Dr. Rodney Johnson is now Director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences, effective October 16, 2009. Dr. Johnson replaces Professor Sharon M. Donovan, who served as Director of the Division from 1999-2009. Dr. Johnson has been a member of the Department of Animal Sciences faculty since 2003 and has been a member of the Division of Nutritional Sciences Faculty since 1995. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2003.

Professor Johnson is known for his research on how diet affects neuro-immune interactions and behavior. Here at the University of Illinois, he has been recognized as a University Scholar and has received the College of ACES Faculty Award for Excellence in Research. In addition, he has received major research awards from leading scientific professional societies, including the American Society for Nutrition, the International Life Sciences Institute and the American Society of Animal Science. He currently serves on the editorial board of Brain, Behavior and Immunity and is secretary-treasurer of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS).

Dr. Tom Carr, nominated by Secretariat member and Animal Sciences secretary Fran McDowell, received the “2009 Boss of the Year” Award, which was presented to him at a luncheon on Wednesday, October 21st. Dr. Carr was recognized for his leadership, enthusiastic support of UIUC and its programs, and support and consideration of others—staff, colleagues, students, and visitors.

Tung Che and Victor Perez have both received the ASAS Midwest Section Young Scholar Award for 2010. As a result, each will present a 30-minute invited talk on his research area at the meeting to be held in March in Des Moines, Iowa. This is the inaugural year for the award, although the ADSA Midwest Section has given such awards in recent years. Selection of these students is a tremendous honor for Tung and Victor, and also a clear indicator of the quality of graduate students in our Department.

Tung Minh Che is from Vietnam and holds degrees from universities in Vietnam and Malaysia. Victor Perez- Mendoza is from México and holds degrees from both his native country and the University of Illinois. Both Tung and Victor expect to complete their PhD programs in Dr. Pettigrew’s lab within the next few months.

L to R: Tung Che and Veictor Perez

Dr. Larry Schook is the recipient of an award in the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Programs, which are viewed as among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program. The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international education exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Professor Schook will be a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Department of Genetics and General Biology (genomics, immunology, development, cell biology, and molecular biology) in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Salzburg. He will participate in the development of an integrated cell biology course entitled "Evolutionary and Developmental Genomics of Host Responsiveness and Regeneration" that combines the principles of genomics, stem cell biology, and host defense mechanisms. During his award from March to June, 2010, Professor Schook will also develop a scholarly book on this subject.

Dr. Mike Hutjens received the 2009 Abraham Lincoln National Agricultural Award for Education during the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. The Abraham Lincoln National Agricultural Awards program was established to promote agriculture and its impact on the citizens of the world and to celebrate individuals, companies, businesses, and educational institutions that have made significant contributions in this area.

Mike Hutjens, Professor in Animal Sciences and Extension Dairy Specialist, received the 2009 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) Award of Honor for unusual contributions to the Association. Dr. Hutjens was president of ADSA in 2005, president of the Midwest Regional ADSA, provided leadership on the FASS (Federation of Animal Science Societies) Board during a time of major transition, received three national ADSA awards (undergraduate teaching, extension, and applied nutrition), was elected as an ADSA Fellow, served on numerous committees, is a member of the national dairy internet extension program, and a reviewer for the Journal of Dairy Science. The award was presented at the national meeting held on July 14th, 2009, in Montreal, Canada and was attended by nearly 3000 scientists from around the world.

Dr. Janeen Salak-Johnson has been selected to receive the Advanced Degree Graduate of Distinction--Hall of Fame Award from the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University. This award is given to graduates with a M.S. and/or Ph.D. in Animal Sciences or Food Science from Texas Tech University who have achieved excellence in their field. Dr. Salak-Johnson will receive her award on October 9, 2009, at the Animal and Food Sciences Distinguished Alumni and Meat Science Recognition Banquet.

It was previously announced that Tung Che won the 2009 Alltech Young Scientist Award for North America in the graduate student division. At the recent Alltech Symposium it was announced that he is the winner of the Global Award, which carries a monetary award of $10,000. There were 2,000 applicants for the awards, including both the graduate student and undergraduate student division. This recognition highlights the impressive quality of graduate students in our Department. Tung is from Vietnam and is a PhD candidate working with Dr. Pettigrew.

This year’s Departmental Awards Luncheon honored faculty members and graduate students who have been presented with awards and recognition during the past academic year. Of course, Dr. Dziuk acted as the emcee and gave everyone a good laugh. This year, everyone sang songs in between awards. We may have not known all the songs or sang well, but we had a good time!

The following Graduate Student Awards were given:
* China Jacobs (Carl Parsons, advisor)--Mitchell Fellowship in Animal Nutrition
* Dustin Boler (John Killefer, advisor)--Sean Murray Memorial Scholarship
* Heather Adams (Sandra Rodriguez-Zas, advisor)--David H. and Norraine A. Baker Graduate Fellowship in Animal Sciences

Congratulations!

From L to R: Dr. Neal Merchen (Head) and China Jacobs

From L to R: Dr. David H. Baker, Heather Adams, Sandra Rodriguez-Zas, and Norraine A. Baker

From L to R: Beth Flickinger (Senior Scientist at Proctor & Gamble), Dustin Boler, and John Killefer

Dr. Tom Carr has been awarded the 2009 NACTA Central Regional Outstanding Teacher Award. This award is presented to one individual from each of five regions (Eastern, Southern, Central, Western, and Canadian). To qualify for the award, a NACTA member must have previously received the NACTA Teacher Fellow Award and hold a full-time appointment involving at least 25 percent teaching. Dr. Carr will receive his award at the 2009 Annual Conference which will be held at Oklahoma State University from June 17 to 20. Congratulations, Dr. Carr!