Volume 8, Number 1 — Spring/Summer 2011 - The University of ...

Editor’s note: The following message from Interim Chancellor Buddy Mitchell waspublished this spring in our employee newsletter. It met with such a positive responsethat we reprint it here in the hope that you, as an alumnus, alumna or supporter,will share this message with all the decision-makers in your area.Dear friends,In my travels across the state I frequently hear people say we must “cut government.”That certainly seems a logical response in relation to what most peoplewould view as runaway deficits. While I agree with that logic, it’s important tomake a clear distinction between cutting government in general and UT Instituteof Agriculture programs that are not government, but education, researchand outreach. These programs in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Collegeof Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Extension and AgResearchoffer an exceptional return on investment and are the foundation of greatereconomic growth, which is absolutely essential if we are to balance the budgetin the years ahead.Nothing empowers a young person’s life more than a college degree, as itmoves them from very limited opportunity to unlimited opportunity. A collegedegree may be even more important today in our information-drivensociety, which relies on technology skills and a highly educated workforce. Thejob growth of the future that can help control our deficit will be driven by acollege-educated workforce. There is no better investment.More than 50 economic analysis studies, including ones conducted by landgrantuniversities and other public universities, have looked at the rate ofeconomic return on investment in agricultural research and Extension. Theaverage of all these studies shows that society gains an approximate 50 percentannual return, or a more than 8-to-1 return, over the life of an investment inthese programs. New technology and research findings are generated in ourresearch laboratories and delivered through the Extension pipeline to farmers,homemakers, citizens and communities throughout Tennessee and the nation.President, UTJoe DiPietroInterim Chancellor,UT Institute of AgricultureBuddy MitchellDean, UT College of AgriculturalSciences and Natural ResourcesCaula A. BeylDean, UT AgResearchWilliam F. BrownDean, UT ExtensionTim L. CrossDean, UT College of Veterinary MedicineJames P. ThompsonTennessee LAND Life & ScienceVol. 8/No.1/2011A Publication of The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture101 Morgan Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996-4505E11-1101-00-007-11 11-0145Produced by Marketing and CommunicationServices, the University of Tennessee Instituteof Agriculture, 865-974-7141. Editorial contact:Margot Emery, senior writer/producer, memery@tennessee.edu. Design contact: Jean Hulsey,senior designer, jmhulsey@tennessee.edu.The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in theprovision of its education and employment programsand services. All qualified applicants will receiveequal consideration for employment without regard torace, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy,marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age,physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.agriculture.tennessee.eduEveryone benefits when the UT Institute of Agriculture seeks the highest sustainableutility for every acre of farm and forestland in Tennessee. That is notjust a worthy but an essential mission, and I urge our friends in state and federalgovernment to select carefully when they “cut government” and continueto invest in research and education that will lead to long-term sustainable prosperityfor our nation.Best wishes,2You don’t have to look far to find programs at UTIA with that high rate ofeconomic return on investment. Think about the impact of a 4-bushel-per-acreincrease from a new soybean variety developed at UT. Now, multiply that 4bushel increase times the hundreds of thousands of acres of soybeans grown inTennessee and the region. These high returns translate into economic growthand income generation in rural communities across Tennessee where theunemployment rate is often double what it is in the urban areas. Achieving ahigh productivity in agriculture also benefits all our citizens because plentifulsupplies of food products are essential to keeping food costs low.Buddy MitchellInterim ChancellorBuddy Mitchell, left, withTennessee Commissioner ofAgriculture Julius Johnson andUT President Joe DiPietroBob Longmire

On the cover Kneeling left to right: Jonathan Binkley,Krissy Berryman, Chyna Cain, Kristen Dillon Standingleft to right: Evan Penfield, Jackson Penfield, HannahByrnes, Jennifer Arnold, Kelsey Bush, Vivian Reynolds,Barbara Kanapple, Janie Monday (UT Extension FCSAgent) and Amanda Whittaker (Chair of the Keep SmithCounty Beautiful Committee) Photo by Rich Maxey6 Master Gardeners Plant a Gardenof Hope for Cancer Patients8 New Path Leads UT Students toCareers in Construction9 Growth in Organic ProductsMeans Opportunities for Students10 In Smith County, a CommunityReinvents Itself12 Radiation Therapy in UT Collegeof Vet Med Offers Cancer-StrickenPets a Beam of Hope13 UT Vet School Graduate StartsNonprofit for Conservation ofAfrican Animals14 CASNR Ambassadors—Recruiters and Mentors with anImportant Role15 Memories, Affection Abound for‘Prof’ Lidvall16 Ties That Bind: Tennessee JuniorLivestock Expo Participants SpanGenerations18 Unwelcome, Unwanted, BedBugs Continue to Draw Attention1019 In Profile: Dr. Dan Ward20 Advancing Tennessee ThroughStrategic Extension: New 10-YearPlan Outlines Mission, Goals forStatewide Unit22 Center for Renewable CarbonOpens ‘BeST’ Research Lab23 Alpha Gamma Rho FraternityCelebrates Its Impacts Across 60Years24 At this Tennessee 4-H Camp,Learning is Electric26 In Knox County, Ash and EasternBlack Walnut Trees Under Attack27 Standout Achievements by InstituteFaculty28 Henry County 4-H’ers Light TheirGrills29 A Legacy for 4-H in CheathamCounty30 Alumni Dream Jobs—Read AboutTheirs, Tell Us About Yours32 Tarantulas, Crickets and More! JoinUs for Ag Day 2011813319

4Newsaround theInstituteNational Honor for 4-H’s SuttonOf the four H’s, it was his heart that Steve Suttongave way so willingly years ago to the youth of Tennessee.Nearly four decades later, he is being recognizedfor his caringand committed effortto educate and servethousands of youngpeople throughoutTennessee. The NationalAssociation ofExtension 4-H Agentshas presented Sutton,Tennessee’s 4-Hleader, with the U.S.Air Force RecruitingSalute Award. He waschosen as the nationalwinner among the 50 states. The award is basedon professional accomplishments and recognizesindividuals who create a positive image throughleadership and citizenship as it relates to the 4-Hprogram.Extension’s Ray Burden to ProvideLeadership in Homeland SecurityHomeland Security and Emergency Preparednessare crucial issues. UT’s leadership in these areashas led to a career change for a seasoned Extensionagent and county director. Dr. Ray Burden of HamiltonCounty has been promoted to research associateprofessor with UT Extension andassociate director of the UT Centerfor Agriculture and Food Securityand Preparedness, which resides inthe College of Veterinary Medicine.Ray BurdenSteve SuttonHis shift in titles will see him transitionfrom regional responsibilities tostate and national leadership.“Previously my program area of work was focusedprimarily in East Tennessee with Extension. Nowit is statewide, working with Tennessee Office ofHomeland Security, the Tennessee Fusion Center,Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, TennesseeDepartment of Agriculture and FBI. I’ll alsobe working with the Department of Homeland Securityand Federal Emergency Management Agencyon the national level.”The joint Extension-Center appointment is unusualand speaks to the emphasis both units are placingon homeland security and disaster preparation andresponse. In his new capacity, Burden will continueto work with the Extension Disaster EducationNetwork program working to implement acomprehensive emergency response program, andother multistate projects such as the recipient of anational USDA radiological grant through EDEN.Money Management Training CapturesAttention of Japan Associationfor Financial PlannersUT Extension’s Family and Consumer SciencesDepartment is receiving international attention forits efforts in the area of money management. FCSagents train Tennessee’s high school teachers in acurriculum about money management from theNational Endowment for Financial Education. UTExtension has trained 900 teachers in 76 countiessince 2006, and those teachers have reached morethan 70,000 students with messages about saving,investing, taxes and credit.Recently Suzue Sato of the Japan Association forFinancial Planners visited Gibbs High School inKnox County to learn about the training. UT Extension’sprogram was selected from across the nationas one of the best, and Sato chose to come to see itfirsthand.

