Davis
College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
SUMMER 2014
Groundbreaking. . . IN TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE 速
A Year of Change...
Hello, Davis College friends!
Just a few weeks ago we graduated the latest group of outstanding design, natural resources and agriculture students, and it won’t be long before we begin to plan for our 150th anniversary as the founding unit of the West Virginia Agricultural College, now West Virginia University, home of the Mountaineers. Among our more than 250 graduates were professionals destined to make a real difference in our world, from helping to provide the agricultural ideas to feed a world of 9-10 billion people by 2050 (needing about 70% more food than produced today), to finding new ways to sustain and produce commodities and ecological products from our forests, to answering the urgent call for more and better design in every aspect of human endeavor.
I often remind incoming and departing students that any of us lucky enough to be associated with the Davis College are people of purpose. We are students, faculty, staff, alums
and stakeholders committed to things greater than ourselves. We are determined to make a positive difference in our world, a world of enormous continuing potential, and one of everpresent limitations. It is in that place of tension, between potential and limitations, where Davis College people work and learn.
This issue of our Davis College magazine is filled with our stories — your stories, of what we do and who we are. I think you’ll find them intriguing and encouraging, and hope you’ll share back with us your thoughts and comments, ideas and insights. From our very first professors of agriculture beginning in the 1870s: Fontaine, Lathman, Whitehall, Atkeson, Rane, and Myers (the first dean and experiment station director), to our newest people, we have been engaged in the critical issues that matter to our landscapes and our communities. In this issue of our magazine we introduce among our new hires, Matthew Jenks as director of the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, and Robert Taylor as director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences. This is a year of significant change for the College. After making good use of the basic organizational structure of the Davis College in place since 1969 (five academic divisions), we will soon be reorganizing into three schools, each with the opportunity to have vibrant divisions, better aligned disciplines and be better positioned for the collaborative and changing demands of academia for the next 50 years. We will still be the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, but the college will be composed of a School of Agriculture, a School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and a School of Design, each containing divisions and programs as appropriate. And while the exact names of the schools and divisions/ programs may be modified during this process, we will not lose any of our degrees or areas of traditional or emerging work.
The School of Agriculture will contain the existing divisions of Plant and Soil Sciences and Animal and Nutritional Sciences; the School of Forestry and Natural Resources will contain all of the division’s current disciplines, and also a new program area comprised of the current agricultural and resource economics faculty; and the School of Design will be made up of design studies, fashion merchandising, interior design, landscape architecture, and agricultural and extension education. The School of Design (possibly Design and Community Development) will be notable for the placebased orientation of its work, from placing vo-ag teachers in communities across the state, to efforts to enhance the vitality of specific locales through design and new economic development efforts, and the opportunity for these disciplines to become more integrated across the Davis College than ever before. Coincident with this reorganization we will also be restructuring how our seven College farms are run. Currently they are administered from within the ANS and PSS divisions, as two distinctly separate systems. I have formed a task force to examine how they function and to propose alternative approaches for more unified management. This will enable us to better invest in and make good use of all these wonderful places and facilities. Our outlook will be the next 50 years, and what we need to do to ensure that our capacity to do agriculture learning, discovery and engagement will grow and prosper. Along with these changes, we will see our new Agricultural Sciences Building emerging from the hillside between Percival Hall and the current Agricultural Sciences Building. It’ll be a major anchor for the redeveloped Evansdale campus, and the largest academic building on campus (203,000 square feet) — this speaks volumes to the belief of our University administration and others in our vitality and importance. We will open our new doors for fall 2016 classes, and hope that you can join us when we schedule our opening ceremony! It’s also been a year of great change at the highest levels of WVU leadership — with President James Clements departing, and returning President E. Gordon Gee keeping us all fired up. The University and the College are moving forward, creating change, developing new ideas and encouraging innovation. Our faculty, staff, students and alums have created a strong foundation, having planted the seeds of excellence. We look forward to having you along for our continuing innovative educational journey. Thank you for your association with the College, and Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Dan Robison, Dean and Director dan.robison@mail.wvu.edu
Cover: The Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design has broken ground on our new Agricultural Sciences Building on the Evansdale campus. Photo by M. G. Ellis
Davis
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
SUMMER 2014 Dean and Publisher Daniel J. Robison 304-293-2395 dan.robison@mail.wvu.edu Editor David Welsh 304-293-2394 david.welsh@mail.wvu.edu Editor Lindsay Willey 304-293-2381 lindsay.willey@mail.wvu.edu Magazine Design Coordinator Susan Crist 304-293-0563 susan.crist@mail.wvu.edu Address WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design Office of the Dean PO Box 6108 Morgantown, WV 26506-6108 www.davis.wvu.edu Change of Address WVU Foundation PO Box 1650 Morgantown, WV 26504-1650 Fax: 304-284-4001 E-mail: info@wvuf.org www.mountaineerconnection.com DAVIS is published once each year for the alumni, friends, and other supporters of the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Copyright Š2014 by the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Brief excerpts of articles in this publication may be reprinted without a request for permission if DAVIS is acknowledged in print as the source. Contact the Editors for permission to reprint entire articles. The WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing, and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities.
College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Contents 2
Our new home
4
Taking the lead in the National FFA
5
ASAS Young Scholar
6
Flipping the switch on a new energy degree
8
Sharing the wind
9
Full gallop
10 12
4 12
Barton Baker retires Students sweep the Business Plan Competition
14
A celebration of support
16
Purpose for Point Park
18
Designing healthy spaces
20
EnvironMentors
22
Making his mark
23
New fuel in old fields
23
A passion for reclamation
24
Taylor to lead animal and nutritional sciences unit
25
Wetlands research handbook
26
Giving back and committing to the future
16
West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.
See page 9
Our new home The Agricultural Sciences Building, a significant part of the re-imagining of agricultural sciences at West Virginia University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, broke ground on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Upon completion, the facility will house Davis College administrative units and three of its five academic divisions — Animal and Nutritional Sciences, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Resource Management — along with specialists and staff in WVU Extension Service’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit. The building will be 203,000 square feet with an unfinished space for future completion of 8,000 square feet. The five-story structure will include substantial instructional space for lectures and laboratories, as well
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as cutting-edge research laboratories and design studios for students in landscape architecture and environmental design. The project, which is currently out on bid, includes construction of the new Agricultural Sciences Building and demolition of the current building. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2015, with the demolition of the current building projected for early 2016. The building has been designed by Duncan Kirk, AIA, the technical principal of HOK’s Washington, D.C., and Atlanta offices. The groundbreaking ceremony featured remarks by former WVU President James Clements, Davis College Dean Dan Robison, West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Walt Helmick, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Doolarie SinghKnights, and Rachel Manning, an undergraduate student pursuing majors in agricultural and extension education and agribusiness management and rural development.
Summer 2014
“This groundbreaking for the Davis College was an exciting day as we commence with a new building, and it is also a day to re-imagine what we do and recommit ourselves to the high mission of WVU and our pursuit of the sciences of agriculture, natural resources and design,” Robison said. Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the Evansdale Greenhouse featuring refreshments using the West Virginia 63 tomato, bred by Emeritus Professor Mannon Gallegly. WVU recently celebrated the 50th birthday of the tomato. The groundbreaking took place a year after the dedication of the Evansdale Greenhouse. The exterior of the new Agricultural Sciences Building will match that of the Greenhouse, as will the South Agricultural Sciences Building, which is currently receiving its new look. The Davis College facilities are part of WVU’s multiyear, $159.5 million building plan that is remaking the Evansdale campus. D
construction.wvu.edu West Virginia Commissioner Walter Helmick, Treasurer John Purdue, Professor Emeritus Mannon Gallegly, former WVU President Jim Clements, and Dean Dan Robison gathered for the groundbreaking of the new Agricultural Sciences Building.
The Demand Fund A $100,000 gift from CoBank will help bring the Agricultural Sciences Building to its full potential. The donation was made to a dean’s discretionary fund, and it will be used to improve vital spaces in the new facility. Two rooms in the new Agricultural Sciences Building will bear the company’s name. The CoBank Computer laboratory will be located on the ground floor and provide computing resources for students in the Davis College. A conference room on the fifth floor administrative level will be named the CoBank Administrative Conference Room. CoBank’s gift will create what is known as the Demand Fund, which will provide discretionary funds to support construction, equipment, salaries, scholarships, research, student scholarships, student salaries, and other opportunities to advance the mission and goals of the Davis College. CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states and wholesale loans to affiliated Farm Credit associations. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy. To find out more about the Demand Fund and other giving opportunities, please contact Julie Cryser, director of development, at 304-293-2400 or julie.cryser@mail.wvu.edu.
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Student Spotlights Taking the lead in the National FFA Wesley Davis had a characteristic reaction to learning that he had been elected eastern region vice president for the National FFA organization. The West Virginia University student was sitting in a Louisville auditorium with thousands of his peers at the FFA national convention, meeting the organization’s new leadership roster. “As soon as I heard, ‘From the State of West Virginia ...’ I just started running.” Running is Davis’s natural state, whether in the literal sense for exercise or in the metaphorical sense suited to a multitasking high achiever. And, for the next year, he’ll be racking up some serious mileage. “The FFA expects that we’ll travel about 300 days out of the next year,” Davis said. Some destinations include Wisconsin for training and Japan to check in with the emerging Future Farmers of Japan group that the US FFA helped form. “It gives me chills to think about it,” Davis admitted. But the chills are of anticipation rather than anxiety. “I want to work with members to create opportunities and meet challenges.” Davis, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, is pursuing a dual major in agribusiness management and rural development and agricultural and extension education in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. He’ll have to put his WVU education on hold for his year in office, but he expects the experience to be akin to “another degree tacked on to the ones I’ll earn on campus.”
While he doesn’t come from a farming background, his Mason County home is heavily agricultural. His parents, Danny and Sonya, have been supportive of his interests since he pursued an agricultural course in high school. The first-generation college student didn’t see the opportunities in agriculture right away, but experience and mentorship persuaded him that a future in the field was for him. And experiences in FFA have helped him refine his goals and lead him toward an educational career of his own.
