AgCenter, College of Agric. honor faculty, staff

The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture recognized outstanding faculty and staff during an awards ceremony Dec. 14 at the LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy.
Denise Holston, an extension nutrition specialist, received the Floyd S. Edmiston award. Holston leads statewide community nutrition education and obesity prevention programs. Her work focuses on implementing a public health approach to obesity prevention in rural areas.
Raj Singh, director of the AgCenter Plant Diagnostic Center, is the recipient of the Extension Excellence Award. Singh is known as the “plant doctor” for helping industry professionals, AgCenter agents and home gardeners identify solutions to their plant health problems.
The G & H Seed Company Inc. Research Award recognizes a researcher who has conducted exemplary work during the past five years. Daniel Swale, an entomologist helping battle tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, received this award. Swale has built a nationally and internationally recognized program of research in insect physiology and toxicology.
The AgCenter turfgrass management program was awarded the Denver T. and Ferne Loupe Extension Team Award. Team members include Ronald Strahan, Raj Singh, Stacia Davis Conger, Kayla Sanders, Jeff Beasley and Dennis Ring, who died in 2020.
The team wrote 80 extension publications for the Louisiana Home Lawn Series and launched new webpages in 2020. Members were already developing digital content before COVID-19 accelerated the need for online information delivery. The team also produced best management practice guides and worked directly with clientele.
The Tipton Team Award went to a group studying nutrition, gut health and microbiomes. The team is made of up of Michael Keenan, Claudia Husseneder, Subramaniam Sathivel, Ann Raggio, Diana Coulon, Ingeborg Langohr, Rhett Stout, Kayanush Aryana and Brian Marx, who died last month.
This team’s research is aimed at understanding what food components contribute to a healthier gut to improve overall health. The team has done extensive studies on resistant starch.
Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, received the Global Network Award for his international accomplishments involving 44 universities in 18 countries.
John Sonnier, a research farm specialist at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, received the Ganelle Bullock Outstanding Service Award.
Chardcie Verret, a research associate at the Audubon Sugar Institute, was named the winner of the Outstanding Service Award for Associates.
Service awards were presented to two faculty members for their years of service on the editorial board of Louisiana Agriculture magazine editorial board. They were Yan Chen, a horticulture researcher and professor in the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, and Kevin Ringelman, an associate professor in the LSU School of Renewable and Natural Resources.
Michael Deliberto was honored as the author of the Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Article of the Year for his article on industrial hemp in Louisiana in the magazine’s summer issue.
P. Lynn Kennedy, department head and professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, received the Sedberry Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher.
Rodrigo Diaz, associate professor in the Department of Entomology, received the Sedberry Award for Outstanding Graduate Teacher.
Ashley Long received the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Teaching Award. Long is an assistant professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources.