Davis Magazine Winter 2013

Davis

College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

WINTER 2013

Making strides . . .

FROM CLIFFS TO CATWALKS TO CONTINENTS

速

Dear Friends of the Davis College— On the morning of the December 2012 graduation exercises I spoke with the assembled graduates of the Davis College and their families and friends, and shared with them quotes from Mark Twain on success and life. Twain, of course, the great American humorist and commentator, had much to say about so many things. Read him if you have not — or like me if you cannot really recall how it was to read him in high school. Here I’ll share with you one of the quotes I shared with the graduates, and another that I think speaks well to our mission and purposes here in the Davis College.

The first, “A

person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.”

(While the attribution of this quote to Twain has been debated, it is nonetheless a great line!) This notion must surely be true, as it’s through reading that we gain deeper understanding of the world around us — its people, environments and technologies. Without the record of information kept in written form we would not have advanced much beyond very ancient times, and of course our mission here at WVU is to foster the critical thinking and incisive questioning that development and progress demand. Our goal is to work with our students and stakeholders, and to work ourselves in order to advance the sciences of agriculture, natural resources and design — and we hope we’re doing a good job! This Davis College magazine tells some of the stories of how we’re pursuing those goals, and who our people are.

The second Twain quote I’ll share, is, “To

succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”

This strange combination of ideas makes good sense, and it also reflects on our purposes here in the Davis College. Ask any scientist and they’ll tell you that there is always more unknown than known, and any student will tell you the same. That is not to say that we are content to remain ignorant, but the realization that there is always more to know is a profound recognition of the need for lifelong learning and more research and scholarship of every kind. We can best act on that recognition through confidence in our ability to learn and inquire (and read!). It is our sincere hope and goal that every faculty, staff member and student of our College, and alum and

friend, will have the confidence necessary to continually pursue knowledge and good works. We work hard every day in our College to instill that sense of purpose in our students. One of our most cherished faculty members, Dr. Mannon Gallegly, long retired but a very active emeritus professor, recently reflected on the 50th anniversary of the disease-resistant tomato he developed in in 1963 (called West Virginia ’63), and said that the life of a researcher was to “always unravel more problems than you solve.”

That is exactly what we in the Davis College do — in our laboratories, fields and studios. And, of course, we solve problems too!

As spring semester 2013 rolls on the energy and work here is simply terrific. Each day there is news of the work of our faculty and pursuits of our students — and some of those stories are included in this magazine. And you can always check out more on our webpage, at http:// davis.blogs.wvu.edu/. We are working hard on final plans for the new building the University will construct for our College — a project valued at more than $70 million — destined to be the new largest building on campus. It’ll be a state-of-the-art facility to match our new greenhouses, and the overall project will include a major architectural overhaul of the South Agricultural Sciences building. We are looking forward to a groundbreaking later this year. There is a good deal of work under way as well on developing new curricula, bolstering existing programs, management of our farms and forests, pursuit of new research and service opportunities, and breathing Davis College life into a variety of new programs with other colleges at WVU. Our communications (like this magazine) and advancement efforts (such as alumni relations and fund-raising) are going great as well, and the people I get to work with who are serving this College are simply the best! I’ll mention just a few — our communications staff, David Welsh, Lindsay Willey, Jane Lefevre and Gloria Nestor, are doing a fantastic job keeping us in touch and telling our stories, and our development staff, Julie Cryser and Nicole Saffron, are building partnerships and raising funds for us that will represent an expanded margin of excellence for all we do. Please be in touch and let us know what you do, and what you’re thinking!

Let’s go Mountaineers!

Dan Robison, Dean

Davis

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

WINTER 2012/13 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 Altobello 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 in the winter for the alumni, friends, and other supporters of the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design.

College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

Contents 2 Tracking golden eagles 4 ROVER project 6 Room to grow 8 New River Gorge cliffs 10 Day of Design 12 Battling pasture parasites 13 Farm Opportunities Fund 14 Foundation Outstanding Teacher 15 Benedum Distinguished Scholar 16 Outstanding seniors 18 Business Plan Competition 20 Retirees and remembrance 22 Educating for the energy industry 24 Fungus among us 26 Redesigning history 28 Mapping obesity prevention 30 Exploring Europe 32 New faculty

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Copyright Š2013 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.

West Virginia University is governed by the WVU Board of Governors and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

WVU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

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Tracking

golden eagles

By Dan Shrensky

The journey began late last March, near the western edge of Connecticut, before taking a northward path to a remote spot near the Quebec-Labrador border. After a summer spent there, the return began in October and ended back in the same area it began.

Not exactly where West Virginia University researcher Todd Katzner expected this golden eagle to travel.

Katzner has been researching golden eagles for nearly two decades but the data he was able to gather from this particular eagle’s migration — using a device of his own design — has given him a new perspective on the bird’s behavior.

Using the device, which provides data every 30 seconds instead of every hour, Katzner was able to successfully track the travels of a female eagle that had been rehabilitated at Tufts Wildlife Clinic in Massachusetts.

The findings may prove crucial to the species’ survival.

Katzner, a research assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries resources in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, and Phil Turk, an assistant professor of statistics in WVU’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, have received funding from several federal and state conservation agencies, individuals and wind power

business owners to study the birds’ flight paths. The goal was for the researchers to provide advice about the development of future wind power plants that would be less harmful to birds or interfere with their migratory patterns. In 2011, the pair received a $321,000 grant from the Bureau of Land Management, a component of the U.S. Department of the Interior, to provide data and analysis on eagle movements in California.

Golden eagles are not officially endangered but are protected in the United States by numerous state and federal laws. Although more commonly found in the western states, Alaska and Canada, Katzner’s research has revealed a surprising number of birds that winter in Appalachia.

Katzner said golden eagles exhibit “stereotyped behavior,” meaning that behavior from one bird typifies behavior of the entire species.

“This is a charismatic species that people are drawn to and because of that our research is really important for conservation,” Katzner said. “These data are providing all kinds of insight that we never would have gotten — about the number of birds, where they go, where they’re from and how much time they spend at various locations.

Katzner’s bird was found by snowmobilers in Amenia, NY. It had sustained multiple puncture wounds on

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its left leg, likely caused by an animal; it was treated and released by Tufts last March. Prior to release, Katzner outfitted the golden eagle with a high-frequency GPS-GSM (global positioning system-global system for mobile communications) telemetry unit that his company, Cellular Tracking Technologies, LLC created, and a tracking band.

The data revealed surprising Winter 2013

200 Miles

using a

device of his own design information. During the winter, the bird remained in the northeastern United States, including parts of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

During the winter, the bird remained in the northeastern United States, including parts of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. During the spring it flew to a remote spot in Quebec near the Labrador border.

Katzner called that migration, “completely unexpected.”

There was no mobile phone service in the area so data on the bird’s travels were stored until it reentered more populous regions of the United States last month. What followed was a data bonanza that Katzner transformed into a detailed map of the bird’s flight.

“Working with this golden eagle is an exciting opportunity for us, both because it is so rare for them to show up here and also because it gave us the opportunity to showcase our facility and the important link to science through our collaboration with WVU,” said Florina Tseng, director of Tufts Wildlife Clinic.

Katzner’s maps will also be invaluable in advising the billion-dollar wind power industry on where to build new plants that are eagle-friendly. The data will also build on Katzner’s research, which he says will expand to include more golden eagles, more locations and different species of birds over the next few years.

Winter 2013

Winter 2011–12 Spring 2011 Summer 2011 Fall 2011 Winter 2010 –11 Spring 2012

“We’ve gotten huge amounts of basic ecological and behavioral data that we would have never known anything about,” he said. “It’s all new. And it’s amazing. This telemetry gives us so much insight into what these birds are doing,” he said.

Katzner will continue to collaborate with wildlife researchers, individuals, businesses and government agencies,

using WVU as the hub for global golden eagle research.

“I’ve been building this for years but it really took off when I got to WVU,” he said. “WVU has provided me with the infrastructure and capacity to expand this network. Every year it picks up more steam, and it really has expanded in the last two years.” D

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ROVER THE

Project

By David Welsh

A 2011 report on the needs of veterans as they return to the labor force included some troubling statistics, including a higher-than-average unemployment rate and a threefold increase in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the last decade.

A team of West Virginia University researchers and an area nonprofit are partnering with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to see if man’s best friend can help veterans both recover and return to the workforce.

“Although there is significant interest in service dogs for veterans to aid in readjustment, the focus has not been on employment,” said Matt Wilson, project leader and interim director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional

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Sciences in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design at WVU. “There is a resounding lack of empirical evidence documenting whether the provision of service dogs is of therapeutic benefit for persons with PTSD — other than the generally accepted, positive effects of humananimal companionship,” Wilson continued.

The institute has provided $273,202 to allow the WVU-led team to collaborate on Project ROVER, Returning Our Veterans to Employment and Reintegration. Project ROVER is a component of a larger NIOSH initiative related to total worker health and its focus on veterans.

The Project ROVER team will examine the therapeutic benefits of service dogs that are trained to provide physical and psychological assistance to veterans, and determine the impact of this assistance on the veterans’ ability to cope with the symptoms of PTSD and function effectively in the workplace.

The Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences has been offering innovative (and popular) courses in service dog training since 2006, and the ROVER project will provide an organic means of expanding the purposes and potential benefits of those courses.

WVU’s partnership with the HumanAnimal Bond, Inc., a nonprofit that operates the Morgantown-based Hearts of Gold Service Dog Project, is central to the WVU and NIOSH effort.

One of the Hearts of Gold volunteers, Clarksburg resident Clay Rankin and his service dog Harley, will be on hand to add some first-person perspective to the project.

Rankin is a combat veteran of the first Gulf War and completed multiple tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His own return to work was facilitated by the acquisition of a mobility and psychological assistance dog. Rankin has served as an Army Wounded Warrior liaison, has assisted in the placement of service dogs with veterans and is on the Winter 2013

Board of Directors for Patriot Paws, the organization that provided Harley.

“Clay will be invaluable in providing perspectives on the surveys, focus groups, literature review, and the various contexts and tasks for the laboratorybased clinical case studies,” Wilson said.

WVU and Hearts of Gold are collaborating with the PTSD Rehabilitation Program staff at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Clarksburg on the development of the ROVER project.

Key to that collaboration has been Joseph R. Scotti, a clinical psychologist in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU. Scotti has more than 30 years of research experience and clinical work with people with a range of psychiatric disorders, primarily PTSD and developmental disabilities.

He completed a major survey of 1,100 veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to identify service-related psychological, physiological, functional and social issues, and testified before the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on his findings. Scotti provides research consultation to Project ROVER. Richard T. Gross, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at the Chestnut Ridge Center, is providing expertise in clinical psychology and behavior analysis.

Anne Foreman, a WVU Ph.D. candidate in psychology and certified professional dog trainer, is one of the instructors of the University’s service dog training courses. Foreman has a master of science degree in psychology from WVU. Megan Maxwell, owner of Pet Behavior Change in State College, Pa., earned her master’s and doctorate in psychology and has provided consultation in animal behavior, training procedures and research design for the project.

The project team is working with two NIOSH scientists to conduct the research. Lindsay Parenti, M.S., a boardcertified behavior analyst and certified dog trainer is a NIOSH Research Fellow, and Oliver Wirth, Ph.D., a research psychologist, is the NIOSH Project Officer on the ROVER project.

Both are graduates of the behavior analysis program in the Department of Psychology at WVU. D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 5

Room to grow: A photo tour of the new

Evansdale Greenhouse

In September, West Virginia University celebrated a major new facility on its Evansdale campus with the dedication of the Evansdale Greenhouse.

It is the first completed facility in a multiyear, $159.5 million building plan that is remaking the Evansdale campus and providing an economic boost far beyond its borders.

“The Evansdale Greenhouse is a brick-and-mortar representation of so many goals of WVU’s 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future,” said Daniel J. Robison, dean of the Davis College.

“It will serve as an incubator for innovative, interdisciplinary research in the STEM disciplines, and it will enhance our learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students in a wide range of disciplines.

The 28,250 square-foot facility provides wet and dry lab spaces, two academic classrooms, an office, and support spaces, as well as 13 grow rooms. As part of a collaboration with the Davis College, the USDA Forest Service will occupy office, laboratory and growth space in the facility.

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Winter 2013

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Winter 2013

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 7

WVU researchers explore

New River Gorge cliffs

By Lindsay Willey

A team of researchers at West Virginia University want to better understand the cliffs surrounding the New River Gorge and what attracts visitors to the world-class climbing area in order to preserve it.

WVU was awarded a $235,000 grant from the National Park Service to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the cliffs in the New River Gorge National River.

The three-year, interdisciplinary project, which began in 2010, includes an assessment of geological and botanical components, as well as a comprehensive assessment of recreational users of the cliff areas.

Leading the team is Dave Smaldone, associate professor of recreation, parks, and tourism resources in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design.

He is joined by Steven Kite, associate professor of geology and geography, and Amy Hessl, associate professor of geography, both in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

According to Smaldone, until now the majority of the cliff ecosystems of the national river were geologically and biologically unexplored. In addition, visitor use of the cliff resources had never been systemically studied.

“This is a worldclass climbing destination,” he said.

“It’s important for us to understand why hikers and climbers visit here and the 8 /

types of activities they do.”

To gain that understanding, Smaldone employed a variety of assessment tools to gauge visitor knowledge, attitudes, management preferences and recreational impacts regarding the cliffs.

“Some preliminary findings reveal that climbers are more likely to be repeat visitors to the river than hikers,” he said. “We found differences in attitudes and management preferences between climbers and hikers. In addition, differences were found between more finely segmented groups of visitors, such as locals and nonlocals, first time and repeat climbers, and so forth.”

Further analysis of these segmented Winter 2013

groups will be used to help the park develop targeted educational materials to deliver key messages to specific types of audiences.

Over the last 28 years, annual recreational visits to the river have risen from 230,000 to over 1.1 million. Rock climbing has also become increasingly popular within the park, with more than 1,600 established climbing routes.

“With an increase in hikers, climbers and other visitors, the National Park Service was concerned that impacts to the cliff areas may also be increasing,” Smaldone said. “Certain vegetative communities and rock outcrops are known to be susceptible to human impacts. If we know what types of habitats are growing there we’re able to better educate visitors on the importance of the areas, and how to minimize their impact.”

Kite’s effort focused on the geologic components of the cliffs and used Winter 2013

mapping techniques to describe the extent of the cliffs and associated bedrock petrology, stratigraphy and structural geology.

For the botanical component, Hessl surveyed, inventoried and mapped the cliff vegetation and their associated communities, including the plants, bryophytes, and lichens. Also assisting in the efforts was Susan Studlar, visiting associate professor of biology and curator of bryophyte and lichen for the WVU Herbarium.

“We found a variety of species that were thought to be uncommon are quite common,” Smaldone said. “What’s most exciting for plant and lichen folks, however, is we also found unique and rare species. For example, some rare plants included Carex and danthonia species, as well as Dusky Rock moss, an uncommon bryophyte that is endemic to West Virginia.”

Rare lichens found include cliff gold dust (Chrysothrix susquehannensis), previously unknown in West Virginia, and Frosted rock tripe (Umbilicaria americana), which was initially thought to have been eliminated from the area.

While cliffs have often been thought of

as places with little plant diversity, the botanical team found this was not true.

In all, 139 species of vascular plants, 130 species of lichens, and 93 species of bryophytes were identified growing on the tops, bottoms or cliff faces in the New River Gorge.

Now in the final stages of data analysis, the team will partner with Penn State University, where the data will be compiled into one final synthesis report.

This summer and fall Kathryn McKenney, a graduate student in the recreation, parks, and tourism resources program, will use the gathered data to develop targeted educational materials for use inside the park.

While the exact materials have yet to be determined, Smaldone believes there will be a variety of products, including brochures and signs as well as interpretive projects targeted for specific visitor groups.

“Since hikers and climbers access the area for different reasons, it’s important for us to determine how we can best increase awareness of the uniqueness of the cliff resources and minimize the impact on them,” Smaldone said.

Smaldone expects initial educational materials to be ready for distribution sometime in fall 2012, while the full report on their findings will be prepared in 2013. D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 9

Day of Design showcases student work

By David Welsh

Whether they specialize in stylish and sustainable interiors or cutting-edge couture, students in the Division of Design and Merchandising have honed their crafts. The public was invited to share their vision at the Day of Design in April at the Erickson Alumni Center.

Junior and senior students in WVU’s interior design and fashion design and merchandising programs displayed their work and shared their study-abroad experiences. Junior and senior students in fashion design staged a runway show followed by a reception.

Beyond sharing and celebrating student work, the Day of Design provided more opportunities to hone their skills. Lindsey Matre, a senior student with an emphasis in fashion merchandising with her eyes set on a career as a creative director, served as director for the fashion show.

“A creative director is the eyes and ears of a company, overseeing a store’s merchandise, advertisements, windows,

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Winter 2013

displays and catalogues,” said Matre, of Middletown, N.J. “They must be organized, but have a creative eye to make sure the company is being representative with the best and current trends.”

The opportunity to be the fashion show director for the Day of Design Show gave Matre a taste of the responsibilities of a creative director.

“For the show, I must be involved with all of the committees and their coordinators — staging, models, public relations, merchandise, commentary, and the program editor,” she said. “I am also in contact with the designers, as well as the interior design program.

“The experience will prepare me for the next stage of my career, and give me valuable hands-on experience you can’t learn from a book,” Matre said. “I am a senior expecting to graduate December 2012, and this experience gives me the confidence that I’m on the right path to reach my goals.” D

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Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 11

WVU joins battle against

pasture parasites

Research targets sheep industry’s biggest woe breeds,” Bowdridge said.