“I didn’t know I wanted to pursue agricultural education until I was involved in FFA leadership,” Davis admits. Now he wants to work to develop programs for future agricultural educators and leaders. Davis is the first West Virginian to hold a national office in the organization in 39 years. Gary Kelley of Ripley served as vice president in 1974-75. And Davis is the first WVU student to do so in half a century. The last Mountaineer to hold national office was James W. Teets, ’67, of Terra Alta, West Virginia, who served as first vice president in 1963-64. Teets graduated a year later than he’d planned, thanks to
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his year of FFA service, but he said the opportunity was “absolutely worth it.” “I had a lot of experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Teets said. Davis also serves as an Agriculture Future of America Campus Ambassador, one of 16 students selected through a competitive application process to represent Agriculture Future of America on their respective campuses and to the organization’s corporate partners. He’s also a student worker with the WVU Extension Service’s Small Farm Center. Each year at the National FFA Convention and Expo, six students are elected by delegates to represent the organization as National FFA officers. Delegates elect a president, secretary and vice presidents representing the central, southern, eastern and western regions of the country. National officers commit to a year of service to the National FFA organization. Each travels more than 100,000 national and international miles to interact with business and industry leaders, thousands of FFA members and teachers, corporate sponsors, government and education officials, state FFA leaders, the general public and more. The team will lead personal growth and leadership training seminars for FFA members throughout the country and help set policies that will guide the future of FFA and promote agricultural literacy. For Davis, the opportunity ties directly into his personal philosophy. “We live for other people, and that’s why we’re here.” D davis.wvu.edu/undergraduate
Summer 2014
ASAS Young Scholar A Ph.D. student at West Virginia University made an important step forward in her scholarly community when she was recognized by a professional organization. Jennie Zambito, a doctoral candidate in animal and nutritional sciences in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, has been named a Midwest Section Animal Science Young Scholar by the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS). The purpose of the ASAS Midwest Section Animal Science Young Scholar program is to recognize and feature the research accomplishments of recent Ph.D. graduates or current Ph.D. students in the advanced stages of their program at the annual Midwestern American Dairy Science Association/ASAS meetings, slated for March of 2014. The program provides promising scholars with opportunities to present timely research findings to an audience of academic and industry professionals in a forum that allows in-depth discussion of contemporary research techniques and findings. Invited participants in each program will present a 30-minute presentation on their dissertation topic. Inclusion of such presentations bolsters the quality and scope of graduate student research that is reported at Midwest ADSA/ASAS meetings and allows the associations to highlight the next generation of scientists who will be serving the societies in the future. The intent of the Young Scholars Program is to recognize accomplishments of students in many disciplines through an invited presentation format; it is not intended as a competition. Zambito’s dissertation research has focused on the physiology and metabolism of the horse during a weight loss period. This has involved a comprehensive view including mitochondrial function, oxidative Summer 2014
stress, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism. “Horses pose a unique research question, as most horses within the United States are kept for recreational purposes, yet equine performance in areas like racing, reproduction, etcetera, makes up a large portion of the industry. Zambito said. “Obesity in horses impacts both companion and performance equines alike. By understanding the mechanisms behind obesity related metabolic dysfunction we can improve the health and management of these animals.” Obesity in the horse is relatively similar to that of a human, Zambito explained. “Excessive dietary intake above daily energy expenditure causes deposition of fat throughout the body,” she said. “Obesity can cause a multitude of problems within the horse, including impairments in glucose uptake and utilization via insulin insensitivity, increased oxidative status, and laminits, a disease unique to horses where soft tissue in the hoof becomes inflamed causing disruption in bone location within the hoof capsule.” Also, horses can develop equine metabolic syndrome, a condition with similar classifications as type 2 diabetes
in humans. On a more cellular level, dysfunction of the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, can cause further impairment of utilization of energy molecules within the body. “Jennie has taken it upon herself to identify and contact individuals who have expertise in mitochondrial metabolism and dysfunction from WVU’s Department of Exercise Physiology” said Kimberly Barnes, assistant professor of biochemistry in the Davis College and Zambito’s thesis adviser. “She has been able to take advantage of classes, journal clubs, research facilities, and one-on-one interactions with these individuals, whom also serve on her graduate committee.” Barnes says this interaction has allowed Zambito to broaden her background in laboratory research and also see how her work with horses could be extended to other species, including humans. “Her ability to go out and locate the help she needed to complete the analysis she was interested in doing will serve her well in the future, as she is interested in an academic career,” Barnes said. Zambito completed her degree in December 2013 and is currently seeking an academic position or post-doc. The American Society of Animal Science is a membership society that supports the careers of scientists and animal producers in the United States and internationally. The American Society of Animal Science fosters the discovery, sharing and application of scientific knowledge concerning the responsible use of animals to enhance human life and well-being. D ans.wvu.edu
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Flipping the switch on a new energy degree West Virginia University continues to strengthen its position as a key place for energy research and education with the development of a new undergraduate degree, a bachelor’s of science in environmental and energy resource management.
agency employment, consulting, and for entrepreneurial ventures of their own design,” said Fonda Holehouse, teaching associate professor of agricultural and resource economics in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. The new degree, which will begin Holehouse and Gerard accepting students immediately, will D’Souza, a professor build upon efforts already under way in the same program, with other industry partners and developed the curriculum institutions of higher learning that with the support of a are helping to pave the $159,000 grant path for research in the from the Claude “Students energy industry. It will Worthington Benedum completing this also provide a fast track Foundation. into the region’s rapidly This degree major will be growing energy industry. program entails a prepared for WVU is moving comprehensive synthesis aggressively in the of the following four employment in energy research sphere areas: energy, environment, the private sector, entrepreneurship and through partnerships with The Ohio State economics, or E-Quad, governmental University for shale as the program’s creators agency energy research, outreach call it. employment, and education, and “We’ve created with Northeast Natural a program that will consulting, and Energy for projects produce graduates who for entrepreneurial comprehend the big between business and academia. picture about the energy ventures of their “These partnerships industry, and who will own design.” enhance the University’s strengthen existing ability to fulfill the connections and foster land-grant mission of new ones between WVU teaching, research and service,” said students and the energy industry and Provost Michele Wheatly. “As a driving the federal and state agencies that force shaping our country’s energy regulate it,” D’Souza said. future, we are working to benefit not While many programs deal with only WVU, but our state and country.” both the energy and environment, very The objective of the degree is few incorporate entrepreneurship. to provide a strong foundation for A vital part of the curriculum those students interested in pursuing will include internships with energya career focusing on the business and related industries and regulatory entrepreneurial aspects of the growing agencies. This internship initiative has energy and environmental sector. been specifically funded, in part, by “Students completing this major the Benedum Foundation, as has a will be prepared for employment business plan competition focusing on in the private sector, governmental technology-related issues, particularly
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as they relate to energy, innovation and the environment. The first round of that competition, the West Virginia Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge, was held last year. Three teams of WVU students were awarded seed money to assist in pushing the innovations to commercialization. Two of three projects are approaching commercialization, and patents are pending on two. “With the rapid growth of the region’s energy industry, it’s vital that WVU take a leading role in training industry-ready graduates,” said Dan Robison, dean of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, which houses the major. “I think our college is uniquely positioned to synthesize the complex components required for this kind of degree and to contribute something unique and important to WVU’s growing portfolio of energy-related programs.” The program will also benefit from direct industry guidance in the form of an advisory board consisting of more than 20 representatives of industry and related regulatory agencies. This board will advise program leaders on changing industry needs and help build a professional network for students seeking internships, employment, entrepreneurial guidance, and even start-up capital.
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“The Benedum Foundation Virginia. I see every reason why WVU recognizes the role this program will should be leading the critical energy play in developing strong Universityand natural resource debate.” industry relationships that ultimately Even before the major was officially grow the West Virginia economy,” said approved by WVU’s Faculty Senate, Mary Hunt, senior program officer the Benedum grant was creating with Benedum. “Our support of opportunities for WVU students and elements of the program is expected shaping their careers. to produce returns in the form of “I’ve been riding the E-Quad train qualified and engaged graduates, since I was introduced to the idea valuable internships with agencies a little over a year ago,” said Harold and companies involved in E-QuadVass, a graduate student in natural related fields and an advisory board of resources economics in the Davis stakeholders who can help College who earned move the program forward “Energy is vital to an undergraduate into the future.” degree in mechanical West Virginia. I Ralph Currey, retired engineering from president and chief see every reason WVU’s Statler College executive officer of Iberdrola of Engineering and why WVU should Mineral Resources. Renewables and a 30-year veteran of the worldwide During his be leading the energy business, is a member senior year, he critical energy of the E-Quad Advisory took Holehouse’s and natural Board. He describes the entrepreneurship new major as “an important resource debate.” course and competed curriculum for defining our in the Technology University as the leader in Entrepreneurship energy and natural resource Challenge. higher education.” “The experience has truly changed “We will prepare students with an my life,” Vass said. “I now think like applied-technical capability to excel in an entrepreneur. Of course I’m still an sectors that are becoming exponentially engineer at heart, but now I’m always more complex, very consistent with the investigating the possibility of my next aspirations of the WVU 2020 Strategic entrepreneurial endeavor.” He describes Plan,” said Currey, who earned both E-Quad as “the perfect major for West a bachelor of arts in chemistry and Virginia University, a school looking master of science in safety engineering to identify itself as THE Energy from WVU. “Energy is vital to West University. The character and caliber of
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graduates of the program will be that of those surely prepared to make informed, responsible decisions in both policy and business in our state with the creative nature and outlook that so few possess, but that we so desperately need.” The program is representative of WVU’s stated goal of promoting study in and mastery of science, technology, engineering and math, while placing those disciplines in an economic and entrepreneurial context. “Energy research, particularly as it relates to shale gas utilization, is one of the key research focus areas for the University. This new degree will help translate what is learned in the classroom and discovered in the research laboratory into action in the world beyond our campus,” said Fred King, WVU vice president of research. D
resourcemanagement.wvu.edu
The Benedum grant that funded the creation of the program was administered through the WVU Foundation, the private fund-raising arm of WVU. The Foundation is currently conducting A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University, a $750 million comprehensive fund-raising effort. For information on admissions, program requirements, or to schedule a visit, please contact Renee Conneway, Davis College recruiter, at 304-293-2292 or renee.conneway@mail.wvu.edu.
