CFAES Award Recipients from Academic Programs
Rodney F. Plimpton Distinguished Early Career Teacher Award
Joe Raczkowski
Joe received his Ph.D. in evolution, ecology, and organismal biology from The Ohio State University in 2008, began lecturing for the Department of Entomology in 2009, and was promoted to assistant professor of professional practice in 2016. Dr. Raczkowski serves the department as instructor for several courses, coordinating academic advisor, internship coordinator, advisor to the undergraduate entomology student organization (Chrysalis), coach of the Entomology Games Team, and recruiter. Dr. Raczkowski emphasizes scientific literacy in his courses, and he has collaboratively developed scientific literacy modules for inclusion in other entomology courses. In 2024, Dr. Raczkowski received the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching at The Ohio State University.
Distinguished Teacher Award
Stephen Boyles
Stephen is a professor in the CFAES Department of Animal Sciences. He has primarily taught the contemporary issues class and has also taught the department’s 3130 animal nutrition course several times. He has had the lead in capstone and career classes. Dr. Boyles is a STEP mentor. He has been an advisor for the Saddle and Sirloin Club and the Epsilon Sigma Phi sorority. He has been invited by the university to do workshops for incoming GTAs on teaching techniques. He is a past recipient of the Ohio State Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. Currently, he is working with Ohio State Libraries personnel in converting two Canvas courses to a format suitable for the Ohio State Knowledge Bank.
Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer Award
Bruce Ackley
Bruce’s career in agriculture has been a lifelong pursuit that started growing up working as the fourth generation on his family’s farm in Marion County. Continuing that pursuit, Bruce enrolled at The Ohio State University to earn a degree in agronomy. To his own surprise, at the time, instead of returning home to the farm, he chose to stay at Ohio State to earn a master’s degree, which ultimately led him to his current position as a lecturer in HCS. Bruce has had the privilege of teaching at Ohio State since the fall of 2006. Through years of outstanding mentorship by senior faculty, positive feedback from students, and tremendous support from the department, Bruce has only been able to improve as an educator each year. Being a teacher at Ohio State is a dream job, and he is living the dream every day.
Distinguished Undergraduate Academic Advisor/Mentor Award
Megan Meuti
Megan graduated from The Ohio State University in 2004 with dual B.S. degrees in entomology and microbiology. She then continued her graduate work at Ohio State while working in Dr. David Denlinger's Insect Molecuar Physiology Lab and earning a Ph.D. in December 2014. Megan taught general biology as well as courses on insect biology for science and non-science majors at Kenyon College for one year before returning to Ohio State as an assistant professor of entomology in 2016. Dr. Meuti's interests and expertise include insect molecular physiology and mosquitoes and other insect disease vectors.