While lamb and wool prices are at an all-time high, the WVU graduate students He’s in the second year of sheep industry is facing a devastating threat in the form of Jesica Jacobs, animal raising and studying St. Croix destructive parasites. physiology, and Rush Holt, animal and nutritional sheep on WVU’s Animal Science “Parasites are becoming resistant to every drug we have sciences, check the sheep flock Farm in Morgantown. The sheep on the market,” said Scott Bowdridge, an assistant professor of at the Animal Sciences Farm were provided by colleagues at food animal production at West Virginia University. “It’s a huge, in Morgantown.

Virginia Tech, and they’ve been huge problem.” raised and studied at WVU’s Bowdridge, raised-floor sheep facility at the with the help of farm. The raised floor allows a $150,000 grant Bowdridge, along with three from the USDA graduate and four undergraduate National Institute students, to control parasite of Food and exposure in the sheep and better Agriculture (NIFA), monitor the animals’ response. is working on a These St. Croix hair sheep may hold the secret He’s also working with WVU’s solution. to protecting their commercially viable cousins Organic Research Project.

The answers from deadly parasites.

Once Bowdridge has may be found in determined the mechanics the St. Croix hair Scott Bowdridge, assistant of the immune response in sheep. As its name suggests, it’s a tropical breed and, according professor of animal and St. Croix sheep, he hopes to to Bowdridge, the breed developed under constant exposure nutritional sciences, is work with private industry to to parasites. That exposure resulted in a super-charged immune studying ways to boost the develop dietary supplements response to assault from parasitic invaders. immune systems of sheep. that will trigger a similar boost “Unfortunately, the St. Croix has lower commercial value in in commercial sheep. He’s currently in discussions with the United States,” Bowdridge explained. Breeds like Suffolk sheep industry leaders to secure private support for ongoing are much more prized by America’s meat and wool producers, research and product development to supplement the seed but the Suffolk sheep are relatively helpless in the face of funding from NIFA. parasitic assault.

Bowdridge considers the funding itself something of a This is especially true for sheep raised on grass. As milestone. “This is the first grant I’ve ever written in the demand for grass-fed and organically my life,” he said. He credits his success to the produced lambs and wool research infrastructure at WVU, particularly a increases, producers are even grant writer’s workshop offered by the WVU more threatened by animals Research Office. lost to parasitic infection.

“Providing WVU faculty researchers with Bowdridge is following a few the tools and expertise they need to go after different paths in his research. One is competitive funding opportunities is one the possibility of cross-breeding the St. of the key functions of the Research Croix with commercial sheep species Office that supports the University’s to see if their strong immune system strategic plan goals,” Mridul Gautam, passes down to the offspring. More associate vice president for research, importantly, he’s trying to figure out said. Scholarly accomplishments what makes the St. Croix sheep’s aside, Bowdridge is most focused immune systems so robust. on outcomes for a growing industry “The St. Croix sheep launch an under threat. “I’m just happy to be immediate, very aggressive attack on able to do something to help sheep any parasite that enters their system, A St. Croix hair sheep settles into the facility at producers,” he said. D and you don’t see that in commercial WVU’s Animal Sciences Farm in Morgantown.

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Gift to WVU Davis College

will support upgrades, research at farm

By Julie Cryser

When an anonymous donor gave $50,000 this spring to help turn cow manure and moldy hamburgers into electricity or to revamp buildings and buy equipment on the WVU Farm, it came with a challenge: the funding had to be matched each year by others before the donor would make the gift.

And in less than six months, WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design alumni and friends met the challenge, and then some. For the first year, more than 100 donors gave more than $13,000 to match the initial $10,000 gift, providing just over $23,000 to put toward new projects or old problems on the farm.

The original donor established the WVU Davis College Farm Project Fund in the spring to provide $50,000 over five years for improvement projects at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design farms, with first preference given to using the funding as a match for developing an anaerobic digester.

“We are very grateful that our donors are willing to take on projects that have not traditionally been tackled using private funds,” said former WVU Davis College Interim Dean Rudolph P. Almasy. “This gift provides leverage for attracting additional dollars for farm projects that are sometimes difficult to fund.”

Winter 2013

The donor’s intent was to use the funds to help spark interest in building the anaerobic digester, which takes organic waste and turns it into a biogas that is directed to an internal combustion engine coupled with an electric generator. The process also produces a nutrient-rich substance that can be used as a liquid fertilizer or dried and used for compost or animal bedding.

Use of anaerobic digesters is a common method of handling organic wastes and generating electricity in industry and on farms in Europe. In the United States, the technology has developed rapidly over the past three decades, and now more than 125 digesters are in operation on farms across the country.

The WVU Davis College Animal Sciences Farm, located off Stewartstown Road on the outskirts of Morgantown, produces about 432 tons of manure a year from a 40-head dairy herd, more than 50 beef cattle, 100 sheep, chickens and hogs. WVU’s Office of Sustainability and Dining Services have partnered with the Davis College to examine the amount of food waste that is generated on campus and how it could be converted into electricity and high-quality organic matter using the digester.

The College’s Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences has determined that this process could produce about $40,000 worth of electricity each year. The division

could also sell the fertilizer and save the University the cost of landfill tipping fees, allowing WVU to recover its costs for building the digester in just more than five years.

“This process is sustainable, environmentally friendly and a costefficient mechanism for disposing of waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill and contribute to methane gas that could be captured and converted to electricity” said Matthew Wilson, the college’s Interim Director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences. “But the great thing about this fund is that we will have the flexibility to use it in a number of ways, either to leverage funding for the anaerobic digester or to make other farm improvements.”

The digester would also be used as a demonstration project, with research conducted on building the lowest-cost, most-efficient mechanisms and on developing new, sustainable systems for protecting the environment.

An annual fund campaign will be launched using the $50,000 as a match to spark interest from other potential donors to assist with the development of the digester or to pay for other farm improvements. The funding will also be leveraged in grant proposals to help attract additional dollars.

The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, a private nonprofit corporation that generates and provides support for WVU. D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 13

2012 WVU Foundation Outstanding Teacher

There are teachers who merely teach, and then there are teachers who change lives.

Six West Virginia University faculty members were named recipients of the 2012 WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching.

The cohort of honorees teach diverse subjects, but they all share a common goal: Delivering a high-quality education to WVU students to last a lifetime.

The 2012 honorees were Brian Ballentine, assistant professor and professional writing and editing coordinator in the WVU Professional Writing and Editing program; Ken Blemings, professor of nutritional biochemistry; Gina Martina Dahlia, teaching assistant professor of broadcast news; James W. Lewis, assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology; Mark Schraf, teaching instructor in chemistry; and Kate Staples, assistant professor of history.

Kenneth P. Blemings, professor of nutritional biochemistry in the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, is a mastermind at memorizing.

Meet the latter.

He’s also well-known for his ability to learn about 150 different names each semester for his AGBI 410 class.

“He deals impartially with students, provides honest feedback on performance, and suggests alternative practices for those who seek improvement,” said John Barnard, a medical student who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at WVU. “The strategy that he employed gave me the skills to become a self-directed learner and highlighted the relevance of biochemistry to the working world.”

Blemings was also appointed to serve as the assistant director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences’ academic programs in 2010. He also teaches mini-college lectures to Honors/AP biology and chemistry classes across the state to try to recruit students to WVU. Blemings uses group homework assignments to allow students to learn such difficult material together. By using a tandem of group assignments and presentations, he was also able to improve the AGBI 410 drop/fail rate by 50 percent. His overall attitude stands out most to his students and it helps him persuade student interaction in lectures and motivates them to be enthusiastic in lab classes and field trips.

“My most effective teaching tools are the connections I have with my students, my sense of humor, and the high expectations that I effectively communicate to the students,” Blemings said. “I enjoy helping young people reach their career aspirations. It is an opportunity to influence society.” D

Kenneth P. Blemings

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2012 Benedum Distinguished Scholar

“He is the first researcher in North America to address the potential merit of using functional genomic and molecular approaches to identify gene markers for muscle atrophy and fillet quality selection.”

Jianbo Yao, associate professor of animal and nutritional sciences, is in the front lines of a national project to study the genome of rainbow trout.

He, along with Arun Ross, the Robet C. Byrd Associate Professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and Mary Ann Samyn, associate professor of creative writing and poetry, were recognized with the Claude Worthington Benedum Distinguished Scholar Awards, which honor excellent faculty in creative research at West Virginia University.

“The Benedum Award recognizes distinction in research, scholarship or creative activity, said Provost Michele Wheatly. “The truly wonderful thing about these three Benedum professors is that they exemplify not only the excellence of our faculty but the diversity of that excellence across disciplines and departments.”

The award, handed out in three categories — physical sciences and technology, biosciences and health sciences, and humanities and the arts — recognizes distinction in research, scholarship or creative activity. Each recipient received $5,000 in professional support, provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

Each gave a lecture as part of the award. Yao presented in on “Functional Characterization of Oocyte-specific Maternal Effect Genes in Cattle.”

Yao has contributed significant research into the fields of molecular genetics of rainbow trout and physiology and genetics in bovine reproduction. He heads the Rainbow Jianbo Yao Trout Genome Project in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and his work has been widely noticed and cited by fish and aquaculture scientists.