In Cookeville, Tennessee, there is a garden with avery special purpose. This garden heals lives.Many hands and hearts came together to shape theHealing Garden at the Cookeville Regional MedicalCenter. In 2007, hospital foundation executivedirector Gary Curto invited Putnam County MasterGardener volunteers trained by UT Extension toimplement a healing garden in an area overlookedby the hospital’s Cancer Center and new wing. Atthat point the space was a barren drainage area.The Master Gardeners loved the idea of planting ahealing garden there and quickly got to work.They found willing partners among the hospitalstaff and community, 4-H Club members, area businessesand the general public. Ultimately close to200 people took part.“This Master Gardener project took more time,work, resources and networking than any of ourother projects to date,” says Putnam County UTExtension Agent Scott Chadwell. “And, without adoubt, it was worth it. This was definitely a feelgoodproject.”Master Gardeners identified plants for the garden,and the hospital foundation provided funds forthem and for soil and amendments. While carewas taken to select plants attractive for four seasonsand to choose ones with soft, soothing shapes, thegarden’s most special areas are found in handmadeelements, ones with strongly uplifting, spiritualmessages.“We wanted the garden to be a light that leads theway to a place of comfort and hope for patients,”says Master Gardener MaryDell Sommers. “Wewanted it to be a positive message that there is, rainor shine, day or night, the feeling that patients arenot alone and that they are comforted by knowingthat there are other forces that are with them andhelping them to get through these stressful times.”Delivering that message is a spiral circle of stepsand a 12-by-26-foot mural that shows footsteps onthe sand, a serene ocean vista and, across the water,mist-covered mountains.“You can see a magnificent ocean sunrise or sunset,”said artist Teresa Bostic, who oversaw the mural’screation. “The water is either shimmering orcrashing in waves. The footsteps may represent theBible story in Matthew or simply steps in a journey.We wanted to be spiritual in our messages, yet leaveeverything open for interpretation by the viewer.”On the ground, the spiral of hand-created paverstells the stories of cancer patients and others in thehospital and community.“We call that our circle of life,” Sommers says.“When you’re walking in that garden, you’re lookingat all of these memories. Some are incrediblytouching, and some just make you smile. All ofthem represent and are in honor of someone.”Nearby is a sculpture donated by nationally renownedmetal artist Robert Coogan andhis students at the Joe L. Evins AppalachianCenter for Crafts. The metal treeand copper animals add whimsy to thegarden.“We had naming opportunities at the hospital,”foundation director Curto says, “andeveryone wanted to support our gardens.The capping touch was that our hospitalCEO and his wife, Bernie and Barbara Mattingly,gave a very generous gift to namethe healing garden in honor of his parents,John and Lelia Rose Mattingly.”Master Gardeners are told to considerthe impact that a project will have on acommunity. Bostic says, “Even though wetried to consider the impact that a healinggarden would have on patients, we didn’t realizethe feedback that we’d get from family memberswho were so thankful that their loved one had thisat that time. We hear a lot of stories, such as, ‘Oh,my mother-in-law or my sister-in-law was there.’“It’s those twice- and thrice-removed stories that reallylet us know how much the garden does mean,and not only to the patients. That’s been overwhelming.Even though we imagined the impacts,it’s beyond our hopes.”UT Extension Master Gardener programs are activein many counties across the state. Visit http://mastergardener.tennessee.eduto learn more about thisprogram. –Margot EmeryA view of the garden from the hospital’s newwing. A security officer with Cookeville RegionalMedical Center told the Master Gardenersthat he considered this God’s view of their work.MaryDell Sommers7

New Path Leads UTStudents to Careersin Construction8Students at UT Knoxville who are interestedin construction as a career havea new opportunity to prepare themselves for thefield. They can pursue a concentration in constructionscience in the College of Agricultural Sciencesand Natural Resources’ Department of BiosystemsEngineering and Soil Science. The new programuses current offerings in agriculture, business,engineering and science with new construction sciencecourses to prepare students for a future in theconstruction industry.“Not all students with an interest in constructionwant to be engineers,” says Dr. Eric Drumm, departmenthead. “But before we started this program inconstruction science, the only option at UT was aconstruction concentration within the civil engineeringdegree. I’m excited for the opportunity togrow this program at UT. My hope is that this willserve the regional construction industry, and we willbe producing graduates when the construction segmentof the economy turns around.”The program will evolve over time to includeaspects of both vertical construction, such as buildings,and horizontal construction, such as roads,bridges and earthwork. Five students enrolled inthe concentration last fall, with five more joiningthis spring. Drumm predicts additional growth dueto the current level of interest and plans for anarticulation agreement with Pellissippi State CommunityCollege in Knoxville.Support to develop the program is needed, accordingto Development Director Tom Looney. “Overthe next year, the Department of Biosystems Engineeringand Soil Science seeks to raise $500,000in immediate support to grow the constructionscience program as it seeks accreditation.”To date more than $150,000 has been raised.Support from construction companies in all threedivisions of the state will ensure the programslong-term success. The initiative initially focusedon fundraising in East Tennessee and now seekssupporters and volunteers from Middle and WestTennessee.“This fundraising effort would not be possiblewithout volunteers like Gordon Heins of A.G. HeinsCompany Inc. and Jim Wakefield of The WakefieldCorporation,” Looney says. “They have beenchampioning the cause by promoting the benefitsof the program to the industry. Others in theindustry are currently considering support and arewilling to help shape the program so that graduateswill be marketable upon graduation.“The long-term goal is to raise $6 million to buildlab and classroom facilities and to attract qualifiedfaculty and instructors.”A construction science advocacy board is beingformed to solicit input from industry friends todiscuss the curriculum and future program accreditationand assessment measures. –Doug EdlundFor more information on the program visithttp://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/students/tech_options.aspUndergraduates at UT can now prepare for careers inconstruction through a concentration in the Departmentof Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science.

In Smith County, aCommunity Reinvents ItselfSituated among the rolling hills of MiddleTennessee, rural Smith County possessesplenty of scenic beauty. It’s home to one of thestate’s most visited parks, Defeated Creek RecreationArea, and it’s known for the charm of its twolarger towns, Carthage and Gordonsville.Until recently, though, it was known for somethingelse, too: illegal dumpsites, roadside litter, and derelictyards and property.“Those who live here were so used to seeing it thatit was next to normal,” says Smith County UT ExtensionAgent Janie Pedigo Monday. “But one day,I was driving in the county with Amanda Whittaker,who then worked with the Solid Waste Department,and we realized what our area must look like tooutsiders, and it wasn’t good.”Photos by Janie Pedigo MondayTwo years ago, their conversation planted the seedof an idea, one that was not without controversy.Monday and Whittaker took photos of problemareas, and they developed a presentation. Mondaystarted giving it to civic groups. “I asked audiencesto pretend they were visitors to our county,” shesays. “Then I began, ‘I want to welcome you toSmith County. We have lots to offer here. We havethings for your children and for your home. We’rea good place for your business to relocate.’” As shespoke, disturbing images of dumpsites, trashedyards and discarded toys and appliances flashed by.At one airing, the county mayor watched withoutcomment. But he was on board when Mondayshowed the presentation to the county court. Hetold the group that the presentation made him angryat first, but then he realized that it had openedhis eyes to what residents took to be normal, andthat something needed to be done.Ultimately about 700 of the county’s residentssaw the slide show, and they began to take action.Several business sites were cleaned up; teams ofvolunteers, aided by grants, began removing trash10

from dump sites; and youth engaged in recyclingprograms spanning first through 12th grades.But that wasn’t all. An anti-trash-themed floatbecame a regular participant in Christmas parades.The first year, it was chosen as a winner based on itsnovelty, Monday thinks. “We had a canoe with twoboys paddling, and a stream filled with the trashyou’d expect to see in the water and then some.”Youth in the county decorated 45-gallon aluminumcan collection barrels that were placed around thecounty. Whittaker and Monday gave presentationsto children about the importanceof stopping litter by “hitting thecan and not the land.”The county has three litter cleanupdays a year. A ton of trash wasgathered on a recent one. Muchmore, though, has been removedsince this program began. Oneillegal dump site was cleared,producing 11,300 pounds of litter—enoughtrash to fill a 40-yarddumpster. More than 1,700 tireswere picked up. And much ofthe trash was recycled: more than11,600 pounds of newspaper,500 pounds of aluminum, 25,100pounds of cardboard (recycled bylocal schools), and 2,380 pounds of plastic.“What impresses me most,” Whittaker says, “is thatthe youth took the recycling idea and ran with it.They’re now engaged on their own, continuingwith these efforts, and they’re having an impact.”We have had impactsin more areas thanwe realize. There’s arippling effect, andwhen people seethese efforts goingon, they get excited.roadways; dump sites that were situated too closeto waterways and springs used for water supply andrecreation; and a lack of education regarding recyclingand the new litter law that went into effect July1, 2007. Another factor that concerned the groupwas the economic downturn experienced in downtownGordonsville. Even the courthouse was leavingthe square, and businesses had closed as a result ofan arrival of a national superstore in the area.“Our working group found that everything wasconnected,” Monday says. “By cleaning up the area,we created a community that attractedpeople, but what wouldthey do once they got here?We wanted to invite touristsinto our area.” With the helpof Whittaker, Regina Brooks ofthe Chamber of Commerce,Leadership Smith County,and a number of civic groupsand businesses, a “Welcome toHistoric Smith County” sign waserected at the interstate. Whittaker’shusband, Clay Bane,laid the stacked stone that addsbeauty to the sign. And the ideaof a quilt trail was born to highlightplaces of scenic beautyand tourist interest. Senior andjunior high students helpedpaint many of the quilt paintings. Funding from theEmma Ree Crooks Oates Stimulus Grant paid forthem to be mounted on buildings and covered thecost of printing for 5,000 brochures to be placed intravel centers and other locations.“We’re getting the impact that we’ve wanted inbeautification,” she says. “I’m grateful that it tookoff the way it did, and that people recognized whatKeep Smith County Beautiful is about, and thatthere’s a lot of support for that.“Longer term, what I would really love to accomplishis to get the kids more involved with communityprojects and help them understand whattheir impact is – on the environment, on tourismand on economic issues. Everything is connected.Once they understand that, they’ll be more apt tobe involved in the community, and that will makea difference for everyone. Those connections willlead to overall improvement.” –Margot EmeryProgram PartnersChamber of Commerce, Smith CountyGovernment, Leadership Opportunity SmithCounty, Smith County Solid Waste Department,Tennessee Department of Transportation, SmithCounty Historical Society, Hull York LakelandRCD, Smith County School Board, U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers and othersAt the outset, Monday, a Family and Consumer Sciencesagent, conducted a countywide needs assessmentfor Smith County involving the FCS AdvisoryCommittee, local government, civic groups and theChamber of Commerce. The biggest issues identifiedthrough the assessment were dumps alongWhittaker, who is now with the Smith CountyMayor’s office and serves as chair of the Keep SmithCounty Beautiful Committee, explains that thegrassroots effort she helped launch isn’t just abouttourism and cleaning up litter. It’s about sustaininga community.Dezi Gageimproved her Carthagehome (alsofeatured on thecover) and won it a2010 CommunityInitiative Award.11

