CAHNRS News > Admin > CAHNRS News – May 3, 2013

CAHNRS News – May 3, 2013

May 2, 2013

CAHNRS Leadership Update

President Floyd has asked me to serve as interim provost beginning June 1; Provost Warwick Bayly is leaving the position he has held for the past five years to pursue new research interests in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The university will launch a national search for a permanent provost this fall.

Taking on this interim position was not an easy decision. As most of you know, I am a die-hard Coug, and I just felt it was the right thing to do for the university I love so much. The only reason I felt at all comfortable considering this interim position is the current strength of CAHNRS and WSU Extension. Together, we – faculty, staff, students, and administrators – have made great strides on all major fronts in the college.

Under Dr. Kim Kidwell’s capable and innovative leadership as executive associate dean and associate dean for academic programs, enrollment is up and growing; our programs are strong; and we lead the university in providing students with the value-added components of a quality education – experiential learning, internships, communication skills, problem-solving, and much more.

Dr. Rich Koenig continues to excel in his new role as associate dean and director of WSU Extension, and Dr. Jim Moyer, the new director of the Agricultural Research Center and associate dean for research, arrives next week.

The college is ahead of schedule in completion of its part of the Campaign for Washington State. Of course, there is always work to be done, but in general, CAHNRS is on a roll!

The goal for the coming year is to keep moving forward along the same trajectory we have maintained over the past few years. We will not accept a goal of just “hanging on” until the interim period runs its course. I have every expectation that CAHNRS and WSU Extension will be at a better place when I return, than where it is today.

Dr. Ron Mittelhammer, one of the most adept administrators at WSU, will serve as interim dean. Ron is a Regents Professor of economic sciences and director emeritus of the WSU School of Economic Sciences. He is an innovative thinker and problem-solver as well as a veteran administrator. He has served as a mentor for many department chairs and other administrators in CAHNRS and beyond.

We already have begun integrating Ron into the leadership structure of the college to make the transition as seamless as possible. The associate deans and department chairs undoubtedly will have to take on additional responsibilities during this time, and I thank them for that. I firmly believe there is no stronger college leadership team at Washington State University.

While transitions are rarely easy, I have every confidence we can make this work. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support of Ron, Kim, Rich and Jim.

-Dan Bernardo, dean

Appointment of Joan Ellis as Chair of AMDT

Dr. Joan Ellis has been appointed chair of the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles (AMDT) effective May 13. As a long-time AMDT faculty member, Joan has a thorough grasp of the department’s teaching and missions and possesses the leadership skills and vision to continue the positive trajectory of the department. I am certain you will all enjoy having Joan as a colleague in the years to come.

Karen Leonas and Joan Ellis will work together through June 1 to ensure a smooth transition for the department. Please help me in welcoming Joan to the CAHNRS administrative team.

-Dan Bernardo

Team Future of Food

Food, Responsible Education, and Sustainable Habits (FRESH) for the Future is an agricultural educational system whose mission is to increase agricultural production, create nutrition awareness in the new generations of global citizens, promote the consumption of locally grown food, increase child health, and create a sustainable food system for the future while reducing food transportation losses.

The WSU student team is dedicated to changing the world. We believe that the way to truly make a difference in the world is through education, especially through educating younger children about agriculture. This world needs big ideas, and we believe nothing would work better then teaching generations of younger students their important role as consumers and global citizens to care for their world and contribute to the agricultural realm. In doing so, they will help others across the globe to thrive in many ways, but most importantly to live sustainably. We want to change the world to be sustainable, caring, environmentally friendly, and healthy. To see how Team Future of Food is going to do this — and to give them a vote of support — please visit http://tffchallenge.com/team/future-of-food/.

Summer Hours

With the academic year drawing to a close, it is time for unit leaders to make plans for summer schedules. Washington State University’s business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. year round. In keeping with a long-standing practice, WSU will observe a schedule known as summer hours for as many employees as possible, while still meeting the requirement to serve the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with 30 minutes for lunch, during the spanning May 6 through August 9, 2013. It is the responsibility of the supervisors and staff of each area to provide service to the public during the noon hour and from 4 to 5 p.m. during this period. Summer hours are approved at the department level. Managers may approve an employee to work a flexible work schedule. The manager is responsible for determining the work schedule in accordance with the needs of the operations, and applicable rules or policies. Information regarding summer hours and flexible scheduling can be found at http://hrs.wsu.edu/Notice+Of+Summer+Hours.

