CALS Alumni & Friends Awards
2009 Award of Distinction
Donald T. Bennink
Donald T. Bennink, a Cornell University alumnus and lifelong dairy enthusiast, is a strong advocate for the land grant system and IFAS mission. Bennink is a managing partner of North Florida Holsteins, a 7,400-head operation he helped found in 1980. Through North Florida Holsteins, Bennink has cultivated a unique relationship with the UF Department of Animal Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine. This relationship has led to a sizable number of cows available for graduate and faculty research projects ranging from reproduction and nutrition to postpartum herd health and heat stress. Bennink allows onsite training of veterinary medicine students, has hosted hundreds of international interns and has consulted in 23 countries. He serves on numerous industry boards, including Southeast Milk Inc., International Dairy Foods Association and Dairy Farmers Inc. Bennink has served on the CVM Advisory Council and assisted with the process of merging the UF animal and diary sciences departments. He resides in Bell with his wife Marianne and was nominated by UF Department of Animal Sciences Chair Geoff Dahl.
Carrol Wayne Hawkins 
Carrol Wayne Hawkins earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in 1960 and has dedicated his 40-year career to helping Florida growers unite to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.
He organized cooperatives for Florida potato, sweet corn, radish, bean, strawberry and tomato growers and for a dozen out-of-state commodities. Hawkins sold fertilizer and pesticides for two years, managed the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association Production and Marketing Division for more than 12 years, and served as the Florida Tomato Committee Manager for more than 25 years.
He volunteered with Florida 4-H and FFA, encouraging youth to pursue careers in agriculture. In 1984, Hawkins was selected by the National Academy of Sciences to represent the U.S. tomato industry on 16-day goodwill mission to China. In 1999, his friends established the Wayne Hawkins Agricultural Scholarship Fund in his honor to support UF students majoring in food and resource economics. And, in 2007, he was inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame. Hawkins resides in Orlando with his wife Carole and was nominated by his son Drew.
H. E. "Ed" Jowers
H. E. "Ed" Jowers earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education in 1964. He served in the U.S. Air Force for five years and was named an Outstanding Transportation Officer in 1968 and 1969 for his service in Southeast Asia. After separation from the Air Force, he returned to UF, earning a master's degree in 1972.
Jowers expanded the Suwanee County 4-H program and reached out to livestock producers in the area forming the North Florida Regional Swine Producers Association. He helped Madison County soybean farmers significantly improve yields through his demonstration plots to intorduce better varieties, IPM, nematode management and conservation tillage. Jowers became known for his expertise in peanuts in Jackson County and, under his leadership, a new agricultural office complex with a state-of-the-art conference facility was constructed.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Florida Association of County Agriculture Agents Hall of Fame. Jowers retired in 2008, following a 37-year career with Extension. He resides in Marianna with his wife Sally and was nominated by former IFAS Senior Vice President Jimmy G. Cheek.
2009 Horizon Award
Sharon M. Spann
Sharon Spann earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from UF in agricultural education and communication in 2000 and 2002, respectively.
She was raised in Okeechobee and resides in Tallahassee where she is employed with the Florida House of Representatives, specifically representatives Jennings, Mealor and Dorworth. Spann is the primary legislative researcher and analyst for each representative, working closely with lobbyists and legislative staff to help guide legislation through the process.
A former CALS Ambassador, Spann was a member of the CALS Alumni and Friends Board of Directors from 2005 to 2008. She is an active volunteer for Florida 4-H and FFA and received the 2005 Walter B. Arnold, Jr. Youth Hall of Fame Award for 4-H alumni. Spann joined the Florida 4-H Foundation Board of Directors in 2004 and serves as treasurer of this group. She is a past president of Florida Agri-Women and has served on the Central Florida Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Board of Directors. Spann was nominated by Debbie S. Clements and O. Patrick Miller.
2009 CALS Alumni & Friends Scholarship
Benjamin Anderson
Benjamin Anderson, an entomology and nematology senior from High Springs, transferred to UF from Santa Fe College in 2008. While attending SFC, he was very active in student government, including serving as SFC Student Senate President and as the director of legislative staff for the Florida Junior/Community College Student Government Association. Anderson was inducted into the SFC Hall of Fame in 2008, an honor given to only one percent of one percent of the total student body. He currently serves on the leadership team for UF Christian Campus House and as Entomology Club President. Anderson has participated in several mission trips, most recently four weeks in Mozambique, Africa. This summer, he also worked as a student intern for the Christian Campus House Ministry. Following graduation, Anderson plans to attend medical school with the goal of traveling abroad to conduct medical mission work in impoverished countries, providing healthcare to people that otherwise would not be able to receive it. He is the son of Michael and Jeanne Anderson of Lake City.
Zachary Hirsch
Zachary Hirsch, a microbiology and cell science senior, has maintained a 4.0 grade point average at UF. He is a member of the American Student Dental Association and volunteers at ACORN Dental Clinic, assisting dentists in providing low-cost care to low-income families in rural north central Florida. Hirsch works in Dr. Richard Lamont’s research lab, gaining hands-on experience working with the bacterium most strongly associated with human periodontal disease. He is a teaching assistant in the microbiology lab, a conversation partner for a student from another country and a CALS Honors Program Student Advisor. Hirsch also participates in the Chemistry Club Outreach Program, facilitating science labs for fifth and sixth grade students. In 2008, he completed a dental mission trip to Costa Rica and received an honors study abroad scholarship to spend six weeks in Valencia, Spain, learning the language and culture. Hirsch plans to attend dental school and would like to someday return to school as a professor of dentistry. He is the son of Robin Hirsch of Wellington.
Christopher Marth
Christopher Marth, a microbiology and cell science and chemistry senior from Port Orange, came to UF as a National Merit Scholar and has maintained a 4.0 grade point average. Marth was recognized in 2008 with a Wentworth Freshman Scholarship and in 2009 as a Goldwater Scholar in Mathematics, Science and Engineering. Marth performs independent research under the guidance of Dr. Margaret O. James in medicinal chemistry, investigating the metabolism of Triclosan, a common antimicrobial agent, by catfish. He also works under the guidance of Dr. Ronald K. Castellano in organic chemistry to develop donor-acceptor molecules that self-assemble in solution and effectively transport charge. Marth participated in the UF Undergraduate Honors Program and is a member of the Student Honors Organization. He is also a member of the Chemistry Club and Golden Key Honors Organization. Marth plans to pursue Ph.D. work in total natural synthesis and to work in the pharmaceutical industry to create new antimicrobial compounds. He is the son of Charles and Kimberly Marth of Palm City.
Click here to learn more about nominating an individual for the award of distinction or the horizon award. Nominations are due Jan. 19, 2010.