Award Nominations Extended to March 21.

Another eventful year has passed.  Despite the hard-to-miss changes swirling about the USDA, the ever-present policy questions involving food, agriculture, and natural resources remain. The dedication and commitment of our colleagues matters now more than ever. It's time to celebrate their impact.

We are again calling on you to nominate outstanding economists for the USDA Economist Group Awards. These awards recognize outstanding contributions in policy development, research, education, and collaboration that advance the USDA mission.

Below are the award groups categories:

• The Economist of the Year: An individual award that honors exceptional recent work in policy analysis, education, or public outreach, shaping the USDA's mission through sound science and effective communication.

• The Fred Woods Award: For a lifetime of excellence in public policy research and education, this award recognizes sustained contributions that have shaped USDA's course over the years.

• The Bruce Gardner Award: This award celebrates academic and industry economists who have generously shared their expertise with the USDA, enriching programs and policies through their visiting roles.

• The John E. Lee Award: Teamwork is the backbone of success at the USDA. This award recognizes outstanding collaborative economic analysis that has provided a strong foundation for effective programs and policies.

Here is a link of past awardees: https://www.usdaeconomists.org/about-1

Nominating is easy.  Simply complete the attached nomination form and send to me (peyton.ferrier@usda.gov) by Friday, March 21th. A committee of economists from the USDA Economist Group will carefully evaluate all nominations and select the award recipients.  Recipients will be recognized at the annual awards meeting scheduled for April 24th at 3 pm in the Whitten Building .

Thanks,

Peyton Ferrier