Celebration of Ut Prosim Award recipients recognized by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Organization

Alumni and friends were honored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Organization for their achievements and service during the Celebration of Ut Prosim Awards program on March 17.

Outstanding alumni and supporters of the college were recognized for their contributions to the fields of academia, government, or industry through community outreach, development and empowerment, entrepreneurship, leadership, and scholarship and their leadership, service, and philanthropy to Virginia Tech, the college, a department or school, the CALS Alumni Organization, or one’s community that illustrates the university’s commitment to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

The award recipients are:

• Catherine Woteki M.S. ’72, Ph.D. ’75, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Hall of Fame
• Andrew "Drew" Miller ’16, M.S. ’18, Outstanding Recent Undergraduate Alumni Award
• Angela Anderson Ph.D. ’13, Outstanding Recent Graduate Alumni Award
  
• Greg Estep ’83, Alumni Career Achievement Award
• Kate Fiedler Ph.D. ’14, Outstanding Alumni in the Global Community Award
  
• Dhamu Thamodaran, Honorary Alumni Award

Catherine Woteki M.S. ’72, Ph.D. '75

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Hall of Fame

Woteki is currently a professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University and visiting distinguished institute professor at the Biocomplexity Institute of the University of Virginia. She currently serves as a member of President Joe Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the sole body of advisors from outside the federal government charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the president and the White House. In addition, Woteki is chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Society for Nutrition Foundation.

Andrew Miller ’16, M.S. ’18

Outstanding Recent Undergraduate Alumni Award

Miller is the director of the Brentsville Turf Program at Brentsville District High School in Nokesville, Virginia. In this role, he mentors young individuals in the trade of turfgrass management, advocates for students interested in starting a career in the turf industry, teaches students through hands-on learning with commercial-grade equipment, and prepares students for the workplace with firsthand work experience. 

Angela Anderson Ph.D. ’13

Outstanding Recent Graduate Alumni

Anderson is a collegiate associate professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech. While completing her doctorate, she found her passion for teaching. Anderson has intentionally advanced her pedagogical training, implements new active learning techniques in the classroom, publishes her findings in peer-reviewed journals, presents at conferences, and applies for grants that further better pedagogical practices.

Greg Estep ’83

Alumni Career Achievement Award

Estep’s career spans 37 years and includes 25 years at two of the United States’ largest agribusinesses: Continental Grain Co. and ConAgra Foods. At Continental Grain, he was the commercial manager for all of the company’s Asia/Pacific trading operations. At ConAgra, he was responsible for food ingredient and spice business operations in China, the Philippines, and India. Now retired, Estep was the managing director and CEO of Spices for Olam Food Ingredients, an operating group that offers sustainable, natural, value-added food products and ingredients.

Kate Fiedler Ph.D. ’14

Outstanding Alumni in the Global Community

Fiedler is currently a foreign services trainee with U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Upon completion of the 10-month program, she will achieve the title of deputy agricultural attaché, a diplomatic foreign service role based at the United States Embassy in Tokyo. Within this role, Fielder will be responsible for agricultural trade negotiations, capacity building of local trade partners, and acting as a plant pathology expert for local and regional incursion of pests.

Dhamu Thamodaran

Honorary Alumni

Thamodaran is an external consultant for Smithfield Foods Inc., providing strategic advice on the firm’s commodity hedging activities to mitigate risk during volatile market conditions. For 25 years, Thamodaran served as Smithfield Foods Inc.’s executive vice president, chief strategy officer, and chief commodity hedging officer managing the firm’s commodity hedging activities, oversaw the global economics commodities research and analysis group, and led the firm’s overall strategy development for its vertically integrated business. He earned his doctorate in economics from Iowa State University.

Elizabeth Galbreath ’17

President of the CALS Alumni Organization (2020-23) recognition

Galbreath is a senior specialist for Future Talent Programs for Merck Animal Health in Kansas City, Missouri. She grew up on a small dairy farm in northern Maryland and has been involved with various local, state, and national agricultural organizations and efforts.

Galbreath has worked in youth programming, marketing, sales, agricultural education, and leader development. She is involved in various local 4-H, FFA, and Farm Bureau activities and is a member of the Chairman’s Club of the American Royal and the AFA Alliance.