UAPB-SAFHS Highlights Fall 2014

Uni ve rs i t y of A r ka n sa s a t P i n e B l u ff – S c hool of Agr i c u l t u re, F i sh e r ies a n d Hu m a n S c ie n c es

Winter 2015

Time to be announced University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

April 23 1890 Day Wellness Walk Time to be announced University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

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SAFHS Alumni and Friends Luncheon

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March 19

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7:30 a.m. - registration 8:45 a.m. - program Pine Bluff Convention Center Pine Bluff, Ark. Annual conference sponsored by UAPB’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.

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Rural Life Conference

t is a year of celebration for all of the 1890 landN GR A T UNI V Dgrant universities, including the University of N Arkansas at Pine Bluff. is year marks the 125th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act (1890).

125 Years of Service In 1862, the First Morrill Act was passed, 1890 2015 establishing at least one college in every state SE IL CO to be “accessible to all…” e Act was introND MORR duced by Sen. Justin Morrill, who was known 125 Years of Providing Access as the father of the land-grant institutions. His and Enhancing Opportunities vision was about education for all social classes.

Prior to the passage of the Morrill Act of 1862, university training was reserved for the children of the elite.

In 1865, about 4 million hard-working, but primarily illiterate, blacks were freed from slavery. According to Morrill, “they are members of the American family and their advancement concerns us all.” us, he introduced the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which included this class of laborers. e act passed and included the stipulation that African Americans were to be included in the U.S. land-grant university higher education system without discrimination. e 1890 land-grant universities were born.

UAPB’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences will host three celebratory 125th anniversary activities this spring – the School’s annual Rural Life Conference, the SAFHS Alumni and Friends Luncheon and an 1890 Day Wellness Walk. e annual Rural Life Conference takes place Feb. 27. Held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the opening session at 8:45 a.m. e conference theme is “Innovations and Opportunities: Sustaining Farmers, Families and Communities.” e conference will include guest speakers, workshops, exhibits and a poster session. e event is free to farmers, ranchers, homemakers and retirees. Preregistration is $50 for professionals and $25 for students. Aer Feb. 13, registration is $75. To preregister, call Margaret Taylor at 870-575-7144. e SAFHS Alumni and Friends Luncheon is March 19. e luncheon will provide alumni and friends of SAFHS an opportunity to help recruit students and to assist with fund raising efforts. e event is tentatively scheduled to be held in the STEM Building and Conference Center at UAPB. e 1890 Day Wellness Walk is taking place at all of the 1890 landgrants nationwide. e walk will take place on April 23. Participants will walk 1.89 miles. Activities will be centered around the land-grant mission of teaching, research and Extension. More information about this event will be forthcoming.

Watch the SAFHS Facebook page and Twitter feed for up-to-date information.

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February 27

1890 Land-Grants Celebrate 125th Anniversary

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Upcoming Dates and Events

Four New Members Inducted into UAPB Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta Gamma Sigma Delta, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff chapter of the National Honor Society of Agri-

Recent inductees into Gamma Sigma Delta, left to right are: Pamela Jones, Gould; Elizabeth Andrews, White Hall; and Rachael Duncan, Grapevine. Not pictured: Daniel Perry.

culture, recently inducted one graduate student and three undergraduate students. e organization honors individuals who exhibit academic excellence and qualities that promote the image and relevance of agricultural, food and related sciences. e inductees are Agricultural Regulations graduate student Rachael Duncan of Grapevine; and undergraduate inductees Daniel Perry, a junior Agricultural Economics major from Lexa; Pamela Jones, a senior Agriculture Business major from Gould; and Elizabeth Andrews, a senior Human Development and Family Studies major from White Hall.

Undergraduate membership in the honor society is limited to seniors who have an overall grade point average of 3.25 or above and are in the upper 15 percent of eligible students and to juniors who have an overall grade point average of 3.30 or above and are in the upper 5 percent of eligible students. Graduate student members must have completed at least 40 percent of their program with a grade point average of 3.50 or above.

