The Division Triangle 2015 from Oklahoma State University

THE DIVISION

TRI TEACHING

NGLE

RESEARCH

EXTENSION

2015 • DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES • OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

THE DIVISION

TRI

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Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources 102 Agricultural Hall • Stillwater OK 74078-6019

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ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

FROM THE DEAN

OSAGE COUNTY’S TALLGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE Page 4 TURNING WASTE INTO A RESOURCE Page 10 FARM-TO-FORK FOOD SAFETY Page 12 CASNR STUDENTS LEAD SGA Page 16 JUNTOS: BRINGING STUDENTS TOGETHER Page 18 THE LASTING LEGACY OF MARVIN STONE Page 20 BENTLEY GRADUATES Page 22 BEEF HERD REBUILDING Page 33 LAND-GRANT IMPACTS Page 41 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Page 42

T R I A N G L E S TA F F Director

Staff Writers

Agricultural Communications Services

TRISHA GEDON

LYNDALL STOUT

SEAN HUBBARD LEILANA MCKINDRA

Editor & Graphic Designer

MELISSA MOURER

RUTH INMAN

DONALD STOTTS

Graphic Designer

Contributing Writers

MIKE DAVIS

JACY BRADFORD MANDY GROSS

Photographer

JEFF JOINER

TODD JOHNSON

LINDSAY KING ASHLEY MIDDLESWARTH KATIE POWERS

We wish to thank all of you who expressed your kind thoughts and heartfelt condolences following the tragic occurrence at this year’s Oklahoma State University Homecoming Parade.

Among the victims were two individuals who had a very close connection with the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources: Marvin Lyle Stone, a Regents professor emeritus who was a faculty member in our department of biosystems and agricultural engineering from 1982 to 2006, and his wife Bonnie Jean Stone, coordinator of Student Information Systems operations and training for OSU Institutional Research and Information Management.

As we continue to reflect on their passing, it has become increasingly evident that so many of our extended DASNR family – friends, co-workers, stakeholders – are the better for having known them, helping our thoughts to slowly turn from grief to a celebration of their lives.

For example, I thought of Marvin’s legacy while perusing this issue of The Division Triangle. His many accomplishments exemplify our state and federally mandated responsibility of using research-based knowledge to help people improve the quality of life for them, their families and their communities. Marvin ultimately judged his successes by how he was able to assist others to succeed in overcoming issues and concerns of importance to them.

That is the essence of the land-grant mission.

It is who we are at our core. The articles in this publication showcase some of the ways DASNR is fulfilling that ideal.

Sincerely,

Thomas G. Coon Vice President, Dean and Director Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Oklahoma State University

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The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County is home to 40,000 acres of native biological diversity and a plethora of research opportunities and projects.

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A natural beauty

Osage County’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

by Sean Hubbard

Ask anyone who has visited the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County about their experience, and they almost certainly will say they were struck by the beautiful landscape, unparalleled views of native wildlife and stunning sunsets.

Resting on nearly 40,000 acres, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy. The Preserve protects and maintains native biological diversity by restoring a functional tallgrass prairie landscape, and its rolling hills draw in approximately 20,000 visitors each year.

Places like this do not just happen by chance. The massive area of native land serves as a laboratory for researchers from Oklahoma State University who are instrumental in the Preserve’s conservation efforts.

“OSU’s scientific expertise makes for a great partner,” said Bob Hamilton, Preserve director. “OSU is our primary ecological research partner at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The cuttingedge and high-quality research that they produce is absolutely critical to our conservation mission. Their expertise in Extension and applied research also makes for a wonderful partnership.”

An area full of native biodiversity is increasingly uncommon throughout the world, and OSU’s research is helping open the door for possibilities not seen before.

“This area, especially when combined with neighboring ranches, is one of the most unique landscapes in North America,” said Sam Fuhlendorf, Regents professor and Groendyke Chair in Wildlife Conservation in OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and

Management. “The prairies are extremely productive for livestock and provide habitat to some of the world’s most unique species.”

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve researchers are able to study a diverse array of wildlife species who call this area home. This includes bison, greater prairie-chickens, coyotes, raptors and deer, among others.

“We are able to conduct experiments at a level that is actually meaningful to land managers,” said Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service wildlife specialist. “Results of research on the Preserve have been applied to over 200,000 acres of private land in the Flint Hills, helping landowners conserve greater prairie-chickens while maintaining ranching profitability.”

Beyond wildlife, researchers at the Preserve investigate watersheds, grasslands, trees, termite ecology, invasive serecia lespedeza, grazing and more. Prescribed fire is of particular interest. It is not uncommon to see smoke on the horizon in Osage County, and fire, whether prescribed or natural, suppresses invasive plant species, reignites native populations and creates suitable habitats for wildlife.

“Native prairies, shrublands and forests supply the majority of livestock forage and wildlife habitat in Oklahoma,” said John Weir, NREM research associate. “Without fire, native plant communities become dysfunctional and unproductive.”

Since 2011, Elmore has been examining greater prairie-chicken habitat selection related to fire and grazing management. A large, long-term decline of greater prairie-chickens in the Flint Hills, continued on next page ...

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thought to be mostly related to annual burning, brought Elmore and his team to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve to investigate.

“This is the iconic tallgrass bird,” Elmore said. “It has many social and economic benefits to the Flint Hills. It’s also a good indicator species of how well the tallgrass prairie is functioning.”

While the Flint Hills is one of the few remaining landscapes with sustainable populations of greater prairie-chickens, areas of the Preserve are used for different purposes. For example, the birds tend to avoid tree cover and use more open areas of grassland for nesting.

“They also select for areas that have not been burned for a couple of years to place their nests,” Elmore said. “Nest success is higher in areas not recently burned.”

The research found nest success is directly related to the temperature at the nest site, with cooler locations having higher success. When a fire comes through, there is little vegetation cover to keep the nest sites cool. The longer a patch goes unburned, the cooler the temperature will be for a nest.

In general, nesting greater prairie-chickens do poorly under hot conditions. However, that story changes once the chicks hatch.

Mature chickens tend to mate in very recently burned areas.

“So, fire is important, but if the entire landscape is burned, nest success suffers,” Elmore said. “Minor modifications to burn regimes, such as shifting to a three-year fire return would greatly benefit the greater prairie-chicken and other grassland birds.”

Patch burning has been the recommended practice on the Tallgrass Prairie for many years. The process uses prescribed burning on roughly one-third of the area, leaving the remainder undisturbed by fire. Research by OSU indicates this approach offers huge rewards for biodiversity.

The Preserve sees about three dozen prescribed burns conducted each year on 15,000-20,000 acres. Since 1991, more than 680 prescribed burns have been conducted on more than 340,000 acres at the Preserve.

“These large areas are rare all over the world. Grasslands in general are considered by many to be the most imperiled

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ecosystem type in the world,” Fuhlendorf said. “The grasslands of Osage County demonstrate ranching and conservation can coexist and even thrive in these grasslands.”

Much of the patch burning work has been done with the 2,700-strong bison herd, examining how closely they follow the recently burned patches. However, they are not the only species on the prairie researchers monitor.

“We are trying to find out how coyotes use tallgrass prairie landscapes and how they respond to energy development and prescribed fire,” Fuhlendorf said. “Coyotes are one of the top predators in our current Oklahoma landscape, so it’s important that we understand their behavior for wildlife and livestock management.”

Not even a year into the coyote project, Fuhlendorf and his graduate student, Shelby Fraser, have trapped 10 coyotes and attached GPS collars to them. Fraser is hoping the study will allow The Nature Conservancy to track the movements of these animals and answer some of the questions about where the coyotes go and why.

“We started this project because some of the area landowners were interested in their effects on wildlife populations,” Fuhlendorf said. “One went north about 60 miles to west of Wichita. In general, they seem to be demonstrating patterns similar to other coyotes, with distinct home ranges with minimal overlap, except for a few males and females.”

As the top predators of the Preserve, coyotes play an important role in keeping the food chain in order. This is only one example of how the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve showcases nature at it’s finest and allows scientists to understand it, Hamilton said.

“The Nature Conservancy is a science-driven organization,” Hamilton said. “Science determines what species and ecosystems are most imperiled, where the best examples are located, strategies to protect biological diversity and how effective our conservation efforts are. We are both working to address conservation issues across our native Great Plains grasslands, and it is very exciting to see OSU’s research at the Tallgrass being applied at a grand scale.”

Unlocking the potential of student understanding THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

by Jacy Bradford

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at OSU has a reputation for research-based academic programs supported through applied learning opportunities and excellent teaching. But CASNR faculty members do more than deliver knowledge; they unlock the potential of understanding. The commitment to understanding and improving this process has a name: the scholarship of teaching and learning.

