Four individuals were recognized for their service to Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources in 2021.
Dr. Reuben Goforth, associate professor of aquatic ecosystems, received the William L. Hoover Faculty
Service Award.
Goforth came to Purdue FNR in 2007 as an assistant professor of aquatic community ecology and was promoted to associate professor in 2014. Goforth serves on several committees within FNR, acting as the chair of the curriculum committee and also serving on the assistant professor promotions committee and student awards committee and coordinating PASA. He also serves on the College of Agriculture curriculum and student relations committee and awards committee. On the university level, he is a mental health first aid instructor and also serves on the advisory committee on equity.
"I enthusiastically nominated Dr. Reuben Goforth for the 2021 FNR service awards because he has consistently been among the leaders on the FNR faculty in his service to the department and college through committee service," department chair Dr. Bob Wagner said.
Previously, Goforth was recognized as an outstanding undergraduate counselor by both FNR (2017, 2019) and the College of Agriculture (2019), while also earning numerous teaching and research awards.
Postgraduate research assistant Bee Redfield was named as the Exemplary Graduate Student.
Redfield came to Purdue in January 2020 to complete her Ph.D. research on native bird species that act as seed dispersal agents in native forest restoration in Hawaii. Due to the pandemic, she adjusted her research to a project on the Channel Islands in California, where she is studying the behavior of scrub jays.
Since her arrival in West Lafayette, Redfield has been very engaged within the department as a graduate student representative and through other service activities. She helped natural resources lab coordinator Cortney Mycroft retrofit the vertebrate ecology lab courses for online delivery and create a new online course, Plants of Midwest Habitats, which was offered during the summer of 2020. Redfield also has been active with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Justice Committee and department diversity initiatives in general. She recently accepted a fellowship through the Provost's Office of Engagement, in which she will work on service-learning programs, community engagement, strategic communications and the web presence for the office. In addition, she will also continue to act as a teaching assistant for FNR 38400 and the spring break trip to Costa Rica.
"Basically, Bee has thrown herself into all aspects of the department - teaching, research and engagement, in addition to serving on committees and task forces," said Dr. Barny Dunning, professor of wildlife ecology. "So far she has kept up with her commitments with excellent results."
Telaina Minnicus, lead administrative assistant to the department head, received the Outstanding
Clerical/Service Staff Member Award. Minnicus began working in FNR in July 2018, following a three-year stint in the Department of Food Science. She stepped into the lead administrative assistant role following the passing of Marlene Mann in the summer of 2021.
"Telaina has done an outstanding job serving FNR in her role as an administrative assistant," Wagner said. "I know she was the right-hand person helping Marlene Mann before her passing. She also stepped up in a big way filling in for Marlene after her death and eventually replacing her for the past year. Telaina brings a lot of energy and leadership to her position and is very deserving of this recognition."
Jackie Getson, research associate, and outreach coordinator/interim graduate program coordinator, was named as the Outstanding Administration/Professional Staff member. Getson took on the role of co-coordinator of the graduate program in the summer of 2020, and has spent the last 18 months improving the efficiency and accountability of the program and updating the processes, documentation and transparency of all issues relating to the program for both faculty and graduate students.
Getson also is the chair of the Data IQ committee and serves on the department's graduate committee, communications committee and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice committee.
"Much of what Jackie does for FNR falls under the category of "making the trains run on time", and as such, many of us in FNR are unaware of her efforts," graduate committee chair Mike Jenkins said in his nomination letter on behalf of the committee. "Jackie conducts graduate student audits to ensure that milestones are met and students stay on course to complete their degrees. She tirelessly advocates for graduate students and displays genuine concern and empathy when working with students of concern. With the isolation and uncertainty created by the pandemic, this has been a difficult, but critical, part of Jackie's job. Finally, Jackie has worked diligently to ease the transition between graduate committee chairs, an effort greatly appreciated by the current chair. When we think of how much she has done to promote the mission of this department through its graduate program, we are left with the impression that she greatly deserves our recognition."
A look at past FNR faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate award winners is here: FNR Awards.
William L. Hoover Exemplary Faculty Service Award
2021 – Reuben Goforth
2020 – Mike Jenkins
2019 – Eva Haviarova
2018 – Zhao Ma
2017 – Elizabeth Flaherty
2016 – Rob Swihart
2015 – Pat Zollner
2014 – Linda Prokopy
2013 – Rod Williams
2012 – Bill Hoover
Exemplary Graduate Student Service Award
2021 – Bee Redfield
2020 – Lizz Allmon
2019 – Brandon Quinby
2018 – Mysha Clarke
2017 – Laura D'Acunto
2016 – Randy Creaser
2015 – Casey Day
2014 – n/a
2013 – Joshua Shields
2012 – n/a
2011 – n/a
2010 – n/a
2009 – Katie Crosley
2008 – n/a
2007 – Guha Dharmarajan
2006 – Joseph Duchamp
2005 – Jeff Moore
Outstanding Clerical Staff Member
2021 – Telaina Minnicus
2020 – Jennifer Spitznagle
2019 – Andy Coursey
2018 – Jewel Yeager
2017 – Dawn Oliver
2016 – Tami Conn
2015 – Michael Loesch-Fries
2014 – Janie Gosewehr
2013 – Tracy Simmerman
2012 – Betty Barlow
2011 – Jennifer Spitznagle
2010 – n/a
2009 – Tracie Zimmerman
2008 – n/a
2007 – Kelly Garrett
2006 – Karen Schneider
2005 – Karen Schneider
2004 – Karen Schneider & Sandy Harvey
2003 – Ruby Pearson
2002 – Karen Schneider
2001 – Brian Beheler and Sandy Sorenson
Outstanding AP Staff Member
2021 – Jackie Getson
2020 – Matt Hamilton
2019 – Cortney Mycroft
2018 – Julie Pluimer
2017 – Brian Beheler
2016 – Don Carlson
2015 – Melissa Widhalm
2014 – Shelly Opperman
2013 – Diana Evans
2012 – Lenny Farlee
2011 – Brian MacGowan
2010 – Jennifer Meyer
2009 – Karen Schneider
2008 – n/a
2007 – Marcia Kremer
2006 – Rita McKenzie
2005 – Brian MacGowan
2004 – Rod Williams
2003 – Jane Alexander
2002 – Brian Beheler
2001 – Theresa Baker
2000 – John Seifert
