Lana Koepke Johnson | Agronomy and Horticulture
Ten Department of Agronomy and Horticulture doctoral students were honored with fellowships and awards from the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Division, Water for Food Daugherty Global Institute and Crop Science Society of America.
Anthony Amori and Hafith Furqoni received the John and Louise Skala Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Award. This award recognizes exceptional graduate students engaged in research in areas relating to new industrial uses of agricultural products. Amori, advised by Haishun Yang and William Kranz, is specializing in soil and water science. Furqoni is specializing in crop physiology and production and is advised by John Lindquist.
Balpreet Kaur Dhatt was awarded a Nebraska Center for Biotechnology Milton E. Mohr Fellowship award for 2021–2022. This award was established in 1989 and recognizes outstanding undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences of biotechnology and engineering based on their academic performance and potential for accomplishments in their specific field. Dhatt, advised by Harkamal Walia, is specializing in plant breeding and genetics.
Fernanda Krupek and Jaspinder Singh were awarded the CASNR Milton Mohr Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded to full-time master’s and doctoral students for teaching in the departments of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering, Agronomy and Horticulture, Animal Science, Food Science and Technology, and Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Krupek, advised by Andrea Basche, is specializing in crop physiology and production. Singh is specializing in plant breeding and genetics and is advised by Paul Staswick.
Rituraj Khound received the Hardin Trust Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded to outstanding graduate students and supports research in plant physiology with particular emphasis on genetic mechanisms influencing plant responses to stress conditions. Khound, advised by Dipak Santra, is specializing in plant breeding and genetics.
Dhatt and Deepak Ghimire received the Widaman Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Award. This award is for graduate students with high scholastic merit and research potential conducting basic research in agriculture. Ghimire is specializing in soil and water science and is advised by Bijesh Maharjan.
Krupek received a 2021 Heuermann Plant Science Fellowship. The award recognizes doctoral program students for excellence in plant science research and for potential for accomplishments in the field.
Krupek was also awarded a Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science. This annual award is presented to a meritorious graduate student in crop science for outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service and research.
Caleb Wehrbein was awarded The Mary and Charles C. Cooper/Emma I. Sharpless Fellowship for high scholastic and career potential. Wehrebein, advised by Sam Wortman, is specializing in horticulture.
Amori, Ghimire, Krupek, Gonzalo Rizzo and Arshdeep Singh received the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute Graduate Student Support. Initiated in 2014, this grant program supports interdisciplinary faculty research while enriching the education of students. Students work with faculty on projects that contribute to the institute’s mission and have a lasting impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources. The following received this award.
- Amori works with Yang on the project – WaterSmart: A cyberinfrastructure-based integrated agro-geoinformatic decision-support web service system to facilitate informed irrigation decision-making.
- Ghimire works with Maharjan on the project – Optimizing Nitrogen Management in Furrow-Irrigated Corn Field to Increase Grain Yield and Ensure Groundwater Quality.
- Krupek works with Basche on the project – Assessing site-specific impacts of cover crops on water cycling using high-resolution imagery and ground-based data.
- Rizzo works with his advisor, Patricio Grassini, on the project – Has irrigated corn in Nebraska reached a yield plateau?
- Arshdeep Singh works with Iqbal on the project – Optimizing Nitrogen and Water Inputs for Corn Based on Nitrate Leaching.
For a complete list of 2021 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture student award recipients, see https://agronomy.unl.edu/graduate-student-awards.