“The scholarship of teaching is exceptionally student-focused,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean of academic programs for CASNR. “In CASNR, we are fortunate to have faculty members in all academic departments who are driven by a desire to understand how students learn and how teaching influences this process.”

Sergio Abit, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences, said he only succeeds in teaching if his students succeed in learning.

Abit said in order to maximize learning in higher education, instructors should research teaching interventions, just as they research other subjects.

Results of his study “Utilizing Videos to Enhance Student Understanding of Soil Science Calculations” encouraged him to implement a different teaching instrument in his Fundamentals of Soil Science course: videos.

After years of students struggling with fertilizer calculations on exams, Abit realized he needed to take a new approach. He began creating step-by-step instructional videos for calculations, which were posted to the course website. Then, Abit studied test scores and asked for student input about the helpfulness of the videos.

“The results of this study convinced me to expand my use of short video segments,” Abit said. “I am now completely sold on them.”

He said his drive behind pursuing the scholarship of teaching is that his students deserve the very best.

“I owe it to my students to improve my teaching, deliver the best product and learn how to further engage students,” Abit said.

Tyson Ochsner, associate professor of plant and soil science, said he spends time investigating the scholarship of teaching and learning because he wants to serve his students well and provide them opportunities to grow.

He said students taught by faculty who research teaching and learning immediately benefit from greater engagement with the course material itself.

“I hope my passion for plant and soil science and my curiosity for the scholarship of teaching will help my students develop some kind of love for learning,” Ochsner said.

Ochsner is working with Shane Robinson, associate director of the OSU Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence and agricultural education associate professor, to study the effect his courses have on student confidence levels and technical skills. He also is examining the correlation between active interaction and course performance.

“Teaching is hard work, but just because we’re working hard doesn’t mean we can’t be even more effective,” Ochsner said.

In natural resouce ecology and management, professor Karen Hickman recently collaborated with faculty in rangeland ecology and management programs across the country on a USDA Higher Education Challenge Planning Grant titled “Building a Better Capstone.”

Her passion for researching effective capstone courses stems from what she said is one of her main functions as a professor – preparing students for a job. She said she believes her work in the scholarship of teaching is just starting.

“Having that impact that goes beyond the immediate short term and can effect them in the future, like preparing them for a career – that’s why I do what I do,” Hickman said. “There’s always something I can improve, and therefore, I’ll keep researching.”

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The Cooking for Kids skills-development program helps school nutrition professionals build expertise in providing flavorful and healthy school breakfast and lunch programs.

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Cooking for kids

Nutrition program combats obesity and hunger

by Leilana McKindra

When revamped federal school nutrition guidelines established by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 went into effect nationally in time for the 2012-13 academic year, school nutrition professionals were presented with a challenge: Offer meals that are not only tasty and appealing, but also are nutritionally balanced.

To help schools across the state meet this challenge head on, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the Oklahoma State Department of Education joined forces with industry chefs to launch Cooking for Kids, an innovative skills-development program designed to enhance the culinary expertise of school nutrition professionals.

“Both at home and at school, we’ve trended toward relying more on fast food and convenience food,” said Deana Hildebrand, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension nutrition specialist. “So, before we can ask for healthier, tastier, fresher food in our schools, we have to give our nutrition professionals the opportunity to build the right skill set. That’s what Cooking for Kids is all about.”

Currently entering the third year of a five-year partnership funded by a grant from the Oklahoma State Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs with USDA flow-through funds, Cooking for Kids is simmering on all burners.

The program collaborated with three lead chefs to develop the Cooking for Kids culinary curriculum, which emphasizes skills needed to increase availability of freshly prepared foods.

The curriculum was piloted in six schools in 2014. Then, in the summer of 2015, 287 school nutrition professionals representing 71 Oklahoma school districts took advantage of Cooking for

Kids regional training sessions. It covered topics such as food safety; knife skills; building flavor without added, sugar, fat or salt; developing taste preferences for fruits and vegetables; and promoting healthy food options to students.

Beginning in 2016, schools with staff that completed the skill development training will be eligible for on-site consultations with a chef. Additionally, the program also will include a website with nutrition education resources for use by classroom teachers.

The 2010 federal law was designed, in part, to target two long-term goals: reduce childhood hunger and address childhood obesity. Because school meals may be the primary source of nutrition for some kids, especially ones who are both food insecure and obese, cafeteria fare needs to be both nutritious and taste good to children.

“Research has shown pairing schools and chefs is a great way to change menus so they are healthy as well as appealing to kids,” Hildebrand said. “We want to encourage as many kids as possible to eat in the cafeteria because it’s a low-cost source of a healthy meal.”

Participation in Cooking for Kids, including the training sessions and chef consultations, is free and open to every Oklahoma school. That unique feature of the program means even smaller school districts that may not be able to hire a corporate chef are able to participate.

“The nutrition professionals who have participated so far are excited about their new skills and anxious to apply what they’re learning,” Hildebrand said. “We’re all excited about what this means for Oklahoma students – healthier meals that will help fuel their performance in the classroom and beyond.”

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A partnership between DASNR and the City of Chickasha to turn treated wastewater into irrigation water became operational at the South Central Research Station this fall.

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Turning waste into a resource

by Trisha Gedon

Many people do not give wastewater a second thought. They wash dishes and clothes, flush the toilet and take a shower, all while the water disappears down the drain. That forgotten wastewater is finding a new purpose in south central Oklahoma.

OSU partnered with the City of Chickasha to turn treated wastewater into a valuable water resource for agricultural purposes at the South Central Research Station in Chickasha.

Randy Raper, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station assistant director, said center pivot and linear irrigation systems became operational earlier this fall at the research station.

“Drought continues to be a concern in Oklahoma and this is one way we can utilize this wastewater and make it a valuable resource,” Raper said. “Currently, the City of Chickasha dumps 1.5 million gallons of treated wastewater into the Washita River. Their system runs directly beneath our research facility, so we are able to tap directly into that resource for our research purposes.”

The variable rate irrigation system will allow for research that is three-fold: investigating soil quality, water use and nutrient absorption by the crop.

“Keep in mind this is not well water,” Raper said. “This is category 2 wastewater and contains certain nutrients. Our research will allow us to use this water and determine how best to grow crops with these valuable nutrients in the water.”

Garey Fox, director of DASNR’s Oklahoma Water Resources Center, said sound research such as this is needed for sound policy.

“This facility is really going to help us identify and develop the guidelines for safe and efficient use of this effluent water,” he said.

“Research conducted at the facility is aimed primarily at improving our understanding of the use of wastewater for agricultural purposes and its impact on soils, water and crops.”

Alan Guard, city manager for the City of Chickasha, said he is glad to be part of this collaborative project.

“The City of Chickasha understands the importance of water resources in a part of the country that has experienced drought,” Guard said. “We also understand the importance of establishing partnerships with scientists who can use their expertise to help us find ways to maximize this precious resource.”

Thomas G. Coon, vice president, dean and director of DASNR, said it is important to look for new ways of conserving water for agricultural use.

“Our recent drought reminds us that we need to find new ways of obtaining water for crop irrigation,” Coon said. “Municipal wastewater often is high-quality water and in a steady and reliable supply. This new facility will help us develop protocols and guidance for farmers and water facility managers as they consider treated wastewater as a new source of water for irrigating crops.”

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Dale Beerwinkle, special projects coordinator with Triple S Farms, helped the company become GFSI certified by working with FAPC.

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Farm-to-fork food safety

by Ashley Middleswarth

One in six Americans will get sick this year due to improper food safety. While consumer mindfulness about food safety has grown throughout the past few decades, a newer, industry-driven initiative is helping address food safety from farm to fork. The Global Food Safety Initiative, or GFSI, is a product of a need identified by global retailers for improved food safety. It has changed the way food safety is conducted across the United Sates and in a global market, said Jason Young, quality management specialist for OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center.

“GFSI is driven by industry needs, not governmental regulation,” Young said. “The focus is protecting the consumer and reducing the nationwide number of recalls. This distinction helped drive widespread acceptance across the industry.”

A demand exists for well-trained professionals to assist producers and processors with the growing emphasis on food safety. FAPC, a part of DASNR, recognized this need and provides services to meet the food safety and security needs of Oklahoma’s food industry.

Young assisted more than 70 companies in the development and implementation of food safety plans within the past year.

“Providing continuous improvement in food safety management systems is the mission of GFSI,” Young said. “Greater consumer confidence in the delivery of safe food is key.”

GFSI recognizes a food safety management scheme when it meets minimum internationally identified food safety requirements and successfully completes a third-party audit.

“Preparing for a GFSI scheme audit can be a daunting process for producers and processors of any size,” Young said. “FAPC’s

global food safety initiative program focuses on direct food industry assistance in the areas of training, auditing, pre-third-party audit preparations, education, and in-plant technical assistance for food safety and quality programs.”

