Two North Dakota State University Animal Sciences faculty were honored at the Midwest American Society of Animal Science/American Dairy Science Association annual meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, in mid-March.

Kim Vonnahme, an associate professor and co-director of NDSU’s Center for Nutrition and Pregnancy, was named the Outstanding Young Animal Scientist in the research category. She was honored for her achievements in developing a nationally recognized research program in the reproductive physiology area.

“I am truly honored for this recognition,” Vonnahme says. “NDSU is a great place to be. I appreciate the collaborative relationships and outstanding facilities that have enabled the development of a strong research program.”

Associate professor Sarah Wagner was named the Outstanding Young Animal Scientist in the teaching category. She was recognized for her achievements in developing the Large Animal minor in NDSU’s Veterinary Technology Program. The Outstanding Young Animal Scientist Award recognizes scientists with 10 years or less of service in their professional careers.

“I am most grateful for this award, particularly as the award is based, in part, on evaluation by the students themselves,” Wagner says. “It is wonderful to receive this recognition from my peers in the field of animal science. I hope I can continue to teach in a way that will benefit my students, NDSU, and the fields of animal science and veterinary technology.”

Vonnahme joined the NDSU Animal Sciences Department faculty in 2004 and was named co-director of the Center for Nutrition and Pregnancy in 2009.

“Dr. Vonnahme has established a well-recognized research program in her short time at NDSU,” says Greg Lardy, Animal Sciences Department head. “She will continue to be a leader in the area of interactions that occur between the mother and the developing fetus.”

Wagner also joined the Animal Sciences Department in 2004.

“Dr. Wagner is an outstanding teacher,” Lardy says. “Her efforts to develop a Large Animal minor in our Veterinary Technology major are paying dividends for students and veterinary practices around the country.”

Also during the meeting in Des Moines, Bryan Neville, an NDSU graduate, and Allison Meyer an NDSU doctoral student, received the Animal Science Young Scholar Award. It recognizes students who recently completed or are in the process of completing their Ph.D. program.

Neville graduated in December and recently joined NDSU’s Central Grasslands Research Extension Center near Streeter as its animal scientist. Meyer will complete her Ph.D. this summer and join the faculty at the University of Wyoming.

They were invited to give a 30-minute presentation during the ASAS/ADSA meeting on the research they conducted as part of their Ph.D. program.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - March 29, 2011