His work in developing genomic resources for rainbow trout has paved the way for further genetic improvements in the trout cultivation industry, and his work has identified what contributes to muscle growth and fillet quality in trout.

In addition to his lauded work in trout, Yao has studied female reproduction in cattle, specifically the importance of oocyte-specific genes in early development of bovine embryos.

Aside from contributing important research to his fields, Yao has published prolifically in high-profile journals. He’s also garnered five USDA grants since 2004, an uncommon feat.

George Smith, professor of animal sciences at Michigan State University, said Yao’s research can improve the in vitro embryo production in cattle and possibly the efficiency of reproductive technology in women.

“Such discoveries are likely to attract significant recognition in the future and open additional opportunities for extramural funding,” Smith said.

Wansheng Liu, associate professor of animal genomics at Pennsylvania State University, said of Yao, “He is the first researcher in North America to address the potential merit of using functional genomic and molecular approaches to identify gene markers for muscle atrophy and fillet quality selection.”

Yao has previously been named outstanding researcher in the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design.

Yao’s research specialization is functional genomics and the discovery of novel genes, including oocyte-specific maternal effect genes that play an important role in early embryonic development in cattle. He has been able to demonstrate that microRNAs play a significant role in the regulation of expression of these maternal effect genes during the maternal to zygotic transition in cattle embryos. Additionally, Yao has made significant contributions to the map of the genome of rainbow trout. Using state-of-the-art technology he developed, Yao has carried out a series of studies to identify genes affecting economically important traits in the popular food fish.

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Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 15

D

Outstanding Seniors

By Lindsay Willey

Last April, West Virginia University recognized its top seniors with the WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior Award.

Of the 36 honorees, seven were awarded the University’s most prestigious student honor — the Order of Augusta.

The Davis College was fortunate to have six bright and talented students named to the list.

Representing the College as 2012 Foundation Outstanding Seniors were Brittany Bowman, Amy Burt, Tina Hoggarth, Katrina Lawrence, Jedson Liggett II, and Christian Roper.

Burt and Hoggarth were also named to the Order of Augusta.

In addition to the University honors, Burt, Liggett and Roper were recognized as outstanding seniors by the College. Joining them were Maribeth Allen, Will Haus, and David Mitchell.

Maribeth Allen Maribeth Allen accomplished a lot during her four years at WVU. Through a combination of class work, extracurricular activities and work experience, she feels she grew as a student and as a person.

Allen, an interior design graduate from Pittsford, N.Y., was named the 2012 outstanding senior for the Division of Design and Merchandising.

While at WVU, she was an active member of the student chapter for the American Society of Interior Designers, serving as president during her senior year.

As a sophomore, Allen was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and remains an active member.

Davis College Division Directors and 2012 Outstanding Seniors (l-r): Joe McNeel, Will Haus, Matt Wilson, Jedson Liggett II, Christian Roper, Denny Smith, Amy Burt, Jerald Fletcher, Maribeth Allen, Barbara McFall, and Barton Baker. Not pictured: David Mitchell

Brittany Bowman Brittany Bowman, of Walkersville, Md., said she achieved more than she dreamed and gained a lifetime of friends and professional contacts at WVU. Along the way, she continued to be a well-rounded individual who was active in the community.

Bowman was named a Foundation Outstanding Senior.

She transferred to WVU in the fall of 2010 to complete her undergraduate degree in agricultural and extension education and participated in many Future Farmers of America events during her short time at the University.

Bowman also worked as a program assistant at the Frederick County Young Farmers Quarter Auction. She was also the recipient of the College’s Outstanding Junior Award.

Amy Burt As a firstgeneration college student, Amy Burt believes she has achieved more than anyone dreamed she would.

The Salem, Ohio, native graduated from WVU with dual bachelor of science degrees in agribusiness management and rural development and mining engineering.

For her perseverance and achievements, Burt was named to the Order of Augusta and named the 2012 outstanding senior for the Division of Resource Management.

16 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

As a member of the Davis College Student Ambassadors, Burt served as a tour guide for prospective high school students and was involved in various college recruitment activities. She served as president of the Davis College Student Council her senior year and coordinated the College’s annual Welcome Back Barbeque.

She received the Outstanding Junior and Outstanding Senior awards from Gamma Sigma Delta and the Richard Russell Award for Outstanding Service and Leadership. She was an active member of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, and vicepresident of the Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration.

Will Haus Will Haus, a wildlife and fisheries resources graduate from Belmont, N.C., was named the 2012 outstanding senior for the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources.

During his time at WVU, Haus was named to the dean’s and president’s list, and he was a recipient of the outstanding sophomore award from Gamma Sigma Delta.

He was a member of the student chapters of the Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society (AFS). As a senior, Haus served as vice president for AFS and attended various national and state meetings.

As a member of these professional societies, he made it his personal goal to help underclassmen find volunteer and Winter 2013

internship experiences.

After graduation, Haus decided to continue his education and enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Maryland.

Tina Hoggarth Hailing from Petersburg, Tina Hoggarth successfully met the challenge of balancing her work as a teaching assistant, a tutor and volunteer work at the Monongahela Animal Shelter along with her studies.

Hoggarth, a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, graduated from WVU in May with a degree in animal and nutritional sciences.

She was named to the Order of Augusta.

Her decision to enter veterinary science came after a summer volunteering with an animal shelter.

After that, there was no question what major she wanted to pursue.

Hoggarth spent much of her free time during her senior year honing her research skills to find ways to kill internal parasites by culturing her own specimens from sheep’s wool.

Katrina Lawrence Katrina Lawrence of Carmichaels, Pa., graduated from WVU as a fouryear senior in the Mountaineer Marching Band.

“Every year, we work harder than the last to earn the title of ‘Pride’ of West Virginia,” Lawrence said.

Additionally, Lawrence was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Xi Sigma Pi National Forestry Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key International Honor Society and Alpha Lambda Delta.

Lawrence was named a Foundation Outstanding Senior.

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Since Lawrence’s ultimate career goal is to become a lawyer, she chose the wildlife and fisheries resources program to provide herself with the necessary skills to excel in the legal profession specializing in environmental law.

Jedson Liggett II According to Jedson Liggett II, college is meant to be more than just learning — it’s meant to be an experience of a lifetime.

After graduating with a bachelor of science degree in animal and nutritional sciences, the Huttonsville, W.Va., native could truly say his time at WVU embodied that statement.

His combination of academic, community and personal achievements led him to be named a Foundation Outstanding Senior, and the Outstanding Senior for the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences. He was also the recipient of the PROMISE Scholarship, the Davis-Michael Scholars Program Scholarship, and the H.E. Kidder Memorial Scholarship.

As a member of the WVU Honors College, he had the opportunity to conduct research with Dan Panaccione, professor of mycology and genetics.

He has been accepted to the WVU School of Medicine and plans to pursue a general surgery residency.

David Mitchell David Mitchell, a horticulture graduate from Marlinton, W.Va., was named the outstanding senior for the Davis College’s Division of Plant and Soil Sciences.

He was the recipient of the PROMISE Scholarship, Mountaineer Scholarship, and the “Apples” McClelland and White Hall Scholarship, among others.

Actively involved with several clubs and organizations, Mitchell was the secretary of the WVU Rock Climbing Club and a member of the Horticulture Club and WVU Collegiate 4-H. During his time at WVU, Mitchell was able to participate in undergraduate research with Eugenia Pena-Yewtukhiw, assistant professor of soil science, on soil bulk density under grazing conditions. He also had to opportunity to work with Nicole Waterland, assistant professor of horticulture, on the development of antitranspirents for horticulture plants.

He plans to attend Virginia Tech to pursue a master’s degree in forestry.

Christian Roper For the last 11 years of his life, Christian Roper has known he wanted to be a law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service.

Roper, an Elkridge, Md., native who graduated with a degree in multidisciplinary studies (concentrations in recreation, parks, and tourism resources, forest resource management and equine management), was named a Foundation Outstanding Senior and an outstanding senior in the Davis College.

Roper was the vice president for the WVU Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, which organizes many activities including forestry-related seminars. He was a member of the board of directors and a field team leader of the Mountaineer Area Rescue Group.

He was also a three-year park ranger with the Maryland Park Service and a University Police Department cadet.

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 17

Davis College

students make a name for themselves in the virtual or physical incubator space as the young entrepreneurs launch their businesses.

In the five years that Holehouse’s students have competed in the statewide competition, they have become a force to be reckoned with. With 171 business ideas entered, the rural entrepreneurship class has produced 39 semifinalists, 18 finalists, one runner-up and five winners.

Statewide Collegia

West Virginia

Students in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design continue to distinguish themselves as budding entrepreneurs by virtue of their participation in the West Virginia Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition.

This competition affords college students around the state the unique opportunity to make a business idea come to life with the support of state institutions of higher education and seasoned business professionals from around the country.

Davis College students have the opportunity to enroll in associate professor Fonda Holehouse’s rural entrepreneurship class, which is offered through the Division of Resource Management.

Students taking this course are required to develop a new business idea and prepare an executive summary for their idea and submit it to the competition. These entries are evaluated by educators, investors and business owners, and the field is narrowed to ten semifinalists in two categories — lifestyle and innovation and hospitality and tourism.

