AGNR Team wins Excellence Award

From left to right: AGNR Dean Cheng-i Wei, IAA Director Glori Hyman and Associate Dean Leon Slaughter

Image Credit: Edwin Remsberg

April 4, 2013

IAA Director Glori Hyman, AGNR Dean Cheng-i Wei and Associate Dean Leon Slaughter were named as the 2013 team to receive the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Award of Excellence.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources received the Career and Technology Education (CTE) Reaching for the Goals Award of Excellence due in large part to the IAA’s work with CASE (Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education) and hosting two summer institutes.

“Three years ago when MSDE was adapting CASE, we met with them to determine ways we could help,” explains Hyman.   “We wanted to increase the rigor and relevance in high school agriculture programs, help teachers, and help prepare students for college and careers in agriculture.   Because of our strong ties with agriculture educators, the IAA led the effort to host a CASE Institute.”

The University of Maryland became a CASE affiliate thanks to the dedication of IAA Instructor Roy Walls who went through the CASE Institute to become an affiliate professor. “Roy worked daily—and non-stop—with the CASE participants while they were on campus,” says Hyman.  “If anything needed to be done, Roy took care of it.”

Hyman admits that hosting a CASE Institute was “a tremendous amount of work,” but she is proud of the accomplishment and appreciates the recognition MSDE has given the college by awarding it this prestigious award.  The AGNR team received the Reaching for the Goals Award of Excellence for helping the State reach its goals of increasing rigor in CTE education programs, providing professional development for teachers, and ensuring the programs meet industry standards.  Hyman, Wei and Slaughter will be recognized at MSDE’s Awards of Excellence Reception on April 23.

The IAA and AGNR continue to partner with MSDE’s Career Technology Education (CTE) to encourage high school students to pursue academic programs that lead into ag-related careers.  “Our goal is to help make the high school-to-college transition a little easier and smoother for students,” says Hyman.