Nine standout faculty and staff members were honored for service and support of Texas Tech University's Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Thursday (Aug. 18) during a special evening ceremony at the Department of Animal & Food Sciences Livestock Arena.

The 2022 Davis College award recipients included:

• Davis College Teaching Award: Joey Young, Associate Professor (Department of Plant & Soil Science)
• Davis College Research Award: Richard Stevens, Professor (Department of Natural Resources Management)
• Davis College Service/Outreach Award: Muntazar Monsur, Assistant Professor (Department of Landscape Architecture)
• Davis College Junior Faculty Award: Jamie Bologna Pavlik, Associate Professor (Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics)
• Davis College Student Advising Award: Catherine Simpson, Assistant Professor (Department of Plant & Soil Science)
• Davis College Instructor Award: Vikram Baliga, Lecturer/Greenhouse Manager (Department of Plant & Soil Science)
• Davis College International Impact Award: Gad Perry, Professor (Department of Natural Resources Management)
• Davis College Staff Award: Shelbey Havens, Assistant Director of Recruitment (Davis College Dean's Office)
• Davis College Research Staff Award: Edward Carrasco, Swine Center Unit Manager (Department of Animal & Food Sciences)

Earlier Thursday afternoon, Davis College leaders met with members of the Davis College Advisory Board for a half-day meeting at the newly renovated Texas Tech Dairy Barn. The session included a state-of-the-college presentation by Interim Dean Cindy Akers. In addition, Eric Hequet, Texas Tech's Associate Vice President for Research, provided a strategic initiative update, while the participants later reviewed a new advisory board by laws and committee structure. 

On Friday morning (Aug. 19) Davis College faculty participated in a retreat at the university's McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center with introductory comments provided by Texas Tech Provost Ronald  Hendrick, followed by an update from Akers. The session also included a review of the college's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by Faculty Equity Advocate Jyotsna Sharma, and tips for effective teaching in a (post-) COVID world by Alec Cattell and Suzanne Tapp with Tech's TLPDC, moderated by Interim Associate Dean for Academic & Student Programs Robert Cox. The session included a discussion on defining excellence moderated by Monty Christian, executive director of marketing strategies with Tech's Office of Research & Innovation.

CONTACT: Cindy Akers, Interim Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or cindy.akers@ttu.edu 

0819NM22 / PHOTO: (top row from left) Joey Young, Richard Stevens, Jamie Bologna Pavlik (middle row from left) Muntazar Monsur, Catherine Simpson: Vikram Baliga (bottom row from left) Gad Perry, Shelbey Havens, Edward Carrasco