Baltensperger is professor of soil and crop sciences and interim head of food science and technology at Texas A&M University. A CAST lifetime member, he served as CAST President in 2020–2021.
He chaired CAST's stakeholder-engagement planning initiative, provided editorial guidance for special publications and served as the Crop Science Society of America's liaison to CAST. He also chaired the task force that prepared the 2021 CAST commentary The Role of Agricultural Science and Technology in Climate 21 Project Implementation.
He received the award on opening night of the 2026 CAST Annual Meeting & Student Innovation Conference at Grant's Farm in St. Louis.
“The CAST President’s Award is particularly meaningful to me because it reminds me of the many mentors who guided my journey through CAST and other organizations. Giants of the agricultural world—including Dr. Norman Borlaug, Martin Massengale, Darrell Nelson, and many others—shared with me CAST’s mission and value, and by encouraging my engagement, opened a wonderful opportunity to contribute through CAST to society. As CAST continues its vital work of bringing the best of science and technology to the public, policymakers, and the agricultural community, I believe its future is bright.” — Dr. David Baltensperger