Radiation Therapy at UTVeterinary Medical CenterOffers Cancer-Stricken Petsa Beam of Hope12Dr. Nathan Lee with the high-energy linearaccelerator that delivers radiation treatmentto tumors in seconds rather than minutes.Phil SnowIt’s the “C” word, cancer, andin pets, its incidence increaseswith age. Cancer accounts for almosthalf of the deaths of pets over 10 yearsof age, and according to the MorrisAnimal Foundation, 1 in 4 dogs willdie of cancer. While cats get fewercancers, dogs get cancer at about thesame rate as humans.In veterinary medicine, three primaryoptions exist to treat cancer: chemotherapy,radiation and surgery. Dependingon the type of cancer and itslocation, a combination of the threemay be used to treat the animal.Radiation therapy is a critical componentin the arsenal to fight cancer,and the UT Veterinary Medical Centeris the only program in Tennesseethat offers radiation therapy as well asthe only program on the East Coast tooffer radioactive iodine I-131 treatmentfor thyroid carcinomas in catsand dogs.The goal of radiation therapy is toprovide effective treatment whilemaintaining quality of life for thepatient and family. In some instances,radiation therapy can shrink a tumor,making it easier for surgeons toremove. In other cases, radiation therapycan shrink inoperable tumors,reducing their effects on the body. Dr.Nathan Lee, a UT Veterinary MedicalCenter radiation oncologist, isseeing more clients who are lookingfor palliative treatment for their pets.“Sometimes when we are unable tocure or slow the progression of thecancer, we want to be able to concentrateon reducing the pain the cancercauses,” says Lee. He and fellow radiationoncologist Dr. Bill Adams usethe veterinary medical center’s linearaccelerator to deliver doses of radiationtherapy. “In most cases, we cansignificantly improve the quality oflife of our patients by eliminating orreducing pain and inflammation withradiation therapy.”Radiation therapy is customized toeach patient. Using a CT scan of thetumor area, UT’s radiation oncologistsanalyze the exact size, shapeand location of the tumor. Using thisinformation, a 3D image of the tumoris created to aid in designing anindividualized treatment plan wheresmall radiation beams are configuredto mimic that particular tumor’s irregularshape. This technology allowsthe doctors to treat the entire tumorand spare the surrounding normaltissues. With the high-energy linearaccelerator, radiation treatment timeis a matter of seconds rather thanminutes, reducing the amount of timea patient is under anesthesia.Lee adds, “Our clients are grateful tohave access to this service. Our clientswant to give their pets every opportunitythey can to live a happy, pain-freelife, and we strive to take away asmuch stress as possible for them.”–Sandra Harbison

Dr. Hayley Adams first visited Africa as ayoung lady pursuing a dream of workingwith wildlife, and has revisited Africa many times topursue that passion. During her veterinary trainingshe traveled to Uganda for a summer researchproject on great ape conservation, and was partneredwith a Ugandan veterinary student, InnocentRwego. It was a pivotal meeting that paved the wayto the inception of the Silent Heroes Foundation, anonprofit organization dedicated to promoting thehealth and conservation of Africa’s wildlife, includingits rare and endangered species.Dr. Adams graduated from UT’s College of VeterinaryMedicine, and after spending time in clinicalpractice, went on to earn her PhD in veterinary virologyand epidemiology. Her PhD research on lentivirusesin free-ranging lions gave her the opportunityto live in South Africa for six months. Her researchand time in Africa inspired her to make a differencein veterinary medicine and wildlife conservation.In 2010 Adams and Rwego partnered once againto create the Silent Heroes Foundation, to supportveterinary medicine in Africa. With 10 projectsunderway in eight African countries, Silent Heroesis off to a busy start and continues to search for newprojects in 2011. The foundation supports a varietyof issues ranging from mountain gorilla and rhinoconservation efforts to raptor rehabilitation and villagepoultry projects. Funds raised by Silent Heroesfinance critically important medical supplies andresources necessary for their conservation projectsthroughout Africa.One of the nonprofit’s recent endeavors has beento partner with the Umutara Polytechnic veterinaryfaculty in Rwanda. The school’s veterinary programis relatively new, founded in 2006, and SilentHeroes is committed to providing much-neededsupplies to the program to assist in building thedepartment from the ground up. The veterinarystudents are in need of binoculars, stethoscopesand basic supplies to complete their training.Another project on board for 2011 is the WildHorizons Wildlife Trust in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.The trust is a non-profit organization whose missionis to advance and promote environmental conservationin Southern Africa through wildlife research,management of a wildlife clinic and orphanage andcommunity outreach. They are in need of medicaland laboratory supplies for their newly establishedwildlife clinic. The trust is active in caring for youngelephants orphaned due to the poaching of theirmothers.Silent Heroes also offers veterinary studentsnationwide the opportunity to experience Africafirst-hand, with summer internships possible formost all of their sponsored projects. This summertwo students will travel to Africa; one will work at ananimal clinic in Uganda, and another on a villagepoultry project in Zambia. A scholarship programfor African veterinary students with an interest inwildlife medicine is also in the works.–Erica JenkinsUT Graduate Starts Nonprofit for Conservation of African AnimalsAs a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, SilentHeroes Foundation depends on donationsfrom the general public to keeptheir projects running. To learn moreabout Silent Heroes and the conservationwork they are doing, or to donate,visit www.thesilentheroes.org.13

