Agronomy and Soils (AGRN)
Joe Touchton, Head
334-844-4100
www.ag.auburn.edu/agrn
Walker Heads $400,000 Grant
Harold Walker, professor of agronomy and soils (AY), is the lead investigator on a $400,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to examine rotation systems in sod production, helping sod growers figure out a way to grow bermudagrass without resorting to methyl bromide fumigation. Cooperating on the grant are: Rodrigo Rodriguez-Kabana; professor in the CoAg Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology; Bob Taylor, ALFA eminent scholar and professor in the CoAg Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology; and Beth Guertal, associate professor of AY. The work will take place on two Alabama sod farms: Beck's Turf and Craft Farms.
Poultry Science (POUL)
Don Conner, Head
334-844-4133
www.ag.auburn.edu/poul
Success by Degrees-Regina Crapps Earns Bachelor's Degree
Regina Crapps
Many family and friends-including many from the CoAg Department of Poultry Science (PH)-were on hand when Regina Crapps, office administration associate in PH, graduated from Auburn University at Montgomery last May.
Crapps, who majored in human resource management and minored in business administration, also was honored during a departmental luncheon attended by current, former and retired employees.
She began working on her degree in January 2000, and managed to earn the degree while still working full-time in PH.
"When I started working on my degree, I took only one class per semester and gradually moved to two classes," she says. "By the last two years I was taking three and four classes each semester. The last two years I've been spending about 10 hours per week in the classroom, when taking four classes per semester."
She couldn't have done it without a great deal of personal dedication, and without the support of her coworkers. "Many thanks to the Department of Poultry Science and my family for their encouragement and support throughout this time," she says.
New Poultry Building Dedication Set
The new AU Poultry Science Building will be officially dedicated on Sept. 2. For more information contact Don Conner at 334-844-4133.
Elementary Students Get Egg-ucation from Poultry Science Students
Four members of the AU Poultry Science Club conducted a community service project last April by educating and entertaining second-graders at Yarbrough Elementary School in Auburn.
Department of Poultry Science (PH) students Leslie Speegle, Emily Lake, Leslie Hooie and Karli Thompson coordinated a lesson plan that promoted the poultry industry and National Egg Month to the younger generation. They spent a morning relating to these students with a variety of topics ranging from egg production to egg parts.
The club had many "hands on" activities for the children and the class was especially interested in testing the strength of eggshells. "Eggs have yolks, some are small and some are big," said second-grader, Maurice Randolph.
The class took home coloring books, designed by club member Speegle, recipes and stickers announcing "I Love Eggs."
The visit to the elementary school coincided with the College of Agriculture's Ag Education Day.
Horticulture (HORT)
Charles Gilliam, Chair
334-844-4862
www.ag.auburn.edu/hort
Fulbright Scholar Visting HF
Gabor Gyulai, a Fulbright Scholar from Godollo, Hungary, is visiting the Department of Horticulture this summer. He began at Auburn June 1 and will stay until September 1. Working with HF Associate Professor Fenny Dane, he will be doing molecular analysis of medieval cucurbit DNA trying to unlock domestication events.
Alumni Reception Planned at SNA
The Department of Horticulture (HF) Alumni Reception will be held at the Southern Nurserymen's Association (SNA) meeting in Atlanta, Ga., on Friday, Aug. 12, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center, Room C-302. For more information call 334-844-4862.
Biosystems Engineering (BSEN)
Steve Taylor, Head
334-844-4180
www.eng.auburn.edu/programs/bsen
BSEN Cultivating Next Generation of Students
Biosystems Engineering (BSEN) is expecting some new student recruits-but they won't be here until the fall semester of 2012.
A group of fifth-graders from Auburn's Dean Road Elementary School learned what biosystems engineering is all about when they visited the AU campus on May 12 for a Job Shadowing Day. BSEN Associate Professor Tim McDonald, BSEN Assistant Professor John Fulton, BSEN Professor and Department Head Steve Taylor and by BSEN undergraduate student Corey Kichler gave the students a whirlwind look at all aspects of biosystems engineering.
Tim McDonald, associate professor in
biosystems engineering, led a group of
fifth-graders from Dean Road Elementary
through AU's Solar House and showed
them some of the numerous contributions
that biosystems engineers make to our lives
The students spent special time on new advances in bio-based composite materials by testing structural composite lumber; use of solar energy in housing by touring the AU Solar House; and latest precision agriculture technology by getting to drive a GPS-guided tractor. In a thank you letter to McDonald, one of the students wrote: "I know now this is the career for me."
