UNL awards Alumni and Service honors. Friday, March 13, 2026 The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Agricultural Economics recognized several individuals and an agricultural publication for their contributions to agriculture and the department during its annual Student, Alumni, and Service Recognition Banquet held March 10, 2026. Mike Miller, Vice President of Trading and Risk Management at Ardent Mills, and Alejandro Plastina, Associate Professor of Agricultural Finance at the University of Missouri, received the department's 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards. Nebraska Farmer magazine received the department's 2026 Outstanding Service Award. These awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made meaningful contributions to the department and to Nebraska agriculture. The department's work focuses on areas such as agribusiness, agricultural production, profitability, natural resources, rural development, international trade, and agricultural policy. Mike Miller has more than 35 years of experience in commodities trading and risk management. At Ardent Mills, he leads the company's wheat and mill-feed price risk management efforts and works with the leadership team on trading strategies and customer risk management. Earlier in his career, Miller held leadership and trading roles at Cargill and Horizon Milling. Miller also contributes to the agricultural industry through service and education. He has served on the Foundation Board of Alpha Gamma Sigma, the Advisory Council of the JP Morgan Center for Commodities, and the Board of Directors of the National Grain and Feed Association. In addition, he teaches Foundations of Commodities as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado. Raised on a family farm near Clatonia, Nebraska, Miller earned his agribusiness degree from the University of Nebraska in 1990. Alejandro Plastina is the Frank G. Miller Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri and director of the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center. His research focuses on farm financial management, agricultural policy, conservation, and risk management. Plastina previously studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned a doctorate in Agricultural Economics and a master's degree in Statistics. His research collaborations with universities and policy partners have received national recognition, including awards from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. Nebraska Farmer magazine received the Outstanding Service Award for its long history of supporting agriculture. Founded in 1859, the publication is one of the oldest agricultural magazines in Nebraska. The magazine continues to provide information to approximately 25,000 farm households in Nebraska and maintains a strong partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Extension.

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