UT Institute of Agriculture Presents Top Faculty and Staff Awards for 2022
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture recognized some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual Awards and Promotions luncheon on the UTIA campus in Knoxville August 16, 2022. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the Institute.
UT Institute of Agriculture Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Carrie Castille hosted the award winners and celebrated their work. “I am so excited to recognize excellence as exemplified by the award-winning members of our UTIA faculty and staff,” Castille says. “Their continuing commitment to our land-grant mission ensures that the Institute develops and delivers real-life solutions to improve the health and economy of our state and beyond while also enhancing our environment.”
Established by Dutch Cavender, former director of UTIA Marketing and Communications, and his wife, Marilee, the Cavender Outstanding Award for Best Publication recognizes peer-reviewed publications. This year two publications with three authors each have been recognized for excellence with Cavender Awards for Best Publication.
Alicia Rihn, Kimberly Jensen and David Hughes, all with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, were honored for their publication Tennessee’s Wine Industry: Consumer Perceptions, Quality Assurance Programs, and Marketing Strategies.
Tennessee has dozens of wineries producing beautiful and delicious wines – a total economic impact of nearly two billion dollars. These three agricultural economists developed this guideline for wineries on how to increase their business and boost sales. Judges liked that this publication included easy-to-follow take-aways from this study on marketing and consumer behavior. Consumers favor local wines and are more inclined to buy these products when they learn quality assurance procedures are followed.
Rebecca Butler, Jennifer Chandler, Rebecca Trout Fryxell and Karen Vail, all with the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, worked together to produce Managing Ticks on School Grounds.
Judges liked that this publication serves as a guide to parents, teachers and a broad audience, and helps to protect school children. The publication included photography of tick species, how to identify them, and what diseases they may carry, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and other illnesses.
Additionally, Vail is noted for her work on fire ant biology, urban ant identification, bed bug management and integrated pest management in schools. Trout-Fryxell, a medical and veterinary entomologist, serves as Butler’s advisor, and both work to combat the mosquito population and other harmful insects.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.