 and welcome to our 2023 awards program. My name is Greg Lardy, and it's my pleasure to welcome you here this afternoon to both the audiences that are joining us here in person, but also to our online audience across the state who's joining us through our extension and research extensions and our network. Our annual event this afternoon recognizes the strong and rich tradition that we have of celebrating the accomplishments of our faculty and staff. There are 45 nominations that we received this year. Each of our nominees are gonna receive a $50 gift card to the India issue bookstore that can be used in the store or online. We've also added a new diversity award that will bring our total to 11 awards. This award recognizes the work of individuals or groups who have achieved significant impact related to the Ag Affairs strategic goal of celebrating, integrating and embracing the power of diversity. I wanna welcome some of our special guests that are here with us today. So in the audience, we have Dr. Rold and Janet Lund. Rold was a long time dean of the College of Agriculture. Welcome, Dr. Lund. We also have in the audience, Interim, excuse me, Emeritus Associate Dean Dr. David Buchanan. So David, I saw you here, there he is in the back. Welcome. We also have John Nordgaard, who serves as a vice chair for the State Board of Ag Research and Education. Welcome, John. And also Mark Genkinger. Mark is the director of human resources. So Mark, there you are in the back. Welcome. We also have Patrick McCloskey, who works with the North Dakota University System and is in charge of the Dakota Digital Academy. Welcome, Patrick. Each of our 10 award winners this year will receive $1,000 on our area and the individual or group that receives to celebrate, integrate and embrace the power of diversity award will receive $2,000 in operating support to continue their innovations in diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Also new this year is our core values awards. And at this time, I wanna invite Dr. Sam Markel and Christina Hargis to the podium to introduce this concept. So Sam and Christina co-chaired our strategic planning committee, but they've also agreed to co-chair the implementation of the strategic planning process as well. And so the two of them are working hard along with the strategic planning committee on a number of efforts related to implementation of our 2022 strategic plan. And so Sam and Christina are going to describe a bit about this new award, the core value award that we're also implementing and kicking off at this award celebration this afternoon. Thank you, Dr. Lardy. You hear me okay? So one of the things that came about pretty quick when we were co-chairing the strategic planning committee is that we want to do a better job of recognizing each other's accomplishments. Before this, we've never really had any formal way for a peer to recognize another peer. And so this is what the core values award is about. So the core values for NDSU Ag Affairs are innovation, impact and integrity, correct? Yeah. And everyone that receives an award today will be part of the inaugural class of core value award winners. Oh, the other three? Go ahead, Christina. So it's integrity, impact and innovation. Yeah, I'm shorter than Sam, sorry. Community driven, student focused and stakeholder connected. So those are the ones that we're looking for if and as somebody wins these awards. So the way the core values award will work is that the inaugural class of 11 people will win one today. We ask that they proudly and prominently display the core values award. And with that comes the responsibility and opportunity to choose the next award winner. So next award winners will be chosen every month. So if you win a core values award, we want you to display it. And then we want you to select the next recipient for any reason that you want as long as it's related to the core values with a couple restrictions. So we want the core values award to be available to everyone. So we're asking you to either award it to the next recipient who's in a different department or unit or location or a different job. So for example, if I were to win one, I could award it to somebody in plant pathology but not a professor, not a faculty member, right? Or I could award it to anybody I want in animal science. Okay, so a different job or department unit location. The second thing is that on the first week of the month when you award the core values award to the next person, you're gonna send Dr. Lardi and A. Cum a one sentence, it's about why you did this. And then he will put it out in the publication, the monthly publication about us. So we all can celebrate together, okay? If you win one, come see me after because we got carrying cases and we recognize that some of these are gonna travel to county offices, might need to be mailed. So come see me if you win one. Anything else? They're not glass, so they're not as breakable as they look is the first thing I wanna mention. They might get fingerprints and that's okay. Those can be wiped off, but yeah. So they're actually not as fragile as they look, but they're very nice to display. And we realize that you guys do a lot of great things that we may not see, Dr. Lardi, Lynette, Frank, they may not see them as well. The president might not see them, but they're great things nonetheless. And this gives that recognition to people that they deserve for all of those great things that happen. Another piece is the ag affairs awards that we're at right now. Those are more like once in a career. This we hope everybody would get, maybe every four or five years. Everybody in ag affairs should be able to get one and be recognized for the good things that they're doing. Thank you and congratulations. Thank you, Christina and Sam. You know, this time next year, we'll have recognized if everybody follows the procedure, we'll have recognized 132 additional individuals for their accomplishments with this Core Value Award. So I think it's a fantastic way to spread this out a little bit more and