Young worked closely with Triple S Farms of Hydro. Triple S doesn’t exclusively produce crops typically associated with western Oklahoma farms. Rather, it produces a highly diversified vegetable, fruit and commodity crop operation with sweet potatoes, watermelon, pumpkins and leafy greens, along with traditional wheat and cotton. This crop diversity allows Triple S Farms to market to a wide range of customers, each of whom may have different standards of food safety.

“Food safety is one of the top priorities of Triple S Farms,” said Blair Switzer, company office manager. “We want customers to feel good about buying our products.”

Selling to major distributors and being an integrated part of the supply chain, places greater restrictions and hurdles on Triple S Farms in terms of food safety. When looking to expand its customer base, the company learned about the GFSI certification process.

“We wanted to sell our products to Walmart, so we had to be GFSI certified,” said Virgil Slagell, co-owner of Triple S Farms.

Triple S Farms is passionate about making the entire process from farm-to-fork safer for its consumers. Through the meticulous record-keeping and third-party audits required by GFSI, as well as meetings with Young, Triple S Farms turned this passion into an overarching business goal. continued on next page ...

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In most cases, becoming GFSI certified does not cause producers to do anything they have not done in the past, Young said.

“It’s simply a checks and balances system to make sure producers are doing what they have said,” he said. “It provides documentation to the safety practices already occurring in an operation.”

Young assisted Triple S Farms in every aspect of becoming GFSI certified.

“We learned that in the audit world, if it is not written down, it didn’t happen,” said Dale Beerwinkle, special projects coordinator with Triple S Farms. “We always have been very cautious on what we spray, when we spray and where we spray, and now those records are in the traceable history of the crop.”

The GFSI process is challenging and time consuming, but that is where Young and his expertise have helped Oklahoma producers

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and food manufacturers. Companies and consumers expect this level of certification for food safety.

“We don’t ever want to ship a product that would hurt somebody,” Slagell said. “So by following guidelines, we feel more assured we are shipping a good product to our customers.”

The development of GFSI, combined with the support of DASNR and FAPC, has helped companies like Triple S Farms provide safer food to people in Oklahoma and beyond.

“The help we received from FAPC has made this possible,”said Dennis Slagell, co-owner of Triple S Farms. “I have always been a big supporter of OSU, and this is one of the reasons why. I see food safety becoming a priority for all agricultural producers in the years ahead. Jason has helped us implement a food safety culture, which will be necessary for the future of Triple S Farms.”

Virgil Slagell (top left) and Dennis Slagell, co-owners of Triple S Farms, visit with Jason Young, FAPC quality management specialist. Triple S Farms produces highly diversified crops, including sweet potatoes, pumpkins and collard greens, among other fruits and vegetables.

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Agribusiness senior Kyle Hilbert (right) and environmental sciences senior Taylor Dennis are serving as OSU Student Government Association president and vice president for the 2015-2016 academic year.

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Forging ahead

CASNR students lead student government

by Lindsay King

For the 2015-2016 academic year, two CASNR students are leading the executive branch of the OSU Student Government Association. Kyle Hilbert, an agribusiness senior from Depew, and Taylor Dennis, an environmental sciences senior from Choctaw, are serving as president and vice president, respectively.

The duo built their campaign on the platforms of passion, integrity and progress – three things they said they plan to put to use during their year in office to strengthen SGA programs and promote university spirit and student engagement.

“I believe it is important to leave everything in a better place than you found it,” Hilbert said. “As the president and vice president, it is our job to be the faces of the OSU campus. My job as president is to appoint students to committees while maintaining diversity, personally serve on campuswide committees and work directly with student legislators for a variety of topics across campus.”

One of their goals is to improve the perception and knowledge of SGA for both students and administrators so they see the organization as a resource for improving the university, Dennis said.

“The major programs held across campus like Lights on Stillwater, Cowboython, Into the Streets and the Big Event are my responsibility as the vice president,” Dennis said. “These programs are intended to enhance community service and outreach, as well as student engagement and campus sustainability.”

Hilbert and Dennis agree: CASNR was a major contributor to the success of their campaign.

“Over the last three years, CASNR provided an incredible support system, giving us the confidence to run in a campuswide election,” Dennis said. “CASNR students are some of the most engaged and loyal people on campus, and I’m thankful for their contributions to our campaign and even more grateful for the support CASNR continues to give us.”

CASNR consistently is recognized for the high caliber of student involvement and leadership, leading to success both on and off campus, said Cynda Clary, CASNR associate dean of academic programs.

“The level of engagement from students in CASNR is second to none,” Clary said. “The difference truly comes from our dedicated faculty and staff. The passion, drive and commitment these individuals display to their students and advisees is mirrored in the activities in which CASNR students engage.”

Through hands-on courses, career fairs, professional development and student success coaching, CASNR goes above and beyond to prepare students for their future careers upon graduation, Hilbert said.

“CASNR is committed to progressing forward through its slogan ‘expanding minds and inspiring purpose,’” Dennis said. “Progress is the backbone to the success of our college and ultimately our campaign. This is what will keep us moving forward and continuing to improve in SGA and our future.”

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Participants in Tulsa County’s Juntos program get to spend two days living and working on the OSU campus in Stillwater while they engage in STEM-related projects and other activities.

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Juntos

Bringing students together

by Leilana McKindra

There was a point in Brayn Lozano’s young life when he was not sure college was for him. But that was before he connected with Juntos, an innovative, research-based, culturally appropriate program successfully mentoring at-risk Latino youth.

“But now that I’m doing all this stuff, I see there’s a lot of activities, a lot of stuff I can do,” said the sophomore at East Central Junior High School in Tulsa. “I like the program because I’m learning a lot of new things. They are teaching me how to do a lot of different activities and what I can do later on in the future, who I can be and what I want to do.”

Juntos takes its name from the Spanish word for “together,” and the concept of collectively bonding together in pursuit of the important goal of earning an education is a strong and deeply anchored theme throughout the entire program.

That is the idea behind Juntos – opening students’ eyes to a future of possibilities they have perhaps never imagined. The program has been operating in Tulsa’s East Central and Nathan Hale Junior High Schools since the 2013-14 academic year and now serves nearly 100 eighth and ninth graders, including the 50 students added this fall.

School officials select students for participation in Juntos.

Eligible participants are identified as students who are struggling academically and at a higher risk for failure if they continue on their current path. The program is built around three major components: • A six-week family workshop series followed by monthly family nights that help acculturate families to the U.S. educational system, promote education as a family goal and strengthen family communication and cohesion.

• One-on-one support provided by a success coach to participants and their families based on a customized personal education plan.

• Participation in an urban 4-H club promoting science, technology, engineering and math activities; positive peer connections; crucial life skills; and meaningful service learning projects.

“It’s all about partnership and doing things together and uniting other people to make friends and do activities instead of staying home,” said Leonardo Guerrero, a ninth grader at Nathan Hale and Juntos participant. “You make new friends, do activities, go places. You do activities together, but it all involves teamwork, no matter what.”

Activities include a mix of fun experiences and educational opportunities. For instance, Guerrero tried ice skating for the first time and enjoyed a professional soccer game compliments of Juntos.

As part of the program’s educational slate, participants spend two full days in the summer living on the OSU campus in Stillwater, where they engage in STEM-related projects such as sequencing DNA from horses and working with video technology.

“I like it because we get to stay in the rooms and stuff. It’s like school, but it’s way more different,” Lozano said. “It’s like you’re getting ready for something. It’s getting you to understand stuff. It starts making you think about the future and who you want to be.”

While communities in Oregon, Texas and Florida also are implementing Juntos, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Iowa are part of a multistate research project related to the initiative. Early data on the program’s effectiveness is promising. continued on next page ...

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The lasting legacy of Marvin Stone

by Donald Stotts

Stone

The late Marvin Lyle Stone, a Regents professor emeritus, was a DASNR faculty member in the department of biosystems and agricultural engineering from 1982 to 2006. His work is known worldwide in his career field, with students and stakeholders benefitting from his knowledge gained through years of unique biomechanical engineering service to the U.S. and international heavy equipment industry.

“Dr. Stone never stopped teaching,” said Meg Sheehan, a BAE senior who also works in the biosensors laboratory. “It was hard to remember that he actually retired because he never actually left. I hope in my future career that I can teach like he did.”

The university recognized Stone as its 2005 recipient of the OSU Eminent Faculty Award, the highest distinction given to a faculty member, and as its 2002 recipient of the OSU Regents Distinguished Teaching Award, presented to the university’s top instructor.

Stone’s research expertise focused on two major technological areas, international equipment communication and diagnostic protocol standards and high-speed, selective, point-specific field application of chemicals.

