The CFAES Alumni Society sponsors an annual awards program to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions throughout their careers.
Nominations
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Alumni Awards! The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2026.
If you are interested in nominating an individual for the 2026 CFAES Alumni Awards, criteria are available here.
To nominiate an individual for the 2026 CFAES Alumni Awards, please complete the online nomination form.
Alumni Award Categories
- Meritorious Service Award: This award publicly recognizes non-alumni and/or alumni of the college who have been singularly significant in CFAES' quest for excellence.
- Distinguished Alumni Award: This award publicly recognizes those who have brought distinction to themselves and the college at-large through their participation, commitment, and leadership.
- International Alumni Award: This award is presented to outstanding international College alumni representing, supporting, and promoting CFAES and Ohio State around the globe.
- Young Professional Achievement Award: This award recognizes alumni for their early professional accomplishments. It provides recognition for these individuals and serves as a stimulus toward further efforts by younger alumni. Nominees are to be 35 years of age or younger at the time of receiving the award.
Past Honorees
(Please note that individuals are not eligible for any award that they previously were awarded)
FAQ's
- Meritorious Service Award: This award publicly recognizes non-alumni and/or alumni of the college who have been singularly significant in CFAES' quest for excellence.
- Distinguished Alumni Award: This award publicly recognizes those who have brought distinction to themselves and the college at-large through their participation, commitment, and leadership.
- International Alumni Award: This award is presented to outstanding international College alumni representing, supporting, and promoting CFAES and Ohio State around the globe.
- Young Professional Achievement Award: This award recognizes alumni for their early professional accomplishments. It provides recognition for these individuals and serves as a stimulus toward further efforts by younger alumni. Nominees are to be 35 years of age or younger at the time of receiving the award.
Individuals remain in the applicant pool for 3 years. If not awarded within that time, the nomination will expire and no longer be eligible for award, unless the nominator chooses to update and resubmit the nomination.
- Your nominee's contact information
- Your contact information
- Your nominating statement containing no more than 1,700 characters (including spaces)
- No more than two pages of supporting documents. These can be in resume or letter-of-recommendation form, and they are strongly encouraged in order to help your nominee during the selection process.
- Meritorious Service Award: This award publicly recognizes non-alumni and/or alumni of the college who have been singularly significant in CFAES' quest for excellence.
Criteria for this award:
- Nominees must have benefited the university and/or CFAES in any one of the following ways: (a) financial contribution; (b) considerable personal time and service contributed; or (c) influential assistance contributed by virtue of position or responsibility.
- Nominees must be living at the time of selection.
- Previous recipients of the Young Professional Achievement Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award are eligible for the Meritorious Service Award. Previous recipients of the Meritorious Service Award are not eligible for a second award. Present members of the faculty and staff of the university, members of the board of directors of alumni societies in agriculture, or natural resources are ineligible.
- Distinguished Alumni Award: This award publicly recognizes those who have brought distinction to themselves and the college at-large through their participation, commitment, and leadership.
Criteria for this award:
- Nominees should have an A.A.S., A.S., B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. from the college. A diversity of degree levels should be represented by recipients.
- Nominees should have demonstrated at least one of the following: (a) achievement and excellence in their profession; (b) significant interest and contribution to the programs of the college or university; or (c) leadership in community programs.
- Nominees need not be contributing members of the alumni societies in agriculture, natural resources, ATI, or The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
- Recipients will represent a broad base of career vocations including, among others: business, education, government, production agriculture, environment, consumer, and community service.
- Present members of the faculty and staff of the university, present members of the board of directors for alumni societies in agriculture or natural resources and previous recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award are ineligible.
- Nominees must be living at the time of selection.
- International Alumni Award: This award is presented to outstanding international College alumni representing, supporting, and promoting CFAES and Ohio State around the globe.
Criteria for this award:
- Nominees should hold an A.A.S., A.S., B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. from the college.
- Nominees must be nationally recognized in their home country in their area of expertise.
- Nominees should bring recognition to their department, the college, the school, or ATI and The Ohio State University by the position held in their profession.
- Recipients must be living at the time of selection.
- Recipients need not be present to accept this award, but are encouraged to attend if possible.
- Young Professional Achievement Award: This award recognizes alumni for their early professional accomplishments. It provides recognition for these individuals and serves as a stimulus toward further efforts by younger alumni. Nominees are to be 35 years of age or younger at the time of receiving the award.
Criteria for this award:
- Nominees should hold an A.A.S., A.S., B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. from the college and not be older than 35 years of age prior to January 1 of the year in which the award is presented. A diversity of degree levels should be represented by recipients.
- If individuals nominated are older than 35 at the time of nomination, they will be automatically placed in the Distinguished Alumni Award category.
- Recipients should represent a broad base of professional careers, including among others: business, education, government, production agriculture, environment, consumer and community service.
- Nominees should have demonstrated at least one of the following: (a) achievement indicating outstanding progress and a promising future in their professional career; (b) support of their chosen profession, department, school or institute of graduation and/or College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; or (c) involvement and leadership in community activities.
- Nominees need not be contributing members of the alumni societies in agriculture, natural resources, or members of The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
- Present members of the faculty and staff of the university, members of the board of directors of alumni societies in agriculture, natural resources, and previous recipients of the Young Professional Achievement Award are ineligible.
- Nominees must be living at the time of selection.
No, individuals must be living at the time that they are selected for the award.
If an individual is or turns older than 35 years old while nominated for the Young Professional Achievement Award, their nomination will automatically be transferred to the Distinguished Alumni Award category. They will remain in the pool for the Distinguished Alumni Award for 3 full years, if not selected.
CFAES alumni who volunteer as members of the CFAES Alumni Society Board read each nomination and select the award winners.