to get more people involved in recognition of the many talents that we have in agricultural affairs. We wanna say a special thank you to those that submitted nominations. We hear time and time again, that we know that this takes effort and time on your part. And so that nomination is much appreciated. We also wanna thank those of you that served on the selection committees. Year after year, we hear from our committees how hard it is to select one nominee out of the many that are submitted for receiving the award. So that's just a testament to the stellar nominations that we receive year after year for the work that's being done. So with that, I wanna invite President Cook to the podium to make a few comments. Well, thank you, Dr. Lardy and everybody for giving me the opportunity to be here. I love this. This is a great event. I mean, at the end of a semester when everybody's working so hard, kind of putting in the overtime weekends and nights and all the rest, I think sometimes we forget to stop and take a deep breath and say, what's really important and to recognize people for all their hard work. As Dr. Lardy kind of reviewed it, I mean, around the great research that you do, the teaching, the staff, the service. I love the new edition of the Diversity Award if it's right in line with some real priorities we're trying to do as an institution. I'm grateful for that. And I'm just grateful for the commitment that the college is making to say our people are important. For those of you who've heard me talk a time or two over the last year, I often get asked, what do you like about Indiesu? Why'd you come here? And one of my answers has always been the people, the people, the people. And an event like this is, I think, clearly showing that this really is a priority for us because you are all the ones that kind of keep pushing us forward in these difficult times. So congratulations to everyone, those who nominated. The nominees, there's a little tension in the room. We're gonna find out what happens here. But also for the special guests that are here, really appreciate you being here. And of course, those that are out there are donors that sponsor these important awards as well. We're grateful. And this core value thing, I wanna figure out how I can get nominated for one of those that's incredibly important. So I just wanna say how much I appreciate the work that the college does. This is a great event to show that. You guys probably all remember when I started a year and a half ago, Dr. Lardi did a great job of helping me appreciate what agriculture in particular means to the state of North Dakota. Kinda tried to rinse and repeat that a few times, getting out across the state. Certainly being a land grant is a big deal, critical to a state like North Dakota, critical to North Dakota State University. And you guys live that every day. And for that, I'm also very grateful and good luck with the awards to everybody and have a great afternoon. Thanks. Thank you, President Cook. We're proud to have you here as part of our awards program and appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to give our welcome to our faculty and staff. At this point, in the program, we typically hear from an awards. One of the families are people that have created the endowments that support these awards. And so I wanna ask Mr. Howard Dahl to come forward. Howard and his family have been longtime supporters of NDSU agriculture. I consider Howard a personal friend and have much respect for him. He and his family have developed many innovative ideas and businesses here in this region. And he's just a fantastic individual. So Howard, would you come up and say a few words on behalf of our donors? Well, it's an honor to be asked to do this. I had surgery on this eye yesterday and I don't see anything. I couldn't read the E at the top of the chart when I went in this morning. So I'm hoping I can get through this and see it. But I wanna begin by simply saying thank you for what you do. Making life better for farmers and indirectly for everyone on the planet. Many of you could make more money working in industry. And I expect many of you are here because you have a sense of call for what you're doing. And for that I say thank you. I have had and continue to have so many close friends in the College of Agriculture. When the idea of this awards program was conceived, Rold Lund, who was on my company's board at that time and Myron Johns Rood came in and they pitched it to me. And I said, yes. And I jumped at the chance of award honoring the senior researcher in the College of Agriculture because no one loved research or innovation more than my father. When Barry Bachelor approached dad about putting electronics on a tractor, first one ever to do off-road controls and transmissions and electronics, my dad told Barry go for it. As a result, the Steiger tractor was the industry leader. And today both John Deere electronics, which employs I believe about 900 people in Fargo and Apario are both the result of Barry's initiative. But the spark for that was him giving, been giving, given a green light when he was a young engineer. Our Concorde air seeder business struggled mightily in the 1980s to get off the ground. I mean, eighties were such a glorious time in agriculture with, but in our struggle, people like Carl Fanning were just champions for us went around the state saying, this is the future. This is what you need to do. He was like an ambassador for our company. And we had the privilege of introducing no-till farming on a large scale basis, which is normative for everybody. We also had the privilege of working with Bill Danke and Larry Swenson on building soil labs throughout the world, China, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine. And it was just amazing, the cooperation with so many researchers here. So when my dad was nominated for the Harvest Bowl Award in 2008, it was clear he would not last until November. So Joe Chapman in D.C. Costin came to his hospice bed. He asked them questions about how they