BILOXI, Miss. -- Mississippi State University Extension Service personnel were honored in February for their work in support of horticultural science.

The Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Science presented awards to Eric Stafne, Gary Bachman, Christian Stephenson, Christine Coker, Jim DelPrince, Shaun Broderick and Jeff Wilson.

Typically given at the organization’s annual meeting, the awards were presented this year virtually via videoconference. The annual awards recognize, encourage and celebrate the outstanding achievements of its members in 14 Southern states, including Mississippi.

Stafne, Bachman, Stephenson, Coker and DelPrince work from the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. Broderick is based in Crystal Springs at Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station, part of the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center, and Wilson is at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona.

Stafne, a research professor with Extension and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, received the Julian C. Miller Sr. Distinguished Researcher Award. This award recognizes an active member of the society with an outstanding record of horticultural research for at least 10 years.

Bachman received the Henry M. Covington Extension Award, given to recognize valuable contributions in Extension horticultural activities in areas such as commercial production, processing or marketing, home grounds and youth work. Bachman is an Extension and MAFES professor.

Stephenson, an Extension agent in Hancock County, was awarded the Krezdorn Excellence in Doctoral Research Award, which recognizes the best published refereed paper developed from the candidate’s doctoral research in horticulture. Stephenson’s paper, published in HortTechnology, is titled, “Economic Effect of Insect Pest Management Strategies on Small-Scale Tomato Production in Mississippi,” and includes other MSU collaborators.

Bachman, Coker, Broderick and Wilson as a team received the Blue Ribbon Extension Communication Award for their publication, “2020 Mississippi Medallion Plants.” Both Coker and Broderick are associate Extension and MAFES research professors, and Wilson is an assistant Extension professor.

DelPrince, an Extension assistant professor, received recognition for his publication, “Creating a Pressed Floral Design.”

This communication award is given to recognize an outstanding contribution to the understanding of horticultural subjects in either written, video, audio or electronic form.