He was a key member of DASNR’s interdisciplinary research team that developed the landmark GreenSeeker® optical sensor system, honored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2002. Adopted worldwide, this groundbreaking technology precisely measures crop needs in real time, allowing a producer to apply only the needed amount of fertilizer or agricultural chemicals, thus reducing waste of those inputs while potentially improving yields, decreasing nitrogen costs and promoting improved environmental stewardship.

Stone also was involved in the formation and expansion of the Oklahoma Mesonet. A world-class network of 120 automated environmental monitoring stations covering the state, Mesonet information is a common fixture in reports issued by Oklahoma weathercasters and the National Weather Service.

Marvin Stone and his wife, Bonnie, passed away Oct. 24 after being struck by an automobile at the OSU Homecoming Parade.

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According to initial evaluations, Juntos generally improves students’ academic performance, prepares them for college and encourages parents to become more involved in school, while decreasing risky behaviors linked with dropout such as truancy.

More specifically, after eight months of programming, preliminary results show Juntos students at Nathan Hale and East Central reduced absences by 33 percent, cut tardiness by 23 percent and raised their grades by 29 percent.

If Juntos continues on its positive track, it not only will be a win for participating students and their families, but also for Oklahoma.

“Dropouts cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars every year in both social services expenditures and lost revenues. The ability of Oklahoma companies to find an appropriately trained and competent workforce is severely compromised,” said Ron Cox, OCES family science specialist and lead researcher with the program.

However, Juntos is shaping up to be a potentially powerful force countering those negative factors related to dropout rates.

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“We’ve trained folks from the community to work in their communities,” Cox said. “We’re also using multiple angles to address the issue, including parent involvement, positive youth development and positive peer affiliations. Finally, I think the extended nature of the program also is important. Participants receive a full year of intensive intervention.”

Once the program model is fully tested, program administrators plan to expand Juntos into Oklahoma City and, eventually, throughout the state. Also, Juntos currently caters specifically to Latino youth, but the long-term vision of the program is to develop a framework that can be replicated with youth from other diverse backgrounds. In fact, researchers already have made progress adapting the program for AfricanAmerican students.

“We want to create a model that will help youth in Oklahoma and across the nation become the successful leaders we know they can be,” Cox said.

New crops app

by Jeff Joiner

Atiyeh

Creating a sustainable biofuels industry

by Donald Stotts DASNR’s biofuels team has long been recognized as a national leader in alternative fuels development by members of the energy industry and government, including the U.S. Congress.

“It is common knowledge fossil fuels are a finite resource, and OSU has been working to help the energy and agriculture industries diversify in ways that position them to take better advantage of new technologies and scientific advances,” said Hasan Atiyeh, associate professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering.

A member of DASNR’s Biobased Products and Energy Center, Atiyeh’s research plays a fundamentally important role in DASNR biofuels endeavors.

“My research focuses on development of biochemical and hybrid thermochemical-biochemical conversion processes for the production of advanced and drop-in biofuels and chemicals, as well as upgrading of pyrolysis oil to hydrocarbon fuels,” he said.

This includes process development for syngas and sugar fermentations, examining cell metabolism and activities of enzymes of novel microorganisms, modeling and reactor design and scale-up.

“Mass transfer is a critical challenge for advancing syngas/producer gas fermentation because it must overcome low solubility of carbon monoxide and hydrogen components in the fermentation medium,” Atiyeh said. “At OSU, we have developed a groundbeaking method that helps sustain biocatalyst activity in gas fermentation for extended operation and results in higher concentrations of product, both of which are needed to promote commercial alcohol production.”

Importantly, this method enhances the use of hydrogen from the syngas and optimizes power input. These features increase energy conservation, high selectivity for alcohol and productivity, and reduce operating costs.

The first mobile application developed from concept to release by the OSU App Center is available for download for both Apple and Android smartphones.

Canopeo, developed jointly by the center, students and faculty in the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, allows users to quantify green vegetation in a plant’s canopy in the field through photos taken using a smartphone.

“The free mobile app analyzes the images and provides an accurate measure of percent canopy cover for row crops, grassland, turfgrass or other green vegetation,” said Tyson Ochsner, associate professor of plant science and Sarkeys Distinguished Professor in applied soil physics.

Information provided by the app can be used to monitor a crop’s growth or evaluate damage and allows the user to adjust management decisions.

Canopeo’s genesis began a few years ago when plant and soil sciences Ph.D. student Andres Patrignani began developing a desktop computer program to analyze images of vegetation. After Ochsner showed him an app to analyze nitrogen levels in leaves, Patrignani turned to the OSU App Center in 2014, which agreed to fund the app’s development and provide student programmers to translate the desktop program code to Apple’s iOS mobile language, as well as graphic designers to develop a user interface. Additionally, DASNR Information Technology provides web and database support for Canopeo.

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After 13 years in the making, the OSU Wheat Improvement Team released Bentley, the team’s 20th variety, this year in advance of the fall planting season.

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Bentley graduates OSU releases new wheat variety this year

by Leilana McKindra

DASNR released its newest wheat variety, Bentley, in advance of 2015 fall planting season.

A hard red winter wheat, Bentley is the first variety released

by OSU since Doublestop CL Plus in 2013 and the 20th variety developed by the OSU Wheat Improvement Team, an interdisciplinary team of nine researchers dedicated to cutting-edge research and development as well as outreach to Oklahoma wheat producers through OCES. “Bentley was chosen from a pool of a half dozen elite candidates. With two additional years of yield and quality testing, the WIT was most confident in forwarding a recommendation for this variety’s release,” said Brett Carver, lead researcher for the OSU WIT, who noted the new variety represents 13 years of research and testing.

“Our team is committed to going with what we know works, and avoiding what we know doesn’t work, in terms of carefully developing and thoroughly testing a wheat variety before it’s released,” Carver said. “Bentley is a result of that process and we’re proud to bring our newest variety to Oklahoma wheat producers.”

Along with another OSU experimental line, Bentley earned the Wheat Quality Council’s 2015 Millers Award. It also placed in the highest yielding group of varieties at every location for which OSU Wheat Variety Trials most recent three-year data is available.

In addition to featuring excellent grain-yielding ability under challenging climate conditions, including moderate, but chronic drought stress and late winter freezes, Bentley works well in

dual-purpose grazed systems and minimum-tillage systems that promote the development of multiple leaf spotting diseases.

Bentley’s drought resistance is equal to or slightly better than Iba, currently the WIT’s best adapted variety for drought, but the new variety has much better leaf hygiene in the presence of leaf spotting diseases, particularly tan spot and physiological leaf spot. It is best suited for growth in southwestern and central Oklahoma and areas extending north, east and possibly into south central Kansas, while its use in the panhandle should be limited to dryland conditions.

“OSU has a strong history of producing high performing wheat varieties and Bentley only adds to this proud tradition,” said Jeff Edwards, head of the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

“The OSU Wheat Improvement Team is dedicated to meeting the needs of Oklahoma wheat producers and we’re excited about the ways Bentley will help them continue to thrive and succeed.”

Approximately 8,000 bushels of foundation seed for Bentley were made available in August for members of Oklahoma Genetics Inc., a farmer nonprofit that distributes pedigreed seed to producers in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

The new variety is named after Walter Dimmitt Bentley, the first director of Extension in Oklahoma, who served in the position from 1914 to 1916. The name was chosen as part of a contest celebrating Extension’s centennial anniversary in 2014.

For more information about Bentley, visit Oklahoma Foundation Seed Stocks at www.ofss.okstate.edu.

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Suzan Perkins (left), who helped spearhead the Drive by Fruiting program, delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to Wanda Hagle.

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Delivering smiles one bag at a time

by Leilana McKindra

Last year, volunteers from the OCES office in Nowata County and the county’s chapter of Oklahoma Home and Community Education delivered a special treat to residents of a small town of 350 with a heavy population of older adults and children who live at poverty level.

“We coordinated with the owner of the small grocery store in town,” said Suzan Perkins, executive administrative support specialist with the Nowata County Extension office. “The entire back of my van was filled with cases of fruits and vegetables. The children came running and began to eat the fruit immediately.”

It’s called Drive by Fruiting, and this simple food donation program is bringing smiles to Oklahomans’ faces one bag at a time. As part of the program, volunteers prepare and distribute bags containing an apple, potato, tomato, banana and orange or a combination of available fruits and vegetables.

“This program is a great example of how OHCE volunteers and Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators work together to improve health and decrease hunger across the state,” said Jorge Atiles, OSU College of Human Sciences professor and associate dean of Extension and engagement.

Nowata County Extension hosted two Drive by Fruiting events in 2014, the fourth year the county participated in the program.

This year’s Drive by Fruiting event was held during Thanksgiving at a rural church near Wann, which actively serves local families in need.

“Both events were a great experience and a blessing for everyone involved,” Perkins said.

