Faculty members in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences honored at Celebration of Faculty Excellence ceremony
Five faculty members connected to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences were recognized at the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Celebration of Faculty Excellence on Feb. 17, 2026. The annual event honors faculty members in the university’s colleges for outstanding research, teaching and service.
"The Faculty Excellence Ceremony provides a wonderful opportunity each year to recognize and celebrate the incredible work of SDSU faculty," Joe Cassady, SD Corn Endowed Dean for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, said. "Once again, our college faculty were well represented among the award winners. Each of them are very deserving of this recognition for all they do to positively represent the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and our mission."
Honors were awarded to:
- Sanjeev Anand, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Dairy and Food Science.
- Srinivas Janaswamy, associate professor in the Department of Dairy and Food Science.
- Carmen Paulson, lecturer in the Department of Animal Science.
- Julie Walker, professor and SDSU Extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science.
- Tong Wang, associate professor and SDSU Extension specialist in the Ness School of Management and Economics.
Sanjeev Anand – Distinguished Professor Designation
Holding M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the National Dairy Research Institute, India, Anand joined SDSU in 2006 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to professor in 2014 and served as interim head of dairy and food science from 2022 to 2024. He teaches many graduate and undergraduate courses and has mentored 41 undergraduate research projects, 22 M.S., nine Ph.D. and three postdoctoral students. His scholarly contributions include 148 peer-reviewed publications, 155 posters and abstracts, 93 invited lectures and 17 book chapters.
Srinivas Janaswamy – College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Outstanding Researcher Award and the Graduate Student Mentoring Award
Janaswamy, associate professor in the Department of Dairy and Food Science, focuses on advanced research in biodegradable packaging, microbial fertilizers and climate-resilient food systems. With over 140 peer-reviewed articles, a co-edited book and seven special journal issues, he has received global recognition as he was named among the top 2% of scientists worldwide in 2024 and 2025. Janaswamyhas mentored eight Ph.D. students, 15 M.S. students, 34 undergraduates, three high school students and six visiting scholars from across the world.
Carmen Paulson – Edward Patrick Hogan Award for Teaching Excellence
Paulson, a lecturer, teaches all equine-related courses in the department. She worked as an equine veterinarian for 22 years before joining SDSU in 2018. With her experience in veterinary medicine, horse training and production, she shares her well-rounded background with students through experiential, hands-on learning and comprehensive approaches to various topics.
Julie Walker – International Engagement Award
A professor and SDSU Extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science, Walker has developed two education abroad experiences from scratch and led 279 students on 14 study abroad classes to four different countries. Her courses are designed to balance agricultural, cultural and tourism-based experiences while encouraging students to develop an appreciation for the collaborative nature of global agriculture and its role in meeting the needs of a growing world population. Walker has also spent time mentoring international students at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Tong Wang – F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Research
Wang, an associate professor and SDSU Extension specialist in the Ness School of Management and Economics within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, has done extensive research on the economic benefits of agricultural conservation practices, farmer decisions and government policy implications. She has led or participated in many multi-institute and interdisciplinary projects analyzing the sustainability of farming and ranching systems. She has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals with one of her papers being selected as the 2021 best research paper for impact and quality by the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
