ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences presents awards to faculty, staff

AMES, Iowa - The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University presented annual awards to faculty and staff at its spring semester convocation on February 16. Award winners include:

Lara Moody, extension program specialist with the agricultural and biosystems engineering department, received the Professional and Scientific Outstanding New Professional Award. Since October 2004, Moody has coordinated and managed projects for the department's Agricultural Waste Management Team, which includes preparing proposals, coordinating team members, planning projects, managing budgets and analyzing and disseminating results. She also manages and lectures at extension short course and outreach programs.

Stephanie Jung, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, received the Early Achievement in Research Award. Jung's research program is focused on soybean processing methods that are innovative and environmentally friendly. Her techniques produce safer, more nutritious foods that use less energy to produce. She came to Iowa State in 2001 as a postdoctoral research associate and became an assistant professor in 2004.

This Team Award was presented to the Aqueous Soybean Processing Research Team in the food science and human nutrition department. The team's director is Larry Johnson, director of the Center for Crops Utilization Research. Members from the food science and human nutrition department include: Charles Glatz, professor; Stephanie Jung, assistant professor; Patricia Murphy, University Professor; Michael Spurlock, professor; Cheryll Reitmeier, professor; and Tong Wang, associate professor. Team member Deland Myers moved from the department to take a position at North Dakota State University. The team partnered with Iowa's enzyme manufacturer Genecor International and soybean processor West Central Cooperative to develop and commercially adopt new processing technologies. These new and environmentally friendly technologies use water and enzymes to extract oil for food or biodiesel uses. The process eliminates petroleum-derived hexane, a highly flammable, expensive and hazardous pollutant. The team's scientific advances will help meet the world's increasing needs for food and fuel while conserving the planet's resources.