In Love County, an ongoing Drive by Fruiting outreach benefits more than 200 families every month.

“Last Christmas was the first time I participated in Drive by Fruiting, and just to see the looks on peoples’ faces, it gave me a great feeling,” said Randi McCann, Love County FCS/4-H Extension educator, who takes part in the monthly effort.

Rebekah Williams, an OHCE board member, launched the program in April 2011, and began partnering with Extension and OHCE a few months later to rapidly expand the initiative.

Since then, 17 counties have conducted Drive by Fruiting events through Extension county offices, OHCE chapters and 4-H groups.

“Did I think I would be able to partner with such a wonderful program as Extension through OSU and OHCE? That was a huge surprise,” Williams said. “I’m overwhelmed with how other people have picked up the project. Once you start doing it, it’s amazing, and it’s so simple.”

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Oklahoma attorney Larry Derryberry contributes much of his professional success to the lessons he learned as a 4-H member.

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Larry Derryberry Long-time friend of Oklahoma 4-H

by Trisha Gedon

He is a man with many different monikers. Husband. Father.

Grandfather. Attorney. State representative. Attorney General.

Children’s book author. Even when you roll all of these together, you just scratch the surface of the man known as Larry Derryberry.

There is one more title Derryberry said helps explain who he is and how he achieved some of the others: 4-H member.

“I love 4-H,” Derryberry said. “All I’ve done in my life and my law practice are the things I learned in 4-H … meeting people, working with people and talking to people. It’s pretty simple.”

The son of a cotton farmer in rural Jackson County, Derryberry said it was somewhat of a fluke he joined 4-H in the first place in 1953.

“My girlfriend at the time was on her way to a 4-H meeting after school and asked if I wanted to come along. She said we could sit together in the double desk, so I agreed,” Derryberry said.

The next thing he knew he had been elected president of the club, and his 4-H career was launched. Public speaking and leadership became his main project areas, and at the urging of Leonard Solomon, his county Extension educator, he entered his first county speech contest that year and won.

He went on to win the regional and state titles as well, using that same speech, “My Cooperative.” Derryberry won a trip to Ithica, New York, where the rural farm kid presented that speech to more than 5,000 people. He went on to give dozens of speeches during his 4-H career and continued his public speaking efforts throughout his life.

Following high school graduation, at the urging of Solomon and one of his high school teachers, he attended the University of Oklahoma where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history and set his sights on law school. During his second year at the OU

College of Law, he made a run for state representative and was elected. He served in that capacity from 1963 until 1971 when he was elected to serve the State of Oklahoma as Attorney General.

Eight years later he made a bid for the office of governor, but was defeated. It was then he opened his law practice, and he has practiced law ever since.

Derryberry has never forgotten about his beginnings in the 4-H program, and he has long been a staunch supporter of this youth organization. He served two six-year terms on the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation Board and was instrumental in establishing the Circle of Champions, which is comprised of individuals who are dedicated to contributing $1,000 per year to the 4-H Foundation for sponsoring scholarships for current club members. He has been named a National 4-H Alumni award winner and has been recognized as a State 4-H Partner and State 4-H Alumni winner.

“Larry has always been a friend of 4-H and was an outstanding 4-H Foundation trustee,” said Jim Rutledge, executive director of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation.

Despite having thousands of public speaking engagements under his belt, Derryberry said he still gets a bit nervous before a speech.

“To this day I use techniques I learned as a 4-H’er to get me through a speech,” he said.

Derryberry has some advice for those who are just starting their 4-H careers.

“Every child is different. Each has talent. You just have to find your place,” he said. “Find those things where you have fun and can be successful.”

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A multi-faceted research project through the OSU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management seeks to better understand the life cycle of the Oklahoma black bear.

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A day in the life of a bear researcher

by Sean Hubbard

The novelty of holding a six-week-old Oklahoma black bear cub is something not many people get to experience. However, a group of 20 eager bear-seekers on a den check early one morning in February got to do just that.

The den check was led by natural resources ecology and management graduate student Morgan Pfander, who is one of three graduate students working with Sue Fairbanks, assistant professor of natural resource ecology and management, and Sara Lyda, NREM research specialist. Pfander’s role in the multi-faceted Oklahoma black bear research project includes conducting den checks several times throughout the winter.

This specific den-check group’s day began with a quick briefing of what the day would hold and an anticipation-laden drive through the Ouachita Mountains in southeast Oklahoma. After parking their vehicles about a half-mile from the den location, the group meandered through the snow-dusted hillside, dodging branches that whip back after the previous hiker passed.

It was a peaceful hike, with only the sounds of twigs breaking and leaves crackling under their boots as they carefully followed Pfander and her project partners. When they stopped, everyone stopped. The hikers were out of breath, but the natural beauty of the environment was impossible to miss.

When they made it to their destination, Pfander instructed everyone to remain quiet and begins to unpack the supplies. The group followed her instruction, knowing there is a 200-pound female black bear near who might not be too pleased to be awoken.

“Another project employee and I approached the den first to assess the adult female bear’s position and that of her cub,” Pfander said. “Once we knew how we will be administering the drug to the bear, we returned to mix the drugs and load up the pole syringe.”

The research team carefully screwed together each of the four two-foot sections of pole. A plunger was attached to the final piece.

The group watched intently and hoped for the best as Pfander’s team trekked back down to the den to sedate the mother.

“She was reluctant to look at us and clearly wished we would just go away and leave her to her nap, but we successfully administered the drug, sticking her in the shoulder,” Pfander said.

Although only a short time passed, it seemed like an eternity to the group waiting on the hill. Eventually, Pfander came strolling up the hill like it was just another day at the office. For her, it was.

She had done this many times.

The others who joined Pfander on this day were not nearly as casual. They could not wait for their chance to walk down to the den and see some of Oklahoma’s most unique wildlife. They eagerly, but slowly, descended over slippery rocks and steep drop-offs to the den, which was fashioned in a crevice between a few boulders.

“After I handed out all of the cubs and saw them safely swaddled up and tucked away in jackets, I returned to the mother who I repositioned to lay on her side so her breathing was as easy as possible,” Pfander said. “She was doing fine and was nicely sedated, so we checked her temperature, her breathing and heart rate to ensure that her vital signs were stable.” continued on next page ...

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Seasonal habitat of black bears

by Sean Hubbard

Black bears in Oklahoma prefer to not work too hard to find their food. A steady diet of fruits, berries, plants, ants and hard mast, like acorns and hickory nuts, typically do the trick.

However, throughout the year, a few of these items may be taken off the bear buffet. Changing season, lack of rainfall, human intrusion and fire all can play a role in what types of food will be available to the bear population.

Using 20 bears she currently has adorned with GPS collars, Dani Techentin, a graduate student in OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, is studying the seasonal habitat use of the bears.

A rough analysis last year showed the bears had contracted their areas of use in autumn rather than summer.

“They were more likely to be on the ridges or in valleys in autumn, which is where a lot of the hardwoods occur,” she said.

“That makes sense because their diets switch to hard mast when the acorns fall.”

Her study will continue through this fall and into winter when the bear will hole up in a den until spring.

Techentin ... continued from previous page

As Pfander attended the mother, the seemingly feather-weight six-week-old bear cubs were pampered by other members of the group. With a distinct odor, already razor-sharp claws, thick fur, wet noses and an endless supply of whimpers, the cubs cuddled closely to whomever was holding them, searching for the warmest spot. Often, that was the armpit of the current holder.

When it was the cubs’ turn to be processed, the researchers recorded weight, chest girth, sex and distinguishing marks.

“We also gave each cub a PIT tag, a passive integrated transponder, which we can scan for identification purposes if we ever catch the cub again,” Pfander said.

Finally, when a small sample of hair was plucked for each cub, the roar they let out in protest was achingly cute. It was easy to feel sympathetic to the cubs’ strife, but the group knew it is important to remember in the coming years, these bears will

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grow into something as equally fierce as they are now cute. Most importantly, research conducted at this location will help inform decisions about black bear hunting season and harvest numbers.

“After we were done recording all of the information on the cubs and everyone has gotten their fill of pictures, I took the cubs back to the den and placed them once again with her mother, who was still soundly asleep,” Pfander said. “She woke up in a couple of hours.”

When the den-check work was done, the bear-seekers left with memories to share, but it was the researchers and the bears who had the best day. With the information gathered, Pfander and her colleagues will better understand the life of the Oklahoma black bear.

“In total, this past year we handled 12 bears in the den, six of which had cubs,” she said. “We saw 15 cubs and one yearling, in our study area this year. Next year we hope to be visiting 40 dens and will hopefully have a bunch more cubs and yearlings to visit.”