Required Lab Self-Inspections

Lab self-inspections are required each year. This year the CAHNRS Safety Committee is requesting that all labs send in their completed reports to sbrooks@wsu.edu by May 31, 2013. The committee is particularly interested in the self-inspection worksheet under the heading of corrective action. A comparison of the reports will reveal any common problems. This will allow better or more specific training and promotion of safer lab practices. You can obtain the Safety Inspection Checklist at http://bit.ly/TrUDcX.

CAHNRS Faculty Senate Representatives

Congratulations to our newly elected Faculty Senators:

Randy Fortenbery, School of Economic Sciences
Katherine Evans, Horticulture
Matthew Bumpus, Human Development
Ting Chi, Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles (and School of Design & Construction)
Christopher Benedict, Extension – Agriculture and Natural Resources
Lisa Knowles, Temporary Faculty

Returning Senators are:

Kulvinder Gill, Crop and Soil Sciences
Barbara Rasco, Food Science (and Entomology)
Matt Carroll, School of the Environment
Dennis Johnson, Plant Pathology
Brad Gaolch, Extension – Community and Economic Development
Margaret Viebrock, Extension – Youth and Families
Robert Simmons, Extension – Agriculture and Natural Resources

Kudos

Desmond R. Layne, Endowed Chair – Tree Fruit Extension Program Leader and Professor of Pomology, Department of Horticulture, will be recognized at the Clemson University General Faculty Meeting with the title “Emeritus Professor of Pomology.”

Soil scientist Joan Davenport has been appointed a member of the American Society for Horticulture Science Finance Committee. This is a six-year appointment; in year three, she will become the treasurer.

At the Pacific Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America (PBESA), WSU received three awards. Vince Jones was awarded the prestigious C.W. Woodworth Award. A description of the award and list of past recipients is detailed on Wikipedia http://bit.ly/Y9qgIc. Doug Walsh received the PBESA award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management. This is a pass-through nomination in which Walsh will compete against nominees from the four other ESA branches. Ph.D. student Amber Vinchesi won second place in the second annual “Texting Competition.” But, as Walsh said, “As her advisor I can’t say that makes me glow with pride!” Walsh was also selected by the PBESA to serve for the next three year term as their representative to the ESA Governing Board (http://bit.ly/18gmJJn).

Kendra Jernigan, ARCS Fellow and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences graduate student, was recently awarded a student travel grant from the AACCI-Pacific Northwest section, for the AACCI Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, NM Sept. 29-Oct. 2. Kendra is co-advised by Drs. Arron Carter and Craig Morris, and is affiliated with the USDA-ARS Western Wheat Quality Lab.

Vegetable Grafting Training in Nicaragua

Carol Miles, vegetable horticulturist, and Patti Kreider, technical assistant, and both based at the WSU Mt. Vernon R&E Center, recently presented a seminar entitled “Vegetable Grafting Training in Nicaragua.” Their presentation covered their recent trip to Nicaragua where they trained growers and agricultural professionals in vegetable grafting techniques. Seven training sessions were conducted with a focus on subsistence farming and market gardeners, with 88 local participants. The story of their trip, and its impact on women in Nicaragua, will be told in the May 22 issue of On Solid Ground.

In eNews

The April 18 issue of Green Times has stories on Kevin Murphy’s quinoa research, Tim Miller’s “superfruit” research, and all manner of PNW foodshed events and grow-your-own info. Think global, read local at http://bit.ly/13H1xLT.

The April 24 issue of On Solid Ground include stories on breeding wheat to grow in deserts, the quinoa variety development project, student researcher Pablo Corredor, and a new bud grafting training. Stay grounded by visiting http://bit.ly/ZMFeWG.

The April 25 issue of Voice of the Vine has stories on turning pomace into flour, Thomas Henick-Kling’s Innovators talk on “The Science in Your Glass,” and the new issue of VEEN. Read responsibly at http://bit.ly/YhH2qN.