – The UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources recently held its annual spring awards banquet and cookout to recognize the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of its students, staff, and faculty. The awards were handed out over two nights at the College’s Agriculture auditorium.
Dr. Michael Blazier, Dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources expressed his gratitude to the students for their efforts and wished the seniors the best of luck in their next phase of life while inviting underclassmen to return next fall. “It’s great to see the support between the students and faculty on display here; it’s that support for success that makes studying and working here special,” Blazier said.
The College’s student clubs led the evenings by recognizing their members for special achievements:
Forestry Club Special Awards
Physical MVP – Jake Knowles
Technical MVP – Shylee Head
Team Player Award – Corbin Armon
Rookie of the Year – Faith Breeden
Walking Wikipedia – Evan Beaver
UAM Agriculture Awards
Outstanding Agriculture Senior-Sam Boyd
Farm Bureau
Outstanding Senior-Aaron Stone
MVP and vice president 2023-2023- Rayvin Callaway
President 2022 -2023 – Stephen Fortune
Secretary 2022-2023-Ashtyn Mann
Treasurer 2022-2023-Santiago Avila
Cattlemen’s Club Association Awards
Senior Recognition Certificates:
– Ashtyn Mann
– Stephen Fortune
– Addison Wood
– Codie Jo Tupa
– Curt Jones
Outstanding Senior-Ashtyn Mann
Rookie of the Year- Jaden Clevenger
Top Hand- Rayvin Callaway
UAM Pre-Vet
Congrats you made it- Codie Jo Tupa, Missouri and Katelynn Lewis- LSU
Pre-vet MVP– Codie Joe Tupa
Rookie of the year– Ericca Corker
Outstanding students were recognized for their academic excellence and service to the college:
Outstanding Undergraduate – Natural Resources Management – Jake Knowles, Perry, AR
Outstanding Undergraduate – Land Surveying – Zachary Gilbert, Hamburg, AR
Outstanding Undergraduate – Agriculture – Samuel Boyd, Stuttgart, AR
Outstanding Graduate Certificate Student – Robert Wojohn, Baton Rouge, LA
Outstanding Graduate Student – Cassandra Hug, Arvada, CO
The Support Staff Excellence Award recognizes an individual for notable and outstanding contributions to the success of the College.. Valarie Harvey, Fiscal Support Analyst, was recognized for this award for her invaluable role in maintaining the complex College budgets and accounts during a year in which newer faculty brought in a record amount of research grants and the College grew substantially by adding the Arkansas Center for Forest Business subunit and the agriculture building remodel was completed and agriculture faculty reoccupied it.
The Junior Faculty Excellence Award acknowledges an early-career faculty member for notable and outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and outreach. Dr. Nana Tian, Assistant Professor of Natural Resources Economics/Policy, was honored for her success in leading two new grant-funded projects that brought together several faculties within the University of Arkansas system and universities from surrounding states for forest sustainability and restoration research and outreach.
The Senior Faculty Excellence Award recognizes faculty in the associate and full professor ranks for their high performance in research, teaching, and/or outreach. Dr. Matthew Pellki, Professor, George H. Clippert Endowed Chair and Director, Arkansas Center for Forest Business was honored for his leadership in expanding the College through hiring new experts in forestry economics and guiding the Center for Forest Business through its inaugural year, which saw many successes helping the state’s forestry industry and forest landowners.
The UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources is proud to honor these outstanding students, faculty, and staff for their hard work and dedication to the college, university, and Arkansas.