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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Faculty from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences were named the first recipients of the Morrill Act Award during a campus event on Sunday.

The winners are Kirby Barrick, a professor and extension specialist in UF’s department of agricultural education and communication; Family Album Radio, a weekday radio program on family issues from the department of family, youth and community sciences; and faculty offering distance education programs in the department of microbiology and cell science.

The new award is in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, federal legislation that helped establish land-grant universities such as UF. Recipients are those whose work promotes the land-grant mission of education, outreach and research.

“I am honored to have been chosen,” Barrick said. “I am a product of the land-grant university system and have taught and been an administrator at three land-grant universities over the past 32 years.”

“The public university system that the Morrill Act created has been instrumental in the progress of our nation through access to higher education for all people,” he said. “To be affiliated with agriculture, the root of the Morrill Act, makes the award even more special.”

Microbiology and cell science department chair Eric Triplett said he appreciates the spotlight the award places on his department’s distance education program.

“I think it’s a great recognition for the work the faculty are doing to bring our program by distance to undergraduates who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get a science degree, especially from a major research university,” Triplett said.

Suzanna Smith, an associate professor and executive producer of Family Album Radio, called winning “thrilling.”

“It’s a significant year for land-grant universities, and we were selected as an excellent example of quality education based on research and outreach to the public,” Smith said. “That’s the essence of the land-grant university.”

The awards were announced during the Education Celebration, an event hosted by Florida Blue Key and part of the 2012 homecoming celebrations.

The winners will be recognized during the homecoming parade and the homecoming entertainment event, Gator Growl.

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Sources

Writer: Robert H. Wells, 352-273-3569; rhwells@ufl.edu

Contact: Hanna Gehr, 352-273-0829; hanna.gehr@ufhomecoming.org

Caption:

Top picture:

The winners of the Morrill Act Award are Kirby Barrick, a professor and extension specialist in UF’s department of agricultural education and communication; Family Album Radio, a weekday radio program on family issues from the department of family, youth and community sciences; and faculty offering distance education programs in the department of microbiology and cell science.

Bottom picture:

Faculty offering distance education programs in the UF/IFAS CALS department of microbiology and cell science were awarded with the first Morrill Act Award on Oct. 28, 2012, as part of the year’s homecoming celebrations. Other recipients of the award for 2012 were Kirby Barrick, a professor and extension specialist in UF’s department of agricultural education and communication and Family Album Radio, a weekday radio program on family issues from the department of family, youth and community sciences.

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