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Sharing the wind Ridgetops and high places are perfect locations for wind turbines to capture breezes that help power our society. Unfortunately, they are also ideal places for golden eagles to soar. Researchers from West Virginia University and Penn State University are trying to figure out the best ways to make sure the eagles can fly and the energy can be generated. They defined risk as the probability of golden eagles encountering wind energy turbines. To do this, they overlaid models of the landscape features that suit both the birds and the energy producers. “Economic development creates complex problems when juxtaposed against wildlife conservation,” said Tricia Miller, who recently earned her Ph.D. in ecology from Penn State and is a wildlife biologist in WVU’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources. Miller and colleagues from both WVU and Penn State predict risk to the wildlife before construction, allowing turbine sites to be relocated a short distance away to areas with similar energy generation potential but presenting lower risk to eagles. For turbines already built in highrisk areas, scheduling a shut-down period during peak migration times would also reduce the risk to golden eagles, with minimal loss of energy generation potential. “Conservation biology seeks to understand and manage threats to species, populations, and ecosystems that can be brought on by development,” she added. “Biologists traditionally focus exclusively on ecological solutions to these problems. However, advancements in conservation are likely most effective when they focus on solutions that consider the needs of both wildlife and industry.” A holistic perspective recognizes that although species select resources to improve their survival and fitness, industries also must do essentially the
same thing for their economic bottom line and, thus, survival, according to Miller. “Migrating eagles are looking for resources that will support their migration, while people choosing locations for wind turbines are looking for resources that support energy production,” Miller explained. “In this case, both are looking for wind resources.” Topography has a strong influence on how wind moves across the landscape. Updrafts are generated from wind hitting topographic features such as hillsides, which disrupt horizontal movement of wind. As a result, in the Appalachians and elsewhere, eagle flight and turbine placement are both strongly influenced by topography.” “In the ridge and valley physiographic province of the central Appalachians, the ridges are long and narrow,” Miller said. “Because of the narrowness of the ridges, you see a large degree of overlap in selection by both eagles and wind energy. In other regions, like the Allegheny Mountains, the topography is much more variable. There are larger expanses of flat areas where wind moves more evenly across the landscape. Wind like that is good for turbines but not for eagles. There are also edges hills where updrafts occur, which is better for eagles, but not so great for wind energy.” To help determine where the eagle-friendly topography is, Miller and her colleagues attached GPS tracking devices produced by Cellular Tracking Technologies to golden eagles that were captured on the wintering grounds in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. The devices collected one data point every 30 seconds in Pennsylvania. “In addition to location, the units provided altitude, speed, and heading, so we could determine if the bird was in flight and how high it was flying,” Miller said. According to Miller, this spatial comparison of competing resource
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selection models — examining eagles’ needs and those of the wind energy industry — is a useful conceptual way to understand risk across multiple spatial scales and for other species beyond eagles. “This approach allows biologists and energy developers to visualize and quantify overlaps in resource selection among competing groups and to identify mechanisms to reduce competitive interactions and thus risk to wildlife and to industry,” Miller explained. “Risk abatement that balances competing ecological and industrial goals is an important step toward safer development of all types of energy and economic growth and it may allow developers to analyze economic viability of projects.” Miller’s advisers were Robert Brooks, a professor of geography at Penn State, and Todd Katzner, a research assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries resources at WVU. They are among Miller’s coauthors on an article describing their process and findings that was recently published in Conservation Biology. The team’s research was funded by the United States Department of Energy, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation. D wildlife.wvu.edu Summer 2014
Full gallop Melissa Lloyd discovered a passion for horses when, at the age of 10, she began taking riding lessons and learning about the animals. Now, the December 2013 graduate of West Virginia University is following her passion to the Horse Capital of the World. Lloyd, who graduated in December with a bachelor’s degree in animal and nutritional sciences and a minor in equine management, will spend six months working at WinStar Farm as part of the prestigious Kentucky Equine Management Internship program in Lexington, Kentucky. The program is dedicated to improving the opportunities for college students interested in equine careers and places interns on thoroughbred breeding and training farms throughout the Lexington area. Lloyd is the third WVU student to be accepted into the KEMI program. Sarah Claprood, who graduated in December 2011 with a degree in animal and nutritional sciences, and Brittany Hoffman, a December 2012 graduate with a degree in agribusiness management and rural development, participated in 2012 and 2013, respectively. “I was ecstatic when I received my acceptance. KEMI is an amazing opportunity, and for WVU to have another student be accepted is an honor,” Lloyd said. “I understand the workload will be difficult and trying at times, but the experience is unlike one I will ever have again.” During the internship, Lloyd will have a variety of opportunities available to her including job shadowing,
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volunteering, and interacting with experienced equine professionals. She will spend six days a week at WinStar Farm, which equine enthusiasts might recognize as the home of well-known stallions Bodemeister, Speightstown and Tiznow. In addition, the operation is fully integrated in the thoroughbred industry and offers a full-service training center with the capability to take a horse from conception to the racetrack. “To say we are excited about Melissa’s placement at WinStar Farm is an understatement,” said Crystal Smith, teaching assistant professor of equine management in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. “Melissa will be exposed to all aspects of the thoroughbred industry at WinStar and have the opportunity to work with the best horses in the business.” While at WVU, Lloyd’s love of horses continued to blossom. She was employed as a student worker at the WVU Reedsville Farm, home to the University’s teaching herd of horses. She was also president of the WVU Collegiate Horsemen’s Association and earned the American Collegiate Horsemen’s Association Outstanding Senior Award at the 2013 Convention. “Through my undergraduate career at WVU I was able to interact with great equine faculty who provided the resources to foster my knowledge growth and set me up for success in the equine industry,” Lloyd said. “Working at Reedsville prepares you for working on a professional horse farm.You learn skills you can’t truly master in the
classroom and are exposed to all aspects of managing horses.” With the knowledge she gained as a student and being part of the KEMI program, Lloyd is well on her way to a career in the equine industry. “This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am looking forward to the move,” she said. Lloyd will also be blogging about her internship experience at ohhmylloyd. weebly.com. West Virginia University’s equine program has an excellent success rate of placing graduates into internships and careers in the highly competitive horse industry. For more information, visit horses.wvu.edu or contact Smith at crystal.smith@mail.wvu.edu. D horses.wvu.edu
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Barton Baker He built a foundation for the future. During a celebration of the exterior renovation of the South Agricultural Sciences Building, three directors of the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences gathered for cake and conversation. Mannon Gallegly, who
In 2014, Barton Baker and Mannon Gallegly enjoyed a celebration of the exterior renovation of South Agricultural Sciences.
retired as director in 1986, had some reassuring words for his successor, Barton Baker, upon Baker’s own retirement. “I’ve offered Barton a position as my research assistant,” Gallegly joked to a crowd that included WVU President E. Gordon Gee and Baker’s own successor, Matthew Jenks. Gallegly has rarely missed a day on campus since his own retirement. Baker isn’t certain how he’ll spend this new phase of his life, but one thing is certain: he’s had a tremendous impact on the Division he’s led for almost three decades. Baker served as a member of WVU’s agronomy faculty since 1970. He undertook interim leadership of the Division in 1986 and accepted the permanent position in 1988. He served a one-year term as interim dean of the Davis College in 1994. WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design Dean Daniel Robison thanked Baker for his
In 1977, Mannon Gallegly presented Barton Baker with the Gamma Sigma Delta Young Faculty Award of Merit.
“terrific work and success. Barton has fostered a unit of excellence and collegiality, he has been a huge help to me as I got started here at WVU, and I know he has mentored many others. He is a person of wisdom and insight, and will be handing off to Dr. Jenks an academic unit doing great things and ready to do more.” Some of the milestones that the Division has experienced under Baker’s leadership include conversion of the Morgantown horticulture farm into a USDA-certified organic research
Barton Baker joined the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Division of Plant and Soil Sciences The Division of Plant and Soil Sciences offers undergraduate majors in agroecology, agronomy, applied and environmental microbiology, environmental protection, horticulture, and soil science, and minors in applied and environmental microbiology,
arboriculture, environmental protection, horticulture, pest management, and soil science. Graduate students can pursue master’s programs in agronomy, applied and environmental microbiology, entomology, genetics and developmental biology, horticulture, plant
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pathology, soil science and Ph.D. programs in plant and soil sciences and genetics and developmental biology. Faculty, staff and students pursue teaching, research and service at two farms in Monongalia County and at the
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New division director
Barton Baker has helped lead tours at the Organic Research Project’s annual field day for over a decade.
center, the construction of South Agricultural Sciences for programs in plant pathology and environmental microbiology, and the dedication of a state-of-theart greenhouse on WVU’s Evansdale campus. Baker was enshrined in the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame in 2009, and was a long-serving member of the Allegheny Highlands Project. He is currently finalizing retirement plans. D plantandsoil.wvu.edu
Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research Facility in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. Working with the WVU Extension Service, the Division conducts thousands of soil tests for West Virginians each year. Division faculty and staff curate
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Matthew Jenks will join the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design as director of its Division of Plant and Soil Sciences. “We are thrilled with the appointment of Dr. Jenks to this position,” said Daniel Robison, dean of the Davis College. “He is an outstanding scholar and leader, having risen through the ranks at Purdue University and now serving in a leadership role for the USDA Agriculture Research Service.” Robison added that Jenks “will bring to WVU a passion for learning, teaching, service and science, and the application of all that we do to the practical and fundamental aspects of agriculture and related fields.” Jenks was previously research leader and supervisory research geneticist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service Arid Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Arizona. “I’m very honored and excited to join the faculty, staff, and students in the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, and follow in the footsteps of current director Barton Baker,”
the International Culture Collection of Mycorrhizal Fungi with ongoing support of the National Science Foundation. Faculty and student researchers have been instrumental in the ongoing restoration of the American chestnut, while others lead
Jenks said. “And I’m looking forward to continuing the important work that’s done there.” Jenks earned a B.S. in horticulture from Michigan State University, a M.S. in horticulture from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in horticulture from Purdue University. He began his career in academia at Arkansas State University, followed by a long and successful stint at Purdue. While there, he attained the rank of full professor, was named director of the Purdue Arboretum and completed a year as a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow at the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. When he left Purdue, he was serving as associate department head of the horticulture and landscape architecture program. From there, he joined the Arid Land Agricultural Research Center as research leader of its Plant Physiology and Genetics Unit. He also served as an adjunct faculty member for the School of Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona. He began his duties at WVU on Monday, March 17.
the nation in land reclamation. They conduct research in the fields of environmental microbiology, plant physiology, and genetics, and pursue other subjects ranging from forage and fruit systems to soils mapping and hydrology.
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Davis students sweep the CBP Competition
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West Virginia University and, specifically, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, won all three categories in the West Virginia Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition, which granted $10,000 first prize awards to three students to help make a business idea come to life.
Jessica Elliot, animal and nutritional sciences undergraduate, RenaSnacks, Lifestyle & Innovation category; Gaylynn Johnson, horticulture graduate student, Mountain State Hydroponics, Hospitality & Tourism category; and Harold Vass, agricultural and resource economics graduate student, and Alan Davis, environmental and natural resource economics undergraduate, Weld Safe Technologies, STEM category (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), took home the first place for their respective categories in the competition, which lasted nearly the entire academic year and included a record field of 235 entries, on April 4.
The event culminated in a competition that saw participation from 11 West Virginia colleges and universities. The record number of entries included 123 entries in the Lifestyle & Innovation category; 88 entries in the Hospitality & Tourism category; and 24 entries in the STEM category, a new division in this year’s competition. The event is hosted by the BrickStreet Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, located in the WVU College of Business and Economics.
“I believe this is the most competitive event to date,” said Steven Cutright, director of the BrickStreet Center. “It has been our goal to make the competition better for the participants every year, and the competitiveness demonstrated this year really showed that. We’re pleased with the progress and participation, and we’re already looking forward to an even better event next year.”
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In addition to a $10,000 cash prize, winners will also receive a prize package worth more than $5,000, including legal, marketing and accounting services, as well as incubator space. “There is no doubt as to the value of the Collegiate Business Plan Competition to the state of West Virginia,” said Jose “Zito” Sartarelli, Milan Puskar Dean, WVU College of Business and Economics. “We have invested in and hosted this competition
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Jessica Elliott, along with coach Nikki Bowmar of the Small Business Association and Fonda Holehouse, teaching associate professor in the Davis College.
STEM
“... this is the most competitive event to date.”