Students attending the state FFA Convention in early June also had a chance to learn about modern alternate energy technology and the use of geospatial tools for mapping and precision agriculture. After touring the AU Solar House with BSEN students Sarah Sanders and Mack Moncus, the FFA members were shown the latest in survey grade and mapping grade GPS and precision agriculture equipment by BSEN graduate student Ty Harbuck.
Alabama 4-H'ers learned about the latest in GPS and GIS technology at the state 4-H Congress held in Auburn on July 12. BSEN students and faculty demonstrated the latest advances in GPS navigation, robotic surveying instruments and real-time kinematic GPS to the 4-H members. Also, 4-H'ers involved in the traditional tractor-driving competitions were able to see GPS-based tractor guidance systems and view the quarter-scale tractor designed and fabricated by the 2005 BSEN War Eagle Puller's team.
Students Attending International Meetings
Several BSEN students attended international meetings this summer. BSEN senior Renee Ayala attended the annual meeting of the Council on Forest Engineering in Fortuna, Calif., during mid-July. She presented a paper entitled "Water Quality Impacts from an ORV Trail Stream Crossing in the Talladega National Forest" with co-authors Christian Brodbeck (BSEN graduate student), BSEN faculty members Tim McDonald and Puneet Srivastava and Emily Carter, a researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and BSEN affiliate faculty.
Nine undergraduate and graduate students attended the International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers in Tampa, Fla., in July where two students presented papers. BSEN graduate student Zahra Colley presented a paper entitled "Compaction Behavior of Poultry Litter and Switchgrass." Her paper was co-authored by BSEN Assistant Professor Oladiran Fasina and David Bransby and Wes Wood, both professors in the CoAg Department of Agronomy and Soils.
Brian Burton, a civil engineering M.S. student, has been actively involved with a cooperative project between the Forest Service and BSEN investigating soil loss after biomass removal from various thinning operations. He presented the paper entitled, "Soil Loss and Prediction by WEPP in Longleaf Pine Stands in Southern Alabama" with co-authors Emily Carter and John Fulton.
Wang Involved in 2008 Summer Olympics
Yifen Wang, BSEN assistant professor, has been named to a 15-member international board for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Wang is one of five U.S. representatives on the Beijing Olympics' new Food Safety Expert Board, which also includes food safety authorities from China, Australia and the European Union. Wang has been designated as the U.S. liaison for the board.
The Food Safety Expert Board is charged with providing timely professional advice and scientific guidance on food safety for the Olympic Games and with helping develop, review and implement food safety protocol manuals for the games. The Board's first meeting was in early July in Beijing and included visits to the Olympic venues as well as agricultural facilities, food processing plants and markets.
Old Nancy Centennial Celebration Planned
BSEN alumnus Shannon Vinyard ('78) shows
his son Blake how to operate Old Nancy, the
1905 Case steam traction engine.
A familiar sight at Ag Roundup each year is Old Nancy, a 1905 Case steam traction engine. The tractor, which was owned by the Whatley family of Lee County, was restored by BSEN students in the 1970s and remains an icon of the BSEN department. Old Nancy is displayed and operated by BSEN faculty and students at several events each year including Ag Roundup, the Lee County Historical Fair and AU Family Fun Day.
This year marks the 100th birthday of Old Nancy. BSEN faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends are planning a special celebration at Ag Roundup 2005 to honor Old Nancy and other significant agricultural engineering accomplishments. Make plans to attend Ag Roundup on Sept. 24 and celebrate with us.
Entomology and Plant Pathology (ENTM)
Art Appel, Chair
334-844-5006
www.ag.auburn.edu/enpl
Faculty Grant Successes
Henry Fadamiro, assistant professor of entomology, has been awarded a Competitive Research Grant from the Office of the Vice President for Research to investigate "Fine-Scale Comparative Analyses of Mechanisms of Olfaction in Insects: How Do Different Insects Perceive and Track Odor." Fadamiro also was awarded an Auburn University Title VI Mentoring Research Grant for "Exploring the Behavioral and Neurophysiological Basis of Olfaction in Insects" and a U.S. Environmental Protection--Strategic Agriculture Initiative Program Grant for "Reducing Pesticide Usage in Alabama Satsuma Citrus through Implementation of Integrated Pest Management Practices."
Micky Eubanks and Xing Ping Hu, both associate professors of entomology, were awarded third-year support for their ongoing AAES Foundation Grants: Eubanks' project is entitled "Breaking the Cycle: Development of a Novel Plant Disease Management Strategy Targeting Pathogens, Vectors and Reservoirs" and Hu's project is entitled "Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms for Cold Survival in Formosan Termites."