CASNR Ambassadors—Recruiters andMentors with an Important Role14When you take on the role of an ambassador,you become the main emissary ofyour country to a foreign land. To many, whetherrightly or wrongly, you are that country in personaand represent everything that it stands for. Goodambassadors spread goodwill, bad ambassadors …well let’s not go there.Now when you’re an ambassador for CASNR,UT’s College of Agricultural Sciences and NaturalResources, you may often find yourself in a similarposition. OK, so you’re not in Kazakhstan trying towin over the local population, but there are timeswhen it might feel like that’s exactly what you’retrying to do. You find yourself in a suburban highschool and the kids may have never heard of a collegeat UT Knoxville called CASNR.So they ask you, “What does CASNR stand for?”You reply, “It’s the College of Agricultural Sciencesand Natural Resources.” Now at this point, someof those kids will hang on that one word … agriculture.“But I don’t want to be a farmer,” they say,not realizing the importance of agriculture to oureconomy and society. As a CASNR ambassador, it’syour chance to win them over.“Did you know that you can study pre-pharmacy atCASNR?” you ask. “How about biosystems engineeringor environmental science, do those soundinteresting to you? Oh, you’re not the outdoorsytype? Then how about economics, communications,leadership or education?” You start to see someinterest in their eyes.“You mean that I can do all that at an agriculturalcollege?” they ask. “I thought it was all about becominga farmer. Tell me some more.”It takes a specialperson to representthe academic diversitythat is CASNR. Noteveryone realizes howmany different areasof study the collegeoffers. There are 33,by the way, rangingfrom animal scienceto engineering topre-professional.CASNR has 18 ambassadors,and theycome from all acrossTennessee and represent many fields of study. Inaddition to helping to recruit prospective students,they also conduct campus tours, work as a resourcefor CASNR and its students, and help to promote apositive image of the college.“As student recruiters, they are able to relate toprospective students on a higher level and providethe personalized touch that makes our college sounique,” says Anna Adams, program coordinatorfor recruitment at CASNR. “Without them, wewouldn’t be able to serve our prospective and currentstudents as effectively as we do now.”But the ambassadors do more than recruit prospectivestudents. Once a student decides on CASNR,the ambassadors try to help him or her get the mostout of the college experience after the student arriveson campus.“We do community outreach projects, we plan theCASNR mixer, we help prospective students makelife decisions and so much more,” says Sarah Boggess,CASNR ambassador president. “I felt it was agreat way for me to give back to a college that hasgiven so much to me.”After spending some time with the CASNR ambassadors,one gets the feeling that with all that hardwork comes a lot of rewards. “It’s a very rewardingexperience when I see students I talked with whilethey were in high school who are now CASNRstudents and enjoying our campus as much as Ido,” says Sarah McDonald, CASNR ambassador vicepresident. “Being a part of the CASNR ambassadorprogram has enriched my college experience bygiving me greater meaning and purpose as to whatit means to be a college student.”When one becomes an ambassador for their country,it’s usually the capstone to a lifelong career ofservice. For CASNR Ambassador Sarah Boggess,this experience may lead to a successful and rewardingcareer. “It’s a great résumé booster, it helps youtalk professionally to people, it helps you manageyour time and, above all, it helps you network,” shesays. –Doug Edlund

Memories, Affection Abound for ‘Prof’ LidvallEd “Prof” Lidvallpassed away peacefullyDecember 26,2010, after a periodof declining health.“Prof” or “Lid,” ashe was known by hisstudents, was a fixtureof the Department ofAnimal Science formore than 39 years.He served as a bomberpilot and instructorduring World War II and earneda degree in animal science from IowaState University. It was there that hemet his wife Dorothy (Dee), and theywere married for more than 60 years.He earned a master’s in animal scienceat UT and remained to teach—and teach he did. Over the years, hereceived multiple teaching honors,including the 1978 UT NationalAlumni Association OutstandingTeacher Award.“Prof was an encourager and forwardthinker, always looking to see wherethe livestock industry was headed,”says Dr. Emmit Rawls, retired professorof Agriculture Economics. “Heprepared his students to meet theworld and change the industry.” Retiredfaculty member Frank Masincuppsaid students were No. 1 withLidvall. “They all looked forward tohis classes.”He also inspired fellow faculty. “Profwas the best classroom teacher I evertaught with, and I probably copiedhim more than I realized,” says BillBackus, retired Animal Science professor.“He was very knowledgeableand confident in that knowledge.”Lidvall was recognized nationally forhis ability as a livestock judge. Hecoached the 1962 national championlivestock judging team for UT.He served as the national president ofhis fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, andProgressive Farmer magazine namedhim Man of the Year in 1988. In thathonor, they characterized him as“the kind of teacher no student everforgot; thorough, demanding, andtough; yet always sensitive and 100percent interested in every student.The professor’s affection for eachyoung scholar was as genuine as hisstern look or his warm, ready smile.”Dr. Gordon Jones, ’70, professor ofAnimal Science at Western KentuckyUniversity, says, “Prof had the uniqueability to weave animal science andhusbandry in a manner to preparestudents to become lifelong animalbreeders, producers or scientists.”Since Lidvall’s retirement in 1988,many friends and former studentshave honored him with gifts to theUT Institute of Agriculture thatcontinue his legacy. The E.R. “Prof”Lidvall Outstanding Teaching Awardwas established in 2001 by Don E.Williams, ’61, to honor him as aprofessor and mentor. The award isgiven annually to recognize facultymembers who exemplify Lidvall’scommitment to excellence in theclassroom and commitment to theneeds and interest of students.“Prof was such an inspiration in mylife by teaching me basic life skillsand citizenship,” Williams says. “Heworked hard to connect with students—hewas a teacher’s teacher.”Williams says he established the awardbecause of what Lidvall meant to somany people in their lives. “I wantedto ring the bell for Prof, and this wasmy way to do that.”Also, the Professors Lidvall and ColeJudging Teams Association Endowmentwas established in 1988 by agroup of former students to recognizethe work of Lidvall as livestock judgingteam coach from 1949 to 1988and the late Professor William “Bill”Cole as the meats judging team coachfrom 1947 to 1968. The endowmentwas established to support studentsparticipating on the livestock andmeats judging teams and improve thelevel of support for all judging teamactivities.Since Lidvall’s death last year, giftshave continued to arrive to supportthese and other funds. In rememberingthe legacy of Ed “Prof” Lidvall,friends, former students and familyare encouraged to consider a gift toone or more of the funds mentionedabove to maintain his legacy as a professor,mentor, colleague and friend.Gifts may be sent to 107 Morgan Hall,2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, Tennessee37996-4502. Or for informationon planned gifts, contact RhodesLogan at 865-974-1928 or by e-mail towlogan@tennessee.edu. –Tom Looney15

Ties That BindTennessee Junior Livestock Expo Participants Stay ConnectedThey number in the thousands. Young Tennesseanswho, over the course of 40 years, have anxiouslybrushed, primped and attended to the hundredsof details necessary to show their cattle, sheep and,years ago, hogs in the Tennessee Junior LivestockExpo. Along the way the adult leaders overseeing theExpo hope the young participants managed to alsobuild personal confidence while building their character.And the leaders hope the kids had fun, too.At least that has been the goal, says Dr. Jim Neel,a UT Extension professor of animal science andbeef specialist who has worked with the programfor 39 of its 40 years. “The expo helps participantsdevelop a sense of responsibility for their animal, awork ethic in regards to caring for that animal, anda sense of accomplishment when they achieve theirgoals of proper animal husbandry and best managementpractices,” Neel says. He adds, “It all comestogether at the expo, but it doesn’t stop there.The young people who compete learn valuable lifeskills that can serve them well in all their futureendeavors.”Expo participants range in age from fourth-gradersto high school seniors, and past participants havehailed from every county in the state—mirroringthe state’s actual production practices for beefcattle. In 2010 youth from 65 of Tennessee’s 95counties participated in the expo, and organizershope that when the dust has settled from this year’sevent even more counties will be counted.Whether a participant is from the FFA (FutureFarmers of America) or wears the clover-shapedemblem of 4-H, often his or her whole family—parents,grandparents and siblings—will come out insupport of the exhibitor. Dr. David Kirkpatrick, oneof the original expo organizers and also a professorin the Department of Animal Science, believesfamily support to be one of the strengths of theprogram. For many, he says, expo is a family affairand that just serves to reinforce a young person’sconfidence and abilities.Neel agrees. “This year many of our participantswill be the second or third generation to exhibit.One or both of their parents and, in some cases agrandparent, probably participated in some of theearly expos,” Neel recounts. “We may even have afourth-generation participant,” he said.Organizers prepared a big “show” for the 40th anniversaryevent. Planning began in earnest as earlyas December 2010 for the July shows: the Beef Expoin Murfreesboro and the Sheep Expo in Cookeville.The idea was to honor alumni participants.Tennessee 4-H state specialist Amy Powell Williamsis an expo alumna and is an example of howthe expo is very much a family affair. She is thedaughter of Ben Powell, former state 4-H leaderand another of the original expo organizers. PowellWilliams is enthusiastic about a new element of the40th anniversary event: social networking. Shortlyafter the 39th expo, she and others worked withBryan Bastin, an information technology assistant inthe Department of Animal Science, to set up a Facebookpage for the expo. The idea was to give alumnithe opportunity to share stories of their expo encountersand a way to reconnect with friends.“The page allows us to live again an exciting timefrom our youth,” she said. “If you haven’t visited usonline yet, you still can.” Powell Williams says youcan find the 4-H Tennessee Junior Livestock Expo40th Anniversary page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=136184546404021.Timely updates will be available on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/TJLE40Years.Neel recognizes how valuable the popular socialnetworks might prove to the future of expo. Socialnetworking is just another way to reach out to theexpo community and tap into the experiences thatmade the expo a successful program for the past 40years, he says. The real ties that bind, say organizersand participants alike, are the lessons learned incommon about self-confidence, responsibility andanimal stewardship. –Patricia McDaniels16

