Jim and Janet Johnson (above, left) were inducted into the CALS Hall of Fame by Dean Alan Grant (right). Lt. Katrina Piercy (below, center) was given the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award by Vice President for Alumni Relations Tom Tillar (left) and Grant.

Jim and Janet Johnson, of Roanoke, Virginia, were honored as this year’s inductees into the CALS Hall of Fame. Jim (animal science ’60, M.S. extension ’6 7) retired as director and associate professor emeritus of Virginia Cooperative Extension. Janet is dean emeritus of the College of Human Resources and Education and has been active in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise since her retirement. As members of the Ut Prosim Society, the university’s most prestigious donor society, their philanthropy has made a mark on numerous areas of the Blacksburg campus and has funded four endowments. In addition to being extremely generous with their time and money, the Johnsons have assumed leadership roles that have served the university and community in a multitude of ways.

Lt. Katrina Butner Piercy, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, received the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. Piercy (Ph.D. HNFE ’10) serves as the physical activity and nutrition advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Rockville, Maryland. She is part of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She was a subcommittee lead for the development and promotion of the most recent version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and she designs My Plate guidelines — two online resources used by millions of Americans seeking information about healthy lifestyles.

Other award winners included

• Outstanding Ambassador: James Rockwell of Stephens City, Virginia, a senior majoring in environmental horticulture and agribusiness management.
• Outstanding Faculty Service Award: Dan Eversole of Blacksburg, Virginia, professor of animal and poultry sciences.
• Outstanding Alumni Leadership Award: James Saunders of Piney River, Virginia, partner of Saunders Brothers Inc.
• Outstanding Alumnus in International Programs: Cary Gordon “C.G.” Thornhill (’75) of Boston, Virginia, president and general manager of T.K. Exports Inc.

For more information on these and other award recipients, visit www.cals.vt.edu/alumni/awards.