Emily Hudson Receives CAS Distinguished Research Associate Award

Each year, the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) recognizes employees with outstanding achievement at a Winter Reception held in December. One employee is selected from three categories; State Classified, Administrative Professional and Research Associate.  This year Emily Hudson received the CAS Distinguished Research Associate Award based on the following nominations from her colleagues:

“In the five short years that Emily has been with us she has become an invaluable and indispensable member of our wheat breeding team. Emily is a key member of our team in all aspects of our field research. During preparation for planting Emily is the primary person that keeps the project moving. She is extremely conscientious, motivated, and organized. She recognizes what needs to be done and systematically assembles the resources necessary to get it done.”

“Emily constantly amazes me with her demeanor and positive attitude. She tackles the most complicated of projects, one after another, and makes it all look so easy!”

“Emily has been a key contributor to the success of wheat breeding and genetics efforts in the college. Her competence, trustworthiness, and positive attitude make her a very deserving recipient of the Distinguished Research Associate award.”

Congratulations Emily, for your contributions to the department and a well-deserved award!

Tori Valdez Receives 2012 Jeannie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum Award

Tori Valdez, a research associate in the CSU Wheat Breeding Program, has received the 2012 Jeannie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) Award. This award, established in 2010, provides professional development opportunities for women working in wheat during the early stages of their career. The award is named after Jeanie Borlaug Laube, mentor to many, and daughter of Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. Jeanie Borlaug Laube has served as Chair of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) since October 2009. Tori is among a group of five women internationally who will be receiving the award in 2012.   

Recipients of the Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT award are invited to the annual Borlaug Global Rust Initiative technical workshop, to be held in Beijing, China in September 2012. Award recipients are also eligible to attend a training program at CIMMYT in Obregon, Mexico, in 2013, along with the 2013 Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Award recipients.

Graduate Bucks National Trend and Goes Back to Agrarian Roots

Brian England, a dual major in agricultural business and soil and crop sciences, is graduating with a 3.73 GPA. He has served as president of FarmHouse fraternity and is a native of the lower Arkansas River Valley, where cantaloupe is king. Notably, England is returning to production agriculture after college. In returning to family farming, England is bucking a trend marked by movement away from our nation’s agrarian roots. Fewer and fewer people are involved in production agriculture in the United States. In fact, farm employment accounts for less than one percent of jobs nationwide. This provokes concern about the health of our rural communities as farmers and ranchers, for a variety of economic and policy reasons, find it increasingly difficult to achieve the economies of scale that often are tied to profits in production agriculture. People committed to farming and ranching, like England, are motivated by the significant challenges of modern agriculture and the desire to uphold rural traditions.

And a good time was had by all…

Thank you to Grace Lloyd for these wonderful photos!!! Happy Holidays everyone!

Griffin Carpenter Earns First Place!

Griffin Carpenter, a sophomore in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, earned first place in the undergraduate oral scientific paper presentation during the fall meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America. Carpenter’s presentation, in San Antonio, was titled “Comparison of Seed Coat Luster in a Recombinant Inbred Line of Shiny and Opaque Black Beans.”  Mark Brick, Barry Ogg, and Karen Cichy co-authored the paper. Carpenter is an intern in the Common Bean Coordinated Agricultural Project, known as BeanCAP, and is studying the variation for nutritional quality in dry edible beans. 
Congratulations Griffin!

Congratulations!

The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America recognized the following individuals from our department as 2011 award recipients at special Awards Ceremonies held during the Annual Meetings in San Antonio, TX in October.

Pat Byrne – ASA Fellow
Mark Brick – CSSA Fellow
Jorge Delgado – Soil Science Award
Jack Fenwick – Seed Science Award
Raj Khosla – ASA Fellow and SSSA Fellow

Congratulations, way to go!

Congratulations to Grad Student Steve Becker

Congratulations to Steve Becker who placed second in the Division C01 Graduate Student Poster competition at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA meeting in San Antonio.  Steve is a graduate student working with Dr. Pat Byrne in wheat breeding. He will be recognized in the CSA News and receive a $300 award for his efforts for participating in the graduate student poster competition.  Please congratulate him as his participation has helped to ensure the success of the wheat program.

Fresh Veggies Grown by CSU Students!

The Sustainable Development Garden, CSU’s organic student-run veggie plot, is full to the brim with fresh vegetables. The earliest of them are now ready to eat, including radishes, kale, spinach, lettuce, rhubarb, and herbs. Come on down to the weekly produce stand to support CSU’s only organic garden, to contribute to the local food web, and to eat a delicious, nutritious dinner!

WHEN: Thursday, June 9th, 1:00-5:00

WHERE: Holley Plant Environmental Research Center–sidewalk out front, 630 W. Lake St.

Outstanding Reviewers, Associate Editors Named

The editorial boards of Agronomy Journal (AJ), the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education (JNRLSE), and the Soil Science Society of America Journal (SSSAJ) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2010 Editor’s Citation for Excellence. These awards recognize the outstanding professional commitment and dedication of volunteer reviewers and/or editors who, through their excellent insights and comments, have helped maintain the high standard and quality of papers published in the journals. Recipients were nominated based on their thorough, competent, and timely reviews or editing of manuscripts. Each will receive a certificate of appreciation. Mary Stromberger is recognized as one of the six outstanding associate editors and six outstanding reviewers for SSSAJ  received the award for their work in 2010. The associate editors include:

• Paul Grossl, Utah State University, Logan
• David J. Lowe, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
• Melanie Mayes, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
• Nathan Slaton, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
• Mary Stromberger, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Hailin Zhang, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Great job Mary!

Anna Pranger Coaches National Champion Lacrosse Team

Anna Pranger Coaches National Champion Lacrosse Team

Plant breeding and genetics graduate student Anna Pranger has also been successful in another aspect of her life. Anna has served as coach this semester for CSU’s women’s lacrosse team, which won the national championship last week.

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