In the CALS Honors Degree Program, freshmen participate directly in research through special programs or work experiences.
Sophomores work on a research project, closely supervised by a faculty member.
Juniors participate in the Junior Honors Seminar and prepare a research proposal, and seniors conduct honors thesis research, write a thesis and present their results at the College's spring research forum. Benevenga's research has focused on amino acid nutrition, and has led to practical applications in the livestock industry and in human health care. One of Benevenga's fundamental philosophies is to conduct research projects that train students, not to simply use students to accomplish his research objectives. He was instrumental in founding the CALS honors program, which differs from other honors programs on the UW-Madison campus in that it is based on structured independent learning experiences. Kent Ekstrom, senior vice-president of animal nutrition at Cargill, provided key leadership in arranging financial support for this project.