Husker scientists Edgar Cahoon and Ozan Ciftci have received national honors for outstanding achievement by agInnovation, the association of directors, staff and researchers at land-grant university agricultural experiment stations.
The organization saluted Cahoon, the George W. Holmes Professor of Biochemistry and director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation, for outstanding lifetime achievement.
Ciftci, the Kenneth E. Morrison Distinguished Professor of Food Engineering, was honored for exceptional mid-career accomplishments. He is an associate professor for the departments of Food Science and Technology as well as Biological Systems Engineering.
Cahoon’s national honor is agInnovation’s 2026 Lifetime Agricultural Research Innovation Award of Excellence. Ciftci’s is the organization’s 2026 Mid‑Career Agricultural Research Innovation Award of Excellence.
Cahoon, an internationally recognized expert in plant lipid biotechnology, was elected this year to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the nation’s highest honors for scientists and engineers. His work focuses on developing new types of oils that have improved functionalities for food, feed and industrial uses.
“Your career reflects an impressive blend of scientific creativity, leadership, and real world impact,” agInnovation said in announcing Cahoon’s award. “Through your innovative research efforts, you have transferred plant science discoveries into innovations that strengthen agricultural sustainability, advance renewable energy and bio-based products, and improve the nutritional quality of food and feed.”
Cahoon’s pioneering research in biofuels science includes two large collaborations with the U.S. Department of Energy. He has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, with his work cited more than 19,000 times. He holds 36 patents stemming from his research.
Ciftci is an internationally recognized expert in innovation in food engineering and sustainable food systems.
“Your research program demonstrates an exceptional ability to link scientific discovery with real‑world applications,” the organization said of his work. “Through pioneering work in green processing technologies and innovative delivery systems for bioactive compounds, you have advanced agricultural sustainability and created novel value and uses for agricultural byproducts.”
agInnovation also stated, “Your leadership and commitment to building collaborative research programs is equally impressive. Your ability and desire to unite interdisciplinary teams, work effectively with industry partners, and mentor students and early‑career scientists all reflect a sustained dedication to advancing innovative agriculture science and its workforce.”
Ciftci heads an international initiative to develop alternative protein and lipid sources from purposefully designed plants and microorganisms. The project is co-funded by the National Science Foundation, Business Finland and the Research Council of Finland. The American Oil Chemists’ Society this year awarded Ciftci its Timothy L. Mounts Award for his significant scientific contributions.
agInnovation’s membership is divided into five geographic regions, and this spring the organization’s 12-state North Central region gave Cahoon and Ciftci the regional version of their awards. The association then decided its national honors from among the awardees from the five regions, and Cahoon and Ciftci were selected for top honors.
Two ceremonies are scheduled to honor agInnovation’s 2026 awardees. The audience for a Sept. 24 event in Grand Junction, Colorado, will include administrators of land-grant agricultural research.
The second event, on Nov. 15 in San Antonio, Texas, is a celebration of excellence ceremony during the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities annual conference.