Graduate Student Honors
Entomology Ph.D. candidate John Styrsky, who was recognized by the AU Graduate School as the outstanding graduate student at Auburn University for 2004-2005, was selected by a special committee to receive one of three Harry Merriwether Fellowships from the Graduate School for the 2005-2006 academic year.
Four students in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology were recognized as Outstanding Graduate Students in their discipline for the 2004-2005 academic year. Receiving the F.S. and Margaret Arant Graduate Student Awards for Ph.D. students were Lee Simmons from plant pathology and Qiang Xu from entomology. Receiving the Henry and Myrtle Good Outstanding Master's Degree Student Awards were entomology master's students Laura Cooper and Whitney Qualls.
School IPM in the Spotlight
AU entomologist Fudd Graham explains the success of the integrated pest management program (IPM) that has been operating in the Auburn City Schools system since 2000 as Elizabeth White of Channel 9-WTVM in Columbus, Ga., rolls the tape.
Channel 9 was in Auburn to cover the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's presentation of its Children's Environmental Health Recognition Award to the Auburn system for being a national leader in school IPM. The Auburn IPM program, which Graham launched and coordinates, has cut pesticide use by 70 percent and resulted in a 90-percent reduction in pest complaints in the system's nine schools. In the program, regular pesticide spray applications have been replaced with prevention strategies that eliminate potential pest-attracting conditions and block pests' entry routes into buildings.
Graham's goal is to establish the IPM program in school systems statewide. Pilot projects already have been or are being established in the Elmore County, Geneva County, Alexander City, Mobile County and Shelby County school systems. For more information on the program, contact Graham at 334-844-2563 or grahalc@auburn.edu.
Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology (AGEC)
Curtis Jolly, Interim Head
334-844-4800
www.ag.auburn.edu/agec
AGEC Professor named AU Alumni Professor
Patricia Duffy
Patricia Duffy, professor of agricultural economics and rural sociology, was recently named an AU alumni professor. The AU Alumni Association funds the professorships, which are awarded on the basis of each professor's quality of teaching, research and publishing. A university committee selects the honorees and the Office of the Provost appoints five faculty members each year to alumni professorships.AU alumni professors serve five-year terms.
Animal Sciences
Wayne Greene, Head
334-844-4160
www.ag.auburn.edu/ansc
Dedication Day
The AU College of Agriculture, the Department of Animal Sciences and beef producers and industry leaders from across the state were on hand to celebrate when the new $6.3 million Stanley P. Wilson Beef Teaching Unit and Lambert-Powell Meats Lab were officially dedicated this spring.
The long-awaited facilities, located at the intersection of Wire Road and Shug Jordan Parkway on the Auburn campus, include state-of-the-art buildings and equipment and 144 acres for beef teaching, research and extension.
Stanley Wilson of Auburn and
Auburn University Board of
Trustees member Virginia Thompson
visit outside the Stanley P. Wilson
Beef Teaching Laboratory following
dedication ceremonies recently.
The beef unit is named in honor of Wilson, a 1953 AU animal sciences graduate who served as associate director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and assistant dean of AU's School of Agriculture from 1975 to 1980 and, from 1980 to '84, as Auburn's first and only vice president for Agriculture, Home Economics and Veterinary Medicine.
The meats laboratory, formerly located on Donahue Drive, was dedicated in honor of the late J. Ernest Lambert, a state beef industry leader, and Billy Powell, executive vice president of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association.
In another animal sciences event earlier in the day, university and pork industry representatives broke ground on a $3 million AU Swine Research and Education Complex, to be located at the 25-acre site of the Swine Nutrition Unit on Shug Jordan Parkway.
That new facility will include an office building, a surgery suite, a breeding/gestation building that will house up to 100 animals, a farrowing room with 18 stalls, a 180-pig nursery, a 360-pig grow-finish building, a new waste-handling system and a feed mill.
Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture (FISH)
David Rouse, Interim Head
334-844-4786
www.ag.auburn.edu/dept/faa/
International Center Awarded Ugandan Project
The International Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environments has been awarded a $2.5 million project to enhance the aquaculture industry in Uganda. This award was made to Auburn by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission, Kampala, Uganda.
This significant project will be instrumental in establishing the infrastructure that will allow an aquaculture industry to grow and thrive in Uganda.
Project director is FAA professor William Daniels. Karen Veverica, FFA research associate, will be the Auburn “chief of party” for this project and will conduct the project activities in Uganda. She and her family will be temporarily relocated to Uganda for the 40-month life of this project.
Tallapoosa Watershed Program
Tommy Futral
Tommy Futral, Extension coordinator in Tallapoosa County, shows participants in the Tallapoosa Watershed Program (TWP) meeting how to make a rain garden. TWP, which involves CoAg fisheries faculty, held the workshop in May.