Viva Vegas Strip Steak STEAK DISCOVERY ADDS VALUE TO BEEF CARCASS

by Mandy Gross

Hidden in the chuck primal of a beef carcass is a steak discovered at DASNR’s FAPC. Before the discovery of the Vegas Strip Steak, the chuck primal often was used for ground beef and sold at a reduced price, but the Vegas Strip Steak adds incremental value to this portion of the beef carcass.

“I have a feeling this is the last new steak that will have real implications in the industry,” said Jake Nelson, FAPC valueadded meat processing specialist. “All other muscles have been investigated for their potential as a commercially viable steak.”

Nelson and Tony Mata of Mata & Associates discovered the steak, which is is named because of its similarities to the New York Strip and broad recognition of Las Vegas. The steak is the latest and perhaps last steak to be discovered.

The Vegas Strip Steak name is trademarked and also is pending approval of a U.S. patent application for the process to convert the muscle from the carcass into a useable steak.

Nelson and Mata are no strangers to beef carcass research and development,

and with the help of FAPC to promote and launch the Vegas Strip Steak into the foodservice market, the duo secured commercialization opportunities for the cut.

“From coolers, freezers and cutting rooms to the on-site USDA inspectors, the staff and facility at FAPC made this new steak find possible,” Nelson said. “It is the mission of the center to discover, develop and deliver technical and business support to spur growth of value-added food and agricultural products.”

The newest licensing deal for the Vegas Strip Steak is with regional processor Creekstone Farms Premium Beef in Arkansas City, Kansas. Through this partnership, the steak is available to a wider consumer market, making it the first steak to be both licensed and have a trademarked name.

“When first approached by Jake and Dr. Mata about this exciting new steak they’d discovered, we were a little hesitant and approached it with a ‘show me’ attitude,” said Jim Rogers, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Creekstone

Farms Premium Beef. “Well, they did. The Vegas Strip is very tender and has that unmistakable chuck flavor. It’s been a big hit with our foodservice customers.”

Nelson said the Vegas Strip Steak rivals many popular steaks in tenderness but at a lower cost.

“Sustainable success draws upon the ability to innovate, develop and sell new ideas and products,” said Thomas G. Coon, vice president, dean and director of DASNR. “Since 1997, our FAPC team has been a valuable asset to food industry entrepreneurs and businesses by helping them take advantage of innovative ideas and products. Jake Nelson’s work on the Vegas Strip Steak reflects FAPC’s commitment to develop new products where others have given up.”

Licensing arrangement for the Vegas Strip Steak will continue to expand. Currently, the steak can be found at OSU’s Rancher’s Club restaurant in the Atherton Hotel and MoJo’s Rock’n’Bowl Grill in Stillwater and a few other locations across Oklahoma and Texas.

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#CAUtoOSU Partnership with China Agricultural University brings dual degree students to CASNR

by Katie Powers

2 UNIVERSITIES 4 YEARS 2 DEGREES

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Twenty-two students from the China Agricultural University in Beijing arrived on the OSU campus in August to begin the second phase of a dual degree program between the universities. The program began in 2011 and provides student participants from each institution an opportunity to study in and benefit from the academic and cultural environment of the other institution.

The Chinese students currently in residence at OSU took two years of English-speaking classes at CAU and now will spend two years on campus in Stillwater finishing the requirements for an agribusiness degree.

At the end of the program, they will receive degrees from both CAU and OSU. CAU student Hemin (Henry) Huang said he and his peers from CAU are grateful for the faculty and mentors for helping them feel welcome in America.

“I was excited to come to OSU,” Huang said. “In China we constantly hear about how great American universities are. I am grateful for the opportunity to actually be attending one and experience it for myself.”

Students from OSU also have an opportunity to study at CAU through the program. Agribusiness junior Hannah McReynolds was the first CASNR student to study at CAU through the partnership.

She attended for two semesters between September 2014 and July 2015.

“This program is a great experience for students to live, study and interact with faculty at both campuses,” said Thomas G. Coon, DASNR vice president, dean and director. “Today’s marketplace is global.

Our students need to be capable to work in such an environment and understand how to engage with people of various backgrounds.”

More than 40 CAU students in the program are slated to arrive in Oklahoma next fall.

Beef herd rebuilding OKLAHOMA EXPERIENCES 25% YEAR-OVER-YEAR HERD EXPANSION

by Donald Stotts May 2015 was the wettest month ever recorded in Oklahoma, with a statewide average of nearly 15 inches of rain. But even flood waters that inundated pastures, ruin stored hay and washed out roads and fences could not stop the trajectory of beef herd rebuilding taking place this year.

“Oklahoma started 2015 with a 25 percent year-over-year increase in beef replacement heifers, indicating relatively aggressive herd expansion,” said Derrell Peel, OCES livestock marketing specialist.

“Relief from our recent historic levels of drought likely will push heifer retentions to still higher levels, helping to moderate feeder supply growth and supporting feeder cattle prices into 2016.”

The 2015 beef cow inventory for Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas showed a decline of more than 1.1 million head from 2008 and

represented 42 percent of the nation’s total beef cow herd reduction during the seven-year span.

“Cattle producers in the southern plains states will be playing a central role in U.S. beef herd expansion, and that should be good for related agribusinesses and the Oklahoma economy,” Peel said.

Oklahoma is the nation’s third-largest producer of beef cows and fifthlargest producer of cattle and calves, with the state’s five-year-average for cash receipts exceeding $3.18 billion, according to USDA data.

Peel said the number of cattle needed in the U.S. beef herd ultimately will depend on consumer demand for beef and export markets. In the short term, however, the situation should be strongly positive for Oklahoma cattle producers during the first couple of years of herd expansion.

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Meat goat bootcamp offers producers hands-on training

by Donald Stotts

Thanks to DASNR’s annual Oklahoma Meat Goat Bootcamp, producers from more than two dozen states have been able to more easily develop needed skills and insights to take advantage of the business opportunity that is meat goat production.

“Many individuals interested in raising meat goats begin with little or no experience in agricultural production, and even producers with experience in other livestock operations quickly discover they need to adapt their management practices to the specific needs of a meat goat operation,” said JJ Jones, OCES area agricultural economist.

The bootcamp is a three-day program combining hands-on activities, classroom exercises and presentations. Production methods taught and demonstrated include ear tagging, hoof trimming, parasite control, castrating, herd health practices, kidding, neonatal care, forage management and testing, ration balancing, reproduction efficiency, pregnancy detection and others.

“A strength of the bootcamp is that each participant can take away what he or she needs,” Jones said. “Participants not only have the opportunity to learn how to perform specific production practices, they also are able to hone their skills by working with live goats as many times as they feel necessary.”

Pre- and post-tests have shown a 37.9 percent increase in knowledge among boot camp participants. Producers also have indicated the education received has an average perceived value of $312,868 per bootcamp.

Oklahoma is the nation’s third-largest goat producer with approximately 95,000 head, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics.

$312,868 the perceived value of each bootcamp

THIRD-LARGEST Oklahoma’s national rank in goat production

39.7 PERCENT the average increase in participant knowledge

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Swearengin (left) and Moss

Zoo garden teaches lessons about water conservation and drought-tolerant plants

by Trisha Gedon

Visitors to the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden have an opportunity to see much more than lions, tigers and bears – oh my.

The zoo is home to more than 30,000 plant varieties and is both a living museum and botanical garden. Not only can patrons see these plants at the zoo, but also they can learn about water conservation and drought tolerant plants, thanks to a partnership with the zoo, the Oklahoma City Utilities Department, OCES and OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

Lance Swearengin, horticulture curator at the zoo, said he is excited to have this new Drought Tolerant Garden as part of the zoo garden system.

“Here at the zoo we’re always looking for different ways to conserve water, both in the gardens and with the animals,” Swearengin said. “The garden, which highlights nearly 70 different plant varieties, features signage promoting the principles of

landscape design, as well as an opportunity for passive learning.

In addition, the signs feature a QR Code to provide visitors additional information with their smart phone or tablet.”

Justin Moss, associate professor and Huffine Endowed Professor of turfgrass science at OSU, said the garden is a great way to educate the public about water conservation.

“Many people think a water conservation garden is going to be full of succulents,” Moss said. “While the garden does have some succulents, it also demonstrates the wide variety of plantings that do well in drought conditions, yet are still beautiful and add to a homeowner’s landscape. Oklahoma has experienced severe drought conditions over the last few years and this garden is one way to show homeowners they can still have a lush and beautiful landscape while using less water.”

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DASNR Bradley

Kennamer

2015 DASNR held its inaugural DASNR Honors event in October to recognize the 2015 Distinguished Alumni and DASNR Champion recipients.

Distinguished Alumni The Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1983 to recognize and honor graduates who have contributed significantly to society and whose accomplishments inside or outside the agricultural profession have brought particular credit to CASNR.