Unwelcome, Unwanted,Bed Bugs Continue to Draw AttentionDoug Edlund“Good night. Sleep tight. Anddon’t let the bed bugs bite.”Many of us thought that was once aharmless nursery rhyme, but now it’sanything but a laughing matter.“Bed bugs are kind of a scary thingto think about, because now they’reshowing up here and there and placesyou might stay at night,” says DavidCook with UT Extension.UT’s Soil, Plant and PestCenter in Nashville,Tennessee, has beengetting lots of callsabout the insects. Cooksays there’s no questionthat bed bugs haveincreased in populationin recent years. Theirnumbers are growingfor several reasons. Weno longer use certainpesticides that used tokill them, and a numberof the pests arebeing accidently imported from othercountries by unknowing tourists. “Bedbugs are great little hitchhikers, andthey like suitcases,” he says.But Cook says there’s no need topanic about bed bugs. Yes, they doreally bite, but they are not a serioushealth hazard. “Even though theyare capable of retaining a pathogenin their system, for some reason theycannot spread a disease much like amosquito. I’d be much more fearfulof a mosquito bite or a tick bite,”Cook says.So what about Tennessee? Is the VolunteerState part of the national bedbug resurgence? Bed bugs have beenfound in all three grand divisions ofthe state—East, Middle and West. Butso far, the pests have been reported inless than 20 percent of Tennessee’s 95counties.However, Dr. Karen Vail, a UT entomologist,says even a few bed bugs isstill a problem. Cleanliness is usuallynot a cause for an infestation, butclutter can be. “Reducing clutter willspeed up the control process. Wewant to take away all those hidingplaces,” she says.Vail recommends that you be awareof the possibility of bed bugs whenyou travel. “When you go to a hotelroom, you want to inspect before youunpack your bags. You want to getbehind the headboard, and look forbed bugs. Take the bedding off. Lookat the mattress seams. Make sure highpopulations aren’t present,” she says.Her final piece of advice: if you dodiscover bed bugs, call a professionalexterminator. And mostly, says witha laugh, “Stop letting this little bugpush us around and become moreempowered!”UT maintains a list of bed bug resourcesat http://www.agriculture.utk.edu/news/releases/2010/10-09-bedbugs.html.–Chuck DenneyDavid Cook of UT Extension in Davidson County says peopleneed to be aware of bed bugs but not be overly alarmed about them.18

In profile:Dr. Dan WardPhil SnowAs a veterinary student, Ward envisioned himselfteaching. In the blink of an eye, it became areality. The assistant department head in SmallAnimal Clinical Sciences didn’t go into teachingbecause he enjoyed ophthalmology—he wentinto ophthalmology so he could teach.After graduating and a twoyearstint in private practice,you set your sights on teachingand absolutely love it.Why?It’s intangible. Watching a student’sreaction, seeing that light bulb go onreally does it for me. I can start a classwith a room full of tired students whowould rather be anywhere at that particularmoment and 30 minutes intoclass it starts rocking—they’re yellingout answers and are excited aboutlearning. I’m having all this fun andat the same time I’m training tomorrow’sveterinarians.Ophthalmology wasn’t yourfirst love.No, teaching was first. When I was invet school (UTCVM ’85), we didn’thave an ophthalmologist (severalveterinary colleges still don’t), soI had very little exposure to it, butwhat I did have exposure to was reallygood teachers: Sims, Krahwinkel,Brace, Legendre, DeNovo, Gompf,Weigel, Dorn, Hopkins … all storiednames in teaching at UT, and allhad a tremendous influence on me.I was interested in farm animal, butthere weren’t any opportunities inthe teaching arena. So, I guess I did itbackwards. Veterinary ophthalmologistsdon’t typically go into academics,they go into private practice. I wantedto teach and found where there wereopportunities, and it turned out I likeophthalmology.What challenges do you faceteaching ophthalmology?Not to be “punny,” but it’s a very visualdiscipline. We diagnose and teachby sight. More animals equal moreopportunities to show the studentswhat corneal cholesterol, cataractsand ulcers are.What is your favoritesurgery?Cataract surgery never gets old. It is apretty surgery, resembling the goldencolors of galaxies in deep space. Thetechnology has evolved to keep it exciting.I guess I’ve done a thousand orso cataract surgeries and it, along withcorneal reconstruction on horses, aremy favorite procedures. We’ve beenunbelievably blessed with a supportiveadministration. We’re using thebest operating scopes and cataractmachines on the market—not just inveterinary medicine, but in the marketperiod.You were able to tackle adream challenge in 2010.I’ve done four marathons and dozensof half marathons. Turning 50 lastyear prompted me to do somethingspecial. I’d had my sights on the NewYork Marathon for some time. TheMultiple Sclerosis Society uses therace as a fundraiser, and since mywife has MS, I joined the MS team,being too slow to qualify on my own!Let’s just say one of the Chilean coalminers finished eight minutes aheadof me. But my group raised the thirdmost amount of money of any groupin the country for MS, almost $11,000.Besides teaching veterinarystudents, what makes yourjob rewarding?Our varied caseload. We work ondogs, cats, horses, raptors and theruminants that I call healing machines:cattle, sheep and goats. A dogcomes in blind from cataracts in themorning and that evening he can see.That’s gotten to be so commonplacethat we don’t think about it anymore,but I guess we should never take it forgranted. That’s a cool thing.19

Advancing TennesseeThrough Strategic ExtensionThis spring Chuck Denney sat down with UTExtension Dean Tim Cross to discuss the impactthat Extension’s new Strategic Plan is having onthis statewide organizationDenney: Extension went to greatlengths to hear from a number ofpeople statewide in gathering inputfor the Strategic Plan. What was theprocess in coming up with the plan?Cross: A leadership team was establishedrepresenting all Extensionprogram areas and regions acrossthe state. The team’s goal was to giveeveryone a voice. The leadership teammanaged an open and transparentprocess with surveys, group meetings,opinion polling and focus groups.More than 400 individuals respondedto our online employee survey.Employees provided feedback abouthow to improve the organization,including staffing and operatingprocedures.The leadership team facilitated 10area meetings in which nearly 1,000Tennesseans discussed the future ofUT Extension and the needs of theircommunities. These meetings includedopinion polling regarding currentissues that Extension should address.About 2,000 Tennesseans respondedto our online survey. They providedfeedback regarding Extension’s teaching/learningmethods and programpriorities.Based on the results of these studies,the Strategic Plan Leadership teamdrafted five strategies and actionplans as well as new statements todetail the organization’s mission, vision,values and principles.The draft plan was reviewed throughfocus groups with 25 of the state’smost outstanding leaders in stategovernment and other statewideorganizations. The draft plan was alsoposted with an online suggestion box.All of the feedback was consideredin finalizing the 2010-2020 StrategicPlan, Advancing Tennessee.Denney: Why the need for Extensionto have a new Strategic Plan now?Cross: It has been 10 years since ourlast plan. UT Extension is a dynamicorganization, and we need to periodicallyassess our mission, vision and valuesto remain relevant, efficient andresponsive to the needs of our clientele.Furthermore, we have had somechanges in several key leadershippositions over the past few years. Weare faced with a $5 million decreasein our state appropriation beginningJuly 2011. We felt it was time to buildon the achievements of the last planand to make sure we identify strategiesto position the organization forthe future.Denney: What was the significance ofthe timing of this plan, coming afterExtension’s Centennial in 2010?Cross: Extension in Tennessee has a100-year history of evolving to meetchanging needs of the state. As we20

