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2005 Chrystal and Ahmanson Award Winners Announced
(Des Moines, IA)… Two Iowa high school graduates now attending Harvard University will be recognized at the 2005 World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony on October 13, 2005 at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
Anne Langguth of Iowa City will be awarded the John Chrystal Award and Penny Fang of Ames will receive the Ahmanson Intern Award. The two are being recognized for their outstanding work as Borlaug-Ruan International Interns in 2004.
Langguth, a 2005 graduate of Iowa City West High School, is currently in her first year at Harvard studying Biology and Biological Anthropology. She completed her Borlaug-Ruan International Internship at Peking University in Beijing, China. In her eight-week internship, Langguth performed research for the China Functional Genomics Program’s Rice Mutant Library, working to pinpoint genes that produce stronger, more productive rice plants. She also completed two intense weeks of fieldwork, observing agricultural practices and living conditions of Chinese farmers in rural areas away from Beijing.
Now in her second year at Harvard University studying Neurobiology, Fang completed her internship at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Philippines after graduating from Ames High School in 2004. At IRRI, she worked on a 2-part laboratory project dealing with drought-resistance in rice plants. She also volunteered each week as a teacher at a Children’s Feeding Center and assisted IRRI physicians during several of their Outreach Medical Missions.
The two young women were selected as a Borlaug-Ruan International Interns after completing the World Food Prize Youth Institute in October of 2003. The Youth Institute, a prerequisite for International Internship eligibility, exposes young Iowans to opportunities associated with careers in food, agriculture and natural resource disciplines. Youth Institute participants interact with World Food Prize Laureates and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug to discuss issues relating to food security throughout the world.
The John Chrystal Award was established in 2000 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 International Intern who most strongly reflects Mr. Chrystal’s commitment.
The Ahmanson Intern Award was created in 2001 and is named in honor of former teacher and journalist Roberta Green Ahmanson, for her generous endowment of the World Food Prize International Internship Program and Youth Institute.
The two Youth Internship awards will be presented during the 2005 World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony honoring Dr. Modadugu Gupta of India. The ceremony, including the presentation of the intern awards, will be televised live on Iowa Public Television beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 13.
Click here for further information on Anne Langguth
Click here for further information on Penny Fang