The 20 semifinalists proceed to round two where they develop a feasibility analysis and pitch their idea to investors, educators and the business community. From these semifinalists, five are chosen in each category to move on to develop a full-fledged business plan.

These plans are presented to the public and are judged in the spring of each school year. The winner in each category receives $10,000.00 in cash, accounting and legal services, and

lifestyle and innovation

18 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

Winter 2013

statewide entrepreneurship competition For the 2011-2012 competition, 44 of the 117 entries were from Holehouse’s class. Eight of the 20 semifinalists were from the Davis College and enrolled in the rural entrepreneurship class, and six of those eight entrepreneurial ventures moved into the finals.

Davis College finalists in the hospitality and tourism category included Katie Workman for Homestyle Meals at Snowshoe;

Competiton

ate Business Plan

Jameson Holehouse and John Howard for Pranzo Veloce Italian Food Truck; and Brianna Heckert and Alexandra Bay for Whistlin’ Dixie’s Western Saloon.

In the lifestyle and innovation category, Davis College finalists included Jenna Mullins for Bella Boots; Meg Grzeskiewicz for Bulls-I Breeding Technology; and Ruth Mary Oldham for Full Circle Compost.

These eight aspiring entrepreneurs were assigned business coaches and faculty mentors and received $1,000 in funding to continue to develop their business plans. Their final plans were presented to a panel of judges in April 2012 — and Davis College students placed first in each category.

Grzeskiewicz’s innovative artificial insemination positioner could revolutionize the field of artificial insemination by utilizing a patentable, high-tech approach to the placement of the artificial insemination rod: she won the Lifestyle and Innovation category.

As winner of the Hospitality and Tourism category, Katie Workman stands ready to capitalize on the farm-to-table movement bringing her take on local cuisine to visitors of Snowshoe Resort and the surrounding communities.

The 2012-13 competition is in full-swing, and the semifinalists were recently announced. Of the 20 teams, eleven feature Davis College students.

For more information on the competition and to stay up-todate with this year’s teams, visit http://be.wvu.edu/bpc. D

hospitality and toursim

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Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 19

Notable

Armstrong caps career with high honor By David Welsh

Jim Armstrong Jim Armstrong retired in May after more than 30 years teaching wood science and technology at West Virginia University. He’s looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren and settling into a new home outside of Austin, Texas.

He misses working with the students, faculty, and staff of the wood science and technology program and, he misses being on the front lines of the rapidly evolving discipline and the profession it serves.

But there was compensation for any ambivalent feelings Armstrong may have toward ending a three-decade career.

He earned one of the highest honors in the field of wood science.

Armstrong will receive the Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession of Wood Science and Technology from the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST), the discipline’s premier, international professional organization, a turn of events that has left him, in his own words, “blown away.”

The selection process for the award is extremely rigorous, requiring letters of support and nomination from at

least ten members of the Society who recognize the recipient’s overall contributions to the wood science profession. Among the nomination letters, Armstrong received the support of eight past presidents of the society, citing his distinguished career as an educator and researcher and his tireless service to SWST. “It’s the best thing that’s happened to me in my career,” Armstrong says. “When I look at the list of past recipients and think of the people who have yet to receive it, I’m humbled.”

Joe McNeel, director of WVU’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources and Armstrong’s colleague in its wood science program, understands the humbling aspect, but he isn’t surprised by Armstrong’s achievement.

“Jim’s record of continued service to the Society and the discipline is substantial,” McNeel said, citing Armstrong’s service as past president of the organization and work on its accreditation process. “This award is a wonderful gesture and a great capstone accomplishment for Jim’s impressive career.”

Armstrong will receive the SWTS award, along with a life membership to the organization, at its June 2013 meeting in Austin. D

Betty Forbes

Forbes named dietitian of the year Though she recently concluded a 41-year career as a nutrition educator at West Virginia University, Betty J. Forbes, RD, LD, couldn’t say no to one more professional obligation.

She helped organize the annual meeting of the West Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, held in Morgantown in mid-May. The chance to help the Academy celebrate its 70th anniversary as an affiliate of the national

20 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

Winter 2013

mother and great aunt taught home economics, and her sister is a dietitian.

Other family members worked in the fields of nuclear and biological sciences.

“Maybe this is why I was interested in a profession which joins pure science for people,” Forbes said. “Scientists determine how much calcium is necessary, and dietitians educate people on food sources and the necessity of having calcium in the diet.”

Her early experiences as a hospital dietitian prepared her for the classroom.

“Working with patients with all types of medical issues allowed me to have a wealth of real-life situations to share with WVU students,” she said.

Forbes marvels at the way teaching has changed over her tenure at WVU. “When I started teaching, we used a mimeograph machine to duplicate tests and graded them by hand,” she said. New technology had its benefits for both educators and clinicians, but, Forbes joked, “answering e-mail from 400 students a semester was time consuming, to say the least.”

She traveled extensively during her career, joining a team of USDA scientists on a visit to Ireland and teaching nutrition in a nursing college in Mexico. She developed new courses and student experiences at WVU and helped craft public education programs, worked with professional organizations, and volunteered her time with disadvantaged communities.

One accomplishment she’s particularly proud of was subtler but not less important. “Students in the introductory nutrition class I taught documented making positive lifestyle changes as a result of material I presented,” she said. “I have had many opportunities to have a positive impact upon the health of West Virginians.”

Forbes is devoting her retirement to five Fs, — “faith, family, friends, food for the less fortunate, and fun.” D

Winter 2013

Cameron Ray Hackney The West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design community was saddened to hear about the passing of Cameron Ray Hackney, who died unexpectedly November 2, 2012.

An alumnus of the Davis College, Cameron came back to Morgantown in July 2000 as Dean of the Davis College and Director of the West Virginia Experiment station at WVU. When he left his deanship in June 2011, he was the longest-serving agricultural dean in WVU’s history.

Cameron was very proud of his alma mater, especially his college and its faculty and staff.

He was extremely proud of the College’s accomplishments in research, particularly that the College had the highest research dollars per faculty in the University. Cameron was a builder; under his leadership he oversaw planning and construction of the South Agricultural Sciences Addition, envisioned and secured funds of over $8 million for the new greenhouse complex, and worked tirelessly to envision and plan the new building for the Agricultural Sciences. Cameron was proud of the 25 percent increase in student numbers under his watch, and he excelled in development. Since July 2011, Cameron had served as Special Assistant to the Provost.

The Davis College has created a scholarship fund in memory of its former leader. Checks for the scholarship fund should be written to the WVU Foundation. Please write “In Memory of Cameron Hackney” and the fund number, 2U047, in the memo line of the check.

The scholarship will be given out based on the amount of money collected and will be awarded by the dean annually until the funds are depleted.

For additional information, please contact Julie Cryser, Davis College development director, at julie.cryser@mail.wvu.edu. Checks should be written to the “WVU Foundation” with “In Memory of Dr. Hackney, Fund 2U047” in the memo line of the check. Checks should be sent to Cryser’s attention, 1168 Agricultural Sciences Building, PO Box 6108, WVU Davis College, Morgantown, WV 26506-6108. D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 21

e eee

“Three Rs” give way to the “Four Es”

By David Welsh

Coal may be king in West Virginia, but there are other

members of the Mountain State’s royal family of energy including natural gas, wind, solar, and biofuels. These are taking their places in the state’s energy portfolio, and industry is looking for graduates who see the big picture.

Two West Virginia University educators are crafting programs that foster those industry-ready graduates with the assistance of a $150,000 grant from the Benedum Foundation.

Fonda Holehouse and Gerard D’Souza, faculty in the agricultural and resource economics program in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, are developing a range of initiatives under an umbrella they call “E*Quad.”

E*Quad encompasses and synthesizes existing WVU offerings in the fields of energy, the environment, entrepreneurship and economics — the four “Es” that make up E*Quad.

Holehouse and D’Souza are developing an undergraduate major specifically designed to train energy and regulatory industry employees, as well as budding entrepreneurs, with a keen sense of the challenges and opportunities inherent in providing power for an energy-hungry nation.

“This undergraduate program will

help students understand the context that energy companies operate in, helping them to develop a balanced approach rather than a more polarized perspective,” Holehouse explained.

“Our goal is to create a program that produces graduates who have the

and the energy industry and the federal and state agencies that regulate it. E*Quad will result in the creation of an interdisciplinary major aimed at growing student interest in the expanding energy and environmental control sector in West Virginia and surrounding states.

“The proposed curriculum is rigorous yet flexible in that it can be tailored through appropriate

ENERGY ENVIRONMENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECONOMICS big picture about the energy industry.”

Holehouse has developed a clear sense of the needs of the energy industry. Over the past several years, she’s led a summer travel course taking WVU students to energy sites in the region and introduced them to industry and regulatory professionals.

She’s also formed strong ties to those professionals along the way.

The proposed new E*Quad major will strengthen existing and foster new connections between WVU students

22 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

coursework and internship training to best meet student interests, as well as the option to pursue graduate education,” D’Souza said.

