Outstanding Young Professional Award

This citation honors College of Agriculture and Life Sciences early- or mid-career alumni who have distinguished themselves through significant advancement and achievement in their discipline, field or area of expertise. Selection is made by the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

This award was established in 2010 and is presented annually during Iowa State University’s Homecoming Weekend.

2024 Outstanding Young Professional Awardee

Brad Kinsinger (’05 agricultural and life sciences education)
West Branch, Iowa

Brad Kinsinger is an Iowa native and an individual who has made significant achievements in the world of agricultural education. He serves as the dean of agricultural sciences and hospitality arts at Kirkwood Community College.

Prior to his current role, Kinsinger spent more than 12 years at Hawkeye Community College. He started as an assistant professor in agricultural business management/precision agriculture, then became the founder and director of the Global Agriculture Learning Center. Through this role, Kinsinger became well known for his work with agricultural and educational professionals around the world, promoting agricultural practices to produce food, fiber and fuel via education. He built and continues to foster collaboration with educational institutions and organizations in countries on every continent around the globe, minus Antartica.

Kinsinger credits Iowa State University for the influence it has had on his life. He was fortunate to have spectacular classmates, faculty and advisors. The feeling of being “home” renews itself every time he returns to campus. Kinsinger hopes to help students find similar success in his current role at Kirkwood.

Kinsinger is a former ISU Outstanding Agricultural Education Student (2005) and currently serves as chair and board member for the Governor’s Council on Agricultural Education for the State of Iowa. He and his wife, Jill, have three children: Shay, Macy and Ainsley.

Past Recipients

• 2023 – Bradley Joel (BJ) Brugman, ’12 agricultural business
• 2022 – Amanda (Taylor) De Jong, ’02 agricultural business
• 2021 – Kevin Ross, ’03 agricultural studies, ’21 MBA
• 2020 – Colin Hurd, ’13 agricultural studies
• 2019 – Kelly Norris, ’08 horticulture, ’11 MS
• 2019 – Mike Taylor, ’03 agricultural studies
• 2018 – Jen Sorenson, ’01 animal science, journalism and mass communication
• 2017 – Dawn E. Refsell, ’01 agronomy, ’03 MS crop production and physiology
• 2016 – Nancy Bohl Bormann, (’04 ag and life sciences education, environmental science)
• 2015 – Lisa Wasko DeVetter, ’07 biology, horticulture, ’10 MS horticulture, agronomy, soil science
• 2014 – Laurie A. Hueneke Martens, ‘01 animal science, international agriculture
• 2013 – Sarah Low, ‘02 public service and administration in agriculture
• 2012 – Gretchen Cline, ‘97 forestry
• 2011 – Charles E. Stewart, ‘00 agricultural biochemistry
• 2010 – Andrea Falk Sellers, ‘94 agricultural biochemistry