The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences honored exemplary students during its annual Student Awards Celebration held on April 10. Through the generosity of the school’s alumni and friends, 16 awards were presented to students totaling nearly $20,000.
Student awards included:
- Annual Academic Improvement Award in Forestry presented by Dr. Adam Maggard to Jordan Weaver
- Weyerhaeuser Forest Economics Award presented by Herby Peters to Henry Morris
- Association of Consulting Foresters Senior Leadership Award presented by Terry Love to Reese Ousley
- Alabama Division, Southeastern Society of American Foresters Leadership Travel Award presented by Dr. Edward Loewenstein to Maurlan Dickerson
- Alabama Forest Owners Association Award presented by Susan Dooley to Cal Logan and Brandon Buckelew
- Alabama Division, Society of American Foresters Junior Leadership Award presented by Daniel Crawford to Rollie Orr
- William Allen Carey Outstanding Forest Pathology Award presented by Dr. Scott Enebak to Henry Morris
- Armistead and Woody Military Service Annual Award presented by Dr. Richard Brinker to Bobby Sitze
- F & W Forestry Services Incorporated Rising Senior Award presented by Dennis Lebleu to Hank Hagood
- Summer Practicum Endowed Scholarship (Goodloe) presented by Dr. Edward Loewenstein to Jace McCauley
- Robert G. Wehle Non-Game Management Award presented by Tim Gothard to Cullen Anderson
- The Alabama Wildlife Federation David K. Nelson presented by Tim Gothard to Walker Shortnacy
- The Alabama Chapter of the Wildlife Society Student Leadership Award presented by Dr. Jim Armstrong to Tara Durborow
- Westervelt Rising Senior Award in Wildlife presented by Brent Shaver to Olivia Wilkes
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences President’s Award presented by Dr. Janaki Alavalapati to Cullen Anderson
SFWS Student Government Association Awards:
- SGA Award presented by Dr. Scott Enebak to Cody Krause
- SGA Award presented by Dr. Stephen Ditchkoff to Alexis Wiltfong
- 2018- 2019 SGA Honors Ceremony Outstanding Faculty Award presented by Jace McCauley to Dr. Stephen Ditchkoff
Forestry Club Awards:
- Outstanding Student Member Award presented by Dr. Adam Maggard to Cal Logan
- Outstanding Faculty Award- Teacher of the year presented by Cal Logan to Dr. Tom Gallagher
Auburn Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society Awards:
- Outstanding Student Member Award presented by Dr. Robert Gitzen to Allison Gray
- Outstanding Faculty Award- Teacher of the Year presented by Alex Merchlinsly to Dr. Robert Gitzen
“These students operate at a very high caliber,” said Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Scott Enebak. “In addition to their studies, many of those honored today have sought opportunities to build their skills and knowledge through internship experiences, taking leadership roles in student clubs, or participating as part of a research team.”
“It is this commitment to academic excellence and leadership that creates the standard among the student body as a whole,” said Enebak.
In addition to the awards, student organization leaders were acknowledged for their contributions as well. SFWS Student Ambassadors were introduced and recognized for their leadership and services as the official school representatives. The SFWS Student Government Association recognized current and new officers of the SGA. The role of this group is to represent and advocate for the interests of the Auburn student body.
During the celebration, a number of SFWS faculty and staff were also recognized for their outstanding efforts in the classroom, laboratory, advising and outreach.
Professor Ed Loewenstein was the recipient of the Harold E. Christen Award for Service to Teaching. Audrey Grindle was the recipient of the Harry Murphy Outstanding Staff Award and Ireland Professor Stephen Ditchkoff received the Harry Murphy Faculty Research Award. Professor Christopher Lepczyk received the Harry Murphy Faculty Outreach Award. Professor Tom Gallagher received the Faculty Award for Undergraduate Advising.
The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences also honored L. Frank Walburn ’79 who was nominated by his peers to receive the 2018 Outstanding Alumni Award in honor of his lifetime contributions to the forestry industry.
For more information about SFWS awards or to establish a new award in the school, contact SFWS Office of Development at sfwsdev@auburn.edu or via phone at 334-844-1983.
To view photos from the Student Awards Celebration, visit https://aub.ie/2019sfwsawards .
Written by Anastasia Holland
