Zachary Stewart of Harlan, Iowa, was awarded the John Chrystal Award during the World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony on October 16, 2008 at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
He received the Chrystal Award for his outstanding work as a 2007 World Food Prize Borlaug-Ruan International Intern at African Insect Science for Food and Health (icipe) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Zachary worked under the mentorship of Dr. John Githure, icipe’s Head of Human Health Division, and Dr. Hortance Manda and their team in the centre’s programme on the control of malaria vectors – based at icipe’s Mbita Point field station on Lake Victoria in Western Kenya – analyzing the effect of habitat size on larval development time of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae under semi-field environments.
A graduate of Harlan High School, since 2008, Zachary has earned a Bachelors degree in Biology at Creighton University and completed a Master’s of Science degree in Control of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the United Kingdom. He is currently working on a PhD in Agronomy at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
The John Chrystal Award was established in 2001 in the spirit of John Chrystal's commitment to enriching Iowa's relationship with the world and his belief that everyone is entitled to a sense of dignity and adequate food. The award is presented annually to the intern who most strongly reflects Mr. Chrystal’s commitment.
Zachary was selected as a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern after participating in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in 2006. The Global Youth Institute provides high school students the opportunity to interact with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates, connect with other student leaders from around the world, tour cutting-edge industrial and research facilities, and discuss pressing food security and agricultural issues with global leaders in science, industry and policy.
Zachary received his award prior to the awarding of the 2008 World Food Prize to former United States Senators Robert Dole and George McGovern. The event was televised live throughout the state of Iowa on Iowa Public Television.