College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Faculty & Staff

2025 CANR Faculty and Staff Awards Reception

Thursday, May 8, 2025
2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Formal program begins at 3 p.m.

MPS Atrium
1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824

Each year the college recognizes faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition to the awards listed below, we will celebrate new hires, promotion and tenure, years of service milestones and other key CANR awards.

The awards program includes formal recognition of the following awards:

CANR Teaching Awards: 

• Camden Endowed Teacher/Scholar Award: Kim Chung, Ph.D., Department of Community Sustainability 
• CANR Excellence in Teaching – Established Teacher Award: Daniel Hayes, Ph.D., Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 
• CANR Excellence in Teaching – New Teacher Award: Elizabeth Perry, Ph.D., Department of Community Sustainability 
• CANR Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award: Catlin Goodwin, Department of Community Sustainability 
• MSU Extension Excellence in Teaching: Phillip Tocco and Vickie Pfeifer

CANR Excellence in Research Awards
Early Career Researcher Award

• Raju Pokharel, Ph.D., Department of Forestry 
• Jongkyoo Kim, Ph.D., Department of Animal Science

Established (Mid-Career) Researcher Award

• Hatem Rouached, Ph.D., Department of Plant, Soil And Microbial Sciences 
• Vincenzina Caputo, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural, Food And Resource Economics

Research Fellow (Career) Awards

• Anthony Cognato, Ph.D., Department of Entomology

Impact Award

• Mike VandeHaar, Ph.D., and Robert Tempelman, Ph.D., Team, Department of Animal Science 

CANR Outstanding Academic Advisor: Jeane Stebleton, Department of Community Sustainability 

CANR Staff Awards

• CANR Staff Dean's Award of Distinction: Jill Cruth, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• CANR Excellence in Research Performance and Support: Katie James, Department of Forestry 
• CANR Early Achievement Award: Kate Balgoyen, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
• Spirit of CANR: Amy Refior, MSU Extension Director's Office

CANR Global Scholars
2025 CANR Global Scholars in Research:

• Douglas Bessette, Ph.D., Department of Community Sustainability 
• Jongkyoo Kim, Ph.D., Department of Animal Science
• Mercy Okezue, Ph.D., School of Packaging
• Raju Pokharel, Ph.D., Department of Forestry
• Josh Vanderweide, Ph.D., Department of Horticulture 

2025 CANR Global Scholar in Extension:

• Samantha Wolfe, Institute of Agriculture and Agribusiness
• Paige Filice, Institute of Community, Food and Environment

CANR You Belong Here Champion Awards

• You Belong Here Graduate Student Award: Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion, Department of Animal Science 
• You Belong Here Faculty Award: Travis Brenden, Ph.D., Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• You Belong Here Academic Specialist Award: Dustin Petty, Bailey Scholars Program 

CANR CAB Digital Badge Awards
Platinum:

• Department of Animal Science
• Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
• Department of Community Sustainability
• MSU Extension: Children and Youth Institute 
• Food Science and Human Nutrition
• MSU Extension: Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute
• Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
• School of Planning, Design and Construction
• MSU Extension: Health and Nutrition Institute

Gold:

• ANR Information Technology

Green:

• Department of Forestry