Center for Renewable Carbon Opens New Research LabBeST Expected to Advance Biobased Research for Energy, Fuels, Chemicals and Materials22The UT Institute of Agriculture has openeda comprehensive research facility to accommodatefaculty and industry initiatives through thenew Center for Renewable Carbon. Called the BioenergyScience and Technology Laboratory—participatingfaculty affectionately refer to it as the BeSTLab—the facility is expected to enhance America’semerging biobased economy through advances inbioenergy and biofuel production economies aswell as the development of new chemicals and materialsfrom renewable carbon (biomass) sources.Both the CRC and the BeST Lab developed as a resultof the institute-wide Bioenergy Task Force commissionedby then-UTIA Chancellor Joe DiPietro.Now serving as UT president, DiPietro, InterimChancellor Buddy Mitchell, CRC Director TimRials and CRC faculty welcomed other UT officialsand representatives from the Oak Ridge NationalLaboratory and state and local government to aribbon-cutting and tour of the facilities on February4. Peter Muller, a representative from PerkinElmerInc., a partner in the instrumentation of the facilities,also participated.The CRC will advance existing bioenergy andbiomaterials research in four major program areas.The UT Biofuels Initiative will continue workingto demonstrate the technical and economic feasibilityof cellulosic fuels. This effort involves thewell-known collaboration between UT and GeneraEnergy, the state of Tennessee, and DuPont DaniscoCellulosic Ethanol (DDCE). The SunGrantInitiative, a federal effort that predates the BiofuelsInitiative, will continue to coordinate research intothe development of alternative energy from renewablecarbon resources.Through a wood utilization program, the CRCwill continue the work of the former UT ForestProducts Center in support of wood and relatedmaterials systems to enhance the competitivenessof the forest products industry. Also, the CRC’sbioenergy production and carbon cycling programwill research environmental topics including therelationships between land use, bioenergy cropsand carbon sequestration.The growing faculty, with wide-ranging expertisein areas from transportation economics to plantgenetics, microbiology and chemistry, is already collaboratingon numerous projects. Their collectiveexpertise gives the center a powerful advantage inexploring all avenues of materials development froma feedstock or product’s fundamental nature to hownew products might be produced on an industrialscale and how that production might impact the environment.The scientists come from across the instituteand within the UT system as well as from otherresearch institutions and government agencies.Rials believes the CRC has enormous potential.“Our scientists are working to solve some fundamentalquestions, to break down some fundamentalbarriers, to propel renewable carbon sources tothe forefront of the next industrial revolution. TheCRC’s express purpose is collaborative researchand education associated with converting renewablecarbon into energy, fuels and useful industrialchemicals and materials,” he said.These influences are obvious in the CRC’s upbeatlogo. Referring to the logo’s icons, Rials says,“We’re not doing push-button research. Our intentis to advance scientific knowledge in these areas tobenefit the nation’s economy and quality of life.”–Patricia McDanielsBob Longmire Bob Longmire

AGR Fraternity Celebrates its Impacts Across 60 YearsFor the past 60 years, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity hasbeen a part of the University of Tennessee communityand a bigger part of the UT College of Agricultural Sciences andNatural Resources. Since its charting on January 27, 1951, theAlpha Kappa Chapter of AGR has initiated 1,122 members. Theorganization may be CASNR’s largest single alumni group withmore than 900 living alumni.The Alpha Kappa Chapter of AGR is one of 68AGR chapters across the nation. Alpha GammaRho is the nation’s oldest and largest socialprofessionalagriculture fraternity, founded in1904 at the Ohio State University.AGR has long been a source of leadership andparticipation in activities on UT’s agriculturalcampus as well as on The Hill. AGRs havebeen and continue to be involved in CASNRactivities such as Alpha Zeta, Block and Bridle,CASNR Student Council, departmental clubs,ambassadors and judging teams. Many AGRmembers excel in the classroom, as well.AGR collegiate membership at UT totals 78 menwith 19 members graduating during the 2009-10school year. Of those 19, one entered UT’s Collegeof Veterinary Medicine, four joined othergraduate programs at UT, three were acceptedinto law school, and the others entered professionalcareers ranging from production agricultureto engineering. UT Knoxville mascotSmokey has two AGRs as his handlers, a UT andAGR tradition since the 1970s.Once AGRs graduate and leave UT they moveonto a variety of careers not only in Tennesseeand U.S. agriculture, but also in such variedcareers as insurance, medicine, education,government and business. Seven AGRs haveserved as Tennessee commissioners of agriculture,in addition to one serving as a U.S.congressman and another, Tennessee governor.UT AGR alum Vance Dennis presently servesin the Tennessee House of Representatives.Tennessee AGRs have served in leadershippositions in state and national livestock, dairyand crop organizations as well as positionsin Tennessee agribusinesses such as TennesseeFarm Bureau Federation and TennesseeFollowing an AGR tradition since the mid-1970s,Michael Culley of Paris and Robert Moser of LenoirCity, Tennessee, served as Smokey's handlers for 2010.Farmers Cooperative. UT AGRs have served UTas deans of Extension and CASNR. Alumni arealso operating farms from Tiptonville in WestTennessee to the Smoky Mountains in East Tennesseeand all parts in between.In 2010, AGR alumni began an ambitious $1million capital campaign, The Campaign forAGR—Make a Difference. Since this campaignbegan, more than $650,000 has been raised injust a few months. The goal is to raise $750,000for scholarships with the remainder going tofuture house renovations and needs. Currently,AGR awards approximately $17,000 annually inscholarships and awards to its members as wellas $2,000 to incoming students accepted intoCASNR.Alpha Gamma Rho is celebrating its diamondanniversary in 2011. A celebration was held thisspring in honor of the fraternity’s 60 years onthe UT campus. As AGR marks its 60th anniversaryat UT, its goal remains to “Make bettermen, and through them, a broader and betteragriculture.” –Jim Nunn23

At This 4-H Camp,Learning is ElectricWhat happens when you flip alight switch or turn on a TV?Why is electricity so dangerous, andhow can we be safe as we use it? Tennessee’s4-H youth are finding answersto these questions by participating inUT Extension’s 4-H Electric Camp,one of many enrichment activities UT4-H offers to Tennessee youth.This summer marks the 20th yearof the program, which has openedthe eyes of 6,000 sixth- and seventhgradersfrom across Tennessee to theimportance of the power industry inour lives.While the need to prepare youth forcareers in science, technology, engineeringand mathematics (STEM) hasbeen widely discussed in recent years,Tennessee’s 4-H Youth DevelopmentProgram has emphasized those subjectsthroughout its 101-year history.Electric Camp, in particular, stressesthose areas by improving young 4-Hmembers’ understanding of electricity,energy conservation, alternativeenergy sources, electronics, computerapplications, robotics, electrical safety,engineering and other basic sciences.Photos by Mike Buschermohle24Other states have visited Tennessee’s4-H Electric Camp, hoping toestablish their own programs. State4-H Specialist Daniel Sarver says thefuture continues to look bright forUT’s Electric Camp due, in part, toa new state-level energy educationprogram called Energizing Tennessee.Students come to Knoxville for thefour-day event. They participate insix hands-on learning centers led bypower industry professionals, facultyand 4-H leaders. “The youth learnabout wiring. We’ve made extensioncords and clocks, electric lamps andother projects,” says Dr. Mike Buschermohle,the camp coordinator.“We also have special guest speakersand some classroom experiences.

“We try to do two building projects ayear,” he says. “We always have somethingon electrical safety, and recentlywe’ve placed a lot of emphasis onenergy conservation, from home insulationand double-paned windows tothe cost and impact of phantom loadscaused by consumer electronics thatare left plugged in, such as big-screenTVs and cell phone chargers.”To capture the students’ attentionlinemen bring in a bucket truck,increase the energy load on powerlines and pull an arc to show how theenergy can fry a hot dog in an instant.“I thought that the wires that arealong the road and to my house werecompletely insulated, and I learnedthat they’re not,” says camp participantHunter Arrowood of Lyles,Tennessee.“That means if you’re climbing a treeand lose your balance and touch one,it could really hurt you. I also learnedthat it’s important to stay in your carif a power line falls on it, or if you’reon a bus and have to exit, to jump outaway from the bus and land on bothfeet. Camp was really interesting forme. My favorite memory was gettingto build stuff and swim a lot.”It’s that blend of subject-matter learningand social activity that makes ElectricCamp a winner. “For youth, theopportunity to learn new things whilehaving a chance to interact and makenew friends is what 4-H is all about,”says Steve Sutton, director and state4-H leader.Buschermohle says the programwould not be possible without thestrong support of the power industry,from monetary contributionsthat help make the camp affordableto youth to manpower at the actualevent. Last year, for instance, 75 powerindustry members helped teach atthe event.Supporting the endeavor are strongpartnerships between UT Extension,the Tennessee Electric CooperativeAssociation and its statewide membercooperatives, the Tennessee MunicipalElectric Power Association and itsstatewide member municipal systems,TVA, and allied industry donors.Their in-kind gifts and donations oftime are vital to the program and area testament to the importance theysee in its mission.Joe Jackson, director of youth andmember services for the TennesseeElectric Cooperative Association,has been with the program since itsinception. “What rewards me is to seethese students’ eyes light up about allthey can do—that they can wire electriclamps, that they can make motors,that they can understand someelectric theory that they’ve neverreally thought about before. I’m alsorewarded by the camaraderie I see asour industry members come togetherto volunteer and teach these studentsand the joy they get out of doing that.“The camp is science-based and it’selectric-based, and we’re pleased withit,” Jackson says. Learn more about4-H opportunities by contacting yourcounty’s Extension office.–Margot EmeryFor 20 years, Tennessee 4-H youth have been gaining insight into energy scienceand wise and safe use of electricity at UT Extension's 4-H Electric Camp. Eachyear campers participate in hands-on learning activities where they build projectssuch as extension cords and meter lamps. The youth interact with volunteer leadersfrom the state’s power distributors, and they learn about important steps totake when power lines fall on roads or crash down on school buses.25

