Davis College 2026 Award Recipients
As Texas Tech's Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources looks toward an ambitious future, college leaders paused this week to recognize the people whose teaching, research and service have helped build its foundation.
The ceremony served as both a celebration of individual achievement and the opening chapter of a two-day series of meetings focused on Davis College's next era of growth.
Ten faculty and staff members were honored Thursday evening (Aug. 20) during the college's annual awards ceremony at the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center, an event celebrating excellence across instruction, research, outreach, advising and public service. Each recipient received a $1,000 honorarium and a crystal acrylic award recognizing exceptional contributions to the college's mission.
The ceremony served as both a celebration of individual achievement and the opening chapter of a two-day series of meetings focused on Davis College's next era of growth. College leaders, advisory board members, faculty and staff gathered to outline a new strategic framework -- known as the Pursuit of Prime -- designed to position the college among the nation's leading programs in agriculture, natural resources and landscape architecture.
This year's Davis College award recipients included:
- Instructor Award: Kolbie Tyler, lecturer, Department of Plant & Soil Science
- International Impact Award: Gunvant Patil, associate professor of molecular crop improvement, Department of Plant & Soil Science
- Junior Faculty Award: Anastasia Stellato, assistant professor, Department of Animal & Food Sciences
- Outreach & Engagement Award: Jason Headrick, assistant professor of leadership and community development, Department of Agricultural Education & Communications
- Research Award: Dale Woerner, Cargill Endowed Professor in Meat Science, Department of Animal & Food Sciences
- Research Staff Award: Dinesh Saini, research assistant professor, Department of Plant & Soil Science
- Service Award: Kristin Hales, Thornton Distinguished Chair and professor, Department of Animal & Food Sciences
- Staff Award: Michaela Crumpler, assistant director of administration and finance, Department of Agricultural Education & Communications
- Student Advising Award: Clint Rusk, director, Texas Tech Ranch Management Program
- Teaching Award: Lindsay Kennedy, associate professor of practice and director of the MILE Program, Department of Agricultural Education & Communications
Earlier Thursday, members of the Davis College Advisory Board convened at the National Ranching Heritage Center for discussions centered on the college's long-term priorities and opportunities. Dean Clint Krehbiel and Matt Williams, senior director of development for Davis College Development & Alumni Relations, opened the program with updates on the university's comprehensive fundraising campaign and the college's Pursuit of Prime initiative.
The afternoon featured presentations highlighting the college's academic programs, outreach efforts and research enterprise. Robert Cox, associate dean for academic and student programs, outlined student success initiatives and enrollment trends, while Erica Irlbeck, associate dean for outreach and engagement, discussed the college's expanding partnerships with communities, industry and stakeholders.
Noureddine Abidi, interim associate vice president for research and innovation, examined opportunities for strengthening engagement with industry as well as state and federal partners. The session concluded with strategic resource group discussions led by Darren Hudson, associate dean for strategic initiatives and assessment, focusing on aligning advisory board expertise with the college's highest-priority initiatives.
The week's events concluded Friday morning (Aug. 21) with a faculty assembly that formally introduced the college's strategic vision for the coming decade.
Addressing faculty and staff, Krehbiel outlined the Pursuit of Prime initiative, describing it as a comprehensive roadmap for elevating Davis College into the top tier of agricultural colleges nationwide. The strategy calls for achieving top-10-percent performance across every major area of the college—from student success and academic programs to research productivity, industry partnerships and public engagement.
Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec welcomed faculty before members of the dean's leadership team presented "Nine Years to Prime: Building Pathways to Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Landscape Architecture." The presentation featured Krehbiel, Hudson, Cox, Abidi, Irlbeck and Associate Vice Provost Birgit Green, each outlining priorities within their respective areas. The assembly concluded with faculty-led discussions examining barriers to and opportunities for success In Davis College.
CONTACT: Clint Krehbiel, Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or Clint.Krehbiel@ttu.edu
0821NM26 / PHOTO: (top row) Kolbie Tyler, Gunvant Patil, Anastasia Stellato, Jason Headrick and Dale Woerner. (bottom row) Dinesh Saini, Kristin Hales, Michaela Crumpler, Clint Rusk and Lindsay Kennedy