CSS News 2003-04 pdf - Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences ...

Honors and Activities
Frank Young was named Outstanding Weed Scientist by the
Western Society of Weed Science. What’s more, he received
the award at the March 2003 regional meeting in Lihue,
Kauai!
Kim Kidwell is recipient of the 2003 award for CSSA Young
Crop Scientist of the Year for her stellar research in crop
genetics and breeding that blends classical wheat breeding
with current techniques in biotechnology to improve yield
and end-use quality in spring wheat. Her outstanding
teaching at both lower and upper divisions of our Crop
Science program is also recognized. Additionally, both Kim
and Dr. Joan Davenport were selected to be participants in
the 13th annual ESCOP/ACOP-sponsored Leadership
Development Program for emerging leaders in agricultural
experiment stations.
Bob Stevens is a member of the Nutrient and Pest Management
Training Development Team that developed a training
model that will be adopted nationwide by NRCS. They were
awarded the 2003 Department of Agriculture Honor Award
for Maintaining and Enhancing the Nation’s Natural
Resources and Environment. This is one of just a few USDA
Honor Awards that are given each year for notable contributions
to the Department’s mission, the Nation, or public
service.
Gwen Stahnke was named Chair of Division C5, Crop
Science Society of America, at the 2002 annual meeting
in Indianapolis, Indiana. She will serve a one-year term.
This is an elected position, voted on by members of C5.
Ryan Higginbotham, Crop Science M.S. student, was a
“highlighted” graduate student from CAHNRS at the
December 2003 graduation, and Amanda McKinley, double
major in Crop Science and Ag Econ, was the highlighted
CAHNRS undergrad. In words and in true spirit, both
students embody the phrase “World Class. Face to Face.”
Congratulations to Gary Shelton, recipient of the 2003
WSCIA O.A. Vogel Crop Improvement Association Award.
Gary was presented his award at the WSCIA annual meeting
in Moscow, Idaho on November 18. The award was
established in 1973 in honor of Dr. Orville A. Vogel’s
achievements and contributions to agriculture in the Pacific
Northwest. Today, through this prestigious award, individuals
who have made significant contributions to the pure
seed program and/or crop production in Washington
continue to be acknowledged.
The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences safety committee,
chaired by Vic DeMacon, received an award from Environmental
Health Services at WSU for a most active and
effective safety committee.
USDA-ARS Grain Legume Genetics and Physiology Research
Unit continues to sponsor their annual Groundhog’s Day
lentil/legume cook-off. The cook-off had a record number
of participants in 2003—including the renowned Taste E.
Lentil. Recipes and pictures are posted to their web page
at http://pwa.ars.usda.gov/pullman/glgp. Lorna Bell-Burns’
Hot Crab-Lentil Casserole received the overall grand prize
for 2003.
Amanda McKinley, senior in Crop Science, was a recipient
of the President’s Award for 2003, giving recognition to
excellence in leadership and service—to those whose
leadership and service to the campus and the community
will leave a lasting impact. Faculty, administrators, and
peers nominate the candidates; a committee reviews each
candidate on the characteristics of leadership, values, selfawareness,
and responsibility; and then selects the recipients.
From the over 200 nominations submitted, 80 students
were selected for this honor. The recipients represented all
of the academic colleges, all campuses, and undergraduate,
graduate and professional students.
Eighteen graduate students participated in the second
annual Ropes course at Quaker Hill in McCall, Idaho on
September 27. Rope courses present physical and mental
challenges aimed at improveing communication, teamwork,
and self-awareness. This group approached each challenge
with a commendable amount of enthusiasm. From leaping
off a 30-foot pole to leading the blindfolded, each learned
to trust one another and themselves as they pushed their
physical and mental limits. Placing 18 graduate students
simultaneously on a two-foot square platform also instilled
the value of teamwork. Not only did the experience build
strong relationships among Crop and Soil Science graduate
students, but it reminded them of the cultural diversity that
makes this department so unique. Graduate students who
participated, and some that didn’t, helped sell black awned
durum wheat at the Moscow Farmer’s Market to raise funds.
Additionally, many thanks go to the faculty and the
department for providing financial support.
Craig Cogger was presented with the 2003 Kenneth J.
Morrison Award at Spillman Field Day on July 10 in
recognition of his work to improve soil and water quality
and to facilitate recycling of organic wastes. The award
honors the memory of Kenneth J. Morrison, who served
as WSU extension agronomist from 1950 to 1987.
The School of Molecular Biosciences (SMB) at WSU has
awarded Matthew Arterburn, winter wheat breeding
doctoral candidate, with the Stephen Fodor and Janelle
Benoit Fellowship for having the highest GPA earned
among third year SMB graduate students.
Michael Hecht, a physicist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, delivered the inaugural Gaylon Campbell
Lecture in Environmental Soil and Water Science titled,
“The Phoenix Mission to the Mars Polar Regions: Getting
Down on Dirty” on November 18, 2003. Hecht is lead
investigator for the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and
Conductivity Analyzer, a soil analysis payload scheduled to
fly to Mars on the Phoenix mission in 2007. The Campbell
Lecture was created to help further understanding of
environmental soil science. It is named for Gaylon Campbell,
who spent nearly 30 years as a professor of environmental
biophysics and soil physics in WSU’s Department of Crop
and Soil Sciences. He retired from WSU in 1998 to become
vice president of engineering at Decagon Devices, a local
manufacturer of biophysical research instrumentation. The
lecture was created through gifts from Campbell Scientific,
Inc., and Decagon Devices, Inc.
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