Announcing Dr. James Moyer, Director of the ARC and Associate Dean for Research
I am pleased to announce that Dr. James Moyer has accepted our offer to become the new Director of the Agricultural Research Center and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. Jim’s tentative starting date is May 1, 2013. Jim brings over 30 years of professional experience as a plant science researcher to the position, and has served as department head of one of the largest plant pathology programs in the U.S. for over a decade. I am particularly impressed with his administrative acumen and the respect he has earned across multiple disciplines and among the faculty and administration at North Carolina State University. As a result, I believe he will quickly climb the steep learning curve associated with this position and become an advocate for all CAHNRS programs, faculty, and staff. Jim was very well received during his interview and had strong support from the search committee, the CAHNRS Administrative team, the faculty and staff participating in the interview, and our agricultural stakeholders.
I want to thank the outstanding work of the search committee: Scot Hulbert (chair), Tom Spencer, Lindsey duToit, John Stark, Alan Love, John Browse, Mike Miller, and Andy Jensen.
A special thanks goes out to Mike Kahn and Ralph Cavalieri for their tremendous work in keeping the ARC running during this challenging time of transition.
Regards,
Daniel J. Bernardo
Vice President for Agriculture and Extension
Dean, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
New CAHNRS Paid Internship Program
Twenty students have the opportunity for a paid, faculty-mentored internship in the summer or fall of 2013. Available locations include the Pullman, Vancouver and Tri-Cities campuses, WSU’s Research and Extension Centers, and County Extension Offices. The college will provide $2,500 per intern to each faculty mentor in partial support of these internship experiences. The deadline to submit the online application is March 20. For additional details, please see http://academic.cahnrs.wsu.edu/experiential/internship-information/.
Please Provide Input Regarding Performance: Bernardo
Please complete a survey regarding the performance of Dan Bernardo, Vice President for Agriculture and Extension and Dean of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K93JCMR. Use the following password to access the survey: arw697. The Provost’s Office has developed this Web-based system to provide constructive feedback to administrators.
Please access this Website and complete the short survey by midnight on March 15, 2013. The survey responses will be anonymous, but the results will be shared with Dr. Bernardo. Thank you for your participation in this important activity.
Ag Science Education Is Hot
The nationwide trend of rising enrollment in agricultural studies has been in the news lately, so we decided to run the numbers for CAHNRS. From 2010 to 2012, our enrollment has been ramping up, with the overall average undergraduate enrollment in our agricultural sciences programs up 65% in the past 3 years. The number of undergraduate animal science students rose 23%, and agricultural and food systems enrollment increased 45%. The numbers look even better with integrated plant sciences (up 89%) and food science (104%).
Graduate studies also benefited from an increasing interest in the agricultural sciences, with plant pathology enrollment up 5.8%, crop and soil sciences up 14.9%, horticulture up 15.6%, and animal sciences up a whopping 64.7%.
As Dean Bernardo pointed out, the fact that CAHNRS has been able to capitalize on this nationwide trend speaks well to the quality of our faculty and our science-based education programs.
Pullman’s spring commencement is right around the corner!
It’s time to secure your faculty regalia for the May commencement ceremonies. The last day to obtain school-specific faculty regalia through the Bookie will be Friday, March 22. The deadline to rent basic black regalia is April 26. All regalia orders can be placed through the Bookie by completing the online order form: http://bit.ly/XYUfzc. Regalia will be in the store and ready for pick-up beginning Tuesday, April 30, 2013.
The online faculty reservation is also open: https://www.ronet.wsu.edu/Main/Apps/Cmc_Request.ASP. The last day to register will be Wednesday, April 24, 2013.
Events
“Explore Exporting” Seminar
This seminar, sponsored by the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association, offers Washington food and agriculture businesses information and resources from industry experts on how exporting can help their companies grow. March 28, 2013, 8:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Seattle, Washington. See details at http://bit.ly/Z2feSX.
Science in Your Glass
What role does science play in the quality of wine? Thomas Henick-Kling, director of the Washington State University viticulture and enology program, explores this and other questions in “Science in Your Glass,” a WSU Innovators luncheon, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. See details at http://bit.ly/scienceinyourglass.