Weld Safe Technologies is designing a gas sensor device that increases worker safety in welding, with the intent of patenting, prototyping and licensing. Its first product will constantly monitor and measure lower explosive limits of volatile gases present in the environment along with a number of different harmful gases that might be present in the air, all related to the welding process. Alan Davis, environmental and natural resource economics undergraduate student, Harold Vass, agricultural and resource economics graduate student, and Fonda Holehouse, teaching associate professor of agricultural and resource economics.
for eight years because we believe it is a valuable platform for business ideas from college students statewide. These competing teams learn a great deal throughout the competition and gather knowledge and tools they can carry with them the rest of their lives. We will continue to work hard to involve all of West Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities because the more lives we touch with this competition, the more it benefits our state.”
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{
{
Mountain State Hydroponics, a start-up venture located in the Mid-Ohio Valley region of West Virginia, specializes in the year-round production of high-quality vegetables, herbs and fruits. This venture will utilize an innovative growing method, hydroponics, where produce is grown without soil, relying instead on mineral nutrients.
Frank DeMarco, mentor, Gaylynn Johnson, horticulture graduate student, and Ajay Aluri, mentor.
Each category featured five finalists who made their final presentations to the panel of judges April 4 before winners were announced that evening. Bluefield State College, Glenville State College, Marshall University, Shepherd University and West Virginia University all had teams participating in the final round. D be.wvu.edu/bpc
Hospitality & Tourism
Lifestyle & Innovation
{
“These competing teams learn a great deal throughout the competition and gather knowledge and tools they can carry with them the rest of their lives.”
RenaSnacks is a West Virginia start-up company that will produce healthy snacks for those who have special dietary requirements due to renal failure. The line of snack foods will feature ingredients low in phosphorus and sodium, meeting the nutritional requirements of a person with kidney failure.
[ [ The West Virginia Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition, now in its eighth year, has helped create 33 businesses in seven years: 16 competition winners and 17 competition non-winners. The competition is also supported by BB&T, West Virginia SBDC, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the WVU College of Law Entrepreneurship Clinic and the BrickStreet Center.
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A celebration of support As West Virginia University continues to reach new milestones in its ambitious comprehensive campaign, A State of Minds, WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design honored some of its most ardent supporters and partners. “We’ve begun a new tradition of honoring some of the people and organizations that truly make a difference here in the Davis College, providing us with a margin of excellence through donations of their time, energy, ideas and financial support,” said Daniel J. Robison, dean of the Davis College. “We have and will always honor our outstanding faculty, staff and students for the work they do, and now we add another group of well-deserved recognitions,” Robison continued. “The kinds of contributions these people make set us apart, enable us, and inspire us to work all the harder.” Robison noted that private giving and donations of time and energy make an enormous difference in uncertain budgetary times and, through endowments, “sustain the good works of students and faculty for years to come.” Individuals and organizations honored were: Foundation Partner of the Year: The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation is being recognized for its commitment to assisting in the development of the WVU Davis College’s EQuad Program. The independent foundation was established in 1944 by Michael and Sarah Benedum, natives respectively of Bridgeport and Blacksville, West Virginia. Since its inception in 1944, the Foundation has made more than 7,600 grants totaling more than $395 million. During his lifetime in the oil and gas business, Mr. Benedum amassed a fortune, ranking him in his day among the 100 wealthiest Americans. He operated his worldwide business from corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Michael and Sarah Benedum established residence in Pittsburgh in 1907 and lived there for more than 50 years. They named the Foundation in memory of their only child, Claude Worthington Benedum, who died in 1918 at age 20. In creating the Foundation, the Benedums expressed the wish that grantmaking be focused in West Virginia and Pittsburgh, their native and adopted homes.
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Legacy Leaders of the Year: Sen. Robert and Jennifer Williams have been recognized for their legacy gift in support of the WVU Davis College. Sen. Williams has been awarded the USDA Honor Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and has been inducted into the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame. He is a farmer, co-owner of Williams Appraisal Service and currently represents the 14th District in the West Virginia State Senate. Jennifer Ours Williams serves as the program director for West Virginia University Extension Service’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit. She has been recognized and awarded for her programming efforts by various organizations, and recently received the West Virginia Women in Agriculture Award and the Susan Dew Hoff Award from the West Virginia Women’s Commission. She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s in agricultural education from WVU. She is a co-owner of Williams Appraisal Service and Ours Valley View Poultry Farm, Inc., a poultry, livestock and cash crop operation in Hardy County.
Philanthropists of the Year: Robert and Wilma Fithian funded the Dr. Kenneth Carvell Graduate Fellowship. Both are proud graduates of West Virginia University. Wilma Fithian (formerly Wilma Daniels) graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1977. Mr. Fithian received a bachelor’s degree in forest management in 1977 and a master’s degree in forest science in 1979. Robert and Wilma were married in 1978 and have three children — Robert, Anne and Lauren.
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Corporate Partners of the Year: Farm Credit has funded a graduate assistant support fund enabling research, travel and conference attendance. Farm Credit is part of a nationwide network of cooperative lending institutions that provides financing for farm and country home loans; land purchase, home construction, and improvements; buildings, machinery, livestock and equipment; operating expenses and lines of credit; and more. Farm Credit was created in 1916 and is now the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States.
Volunteer Leader: Kaye C. Daniel has been recognized for her commitment to assisting with the College’s State of Minds Comprehensive Campaign, including serving as campaign committee chair and assisting with identifying potential donors and building strong donor-college relationships. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Daniel earned her bachelor’s degree in home economics from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and her master’s from the WVU Davis College. She serves as a member of the Davis College Visiting Committee, as the council representative to the National Boy Scout Council, as a Baptist Homes pet therapy volunteer, and is the past president of American Association of University Women Mt. Lebanon-South Hills Chapter.
Resource Development Award: Gregory A. Zerkel has been an exceptional volunteer who is committed to helping the College find industry partners to develop new undergraduate programs. In 1984, he founded Mason Dixon Energy, Inc. for the purpose of providing contract land services to the oil and gas exploration sector. Over the next 25 years, the company grew to become one of the largest and most highly respected land services companies in the United States. In 2010, Zerkel sold a majority equity stake in Mason Dixon Energy to Hudson Ferry Capital, a private equities firm based in New York City. Under Hudson Ferry Capital’s leadership, Mason Dixon Energy has subsequently merged with OGM Land and Percheron Acquisitions. Cumulatively, the three companies now operate as Percheron, LLC and employ more than 1,000 land professionals working from 43 offices in 17 states. D
To find out more about supporting the Davis College, please contact Julie Cryser, director of development, at 304-293-2400 or julie.cryser@mail.wvu.edu.
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Purpose for Point Park Kathryn Wittner believes one of the best ways to learn is “by doing.”
[ [ With that in mind, the landscape architecture professor in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design set out to develop a student-led program to conceptually redevelop the Point Park area of downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Through a grant from the Ross Foundation, Wittner was able to implement the program at the end of 2012, giving her students the opportunity to explore the area and brainstorm design ideas before the winter break. “It is fantastic that landscape architecture students get to work with community members throughout the state developing listening skills, observation skills, learning about real-world problems and searching for solutions,” she said.
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Students are not the only ones to benefit.
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“In return, communities get energy, enthusiasm, multiple fresh ideas and possible design solutions to work with,” Wittner explained. “Most communities understand these are students, not yet professionals, and that the ideas and solutions offered provide a starting point, often generating enough information and material to seek additional funding for projects that might otherwise not have gotten off of the ground.” With a keen interest in revitalization of downtown areas in West Virginia communities, Wittner saw the Parkersburg area as a great place to
jump-start the new initiative. “The Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers have played a vital role in the development and growth of Parkersburg, but the floodwall that now protects the city also cuts it off from those rivers,” she said. “Finding ways to reconnect Point Park to the adjacent downtown and help the extremely popular area function more efficiently will be critical to the revitalization of the entire area.” As members of Landscape Architecture Design 2 class (LARC 350), the students gathered information about the area during an on-site visit by incorporating the use of geographic information systems, aerial photography, historical research, and visual observations of the project site. “We met with the City of Parkersburg and discussed what they needed and wanted from their park,” explain Rachel Rittler, a senior landscape architecture student from West Chester, Pennsylvania. “They wanted to turn it into more of a multiuse space, so we discussed what we could add to it and designed from there.” Surrounded by a wealth of information, they spent the first few months of 2013 developing preliminary designs that will eventually pave the way for the final conceptual master plan. In March of that same year, the students presented their work to the City of Parkersburg and the Ross Foundation. Impressed by what they saw, the stakeholders asked Wittner to see the project through to completion. Wittner hired three student landscape architecture interns to keep the project moving forward during the summer months. Rittler, Nathan Sweitzer, a senior from Mecca, Ohio, and Jacob Burns, an August 2013 graduate from Winfield, West Virginia, conducted an in-depth inventory and analysis of the project
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site and environments. “Since the site is located in a flood-prone area, the group traveled to Huntington to meet with the Army Corps of Engineers to learn about flood walls and river parks,” Wittner said. “They also traveled to Reston, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., to study urban designs, riverfront parks and surrounding amenities.” As part of the design process, the students constructed a nine-foot long model — built at 1” = 40’ scale — to represent the final design. “The city and its citizens were
looking for expansion of the amphitheater, a re-connection to the city, and a safer more engaging environment,” Rittler said. “With the guidance of Professor Wittner we analyzed, studied, and collected data to help with the process of producing a successful design. We incorporated each element they were looking for and tied them together within the site design.” Summer 2014
“Since the presentation, architectural design studies developed by the Mills Group have been undertaken, and they are studying the development of the farmer’s market at town center,” she said. “The City is also in the middle of meetings with the Army Corp of Engineers to begin efforts to widen the current floodgate opening to create a safer, more accessible and inviting entrance to the existing park.”
The design plan features redevelopment of the existing park space along the Little Kanawha and Ohio rivers, creating more parking, expanding the amphitheater from 600 to 3,000 seats, as well as including space for food vendors. The students also incorporated site access for emergency vehicles — a critical need that was not available in the existing site. “Half of the site had previously been underdeveloped with only a
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walking trail provided,” Wittner said. “The students made sure to include a public marina, walking trails and more accessible fishing areas, as well as a boat landing for the paddle wheeler that ferries visitors to and from Blennerhassett Island to allow for safe egress on and off the boat.” Current access to the park is through a 20-foot-wide gated area that also serves as a major floodgate in times of rising water.
To help alleviate some concerns, the new design provides 40-foot-wide access as well as two armored towers at each end of the park. Each tower allows for solar powered elevators providing handicapped accessibility and stairs. Summer 2014
At the same time, the student designers also wanted to take advantage of and work with the seasonal flooding that occurs by including riparian vegetation, plant habitats located between the rivers and land, to reduce overall maintenance.
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And the design plans don’t stop there.