UAPB Receives More than $1.5 Million Grant for Research and Extension e UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences (SAFHS) has been awarded more than $1.5 million in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. e amount was allotted through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program and will fund four research and Extension projects in agriculture, fisheries and food sciences at UAPB. “We are very pleased that our research and Extension faculty have been successful in procuring grant funding to help conduct their work,” said Dr. Edmund R. Buckner, associate dean for Research and Extension Programs at UAPB. “Federal grant funding is becoming more difficult to obtain. Our faculty’s success in competing for increasingly scarce funding highlights our commitment to the university and the people we serve. ” Dr. Muthusamy Manoharan, associate professor of agriculture at UAPB, was awarded a grant for a biotechnology project to increase the tuber size and yield amount of Arkansas-grown sweet potatoes.

Dr. Leonard Githinji, UAPB Extension Program horticulture specialist, was awarded a grant for a project that aims to educate youth in high poverty areas on local food systems and access to fresh foods.

Dr. Madan Dey, professor of aquaculture economics and marketing at UAPB, was awarded a grant to boost 2

SAFHS Highlights

Dr. Sathish Ponniah, Extension Specialist, screens sweet potato samples for viruses using Quantitative Real time PCR.

the U.S. farm-raised catfish industry through the development of new catfish products.

Dr. Linda L. Okiror, former associate dean for SAFHS, was awarded a grant to expand recruitment and retention program for students seeking degrees in and careers in agriculture and environmental and life sciences. e 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program funds teaching, research and Extension programs at 1890 landgrant universities annually.

Alumni Spotlight — Christopher J. Kennedy

Christopher J. Kennedy, center, led efforts to restore alligator gar to Southeast Missouri.

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ver the course of his 20-year career, alumni Christopher J. Kennedy, a fisheries regional supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), has managed sport fish in public reservoirs and streams, assisted private landowners and taught Missouri citizens about their state’s aquatic resources. In addition to standard industry duties, he also accomplished a feat not many biologists have the opportunity to do – restore an endangered native fish species to his home state.

Kennedy, originally from St. Louis, said when he was young, alligator gars – some of the largest freshwater fish in North America – were perceived negatively and anglers tried to get rid of them. By the time he graduated with a degree in fisheries biology at UAPB, the fish were almost nonexistent in Missouri due to habitat change and overfishing.

In 2000, Kennedy, then a fisheries management biologist for the MDC, initiated restoration efforts for the species as he gathered the limited research available on alligator gar, sought internal and external support and designed research projects on the species.

Kennedy then began the task of assessing fish species biodiversity within the 30,000 acres of swampland that included a variety of wetlands habitats, an

essential preliminary step in the reintroduction of the species.

“Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is located on the edge of the Ozark escarpment and the lowlands of the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain,” Kennedy said.

“The fact that these major habitats converge on each other causes tremendous species biodiversity.”

To monitor such an expansive and diverse ecosystem, Kennedy understood he would need an army of manpower and realized an opportunity to train local youth in conservation. He hired college students to lead six-person teams of high school students who were paid to assist biologists by monitoring fish communities, movement and food habits. The students also built trails and birdhouses, picked up trash, painted bridges and signs and propagated aquatic plants to enhance public lake fish habitat.

“We even utilized some of our more advanced students to educate local youth groups such as the YMCA, 4-H club and Boy Scouts about Missouri’s fish, streams and fishing opportunities,” Kennedy said.

The program, which became known as the Southeast Youth Conservation Corps, was a success and at its height contained as many as 60 students.

Kennedy said team diversity was one of the program’s greatest strengths.

Teams made up of youth from varying races, genders and socio-economic backgrounds worked together to complete conservation related activities.

“This was an opportunity not only to teach youth about fisheries and conservation, but also about professionalism, work ethic, teamwork, dispute resolution and how to work together in culturally diverse groups,” he said. “It was amazing to see them develop and grow. This has truly been the highlight of my career.”

“As a result of our efforts, a once hated rare fish species continues to reside in Missouri waters, valuable research has dispelled myths regarding the species, more people are aware of our conservation activities and many students are prepared to become productive citizens and employees,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy credits Dr. William G. Layher, former professor of aquaculture at UAPB, with helping guide his career while a student at UAPB. “Dr. Layher was not only an excellent professor and mentor who opened my eyes to the world of fisheries, but he also provided internships and work study opportunities that afforded opportunities to hone my fisheries skills.”