saw the future. He wanted to know what's your five-year plan? You know, what's good to happen? You know, what's the future of NDSU? A few days later, shortly before he died, my brother and I were with him. And his question is, what are you doing that's new? Just a few days before he dies. Many of you do work that largely goes unnoticed, but I hope you understand that as a team, you are truly making this world a much better place. I have the privilege of serving on the board of Emerging Prairie and in cooperation with NDSU and your many talent people, I think we're going to witness in an acceleration innovation that's gonna leave all our heads spinning. So thank you for the privilege of just saying a few words. Thank you, Howard. Your family's commitment to these awards programs and to funding that endowment that recognizes our outstanding faculty and staff is much appreciated. Now let's get to the nominees for each award. As your name is called, please line up in front of the backdrop to my right. Nominator comments will play while each award nominee is presented with a gift card. Once the recordings have ended, the nominees may take their seats. After all the nominees for the awards in each category recognized, the award recipient will be announced. I ask that the recipients remain in front for a quick photo as they receive their award. I also wanna give a special recognition. We've had a couple of additional guests that have joined us today. So Provost Bertolini, or yeah, Provost Bertolini has been back. And also Becky Bay, who directs our career advising center is also here with us today. Kelly Anderson from Ag Communications will be available after the ceremony for additional photos if there's departments or units that wanna take pictures with their award winners. We'd also ask that all 11 of the award winners that receive the awards today stay for a group photo at the end. With that, I'm gonna invite Dr. Frank Casey, the Associate Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station to the podium to introduce the nominees for the research awards. Thank you, Greg. The first research award, the Larsen Yege Excellence in Research Award was established to recognize outstanding faculty and research extension center principal investigators with 10 or fewer years of service. The recipient must have made a significant research contribution that addresses an applied problem or increases the basic knowledge of the area investigated. Our thanks to the Larsen and Yege families for sponsoring this award. Following are the nominees. Please come forward and line up in front of the backdrops as your name is read. Samat Amat, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiological Sciences. Chris Byrd, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Sciences. Jia Jia Rao, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences. Sandro Steinbeck, Associate Professor, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Rex Soon, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Nominees, please remain up front while we hear from your nominators. I'm Birgit Prüß, Professor in Microbiological Sciences and we have nominated Dr. Samat Amat. Dr. Amat has achieved a huge amount in a short time at NDSU. He leads a large and productive interdisciplinary research program that is performing pioneering research in livestock production. I'm Carl Dahlin, Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and we have nominated Dr. Chris Byrd. Dr. Byrd is a passionate researcher, committed educator and a shining example of a future research leader at NDSU. I am Frank Manty, Professor in Plant Sciences and our department nominated Dr. Jaja Rao. Dr. Rao is an accomplished researcher who has developed a vibrant externally supported research program that serves customer needs and maintains a safe, nutritious, sustainable food supply. Hello, I'm Cheryl Wackenheim, Professor in Agribusiness and Applied Economics and we have nominated Dr. Sandro Steinbeck. Dr. Steinbeck's research in International Trade and Agricultural Policy has significantly advanced our understanding of these complex domains and enhanced the economic well-being of our region. I'm Xinhua Jia, Professor in Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering and we nominated Dr. Rex Sun. Dr. Sun is a famous national researcher who effectively bring the newly formed NDSU Precision Agriculture Program to the broader community. Let's give them a warm round of applause. Nominees, you can take a seat. The second research award, the Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award was established to recognize outstanding faculty and research extension center, principal investigators in the 11th or more years of service. The recipient must have a distinguished research program in basic or applied sciences that has gained significant recognition in the state, region or nation and or internationally. Our thanks to the Eugene R. Dahl family for sponsoring this award. The following are the nominees. Carl Dahlin, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences. Luis Del Rio Mendoza, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Susie Thompson, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences. Now let's hear from your nominators. Hello, I'm Joel Katen, Professor in Animal Sciences. And our department has nominated Dr. Carl Dahlin for the Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award. I'd like to quote from one of his letters of support for this award. The quote is, Dr. Dahlin's visionary approach to multi-generational experiments and the knowledge gained from his research will advance management practices and improve postnatal performance in beef cattle. I've watched his research program grow and develop and it is now known nationally and internationally. I'm Gui Ping Yan, Associate Professor in Plant Pathology. We have nominated Dr. Luis Del Rio. Dr. Del Rio has worked diligently on research to combat important diseases in Canola. He developed an innovative forecasting system helping growers avoid