QCNR 2021 Awards Recipients
Message from the Associate Dean

Claudia Radel, Associate Dean, QCNR
Congratulations to all the recipients of S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) Awards for 2021!
Our awards seek to recognize the efforts of members of our QCNR community across all our roles within the College and at the University. QCNR students, staff, and faculty excel in so many ways, and the decisions made by the college awards committee that I chair are often difficult. I thank the other members of that committee (Janice Brahney, Becky Hirst, Karin Kettenring, Sarah Klain, and Doug Ramsey) for their careful deliberations.
With these awards we celebrate the successes and achievements of individuals in our QCNR community, especially over the last year, but we also come together to celebrate our collective resilience. These awards signal not only the hard work of the award recipients; they also signal our collective hard work to keep teaching well and to keep learning well in the face of new challenges. They recognize that our Research, Extension, and Service programs persisted. Although many of our doors literally closed for periods of time, the business of the College went on and thrived in new ways.
It is my great honor to recognize our award recipients for 2021 but also to thank all our students, staff, and faculty for everything you did in 2020.
Best regards,
Claudia Radel
Associate Dean, QCNR
QCNR Awards Recipients
Jim Lutz | QCNR Researcher of the Year
This award recognizes excellence in research, scholarship or creative activity over the past 3 years.
Mark Chynoweth | QCNR Teacher of the Year
The QCNR Teacher of the Year Award is given each year to recognize and emphasize excellence in teaching.
Edd Hammill | QCNR Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year
The QCNR Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award is given each year to recognize and emphasize excellence in academic mentoring.
Tal Avgar | QCNR Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year
This award recognizes the outstanding faculty as mentors of undergraduate researchers.
Janice Brahney | QCNR Graduate Mentor of the Year
The purpose of the QCNR Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award is to recognize faculty excellence in the complex process of mentoring graduate students to prepare them for productive careers.
Joanna Endter-Wada | QCNR Faculty University Service Award
The QCNR Faculty University Service Award is given each year to recognize and emphasize excellence in service to the operations and governance of the University.
Chase Lamborn | QCNR Staff Researcher of the Year
The Staff Researcher of the Year is recognized for his or her accomplishments over the past year.
Melanie Conrad | QCNR Employee of the Year
The Employee of the Year Award is given annually to recognize an outstanding classified or professional employee in the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources.