August/September 1996 Volume 5 Issue 1 NEBASA Awards UD Ag Professor, Students A UD College of Agricultural Sciences professor and two students swept the awards presented recently by the Northeastern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy. At a program held July 14 to 17 at Cornell University in Ithaca, N. Y., the three UD affiliates won three of the six awards given.  Dr. J. Thomas Sims, professor of soil and environmental chemistry in the department of plant and soil sciences, won the Research Award. As director of the Soil Testing Program, Sims has become a regional and national authority on soil testing and nutrient and waste management strategies. He has conducted extensive research in soil fertility and management, particularly related to Northeastern agricultural and environmental concerns. Since 1978 he has written 34 refereed publications, two books and two software programs, in addition to editing and contributing to numerous books and professional journals. Sims is an active member of the Soil Science Society and the American Society of Agronomy, both of which recently elected him as Fellow in recognition of his professional activities in research, teaching and service.
 Susan Erin O'Reilly, recipient of the Senior Student Award, graduated with honors and distinction from UD this spring with a major in environmental soil science and a minor in chemistry. According to her advisor Dr. Donald L. Sparks, Distinguished Professor and chair of the plant and soil sciences department, O'Reilly "is one of the most oustanding undergraduates whom I have known in my 17-year academic career." As an undergraduate, she conducted research with Sims that resulted in a refereed paper and a presentation at the 1994 NEBASA annual meeting. In her third year, O'Reilly received a prestigious and competitive Science and Engineering Research Internship from the Department of Energy to conduct research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In addition to her scholastic achievements, O'Reilly showed her leadership ability as an Ambassador for the college, recruiting students and giving talks to alumni, parents and prospective students. She has received a College of Agricultural Sciences Graduate Fellowship and will pursue graduate studies in environmental soil chemistry under Sparks' direction.
 John P. DiVincenzo, the Graduate Student Award winner, received his Ph.D. this year from the department of plant and soil sciences. DiVincenzo has established an excellent academic record during his student career at UD, receiving a bachelor's in biology, a master's in environmental engineering and a doctorate in environmental soil chemistry, during which he maintained a 4.0 GPA. As a graduate assistant, his research focused on the fate and mobility of organic contaminants in the environment. He has been an active and enthusiastic teaching assistant, has authored five publications in refereed journals and has given four presentations at national meetings. DiVincenzo's outstanding academic achievements helped earn him a faculty position in the department of chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University, where he will teach environmental chemistry.
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