unnecessary fungicide application and provide a huge savings. I am Bin Ken Chen, Associate Professor in Plant Sciences. And our department has nominated Dr. Susan Thompson. Dr. Thompson's diligence, creativity, applied practical knowledge and hard work have led her program to a level of high excellence. Let's give them a warm round of applause. The first Larsen Yege Excellence in Research Award, the recipient of the 2023 award is Jia Jia Rao, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. Dr. Rao has made significant impacts in the field of food sciences since joining NDSU in 2016. Her research program has developed innovative approaches in using nanotechnology for food applications. Her focus aligns improving plant-based proteins with current consumer needs, the security and sustainability of food supplies, and she has contributed to the development of value-added agriculture products that benefit North Dakota's economy. Congratulations, Dr. Rao. Next, the Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Luis Del Rio Mendoza, Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. Dr. Del Rio is a distinguished canola pathologist who has significantly advanced the understanding and management of canola diseases since joining NDSU in 2001. His expertise, particularly in addressing sclerotinia, stem rot, black leg, and club diseases has been critical during a period of substantial growth in North Dakota's canola production industry. Dr. Del Rio's work led to the establishment of the National Sclerotinia Initiative and the identification of genetic bar occurs for club root resistance. Congratulations, Dr. Rio. Dr. Rio is not here to receive his award. I now welcome Dr. Kerry Hammer, Interim Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture Food Systems and Natural Resources to introduce the nominees for the Teaching and Advising Awards. Thank you, Dr. Casey. I'm pleased to introduce the nominees for the two Teaching Awards and the Advising Award. The Earl and Dorothy Foster Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching faculty with 10 or fewer years of service in the college. The award encourages and rewards excellence in teaching at all levels and among all disciplines. The recipient must hold a teaching appointment in the college and be in the 2000 job band. Our special thanks to Earl and Dorothy Foster for sponsoring this award. Following are the nominees. Please come forward as your name is read and stand at the backdrop. Raymond March, Assistant Professor, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Iwumbua Manono, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Blaine Novak, Lecturer, Department of Animal Sciences. Please remain up front and we'll hear from your nominators. I'm Sheryl Wachenheim, Professor in Agribusiness and Applied Economics and we've nominated Dr. Raymond March. There's no other professor according to his students and or myself, there's no other professor at MDSU has approached his excellence as a teacher in such a fashion. He's an amazing instructor and cares deeply about his students. I am Niloy Chandra Shorkar, Research Specialist in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department and our department nominated Dr. Iwumbua Manono. Dr. Manono is not only an outstanding teacher in the classroom, but also a great mentor to students, especially undergraduate students interested in bioprocess engineering. I'm Tara Swanson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal Sciences and our department has nominated Blaine Novak. Blaine is a student focused instructor who creates a positive learning environment by making complex subjects relatable and inspiring curiosity and deeper learning in his students. Let's give them all a warm round of applause. Next is the H. Rold and Janet Lund Excellence in Teaching Award. It recognizes outstanding teaching faculty in their 11th and more years of service in the college. The award encourages and rewards excellence in teaching at all levels and among all disciplines. The recipient must hold a teaching appointment in the college and be in the 2000 job band. Our special thanks to Rold and Janet Lund for sponsoring this award. Following are the nominees. Sean DeKaiser, Professor School of Natural Resource Sciences Julu Lin, Associate Professor Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Tara Swanson, Senior Lecturer Department of Animal Sciences and Cheryl Wachenheim, Professor Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Let's hear from the nominators. I'm Travis Seaborne, Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resource Sciences and we nominated Dr. Sean DeKaiser. Dr. DeKaiser does an amazing job providing hands-on experience and education to help prepare students to tackle real-world problems and be successful in their post-graduation careers. I'm Rex Sun, Associate Professor in Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering and our department has nominated Dr. Julu Lin. Dr. Lin's unreserved commitment to student learning and teaching effectiveness is tremendous. He has a genuine interest in students, personal and intellectual growth. I'm Erica Berg, Associate Professor in Animal Sciences and our department has nominated Tara Swanson. Tara embodies what an instructor should be. Someone who sets high expectations for each one of her students while being their biggest advocate and the one who will go above and beyond without thinking twice. I'm Ray Marge, Assistant Professor of Agribusiness and Applied Economics and we've nominated Dr. Cheryl Wachenheim. For Dr. Wachenheim, teaching is a passion and she will do all she can to help her students succeed and reach their dreams. Let's give them a warm round of applause. All right, next is the William J. and Angela A. Austin Excellence in Advising Award. This recognizes the contributions of faculty and staff who have demonstrated excellence in advising undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the college and or its student organizations. Our thanks to William J. and Angela A. Austin family