Several members of the NDSU Extension Service received awards at the recent Galaxy Conference in Pittsburgh.
The winners are listed by category:
Epsilon Sigma Phi
- Lori Scharmer, interim family economics specialist and University of Minnesota faculty/staff - Distinguished Team Award for "Recovery After Disaster: The Family Financial Toolkit."
National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
- Julie Garden-Robinson, food and nutrition specialist - Food Safety Award
National Association of County Agricultural Agents
- Raquel Dugan-Dibble, Extension agent/McHenry County - Achievement Award
- Greg Endres, area Extension specialist, Carrington Research Extension Center - Distinguished Service Award
- Todd Weinmann, Extension agent/Cass County - Search for Excellence State Award in Young, Beginning or Small Farmers/Ranchers (Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College Sustainable Food and Alternative Ag Workshop)
Weinmann also was a national finalist in Search for Excellence in Landscape Horticulture, regional finalist in the Communications category for the "Gardening Delights for All" publication and state finalist in the Communications category for the video "Raised Bed Gardening With Youth."
National Association of Extension 4-H Agents
- Donna Anderson, Extension agent/Eddy and Foster counties – Meritorious Service Award
- Ellen Bjelland, Extension agent/Ward County - Distinguished Service Award
- Vanessa Hoines, Extension agent/Morton County - 25 Years of Service Award
- Sue Isbell, Extension agent/Sioux County - Regional Diversity Award
- Deb Lee, Extension agent/Ransom County - Distinguished Service Award
- Karla Meikle, Extension agent/Morton County - Achievement in Service Award
- Sharon Query, 4-H youth development specialist; Dena Kemmet, Extension agent/Mercer County; Sara Carlson, 4-H graduate assistant; Ellen Crawford, information specialist; and Deb Tanner, graphic designer - Communicator Award for Educational Package and Regional Educational Piece (Boundaries program)
- Crystal Schaunaman, Extension agent/McIntosh County - Achievement in Service Award and Regional First-time Conference Attendee Award
In other recent honors, the American Library Association's Government Documents Roundtable selected the "Home Lawn Problems and Solutions for North Dakota" publication as a Notable Government Document of 2012. The publication's authors are Janet Knodel, Extension entomologist; Ron Smith, now-retired Extension horticulturist; and Alan Zuk, assistant professor in Plant Sciences Department.
"It's fantastic that so many NDSU Extension agents and specialists were selected for these awards," says Chris Boerboom, NDSU Extension Service director. "This demonstrates the high quality and accomplishments of NDSU Extension and our national standing."
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.