Celebrating Excellence
HONORING THE CANR COMMUNITY
George M. Worrilow Award
Named for a leader whose belief in the art and business of agriculture and whose respect for the Delaware farmer were steadfast, the award is presented by the Ag Alumni Association to a graduate of the college who has exhibited outstanding service to agriculture and natural resources. He led the college with vision, compassion and a determination to make it the best agricultural school in the land.
George M. Worrilow Award
2022 Recipient
William "Jay" Meany
Graduation: 1981 BS
Degree: BS Agricultural Business Management
William “Jay” Meany graduated with a degree Agribusiness Management from the University of Delaware College of Agriculture & Natural Resources in 1981. He, along with his wife – Kathleen – are the proud parents to three University of Delaware alumni –
- Jessica – a 2007 graduate from the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
- Daniel – a 2009 graduate of the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources; and
- Sarah – a 2013 graduate from the Lerner College of Business
Jay serves as President of Hy-Point Farms, located in Northern, New Castle County – Delaware. Founded in 1919, the company employs over 110 people – Jay has been with the family operation for over 60 years. Currently, there are 12 members of the Meany family working with the company!
Along with his family, Jay has been a tremendous partner and friend of the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources through the years – specifically to the dairy initiatives and UDairy Creamery operations. In 2015, Jay and Kathleen established the Dr. U. Carl Toensmeyer Scholarship to support students in UD’s Food and Agribusiness program.
Each year the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) selects outstanding faculty, staff and alumni whose achievements and commitment represent the very best of our storied college and its mission to feed the world and protect the planet.
Excellence in Extension
Kathleen Splane
Kathleen Splane began her career with Cooperative Extension in 1995 working part time statewide, training teachers to conduct food safety education. In 1997, she became the program assistant for Dr. Sue Snider, the Cooperative Extension Food Safety and Nutrition Specialist, helping to coordinate the work of the EFNEP Nutrition Assistants and conducting food safety education for professionals and volunteers. Dr. Snider encouraged Kathleen to returned to school to attain a master’s degree in Health Promotion in 2006. Later that year she became the Kent County Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent responsible for direct education in nutrition, food safety, financial management and child development. Volunteer management of Master Food Educators, mentoring UD students and management of several grants have also been part of her role. She also serves as co-program leader for the FCS team. Splane is a member of professional organizations including the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators and the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
Excellence in Service
Dr. Adrienne Shearer
Dr. Adrienne Shearer is a Scientist in the University of Delaware Department of Animal and Food Sciences for which she conducts both laboratory and education-based research in food science with an emphasis on microbial food safety. Dr. Shearer also serves as an instructor or co-instructor for several undergraduate courses including Introductory Animal and Food Sciences Laboratory, Fermentation Sciences, Perspectives in Career and Professional Development, and Food Science. Previously, she worked in the food industry with oversight for quality assurance of processing and laboratory operations as well as for a food trade organization with responsibility for research in food quality and education of food safety regulations for industry members. Dr. Shearer is a UD alumna, having completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in Food Science (B.S. 1989; M.S. 1996) and Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D. 2018).
Excellence in Research
Dr. Pamela Green
Pamela Green received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. After postdoctoral research with Nam-Hai Chua at Rockefeller University, she joined the Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and the Department of Biochemistry at Michigan State University, where she was a professor for 13 years. She moved to the University of Delaware in 2002 where she is the Unidel Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair and Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. Green holds joint appointments in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and the School of Marine Science and Policy. Research in the Green lab focuses on mRNA decay, ribonucleases, environmental stress, miRNAs, and the development of new transcriptomic approaches, primarily in plants with some studies in animal systems. Green has served on or chaired the boards of the Gordon Research Conferences, the Committee on Science and the Arts of The Franklin Institute, the International Society of Plant Molecular Biology, Trends in Plant Biology, and the Arabidopsis Steering Committee. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Plant Biologists.
Dean's Distinguished Service Award
The COVID Testing Team at Allen Laboratory
After pursuing and receiving national accreditation for human health diagnostic testing through Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), Allen Laboratory became ground zero for COVID-19 testing of UD employees and students. The team of Brian Ladman, Amy Anderson, Erin Bernberg, Marcy Murphy, Oscar Damminger and Lauren Sauble began testing a few hundred samples twice a week. In subsequent semesters, the lab team tested over a thousand samples a day for four days a week. In total, the lab now has handled more than 140,000 samples, supplying the UD community with high-quality data. They turned around PCR-based COVID detection results in only a few hours. Throughout the pandemic, the laboratory staff worked long hours to help keep UD operational all while maintaining their normal job responsibilities.