Kennedy currently supervises seven permanent MDC fisheries personnel and protects and manages the aquatic resources within a 16-county region of Southeast Missouri. He said every day at the job is gratifying and advises UAPB students “to put God first and seek a career they are passionate about.”

“My father and mother influenced my education and career path the most,” Kennedy said. “My father exposed me to the world and prepared me by instilling work ethic, professionalism and the art of making good business decisions.

Mother insured that I had opportunities to acquire advanced learning long before I was personally thinking about college.”

Kennedy is married to Nekea Kennedy, who is also a UAPB Aquaculture and Fisheries graduate. Kennedy said he and his wife are “committed to enabling the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and finer spirit of hope and achievement.”

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New Faculty Dr. Brenda A. Martin has been named chair of the Department of Human Sciences. She will provide leadership to the department that includes four units – Food Service/Restaurant Management; Human Development and Family Studies; Merchandising, Textiles and Design; and Nutrition and Dietetics.

In this position, Dr. Martin is also responsible for oversight of UAPB’s Child Development Center and the Human Sciences Cafeteria.

Kay Dutram has been hired as director of the Didactic Program Dietetics (DPD) in the Department of Human Sciences. She will provide leadership to the DPD and the Nutrition/Dietetic degree program in the department. She will also be responsible for DPD accreditation and

manage recruitment, assessment and retention activities of the program.

Dutram will also serve on various department and school committees.

Yunru Shen has been appointed as instructor in Merchandising, Textiles and Design for the Department of Human Sciences. She will teach undergraduate courses in apparel design, fashion illustration and fashion buying and merchandising. Shen will also recruit and advise students, provide leadership for program development and develop collaborative relationships with businesses and industry.

Dr. Herbert E. Quintero has been appointed as manager of the Aquaculture Research Station for the Aquaculture/Fisheries Center

of Excellence. In this position, he is responsible for supervising the Station farm crew and for ensuring that all ponds, water supply, electrical systems, equipment, vehicles and buildings are maintained and in good working order. He will also provide support to research and Extension faculty, staff and students in the department.

Will Hehemann has been named Extension specialistcommunications for the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences. In this position, he will publicize School activities by writing articles and scripts for print and broadcast media; edit manuscripts, publications and web content; take photographs and shoot video; and maintain the School’s website and social media sites.

Dr. Yong Park Takes First Place in Beekeepers Association Honey Contest Dr. Yong Park, associate professor of agriculture-entomology at UAPB, recently took awards in three of four honey categories at the Arkansas Beekeepers Association’s (ABA) honey contest. e event was part of the ABA’s annual meeting held at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View.

Dr. Park won first place in the amber and dark amber categories and second place in the light amber category. e honey was judged on clarity, uniform color, aroma, taste and lack of aeration.

“I’m harvesting honey the traditional way,” Dr. Park said. “Most of the time I harvest manually and I always wait until the honey has ripened.”

Park said the correct amount of

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SAFHS Highlights

Three varieties of Dr. Yong Park’s honey garnered awards at the Arkansas Beekeepers Association’s honey contest.

moisture content is a determining factor in harvesting good honey, as it influences the honey’s keeping quality and granulation. A honeycomb capped with beeswax indicates ripe honey with the proper level of water content. If the honey is extracted be-

fore the comb is fully capped, the honey will be oversaturated with water.

Last year Park won first place, second place and third place in the light amber, dark amber and extra-light categories respectively at the ABA contest. Park has been a member of the ABA for seven years.

In addition to his work with honeybees at the beehives on campus, Dr. Park tends to UAPB Agricultural Research Station hives located in Pine Bluff, Lonoke and Marianna. He founded the Black & Gold Bee Club for interested UAPB students and alumni and also keeps bees and harvests honey at home.

UAPB Students Encouraged to Prepare for a Global Society When Elzadia Washington interviewed for an overseas job to aid subsistence farmers in developing countries in 1981, she was one of the few applicants without a passport. Despite her lack of international experience, two things set her apart – her academic history as a graduate of agricultural economics at UAPB, and her practical experience growing up on a cotton farm in the Delta. e job marked the beginning of Washington’s 30-year career with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which sent her to live and work in Mali, Belize, Cameroon, Egypt, Haiti, Uganda and the Philippines.