for sponsoring this award. Following our nominees, Bing Kan Chen, Associate Professor Department of Plant Sciences. Lisa Christensen, Associate Professor of Practice Department of Animal Sciences. Thomas Krummel, Assistant Professor Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Matthew Olhoft, Senior Lecturer Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. And Rachel Richmond, Senior Lecturer Department of Microbiological Sciences. Let's hear from the nominators. I recommended Dr. Bing Kan Chen for Austin Advising Award. He is truly a gentleman and a scholar, so to speak, as indicated by many of his advisors and colleagues. He cares about students and very approachable and respectful. I think this is a very important trait as a advisor. Erica Berg, Associate Professor in Animal Sciences and our department nominated Dr. Lisa Christensen. Dr. Christensen is a wonderful professor, academic advisor and mentor who cares deeply about her students and generally wants to help them in any way, shape, or form. My name is James Kaden. I'm faculty in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. And I'm happy to nominate Thomas Krummel for the Austin Advising Award. Thomas goes above and beyond the call of duty with the students so he continually promotes the econ major in his classes. And I regularly see him providing valuable guidance to his students and advisees and also including many students in research projects. I'm Ken Hellebang, Professor in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. And our department nominated Matthew Olhaw. Matt's advising is geared to the big picture of a person's life in both the immediate and for the future. Hi, I'm Danielle Connery, Associate Professor of Practice in Microbiological Sciences. And our department has nominated Rachel Richmond. Rachel has a passion for advising and she empowers her students to not only persevere and graduate, but also to go on to successful careers. Let's give them a warm round of applause. All right, now for our reward recipients. Invite Dr. Lardy to present the teaching and advising recipients with their frame certificate and the core values award as we announce them. Okay, first the Earl and Dorothy Foster Excellence in Teaching Award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Blaine Novak, Lecturer Department of Animal Sciences. Blaine's dedication, passion and commitment to education and mentorship has made a profound impact on students. He goes above and beyond to ensure that they have the resources and guidance needed to excel academically and personally. Congratulations Blaine. Next is the H. Rold and Janet Lund Teaching Award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Julu Lin, Associate Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. So Dr. Lin has significantly contributed to the development of new courses as well as curriculum planning and assessment for the department and college. He has established an excellent reputation as a guide to his students and mentor to junior faculty. Unfortunately, Dr. Lin cannot be with us today due to another commitment, but let's please congratulate Dr. Lin. Now for the William J. and Angela A. Austin Excellence in Advising Award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Lisa Christensen, Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Animal Sciences. Dr. Christensen knows the curricula inside and out and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to student resources on campus. Her greatest strengths are her compassion, ability to truly listen to students and the capacity to respond in meaningful ways that make a positive difference in their lives. Congratulations Dr. Christensen. I now welcome Dr. Lynette Flage, Associate Director of NDSU Extension to introduce the nominees for the extension awards. Thank you, Dr. Hammer. And I'm very pleased to introduce the nominees for two different extension awards. The first award is the Excellence in Extension Early Career Award, and it was established to encourage and reward significant accomplishments and excellence in extension outcomes. Individuals with 10 or few years of cumulative service to NDSU Extension are eligible for nomination. And the recipient must hold an extension appointment and be in the 2000 job band. The following are the nominees. Please come forward as your name is read. Joseph Eichle, Assistant Professor, Extension Weed Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences. And Brian Parman, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Finance Specialist in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Nominees, please remain upfront while we hear from your nominators. Hi, I'm Andy Robinson, and the Department of Plant Sciences nominated Joe Eichle, the Excellence in Extension Early Career Award. Joe is deserving of this award because of all his great work he does throughout the state of North Dakota producing the NDSU Weed Guide, 3D models of weeds to educate people, and also his podcast that goes throughout the world educating people about weed control. I'm William Ganje, the Chair of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. We have nominated Dr. Brian Parman. Dr. Parman's Extension program is outstanding. However, what makes his program truly exceptional is how it complements other Extension programs in various disciplines. Please join me in a round of applause for these nominees. The next award is the AGSCO, Excellence in Extension Award, which was established to encourage and reward significant accomplishments and excellence in Extension educational outcomes. Individuals in their 11th and more years of cumulative service to NDSU Extension are eligible for this nomination. The recipient must hold an Extension appointment and be in the 2000 job band. Our thanks go to AGSCO for sponsoring this award. And the following are the nominees. Mark Botel, Professor, Extension Entomologist, in the School of Natural Resource Sciences. Susan Millender, Extension Agent, Family and Community Wellness, Barnes County. Jane Strowman, Extension