In Knox County,Ash and EasternBlack Walnut TreesUnder AttackIt was a one-two punch last summer for KnoxCounty that scientists, nature lovers andhomeowners didn’t want to see happen, but happenit did. First, emerald ash borer, which has beendevastating ash trees in the Midwest, was discoveredin six trees in West Knox County and in LoudonCounty.Then, in a span of a week, came worse news. Anoutbreak of thousand cankers disease had beenfound in eastern black walnut trees—the first suchoutbreak east of the Mississippi River.Each outbreak has deadly implications for importanttree species. The emerald ash borer insects laytheir eggs on tree bark, these hatch and the larvaetunnel into the wood and kill the ash trees. Thousandcankers disease, borne by insects as small aspin heads that carry a fungus, wipes out species ofwalnut. Entomologists believe each invasive pest arrivedin firewood or logs carried into the area.Scientists from UT quickly converged for tacticalmeetings and survey work with researchers frominstitutions with experience with the new pests,with support from the Tennessee Department ofAgriculture and its Division of Forestry and theUSDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.Trees infested with emerald ash borer were quicklyburned, but thousand cankers disease was found inhundreds of black walnut trees across several counties.As a result, quarantines were put in place toban the movement of firewood and timber outsideof the affected areas.“Each of these invasive pests has been found tobe difficult, if not impossible, to contain,” says UTExtension Area Specialist Beth Long. “While weonly discovered emerald ash borer in six trees andthose trees were destroyed, we won’t be surprised tofind it in more trees this summer. And in Knox andsurrounding counties, we have hundreds, perhapsmany hundreds of trees, already infested with thousandcankers disease. In the western United Stateswhere this pest came from, there are other speciesof walnut trees, and some appear to have resistanceto this disease. Our eastern black walnuts have noresistance, and they are a valuable species for us, asa source of lumber and nut meat, both for humansand wildlife, and for shade and scenic beauty.”One issue the scientists are struggling with is whatto do with wood harvested from dying and deadwalnut and ash trees. With ash, you can use thelumber, and if you chop the bark and limbs of thetrees up into mulch, it’s sufficient to kill the emeraldash borer. The ash mulch can be sold and transportedwith a permit outside of the quarantinedregion. The situation is not so simple for blackwalnuts because the beetle that transmits thousandcankers disease is so small. “We’re researchingwhether composting the chipped wood will kill thebeetle. Otherwise the only thing to do will be toburn the wood or the remnants of trimmed barkand limbs after trees are harvested for timber orveneer, and harvesting for timber isn’t usually anoption for homeowners,” Long says.Scientists are urging homeowners to wait beforechopping down ash or black walnut trees that may,at this moment, be healthy. Everyone involved isstriving to educate campers to avoid bringing in firewoodfrom other regions, an action that may havebeen the way these new pests were established, andif they do bring it in, to burn it all before leaving.“We want to try, as much as possible, to containthese pests here and not spread them to otherareas. It’s bad enough that they will probably devastateour populations of ash and walnut,” Long says.“We don’t want to spread these new pests to otherareas of the country.” –Margot EmeryVisit http://tn.gov/agriculture/regulatory/tcd.html andhttp://tn.gov/agriculture/regulatory/eab.html to learn more.Photos by Beth Long26

STANDOUTACHIEVEMENTSJoe BozellNeal StewartUT Taps Two for NewDoctoral ProgramProfessor Joe Bozell of the Center forRenewable Carbon and Neal Stewart,professor of Plant Sciences and IvanRacheff Chair of Excellence, are partof an elite group of 38 researchersparticipating in an interdisciplinaryprogram designed to produce scientistsprepared to tackle a diverserange of domestic energy issues. Thenew doctoral program offered by UTand ORNL is called the Center forInterdisciplinary Research and GraduateEducation. Bozell and Stewartare two of 38 CIRE faculty members.Details on this new collaboration areavailable at http://cire.utk.edu.UT Turfgrass Team ReceivesTwo High HonorsJohn SorochanJim BrosnanDepartment of PlantSciences’ AssociateProfessor John Sorochanwas selected as the 2011recipient of the Dr. WilliamH. Daniel FoundersAward by the Sports TurfManagers Association.The Founders Award,STMA’s highest honor,recognizes an individualwho has made significantcontributions toSTMA and the sports turfindustry through his orher research, teachingor extension outreach.Jim Brosnan, assistantprofessor of turfgrass weed science,was named Tennessee Turfgrass Professionalof the Year by the TennesseeTurfgrass Association. TTA’s highesthonor, the award recognizes individualswho have made noteworthycontributions to the turfgrass industryin Tennessee.Entomology and PlantPathology’s Stewart Recognizedfor Multi-State WorkExtension AssociateProfessorScott Stewartis one of nineMidsouth entomologistson afive-state teamwho earnedthe Friends ofScott Stewart IPM–PullingTogether award from the SouthernRegion Integrated Pest ManagementCenter. Stewart, who is based in Jackson,and his colleagues received therecognition for approaching regionalpest management issues and developingsolutions that are applicableacross state lines to growers throughoutthe Midsouth region.UT Faculty Members ReceiveFunds from UT ResearchFoundation to Drive FurtherDevelopment of TechnologiesThe UT Research Foundation hasselected nine researchers or researchteams to receive technology developmentgrants for 2011. Grant funds willallow researchers to further developor “mature” their technologies so thatthey are better positioned for licensingand commercialization.Researchers were invited to proposework on inventions and discoveriesthat had been previously disclosed toUTRF or to propose work on new inventionsand discoveries. A total of 41proposals were submitted from UT’sfour campuses and three institutes.The foundation funded eight proposalsfor a total of $117,750. Funding forone additional program for $15,000was provided by UT AgResearch.UT Institute of AgricultureUTRF grants:∙Raul ∙ Almeida, Doug Luther andMaria Prado (Department of AnimalScience) for developing a vaccine forseveral strep-based illnesses.∙Muthu ∙ Balasubramaniam, BlakeJoyce and Neal Stewart (Departmentof Plant Sciences) for developingplants that can sense arsenic andother pathogens.∙Zong-Ming ∙ (Max) Cheng (Departmentof Plant Sciences) for workthat allows crops to withstand multipleenvironmental stresses such asdrought and heat.UT Knoxville–UT Institute ofAgriculture (joint proposal):∙Jayne ∙ Wu (Department of ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science,UT Knoxville) and Shige Eda (Departmentof Forestry, Wildlife andFisheries, UTIA) for development ofa bacterial diagnostic device basedon lab-on-a-chip technology.27

Henry County 4-H'ers Light Their GrillsWhen they fire up the grills at the Henry County fairgrounds, there are thethree S’s: sight, smell and sizzle.That’s where you’ll find young chefs who are genuine grill masters, part of the local4-H Meat Cookery Team. Once a month or so, they get together to practice and theneat the results. These kids learn everything involved in preparing a mouth-watering,grilled delight, from the start of the meal to the finish.“They learn how to build a fire. How to properly cook meat. How to season meat. Howto work as a team. How to set the table,” says UT Extension Agent Michele Atkins, whocoaches the group, along with her husband.The kids learn that grilling takes patience. Meat must be slowly cooked, bothfor safety and taste. Each young chef has his or her specialty. Myron Millikenmarinates some mean meat. “I use water, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, andI use peppers,” Milliken says.Jade Hayes does poultry—sort of a family tradition. “My dad helped me a lot.He used to work at KFC. He was like the head chef there,” she says.Other kids cook lamb, and Shelly Beecham does pork. Does her familywant her to cook at home often? “All the time,” she says. “All the time.”Henry County is the two-time defending state champion in Tennessee’s4-H Meat Cookery team competition. They’re judged onthe taste and quality of their food, but also safety and efficiency,appearance, and imagination.“They may pick a theme for their tabletop. We’ve seen things suchas tailgating, Big Orange barbecue, maybe an Italian theme or acountry theme,” says Dwight Loveday of the State 4-H Office, who helps tojudge the event.After a short while, supper is ready. “You want a taste?” Hayes asks.That would be a yeah. Steak, pork, lamb and chicken: at the team’s meetings,one can try them all.28And after tasting, we can add three more S’s: scrumptious, succulentand satisfying. –Chuck DenneyHenry County 4-H’er Myron Millikenshows his talent at grilling steak. Watch thisstory and more on UTIA’s video channel atYouTube (www.youtube.com) by searchingUT Meat Cookery Team.