Washington, most recently the mission director for USAID Namibia, spoke as guest presenter for the fall seminar of the UAPB Working Group on Global Higher Education.

Her message to UAPB students and faculty was the importance of preparing for a global society.

“I grew up in the Delta at a time most people in the area weren’t thinking about global engagement,” Washington said. “Aer my career started, I found myself in a position to impact the development of an entire nation.”

When her international career began, the diplomats she met overseas were surprised to hear about her roots, Washington said. “ere was a belief that you had to be from the elite class to be a diplomat. I think my presence showed that not everyone in the diplomatic corps had to come from that echelon of society.”

Washington credited her youth spent working on a farm in a predominantly black community as a source of inspiration for her work overseas.

Over the years, Washington’s varied USAID assignments have included goals such as health education, deadly disease prevention, good governance, economic growth and natural resources management.

Elzadia Washington, former mission director for USAID, speaks at the fall seminar of the UAPB Working Group on Global Higher Education.

Dr. Trace Peterson Recognized as an Inaugural ARA Fellow Dr. Trace Peterson, assistant professor of Regulatory Science, was recognized as one of five inaugural Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Fellows at a press conference held at the Arkansas State Capitol, recently.

Former Gov. Mike Beebe announced the five ARA Fellows, each representing one of the five research universities in the state: UAPB, Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, University of Arkansas at Little Rock and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Left to right, Dr. Trace Peterson, former Gov. Mike Beebe and Dr. Laurence B. Alexander.

e ARA Fellows program recognizes distinguished university research leaders in the state. e new program was designed by the ARA Board of Trustees and received input from the academic leaders of the five research universities.

Each ARA Fellow was nominated by a university chancellor and will receive a $75,000 grant paid over three years.

“We are excited and pleased that Dr. Peterson will be representing the university in the 2014 Class of ARA Fellows,” UAPB Chancellor Dr. Laurence B. Alexander, said. “We look forward to him and his team making an even greater impact through their research and innovation.”

Dr. Peterson and his research team at the UAPB Regulatory Science Center of Excellence examine transgenic humanized zebrafish used to study human cancers and kidney diseases. He also researches drug delivery systems and patentable vaccine technology for previously non-preventable food fish diseases to enhance worldwide food security.

“ARA is proud of the new ARA Fellows program because it underscores our mission to stimulate economic opportunities through university innovation and collaboration,” Jerry Adams, ARA president and CEO, said. “By identifying and investing in researchers currently working in the state, we are maximizing opportunities for commercialization and economic impact.”

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Degrees Awarded to 17 SAFHS Students at 151st UAPB Commencement

Seventeen degrees were awarded to SAFHS students at UAPB’s 151st commencement in December 2014.

SAFHS graduates received degrees in several areas. One earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Regulations; one in Aquaculture and Fisheries.

Three earned undergraduate degrees in Agriculture; 11 in Human Sciences/Food Service and Restaurant Management and one in Regulatory Science.

“We’re here to celebrate your success,” UAPB Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander told the graduates. “You’ve done the hard work, you’ve finished the course and you’re to be commended, but this does not signal the end for you. It signals a new beginning.”

Dr. Henry English Receives 2014 Regional Excellence in Extension Award Dr. Henry English, director, Small Farm Program, received a 2014 Regional Excellence in Extension Award presented at the 127th Annual Meeting of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities in Orlando, Florida, recently.

Dr. English, one of five regional award winners, received the award for providing education and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged, small and limited resource producers in 22 counties in eastern and southwestern Arkansas. Dr. English won the 1890 Institutions Region Award.

Presented by the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Cooperative Extension, the regional Excellence in Extension Awards are presented to Extension professionals who have exhibited visionary leadership and diversity in educational programming.

Recipients must also have exhibited sustained and meritorious programming, have at least five concurrent years of experience in Extension and have made a positive impact on constituents served. Dr. English received a plaque and cash award.

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SAFHS Highlights

From left to right, Dr. Ann Bartuska, USDA deputy undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics; Dr. English; Dr. James O. Garner Jr., dean/director, School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, UAPB; Dr. Jacquelyn W. McCray, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, UAPB; and Dr. Jimmy Henning, Extension Committee on Organization and Policy chairman and director of Extension, University of Kentucky.

