Daniel Yoder receives the B. Ray Thompson Sr. Outstanding Faculty Performance 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.”
Daniel Yoder, professor and assistant head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, is the recipient of the B. Ray Thompson Sr. Outstanding Faculty Performance Award. This award is made possible by earnings from the Thompson Faculty Endowment and is presented annually to faculty in the institute who have distinguished themselves by their exceptional performance. This award rotates among the four divisions within the Institute of Agriculture.
Yoder, who is marking 35 years with UTIA, said he is pleased to see departmental graduates succeed in their careers and return to campus with news of their accomplishments.
“Seeing the quality and success of our many graduates gives me great satisfaction with the past. Seeing the talent, compassion, and thoughtfulness of my younger colleagues gives me even greater hope for the future,” he said.
Yoder’s research and teaching focuses on stormwater management and hydrologic monitoring to curb soil erosion. He has worked with students on projects such as a new technique to monitor the runoff from construction sites and a system that increases infiltration in stormwater control measures while improving water quality and sequestering carbon.
This is the second time he has won this award. Throughout his career, Yoder has won several awards and honors from the institute, Herbert College of Agriculture, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He also received the UT Knoxville Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Service.
Yoder earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Purdue University.
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.