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Within the city inside the floodwall, a new town center was designed to showcase the farmer’s market, an interactive waterpark, and residential housing with retail space and structured parking. “The students did a tremendous job of connecting the city to the park and rivers outside the floodwalls,”Wittner said. Armed with the physical model as well as a 20-minute animated video and book encapsulating all of the design recommendations, the students presented their work to the Ross Foundation and City of Parkersburg in August 2013. Although the configuration of the plan allows for it to be built in phases as financing becomes available, Wittner notes the city has already taken steps to make parts of it a reality.
The Ross Foundation is a family foundation based in Parkersburg with a primary focus in supporting causes within local communities throughout West Virginia with emphasis in the five counties of Wood, Ritchie, Doddridge, Pleasants and Jackson. The grant was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $750 million comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2015.
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Designing healthy spaces Two teams of West Virginia University students received regional recognition for their ability to synthesize design and wellness. Two teams of senior interior design students were recognized as regional winners during judging of the 201314 Interior Design Educators Council Student Design Competition. The WVU entries earned honorable mentions, earning them two among a total of six awards recognized in the IDEC South Region.
The South Region represents interior design faculty and programs within nine southeastern U.S. states. Beyond awards for the top three places, three honorable mentions were given in recognition of entries “having many outstanding qualities.” Part of the challenge was a short turnaround time; the teams completed their submissions within a two week period. The design competition project was assigned as a project in a contract interior design course. The 2013-14 international
competition, titled “Innovate to Motivate! Interior Design: Energizing People and Places,” challenged students to work in teams to transform a semitrailer into a traveling exhibition. The competition brief urged entrants to “design an exhibit that explores the impact of the physical environment on the health of the occupants, the health of the surroundings and their relationship to each other.” “The competition was exciting, but also really challenging,” said Laurel Fischer. “Two weeks didn’t seem like
In one winning WVU design entry, Laurel Fischer of Snowshoe, West Virginia, Maggie Knizat of Pittsburgh, and Alex Villaseran of Walnut Creek, California, demonstrated how choices that a designer makes directly affect work productivity, interaction, and individual wellness. “The focus of their design was to highlight the importance of design as a profession while comparing several design options side-by-side to highlight their strengths and weaknesses,” said Ron Dulaney, Jr., assistant professor of interior design in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. “Their unique architectural proposal included a hinged exterior porch and retractable canopy that significantly expanded the footprint of the semi-trailer.”
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In their winning proposal for a model office space, Bridget McGowan of Bronx, New York, Kathryn Petruzzo of North Wales, Pennsylvania, and Sabre Wood, of Morgantown, proposed an “innovative scheme to improve worker productivity, while bringing a natural environment into the everyday office space,” according to Dulaney. Their scheme is based on the premise that improving worker productivity is associated with improving worker health. In addition to daylighting the interior with natural sunlight, their innovative scheme increases usable interior space by integrating “pop-outs” inspired by recreational vehicles.
enough time to complete our project, and fitting an entire exhibit to promote interior design into a basic tractor trailer seemed impossible. Luckily we were able to be creative with the space we were given, and in the end it was really rewarding and fun to design an exhibit to promote our field.” Fischer credits her team with bringing different skill sets to their design that made it unique and successful, an idea echoed by Kathryn Petruzzo. “This competition was all about collaborative teamwork and innovation which helped us grow as future designers,” Petruzzo said. “Sabre Wood, Summer 2014
Bridget McGowan and I made a great team and really worked well together.” “We felt it was important to create a traveling exhibit that would educate the public on the importance of interior design so we came up with a side-by-side comparison of three important qualities: air quality, lighting, and ergonomic furniture design,” Maggie Knizat explained, adding that the competition was a chance to model the strength of WVU’s interior design program. The strong performance of the WVU designers is something of a milestone. “This is the first year since I have
been here that we’ve had students recognized in this competition at any level,” Ron Dulaney said. “We took two out of the top six places! This reinforces other types of evidence, like success with job placement, that our students in general are performing well in relation to their peers at other institutions.” The competition was sponsored by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. D interiordesign.wvu.edu
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EnvironMentors If Catherine Artis could use one word to describe the second year of the West Virginia University EnvironMentors program it would be, “Awesome.” In her first year as chapter coordinator, the program earned a number of national accolades. At the national fair this spring, Emma Mathers, a second-year EnvironMentors participant and junior at Morgantown High School, placed second and was awarded an Excellence in Environmental Research Scholarship. Mentored by Jessica Odenheimer, a master’s student in agronomy from Ashburn,Virginia, Mathers’ research project explored the purification of chemically and bacterially contaminated waters using organic filtration materials. Morgantown High students
Zoie McNeill, a senior at Morgantown High School, poses with her research poster during the National EnvironMentors Fair.
Virginia, joining Miller among the elite. “Mentors were nominated for the award by their mentees,” Artis
mentor recruitment efforts Kasey Bolyard and Zoie McNeill also competed at the national level. “All three scored above average at the national fair,” Artis said. “We could not have asked for better representation, especially among such strong competition.” The WVU program was also named 2013 Chapter of the Year, an honor it shares with Louisiana State University. Eric Miller, a graduate student in forest resources science from Chester, Virginia, was named Mentor of the Year. In fact, the top three mentors in the nation were from WVU with Daniel Hanks, a graduate student in wildlife and fisheries resources from Anderson, South Carolina, and Marianne Mannix, a graduate student in plant and soil sciences from Haymarket,
explained. “None of the mentees for our top three mentors went on to nationals, so I think that speaks to the quality of the experience all of the high school students are receiving.” Todd Petty, director of the
students and their graduate student mentors,” Petty said. “Second is the support from the high school teachers that we work with at MHS. Third is the dedication of the coordinators Catherine Artis and Jennie Franks. Fourth is the materials and monetary support we receive from the National Center for Science and the Environment. Last is the support we receive from the WVU Environmental Research Center, the Davis College, and the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources.” Prior to the start of this year, Artis and co-coordinator Jennie Franks, who left for Jamaica at the end of February for her service assignment as part of the WVU Peace Corps Master’s International Program, set three primary goals for the program — increase mentor recruitment efforts, increase the number of high school participants, and increase the diversity
the number of high school participants program and professor of wildlife and fisheries resources in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, agrees with Artis’ assessment of the program and recognizes the many factors that helped it succeed. “First, of course, is the dedication and hard work of the high school
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“AWESOME” of the mentors’ majors. “We started this year with 20 high school mentees, up from 15 the year before,” she said. “We certainly met our recruitment and participant goals in that respect.” The chapter also boasted an 85 percent retention rate with 17 high school students completing the program this year. Nationally, the EnvironMentors organization
Emerging Environmental Leader Scholarship next year, including Emma and Daniel Pan, who narrowly missed attending nationals this year,” Artis said. “The potential for another big year is certainly there.” Developed by the National Council for Science and Environment, EnvironMentors is a national environment-based mentoring program that provides high school students with the opportunity to work with researchers and professionals to develop scientifically rigorous research projects. The program also promotes future studies and careers in STEM disciplines. WVU was selected as a university chapter in May 2011. For more information or to become involved with the program, visit erc. davis.wvu.edu/projects/education/ environmentors. D
the diversity of the mentors’ majors requires a 60 percent retention rate. Although the variety of mentor majors wasn’t as broad as Artis would have liked, there were participants from three WVU colleges — the Davis College, the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences — and professionals from Friends of Deckers Creek. “This was definitely a great year for the program,” Artis said. “We had high hopes and expectations from the beginning, but we never expected all of this.” The WVU EnvironMentors Program began in August and culminated in Washington at the national fair in late May 2014. “We could have up to five students eligible for the $10,000 EnvironMentors Summer 2014
Emma Mathers, a junior at Morgantown High School, placed second at the National EnvironMentors Fair.
Kasey Bolyard, a senior at Morgantown High School discusses her research project with a judge during the National EnvironMentors Fair.
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Making his mark It started with an internship with West Virginia University’s Community Design Team. It ended with a mural that will enhance a community in the Mountain State for decades to come. Daniel Jencks, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, a design studies major in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, conceived and led the execution of a mural celebrating the heritage of Camdenon-Gauley and capturing its essence. Over the summer, the Community Design Team (CDT) made a visit to the small town in Webster County. Jencks went along “primarily to observe and take a few notes,” he said. “During the town council meeting we attended, the mayor expressed the town’s desire to have a mural painted on the side of a deteriorating brick building in the center of town,” Jencks said. “After the meeting, I told Jenny Selin, the CDT coordinator and the supervisor for my internship, that I like to paint and would definitely be available to design a mural for Camden-on-Gauley. Jenny loved the idea, and I spent the rest of my internship creating and tweaking designs for the mural.” “At our first community meeting with Camden City Council, Daniel took notes and listened,” Selin said. “By the next public meeting, he was presenting preliminary designs and wrangling with council members over which occupations and pursuits they wanted featured in the final work.” Jencks researched what Camdenon-Gauley is known for and how its people spent their time. A few weeks after his first visit, he presented about five different ideas for the mural to the town council. “The council was great at telling me what they liked about a few different designs, and together we combined those concepts into one new idea for me to work on,” he said. I spent some more time refining this idea and took notes from Jenny about any new
suggestions the town gave. Towards the end of my internship, the council approved the design.” The design celebrates the most prominent industries of Camden-onGauley — mining, logging, and healthcare. It also highlights the recreational traditions of hunting and fishing. The Gauley River has had a vast impact on the history of the town and continues to hold importance today. The project bled over into the current school year, but Jencks continued to work with the town to try to prepare the wall for painting, removing existing plaster with the help of local volunteers. “The town council, mayor, chief of police, and myself could not get over how hard he worked and what great work ethic he has,” said Edna Martin, Camdenon-Gauley’s town recorder and one of the mural’s leading proponents. “Daniel worked so hard, and in many instances by himself.” Just the act of painting became a cultural opportunity. “The building is right next to a busy street, so I got a lot of supportive honks,”
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Jencks said. “A few cars even parked across the street to watch me like a drive-in movie.” Positive feedback was ongoing. “Every day people would stop to compliment my work or take pictures to show their friends,” Jencks said. “One high school student choked up a bit as he told me I had no idea how much Camden needed something like this. That really stands out in my mind and will probably be something I never forget about the experience.” The Camdenon-Gauley community’s verdict on the mural seems to be unanimous. “Everyone that has commented has been more than pleased with it,” said Martin. “It has a made such a wonderful impact to our small town. The side of the building looked terrible to say the least. Now, it is something we can all be proud of.” “Daniel’s vision, artistry, drive and ability to give back made this mural a reality,” Selin said. “Students like Daniel are a credit to WVU and West Virginia. I look forward to following his next endeavor.” D communitydesign.wvu.edu
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New fuel in old fields A West Virginia University graduate student has been recognized for her research into production of alternative fuels in spent mine lands. Carol Brown, a master’s candidate in soil science in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, received a $1,500 scholarship from the National Association of State Land Reclamationists. Brown’s thesis research focuses on the quality and yield of switchgrass grown on reclaimed surface mines for biofuel production. After earning her undergraduate degree at Ohio State, Brown began her
graduate studies under Jeff Skousen, a professor of soil science in the Davis College and land reclamation specialist for WVU Extension. “As an undergraduate, I specialized in ecological engineering because of the focus on habitat restoration,” said Brown, of Avon, Ohio. “I knew that a master’s degree in soil science would fill in the gaps left with my engineering degree. “Soil science is such a crucial part of the reclamation of new and abandoned mine lands that I jumped at the chance when I was offered the position at WVU,” Brown added. Even before beginning her graduate studies, she accrued significant field experience. In 2011, she worked with a team to conduct natural resources research in the forests of Guangxi Province, China. In 2010, she conducted field work related to
pollinator restoration on reclaimed mine land in Cumberland, Ohio. At WVU, she’s guided others through the research process as an EnvironMentor, helping an area high school student develop her own independent research project. “My job was to motivate and guide my students as they conducted their research over the course of the school year,” Brown said. “The project we worked on focused on reducing acid mine drainage with sulfate reducing bacteria.” Upon completing her degree, Brown hopes to eventually work as a habitat reclamation specialist or project manager responsible for the research, development, and implementation of mine reclamation or forest restoration projects. D
A passion for reclamation A West Virginia University graduate student has received national recognition for her work in the field of mine land reclamation. Jessica Odenheimer, a master’s candidate in agronomy in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, won a $2,000 scholarship from the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs. “Land reclamation is my passion,” Odenheimer said. “Reclamation will always be needed, whether it’s for land that was mined for coal, land that was fractured for natural gas, superfund sites, or even streams and rivers that have been affected by industry or our growing population.” Odenheimer took land reclamation courses while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences at Virginia Tech.