Fishing Team Wins Arkansas Collegiate Series Fall Bass Tournament e UAPB Fishing Team took first place at the fall bass tournament of the Arkansas Collegiate Series held at Beaver Lake, near Rogers, Arkansas.

Aaron Porterfield, undergraduate student of Fisheries Biology, and Matt Skoog, graduate student of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, won the grand prize of $300.

“Although there is an element of luck involved in every level of fishing, what Aaron and Matt did required skill and experience as well,” Scott Jones, UAPB Fishing Team coach and small impoundment Extension specialist, said.

“Neither of them had ever seen Beaver Lake or fished together competitively before, but their knowledge of fall bass tendencies led them to select the right location and lures to win.” e UAPB Fishing Team, founded in 2011, is almost entirely composed of students from the UAPB Aquaculture and Fisheries Department.

Scott said team members are able to put their departmental knowledge to use during a tournament.

“One of the main things students with a UAPB-AQFI education will understand better than others is how to

Aaron Porterfield, undergraduate student of Fisheries Biology, left, and Matt Skoog, graduate student of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, right, took first place at the fall bass tournament of the Arkansas Collegiate Series.

keep fish healthy, one of the most critical aspects of tournament fishing,” he said. “In the short term, keeping fish healthy throughout the tournament day prevents penalties that are assessed for submitting dead fish to weigh-in. In the long term, returning the highest percentage of fish back to the water in the best condition possible ensures that the fishery is not negatively affected by tournament activities.”

ere are other benefits for student members, including club t-shirts, product discounts and insurance coverage for those who want to participate in national-level collegiate events.

Jones also offers “BASS CLASS” seminars for club members and guests, which cover advanced fishing techniques and strategies.

Dr. Edmund R. Buckner Completes Management Development Program

Dr. Edmund R. Buckner

Dr. Edmund R. Buckner, associate dean for research and Extension, recently completed the Harvard University Management Development Program (MDP) in Cambridge, Mass. e MDP offers training to academic deans, associate deans, directors and department heads in higher education that face leadership challenges. e two-week program provides tools and insight to help administrators think more strategically, balance competing demands and spend time providing forward-thinking leadership.

“Completing the Harvard Management Development Program will help me to develop additional tools and strategies to facilitate growth within the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences,” Dr. Buckner, said.

Effective leadership training, developing high functioning teams, analyzing financial data and fund allocation, ethical dimensions of educational leadership and functioning as an effective change agent are among the program’s objectives.

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SAFHS Highlights University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Mail Slot 4966 1200 N. University Drive Pine Bluff, AR 71601

This Newsletter was produced by the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences Communications Office in January 2015.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Pine Bluff, AR Permit No. 628

Field Days, Field Days, Field Days

Dr. James O. Garner Jr. Dean/Director

Dr. Edmund R. Buckner Associate Dean for Research and Extension

Will Hehemann Carol Sanders Staff Writers

Brad Mayhugh Graphic Designer and Photographer

Debbie Archer Communications Section Leader

Lonoke Farm Field Day

UAPB celebrated the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension in conjunction with its Lonoke Farm Field Day, Sept. 25, at the Pearlie S. Reed/Robert L. Cole Outreach Wetlands and Water Management Center in Lonoke, Ark.

Send change of address and/or correspondence to: Debbie Archer University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 1200 N. University Dr. Mail Slot 4966 Pine Bluff, AR 71601 archerd@uapb.edu (870) 575-8546

Aquaculture/Fisheries Field Day was held Oct. 2. The event, which included tractor and walking tours, featured the latest aquaculture research.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604 1-800-621-7440/FAX: 312-263-7462 Printed by UAPB Printing Services

Aquaculture/Fisheries Field Day

Aquatic Sciences Day

Nearly 200 students from nine Arkansas high schools enjoyed a fun day of learning at UAPB’s Aquatic Sciences Day. Hosted by the Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, the event featured hands-on activities including a fishing derby and fish as art. Students also learned about biology, chemistry, math, nutrition and careers in aquaculture and fisheries.