Continuing with our celebration of this year’s CALS Awards recipients, we are sharing information about the winners of the Pound Research Award and the Louise Hemstead Leadership Award this week.

Betül Kaçar

Betül, recipient of the Pound Research Award, is an associate professor in the Department of Bacteriology. Her research bridges evolutionary biology, astrobiology and systems biology to explore the origins and adaptability of life on Earth and beyond. Her innovative use of ancestral gene resurrection provides unprecedented insights into ancient biosignatures, planetary habitability and enzyme evolution. She has secured research funding from NASA, NSF and the John Templeton Foundation. Betül plays vital roles on committees, including NASA’s Research Coordination network, LIFE and the National Academy of Sciences panels. She uses her passion in education and outreach by mentoring numerous postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergrads.

Jennifer Van Os

Jennifer, recipient of the Louise Hemstead Leadership Award, is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. She involves farmers and industry professionals as formal project advisors and aims to create useful resources to promote animal welfare. She is widely regarded as an international expert on strategies to improve calf and cow welfare. She developed a program and app called Mooving Cows, an educational video game focused on proper cow handling. Jennifer serves as vice-chair for the department’s Teaching Assignment and Advisory Committee where she has been instrumental in guiding and refining the department teaching policy. Her leadership has reshaped the department’s culture and positioned it as a national leader in animal welfare.