Regents Excellence Awards

September 12, 2023

Digital Ag Innovation Lab, which he leads, hosts half of all industry-sponsored research at ISU.
Responsible for 65 patent filings and tech transfer agreements that resulted in 32 products on the market globally.
Designed course in electronic systems integration for ag machinery that went from elective to required.
Nomination letter: "Truly an exceptional individual who has made a tremendous impact on Iowa State."

Played a key role in developing and providing feedback on College of Design's Core Program for first-year students.
One of four featured artists in Iowa Outdoors magazine's special edition for 100th anniversary of Iowa State Parks.
Former Faculty Senate president (2020-21) and current chair of Standing Committee to Consideration for the Removal of Names from University Property.
Received the College of Design's Polster Teaching Award (2009).

Served on the college diversity committee to create a more unbiased and standardized faculty search process.
Faculty advisor for student professional organization since 2006, helping it earn several national awards.
Garnered more than $9 million in research awards that support the degree programs for many graduate and undergraduate students. Many of the technologies are in use today.
Nomination letter: "Teaching is his primary motivation ... and his goal is to provide the toughest, most enjoyable class experience."

Numerous research contributions on dogs and cats led to the highest index of research publications among departmental faculty.
Received 90+ research grants totaling more than $5.1 million.
Served on university committees, 23 college committees and 19 departmental-level committees.
Nomination letter: "Internationally recognized as a pre-eminent opinion leader in companion animal gastroenterology."

Oversees nine ISU farms with a budget of more than $6 million.
Oversees all farm personnel (47 staff) and all activities that happen on the farms.
Works with the more than 1,700 graduate and undergraduate students who come to the farms each year as part of the teaching program.
Assists 30 faculty conducting research.
Played a key role in derecho clean-up (2020) by ensuring animal, worker and product safety. Clean up continues today.

Helped two new department chairs hire a shared business administrator.
Earned the College of Veterinary Medicine Merit Employee of the Year award (2022); 75% of department faculty and graduate students sent letters of support.
On a half-time appointment, singlehandedly gathered the appendix material for a 400-page department external review document.
Helps train many of the new hires throughout the college.

Supervises and maintains departmental teaching spaces that are not general classrooms, but specialized spaces for topics such as gross anatomy.
Developed computer-based remote temperature monitoring system for hundreds of freezers across college to avoid malfunctions.
Led the construction of the department's human cadaver lab.
Supervised the renovation of many labs and helped make decisions on best equipment for them.

Instrumental in developing custom, web-based and mobile-friendly applications VDL clients use to submit and receive information from the lab.
Responsible for coordinating the molecular diagnostic case submissions (approximately 35,000 to the VDL last year).
Nationally recognized for her article in a special issue of the "Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation" focused on laboratory-client interaction.
Nomination letter: "She's doing pioneering work centered on improving overall quality, efficiency and value of the diagnostic process."

Published 39 papers in prestigious journals since joining the department in 2002.
Earned international recognition by winning the International Allelopathy Society's Grodzinsky Award (2014) for a refereed publication that exemplifies research excellence.
Nomination letter: "Her work is among the very best studies in the broader area of plant biochemistry and molecular biology."

Regents Award for Faculty Excellence