“The E*Quad major will integrate existing courses from law, environmental protection, entrepreneurship, energy, finance, management, economics, communications, computer sciences, accounting, geology, forestry, agronomy, marketing, biology and engineering to provide a strong foundation for those students interested in pursuing

Winter 2013

a career in the growing energy and environmental sector, whether in private business, government or energy and environmental consulting,” said D’Souza.

Students will also be prepared to conceive, develop and implement entrepreneurial ventures of their own design.

E*Quad not only meets the needs of the energy/environmental sector and the interests of students, it is wholly consistent with WVU’s 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future.

“E*Quad transforms curriculum offerings in a manner that encourages

entrepreneurship and innovation in a natural resource-rich state, as well as provide ways to connect prospective employers with a needed workforce,” said D’Souza. “Students are hungry to carve their own careers and innovation in the energy industry in the state.”

D’Souza and Holehouse have spent six months crafting the various components of the E*Quad program and will now start the curriculum approval process through the WVU Faculty Senate. They expect all components of E*Quad to be up and running within three years.

The Benedum family created the

“E*Quad transforms curriculum offerings in a manner that encourages innovation and provides students with skills necessary for a rapidly changing society.” innovation and provides students with skills necessary for a rapidly changing society,” said Holehouse.

In addition to encouraging interdisciplinary learning and scholarship, E*Quad will energize partnerships among academia, government and industry.

“By producing well-trained and knowledgeable graduates ready for employment and inspired to be innovative, E*Quad will contribute to the goal of promoting sustainable economic development in West Virginia and beyond,” Holehouse said.

Finally, E*Quad will be 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.

“This grant provides WVU with the seed money to build a dynamic program that will boost energy Winter 2013

Benedum Foundation with the strict intention of focusing its grant-making in the two places they called home, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Since then, it has maintained its mission of providing support to West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania and to projects where it will have the greatest impact. Grants are made to support specific initiatives in the areas of education, economic development, health and human services, community development and civic engagement.

The E*Quad grant was made to the WVU Foundation as part of A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University, a $750 million fundraising effort the Foundation is conducting on behalf of the University.

For more information on E*Quad, please contact Holehouse at 304-2935523 or FLHolehouse@mail.wvu. edu or D’Souza at 304-293-5490 or gdsouza@wvu.edu. D

E*Quad The Benedum grant will support E*Quad’s major components: • TO EXPAND the current Benedumsupported West Virginia Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition from two categories — Lifestyle and Innovation, and Hospitality and Tourism — to three. In coordination with the existing competition, this funding will launch an Energy and/or Environmental Entrepreneurship category.

• TO ESTABLISH an advisory board consisting of key players from oil and natural gas, coal and alternative energy companies, federal and state environmental agencies, and innovation and investment organizations to reflect the current needs of the industry and to assist with development of networking opportunities for students.

• TO BUILD a strong internship and postgraduate placement program, featuring one summer spent in a rotation of various sites and roles, followed by a more focused internship experience.

• TO FUND a lecture series that would be held in conjunction with the initial survey and capstone course, bringing in speakers to discuss watershed issues, small business development, litigation, energy production and environmental law.

eeee

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World turns to

unique

collection for answers

By Dan Shrensky

A peach grower in Georgia thought he had the perfect setup for a new business.

He had the capital and enough land to start a grove, and he had just fumigated the site to kill any pests or pathogens that might have stopped the trees from thriving. When weeks went by with no signs of growth, the owner panicked. Through a local extension agent, he contacted West Virginia University’s Joe Morton.

That connection saved his business and the local economy thousands of dollars.

“It was a huge acreage, and he had a big investment in these trees,” Morton said. “But they wouldn’t grow.

By fumigating the land, he’d killed off beneficial fungi in the soil that the trees needed for hardy growth.”

Acting on Morton’s advice, the grove owner brought in topsoil from neighboring land containing these fungi and the trees were given a new chance to grow.

What Morton passed on was a simple tip, the kind of knowledge he’s dispensed for the past three decades without much credit or public recognition. Listed as a professor of Plant and Soil Sciences in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, Morton is not only the owner and caretaker of the world’s largest central collection of these particular fungi, but he’s also one of the world’s leading authorities on them.

Mention “fungi” to the layperson and images of life-sapping disease and grotesque mutations may be the first things that come to mind. But endomycorrhizal fungi, which are commonly found in most soils, aren’t harmful — “they’re essential to normal and sustainable plant growth,” Morton said. Mycorrhiza refers to a fungus-root symbiosis in which both partners need each other to grow vigorously and thrive.

“These fungi are found all over the world,” Morton said. “About 80 percent of all plants can’t live in nature

24 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

without them because they can’t get the nutrients they need from roots alone.”

Additional food is delivered through fungal hyphae — filaments that branch through the soil, taking in nutrients that the roots can’t reach and transporting those nutrients into the plant.

Morton is more than an expert — he’s a multipurpose, multimedia resource. His International Collection of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi collection (called INVAM) has been funded by the National Science Foundation since 1990. The collection is housed in the Davis College’s agricultural complex, features about 1,200 cultures representing almost half of the 250 species and practically every climate around the world. The next biggest collection is in Europe and has fewer than 100 cultures.

Through his INVAM website, e-mails, and word-of-mouth networking, Morton is able to share his knowledge and make it available to researchers and students all over the world. Spore samples are loaned out on microscope-friendly glass slides.

Living cultures associated with plants are grown in two greenhouses near the lab and then that material is packaged, labeled and stored in a walk-in Winter 2013

refrigerated room. It is this material that is available for shipment for anyone in the world requesting one or more fungi.

Morton’s role is crucial because, “there are no textbooks on these fungi and no formal courses on the subject in high schools or colleges. There’s not much out there to teach you how to identify these fungi or even to work with them. So we have a website, we provide materials on loan, we answer questions by e-mail and we have visitors from all over the world. If they can afford to travel here, we help them with everything else so they can spend time in our lab as inexpensively as possible.

For students in need who have few resources, we even have used funds from the sale of cultures to sponsor their visit.

We view that as part of our service to the public.”

The role of research on mycorrhizal fungi and their symbiosis with plants is becoming more critical to global economies as communities and entrepreneurs turn to locally grown and sustainable crops that need to have these fungi in their soils.

Morton points to Mingo County as a prime example. He helped community developers there grow grapes and apple trees on privately donated tracts of land.

He also has helped several entrepreneurs, including one in southern West Virginia and one in France, develop fungus-based products that can be used by anyone. These materials aren’t agronomists’ alchemy — they can’t grow roses in the Sahara — but they can provide a significant boost and stability to a plant community in most soils and climates, especially if there has been severe disturbance or Winter 2013

environmental catastrophe.

Companies and individuals, says Morton, are, “coming to us for starter material to develop their product line.

I would say we’ve provided material to 80 percent of the companies who are selling products containing these fungi today. We also provide a service of testing these products for content and for quality.”

Spreading the gospel of INVAM also has become more important as planned and unplanned land disruptions become more widespread. Like the peach tree grower, novice farmers might unintentionally kill off soil fungi crucial to a crop’s success. Also, natural disasters such as fires or man-made disruptions like the construction of a housing development can disturb soil enough to inhibit or destroy microbial life which jeopardizes plant life.

Fertilizers also can sustain and enhance plant life, but insuring that mycorrhizal fungi are present can save land owners a significant amount of money and maintenance over time.

To put it in perspective, Morton once did a study estimating the increased cost of fertilizer required to sustain plant life in a hypothetical global extinction of mycorrhizal fungi. That

cost approximated almost $630 billion annually, he said.

“There’s not a danger of these fungi becoming extinct — they’re potentially immortal,” Morton said. “But the study points out the huge hidden economic benefit of these fungi in natural settings.”

INVAM’s “roots” date back to the early 1980s, when Morton first joined the faculty at WVU and developed his own small collection of cultures to begin his research. A few years later, he became the natural successor to a collection of similar size from the University of Florida when the curator retired. By merging the two collections, Morton was able to secure funding from the National Science Foundation that has been sustained to the present day.

Over the years, INVAM has become much more than an academic tool or a departmental bragging point. But being a resource for the world has not come without a price.

Morton says maintaining the collection is a 365-day concern and he and research assistant Bill Wheeler do almost all the work themselves for fear of cross-contamination between cultures. Both must constantly monitor the plants to make sure each fungus is growing properly and must diligently record and track information on each culture. And since there are so few experts in the field, Morton’s obligation to serve the needs of an international community is unabated. In fact, the collection is so all-consuming that Morton wonders who will take it on when he retires. “No one wants the responsibility of doing all the work that’s associated with the collection because everyone is busy already with their own research programs,” he said.

But Morton admits that the benefits outweigh the burden. “I really enjoy helping students from all around the world who need help,” Morton said. “It’s our job to train the next generation of scientists and I’m happy to take part in getting them started.” D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 25

Preserving historic buildings for future ore and generations to expl but also enjoy is rewarding lenges — poses unique chal r design and a class of interio inia students at West Virg ncing University are experie both firsthand.