Gerontology Specialist in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. An Akesha Stuckel, Extension Agent, Family and Community Wellness in Emmons County. Now let's hear from your nominators. I'm David Hopkins, with the School of Natural Resource Sciences and have nominated Dr. Mark Botel. Dr. Botel has developed a remarkably effective Grower Supported Extension Research Program for the regional sugar beet industry. He has widely recognized it's the leader in the nation on control of the sugar beet root maggot, thus saving millions of dollars for sugar beet producers. I'm Leslie Lubinau, NDSU Extension District Director and I have nominated Susan Millender. Susan lives out the NDSU Extension mission by generating innovative ideas, uniting teams and delivering transformational educational opportunities for both youth and adults, empowering the communities that she serves. I'm Keri Johnson, Extension Assistant Director for Family and Community Wellness and I have nominated Jane Strowman, Extension Gerontology Specialist. Jane displays innovative approaches to education and outreach for older adults. She clearly understands participant needs and creates a respectful and safe environment for class engagement. I'm Deena Kimmet, NDSU Extension District Director and I have nominated Acacia Stuckel. Acacia is an asset to the community she proudly serves and is a role model to her fellow Extension agents. Please help me give these nominees a warm round of applause. And now for the Extension Award recipients. I invite Dr. Lardy back to present the award recipients with a frame certificate and the core values award as they are announced. And we'll start with the Excellence in Extension Early Career Award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Joe Eichle, Assistant Professor and Extension Read Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences. Dr. Eichle is a sought after speaker who has delivered creative presentations addressing the biology and management of difficult to control and herbicide resistant weeds. The impact of his outreach can be found in his strong relationship with North Dakota growers and agronomists. Congratulations, Dr. Eichle. And now for the AGSCO Excellence in Extension Award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Susan Millender, Extension Agent, Family and Community Wellness in Barnes County. Susan lives out the NDSU Extension mission by generating innovative ideas, uniting teams and delivering transformational education opportunities for youth and adults. Her creative approaches have provided transformational science-based education for Extension. Susan was not able to attend due to an illness today but I believe she's watching online. So congratulations to Susan. I'd now like to invite Dr. Casey Back to introduce the nominees for the three staff awards. Thank you, Dr. Flage. I have the privilege of announcing three nominees for three staff awards. The first award is the Charles and Linda Moses staff award. It recognizes significant contributions to the mission of NDSU Agricultural Affairs. The purpose is to encourage and reward excellence in job performance by professional staff. The nominee must have at least three years of continuous service in a staff position. On and off campus staff members are eligible. Our thanks to Charles and Linda Moses family for sponsoring this award. The following are the nominees. Please come to the front as your name is read. Jennifer Carney nominated for her time as Director of Student Services in the Department of Agriculture, Business and Applied Economics. Susan Finseth, Grants Coordinator School of Natural Resource Sciences with responsibilities for agricultural and biosystems engineering and microbiological sciences. Yuqing Yang, LANG, Research Specialist Department of Plant Pathology. Dongqing Lin, Research Specialist Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Sally Mann, Research Specialist Department of Plant Sciences. And Stacy Wang, Social Media Specialist Agricultural Communications. Nominees, please remain upfront while we hear from your nominators. I'm Sheryl Wachenheim, Professor in Agribusiness and Applied Economics and our department has nominated Jennifer Carney. Jennifer works extraordinarily hard and efficiently in everything she does for students and faculty. And she's also a great source of innovation for our department and on behalf of the students. And she, for example, developed and led a trip to Ireland that will be a continuing legacy in our department. Hello, my name is Leon Schumacher. Christina Hargis, John McEvoy and I have nominated Susan Finesse for the Charles and Linda Moses Staff Award. Susan has helped our faculty achieve their grant goals while serving as our grants coordinator. She's deserving this award and she has such a positive attitude as she helps our faculty submit award-winning proposals. I'm Guiping Yan, Associate Professor in Plant Pathology. We nominated Dr. Xueqian Leng, Dr. Leng's innovative research on weight and body disease outstanding service to breeding program, commitment to training students and exceptional authorship. How greatly benefited the agricultural community. I'm Xinhua Jia, Professor in Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering. And our department nominated Dongqing Lin with his can do attitude, expertise and willingness to work in many different capacities. Dr. Lin makes a significant contribution to the mission of NDSU Aquaculture Affairs. I am a professor in Plant Sciences. Our department has nominated Sally Mann for the Charles and Linda Moses Staff Award. Sally is one of the hardest working and talented technicians. She is passionate about her work and the weight producers in North Dakota. She has given presentation about Durham Week research and variety performance at field days and to trade teams supported by the North Dakota Weight Commission. This is over and beyond her job description. I believe Sally is well deserving individual. I'm Kelly Anderson, Interim Co-Director of Agriculture Communication