“Vine to Wine” Workshop
WSU, in collaboration with wine industry professionals, is offering a two-day intensive “Vine to Wine” workshop, April 20-21 in Prosser. For more information and to register, please visit http://bit.ly/Vhq6MT.
National Urban Extension Conference
Extension professionals who work in urban/suburban communities are the target audience for this conference. Also welcome are extension partners from collaborating agencies and organizations, extension volunteers, local advisory board members, and others with an interest in urban extension programs. May 6-9, 2013 in Overland Park, Kansas. See details at http://bit.ly/XYui2t.
Save the Date: Cultural Competency Training for Extension Professionals
Navigating Difference: Cultural Competency Training for Extension Professionals, presented by WSU Extension on May 14-16, 2013, Federal Way, Wash. TheNavigating Difference training is one of four Essential Skills Trainings based on the core competencies for WSU Extension Professionals and is recommended for all Extension personnel. For details, see http://bit.ly/Tsj8qE.
The Art of Queen Bee Rearing Workshop
WSU Pullman, June 12 & 13, 2013 and WSU Mt Vernon Ag Station, July 19, 2013. Details at http://entomology.wsu.edu/apis/.
Seminars
Dr. Mike Lilga, Ph.D., from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Bioproduct development from lignocellulosic biomass, Friday, March 8, 2013 at 4 p.m. in FSHN T101. See Details.
Emily Bruner, Soil Science Ph.D. student, Process-Based Landscape Classification for Site-Specific Nitrogen Management, Monday, March 18, 1:10 p.m. in Johnson Hall Room 204 and broadcast to Mt. Vernon, Prosser, Puyallup and Wenatchee stations.
Claudia Osorio, Crop Science Ph.D. student, Genetically Engineered Prolyl Endopeptidase from Flavobacterium as a Natural Dietary Therapy for Celiac Patients, Monday, March 18, 2:10 p.m. in Johnson Hall Room 204 and via WECN.
Kebede Muleta, Crop Science Ph.D. student, Enhancing Durable Disease Resistance in Crops: Exploring the Prospect of Non-host Resistance, Monday, March 18, 3:10-4:00 p.m. in Johnson Hall Room 204 and via WECN.
Dr. David McK. Bird, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University: The plant-nematode interface: Genetical genomics of Medicago and Meloidogyne, Monday, March 18, 4:10 p.m. in Johnson Hall 343 and via WECN Dial-up #:5777077. See Announcement »
Sudeep Bag, Ph.D. student – Biological, Epidemiological and Molecular Insights into Thrips-Iris Yellow Spot Virus Pest Complex, Thursday, March 21, 2:50 – 3:40 p.m., Murrow Hall 55 and transmitted via AMS.
Grapevine Red Blotch Disease: An Emerging Issue, featuring Marc Fuchs (Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology, Cornell University), Rhonda Smith (UCCE Farm Advisor, Sonoma County), and Deborah Golino (UC Davis Foundation Plant Services), March 27, 2013 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Webinar can be viewed at the Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center with WSU Grape Virologist Naidu Rayapati on hand to answer questions. The Webinar can also be viewed locally, with preregistration. See http://bit.ly/13I1D91 for details.
Kudos
Drew Lyon, Endowed Chair in Small Grains Extension and Research, Weed Science, has been elected president of the Western Society of Weed Science, effective March 14.
Michael Lege, a Ph.D. student in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, advised by Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, was awarded a Borlaug Fellowship. He will spend 12 months in Uganda studying distribution channels of bean seeds and agricultural information.
“A University Steak to Go With That Sweatshirt?” The New York Times asked this question in the headline of a story featuring WSU premium beef sales in its Saturday, March 2 edition. The Times interviewed Tom Cummings, who oversees WSU cattle operations, and Margaret E. Benson, the chair of the Animal Sciences department. Read the article at http://nyti.ms/VLBhzo.
