Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Faculty Recognized for Mentorship

Ken Korth, head of the entomology and plant pathology department, left, and Fiona Goggin, professor of entomology, accept the 2024 Provost Award for Departmental Excellence. The award, which comes with an $8,000 prize, was presented by Anna Zajicek, vice provost for Faculty Affairs, and Terry Martin, far right, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas. Goggin conducts research through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and teaches courses through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. (U of A System photo)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers were recently recognized by the University of Arkansas Office of the Provost and the Office for Faculty Affairs for providing outstanding mentorship to their colleagues and for completing professional development programs.

Fiona Goggin, professor of entomology, and Kristen Gibson, professor of food safety and microbiology, received Outstanding Faculty Mentor Awards on April 10 at the Provost’s Faculty Recognition Reception during Faculty Appreciation Week. Gibson is also director of the Arkansas Center for Food Safety. The researchers teach courses through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

The Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award is sponsored by the Provost’s Office and given to faculty who were nominated by their peers and colleagues for serving as an outstanding mentor to other University of Arkansas faculty. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Provost’s departmental award

The entomology and plant pathology department received this year’s Provost Award for Departmental Excellence. Goggin said the award was for creation of a departmental mentoring program with committee members including Rupesh Kariyat, Austin Jones, Glenn Studebaker, Faith Cordes and Chandan Maurya. Goggin is chair of the committee.

The departmental award is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office for Faculty Affairs and comes with an $8,000 cash prize and trophy. Goggin accepted the award with Ken Korth, head of the entomology and plant pathology department. The award is given to the department or academic unit on campus “that best displays excellence in onboarding and mentoring of early-career and mid-career faculty, including tenure track and non-tenure track faculty.”

“Seeking and providing quality mentorship has a profound impact on both the mentee and the mentor,” said Anna Zajicek, vice provost for Faculty Affairs. “In working with others across campus, I continually hear amazing stories of how our faculty have supported each other as well as how mentorship positively affects our students.”

Zajicek also said the programs help faculty develop a successful career and provide mentorship to their graduate students and postdocs. She presented the awards alongside Terry Martin, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas.

Bridge Program completion

Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant professor and grain processing engineer in the food science department, was also recognized for completion of the Bridge Program.

The Bridge Program is sponsored by the Office for Faculty Affairs and the University of Arkansas Advance Engage grant to provide mentorship and onboarding resources to new faculty through a comprehensive teams-based approach. The program also allows new faculty to network with other faculty across departments and schools.

Kristen Gibson, center, professor of food safety and microbiology, was presented a 2024 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award by Anna Zajicek, left, vice provost for Faculty Affairs, and Terry Martin, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas. (U of A System photo)

For more photos from the event, check out our photo album.