For Immediate Release
Contact: Bonnie McCarvel, Executive Director
Mid America CropLife Association
(314) 849-9446
St. Louis, MO – The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) has awarded Dr. Christy Sprague the prestigious 2024 Educator of the Year award. The honor was presented by MACA President Jaime Yanes during the association’s Annual Meeting in Bloomington, Minnesota on Tuesday, September 3.
Dr. Sprague, a Professor of Crop and Soil Sciences and Extension Specialist at Michigan State University’s Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center, was recognized for her significant contributions to American agriculture, particularly in the Great Lakes region.
The Educator of the Year award celebrates individuals who have made substantial impacts through published works, public appearances, and consistent efforts in educating the public on the value of production agriculture.
Dr. Sprague’s research and extension program focuses on integrated weed management, biology, ecology, and management of emerging problematic weeds. Her work emphasizes weed management in soybeans, sugar beets, dry beans, and potatoes. With over 31 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Sprague has established herself as a leading authority in her field.
“MACA is an important team of industry partners working together to reach a common goal,” Sprague said. “As an industry, we’re all working together to make sure that we’re delivering good weed management recommendations, and to be recognized for the part I have played in that conversation as an extension educator is an incredible honor.”
Dr. Sprague received her BS in Crop and Soil Sciences from Michigan State University, her MS in Agronomy from the University of Illinois, and her PhD in Crop and Soil Sciences from Michigan State University.
MACA President Jaime Yanes praised Dr. Sprague’s dedication, “Christy is a tireless educator who collaborates with growers and industry to define solutions that improve weed management throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes region,” he told attendees. “Christy’s open-mindedness and natural sense of curiosity to try new methods as well as try older methods to serve today’s production agricultural challenges makes her a tremendous resource in the region.”
The Mid America CropLife Association congratulates Dr. Christy Sprague on this well-deserved recognition and her ongoing contributions to agricultural education and research.