An article co-authored by Dora Rollins (technical editor for Marketing, News, and Educational Communications) has been singled out by Journal of Extension editor Laura Hoelscher for special recognition. Hoelscher said that the article, “The PNW Model: Lessons from Extension’s Most Successful Regional Publishing Program,” http://bit.ly/JOEPNW, illustrates how the PNW Extension publishing program serves as a model for doing extension right. Rich Koenig, WSU Extension Associate Dean and Director, said “Extension is about using partnerships to implement change, and the PNW regional Extension publishing program is an example of how we can use this model through all levels of Extension to work efficiently and effectively.” PNW Extension publications are produced cooperatively by Washington State University, Oregon State University, and the University of Idaho based on content that is relevant to all three states. Since 1949, the PNW program has published more than 630 titles, preventing duplication of effort, broadening the availability of faculty specialists, and substantially reducing costs for the participating states.
The following WSU Posters earned 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place at the Washington Association for Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG) Annual meeting in Kennewick, WA this year:
Student Posters:
1st: Sudarsana Poojari, Olufemi Alabi, Naidu Rayapati, “A New Virus Disease Threatening Washington Vineyards.”
2nd: Federico Casassa, Richard Larsen, Christopher Beaver, Maria Mireless, Markus Keller, William Riley, Russell Smithyman, and James Harbertson, “Interactive Effect of Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) and Skin Contact Time in Cabernet Sauvignon Wines: Characterization of Proanthocyanidin Distribution and Sensory Properties.”
Professional Posters:
1st (tied): Markus Keller, Guilio Carmassi, C Lee, Bhaskar Bondada, “Linking Grapevine Bleeding, Budbreak, Shoot Growth and Fruit Set: Causes and Consequences for Vineyard Management.”
1st (tied): John Ferguson, Lynn Mills, Sean Hill, Michelle Moyer, Gerrit Hoogenboom, Markus Keller, “WSU Decision Support Tools for Grape Cold Damage Management”
2nd: Gary Grove, Michelle Moyer, Michael Schwager, “Effect of Bloom-centered Quinoxyfen Applications on Powdery Mildew Severity on ‘White Riesling’ Berries.”
3rd: James Harbertson, Federico Casassa, Christopher Beaver, Maria Mireless, Richard Larsen, H. Hopfer, H. Haymann. “The Effect of Fruit Maturity, Ethanol Concentration and Maceration Length in Washington State Merlot Wines over Two Seasons: Extraction of Phenolics, Color Components and Sensory Implications.”
Recent News Releases
Workshop helps secure the future of farms, forests
‘We Trust in God, but Sell for Cash’: Successful Turn-of-the-Century Dressmaker, Businesswoman Subject of WSU Exhibit
Managing thrips-caused crop losses, educating future scientists
Science of wine is topic of WSU Innovator lecture April 4 in Seattle
WSU, Multiform Harvest team-up to create sustainable fertilizers
So close, yet so far: Stagnant weather leaves January mostly cold, gray
In retrospect: Washington’s 2012 weather warmer than 2011
A Twist on Victor/Victoria: WSU Student’s Unisex Style Collection Offers Unique Approach to Sustainability
All our news releases are archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/news-archive/.
New in CAHNRS e-Newsletters
The February 21 edition of Green Times tells how the WSU Master Gardener program helps financially and physically challenged individuals grow their own vegetables. Green Times also explores how farming may aid in carbon sequestration, and how natural soil antibiotics offer a potential alternative to farm chemicals. Get the full story at http://cahnrs.wsu.edu/2013/02/21/green-times-sequestering-carbon-microbes-veg-gardens-diet-feb-21-2013/.
The February 28 edition of Voice of the Vine shows how members of the WSU Viticulture and Enology Club get real-world experience by making wine with generously donated fruit and supplies. VoV also reviewed graduate student Allison Baker’s research into how ethanol and tannins affect flavor, finish, and each other. Read all about it at http://cahnrs.wsu.edu/2013/02/28/wsus-voice-of-the-vine-students-winemakers-red-finish-feb-28-2013/.
The February 27 edition of On Solid Ground discusses how natural soil antibiotics offer a potential alternative to farm chemicals, and how adding legume flour to wheat bread could expand markets. See details at http://cahnrs.wsu.edu/2013/02/27/antibacterial-microbes-legume-flour/.
Archives
CAHNRS News is archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/category/cnews/.