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

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Honors and Activities (continued) • • • • • • • • Bill Nye and Steve Jones Comedian/scientist “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and five members of his production crew paid Stephen Jones and the winter wheat lab a visit May 14, 2003 to film the thirteenth episode of Nye’s science show targeted for adult viewers. The focus of the episode will be “GM Food.” They were interested in topics including how to cross wheat and the history of wheat breeding, as well as issues of concern regarding the private ownership of genes and ideas. The episode aired fall 2003 and included interviews with scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and U.C. Davis. Bill Nye stars as the host of the show designed to get kids interested in the science of everyday, and some not-so-everyday, things. On a full range of subjects, including ecology, biology, chemistry, and physics, Nye gives an easy-to-understand, yet informative, lesson that both kids and grownups can enjoy. His shows have received 17 Emmy awards. Under the direction of advisors Dr. William Johnston and graduate student Travis Ricard, the Turf Club has continued to thrive and be a viable outlet for students interested in the turfgrass world. Membership this year has increased to eighteen. Incoming President John Hicks, Vice President Michael Picha, Secretary Casey Krueger, Treasurer Curt Chambers, and Publicity Chairman John Ball are currently active in the planning, development, and implementation of an alumni newsletter, coordination of the club spring field trip, planning the annual spring golf tournament fundraiser, and coordinating guest speakers, as well as involvement in university and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences activities. 2003 CAHNRS Awards • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Faculty Excellence in Extension: Robert G. Stevens. Stationed at the WSU Prosser Irrigated Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Bob has conducted field research on five of Washington’s top ten agricultural commodities. Over the past 17 years, he has made 567 presentations to various groups covering a broad spectrum of topics, including contamination of heavy metals in fertilizers, an issue that received widespread attention in the media in the late 1990s. Classified Staff Excellence Award: Debra J. Marsh. Debra has been the senior secretary for the Pullman-based Crop and Soil Sciences extension faculty since 2000. Additionally, she provides media support to the department by way of web page design, departmental seminars, Tull Tales editor, and alumni newsletter coordinator. Team Excellence Award: Columbia Plateau PM-10 Wind Erosion Quality Project. Since 1993, this multi-agency, multi-disciplinary team of faculty and staff from WSU, the University of Idaho, Oregon State University, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service has been conducting research that has led to a greater understanding of the physics of soil erosion in the Columbia Basin Plateau. Their research has linked high levels of particulate matter of 2.5 microns to 10 microns in size to strokes and heart disease. Outstanding Senior: Carol Powers. A Pullman native, Carol received her B.S. in 2003 in Crop Science—Biotechnology option, as well as a B.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology. An Honors Program student, Carol conducted molecular breeding research under the advise of Dr. Kim Kidwell. She is pursuing her M.S. degree at Oregon State University working with Steve Knapp, alternative crop breeder, doing molecular characterization work with cuphea. ASA 2002 Outstanding Senior: Aivars Nollendorfs. Aivars received his B.S. in 2003 in Crop Science—Turf Management option. Aivars celebrated his graduation with a trip abroad to attend his family reunion in Latvia, where he toured Europe and played at several notable golf courses. He is now working for Mountain Star Golf Course, a course under construction near Cle Elem, WA on the summit off of I-90 where he is doing the grow-in work. Expected completion date for the golf course is summer 2004. 6
2003–2004 Academic Scholarship Awards Roscoe & Francis Cox Scholarship Fund: Jamie Baley Harvinder Bennypaul Alysia Greco Eric Hartvigson Lori Hoagland Amanda McKinley Grant Morton Claudia Osorio Eric Page Jesse Radoslovich Latha Reddy Jennifer Reeve Travis Ricard Chad Steiner Canming Xiao Roy L. Goss Turfgrass Scholarship: John Ball John Hicks Daniel Salois Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs: Amanda McKinley Max Hinrichs, Jr, Scholarship: Eric Hartvigson Max Hinrichs, Sr, Scholarship: John Hicks Charles Dawson Moodie Memorial Fund: John Ball Jeffrey Brown John Hicks Christina Maier Amanda McKinley Richard Sakuma Daniel Salois Brandon Wilhelm Reynolds-Biersner Scholarship: Eric Hartvigson Laylah Scarnecchia David Soler Timothy Wagoner Kyle Watt O.A. Vogel Washington State Crop Improvement Association: Jamie Baley Greg Van Hollebeke Travis Ricard Daniel Salois Nu Nu Wai Laura Wendling Washington-North Idaho Seed Association: Christina Maier Amanda McKinley Alumni Feedback Tamara Thomas, M.S. in Soil Science, 2002, resides in Woodinville, WA where she owns Terre-Source (www.Terre- Source.com), a business that supports the composting/ recycling industry with permit application assistance, facility design, process consulting, and test interpretation. They also specialize in environmental oversight of contaminated site remediation. Tamara enjoys the freedom, the commute, the time for kayaking, and her cat—but misses the Palouse—“There’s no where like it on earth!” Ian Wildey, M.S. in Soil Science, 2002, works for E.I. DuPont Company in their crop protection division, out of their Stine-Haskell Research Center in Newark, Delaware. He really enjoys his job. Ian and his wife recently bought their first home in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. He invites anyone coming to the east coast to stay with them, and hopes to see all at the SSSA conferences. Pam Frohne, M.S. in Soil Science, 1997, accepted a position as Soil Scientist with the U.S. Forest Service in Ketchikan, Alaska. Prior to that she worked for Ann Kennedy, USDA Land Management unit at Pullman. Pam had lots of fun and adventures, and enjoyed learning about forest soils. This past year she transferred within NRCS back to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Toby Rodgers, M.S. in Soil Science, 2000, accepted a Soil Scientist position with the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey at Mt. Vernon, WA. He is currently mapping soils in San Juan and Island counties and is soon expected to map soils of either Mt. Rainier or North Cascades National Park. He is still very much involved with the Washington Society of Professional Soil Scientists, and travels as much as he can. Toby hopes to return to Australia in 2004 to catch up with old friends. He is a proud uncle (nephew and two nieces), so trips home are happily spent with all of his family. Memoriams Roger J. Veseth, 51, conservation tillage specialist for Washington State University and University of Idaho, died September 9, 2003 at Gritman Medical Center. Roger hailed from Montana and received a bachelor’s degree and a master of agronomy in soil science from Montana Sate University. He married in 1982 and worked in North Dakota for a year before coming to the Palouse to work with conservation tillage for the two universities. His passion as well as his job was promoting direct-seed farming. Veseth was the principal organizer for the annual STEEP conference, which evolved into the widely popular Direct Seed Cropping Systems Conference. He developed the “PNW Conservation Tillage Handbook” that is a reference for issues dealing with conservation tillage. He co-authored the book “Wheat Health Management” in 1991. Veseth was also the principle extension educator on the Columbia Plateau Wind Erosion/ Air Quality Project. He received numerous awards, including the Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award and the WSU College of Agriculture and Home Economic Extension Faculty Excellence Award. Over the last six months, Roger courageously struggled to heal from a broken neck and resulting paralysis. He handled the challenges of his injury with grace, dignity, and a great deal of faith. Roger enjoyed playing the mandolin and had played often before the sledding accident. He played by ear and could pick up any tune. He loved the outdoors, especially cross-country skiing, 7
Page 2 and 3: Chair’s Message The sound of the
Page 4 and 5: Musings of an Emeritus As an emerit
Page 6 and 7: In August 2003, in the window betwe
Page 10 and 11: unning, hiking, and biking with his
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