February 24, 2026
SIU students, faculty to be honored at All Ag Banquet Friday
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences will celebrate the successes of its students, faculty, staff and alumni at the 74th All Ag Banquet on Friday, Feb. 27.
The banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour at the SIU Student Center International Lounge, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and award presentations at 7:30 p.m.
The college will honor three faculty with lifetime, mid-career and early career achievement awards, and bestow its Donald M. Elkins Excellence Award and Gary L. Minish Outstanding Advisor/Mentor Award to faculty and staff. Student honors include the outstanding junior, senior, registered student organization, and outstanding Agbassador Awards for the 2025-26 academic year.
Three alumni will also be honored at the banquet. They are:
- Lifetime Achievement Award — Brian G. Brueggemann, 1987 bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science with a concentration in landscape horticulture. Brueggemann is a landscape professional and consultant with a 45-year career in the landscape industry and business management.
- Mid-Career Award — Dan T. Schaefer, 2006 bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science with a concentration in turfgrass management. Account manager, Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions.
- Early Career Award — Alex Russell, 2015 bachelor’s degree in agribusiness economics with a concentration in agronomy and crop science and 2016 master’s degree in agricultural economics. U.S. soybean seed care product manager, Syngenta Crop Protection.
Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the event. For more information, contact Susan Graham, senior director of development for the College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences, at susang@foundation.siu.edu or 618-453-1764.
Brian G. Brueggemann
Dan T. Schaefer
Alex Russell