CANR Inclusive Excellence Award (Faculty and Staff)
The award recognizes individuals whose work embodies UD’s Inclusive Excellence initiative to advance inclusive excellence within the institution or community.
Inclusive Excellence Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
Department |
2021 |
Christy Mannering |
Communications |
2019 |
Dr. Tanya Gressley |
Animal and Food Sciences |
CANR Excellence in Research Award
(Faculty)
The award recognizes individuals that are involved in research that involves the mentoring of graduate students, post-docs, undergraduates, and/or junior faculty
Excellence in research award winners
Year |
Recipient |
Department |
2020 |
Dr. Kali Kniel |
Animal and Food Sciences |
2018 |
Dr. Yan Jin |
Plant and Soil Sciences |
CANR Teaching & Advising Award
(Faculty)
The award recognizes CANR faculty involved in teaching, mentoring and advising students.
Teaching and advising award winners
Year |
Recipient |
Department |
2021 |
Dr. Thomas Ilvento |
Applied Economics and Statistics |
2019 |
Dr. Thomas Evans |
Plant and Soil Sciences |
2017 |
Dr. Joshua Duke |
Applied Economics and Statistics |
2015 |
Dr. Kali Kniel |
Animal and Food Sciences |
CANR Excellence in Service
(Support Staff)
Recognizes superior work ethic, noteworthy performance, outstanding and meritorious service, and positive impact on the goals of the department and CANR.
Excellence in service award winners (support staff)
Year |
Recipient |
Department |
2021 |
Tammy Schirmer |
Carvel Center |
2019 |
Susan Biddle |
Plant and Soil Sciences |
2017 |
Michele Walfred |
Carvel Center |
2015 |
Sharon Webb |
Carvel Center |
CANR Excellence in Service
(Research Support Staff)
Recognizes superior work ethic, noteworthy performance, outstanding and meritorious service, and positive impact on the goals of the department and CANR.
Excellence in service award winners (research staff)
Year |
Recipient |
Department |
2020 |
Tecle Weldekidan |
Plant and Soil Sciences |
2018 |
Maddi Valinski |
Applied Economics and Statistics |
2016 |
Richard Morris |
Animal and Food Sciences Newark Farm |
CANR Excellence in Extension
The CANR Excellence in Extension Award is based on the ECOP National Excellence in Extension Award. The CANR Excellence in Extension Award is presented in even years to an individual who has strived throughout his or her career to achieve the benchmarks reflective of excellence in Extension educational programming.
Name |
Year |
Maria Pippidis |
2020 |
Gordon Johnson |
2018 |
Richard Taylor |
2016 |
Benton Graduate Student Award
The award is presented annually to two graduate students (one Ph.D. and one M.S.) who have excelled in research and have an outstanding record of academic accomplishments and service to their profession are eligible for nomination.
Benton Graduate Student Award Winners
Year |
Recipient |
Department |
2021 |
Emma Ruggiero Ryan Moore |
Plant and Soil Sciences (M.S.) Plant and Soil Sciences (Ph.D.) |
2020 |
Sergio Cabrera-Cruz Shania Craighead |
Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (Ph.D.) Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D) |
2019 |
Alyssa Lutgen Tyler D. Sowers |
Water Science and Policy (M.S.) Plant and Soil Sciences (Ph.D.) |
2018 |
Hannah L. Clipp Desiree L. Narango |
Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (Ph.D.) |
2017 |
Adrienne Shearer Grace Savoy-Burke |
Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D) Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) |
2016 |
Amanda Roberson Solny Adalsteinsson |
Plant and Soil Sciences (M.S.) Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (Ph.D.) |
2015 |
Sarah Markland Melissa Savin |
Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D.) Agriculture & Natural Resources (M.S.) |
2014 |
Rebecca Kern Allison Rogers |
Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (Ph.D.) Animal and Food Sciences (M.S.) |
2013 |
Jacquelyn Marchese Michelle Windle |
Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D.) |
2012 |
Rachael Vaicunas Kirsten Hirneisen Jixian Zhai |
Bioresources Engineering (M.S.) Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D.) Plant and Soil Sciences (Ph.D.) |
2011 |
Sudarshan Dutta Jacob Fooks |
Plant and Soil Sciences (Ph.D.) Food and Resource Economics (M.S.) |
2010 |
Zachary Ladin Laura Nemec Meredith Biedrzycki |
Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) Animal and Food Sciences (M.S.) Plant and Soil Sciences (Ph.D.) |
2009 |
Ellen Lake |
Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) |
2008 |
Hudaa Neetoo Bridget Collins |
Animal and Food Sciences (Ph.D.) Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) |
2007 |
Kristian Paul Anthony Gonzon |
Plant and Soil Sciences (Ph.D.) Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.) |