Officials with Texas Tech University's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources honored six distinguished alumni on Monday (Feb. 10) at the university's McKenzie Merket Alumni Center. In addition, officials recognized the CASNR Young Alumni Award. The recipients of this year's Distinguished Alumni Awards were Jackie Smith of Lubbock, professor and extension economist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services. Agricultural Economics (1971); Zachary Brady of Lubbock, founder of Brady & Hamilton, Attorneys and Counselors. Agricultural Communications (1995); Hugo Irizarry of Fort Collins, Col., head of ground beef and trim operations for JBS-USA. Meat Science (MA 1985); Pamela Hefner of Austin, project manager for Austin's Economic Development Department. Landscape Architecture  (1983); Kent Ferguson of Valley Mills, NRCS State Rangeland Management Specialist. Range Management (1977); and David Kirby of Dana Point, Ca, vice president of sales for Monrovia. Horticulture (1993). The recipient of the 2014 Young Alumnus Award was Drew DeBerry, the Texas Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture. He received his bachelor's degree in agricultural and applied economics from Texas Tech in 2000. The Distinguished & Young Alumni Awards honor alumni who've made significant contributions to society, and whose accomplishments and careers have brought distinction to the college and to the professions associated with agriculture and natural resources.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Michael Galyean, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or michael.galyean@ttu.edu

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