The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) presented the Charles A. Black Award to Dr. Dennis R. Keeney March 23, 2000 in Arlington, Virginia.

In 1988, Dr. Keeney became the first director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, Ames. He is widely known for the pioneering leadership role the Leopold Center has assumed in research and outreach on agricultural issues related to agricultural sustainability, land resource use, rural community development, and water quality. He retired from the Leopold Center in December 1999.

He received a B.S. degree in agronomy from Iowa State University, a M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in soil science, and a Ph.D. in soil chemistry from Iowa State University.

Dr. Keeney was at the Department of Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1967 to 1988. During his tenure at Wisconsin, he developed research programs in soil and water chemistry and biochemistry. He served as chair of the Department of Soil Science at UW-Madison from 1979 to 1984 and of the Land Resources Graduate Program, Institute of Environmental Studies from 1985 to 1988. While at the Leopold Center, he also was professor of agronomy and of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, and director of the Iowa State Water Resources Research Institute.

Dr. Keeney has worked on numerous state, Federal, and international committees and task forces. He has served on the board of directors of CAST and several CAST task forces. His international activities include planning committees and conferences throughout the world. He has been active in the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), including service as president of both societies. He received the Soil Science Research Award in 1981; the Environmental Quality Research Award in 1985; the Soil Science Society Professional Service Award in 1994; the Distinguished Service Award, USDA-ARS in 1992; and the Agronomic Service Award in 1998. He is a fellow of the SSSA, ASA, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.