Sarah Boggess receives the Mildred Pendergrass Outstanding Service Award
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrated the accomplishments of some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual awards luncheon. The 2026 ceremony was held on the UTIA campus in Knoxville on August 4. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the celebration and praised the honorees for their devotion to the land-grant mission. “Our UTIA staff and faculty continue to overwhelm me with their enthusiasm and unparalleled expertise,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing Real. Life. Solutions. to the people of Tennessee. These award winners represent the efforts and accomplishments this past year that will most benefit all Tennesseans and society – impacts that will have lasting benefits through teaching, research and Extension for years to come.”
Sarah Boggess, senior research associate and lab manager in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is the recipient of the Mildred Pendergrass Outstanding Service Award. This award, presented in memory of Mildred Pendergrass, wife of the former Vice President for Agriculture Webster Pendergrass, is given to employees among the technical, skill and service staff of the institute.
“Receiving the Mildred Pendergrass Award for Outstanding Service means a great deal to me. Working in the lab, I’ve seen firsthand how service by mentoring students, training new researchers and supporting the broader scientific community, is what keeps a lab running and growing,” she said. “This recognition reminds me that the work happening behind the scenes matters just as much as the research findings themselves, and I’m honored to be recognized for it.”
Boggess, who earned her master’s degree in plant sciences from the Herbert College of Agriculture, oversees operations and safety compliance in labs, manages budgets and coordinates protocols including Biosafety USDA requirements. Her areas of expertise include plant and forest pathology, plant diseases, genetics and rapid molecular detection.
She has won several awards for mentoring and working with undergraduate and graduate students. Passionate about adaptive sports and an active member of Cure SMA, a national organization supporting families affected by spinal muscular atrophy, Boggess received the UT Chancellor’s Award from the Commission for Disability as an advocate for accessibility.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.