Academics

College of Agricultural Sciences recognizes outstanding students

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Amy Kraus, an animal science major from Aliquippa, will receive the Outstanding Senior Award from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences at a reception prior to the college's commencement ceremony on May 10.

This award, sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Coaly Society, honors the senior who best balances outstanding academics, extracurricular activities, work experience and communication skills. Candidates are selected based on their resumes, grades, interviews and short essays.

A Schreyer Honors Scholar, Kraus will graduate with an expected grade point average of over 3.9. Throughout her Penn State career, she has been involved extensively in undergraduate research, practical work experiences and extracurricular activities.

As part of her honors thesis project in equine nutrition, she worked with faculty members at Penn State's Metabolomics Core Facility, where she prepared urine samples for gas and liquid chromatography and analyzed metabolite data.

Her experiences working at the Penn State Dairy Barns and at Brunton's Dairy in Aliquippa led her to pursue a career in the dairy industry. During spring break in 2014, Kraus completed a one-week externship in food-animal medicine, during which she shadowed veterinary students and specialists performing clinical examinations and surgeries.

To further develop her interest in dairy cattle, Kraus joined Dairy Science Club and was selected to be a member of Penn State’s Dairy Challenge Team that recently placed second at the national competition. She received the inaugural Commonwealth One Health Scholarship from the University of Pennsylvania to serve the Pennsylvania dairy industry as a veterinarian.

Throughout her childhood, Kraus was a member of 4-H, which helped her develop a strong passion for agriculture. This prompted her to join the Ag Advocate student organization and promote agricultural literacy as the 2015 Penn State Ag Day co-chair. She also developed a global view of agriculture through her study abroad experiences in France with an equine science class and in Italy with the Dairy Science Club.

In 2013-14, Kraus participated in the Emerging Leader Internship Program, in which she learned about the responsibilities of the college's administrative leadership team and worked with the associate dean for research and graduate education on a year-long project to organize the college's research strengths into four areas for effective communication.

A member of Block and Bridle, the Penn State Equine Research Team, Pre-Vet Club and the Coaly Society, Kraus has won numerous awards, honors and scholarships.

Other students recognized:

The College of Agricultural Sciences also will honor outstanding students in Golf Course Turfgrass Management, a two-year professional certificate program, and Forest Technology, a two-year academic major offered at Penn State Mont Alto.

--Morgan Robins, of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, will receive the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program Award. Robins graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in turfgrass management and worked at Legacy Ridge Golf Club. As part of the Penn State program, he completed an internship at the Capilano Golf and Country Club, where he will return following graduation to become environmental coordinator. His goal is to become a golf course superintendent.

--Aaron Lewis, of Hillsgrove, will receive the Forest Technology Program Award. Lewis will graduate from Penn State Mont Alto with an associate degree in Forest Technology and will continue his education next fall at the baccalaureate level in the College of Agricultural Sciences, with a dual major in BioRenewable Systems and Forest Ecosystem Management.

At the Mont Alto campus, Lewis has been president of the Forestry Club, a member of the soccer team and a member of the Woodsmen Team, which competes at the club-sport level. He is also this year's student representative on the Forest Technology Advisory Board. Last summer, he worked on a U.S. Forest Service trail crew on the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

 

Amy Kraus has been named the College of Agricultural Sciences' 2015 Outstanding Senior. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated May 5, 2015

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