Five innovative leaders at UGA were honored in the name of another innovator Oct. 3 when the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences had its annual D.W. Brooks Lecture and Faculty Awards for Excellence.
Brooks, founder of Gold Kist Inc. and Cotton States Mutual Insurance Companies, was an adviser on agriculture and trade issues to seven U.S. presidents.
Although he died in 1999, his promotion of agriculture lives on through those honored each year.
The 2006 winners are Allan M. Armitage, teaching; Joseph F. Frank, research; John P. Beasley, extension; Sandra F. McKinney, public service extension programs; and Anna V.A. Resurreccion, international agriculture. Each will receive $5,000.
Armitage, has evaluated garden plants in Montreal, Quebec; East Lansing, Mich.; and now Athens. Lately, his research focuses on using woody shrubs for the greenhouse and retail industry.
Frank, a CAES food science and microbiology professor, teaches food microbiology courses in the department of food science and technology. From 1999 to 2001, he served as interim head of the department.
Beasley, a UGA Cooperative Extension peanut agronomist, is based at the CAES Tifton campus. His applied research program focuses on peanut management and economically competitive production systems.
McKinney, the UGA Extension coordinator for Crisp County, has excelled in 4-H youth development. Her innovative educational programs have garnered state, national and international recognition.
Resurreccion developed a research program on ways to measure and quantify consumer preferences and the sensory quality of food. She uses this information to design, develop and optimize food products for global markets.