and we have nominated Stacey Wang. Stacey is the ultimate team player who works tirelessly to elevate the people, research and extension information of NDSU Agricultural Affairs. Her work ensures that NDSU is seen and valued by the people we serve. Please join me in congratulating the nominees. Our next award, the Donald and Joe Anderson Staff Award, recognizes significant contributions to the mission of NDSU Agricultural Affairs. The purpose is to encourage and reward excellence in job performance by office support staff on and off campus or county extension support staff. The nominee must have at least three years of continuous service in a staff position. Our thanks to Donald and Joe Anderson for sponsoring this award. The following are the nominees. Julie Beetz, Student Service Coordinator and Information Processing Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Blaine Erovic, Distribution Coordinator, Agricultural Communication. Karen Jevning, Administrative Secretary, Department of Plant Sciences. Edie Nelson, Administrative Assistant, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Sarah Schuchard-McGregor, Administrative Assistant, Langdon REC. And Linda Schuster, Administrative Assistant, Carrington Research Extension Center. Let's hear from your nominators. I'm Ken Helivang, Professor in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and our department nominated Julie Beetz, student state that Julie is one of the most important persons in our department. I'm Elizabeth Cronin, Interim Co-Director of Agriculture Communication and we have nominated Blaine Orvic. Blaine is highly dependable and committed to a job well done. People can count on him to deliver, literally and figuratively, in a timely and efficient manner. I'm Cora Crane, Grant Coordinator in Plant Sciences and our department nominated Karen Jebning. Karen is a true professional and her impact is not only important to our department but also to our college, university and most importantly, our students and their parents. I'm Cheryl Wachenheim, Professor in Agribusiness and Applied Economics and our department has nominated Edie Nelson. Edie has served students, faculty and staff and many internal and external stakeholders by providing innovative and efficient support and leadership so effective that everybody, students, faculty and staff know that they're greatly valued. I'm Randy Melhoff from the Lane and REC nominating Sarah McGrager for the Donald and Joe Anderson staff award on behalf of Lane and REC employees. Sarah's ability to adopt assistant changes her willingness to always assist fellow employees and overall leadership skills directly supports strong research and extension programs in our unit. I'm Mike Ossley, director of the Carrington Research Extension Center and on behalf of everybody at the center we excitedly nominate Linda Schuster for the Donald and Joe Anderson staff award. Linda acts through compassion and commitment to service to execute the mission of the center and NDSU Ag Affairs for the betterment of everybody involved. Let's give our nominees a warm round of applause. The next award, the Rick and Jodi Bergam staff award recognizes significant contributions to the mission of NDSU agricultural affairs. The purpose is to encourage and reward excellence in job performance by support staff in technical and paraprofessional craft trades or service positions. The recipient must have at least three years of continuous service in a staff position. On and off campus staff members are eligible. Our thanks to Rick and Jodi Bergam for supporting this award. The following are the nominees. Chris Anderson, print and copy services, production manager, agricultural communications. Ronald Johnson, ag research technician, AES main station farm shop. Timothy Schrader, ag research technician, Carrington Research Extension Center. Let's hear from your nominators. I'm Kelly Anderson, interim co-director of agriculture communication. And we have nominated Chris Anderson. Chris ensures that all NDSU agriculture and NDSU extension materials are printed on time, on budget and with the customer satisfaction in mind. Hello, I'm Stacey Osby, co-director of the veterinary technology program. And we have nominated Ronald Johnson. Ron is a jack of all trades who leaves no coworker, student or animal behind as he performs his many daily tasks. He continually goes above and beyond to meet the mission of our land grant institution. I'm Colin Tobin, animal scientist at the Carrington Research Extension Center. Myself and the rest of the crew at the CREC are related to nominate Timothy Schrader, our senior livestock technician. Stewardship is defined as the responsible and careful management of something entrusted to one's care. Tim is the steward of NDSU livestock research at the Carrington Research Extension Center. Please join me in congratulating the nominees. Dr. Lardy will present the award recipients with the frame certificate and core values award as they're announced. First, the Charles and Linda Moses staff award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Jennifer Carney. Jennifer's mentorship has provided students solid foundations for their college career by taking the time to thoroughly orient new students to degree requirements. As director, she assisted both students and faculty with university processes, department, curriculum and course schedules and scholarship offerings. Congratulations, Jennifer. The next award, the Donald and Joe Anderson staff award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Julie Beetz, student service coordinator and information process special link. As a cornerstone of student advising and support services, Julie creates a welcoming and supportive environment for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. She plays a pivotal role in the department for both students and faculty, assuring the academic programs and the department as a whole are a success. Congratulations, Julie. And now the Rick and Jody Burgum staff award. The recipient of the 2023 award