From the Editor
W
elcome back! As evidenced by the stories in this issue, we will persevere and succeed.
Despite a historic pandemic that turned the world upside down and a hostile tornado that ripped apart the Agricultural Research and Education Center aka The Farm, our administration, faculty, and staff suited up, showed up, and got the work done. Everyone learned how to Zoom and education continued uninterrupted. Granted, there were dark times. The College became quiet as students retreated to their dorms to take online classes and staff staggered their work schedules, occasionally encountering each other in a hallway or empty lab. We remained masked and socially distanced. One of our own scientists, Dr. Thyniece Bowden, a post-doctoral associate, contracted COVID-19 from her daughter and quickly the entire family had it. She tells the tale on page 20.
Joan Kite Editor
At the height of the pandemic, the campus seemed barren, empty, and quiet. But behind that stillness, computer bytes flew through cyberspace. Ideas were exchanged. Research was completed. Papers were published. Grant applications were submitted. The work paid off. TSU broke its research-funding record being awarded more than $70 million for the fiscal year 2020-2021. The College singlehandedly received $22 million, the highest amount awarded to a College on campus. You will learn about some of that research currently being conducted by Professors Dr. Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge and Dr. Richard Browning beginning on page 22. Our students didn’t falter either. Mastering the art of Zooming, students presented their research to professors and fellow classmates and graduate students presented their dissertations to their respective advisors and committees. Learning new technology turned into another skill added to the resume. Depending on the class a student was in directly affected his or her campus experience. We had seniors who graduated virtually and freshmen who were accepted, took classes online during their first year, and had yet to set foot on campus. To the seniors who moved on, congratulations. To those students finally setting foot on campus, a sincere welcome. We can’t wait to meet you in person! Major personnel changes occurred as well. Many faculty and staff chose to retire, while others moved out of state or found different jobs. We filled many of the newly vacant positions quickly while adding new roles to the roster. Learn about some of our friendly new faces on pages 30, 32, and 40. Most importantly, we celebrate our students. In this issue, you will meet some of our Farm Bill Scholars on page 14, and learn how College faculty members created their own scholarship program to help our students in need of financial assistance on page 13. You will also meet eight professors recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom and the laboratory. We’re not out of the woods yet, but we can see the clearing. In the meantime, challenges remain. We returned to “normal” operations in August with students moving onto campus, professors returning to the classrooms, and staff at their stations. We are ready, if need be, to quickly return to pandemic precautions if the number of cases of COVID-19 climb into the danger zone. We are hoping for the best, encouraging everyone to get vaccinated, and are offering vaccine clinics on campus. On the Farm, contractors are erecting temporary hoop houses so professors can continue their research. Design phases for most of the buildings destroyed by the tornado have been completed. We are hopeful that by this time next year, many of those buildings will be completed in time for the Small Farm Expo of 2022.
Summer/Fall 2021 | AgLINK 3
