Forests, Nagel, Kidwell, Spillman

It’s a Fact

Half of Washington’s total land area of 42.6 million acres is forested. The Washington forest products industry has the second largest level of capital investment in the U.S. and the most productive forestland. Forestry and forest products provided 45,000 jobs in 2005; indirect employment was estimated at 106,000. Forest products manufacturing represents almost 15% of total manufacturing jobs in Washington, many in rural areas.

Wine Pioneer Chas Nagel Dies

Chas W. Nagel, a Washington State University scientist who helped teach Washington how to make and taste premium wines, died in Pullman Thursday, July 5. He was 81.

“Chas Nagel, Walter Clore and Ray Folwell were the pioneers of Washington State University’s work in catalyzing the wine industry in Washington,” said Dan Bernardo, dean of Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. ”They laid the groundwork for what has become one of the state’s largest agricultural industries and one of the country’s premier winemaking regions.”

Nagel, a food scientist, made and tested wines from experimental grapes grown by the late Walter Clore, a horticulturist at the WSU Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center. Folwell, an agricultural economist, who retired May 31, examined the economics of establishing and operating vineyards and wineries and conducted a landmark national wine marketing study to examine consumer behavior.

Memorials can be made to the Chas W. Nagel Scholarship in Food Science and Human Nutrition at Washington State University, P.O. Box 646228, Pullman, WA 99164-6228.

Kidwell Is New Associate Dean

Kim Kidwell, spring wheat breeder and an award-winning teacher and advisor in the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, has been appointed the new associate dean for academic programs in the college. She will assume her new responsibilities Aug. 1.

“Kim is an energetic, visionary professional who brings a wide range of skills to the college’s academic programs and student recruitment efforts at both the graduate and undergraduate levels,” said CAHNRS dean Dan Bernardo.

“This is a natural and exciting progression in my career,” Kidwell said. “It brings to bear all of the skills I’ve developed to this point. There is important work to be done, and I look forward to being part of the team,” she said.

Kidwell, a professor in the Department of Crop and Soil, leads the spring wheat breeding and genetic research program. Bernardo said he will be working closely with the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and the Washington wheat industry to find Kidwell’s successor. “We will take advantage of this opportunity to assess the current structure of our wheat breeding program and determine how we should best organize ourselves to meet the needs of the industry,” he said.

For more about academic programs in CAHNRS, please visit: http://academic.cahnrs.wsu.edu/

Schoesler and Floyd to Speak at Spillman Field Day

State Sen. Mark Schoesler and new Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd are scheduled to speak during the noon program of the Spillman Agronomy Farm Field Day on Thursday, July 12.

During plot tours, researchers will make presentations on advances in cereal and legume breeding, genetics and pathology. Emphasis will be on biotechnology applications. Some presentations will be complemented by demonstrations.

Schoesler will share his perspectives on biofuels and the last legislative session. Floyd will discuss the land grant-university mission and his vision for WSU.

After the lunch program, participants are invited to a two-hour marker-assisted selection workshop beginning at 1:45 p.m. in Room 31 of the Orville Vogel plant biosciences building on the WSU campus.

For more information, please visit: http://westernwheatworkers.wsu.edu/workshops.html