UT Institute of Agriculture Presents Top Faculty and Staff Awards for 2025
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The accomplishments of the faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture were celebrated at an annual awards luncheon held on the UT Knoxville campus in the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Building on July 30. 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 luncheon and praised the honorees for their work. “The enthusiasm and expertise demonstrated by our UTIA faculty and staff is unparalleled,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing real life solutions to the people of Tennessee. These well-deserved awards represent impacts and accomplishments that benefit Tennesseans and society now and for years to come.”
Jessica McCord, a research associate in UT AgResearch, is one of two winners 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. The other winner is Kendhl Seabright, a research associate in the School of Natural Resources.
McCord, who first came to UTIA in 2004, works in the AgResearch office and helps manage funding the institute receives through the Hatch Act of 1887, which supports agricultural research conducted at land-grant universities. She previously worked in the Center for Renewable Carbon.
“Some of my most valued accomplishments at UT have come through building collaborative partnerships across departments and institutions. Through projects like the Sun Grant Initiative and ongoing work with Tennessee State University, I’ve had the opportunity to foster strong relationships that support impactful research and strengthen our collective mission,” she said.
McCord earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture operations and her master’s in agricultural business and management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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.