As members of this semester’s Residential Interior Design (ID 375) studio course, the students have been tasked with re-envisioning an 1850 s historic farmstead in Glen Dale, W.Va. Under the direction of Kathryn Burton, assistant professor of interior design in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, the students are creating a plan to preserve Cockayne House for a hypothetical client.

“Preserving historic buildings is one means of making a record of the impact culture and society had on a particular time and place,” she said. “I wanted to give students the opportunity to use an existing historic site. I’ve worked on other projects with the Cockayne House folks and knew we could work out some way of exposing our students to the historic treasures available there.”

An artist first, Burton believes the best interior design solutions are found when design, color, art, history and architecture intersect.

“The influences of culture and society remain the same to this day — economics, social stratification, belief and value systems, polity, and aesthetics to name a few,” she said. It’s the manifestation of those influences that gives us evidence and insight into the way people of the past lived their lives.

We make better design decisions in the present day when we understand design through history.”

As a teacher, one of her goals is to help students understand the psychosocial impact of design by creating realworld case studies involving exploration and experimentation.

When developing the client profile and setting project parameters for this studio course, Burton wanted to challenge her students to think outside of the box.

“Design for living in the 1850s was much different than design for living in the twenty-first century. They are running up against some of the constraints the footprints of the historic house present,” she said.

For this class, the students must create a one-floor-plan that includes a fully functioning modern kitchen, a small bathroom with tub and shower, one bedroom, and a small space for a library and a living space for entertainment while keeping in mind the wishes of their “client.”

“They’re being asked to keep some of the historic integrity of the house while creating a comfortable and functional home complete for entertaining and creative contemporary living,” Burton added.

To add another level of authenticity to the project, Burton arranged for the class to tour the site this fall.

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a piece of

After the visit, Megan Heidel, a junior interior design major from Cincinnati, Ohio, said the students had a better idea of the particular challenges they’d face.

“When you’re restoring an old house the most difficult aspect is updating the codes,” she said. “Everything from wall thickness to the materials used has to be standard.”

She also noted obtaining exact measurements for the interior space is vital in creating a functional living space.

“Walls shift over time creating odd angles,” Heidel explained. “In the case of Cockayne House, all of the doors and windows are different widths.

Working with even one incorrect measurement will throw an entire design plan off.”

While the project has its challenges, Heidel, who has a keen interest in historical preservation, knows the end result will be rewarding.

“This farmstead is a really important part of the community’s history,” she said. “Finding creative ways to preserve its legacy is an invaluable experience.” D

Winter 2013

history

Winter 2013

By Lindsay Willey

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 27

Mapping

obesit obesit obesity obesityy yprevention

By David Welsh

Community, home or family, and school food environments may contribute to childhood obesity by influencing food choice and activity patterns in children.

The Choose to Change project, funded by a $4.7-million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is investigating these environments in Kanawha and Monongalia counties.

According to Susan Partington, Ph.D., project director and principal investigator, “Environments that encourage unhealthy food choices and inactivity are thought to contribute significantly to the obesity epidemic.

Although individual weight status is the result of complex interactions among genetic, cultural, behavioral, social, and economic factors, the environment is suspected to have a significant impact. Most importantly, because environmental factors can be modified, they may be key in obesity prevention.”

The project team has completed community-level environmental assessments, school and home environment assessments are in progress. To evaluate community environments some team members conducted the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS), assessing the availability, price, and quality of healthier foods in 888 food outlets, such as stores and restaurants, in the two counties. Others constructed a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database to explore the environment as it relates to physical activity. And others conducted focus groups of parents,

educators, and other community members to get a more personal lay of the land and understand a range of perspectives on the obesity epidemic.

“A mixed-method approach to our research study helps to quantify and more accurately describe the current nutrition and physical activity environments for families of young children in these two counties,” said Elaine Bowen, a health promotion specialist with WVU Extension. “Prior to this, the environmental factors were not adequately studied and understood. It was essential that our study interventions are informed and guided by facts instead of researcher assumptions and opinions.”

“Community engagement involves consultation, meaningful involvement, true collaboration, and shared leadership,” Bowen said. “Studies show that by increasing communication, involvement, and trust, projects such as Choose to Change can have greater impact.”

It’s the kind of comprehensive approach that’s uniquely suited to a major land-grant institution like WVU. The Davis College, Extension Service, the Regional Research Institute, the School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, and the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering are partners in this integrated project that includes research, education, and extension components. Disciplines represented on the Choose to Change team include nutritional epidemiology, exercise physiology, community nutrition, economics, statistics, physical education, computer sciences, and public health.

Each team member is responsible for various project components. In addition to faculty, an army of WVU graduate

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students and undergraduate community nutrition students, as well as dietetic interns from Marshall University are supporting the project as they complete educational or experiential program requirements, or thesis research.

“This project is an example of how the University carries out its landgrant mission of promoting access to higher education and applying research to meet the needs of West Virginians,” Bowen said.

Finding nutritious, affordable food A combination of technology and legwork went into the assessment of the community nutrition environment using the Nutrition Environment Measures Surveys.

“We purchased a database of all the retail food outlets, but we then had to visit each location to verify it existed and was operating and to complete the survey,” said Kristin McCartney, Choose to Change coordinator for Monongalia County. “We also added locations that were missing to come up with the final list of outlets.”

Researchers used a GIS device to record the GPS coordinates for each location to be used to create food maps.

They provided extensive training to all participants rating the outlets in order to be able to evaluate and report in a standard fashion.

“With the restaurant survey, much of the information could be filled out by visiting a restaurant’s website,” McCartney said, “However those locations still required a visit to answer marketing questions.”

Survey results indicated a high density and thus greater access to food outlets in urban areas and low access in rural areas. “Audit scores were Winter 2013

Environments that encourage unhealthy food choices and inactivity are thought to contribute significantly to the obesity epidemic.

highest for large supermarkets due to greater availability and lower cost of healthy choices and higher quality and greater variety of fresh produce,” said Partington, associate professor of human nutrition and foods in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design. “We are particularly interested in determining if the quality of the community nutrition environment is reflected in the home. If the community nutrition environment is a contributor to obesity by influencing consumer behavior and food choices, food present in the home should be similar to what is available in the community.”

Mapping healthy alternatives Mark Middleton, a graduate research assistant in WVU’s Regional Research Institute (RRI) and a doctoral candidate in agricultural and resources economics in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, helmed the GIS component of the assessment.

“I have mapped out all the restaurants, grocery stores, shopping areas, schools and so on,” said Middleton, who earned his M.S. in applied sociology from the Eberly Winter 2013

College of Arts and Sciences. “From a given address we are able to determine the distance to each of these features.

By combining the distance with the NEMS score we create a healthy eating score for a house.”

Middleton and RRI colleagues are also doing a sidewalk study by developing a walking-score method that can be used in more rural areas.

A walking score is a system that gives the walkability of the immediate area surrounding any housing unit. Greater walkability may be related to higher levels of physical activity.

“The system developed works fine for New York or D.C. but tends not to work in rural areas,” Middleton said.

“We are looking to add amenities that encourage walking in rural areas. We are also interested in adding slope of the street to this scoring system. Walkability in hilly terrains is dependent on the slope of the streets.”

Results in both counties showed a prevalence of low walkability particularly in rural areas, due to few amenities and no sidewalks.

Getting personal Lesley Cottrell, Ph.D., vice chair of research for the WVU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and co-investigator of the West Virginia Prevention Research Center, worked with Emily Murphy, Ph.D., Extension childhood obesity prevention specialist, in conducting eight focus groups with 32 parents, 32 school staff and 31 key community informants.

Many focus group participants perceived the prevalence of obesity among preschool children as very low, compared to what it actually is. The West Virginia CARDIAC Project reports that about 30 percent of kindergarten children are overweight or obese. Parents reported factors including genetics, the high cost of healthy foods,

and few physical activity options as major obstacles in preventing obesity.

“One of the most concerning themes we received from the groups which was the significant underestimate of childhood obesity,” Cottrell said.

“It is important to note that parents weren’t the only group who did this.

School personnel and community representatives also underestimated the prevalence. School personnel estimates tended to be higher than parents but were still off based on the statistics we have.”

Another finding was that each group — parents, school personnel, and community members — all looked to the other groups for intervening and combating obesity among children.

“While it is difficult to do, we need to start taking a collective effort to this issue — working together will be important,” Cottrell said. “Right now, we see a type of ‘blame game’ that can be easier to do but doesn’t necessarily help our long-term goal.”

The second year of the project is concentrating on school and home environment assessments, analyses of the environmental data, school-based intervention for pre-kindergarten children and their families, and community engagement. Community kickoff events were held in April, where Monongalia County and Kanawha County participants were briefed on the project plans and community assessment results. They were polled about what they will do to prevent childhood obesity in their community.

Community Advisory Boards are being formed in each county to review the community assessment results and create an action plan.

The project is currently recruiting families of Monongalia County and Kanawha County preschool children to participate in the research. For more information, please visit http://www. choosetochange.me/index.cfm. D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 29

WVU students, faculty

explore Europe

If you were asked to describe your summer vacation, would you use the adjectives “eye-opening,” “breathtaking” and “amazing”? If you were one of several West Virginia University students who studied abroad, you would.

