Alumni & Hall of Fame Awards

Alumni & Hall of Fame Awards

2025 nomination portal open

Alumni and Hall of Fame Award 2024 receipients

Alumni Awards

Early Career Excellence Award

This award is for undergraduate or graduate alumni of the University of Nebraska’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering who have excelled and provided valuable leadership in their profession. Nominees should have up to 15 years of professional working experience, exclusive of graduate/professional school. Award recipients will be selected based on their demonstrated excellence, impact, and leadership within their respective fields. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged.

There are four Early Career Excellence Awards:

-Early Career Excellence Award for Undergraduate Alumni with a Biological Systems Engineering Degree

-Early Career Excellence Award for Undergraduate Alumni with an Agricultural Systems Technology Degree (previously known as Mechanized System Management)

-Early Career Excellence Award for Undergraduate Alumni with an Agricultural Engineering Degree

-Early Career Excellence Award for Graduate Alumni from the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and all graduate degrees affiliated with BSE

 

Nomination letters must address the following:

  • How the candidate has excelled in their profession; 
  • How the candidate has provided leadership in their community and profession; 
  • How the candidate has had a transformative impact on their chosen profession or stakeholders they serve. 

Selection of awardees will be centered on how the candidate has demonstrated: 

  • Excellence 
  • Impact 
  • Leadership 

 

Click here to nominate an alumni for the Early-Career Excellence Award.

Deadline for submission: July 1st, 2025

For questions about the early and mid-career awards, please contact Dr. Angie Pannier
 

Mid-Career Excellence Award

This award is for undergraduate or graduate alumni of the University of Nebraska’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering who have excelled and provided valuable leadership in their profession. Nominees should have between 15 and 25 years of professional working experience, exclusive of graduate/professional school. Award recipients will be selected based on their demonstrated excellence, impact, and leadership within their respective fields. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged.

There are four Mid-Career Excellence Awards:

- Mid Career Excellence Award for Undergraduate Alumni with a Biological Systems Engineering Degree

- Mid Career Excellence Award for Undergraduate Alumni with an Agricultural Systems Technology Degree (previously known as Mechanized System Management)

- Mid Career Excellence Award for Undergraduate Alumni with an Agricultural Engineering Degree

- Mid Career Excellence Award for Graduate Alumni from the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and graduate degrees affiliated with BSE

 

Nomination letters must address the following:

  • How the candidate has excelled in their profession; 
  • How the candidate has provided leadership in their community and profession; 
  • How the candidate has had a transformative impact on their chosen profession or stakeholders they serve. 

Selection of awardees will be centered on how the candidate has demonstrated: 

  • Excellence 
  • Impact 
  • Leadership 

 

Click here to nominate an alumni for the Mid-Career Excellence Award.

Deadline for submission: July 1st, 2025

For questions about the early and mid-career awards, please contact Dr. Angie Pannier
 

 

Early Career Excellence Award Recipients

  1. Aaron LaPointe

    2024 Early Career Excellence Award Recipient

  2. Ankit Chandra

    2024 Early Career Excellence Award Recipient

  3. Jonathan Zeger

    2024 Early Career Excellence Award Recipient

  4. Chad Carlson

    2024 Early Career Excellence Award Recipient

  5. Kurtis Charling

    2023 Early Career Excellence Award Recipient

  6. Dr. Pengfei Song

    2022 Early Career Excellence Award Recipient

Mid Career Excellence Award Recipients

  1. Christina O'Keefe

    2024 Mid Career Excellence Award Recipient

  2. Matt Helmers

    2024 Mid Career Excellence Award Recipient

  3. Nathan Mosier

    2024 Mid Career Excellence Award Recipient

  4. Kelly Brunkhorst

    2023 Mid Career Excellence Award Recipient

  5. Brian Magnusson

    2022 Mid Career Excellence Award Recipient

Hall of Fame Award

The Hall of Fame Award is awarded to graduates of the University of Nebraska's Department of Biological Systems Engineering and its predecessor (the Agricultural Engineering Department) and to others who have provided valuable leadership and made long-lasting impacts in academia, business, and/or government in the agriculture and biological engineering industry. Generally one or more Hall of Fame Awards are awarded annually.

Click here to nominate a Hall of Fame Award candidate 

Deadline for submission: July 1st, 2025

For questions about the Hall of Fame awards, please contact Dr.Mark Stone

 

two people holding an award smiling at the camera

Most recent Hall of Fame Inductee (s)

  1. Bradley Rein

    2204 Hall of Fame Award Recipient

  2. Trent Wiles

    2024 Hall of Fame Award Recipient

  3. Dr. Kathryn (Kitt) Farrell-Poe

    2023 Hall of Fame Award Recipient

  4. Dr. Dennis Schulte

    2023 Hall of Fame Award Recipient

  5. Dr. Jack Nienaber

    2022 Hall of Fame Award Recipient