This award was first presented as part of the 30 year anniversary of the founding of Cook College. Each department of the college was asked to nominate outstanding graduates of their advanced degree programs and awards were presented in each discipline. Awards in subsequent years will be limited in number.

2003 - Inaugural year

• Animal Science: H. Allen Tucker, M.S. 1960 and Ph.D. 1963
• Bioresource Engineering: Ajit K. Srivastava, M.S. 1969
• Food and Business Economics: Daniel Rossi, B.S. 1971 and M.S. 1973
• Food Science: Stacey Angela Zawel, Ph.D. 1994
• Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources: Carl Safina, M.S. 1981 and Ph.D. 1987
• Entomology: Sonny B. Ramaswamy, Ph.D. 1980
• Environmental Science: Richard T. Dewling, Ph.D. 1977
• Nutritional Science: Gilbert A. Leveille, M.S.D. 1968 and Ph.D. 1960
• Plant Biology: Dr. Richard R-C Wang, Ph.D. 1974

2005

• Environmental Science: A. Joel Kaplovsky, B.S. 1940, M.S. Ph.D.

2007

• Plant Pathology: Dr. Bruce B. Clarke, B.S. 1977, Ph.D. 1982

2008

• Environmental Design Analysis/Landscape Architecture: Dr. Roy H. DeBoer,  Ph.D. 1959

2009

• Environmental Sciences: Dr. Peter Strom,  M.S. 1975, Ph.D. 1978

 2010

• Soil Microbiology: Dr. H. Boyd Woodruff,  B.S. 1939, Ph.D. 1942

2011

• Environmental Sciences: Dr. Joseph Hunter,

2012

• Environmental Sciences: Dr. Prasert Chitapong,  Ph.D. 1983

 2013

• Environmental Sciences: Dr. Junfeng (Jim) Zhang, M.S. 1991, Ph.D. 1994

2014

• Entomology: Dr. George Hamilton, Ph.D. 1985
• Plant Biology & Pathology:  Dr. Wei Hua Wu, Ph.D. 1992

2015

• Agricultural Economics: Dr. Margaret Brennan-Tonetta, B.S. 1993, M.S. 1996, Ph.D. 2010
• Global Agricultural & Climate Change Impact Modeling: Dr. Cynthia Rozenzweig, B.S. 1980, M.S. 1983, Ph.D. 1991 (U Mass)
• Biotechnology: Dr. Jennie C. Hunter-Cevera,  B.A. 1970 and M.S. 1972 (WVU), Ph.D. 1978

2016

• Agricultural Economics:Robert H. Bruch, B.A. 1969, M.S. 1977
• Plant Science & Genetics: Dr. Chris Martine, B.S. 1996, M.S. 2001, Ph.D. 2006 (U Conn)
• Ecology & Evolutionary Biology: Dr. Terrie Williams,  B.A. 1976, M.S. 1979, Ph.D. 1981

2017

• Environmental Science: Dr. Anne Marie Grover, M.S. 1999, Ph.D. 2006
• Food and Business Economics, Gregory DiLalo,  B.A. 1977, M.S. 1979
• Food Science, Dr. Apostolos Pappas,  Ph.D. 1999

2018

• Forestry: Dr. Donald Knezick, B.S. 1996, Ph.D. 1984
• Ag Sciences and Horticulture, Dr. Gene McAvoy,  B.S. 1974, Ph.D. 1983
• Food Science, Dr. Robert Buchanan,  B.S. 1968, M.S. 1971, Ph.D. 1974