After Dr. Keller’s retirement in 1979, faculty, friends, and industry established the Kenneth R. Keller Research Award Endowment in the Agricultural Foundation of North Carolina State University to honor his work for the University and North Carolina’s agricultural development. The income from this endowment is used to recognize excellence in doctoral dissertation research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Each department and interdepartmental graduate program offering the Ph.D. degree in CALS is eligible to nominate one individual from among their Ph.D. graduates or candidates who completed his or her thesis defense examination between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of that current year. Evaluations will be based on the quality of the work as presented in the thesis without prejudice to discipline within the college.
The committee to select the recipients of the Kenneth R. Keller Award consists of members of the Academy of William Neal Reynolds Professors. Committee members will be chosen after the nominations have been received to ensure some familiarity with the research areas. Each year the Kenneth R. Keller Research Award is made to the recipients at the Gamma Sigma Delta spring banquet.
Past Recipients – Last Five Years
- 2020 Mike Jones
- 2020 Charles Wagner
- 2019 Rebecca Poole
- 2018 DurreShahwar Muhammad
- 2017 Jeremy Howard
- 2017 Brad O’Dell
- 2016 Walter Sandoval
- 2015 Jiameng Zheng