URBANA, Ill. -- Each spring the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) recognizes faculty, staff, and graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding achievements or exceptional service to the college. The recipients are honored at the annual Paul A. Funk Recognition Awards Banquet. This year, the banquet was held Monday, April 17, at Pear Tree Estate in rural Champaign, Ill.

The awards program was established in 1970 by the Paul A. Funk Foundation of Bloomington, Ill., as a memorial to the late Paul A. Funk, who attended the college as a member of the class of 1929 and devoted his life to agriculture.

The following is a list of this year’s award recipients:

PAUL A. FUNK RECOGNITION AWARD

Keith Cadwallader, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Yuanhui Zhang, Agricultural & Biological Engineering

SPITZE LAND-GRANT PROFESSORIAL CAREER EXCELLENCE AWARD

Madhu Khanna, Agricultural & Consumer Economics

FACULTY AWARD FOR GLOBAL IMPACT

Richard Gates, Agricultural & Biological Engineering

TEAM AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE Food Bioprocessing Innovations Team:

Leslie Alexander, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Bruce Branham, Crop Sciences

Nicki Engeseth, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Hao Feng, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Brian Jacobson, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Youngsoo Lee, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Matt Smith, ACES Administration

Pawan Takhar, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Marla Todd, Information Technology & Communication Services

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Senior - Jennifer Hardesty, Human Development & Family Studies

College - David Rosch, Agricultural Education                                     

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH

Senior - Hans Stein, Animal Sciences

College - Michael Ward, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EXTENSION

Senior - Paul McNamara, Agricultural & Consumer Economics

JOHN CLYDE AND HENRIETTA DOWNEY SPITLER TEACHING AWARD

Nicholas Paulson, Agricultural & Consumer Economics   

KARL E. GARDNER OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE ADVISER AWARD

Robert Hughes, Jr., Human Development & Family Studies

ACES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARD OF MERIT

Leon Corzine – B.S. ’72 Ag Engineering of Assumption, IL

Robert Easter – Ph.D. ’76 Animal Sciences of Mahomet, IL

John McNamara – B.S. ’76 Ag Sciences, M.S. ’78 Dairy Science of Pullman, WA

Keith Parr – B.S. ’78 Ag Sciences of Elmhurst, IL

Robert Wyffels – B.S. 77 Crop Science of Geneseo, IL

LOUIS V. LOGEMAN GRADUATE STUDENT TEACHING AWARD    

Sarai Coba-Rodriguez, Human Development & Family Studies    

Brett Loman, Division of Nutritional Sciences

GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARD

Ph.D. - Jaclyn Saltzman, Human Development & Family Studies

M.S. - Kelly Hannan, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences

TEACHING ASSOCIATE TEACHING AWARD

Justine Karduck, Food Science & Human Nutrition

MARCELLA M. NANCE STAFF AWARD

Melissa Warmbier, Agricultural & Consumer Economics

STAFF AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Lauren Redman, Animal Sciences

PROFESSIONAL STAFF AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Sustained Excellence—Advising, Teaching and Outreach

Robert Petrea, Agricultural & Biological Engineering        

Sustained Excellence—Research

James Hartman, Food Science & Human Nutrition

Sustained Excellence—Administrative/Management or Technical Contributions

Darcy Meents, Human Development & Family Studies

Excellence—Innovation and Creativity

Kathryn Partlow, ACES Administration