The University of Tennessee Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science (BESS) Awards Committee selected Dr. Carmen Agouridis as the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus. Carmen was recognized at the BESS Awards Banquet on April 10, 2024, at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture campus. Carmen graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in 1998. She then graduated with a Master of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Tennessee in 2000; the title of her thesis was “Examination of hydrological, chemical, and biological gradients along the hyporheic zone of an upland agricultural stream in East Tennessee”.  In addition to being the Senior Associate Dean for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment and an Extension Professor of Ecosystem Protection and Restoration in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky, Carmen is also a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Earth Resources. During her career, Carmen has served as principal or co-principal investigator on over $9.4 million in grants, authored nearly 50 refereed publications and over 30 extension publications, and advised over 30 undergraduate and graduate research projects. The University of Tennessee Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science is extremely proud of Carmen’s accomplishments and the positive difference she is making in the lives of her constituents and students. Heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Agouridis!