Continuing with our celebration of this year’s CALS Award recipients, we are sharing information about the winners of the John S. Donald Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Jennifer Blazek

As the director of the Farm and Industry Short Course, Jennifer is a committed and enthusiastic teacher, working to bring creativity and excellence into her classroom. Jennifer’s patience and continued understanding of her students contributes to her high success.

Jennifer has done an exemplary job of ensuring that each student’s unique background is considered. From those who grow crops to those from dairy operations, every student is able to take something from the classes back to their home operation.

As a passionate educator and mentor to many, she exemplifies excellence in teaching.

Eric Ronk

Eric has had a tremendous impact on both the Farm and Industry Short Course and the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.

From 2016 to 2020, Eric taught four classes each year for the FISC program. In Fall 2020, Eric became the primary instructor of the Animal and Dairy Sciences introductory course. Because of the pandemic, he was tasked with making a full transition to online teaching, which he did remarkably.

Although Eric’s loyalty and service to the FISC program has been central to his career, Eric contributes to leadership across CALS. He serves as the advisor for the Badger Dairy Club and oversees its fundraising and professional development activities such as the World Dairy Expo, Badger Invitational Sale, and senior trip. Eric is also heavily involved in designing the curriculum for Animal and Dairy Sciences majors as a contributor to the Curriculum Committee.

During his 5-year tenure as an instructor, Eric has gone above and beyond to support his colleagues, undergraduate and graduate mentees, and students in their professional pursuits.