This summer, Sven Verlinden, associate professor of horticulture, and Peter Butler, assistant professor of landscape architecture, both faculty members in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, led 22 WVU students on an exploration of Western Europe.

One of the largest short-term study abroad trips offered to University students this summer, the Western Europe Study trip exposed participants to an international perspective on agriculture, natural environments, man-made landscapes, and different approaches to organizing society and managing the environment.

A Belgian native, Verlinden has coordinated six student-centered trips to Western Europe over the last ten years.

“I believe it’s important to expose students to the benefits of international travel,” he said. “From economics to agriculture, countries in Western Europe are organized differently than what we’re accustomed to in the United States. Understanding and experiencing these differences can only benefit students as they prepare for future careers.”

The current trip program came to life three years ago when Verlinden connected with Butler. The colleagues share a love of travel, and their disciplines intersect.

By Lindsay Willey

“The disciplines of landscape architecture and horticulture intersect in many ways,” Verlinden said. “It only seemed natural for us to organize this trip together.”

The colleagues also share a love of travel.

“I love the energy of travel and teaching,” Butler said.

“Everything is fresh and new, and you can see the discovery in the students’ eyes. I always hope they’ll get the travel bug afterward.”

During its journey, the group visited cities and countrysides in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.

“We went to traditional tourist sites in each country, but we really focused our outings on parks and botanic gardens with trips to local dairy farms, orchards and historical industrial sites,” Verlinden said.

The idea was to build the students’ cultural awareness and international experience, an objective that falls in line with the University’s 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future.

“We had meetings and conversations with everyone from dairy farmers to landscape architects,” Butler said. “It truly was a first-person experience for all of us.”

The highlight, it seemed, for everyone was attending was Floriade 2012, a world horticultural

“From economics to agriculture, countries in Western Europe are organized differently than what we’re accustomed to in the United States.

Understanding and experiencing these differences can only benefit students as they prepare for future careers.”

30 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

exposition held once every ten years that offers countries the opportunity to showcase their economic, social, cultural and technical developments.

“The Floriade blew the students’ minds,” Butler said. “It was an amazing space that was beautifully designed.”

Mariah Hatton, an agribusiness management and rural development major from Morgantown, was inspired to travel after her dad took a business trip to Ireland.

“I saw all of his pictures from Ireland and knew I wanted to travel to Europe,” she said. “He ripped an informational poster for the Western Europe Study trip off a wall at work and brought it home to me.”

While Hatton was sold on the trip after reading the flier, she said Verlinden’s enthusiasm didn’t hurt.

“He was so excited about the trip and it made me excited,” she said.

When asked if the trip was what she expected, it was a split decision.

“It was really cool because I was expecting the architecture to be different, but I didn’t expect the farms to be as well,” Hatton explained. “Visiting the farms made me really like my major; it taught me that there is more than one way to farm.”

Of the 22 students on the trip, 15 were Winter 2013

landscape architecture students under Butler’s direction.

“For landscape architecture students, they develop knowledge of different places that they can draw inspiration from in their designs,” he said. “Since the majority of students are in their senior year, it’ll be nice to be able to reference the trip when discussing different designs and methods during studio classes.”

According to Butler, the students learned quite a lot about designing cities and parks for people as opposed to cars — techniques that have been prevalent in Europe for years but are only starting to gain popularity in the United States.

For Greg Miller, a senior landscape architecture student from Masontown, Pa., the trip wasn’t simply about visiting the birthplace of great architecture; it was also a cultural eye-opener.

“The cities in Western Europe are more intimate and pedestrian-friendly. Everyone bikes there,” he said. “They are also ecoconscious. Sustainable living and design aren’t pushed over there; that’s already their way of life.”

The faculty-led Western Europe Study Trip was offered through the WVU Office of International Programs. D Winter 2013

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 31

New Faculty Fusing fashion, fitness A new faculty member plans to explore the intersection between fashion and fitness.

Debbie Christel has joined WVU’s fashion design and merchandising program as an assistant professor after completing her graduate studies at Oregon State University.

“For my master’s thesis I reached out to Nike to see if they would be willing to sponsor a study about compression garments and the comfort of such pants for male runners,” Christel said.

“For my doctoral studies I branched out into the plus-size athletic apparel market to further understand how clothing impacts exercise motivation for overweight women.”

Along the way, Christel learned that, if you like the way you look and feel good about the way you look in athletic apparel you are more likely to do some type of physical activity.

“The plus-size athletic market is greatly underserved, and I feel that is a major reason larger women are reluctant to exercise,” Christel added. “They don’t like the way they look in the limited and minimal styles that are available.”

She describes it as her “mission to increase the availability of fashionable and affordable high-quality plus-size athletic apparel.”

Christel will teach courses in apparel production and fit for students in the program’s design emphasis and product development for students with a merchandising emphasis. She’s also eager to add a service-learning component to her courses.

“One of my passions is getting the students involved beyond the classroom,” she said. “Just in the first week of classes my apparel designers have decided to save all their scrap fabrics to make quilts for kids through the Ronald McDonald house. We will be making the quilts and dropping them off at the end of the quarter.”

Debbie Christel

Collaborative climate draws biochemist

On the research front, Christel hopes to get involved in fitness programs for overweight women. “Exercise motivation and the role of clothing in creating identity are of major interest to me,” she said.

Christel was drawn to WVU by its balance of teaching and research. “My passion is research and the balance of teaching, research, and service was perfect for me,” she said.

And West Virginia’s similarities with Christel’s longtime home in the Pacific Northwest didn’t hurt.

“There is a lot of green and I love the mountains,” Christel said. “Hiking and being outdoors are very important to me, and Morgantown felt very similar to home.” D

32 / Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

West Virginia University’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research is a core component of its strategic plan, and it’s also a draw for new faculty members.

Joseph McFadden, an assistant professor of biochemistry at WVU, cited the chance to pursue a collaborative research program as a major factor in his move to Morgantown.

After earning his Ph.D. in dairy science at Virginia Tech, McFadden completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Metabolism and Obesity Research and the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“During my Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech, I characterized two new molecular targets capable of regulating fatty acid synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells,” McFadden said. “At Johns Hopkins I was able to continue studying these targets with the hope of understanding how these genes regulate food intake and body weight gain.”

McFadden, who was named the 2009 outstanding doctoral student in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, also prepared for his future

Winter 2013

Engaging students in changing landscapes

Joseph McFadden role as an educator by completing a future professoriate graduate certificate.

“At WVU, I am able to pursue a competitive, collaborative research program while simultaneously teaching, a practice I find truly enjoyable and rewarding,” McFadden said. “I chose WVU because it is a land-grant institution and offers dairy cows and excellent facilities for my research program.”

In WVU’s Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, he plans to continue his research focused on energy metabolism in dairy cows experiencing metabolic stress because of the energy requirements for milk production.

“My goal is to contribute discoveries which can prevent this stress and improve animal health and performance,” he said. “Due to my interests in obesity research, my hope is to also continue cross-disciplinary research and study similar mechanisms in obese animal models.”

But while WVU’s academic climate was central to McFadden’s choice, it wasn’t the only factor.

“Morgantown has a community of friendly people, and this is where I want to live my life” he said. D

Winter 2013

Carrie Moore, a new assistant professor in the landscape architecture program, has a passion for engaging students in a sense of place, both locally and globally.

“Part of the allure of WVU was definitely the interaction that the University and the landscape architecture program have within the community,” Moore said. “By engaging with community organizations, the students have the ability to experience working with a real client while developing a project.

“This interaction is invaluable for the students because the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world experience is diminished,” she added.

“As a result, students will graduate better prepared to enter the world of work with a greater level of self-confidence.”

As an educator, she believes in meaningful engagement, which will allow students to achieve learning outcomes while providing the community with a service.

“There are partnerships that WVU has created with the communities in West Virginia,” Moore said.

“This provides students with an incredible opportunity to integrate their knowledge and to help our communities.”

Moore also appreciates the value of engaging in communities around the world. She earned one master’s degree in natural resource management at Lincoln University in New Zealand and a second in ecological engineering at the Universität für Bodenkultur in Austria, and WVU’s commitment to creating study-abroad opportunities for students definitely resonates.

“The ability for students in the landscape architecture program to travel abroad is a tremendous opportunity for them to develop their design ability

Carrie Moore and expand their understanding of the world,” Moore said. “Experiencing past and present-day landscape architecture allows students to truly understand the impact of design, which cannot be appreciated by merely observing a picture of it.”

In addition to the national reputation of WVU’s landscape architecture program, Moore was drawn to the opportunity to help build the new master of landscape architecture program.

“It provides a unique opportunity to be part of the development of a program that will be held to the same high standards as the undergraduate degree,” she said.

Moore taught a graduate course in land development last semester, and works with juniors in the undergraduate studio course this spring.

“WVU’s landscape architecture program is ranked in the top ten in the nation and has acquired faculty who possess a passion to teach,” she said.

“The opportunity to join the faculty was a great honor.” D

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design / 33

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