From the University if Florida/IFAS:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three veteran University of Florida Extension agents have earned national recognition for outstanding leadership, diversity and international service. Epsilon Sigma Phi, a national honorary fraternity that encourages professional development for the nation’s Extension agents, recognized Mary Keith, Mary E. “Betsy” Crisp and Adrian Hunsberger at its annual conference in Indianapolis in October. Keith, Crisp and Hunsberger have worked for UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, collectively, for about 50 years.
Keith, a UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension agent for 12 years, who specializes in food, nutrition and health, won the 2014 Distinguished Service Award. The honor pays tribute to an Extension professional who has consistently shown leadership and excellence in programming planning, delivery, evaluation or administration.
She specializes in diet, ingredients and recipe modifications for health, nutrition for preschool children.
Crisp, a Pasco County Extension agent in family and consumer sciences for 26 years, won the 2014 national Diversity/Multicultural Individual Award. This honor recognizes her accomplishments in developing, achieving and sustaining diversity in Extension programs or audiences.
Crisp’s Extension programs reach almost 8,000 residents each year in areas such as food, nutrition, health and safety, according to her award nomination. Crisp developed a program called “Diversity in the Eyes of Children,” which encourages teachers to be good role models and to help students and parents understand and appreciate other cultures.
Hunsberger, a horticulture Extension agent in Miami-Dade County for 15 years, won the fraternity’s International Service Award. Among her accomplishments, Hunsberger has taught UF/IFAS Extension programs in Costa Rica.
This marks the fifth straight year a member of the Florida Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi has won this award.
Dan Culbert, an Okeechobee County Extension agent and the newly elected southern regional vice president of Epsilon Sigma Phi, praised Hunsberger, Crisp and Keith.
“I am proud of the accomplishments of Adrian, Betsy and Mary, having worked with all of them for many years,” Culbert said.