Heba Abdelgaffar, Sarah Parker Armstrong receive awards for outstanding professional staff
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.”
Heba Abdelgaffar and Sarah Parker Armstrong are recipients of the UT AgResearch Dean’s Award for Outstanding Professional Staff. The award honors and acknowledges employees who have demonstrated the following: competence and critical thinking; cooperativeness and team building; professionalism and ethical behavior; initiative and dependability; and excellent communication skills.
Abdelgaffar, a research associate and lab manager in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, has worked for the institute for 12 years. In the lab, she works with Professor Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes and helps develop insect controls for safe food and fiber production, including research on insect resistance and the use of nanobodies to improve pesticides and transgenic crops. Last year, she used a $2,000 investment to optimize a protein protocol, and it produced a protein with a market value of nearly $500,000.
“I am very grateful for this recognition. It is especially meaningful to be acknowledged for work that is often behind the scenes. I appreciate the support of my boss, colleagues and the opportunity to contribute to the success of research programs at UT,” she said.
Abdelgaffar earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in biological sciences (zoology) from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. Her doctoral research focused on the identification and molecular characterization of genes encoding Cry protein receptors in the cotton leafworm, laying the foundation for her continued research in insect resistance and biotechnology.
Armstrong, a research associate in the Department of Plant Sciences, has worked for the institute for nine years, the last five in the lab with Assistant Professor Kellie Walters. Armstong has worked on many projects, including research on soybean photosynthesis. She and Walters submitted a proposal to NASA to study leafy greens and their nutritional quality in space. While pursuing her Ph.D. that focuses on growing plants in low to no light conditions, Armstrong mentors students and teaches lab protocols such as how to extract certain compounds.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award and grateful to be recognized in this way. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by people who have supported, encouraged, and challenged me, and this recognition motivates me to keep learning, growing and contributing to work I care about,” she said.
Armstrong earned her bachelor’s degree in biological and biomedical sciences and her master’s degree in plant physiology at the UT Herbert College of Agriculture.
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.