The American Society of Animal Science has given Kim Vonnahme, an assistant professor in North Dakota State University’s Department of Animal Sciences, the Outstanding Young Teacher Award.

She received the award at the society’s Midwest annual meeting held March 15-17 in Des Moines, Iowa. Institutions may nominate only one person for the award each year.

The selection committee considers:

• Nominees’ ability to motivate and stimulate students
• The impression the nominees’ mastery of subject, technique, vision and attitude makes on students
• Evidence of the nominees’ interest in improving teaching
• Content and nature of the courses the nominees have taught, with emphasis on responsibilities in organizing teaching materials
• Nominees’ contributions to the course and ability to translate research findings into terms of useful practice
• Diversification of the nominees’ activities, such as student counseling; student training or placement; student club advising; research or Extension Service activities; and service to department, college or university committees
• Nominees’ extracurricular activities beyond normal teaching activities
• Nominees’ service to agriculture and related industries

Vonnahme joined NDSU’s Animal Sciences Department in 2003 to work as a research associate with professor Larry Reynolds. She became an assistant professor in 2004.

She has been the lead instructor for the Physiology of Reproduction course. She also has reformatted the Reproductive Management course. The course allows undergraduate students to interact with local livestock producers to address producer reproductive management concerns. In addition, she established a Research in Reproduction course, which allows undergraduate students to undertake an independent research project.

Vonnahme’s research programs focus on the impacts of maternal nutrition on fetal and placental development. She has published 34 journal articles, 89 abstracts and one book chapter and has been principal or co-principal investigator for more than $1.6 million in research.

NDSU Agriculture Communication