Every year The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) honors top graduating seniors across the college with The Distinguished Senior Award, the college’s most prestigious honor for undergraduate students. This year two Agribusiness and Applied Economics (AAE) students from the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics (AEDE) were selected. In addition, AEDE also named four students as AEDE Distinguished Seniors.
These six students have demonstrated academic and professional excellence, and were selected on the basis of accomplishments and activities that have benefitted their communities, university and future professions.
“The 2022 recipients are our future innovators and leaders who have already made an impact within the academic environment at this university and beyond,” said Steven Neal, CFAES professor and associate dean for academic programs.
This year’s recognition of the CFAES Distinguished Seniors occurred on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. A recording of the recognition can be watched here.
An additional celebration for the six CFAES and AEDE Distinguished Seniors will be held in AEDE in April. Learn more about our 2022 CFAES and AEDE Distinguished Seniors below.
CFAES DISTINGUISHED SENIORS
Cora Dorman, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Croton, Ohio 
Cora has served in leadership roles as treasurer for Alpha Zeta Partners and past Vice President (‘19-20) and Panhellenic Association representative (‘20-21) of Alpha Sigma Upsilon. She is also a four-year member of the Agribusiness Club and a past member of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars and the CFAES learning community. During her time as a Mount Leadership Society scholar, she volunteered over 60 hours at Huckleberry House, where she served as a liaison for community events, worked in the food pantry and completed an archive project.
She is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau (Licking County), Ohio Agricultural Council, Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Agri-Women and is a proud 4-H and FFA alumna. She interned for the Witten Farm Market & Greenhouse as a market intern and for AgriGold as a sales intern.
She also serves as a teaching assistant for Dr. Annie Specht in the Department of ACEL, where she works with other undergraduate students to improve their communications skills.
Cora accepted a job offer with AgCredit as an agricultural account officer, where she will assist farmers and rural Ohioans with their financial needs, and support businesses. She hopes to continue her education by receiving a Master of Business Administration while continuing to work.
Tyler Zimpfer, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Anna, Ohio
Tyler has served the Collegiate Farm Bureau as Treasurer and President, leading the organization from re-establishment to a thriving chapter in three years. Last year he took the lead in establishing a creative challenge called the Food Fund-Off, raising money for more than 35,000 meals for families in need through the Feeding America organization. He has held leadership roles in FarmHouse International Fraternity, the CFAES Ambassador Team and CFAES Student Council.
He funded much of his education through through CFAES, local and national scholarships. These scholarships came from many organizations including Farm Credit Mid-America, Agriculture Future of America and the Mid America CropLife Association.
Tyler has worked as a student assistant with the CFAES Office of Government Affairs, where he assisted in crucial communication with legislators about the innovation happening within CFAES. He was also selected as a multi-year Newcomb Scholar, one of the highest awards presented to undergraduates in CFAES.
Tyler was the 2021 intern with Valent U.S.A. in the Industry Affairs unit, where he traveled the country to discuss the impacts of agricultural policy on chemical manufacturers and farmers. He also spent this past semester writing a legal bulletin about pesticide drift concerns with Peggy Hall, an associate professor in Ohio State University Extension.
Tyler is a proud first-generation student and plans to attend law school.
aede DISTINGUISHED SENIORS
Jonathan Hoorman, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Jenera, Ohio
Jonathan studied abroad in Brazil through Alpha Zeta Partners in 2020. He achieved leadership positions within the Alpha Zeta Partners organization, eventually serving as the CFAES Student Council representative. As a member of six different organizations during his senior year, Jonathan participated in a diverse range of student organizations, among them CFAES Student Council and Students for Recycling, a campus organization dedicated to improving student awareness and engagement for recycling.
Jonathan is also a part of the Crops and Soils Club, Agribusiness Club, FarmHouse-ATZ Fraternity, and the CFAES Celebration of Students planning committee. Jonathan worked in organizations such as FarmHouse Fraternity and Crops and Soils club as Vice President of Finance, securing funding for the Back 2 School Bash.
Jonathan recently accepted a position working as a grain merchandiser with Archer Daniels Midland in Toldeo.
Lucy Pullins, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Bowling Green, Ohio
Lucy was inducted into Tower’s Agricultural Honorary, where she serves as the reporter. She worked at Ikove Capital in Columbus as an AgriTech and Communications intern doing agricultural research. This employment led to a second position with the company as a Venture Analyst intern. She also conducted market research in her summer 2020 internship with Cargill, and was the first person to do research on ultra-premium horse feeds.
Lucy is a member of the Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow Club and the Crops and Soils Club, where she also planned service events. She recently retired her role as Second Vice President in Crops and Soils and as a two-term New Member Educator for Alpha Sigma Upsilon (ASU). She continues to stay involved in these organizations and remains the Public Relations Chair for ASU. She also remained active in Extension throughout her college career, serving as a 4-H advisor for Wood County Leaders in the Ring and a pistol and shotgun instructor in Wood County’s 4-H shooting sports club.
She currently serves as a Celebration of Students Committee Co-Chair, elected by the Student Council to plan the college’s annual banquet. She was also chosen as the Associate Editor for AgriNaturalist, where she reviews and edits her fellow classmate’s stories
Lucy has accepted a position with Cargill, where she will work with farmers in Minnesota.
Noah Smith, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Amanda, Ohio
Noah is an active participant in the Agribusiness Club, the OSU Crops and Soils Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau and the CFAES Ambassador Team.
He is an active supporter of the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA and Ohio FFA, is a devout volunteer for his Catholic Church and is the Head Throws Coach for the Amanda-Clearcreek Aces Track and Field team.
Within his industry experience and internships with Ohio Corn & Wheat, Ohio Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America and Ohio FFA (served as state secretary for 2019-2020), he has experienced a variety of agribusiness sectors. He also helps lead the largest collegiate program at Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association – The Collegiate Policy Academy.
Noah has accepted a position at Farm Credit Mid-America as the Agricultural Lending Intern in Russellville, KY.
Seth Wasilewski, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Shelby, Ohio
Seth was a member of the Hoof N Hide Club at the Wooster campus and served as Vice President. When he transitioned to Columbus campus, he became a CFAES Peer Mentor. He also became a member of the DTS fraternity where he served as the recruitment chair. Other campus involvement included the Ducks Unlimited Club, Agribusiness Club and the Saddle & Sirloin Club, where he began serving as the Lamb Show Co-Chair, Farm Science Review Fundraiser Chair and is now President. He was also a resident in the CFAES Learning Community, a participant of the STEP program and was a member of the Livestock Judging Team.
Along with the small ewe flock he runs at home with his mother in Shelby, Ohio, Seth spent the summer of 2020 working as a Seed Sales Intern for AgriGold. This internship allowed him to help over 150 growers across northern Ohio meet their seed needs. He was hired as a Credit Intern for Heartland Bank for the summer of 2021. He was then hired by the team as a part-time Agricultural Banking Assistant, where he has been working since August 2021.