One of the constant challenges faced by UTExtension agents is finding funding to enableyoung men and women to participate in 4-H campand other 4-H activities. In 2001, Nancy Rucker,director the Cheatham County Extension office,asked a few of her volunteer leaders for recommendationsof individuals in their county who mightvolunteer leader awards, programming efforts andleadership opportunities in Cheatham County.Mayfield was also concerned about the decliningnumber of young men and women participatingin high school-level 4-H activities in the county, soas an incentive for youth to stay in 4-H, he createdthe Mayfield 4-H Scholarship. Thisendowment awards college scholarshipsto selected 4-H members inyouth of Cheatham County needed his assistance inthe future, as well. He recently committed one-seventhof his estate to the Tennessee 4-H Foundationto support the funds he established in CheathamCounty. This is the largest private commitmentthat the foundation has received. We thank JohnMayfield for his generosity and look forward to hiscontributions as a volunteer and leader for years tocome. –Rhodes LoganA Legacy for 4-H in Cheatham Countybe interested in supporting 4-H projects. Oneperson recommended was local businessman JohnMayfield, the owner of an Ashland City bookstore.Rucker approached him to ask if he would supporta program that assisted families who couldn’t affordto send their kids to 4-H camp, and he quicklywrote a check to support one 4-H camper.Soon after that visit, Mayfield called Rucker to askif she had all of the scholarships that were neededthat year. She replied that it would be a struggleto raise enough to assist every family that neededhelp. He told her that if she wasn’t successful ingetting enough commitments that he would domore to assist. The very next year, Mayfield donated$25,000 to the Tennessee 4-H Foundation toestablish the Cheatham County 4-H Endowment.The county endowment supports 4-H youth andCheatham County who continuetheir education. Today, 13 youngmen and women have earned thisaward, and attendance is up inthe high school 4-H programs. AsMayfield learned more about theCheatham County 4-H program,he invested more in it, as well.In 2004, he established the Cheatham County 4-HCamp Endowment, and he receives lettersfrom 4-H’ers assisted by this fund with storiesof new skills gained throughout the week andmemories of their experience.The 4-H Foundation board of directors welcomedMayfield as a member in 2008. He hasbeen a great asset to the group in workingwith the foundation’s investments and layingplans for the future. He said, “While I ama newcomer to 4-H, I have been thrilled towork with a great team of dedicated individuals.This dedication is contagious, and I amvery proud to serve the young people of 4-H.”Mayfield has invested more than $110,000 inCheatham County 4-H programs, and as heconsidered his estate plans, he knew that theLeft: The 2010 recipients of the John E. Mayfield 4-H Scholarshipshare a moment with the award’s creator. From left, KelsiePenick, Phillip Adams, John E. Mayfield and Tyler Binkley, allof Cheatham County, Tennessee. Photo by Nancy Rucker.Below: Participating in 4-H Camp—often a source of a lifetimeof cherished memories—is now more accessible, thanks to supportfrom John E. Mayfield. Photo by Sierra Ham.29

Alumni Dream JobsAlumni Dream Jobs is a family affair this issue, from a rural Tennessee veterinarian,his wife and family, who care for patients and clients alike, to three sisterswho made their mark at UT and now are finding success early in their careers.Tell Us About Your Dream Jobat Agalumni@tennessee.eduLee Butler, DVM, Veterinarian and Owner, HuntingdonAnimal ClinicDr. Lee Butler (UT Martin ’80, UTCVM ’83) says he always wanted to bea veterinarian but jokingly adds, “I wasn’t so sure during the first yearor so of vet school!” Butler has been at the Huntingdon Animal Clinicin Huntington, Tennessee, for 28 years. He bought it in 1987 from theoriginal owner who opened its doors in 1949. It’s a mixed animal practicewith four veterinarians. “If it walks, if it crawls, we see it!” Butler’semphasis is equine medicine. Lameness particularly intrigues him.“It can be challenging. I like the process of trying to figure out what’swrong without a patient’s input.”Butler is not only working his dream job, but also living his dream lifewith his wife, Donna, a graduate of UT’s pharmacy program. They havethree daughters who have completed, or are about to complete, degreesfrom UT’s colleges of pharmacy and law. He says living and workingin a rural setting is a blessing. “We are connected to the community.We have more than a client-doctor relationship. It’s a personal one.We go to church with them and see them at the football games. Youbecome emotionally attached to their animals and are fulfilled whenthey do well. And now, I’m treating the animals of my original client’sgrandchildren.”Dr. Lee Butler with his wife and two of his daughters.Butler recently received the UTCVM Distinguished Alumni Award forPrivate Practice. He has served on the local school board, the utilityboard and a bank board, and is active in the Tennessee Relay for Life.30

Carol, Lisa and Lydia White, Pharmacist and SurgeonsAt first glance, a major in Food Science and Technologymay not seem an obvious path to medicalstudy. However, the department’s pre-professionalprogram prepares students for just that, offeringcurricula for medical, dental, pharmacy andveterinary medicine programs. Three sisters whochose FST as their major made their mark on thedepartment and university. Lisa and Lydia White(’02 FST) and Carol White (’05 FST) all graduatedsumma cum laude and in the university’s honorsprogram, with each named Torchbearer, the highesthonor the university bestows on students. Duringher senior year, Carol served as a student trusteeof the UT Board of Trustees during a presidentialsearch. Now all are embarking on exciting careers.Carol received the doctor of pharmacy degree fromthe UT Health Science Center in 2009. She says,“The people in FST worked with me to developa pre-pharmacy track that made me extremelycompetitive when I began applying for pharmacyschools. I’m often questioned on my choice of anundergraduate degree, but I always respond thatthe FST program was a true blessing for me.” Sheis now at the Medical University of South CarolinaMedical Center as the pharmacotherapy specialistresident and chief resident for the center’spharmacy residency program. She completes hertraining in June and hopes to return to Tennesseeto establish her clinical practice.Lydia, who graduated from Vanderbilt MedicalSchool in 2006, is chief resident in orthopedicsurgery at the University Hospital in Cincinnati.“I’ll graduate from my residency in June and thenI'll be doing a one-year fellowship with Dr. JimmyAndrews, a surgeon who is famous for his work withprofessional athletes. Eventually, I hope to return toTennessee as a practicing orthopedic surgeon.“The thing I love most about my job is that I getto fix people when they're broken. My work as anorthopedic surgeon allows me to specialize in injuries,and it's a great privilege to take care of patientsduring their painful, scary and often life-alteringmoments. Every day, I am captivated by the skill andart of solving a patient’s problem in the operatingroom. While there's a lot about life in general thatI cannot fix, reconstruct, or replace, my job allowsme to do all of these things for a patient in need.”Lydia’s identical twin, Lisa, also graduated fromVanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2006and now is chief resident in general surgery atVanderbilt. “I love my job! I chose a career inmedicine because I wanted to make a differencein peoples’ lives. I know it sounds clichéd, but Iwanted to help heal the sick and save the dying.And that's what I get to do every day. Each day, I getto go to work and help patients navigate what is oftenthe most challenging time in their lives. For me,helping patients usually means taking them to theoperating room, where I am constantly awestruckby how unique and wonderful God has made usall. To be able to see my hands being used to helpmake someone better never fails to humble me andmake me realize that I'm living my dream.”From left, Drs. Lisa, Carol and Lydia White31

Non-Profit Org.US PostagePAIDPermit No. 481Knoxville, TN2621 Morgan Circle101 Morgan HallKnoxville, TN 37996-4505agriculture.tennessee.eduPhotos by Bob LongmireTarantulas ,Crickets& MuchMore!soJoin Us for Ag Day October 29Ever wanted to hold a tarantulain your hand or see just howfar you could spit a frozen cricket?Well, perhaps not, but you can watchothers do that and much more at AgDay 2011. This spirited event serves asthe annual street fair for alumni andfriends of the Institute of Agriculture.Held on a football Saturday on theagricultural campus in Knoxville,you’ll see former classmates, currentand retired faculty, and ag supportersof every age and stripe.“To us, it’s a chance toinvite our friends andsupporters to learnabout all the greatthings happening atthe institute,” saysBuddy Mitchell, interimUTIA chancellor.The fun starts four hours beforegame time, as the Vols take on SouthCarolina Gamecocks. Highlights willinclude departmental displays and exhibits,the ever-popular insect pettingzoo, live music and a visit from UT’smascot, Smokey. You’ll also find freepopcorn and ice cream and a mealavailable for purchase. For the youngcrowd, there’s a moonwalk, face paintingand balloon art.Ag Day takes place on E. J. ChapmanDrive, north of Joe Johnson Drive.Free parking is available for Ag Dayparticipants, and a block of footballtickets has been reserved. To purchase,visit www.UTtix.com. Scrollover VOLS TIX and click on GROUPTICKET. Follow the instructions fromthere. The sign-in ID is agday11 andpassword is agriculture. Please notethat the sign-in information is casesensitive.For more information, contact the UTIA Development Officeat 865-974-1928.