Paul
A. Funk Recognition Awards
Neal
R. Merchen
John C. van Es
Donald G. White
ACES
Alumni Association Award of Merit
Rebecca
C. Doyle
Harold D. Guither
Judith K. Hevrdejs
Ronald R. Warfield
Faculty Awards for Excellence
Lila O. Vodkin
Brent A. McBride
Philip Buriak
Jasna D. Jovanovic
Marshal McGlamery
Aaron T. Ebata
Karl E. Gardner Undergrad Adviser Award
Thomas Fermanian
Clyde & Downey Spitler Teaching Award
William Sullivan III
Service Recognition Award
Edward W. Stoller
Professional Staff Awards for Excellence
Edward N. Ballard
Paul W. Benson
Julie Fesenmaier
James E. Painter
Staff Award for Excellence
Linda L. Barenthin
Carol K. Johnson
Edward E. Springer
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Paul
A. Funk Recognition Award
Donald G. White is a preeminent educator, a proficient and pragmatic researcher, and an influential mentor and adviser. He has had an extraordinary impact on the lives and careers of former students and colleagues and has made significant contributions to corn pathology and breeding. White is undoubtedly one of the best teachers in the College of ACES. A generation of students has benefited from his enthusiasm and devotion to excellent teaching. Nearly 2,000 students have studied plant pathology with White since he came to the university in 1974. His effective classroom approach has placed him on the "Incomplete List of Instructors Ranked as Excellent" 29 of 30 times he has taught "Introductory Plant Pathology." His reputation as a premier educator extends nationwide; he is one of the few recipients of the "Excellence in Teaching Award" given by the American Phytopathological Society. White’s graduates are highly sought after and have become leaders in industry and academia. As a mentor to junior faculty, he helps others learn to establish rapport with undergraduate students; he conveys useful tips on teaching techniques, approaches, and philosophies; and he serves as a role model of how to create a scientifically sound and practical research program important to academia and commercial agricultural industries. White’s accomplishments as a teacher are mirrored by his proficiency as a pragmatic researcher. He is widely known as an authority on corn diseases and has intentionally chosen to investigate corn diseases of economic importance where methodology for inoculation and evaluation of germplasm has not been developed successfully. Through this and other research, White has played an extensive role in protecting the U.S. corn crop, valued annually at about $20 billion. If his research has helped prevent as little as 0.01 percent in annual losses due to diseases, which it undoubtedly has, White’s contributions have been worth more than $1 million per year and represent a substantial return on investment. Always the ultimate professional, White admirably represents the science of plant pathology, the college, and the university. |