is Timothy Schrader from the Carrington Research Extension Center. Tim's dedication to the Carrington REC is evident through his strong work ethic, often starting early and staying late to ensure the wellbeing of animals and the accuracy of research. Starting as a part-time co-op student in 1997, he eventually became a full-time staff member serving as the lead researcher technician for the livestock unit. His commitment extends to daily animal care, facility maintenance, and innovative efforts to enhance the livestock unit's efficiency. Congratulations, Tim. I now invite Dr. Flaj to the stage to introduce the nominees for the final award of this afternoon, the Diversity Award. Thank you, Dr. Casey. I am very pleased to introduce the nominees for the Celebrate, Integrate, and Embrace the Power of Diversity Award. As mentioned earlier, this is a new award this year. It was recommended by the Agricultural Affairs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. If you're a member of that council past or present, would you wave your hand, please? A few of you in the room, wonderful. Thank you for the work that you're doing. This award recognizes an individual or group who has achieved significant impact for work related to the Agricultural Affairs strategic goal, celebrate, integrate, and embrace the power of diversity. The following are the nominees. And please come forward as your name is read and remain up front while we hear from your nominator. Erica Berg, Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences. Sue Isbell, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, and Sue County. Leon Schumacher and Matt Olaft, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, and the Masters of Natural Resource Management Program in the School of Natural Resource Sciences. We'd ask that of representative or representatives from that program come to the front on behalf of the MNRM program. As you're hearing, this award can come co-to an individual or a program or a team. Nominees, please remain up front while we hear from your nominators. I'm Tara Swanson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal Sciences, and our department has nominated Dr. Erica Berg. Dr. Berg has been a leader in creating positive environments for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her passion, drive, and creativity are inspiring and provide an excellent example for others to follow. This is Jim Gray, Extension West District Director, and we've nominated Sue Isbell. Sue has developed and delivered innovative 4-H Youth Development Programming that has made positive and measurable impacts to the youth and people of Standing Rock Sue Reservation. I am Julo Leng, a social professor in agriculture and biosystems engineering, and we have nominated Dr. Leon Schumacher and Matt Alhoft, because the unconventional recruiting approach has attracted a diverse population in the even department who think out of the box to become innovators in the agricultural field. Hi, I'm Christina Harjes, the Director of the School of Natural Resource Sciences, and we have nominated the Masters of Natural Resource Management Program for this award. It is the belief of the MNRM program that graduate school should be attainable for all who desire higher education. Let's all give them a warm round of applause. So as we announce that final award, I would invite Dr. Lardy to present the frame certificate and core values award while I announce the diversity award. So the recipient of the 2023 celebrate, integrate, and embrace the power of diversity award is Sue Isbell, the Sue County Extension Agent in 4-H Youth Development. Sue has developed and delivered innovative 4-H youth development programming that's made a positive and measurable impact to the entire community of the Standing Rock Sue Reservation. Her program success has flourished from the relationships and trust that she's built in the tribal community and the schools. Congratulations, Sue. And now I invite Dr. Lardy back for some closing comments. As we come to the conclusion of our awards program, I once again wanna thank each of you for attending and those of you that are watching online. Special thank you to the nominators for all the work that you've done to put together the nominations. And I especially wanna congratulate the award winners. These people are the ones that have the dedication and hard work that put in to make our mission successful. Also thank you to President Cook for joining us today and the other members of the cabinet for being here. We much appreciate your attendance and support of our program. I also wanna give a special thank you to the group that put the program together, including our staff members and ag administration and the staff within agriculture communications. Let's give them a hand for all the work that goes on. These sort of things don't happen without dedicated people that are kind of working behind the scenes to make sure that all the technology is running right, the script is all prepared, keeping people like me in line and making sure that everything is working properly. Also to our donors that are joining us today, thank you so much for your support in helping us recognize the work that's done here within the college. And to our recipients, congratulations. We're very proud of the work that you do and the contribution that you have to supporting the mission we have across the state of North Dakota. Next year's awards program is gonna be included in our 2024 all agricultural affairs conference which will run November 4th through the 7th, 2024 to be held at the Fargo Holiday Inn. So stay tuned for more details on that program. For the award recipients, we'd ask that you stay afterwards. We'd like a group photo with you. So if you've won one of the awards, we wanna also make sure that you get the Core Value Award that travels and a little bit more instructions on the process with that. Thanks for coming. Please stay, enjoy the treats and conversation afterwards. We very much appreciate your attendance today. Thank you.