Award Winner Photos

2012 Award Winners

The NAAIC presented awards to three outstanding members: Mark McCaslin, Forage Genetics International and Joe Bouton, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation were awarded Honorary Memberships for their outstanding career contributions to alfalfa improvement.

The conference also awarded graduate student travel grants to two students (Md Rokebul Anower, South Dakota University; Victoria Seitz, University of Wisconsin; ) who presented papers at the conference through the generosity of nine sustaining member companies. 

Mark McCaslin, Forage Genetics International Joe Bouton, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Md Rokebul Anower, South Dakota University Victoria Seitz, University of Wisconsin

2006 Award Winners

The NAAIC presented awards to three outstanding members: Bill Knipe, Forage Genetics International and Real Michaud, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada were awarded Honorary Memberships for their outstanding career contributions to alfalfa improvement.

Steve Temple received the R.R. Hill, Jr. Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to alfalfa research.

The conference also awarded graduate student travel grants to four students (Michael Wunsch, Cornell University; Julia Olmstead, Iowa State University; Muhammet Sakiroglu, Iowa State University; and Xuehui Li, Iowa State University) who presented papers at the conference through the generosity of nine sustaining member companies. 

North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference 2006 Awardees: (left to right) Bill Knipe, Real Michaud and Steve Temple.  Bill Knipe and Real Michaud received the NAAIC Honorary Membership Award and Steve Temple received the Richard R. Hill, Jr. Achievement Award


North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference 2006 Graduate Student Travel Grant Awardees: (From left to right) Craig Sheaffer (President of the NAAIC), Michael Wunsch (Cornell University), Julia Olmstead (Iowa State Univ.), Muhammet Sakiroglu (Iowa State Univ.), and Xuehui Li (Iowa State Univ.)

2000 Award Winners


Richard Berberet

Don Brown

Carroll Vance

1998 Award Winners

The "Honorary Membership Award" is awarded to one recipient at each biennial meeting for "outstanding contributions to alfalfa improvement and/or utilization. This award recognizes alfalfa specialists, active or retired, who have made major contributions during their careers to the improvement and use of alfalfa". At the 36th NAAIC, the Honorary Membership Award was given to Dr. Edwin T. Bingham from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Ted Bingham & Real Michaud
E. T. Bingham and R. Michaud The "R. R. Hill Memorial Award" is given to one recipient at each biennial meeting to "recognize a worthy contributor for some recent, specific, and outstanding achievement in any area of alfalfa science or production". At the 36th NAAIC, the R. R. Hill Memorial Award was given to Dr. Mark McCaslin of Forage Genetics, Inc., West Salem , Wisconsin.

Mark McCaslin & Real Michaud
M. McCaslin and R. Michaud

The NAAIC has established a travel grant award program for graduate students who will be making oral or poster presentations at the biennial NAAIC meeting. At the 36th NAAIC, eight students were presented with travel stipends.

Students & Real Michaud
R. Michaud, Annie Claessens, Charla Hollingsworth, Floyd W. Shockley, Kathy L.E. Klos,
Avinash Singh, Mary K. Sledge, Zhiwen Lan, and Michael Walsh
The NAAIC website is maintained by the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance.