College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Faculty & Staff

2026 CANR Faculty and Staff Awards Reception

Wednesday, May 6, 2026
3:00 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Formal program begins at 3:30 p.m.

MPS Atrium
1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI, 48824

Each year, the college recognizes faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition to the awards listed below, we will celebrate new hires, promotion and tenure, years of service milestones and other key CANR awards. 

• Teaching Award Nominations
• Awards Archive

The 2026 awards program includes formal recognition of the following awards:

CANR Teaching Awards

• Camden Endowed Teacher/Scholar Award: Dong Zhao, Ph.D., School of Planning, Design and Construction 
• CANR Excellence in Teaching – Established Teacher Award: Laura Winter, School of Planning, Design and Construction
• CANR Excellence in Teaching – New Teacher Award: Jeta Rudi Polloshka, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics
• CANR Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award: Dangkamol Wongthanaroj, School of Packaging
• MSU Extension Excellence in Teaching: Sarah Eichberger, Grand Traverse County Extension, and Christine Skelly, Ph.D., Department of Animal Science

CANR Excellence in Research Awards sponsored by AgBioResearch

• Early Career Researcher Award: Younsuk Dong, Ph.D., Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
• Established (Mid-Career) Researcher Award: Robert VanBuren, Ph.D., Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Hanne Hoffmann, Ph.D., Department of Animal Science
• Research Career Award: Eric Benbow, Ph.D., Department of Entomology
• Impact Award: Adam Lock, Ph.D., Department of Animal Science

CANR Staff Awards

• CANR Staff Dean's Award of Distinction: Cara Robison, Ph.D., Department of Animal Science
• CANR Excellence in Research Performance and Support: Steve Van Timmeren, Department of Entomology
• CANR Early Achievement Award: Aislinn Callahan-Brandt, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
• Spirit of CANR: Rose Stewart, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
  
  

CANR Outstanding Academic Advisor: Jennifer Petzko, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics

CANR Global Scholars

2026 CANR Global Scholars in Research:

• Mar Mancha-Cisneros, Ph.D., Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• Asia Dowtin, Ph.D., Department of Forestry
• Mahsa Adib, Ph.D., School of Planning, Design and Construction

2026 CANR Global Scholar in Education:

• Barbara Biduski, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

2026 CANR Global Scholar in Extension:

• Naim Edwards, MSU Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation

CANR You Belong Here Champion Awards

• You Belong Here Undergraduate Student Award: LaQuan Mack, Construction Management 
• You Belong Here Graduate Student Award: DeShae Dillard, Department of Entomology
• You Belong Here Postdoctoral Scholar Award: Olivia Spagnuolo, Ph.D., Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• You Belong Here Faculty Award: Ingrid Aguayo Fuentealba, Ph.D., Department of Forestry
• You Belong Here Staff Award: Rebecca Wetzel, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

CANR CAB Digital Badge Awards

Platinum:

• Department of Animal Science
• Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
• Department of Community Sustainability
• Department of Entomology
• Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• Department of Forestry
• Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
• Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
• School of Planning, Design and Construction
• MSU Extension: Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute
• MSU Extension: Children and Youth Institute 

Gold:

• ANR Information Technology
• Kellogg Biological Station