Awards

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Awards and Recognition

Student Awards

• Rochelle Junkman Seymour Award: This award goes to the CAFES senior with the highest GPA.
  • 2025 recipient: Alli Matzek, Appleton, animal science - companion animal major
• Dr. Earl Hildebrand Memorial Award: This award for an outstanding senior in CAFES honors a student who best exemplifies a combination of scholastic achievement, extracurricular involvement and leadership roles within the college. Seniors are nominated for this award by faculty in the college. The College Scholarship Committee reviews all nominations and makes the final selection.
  • 2025 recipient: Katie Zimmer, Glen Flora, agricultural education, agricultural business

Faculty Awards

• CAFES Outstanding Faculty Award: This award is presented to an outstanding faculty member in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, selected by their peers. The recipient is announced at the annual CAFES Awards Banquet.
  • 2025 recipient: Kurt Vogel, professor of animal and food science

Community Awards

• Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist Award: The Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist Award is sponsored by CAFES and is presented to an individual in the agricultural or natural resources fields who has provided outstanding leadership, service, and other contributions to the agricultural community. This is not an award for recognizing contributions to an individual department within CAFES or a specific group, but rather for contributions to the entire agricultural and natural resource community. The selection of the Wisconsin Distinguished Agriculturalist is based on the following criteria: Leadership positions and activities related to agriculture and/or natural resources, contributions to and association with the UW-River Falls and CAFES, statewide recognition for contributions to agriculture, national and international activities and accomplishments, and accomplishments and activities that extend beyond the individual's normal employment.
  • 2025 recipient: Tammy Vaassen, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Beef Council
• CAFES Outstanding Service Award: The CAFES Outstanding Service Award was established in 2008 to recognize individuals or groups that have made significant contributions to the College in time, leadership, monetary donations and/or other support of CAFES programs, students, faculty, and staff.