In 2010, she met WVU’s Jeff Skousen at a meeting of the American Society of Mining Reclamation. “I knew he would be a fantastic mentor in the realm of mining reclamation,” Odenheimer said. In her work with Skousen, Odenheimer’s research is focused on developing a quick laboratory technique to determine a total dissolved solids release index from weathering overburden material. “We hope to develop a technique to analyze overburden so that coal operators can make decisions to treat, handle and isolate their overburden material in a manner that will minimize water quality issues, specific to total dissolved solids concentrations,” Odenheimer said. “I am excited about this project and the potential it has to be implemented for coal operations around the country.” The project
allows her to collaborate with past mentors at Virginia Tech. And, while at WVU, she has become a mentor to budding scientists. Odenheimer has served as an EnvironMentor, guiding a high school student through an independent research project. Her mentee, Emma Mathers, a second-year EnvironMentors participant and junior at Morgantown High School, placed second in this year’s national fair and was awarded an Excellence in Environmental Research Scholarship. Satisfying as the mentoring experience was, Odenheimer is committed to a career in reclamation. “I want a career that excites me, can challenge me, and provide me with opportunities to continue learning and growing as a scientist,” Odenheimer said. “I know a career in mining reclamation will provide me with everything I need.” D agronomy.wvu.edu
Summer 2014
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Taylor to lead WVU’s animal and nutritional sciences unit Robert L. Taylor, Jr. has joined the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design as director of its Division of Animal Robert Taylor and Nutritional Sciences. “Robert Taylor will further propel the Division towards great opportunities to further the development of animal agriculture in West Virginia and beyond, to bring new science and technology to bear on the same, to broaden the scope of human nutrition, food science and dietetics, to engage with stakeholders across the state, and make an impact worldwide in all we do,” said Daniel Robison, dean of the Davis College. Taylor was previously a professor of animal science at the University of New Hampshire where his efforts focused on poultry immunology and genetics. He provided oversight to research farms, led an array of local, regional and national level initiatives
for the university and USDA, and been very active in professional societies, including his current service as president of the USA Branch of the World Poultry Association. His post is within the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture - Department of Biological Sciences, which was recently formed through a reorganization of several departments including his original home department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences. “He is a terrific scientist, academic thinker and leader, and a strong proponent of the importance of food and agriculture in our communities and worldwide,” Robison said. “Robert Taylor will assume the leadership of the division at a key juncture in the life of the Davis College, as we complete our new Agricultural Sciences Building, ramp up our farm and laboratory efforts, translate the science of food into better nutrition, and find new ways to collaborate across the wide spectrum of disciplines in the College
and across the University. We are thrilled that he will be joining us.” “The Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design are positioned to engage students and stakeholders through teaching, research and outreach,” Taylor said. “I am enthusiastic about the opportunities to build the relationships needed to advance the land-grant mission at West Virginia University.” A native of Virginia, he holds academic degrees from CarsonNewman College, Auburn University and Mississippi State University. “The Division has had terrific leadership over the past years from Matt Wilson,” Robison said. Wilson led the unit through several years of transition, including important advances in Matt Wilson faculty hiring, facilities planning, and positioning the Division for success going forward. He will continue to serve the Division and College as professor of animal science and physiology.
The Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences The Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences offers two undergraduate degrees in animal and nutritional sciences, a bachelor of science in agriculture and a bachelor of science, a bachelor of science in human nutrition and foods, and a bachelor of science in biochemistry, offered jointly with the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Undergraduates can also pursue minors in equine management, food service production, and food science and technology. The Division is home to the Davis-Michael Scholars Program, a rigorous, innovative program for
undergraduates who plan to pursue medical or veterinary school. At the graduate level, students can pursue master’s degrees in animal physiology, nutritional and food sciences, and reproductive physiology. Doctoral programs are available in agricultural biochemistry, animal nutrition, animal physiology, animal production, food science, and reproductive physiology. The Division is also home to WVU’s Graduate Dietetic Internship. Faculty, staff and students can pursue teaching, research and service at the Animal Science Farm in Morgantown, the
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Reymann Memorial Farm in Wardensville, and the Reedsville Farm. WVU’s Organic Research Farm in Morgantown also incorporates animal agriculture into its portfolio. Research centers include the Rumen Fermentation Profiling Laboratory, which examines feed quality and digestibility for producers. The West Virginia Small Ruminant Project provides research and outreach for the state’s sheep and goat industries. The Veterinary Radiology Consultation Service helps animal care providers interpret images related to patient care.
Summer 2014
Wetlands research handbook A West Virginia University scholar has seen a niche and filled it in the field of wetlands research techniques. Jim Anderson, professor of wildlife and fisheries resources in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, has co-edited the three-volume Wetland Techniques for Springer. “I started thinking about a wetland techniques book in 2007,” said Anderson, Davis-Michael Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources and director of WVU’s Environmental Research Center. “I was preparing a talk for the Society of Wetland Scientists’ conference entitled ‘What’s being taught in wetland class?’ “One of the topics I covered was the books being used in courses and the topics being covered,” he said. “There were a number of wetland ecology books, but no how-to books.” Coming from a wildlife background, where techniques is a common component for the curriculum, Anderson found this strange and thought it would make a nice book topic. A year later, Anderson carved out time to begin work on the book, deciding to model it after a popular wildlife techniques book, which draws on a host of experts. “I started coming
Summer 2014
up with a list of topics and potential chapter authors, but I felt like the book could be improved if I had some additional help with planning,” Anderson said. He turned to Craig Davis, a friend and colleague at Oklahoma State University, and they a developed a list of topics and identified potential authors for each topic. “We started working on the book and eventually pushed the idea to Springer, who agreed to publish the work,” Anderson said. “Originally, it was supposed to be one volume, but it grew too extensive, so Springer agreed to publish it in a three-volume set.” Wetlands serve many important functions and provide numerous ecological services such as clean water, wildlife habitat, nutrient reduction and flood control. Wetland science is a relatively young discipline but is a rapidly growing field due to an enhanced understanding of the importance of wetlands and the numerous laws and policies that have been developed to protect these areas. This growth is demonstrated by the creation and growth of the Society of Wetland Scientists which was formed in 1980 and now has a membership of 3,500 people. It is also illustrated by
the existence of two journals (Wetlands and Wetlands Ecology and Management) devoted entirely to wetlands. The Wetland Techniques series provides an overview of the various methods that have been used or developed by researchers and practitioners to study, monitor, manage, or create wetlands. “Including many methods usually found only in the peer-reviewed or gray literature, the three-volume set fills a major niche that is useful for all professionals dealing with wetlands,” Anderson said. Volume one provides foundations in the discipline.Volume two looks at the organisms that populate wetlands and how to sample and evaluate their populations.Volume three examines common applications and techniques in the field. Anderson drew on the expertise of WVU colleagues while editing the series. David Smaldone, associate professor of recreation, parks and tourism resources, wrote a chapter on interpretation and education programs for wetlands,Yong-Lak Park, an associate professor in entomology, and graduate student Matthew McKinney coauthored a chapter on invertebrate sampling chapter with Anderson and colleagues from Argentina. Walter Veselka, a wildlife biologist with WVU at the time who currently runs an environmental consultancy with several other WVU graduates, coauthored a chapter on wetland indices of biotic integrity. D
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design / 25
Giving back and committing for the future Now that we’ve wrapped up the 2013-14 fiscal year, it’s time to look at how many goals we have achieved. Many times, those goals are just numbers on a sheet of paper. And while the numbers look great for our A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University, there’s a much better way to determine the success of a campaign and the contributions that our alumni and friends have made to the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Take for instance Louis Novotny, an agribusiness major from Falling Waters, West Virginia. Last fall he was awarded the Conrad Farms Agriculture Scholarship, a scholarship endowed by Steve and Jane Conrad of Pendleton County to assist West Virginia students with earning their degree without the burden of loans. He’s an outstanding student who has participated in our Mentorship Program and has operated his own lawn care business for eight years.
students. These programs have been supported by donors who believe in our students, our faculty and our ability to produce top-notch graduates who they will want to hire. And you may have also been a contributor to the WVU Davis College Farm Project Fund, which now has exceeded the expectations of the donor who asked that each dollar given be matched up to $50,000. In two years, we’ve raised enough money to match three years of the donor’s funding and will put this money to good use when we install new, donated pellet feed mill equipment at the WVU Farm on Stewartstown Road. Donations to the new building, such as CoBank’s generous contribution, will help ensure that our students and faculty are able to conduct research in new laboratories, learn in modern classrooms and build memories and friendships in a new home.
