Ed Deckard, NDSU professor of plant sciences, has been selected to receive the 2020 Mary McCannel Gunkelman Award. Avirtual award ceremony hosted by the NDSU Staff Senate was held Oct. 15.
The annual honor recognizes the NDSU student, staff member, administrator or faculty member who has made the most significant and unselfish contribution to creating a happy campus environment for students.
Deckard has been nominated a total of nine times for the honor. This year, he was nominated by six students.
“Ed genuinely cares about his students dearly and has a lot of understanding for them when questions arise,” said sophomore Cole Rasmusson, who is majoring in agricultural economics. “He always tells his students to come to him with his ‘open door’ policy if they have trouble of any kind. He will sit with you and help you through your tough time relating to class or not – he will be there for you. He is truly a dedicated professor.”
Landon Sprague, a junior majoring in crop and weed sciences, said, “The nominee is a very kind and fun professor who I can see has touched the lives of many students. He has made campus a much happier place through his attitude and fun class activities.”
Deckard, who is the plant sciences and horticulture graduate programs coordinator, joined the NDSU faculty in 1970. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana and his doctorate in agronomy and crop physiology from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
He was chosen from a list of 46 nominees to receive the 32nd annual award. The other nominees include:
Students
Katelyn Long, College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources
Runhao Wang, Department of Plant Sciences graduate student
Alayna Osterman, College of Business
Ben Anderson, College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources
Cameron Dahlin, College of Engineering
Cole Hanson, College of Business
Hailey O’Conner, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science
Larissa Feiring, College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources
Michaela Wood, College of Science and Mathematics
Nick Hendricks, College of Human Sciences and Education
Shelby Grabanski, College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources
Faculty
Adam Marx, School of Education
Carl Dahlen, AES Animal Sciences
Charles Stevens, Department of Management and Marketing
Cheryl Wachenheim, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics
David Buchanan, Dean’s Office, Agriculture
David Englund, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Erika Berg, Department of Animal Sciences
Frayne Olson, Extension Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Jeanne Hageman, Department of Modern Languages
James Caton, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Jess Jung, Department of Theatre Arts
Katherine Tulibaski, Department of Management and Marketing
Leretta Smith, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Marc Baur, AES Animal Sciences
Maxx Kurekzko, Department of Mathematics
Saleem Shaik, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Teri Undem, School of Pharmacy
Staff
Adam Mead, NDSU Athletics
Betsy Carter, Student Success Programs
Brenda Deckard, Department of Plant Sciences
James Kirsch, AES Animal Sciences
James Moos, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Jennifer Carney, AES Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Jerie Little, Department of Microbiological Sciences
Jodie Haring, School of Pharmacy
Jordan DiPalma, Memorial Union programming and student activities
Julie Bietz, AES Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Kali Christianson, Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth
Kristi Weston, Dean’s Office, College of Health Professions
Nichole Askew, Memorial Union programming and student activities
Stacey Nicklaus, NDSU Dining
Susan Council, Dean’s Office, College of Business
Tayt Rinehardt, Dean’s Office, College of Business
Wendy Bauman, student activities office
The award was established by the Gunkelman family to honor the memory of Mary McCannel Gunkelman, a1942 graduate of NDSU. The award continues her belief that students are more likely to attain their full potential if they are working and living in an enjoyable environment.
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