DASNR Champions The DASNR Champion award recognizes and honors individuals who are not graduates of CASNR, but who have brought distinction to DASNR and have demonstrated a continuing interest and commitment in agricultural sciences and natural resources.

See more.

Profile videos for each honoree and a replay of the live-stream from the event can be viewed at dasnrhonors.okstate.edu.

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MINNIE LOU BRADLEY

Kennamer was widely recruited by some of the world’s most prestigious companies after completing his doctoral degree, and Hydro native Minnie Lou Bradley, now of Memphis, Texas, earned her degree in 1953 he has held titles like chemist, research investigator, manager and director during after becoming the first woman to enroll in animal husbandry at Oklahoma Agricultural his career.

Kennamer’s professional efforts supported & Mechanical College. the development of ACCU-CHEK, a blood It was her achievements as a member glucose test used by diabetics around the of the livestock judging team at OAMC world to monitor glucose levels. He also that launched her into a path of success. helped develop CoaguCheck, which is She won the Top Beef Cattle Collegiate utilized to monitor warfarin therapy and Judge title at the 1952 American Royal livestock judging competition in Kansas City, reduce the number of life threatening events and improve the quality of life in patients Missouri, and was first in sheep judging, receiving this therapy. second in horse judging and top overall Since 2007, Kennamer has been vice collegiate judge at the Chicago International president of manufacturing for Talecris competition in 1952.

Biotherapeutics/Grifols Therapeutics in Starting with 20 cows and 3,300 acres, Clayton, North Carolina.

Bradley and her husband, Bill, started the Bradley 3 Ranch near Childress, Texas.

She was named a Graduate of Distinction ROBERT L. WESTERMAN from the OSU Department of Animal Science Agricultural Education, 1961 in 1988 and presented the Master Breeder Plant & Soil Sciences, 1963 Award from the department in 2010.

Robert Westerman of Stillwater received a Bradley was listed in Beef Magazine in bachelor’s degree in agricultural education both 2004 and 2014 as one of the Top 40 in 1961 and a master’s degree in plant and Cattlemen. In 2014, she was inducted into soil sciences in 1963. He joined the United the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery.

States Army, where he was a helicopter pilot, before attending and graduating from the University of Illinois in 1969 with a Ph.D. JAMES E. KENNAMER Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 1981 & 1986 in soil fertility.

After seven years on the faculty at the James Kennamer of Raleigh, North University of Arizona, Westerman joined OSU Carolina, graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in biochemistry as an associate professor of soil fertility and plant nutrition. He quickly climbed the ranks in 1981 and 1986, respectively.

Animal Science, 1953

Westerman

in the OSU Department of Agronomy, now known as Plant and Soil Sciences, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses related to soil-plant relationships. He was named a Regents Professor and served as department head before serving as assistant director and interim associate director of OAES. His final role before retiring in 2013 was as assistant vice president for agricultural programs within DASNR administration.

LINDA CLINE Char-Lin Ranch

Linda Cline and her late husband, Charlie, moved to Cushing in 1967, and in 1985 purchased acreage on which they planned to retire. They started with 17 horses and established the Char-Lin Ranch, which today is a renowned producer of registered quarter horses and Angus cattle and has more than 300 horses and 2,500 cattle.

Their show horse operation earned more than 200 World Championships and Reserve World Championships before downsizing.

Their first buckskin colt, C.L. Buckley, became a legend in the halter-horse industry, siring more World Champions in the buckskin associations than any other stallion in the registry.

Cline recently contributed funding for the Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center at OSU. The new facility will include a teaching barn with stalls for foaling mares, an indoor arena, classrooms, feed and tack rooms, a wash rack and treatment area.

Cline

Sparks

With a deep-rooted passion for students and giving them an opportunity to succeed, Cline is hopeful the center will make it possible for every student to take the equine classes they desire. Her vision for the center is more than just a facility. The center is for the students and will allow OSU faculty and staff to better prepare them for a lifetime in the equine industry.

RITA SPARKS Sparks Companies, Inc.

In 1977, Rita Sparks of Memphis, Tennessee, and her late husband, Willard, built Sparks Companies Inc., which provides risk management tools to agribusinesses and farmers. The worldwide company is a leading agricultural research and consulting business, focusing on grains, cotton and livestock.

The Sparks’ focused on commodity merchandise while operating one of the largest cattle operations in the nation.

Today, Sparks Companies Inc., continues to impact agriculture around the United States and beyond.

After Willard’s passing in 2005, Rita formed her own investment company, Sparks Enterprises Inc. Sparks exemplifies the power of women’s leadership and philanthropy. In 2010, she received both the University of Memphis Distinguished Friend Award and the Tennessee Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy for her support

Williams

of higher education. She was the Memphis recipient of the 1999 Outstanding Volunteer Fund Raiser from the National Society for Fund Raising Executives and a member of the 1996 Leadership Memphis class.

Sparks has been a licensed commodity broker since 1980.

JOHN WILLIAMS Chefs Requested Foods, Inc.

John Williams of Edmond launched Chef’s Requested Foods in 1979 in Oklahoma City. The company is for meat-focused food service clients with center-of-theplate products and retail premium meat products. Today, as president, he employs nearly 200 Oklahomans, selling more than a million pounds of value-added meat and food products each year to local, regional and national retail outlets and through major food service distributors.

Williams is a North Dakota native and North Dakota State University graduate.

He began his professional career as a marketing research analyst at the Hormel Food Company in Austin, Minnesota, for Dinty Moore products, SPAM products, Hormel Chili and others.

Williams was a member of the Industry Advisory Committee of DASNR’s FAPC from 2006 to 2015. He chaired the very active subcommittee on food safety that was responsible for the development and successful launch of the food safety option in the food science curriculum at OSU.

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Building Excellence Thomas G. Coon, DASNR’s vice president, dean and director, celebrates the division’s long and impessive history. He said one of the biggest keys to every success is the commitment to offering the best spaces and equipment for teaching, research and Extension. DASNR’s comprehensive plan includes evaluating structures to determine if maintaining, renovating or replacing them will best serve our many constituents. This has led to some exciting developments recently.

FERGUSON FAMILY DAIRY CENTER & HELMS HALL The Dairy Center dates back to 1920. It encompasses approximately 300 acres of pasture, 80 acres of tillable land and facilities such as the milking parlor, historic barn and outlying buildings. It is being renamed and transformed thanks to the generosity of alumnus Larry Ferguson and the Ferguson Family Foundation, which made a lead gift and is adding another $1 for each $1.50 contributed by other supporters of OSU’s dairy program toward the renovation. These funds will enhance infrastructure, beginning with the addition of a free-stall barn to improve cow comfort, allow for precision feed intake experiments and improve milk production during extreme temperatures. The improved student housing is being renamed Helms Hall in memory of Kenneth Hall Sr., a two-time alumnus and the father of Ferguson’s wife, Kayleen.

CHARLES & LINDA CLINE EQUINE TEACHING CENTER Linda Cline memorialized her husband in 2014 by supporting OSU’s world-class equine program through a lead gift toward a state-ofthe-art facility. It will open this spring to replace the current building, which became outdated since construction in the 1980s. The new facility will provide students one convenient location to attend classes, conduct lab work and build experience. It will include a teaching barn with stalls for foaling mares, a small indoor arena, classrooms, feed and tack rooms, a wash rach and treatment area.

It also will provide space for classes, clinics, 4-H programs and other Extension opportunities.

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“We have always taken great pride in fulfilling the land-grant mission by benefitting the most people possible with whatever resource we had available. We are dedicated to maximizing the value of every facility while adding new buildings to more effectively address modern issues.”

- Thomas G. Coon

FOUNDATION SEED FACILITY Oklahoma Foundation Seed Stocks provides farmers new and improved seed varieties to create more efficient, high-yielding crops. Foundation Seed products and services help keep Oklahoma’s agricultural economy strong. The increased demand for wheat, peanut and grass varieties led Foundation Seed to more than double its production over the past few years. A new facility will accommodate the growing demand and allow more distribution of these innovative products. The building complex will include a warehouse, a seed-cleaning facility, offices and a conference room.

At 36,000-square-feet, it will be more than three times the size of the current Foundation Seed complex.

DR. RAYMOND SIDWELL RESEARCH FACILITY This building is being added to the 143-acre North Central Research Station near Lahoma. The large open-bay design will facilitate equipment and host field-day events regardless of the weather, and it will feature a conference room and offices. The building is named for the late Raymond Sidwell, who served as the senior station manager from 1980 until 2013. His meticulous management allowed for major research of entomology, grain sorghum, plant pathology, soil, soybeans, weeds and wheat. The Sidwell family funded the building along with the Sitlington Trust and OAES.