Private funding is essential to creating the margin of excellence, to ensuring our students and faculty Since the start of the campaign in have the tools and resources they 2007, donors have endowed a dozen need to be successful — to be or more scholarships, and those the best. The examples are many. funds will last in perpetuity, ensuring Endowments, scholarships and cash gifts given years ago are now fueling that hundreds of students will be new generations of scientists, designers, able to focus their attention on their foresters and landscape architects. They college studies, not worrying about are providing opportunities that will how the next semester’s tuition will change lives forever. be paid. Just ask Dr. Gopala Krishna or Joel Take for instance Kaye and Mike Daniel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have boosted support of the Kaye C. Daniel Faculty Development fund, which has sent faculty members to China to present their research and has assisted faculty with developing new and innovative courses. This fund will have a tremendous impact on our faculty and their ability to create opportunities for our students to learn, grow and become tomorrow’s agriculture, design or natural resource leaders. Our new energy programs, some of which we are still building, will open a bevy of career opportunities for our
Newman, who were inducted into the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2014 and 2013, respectively. They credit our College and the opportunities offered by our outstanding faculty and the generosity of donors who provided travel funds and scholarships for their success. Krishna earned his doctorate in 1984 in genetics and developmental biology and went on to help with developing Lipitor, the cholesterol fighting drug that many of you may take today in brand or generic form. And Joel Newman is president and chief executive officer of the American
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Feed Industry Association — only the seventh president in the association’s 104-year history — and has had a major impact on international food safety through his organization’s voluntary feed and food safety certification program. He graduated from our College in 1971 with a bachelor’s in animal science. Numbers are great. They provide tangible goals, budget-friendly information in a time when state and federal dollars are becoming harder to get. But the true story of what private, foundation and corporate gifts mean to the College can be told through the students, the faculty, the staff and the alumni.
Thank you — all of you who have given — for ensuring that we will not only meet our goals, but create a stronger foundation for the future of our College. Think about your time at the WVU Davis College and what it meant for you as a student, as an adult and as a member of your family and community. Also think about the legacy that you can create, and the students and faculty who are waiting for opportunities that a gift from you can create. I hope that you will consider the impact you would like to have on the next generation and help us to meet our goal of creating the best and brightest students and talented faculty who are making a difference. These successes can be counted too, and they are the numbers that are most important. — Julie Cryser, Director of Development
Summer 2014
$25,000 + Ally Land & Energy, LLC Antero Resources Corporation Burket-Plack Foundation Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation CoBank Dominion Foundation Farm Credit of the Virginias, ACA Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association Lectra Mr. William J. McClelland Michael Late Benedum Chapter of the American Association Dr. Joginder and Charlotte L. Nath Mr. and Mrs. Joel G. Newman Noble Energy Prim Law Firm, PLLC Range Resources Corporation Ms. Elizabeth A. H. Rice Southwestern Energy Corporation Steptoe & Johnson Vi-Cor William F. & Lynn D. Gauss Foundation WV Farm Bureau, Inc.
$10,000 – $24,999 BioResource International, Inc. EnerVest Operating, LLC Mr. James A. Kinsey Mrs. Gladys W. Knapp Meadwestvaco Foundation Myles Family Foundation Northern Appalachian Landman’s Association
$1,000 – $9,999 Abbott Fund Dr. Mary Beth Adams Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture Bartlett Tree Foundation Chesapeake Operating, Inc. Mr. Dale K. Colyer Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Conley Mrs. Kaye C. Daniel Mr. and Mrs. Barry L. Eden FirstEnergy Foundation Friends of the Cheat Mrs. Mary Jane P. Hamilton Brig. Gen. Robert G. & Nicki Jenkins Kathryn K. Thorniley Trust Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Kellison Mr. and Mrs. Asel L. Kennedy Ms. Aimee E. Kessler Dr. and Mrs. Ivor T. Knight Dr. Wiley B. Lewis Dr. Marian B. Liddell Mr. James G. Lusk Dr. and Mrs. Robert S. Mann Maryland Energy Resources, LLC Mrs. Twila B. Matlick Merck Partnership for Giving Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Miller National Association of Extension 4-H Agents National Aviary Summer 2014
Phillips Pharmacy Society of American Foresters The Pittsburgh Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Thompson Mrs. Nancy G. Torries Dr. Clem R. Truex Tucker Community Endowment Foundation Mr. and Mrs. George S. Weaver III West Virginia Vegetation Management Association Mr. L. George Wherry WV Independent Oil and Gas Association WVU Alumni Association College of Ag & Forestry Dr. and Mrs. David A. Zuberer
$500 – $999 Dr. James T. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Baker, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. John F. Bargeloh Bennett Agency Dr. M. Dorcas Clark Ms. Jessica L. Dotson Dr. Gerard E. D’Souza Ebert Veterinary Services PLLC Ernst & Young Foundation Dr. and Mrs. George C. Fahey, Jr. Ms. Meredith Gompertz Mr. and Mrs. Glenn A. Harman Ms. Karen K. Johnson Mr. Joe Looman Mr. David P. Lowry Dr. and Mrs. Rocky M. Mason Mrs. Betty M. Maxwell Dr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Morris Mr. and Mrs. Don H. Peterson Dr. Aaron T. Pollock Stephen D. Carr Estate Planning Trust Mr. William C. Taylor Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative, Inc. Mr. David A. Weisner Dr. H. Darrell Woofter
$1 – $499 Mr. John R. Alexander Dr. E. Douglas Allara, Jr. Allegheny Farms Mr. Christopher G. Allen Dr. and Mrs. John T. Ammons Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood E. Anderson Animal Production Consulting, Inc. Mr. Timothy L. Ashley Mr. David J. Atkins Mr. James J. August Mrs. Linda R. Bagby Dr. and Mrs. R. Brent Bailey Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Bails Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Balasko Ms. Clarissa J. Balbalian Mr. and Mrs. John D. Bane Dr. and Mrs. Alfred L. Barr Dr. Frederick E. Barr Mr. Jude A. Basso
Mr. John M. Bayless Mr. and Mrs. W. Sherman Beard Mrs. Winona P. Beneke Dr. James G. Berardinelli Biafore Landscape Development, LLC Mr. James A. Bibby III Maj. and Mrs. William S. Biddle Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Bird Dr. Gary K. Bissonnette Mr. Kenneth P. Blemings Dr. Scott A. Bowdridge Mrs. Ann L. Bowser Mr. Robert C. Boyd Ms. Ruth O. Boyd Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Brand Mr. William F. Brash, Jr. Ms. Barbra A. Breshock Mr. Charles D. Brown Dr. Cheryl Brown Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Brunner, Jr. Dr. William B. Bryan Mrs. Betty C. Bull Mr. John T. Burke Mr. Robert C. Burns Mr. G. Gregory Butts Cain Farms Mr. and Mrs. Brian Caldwell Mr. Richard C. Caldwell Mrs. Zoann Callahan Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Callen Mrs. Misty D. Carson Christopher and Erin Cartwright Mr. and Mrs. David M. Champe Mrs. Miriam Cheslock Mrs. Terri L. Chiriboga Mr. and Mrs. Douglas W. Cleveland Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert J. Closke Ms. Lenore J. Cohen Mr. and Mrs. John M. Cole III Dr. Robert E. Cook and Mrs. Betty H. Cook Mrs. Lisa W. Couch Mrs. Carolyn R. Covey William R Crank, DVM Mrs. BettyAnn Creighton Mr. and Mrs. Denny J. Cruise Ms. Julie R. Cryser Dr. and Mrs. Bill N. Day, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Dailey Mr. and Mrs. D. Kenneth Darnell Prof. and Mrs. David B. Davis Mr. Larry J. Davis Lt. Col. and Mrs. Paul L. Davis Mr. Edward G. Dawson Mr. and Mrs. Carl D. Defazio Mr. Stephen T. Dell Mr. David B. DeVallance Diamond L Farms Dominion Foundation MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM Mr. and Mrs. Mark L. Double Dr. and Mrs. Mervyn C. D’Souza Dr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Dziubek Mr. and Mrs. James N. Ebbert Mr. Daniel E. Errett Mr. Franklin A. Ferguson Mr. and Mrs. David C. Field Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Finnegan
Wayne and Bonnie Fisher Mrs. and Dr. Marsha C. Fletcher Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Fox, Jr. Dr. Shirley D. Fortney Mrs. Cinda B. Francis Mrs. Dorothy T. Fulton Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Gambill Gamma Sigma Delta Gandy B Veterinary Dr. and Mrs. Avery F. Gaskins Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Gasper Mr. Kevin R. Gaydos Dr. Ondieki J. Gekara Mrs. Roberta J. Gellner Mr. and Mrs. Gregory J. Gensheimer Dr. Andrew J. Gentilin and Dr. Kasey B. Gentilin Mr. John L. Gerwig PhD Mr. Kenneth A. Gibbs Mr. Matt A. Glaspey Mr. and Mrs. Harvey A. Goho Mr. and Mrs. Marvin B. Gould Dr. and Mrs. R. Thomas Griffey Mrs. Mary A. Griffith Dr. Michael B. Griffith PhD Dr. Shawn T. Grushecky and Dr. Jennifer L. Bell Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hager Mrs. Jaclyn S. Hall Mr. and Mrs. W. Scott Hall Mr. and Mrs. David S. Hamilton Mrs. Anita M. Hardesty Mr. John N. Harman IV Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O. Harper Mrs.Vanessa L. Harper DVM Mr. and Mrs. Herbert M. Harr, Jr. Harris Foundation Maj. and Mrs. George H. Harris Mr. and Mrs. George W. Harrison PhD Mrs. Patricia K. Hartman Ms. Susan E. Hathaway Mrs. R. Diane Hatton Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Haught Mr. Staunton C. Haynes II Mr. Frederick S. Hazlett Mr. and Mrs. Marc Heffner Mrs. Christine M. Heinrich Mrs. Nancy B. Herwig Mrs. Amber D. Hines Mrs. Mary F. Holt Dr. Marilyn F. Horacek and Mr. Louis C. Horacek Dr. Ellen E. Hrabovsky Mrs. Dana E. Hubbard Mr. and Mrs. Martin C. Hudek Dr. and Mrs. John H. Hunter Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Huss Mr. David L. Idleman Ms. Linda A. Innocenti Dr. and Mrs. E. Keith Inskeep Mrs. Lena F. Iredell Mrs. Lee F. Johnson Dr. and Mrs. Z. Marshall Johnson Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert Johnson Mr. Lawrence K. Jorishie Mr. Shyam B. Joshi Dr. and Mrs. Jerry N. Judy Mr. and Mrs. Lance D. Kauf
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design / 27
