“In the College of Agriculture, and especially in the Poultry Science Department, we often maintain a life-long relationship with our former students. We get to take a little pride in their careers and life accomplishments. What could be better than receiving recognition from the people that I admire and care about?”

Wallace Denver Berry, Jr., associate professor in Auburn University’s Department of Poultry Science, focuses his research on the reproductive physiology of commercial poultry, with the major objective of improving reproductive efficiency in poultry breeding operations. He earned bachelor’s degrees in poultry science and zoology in 1981, a master’s degree in 1984, and his doctoral degree in physiology in 1987, all from North Carolina State University. He joined the Auburn faculty in 1998. His many awards include the 2015 Novus International Teaching Award from Novus International Inc. and the Poultry Science Association; NASA Spacelab Life Sciences-2 Achievement Award in 1994; and the NASA Spacelab Life Sciences-1 Achievement Award in 1992. He is married to MaryJo Berry.

“Auburn University has been a wonderful place to grow and learn as a scholar and teacher. I have found tremendous support and encouragement at every step of this journey. This award means that I have made a positive impact, which is the highest calling of any teacher. I am deeply honored and moved by this award.”

Tiffany A. Sippial came to Auburn in 2007 and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses covering Latin American history and historiography during the colonial and modern periods, the comparative history of women and gender, and world history. Her research focuses on the history of Latin America in the modern period, especially the history of Cuba, and on the experience of women in Latin America. Sippial was honored with an Early Career Teaching Excellence Award by the College of Liberal Arts in 2010 and the Auburn University Women’s Studies Program Faculty Achievement Award in 2014. She is a member of the American Historical Association, the Conference on Latin American History, the Latin American Studies Association and the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies. Her first book, Prostitution, Modernity, and the Making of the Cuban Republic, which explores the central role that the debate about regulated prostitution played in defining republican ideals in Cuba between 1840 and 1920, received the 2014 Alfred. B. Thomas Award from the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies. Sippial and her husband, Simuel Sippial, III, have four sons: Sean, Mackenzie, Joshua, and Rhys.