For more information or to discuss ways you can help DASNR build, renovate and maintain premier facilities: Heidi Griswold 405.385.5656 hgriswold@OSUgiving.com

Kathy McNally 405.385.5606 kmcnally@OSUgiving.com

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STUDENT AWARDS AND HONORS 2014-2015 STUDENT ORGANIZATION AND COMPETITIVE TEAM AWARDS OSU Animal Science Quadrathlon Team - 2015 National Champions, American Society of Animal Science OSU Meat Animal Evaluation Team 2015 National Champions OSU Meat Judging Team - 2014 National Champions (17th championship); 2015 overall champion, 26th Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition OSU Range Club - Collegiate Trail Boss Award for the top range club in the country, Society for Range Management Meat Animal Evaluation Team

OSU Swine Club - 2015 CASNR Outstanding Club

2014-2015 STUDENT AWARDS Harry S. Truman Fellowship Chacey Schoeppel, AGBU Morris K. Udall Scholarship Maeghan Murie-Harting, CHEM/BIMB Most Promising Engineers of Tomorrow, DiscoverE Jonathan Overton, BAE OSU Homecoming King Jason Wetzler, AGED OSU Three Minute Thesis Competition Winner Katie McCauley, PASS OSU Outstanding Seniors Joshua Conaway, AGBU Chacey Schoeppel, AGBU Peter Storm, BAE

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OSU Seniors of Significance Joshua Conaway, AGBU M. Dalton Downing, AGBU Brian James Highfill, AGEC Kevin Meeks, AGCM Jessica Neal, ANSI

Hannah Nemecek, AGCM Jonathan C. Overton, BAE Ty Schoenhals, AGEC Chacey Schoeppel, AGBU Peter Storm, BAE OSU Mortar Board Top Twenty Freshman Women Alicia Aguilar, CHE/BIMB Megan DeVuyst, AGBU* Bethany Harder, AGCM Jenna Maltbie, AGBU/AGCM Courtney Mapes, ANSI* Libby Schultz, BIMB* Sophia Short, BIMB Madison Slawson, BIMB OSU Mortar Board Top Twenty Freshman Men Cody Dean, AGED Jake Fanning, AGBU* Tyler Grace, AGEC Angel Molina, AGBU* Wyatt Shaw, PASS Gatlin Squires, AGBU* Luke Werth, AGBU/AGCM* * Designates selection as Mortar Board OSU Top Ten Freshman Women or Men

CASNR Louis and Betty Gardner Outstanding Senior Jessica Neal, ANSI CASNR Seniors of Distinction Marli Claytor, NREM Joshua Conway, AGBU** Melissa Rae Golden, PASS/AGBU Elizabeth Hickman, BAE Brian Highfill, AGEC Samantha Ruth Kaiser, ENTO Kyree Larrabee, ANSI Jessica Neal, ANSI** Hannah Nemecek, AGCM Jonathan Overton, BAE** Cassandra Rodenbaugh, NREM** Sarah Schobert, ANSI** Chacey Schoeppel, AGBU Alexis Sirois, ANSI Kelly Rose Vierck, FDSI ** Designates selection as CASNR Dean’s Award of Excellence

CASNR Charles and Magda Browning Outstanding Freshman Allison Christian, ANSI

L A N D - G R A N T I M PA C T S OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Research • DASNR researchers conducted a multi-year study to • DASNR research and Extension specialists developed test different means to reduce death losses in growing protocol for wheat producers to fight Italian ryegrass in cattle on wheat pasture due to bloat. Their research their fields that could save them more than $20 per acre. shows providing monensin to calves has huge potential to decrease death loss and increase profitability of the • Our world-renowned team of turfgrass researchers approximately 4.5 million stocker cattle grown each year developed bermudagrass varieties used by OSU on wheat pasture in the southern Great Plains.

Athletics and throughout Oklahoma, as well as the 2014 World Series, the Beijing Olympics and National Football League fields for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington • The National Institute of Microbial Forensics and Redskins, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Food and Agricultural Biosecurity develops tools and Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts. procedures for keeping our food supply safe and secure.

Stakeholders and partners include the FBI, CIA, NSA and the Department of Homeland Security.

OKLAHOMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE Extension • Each year, the OSU Roadside Vegetation Management team trains more than 630 Oklahoma Department of Transportation employees in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Best Management Practices (BMP), which helps the department save more than $120,000 annually in roadside vegetation maintenance costs.

• For more than 20 years, Extension has offered a highly effective Co-Parenting for Resilience class that fully meets the requirements of a 2014 Oklahoma law requiring divorcing couples with minor children to complete an educational program aimed at reducing the effect of divorce on children. Both immediately following

and months after completing Extension’s class, parents not only reported learning new ways of parenting their children during and after divorce, but also they noted less conflict, more collaboration with their co-parent and increased involvement by the non-custodial parent.

• More than 20 percent of Oklahoma youth are engaged in 4-H, and independent research shows youth who participate in 4-H clubs are more likely to go on to higher education, more likely to contribute to their community through volunteer activities and less likely to engage in risky behaviors.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES Teaching • In fall 2015, CASNR students accounted for eight of the Top Twenty Freshmen Women and seven of the Top Twenty Freshmen Men at OSU, and during the 2014-15 academic year, 10 of 44 Seniors of Significance and three of 15 Outstanding Seniors also were students in the college.

• Twenty students conducted research with a faculty mentor in the jointly sponsored CASNR/OAES Undergraduate Research Scholar program, and an additional 14 University Freshman Research Scholars worked with CASNR mentors conducting research. In addition to conducting research, all participated in one

or more high-impact educational practice, including presenting their research in undergraduate paper competitions locally, regionally or nationally. Several won honors in undergraduate paper competitions.

• CASNR awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarship support to students for the 2015-16 academic year.

• The college’s undergraduate enrollment grew 14.1 percent over the past five years. This year’s freshman class of 518 students is the largest in CASNR history.

Including graduate students, CASNR’s total fall enrollment is at an all-time high of 3,022 students.

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FINANCIAL OVERVIEW FUNDING SOURCES OAES (Research)

OCES (Extension)

University General Fund Allocations

CASNR (Teaching) $8,616,228

Total

Percent of Budget

$8,616,228

6.3%

State Appropriations

$25,771,299

$28,122,844

$53,894,143

39.2%

Federal Appropriations

$4,720,527

$8,296,397

$13,016,924

9.5%

$1,584,083

1.2%

$5,103,000

3.7%

$14,400,000

10.5%

Program Fees

$1,584,083

Endowments

$5,103,000

Revolving Funds, Station Sales

$7,000,000

$5,200,000

Grants and Contracts

$19,500,000

$5,783,000

$25,283,000

18.4%

Carryover/Other Sources

$9,300,00

$6,300,000

$15,600,000

11.3%

Total

$71,394,826

$53,702,241

$12,400,311

$137,497,378

100%

Percent of Total DASNR Budget

51.9%

39.1%

9.0%

100%

$2,200,000

Note: University General Fund Allocations include tuition, fees and state appropriations

BUDGETED EXPENDITURES

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BUDGETED BY AGENCY

Total

Percent of Budget

Total

Percent of Budget

Professional Salaries

$59,743,397

43.5%

OAES (Reserach)

$71,394,826

51.9%

Other Salaries and Wages

$17,548,413

12.8%

OCES (Extension)

$53,702,241

39.1%

Fringe Benefits

$26,077,712

19.0%

CASNR (Teaching)

$12,400,311

9.0%

Maintenance & Operations

$34,127,856

24.8%

Total $137,497,378

100%

Total $137,497,378

100%

Source: SRA3 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

D A S N R A D M I N I S T R AT O R S THOMAS G. COON Vice President, Dean and Director Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources M. Keith Owens Associate Vice President Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station

Randy L. Raper Assistant Director Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station

James N. Trapp Associate Director Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Ross O. Love Assistant Director Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Cynda R. Clary Associate Dean College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources

W. Stephen Damron Assistant Dean College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources

Gary Sherrer Assistant Vice President External Affairs

Robert Klein Assistant Vice President & Sr. Financial Officer Agriculture Programs

A C A D E M I C D E PA R T M E N T H E A D S Mike Woods Agricultural Economics

Phil Mulder Entomology & Plant Pathology

Rob Terry Agricultural Education, Communications & Leadership

Janet Cole Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Clint Rusk Animal Science

Dave Engle (Interim) Natural Resource Ecology & Management

John Gustafson Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Jeff Edwards Plant & Soil Sciences

Daniel Thomas Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

CENTER DIRECTORS Raymond Hunke Biobased Products & Energy Center

Garey Fox Oklahoma Water Resources Center

Randy Allen Institute of Agricultural Biosciences

Roy Escoubas Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center

Astri Wayadande (Interim) National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food & Agricultural Biosecurity

osudasnr

okstate_ag

okstate_ag

okstate_ag dasnr.okstate.edu

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Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources 102 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078-6019

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