Ms. Dorothy L. Kengla Dr. and Mrs. Earl M. Kesler Ms. Jayne C. Kight Mr. James A. Kincaid Dr. Timothy B. King and Dr. Janice M. King Mr. Robert E. Klingman Mr. and Mrs. Gordon A. Knight Mr. Karl E. Knipling Mr. and Mrs. Ray W. Knotts Mr. and Mrs. David M. Knupp Mr. and Mrs. W. David Kolb Mr. and Mrs. Marc S. Kudla Laboratory Corporation of America TM Holdings Ms. Deborah Layton Mr. and Mrs. Eston T. Leatherman Ms. Karen Lemons Mr. Michael J. Leonard Mr. and Mrs. Michael Levine Mr. Murray Levy Mr. David D. Lewis Dr. and Mrs. Paul E. Lewis Mr. and Dr. Emil R. Liddell Mr. and Mrs. Burkey Lilly Mrs. Clare E. Linfield Mr. Charles T. Lipscomb Mrs. Lesly Anne J. Lopez-Skinner and Dr. Heath D. Skinner Mrs. Kristin E. Lovingood Mr. and Mrs. John R. Lucas Mrs. Betty A. Lynch Mr. Hao Ma Mr. Madhu P. Manandhar Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Mapes Capt. Kathryn W. Marko USN (Ret) Mr. and Mrs. David E. Marsh Dr. Michael R. Marshall Ms. Theresa A. Martin Dr. Rocky M. Mason and Mrs. Wendy R. Mason Mr. and Mrs. Leonard B. Mathias, Jr. Mr. Timothy W. Maupin Mr. and Mrs. David N. Maurer Mr. Larry L. May Mr. and Mrs. James H. McCartney Mr. and Mrs. Lynn M. McCauley Mr. Derek McClung and Dr. Jennifer P. McClung Mr. and Mrs. Perry D. McDaniel Mr. and Mrs. S. Fenton McDonald Mr. Francis X. McGreevy Mr. Scott J. McLeod Mr. Lowell C. McPherson Ms. Roberta Meadows Dr. Eric M. Meisterling and Dr. Nancy R. Rodriguez Mrs. Tulane Mensore Esq Mrs. Constance C. Merandi Mr. Harry M. Middleton, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Mills Dr. Diane F. Minka Mr. and Mrs. Philip R. Mohler Mr. Richard S. Monson Mr. and Mrs. Ernest E. Moore Dr. J. Gregory Moore Richard and Laura Moore Dr. David D. Moran
Mr. and Mrs. Gary B. Moran Mr. Benjamin W. Morey Mr. and Mrs. Scott J. Morgan Dr. Stuart A. Moss Ms. Catrina M. Myers Mr. Bogart Napora and Mrs. Kimberly S. Napora Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Neal Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Newcomb Ms. Becky J. Newhard Mr. and Mrs. James J. Newman Dr. Chali Nondo North Central Engineering, Ltd Northern Trust Company Charitable Trust Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Nutter Dr. Gary E. Oates, Jr. Mrs. Nancy L. Oddleifson Dr. and Mrs. Kerry S. Odell Mrs. Nicole O’Hara Mrs. Emma O’Leary Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Olexa Mrs. Mary L. Oliver Dr. Matthew A. Oliverio Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Olsen Mr. Albert C. Olshinsky, Jr. Mr. Paul W. Oshel Ms.Virginia L. Oshel Dr. Chunshen Pan Mr. and Mrs. Howard R. Page Page Valley Veterinary Clinic Dr. Douglas G. Patchen Mr. Ronald E. Paugh Dr. and Mrs. William G. Paull, Sr. Pennsylvania Dairy & Allied Industries Association, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Perez Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program Capt. and Mrs. Richard H. Phillips Dr. Timothy T. Phipps Mrs. Leslie J. Picinich Mr. Ronald J. Pierce Mr. Chad D. Pierskalla Pilgrim’s Pride Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pinnell Mrs. Robin S. Poling Mr. and Mrs. Daniel E. Pollock Mr. William D. Poole Mr. and Mrs. W. Alvin Porterfield Mr. and Mrs. John G. Prelich Mrs. Sandra A. Price Dr. James C. Priebe DVM Mr. and Mrs. Emery L. Prunty Mr. Thomas F. Pue Mr. and Mrs. David J. Pybus Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence R. Pyle Mr. Matthew S. Randles Mr. Carl E. Reall Miss Cheryl V. Reeves Mr. and Mrs. Jose A. Reis Dr. and Mrs. Bill B. Reynolds DVM Mrs. Sylvia J. Rhodes Mrs. Anna W. Rice Mr. and Mrs. Douglas J. Richards Mrs. Joanna W. Rini Mr. Albert D. Rizzo, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon C. Robertson
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Mr. Daniel J. Robison Mr. Brady Russell Mrs. Cathy N. Russell Charles and Jillian Russell Mr. Joseph R. Sabatelli Mr. Scott M. Sachs Mr. and Mrs. Gregory P. Sainato Mrs. Carol A. Savage Mrs. Justine A. Saville Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Saville Dr. and Mrs. Peter V. Schaeffer Dresler Mr. and Mrs. John Schoemer Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Schoonmaker Mr. Don P. Schultehenrich Mrs. Saralene B. Seals Dr. Gary A. Seldomridge Mrs. Dorothy B. Sellers Mr. and Mrs. Gene F. Sentz Ms. Patricia L. Sertich Mr. and Mrs. David A. Seymour Mr. Eric D. Shafer Col. Jeffrey L. Shafer USA (Ret) Mrs. Mary A. Shamburg Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sheridan James and Martha Shirey Mr. and Mrs. George H. Shoemaker Mr. Donald R. Shultz Mr. and Mrs. Don C. Sibold Mr. and Mrs. John B. Sims Dr. and Mrs. Heath D. Skinner Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. Slack, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Slonaker Dr. and Mrs. Dennis K. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Glenn E. Smith Dr. Amy H. Smythe Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Snyder Dr. and Mrs. John L. Spiker Dr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Spelsberg PhD Mr. Michael R. Sprouse State Farm Companies Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Stevens Ms. Jo A. Stewart Mrs. Rosa Stolzenberg Dr. Michael P. Strager Ms. Jessica G. Strother Ms. Lavina C. Stuart Mr. Paul S. Stull Mr. and Mrs. Scott K. Swaim Mrs. Irene Swecker Ms. Kimberly D. Sykes Mr. Kenneth A. Tabler Mr. Charles E. Talbott Mrs. Tara L. Tatalovich and Dr. Toby L. Johnson Dr. W. Christopher Taylor Mr. Jeffrey G. Taylor Mr. Robert L. Taylor Mr. Richard M. Teck Mr. Leonard L. Tennant Dr. and Mrs. James H. Tepperberg Mr. Jerry A. Thomas Mr. Wayne T. Thrush, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William E. Timko Mr. Anthony C. Tomkowski
Mr. Francis M. Toney, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Townsend Ms. Alice C. Tuckwiller Mr. and Mrs. James E.Vadas Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Vanderwoude Mr. Robert S.Vanriper Mr. William M.Van Tol, Jr. Mr. Harry L. Walker Dr. Changlu Wang Mr. Jingxin Wang Mr. and Mrs. Lee F. Warren Mrs. Martha E. D. Warring Dr. and Mrs. Steven P. Washburn PhD Dr. Karen B. Watson Mr. George M. Weekley III Mr. Robert Weimer Mr. Milford D. Welch Mr. David P. Welsh and Mr. William J. Winsor Mr. Mitchell Welsh Mr. and Mrs. John R. Welte Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Werner Mr. John J. West Mrs. Ruth N. Whiteman Ms. Carole J. Wiedebusch Mrs. Lindsay E. Willey Mr. and Mrs. R. Dean Williams Dr. and Mrs. James E. Williams Mrs. Sheryl L. Williamson Mr. and Mrs. Matthew P. J. Williard Mrs. Penny J. Caldwell Wilkinson Dr. Ruth A. Wilson-Doherty Windy Heights Farms Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Wolf Ms. Elizabeth J. Wright WVU Alumni Association Forestry WVU Forestry Club Lt. Gen. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Wykle Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Wynne Mr. and Mrs. William R.Yagle Dr. and Mrs. Rodger D.Yeager Mr. Timothy W. Zang Dr. Shifu Zhao
Summer 2014
Comprehensive Campaign Committee Kaye Daniel Steve Conrad Joginder Nath Joe Bird David Lawrence Thomas Tatterson Bob Williams Mark Duda R. Floyd Bowlby George Tabb Elizabeth Loflin Joel Newman
Visiting Committee Emeritus Club Mary Beth Adams Donald Baker Billy Burke Joe Harper Steve Hannah Emma Lee Hite Mary Ann Mann Earl Maxwell Donna Reckart Dick Waybright Elwood Williams William “Stitch” Wilson Isaac Wolford Delegate Larry Williams Robert Williams Vivien Woofter
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design WV Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Visiting Committee John Perdue Tom Armstrong Robert Beach Nancy Bock Steve Conrad Kaye Daniel George C. Fahey, Jr. Brian Farkas Denise Ferris Amy Hammond Anna Harris Ivor Knight Gopala Krishna Elizabeth Loflin Margaret Miltenberger Alecia Larew Naugle, Mark Ourant Roger Sherman Laura Staley George Weaver III Jim Webb Bob Williams
Davis College Administration Dan Robison, Dean and Director, dan.robison@mail.wvu.edu Dennis K. Smith, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, denny.smith@mail.wvu.edu Tim Phipps, Associate Director, Experiment Station, tim.phipps@mail.wvu.edu Paul Lewis, Assistant Director of Outreach and Community Affairs, paul.lewis@mail.wvu.edu Tom Green, Assistant Dean and Assistant Director, Business Affairs, tom.green@mail.wvu.edu Julie Cryser, Director of Development, julie.cryser@mail.wvu.edu Amber Hines, Director of Student Recruitment and Retention, amber.hines@mail.wvu.edu Matthew Jenks, Director, Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, majenks@mail.wvu.edu Joe McNeel, Director, Division of Forestry, jmcneel@wvu.edu Kerry Odell, Interim Director, Divisions of Design and Merchandising and Resource Management, kerry.odell@mail.wvu.edu Robert Taylor, Director, Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, bob.taylor@mail.wvu.edu David Welsh, Marketing and Communications Director, david.welsh@mail.wvu.edu
Gopala Krishna Dr. Gopala Krishna, who earned his doctorate in the Davis College’s genetics and developmental biology program, was honored on Friday, February 21, with induction into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni, the highest honor awarded to graduates of the institution. Dr. Krishna was born in Kaiwara, a village in southern India, where he was one of six children. He completed the tenth grade in Kaiwara, often studying at night using kerosene lamps and street lights because his home had no electricity at the time. He was first in his family to pass tenth grade with honors and he spent the next two years living independently and studying in a larger nearby village. After completing twelfth grade with honors, he pursued his dreams in metropolitan Bangalore by attending the College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences where he earned a bachelor’s degree, finishing 11th among 400 students, and later a master’s degree where he finished at the top of his class and was recognized with a University Gold Medal. With strong academic credentials and a zeal for higher learning, Krishna was one of three students to receive a full scholarship from the Indian government to study abroad. After choosing the United States for his post-graduate studies, he chose WVU because of research being done by Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design Professor Joginder Nath, who also went out his way to help Krishna begin his studies at WVU. In 1986, Krishna joined Pfizer where he served in numerous roles, including manager and senior scientist for Pathology and Experimental Toxicology. During his nearly 15year career with Pfizer, Krishna directed research and new methods of toxicology research, leading to the development of such life-saving drugs as Lipitor, Rezulin, Neurontin, and Nipent, among others. Today, Krishna serves as executive director and head of Preclinical R&D and Competitive Intelligence for Supernus Pharmaceuticals where he directs drug discovery and development in the area of neuroscience. He and his team have helped to develop key life-saving drugs, including Oxtellar-XR and Trokendi-XR, which are used to treat epilepsy. Collaboratively, Krishna continues to direct research to treat ADHD, epilepsy, depression and Alzheimer’s.
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