On Aug. 17, UT’s Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) hosted its annual Awards and Promotions Luncheon, recognizing top faculty, staff, researchers and experts from across campus as well as throughout the state of Tennessee. Many of these awards were made possible by donations and gifts from alumni of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), as well as from former faculty members.
“Each award presented has unique criteria established by our Institute leadership team, that’s consistent with the interests of the donors who fund these awards,” UTIA Chancellor, Tim Cross said. “The awards’ criteria are circulated widely, and an Institute awards committee is appointed to review nominations, and select award winners.”
Cross described determining who to select for these awards from the UTIA’s staff as, “very challenging due to the high quality of work conducted by our faculty and staff.”
“This challenge is further compounded by the relatively small number of awards that we have available to recognize the excellent work of the 1,700+ members of our UTIA workforce,” Cross said.
Cross became UTIA Chancellor in January 2017, after 23 years with UTIA in positions ranging from extension expert in agricultural economics to Interim Chancellor and Dean of the UT Extension, the component under UTIA which has a facility in every county in Tennessee that provides agricultural education and community outreach.
“Everyone has to eat, and the food we eat is provided by farmers who rely upon science and technology to provide a safe, abundant, affordable food supply to feed our nation, and help feed the world,” Cross said.
“The importance of agriculture research extends beyond food production,” Cross added. “Agricultural science also plays a big role in our health and the environment.”
Elizabeth Renfro, Family and Consumer Services Extension Agent for the UT Extension in Washington County, and recipient of this year’s Vernon and Ida Darter Award, agreed.
“I see more and more people each day in our community who want to know where their food comes from, how to prepare it, even how to preserve it,” Renfro said. “We have so many people in our area that come into our office to ask about starting a garden, or how to raise honeybees or to raise livestock.”
The Vernon and Ida Darter Award, named after the late Extension Dean and his wife, honors exceptional UT extension agents.
“It’s an honor to be recognized with the top professionals in the UTIA system, and the great work they have accomplished,” Renfro said.
However, Renfro attributes the success to teamwork.
“This award was not only my doing but a collaboration with my community partners and colleagues,” Renfro said. “I don’t think I would have gotten this award if it wasn’t for their help in [managing] the many programs I have in my county.”
Renfro also said that the job isn’t just about receiving awards.
“My favorite part of my job is being able to help those in my community to better not only themselves but also their family and friends,” Renfro said. “It’s always meaningful to run into someone that took one of your classes, and they thank you for the information, and that they shared that information with so many different people.
“In this job, I realized that even though you want to make a big splash it’s the ripples afterwards that make the greatest impact because they keep going and going long after your program or class is over,” Renfro added.
