Deb McCullough and Ron Perry, both faculty members in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be recognized with Distinguished Faculty Awards by the CANR Alumni Association. They will be honored during the ANR Week Luncheon set for March 8 at the Kellogg Center.

McCullough will receive the Distinguished Faculty Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has brought distinction to the CANR through teaching, research and/or outreach and provided leadership that has helped students, faculty members and/or citizens reach their potential for excellence.

McCullough received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University and her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. For the past two decades, she has worked at MSU in the departments of Entomology and Forestry. She has provided counsel to many forest services in the United States and Canada about forest pests, particularly the emerald ash borer (EAB) and the gypsy moth. Since its arrival, McCullough has tracked EAB and introduced several plans for state, regional and national responses to it.

Perry will also be honored with a Distinguished Faculty Award. He has spent a great portion of his life contributing to the growth of the Michigan wine industry as well as educating students and conducting research at Michigan State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in fruit science from Cal Poly in 1968, and a master’s degree in horticulture in 1975 and a Ph.D. in horticulture in 1980, both from Texas A&M.

Throughout his professional career, Perry has provided exceptional guidance and opportunity to students. At MSU, he was an associate professor in the Horticulture Department from 1980 to 1993, then professor and chairperson of the department. He also served as a representative for the Michigan Grape Wine Industry Council.