Cowboy Journal v10n2

Burning Success • Passing the Ph.D. Pepper • Listenin’ to the Whisper

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American Farmers and Ranchers800 N. HarveyOklahoma City, OK 73102800-324-7771www.americanfarmersandranchers.com

Serving Oklahoma’s Farmers and Ranchers for more than a Century

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Brought To You by the Oklahoma beef producers

through their $1 per head checkoff program

Oklahoma Beef Council2312 Exchange Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73108405-840-3777 • www.oklabeef.org

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4 • Cowboy Journal

staff

In this issue we are excited to highlight just a few of the outstanding individuals who are connected with the Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Re-sources. We have enjoyed learning about alumni and students, and through their stories we have yet another example of the high-quality education CASNR offers. To Tanner Robertson, Traci Naile, Elizabeth Whitfield, Bonnie Milby, Katie Reim, Jessica Stewart, Debbie McCarthy and Dave Martin, thank you for all your hard work, support and as-sistance. Also, to our fellow staff members, thank you for all the hours, dedication, and most of all, fun. We would not have been able to do this without you. As we stand at the end of the semester and look back at our years at OSU, we are grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved in CASNR. It has been a place for us to grow, learn and reach our full potential. Shelly, Cindy and Dwayne — we cannot thank you enough for investing so much in each of us. You have been sources of direction, encouragement and friendship. We will never forget all you have done.

From the editors ...

Callie and Skyler

Assistant Managing EditorsCindy BlackwellDwayne Cartmell

Managing EditorShelly Peper Sitton

Web Editor Jillianne Zweiacker

Circulation CoordinatorsAustin PartidaDarrin Shultz

Photography CoordinatorsLance ShawHannah Wright

Sponsorship CoordinatorsShawna AllenEvin Goss

EditorsCallie HadleySkyler Selby

StaffBrittainy BartonBlayr BeougherWhitney DankerCori Harrison Christa MartinAshley SchnoorSara-Jane SmallwoodKirby SmithKandice Taylor

Founding SponsorsLimousin WorldOklahoma Farm BureauQuebecor World Midland

Cori Harrison (top left), Austin Partida, Kirby Smith, Darrin Schultz, Whitney Danker, Shawna Allen, Sara-Jane Smallwood, Evin Goss, Ashley Schnoor, Hannah Wright, Lance Shaw (bottom left), Kandice Taylor, Skyler Selby, Jillianne Zweiacker, Samantha Davidson, Blayr Beougher, Stacy Patton, Brittainy Barton, Callie Hadley and Christa Martin.

Graphic CoordinatorsSamantha DavidsonStacy Patton

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Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. This publication is printed and issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Vice President, Dean, and Director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and has been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma.The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Prescribed burns are vital to research at the Cross Timbers Experimental Range.

Steve Winter works to main-tain a controlled burn. (Photo by Blayr Beougher)

on the cover

Visit this issue and Cowboy Journal archives at http://cowboyjournal.okstate.edu

on the Web

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9

Cowboy Journalex

tens

ion Exploring Opportunities in Extension • 16

The New Face of ‘Oklahoma Gardening’ • 18Cooperative Extension interns leave their mark on Oklahoma counties

This season of ‘Oklahoma Gardening’ brings its 10th host into homes across the state

facu

lty Cowboys Race Against Cancer • 37Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources faculty ‘team up’ in the battle against cancer

alum

ni The Voice Behind the Whisper • 26

Keepers of Ye Bottle • 33

OSU Alum Goes the Distance … To Make a Difference • 35

60 Years & Counting • 42

Real Men of Excellence • 46

Forty years of ‘Ye Olde Ph.D. Pepper’ in agricultural economics

OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine commemorates its diamond anniversary

Mibey assumes duties as vice chancellor of Kenya’s Moi University

CASNR honors three distinguished alumni

Alumnus Richard Danel has called Varsity Barbershop ‘home’ for 50 years

Ag Alumni News • 48CASNR alumni in the spotlight

outre

ach A Delights-ful Alternative • 6

CSI: Agricultural Style • 20Forensics and plant pathology unite through the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Stillwater family offers a healthy alternative, while making their dreams a reality

rese

arch Black Gold to Sun Gold • 22

Plum Sweet Plum • 28

Cross Timbers • 30NREM studies show sand plum thickets provide homes for North American bobwhite quail

OSU’s Cross Timbers Experimental Range provides Oklahomans with information on managing natural resources

Oklahoma State University receives $2.5 million as regional center for Sun Grant Initiative

stud

ents Bikes and Buddies • 9

What Do Biochemists Do? • 11

Cowboys Make the Call • 13CASNR students call alumni to raise scholarship money

Two agricultural education graduate students give back to their communities by donating bicycles

Exploring the truth about biochemistry careers

Introducing … an International Master’s Option • 24

Saving the World … Professionally • 39

Making a Difference … One Student at a Time • 44Environmental science class teaches students to apply knowledge in real-world applications

CASNR implements new selection process for Student Success Leaders

Students can use travel to earn a degree

CASNR Seniors Score Big • 21Kuzma earns top honors

volume 10 number 2 • summer/fall 2008

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Delights-ful Alternative

A

By Hannah WrightOologah, Okla.


outreach

IT’S A COMPANY AS RICH IN FLA-vor, tradition and Oklahoma State Uni-versity spirit as the man who founded it. Fruity Delights was established in Still-water, Okla., but the idea came from a thousand miles away. At age 19, Ricardo Salas was opera-tions manager at a freight forwarding company in Guadalajara, Mexico. One of the company’s specialties was export-ing Mexican handicrafts to Europe and the United States. Salas credits much of the business knowledge he obtained in the early years to his boss and mentor. “My first boss was an entrepreneur,” Salas said. “He sat me at the right side of his desk for every decision. I learned a lot about business from him. I learned about being an entrepreneur, as well.” In his early 20s, using the business contacts he made at the shipping com-pany, Salas moved to Mexico City, ready to venture into his own business. Salas and his partner founded RS Interna-

tional Trading Co. The company fo-cused on producing and

selling mate-rials such as

shop-

ping bags, boxes, wrapping paper, sig-nage and post cards, Salas said. They also produced other printed paper products for companies such as Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, Warner Brothers and Versace. “My business partner and I found ourselves playing ball in the big leagues,” Salas said. “We were overwhelmed with the knowledge we were missing.” The company was a great success, but after two years of operation, Salas and his partner decided to close shop and head to college. Salas had lived in Stillwater with his family until he was seven years old while his father, Rodolfo Salas, studied animal science. Salas said he had fond memories of the town, and, after receiving a Legacy Scholarship to waive out-of-state tuition, he headed to OSU, where he tailored his education around his entrepreneurial ideas. One of his ideas was Fruity De-lights. Though he had three other busi-ness plans in the works while Fruity Delights was developing, the beverage company soon began emerging as an idea to be taken seriously, and Salas saw the tremendous marketing potential in the United States. Salas and his wife, Pepper, both had full-time jobs in the early stages of Fruity Delights. As they juggled a family and work, Fruity Delights was placed on the back burner. But a devastating turn of events left the Salas family reeling. “On May 25, 2006, our son died,” Salas said. “With his death left all inter-est I had in everyone else’s business, and I could not focus on anything but Fruity

Delights, my passion. So my wife and I decided I should quit my job and focus on starting Fruity Delights as quickly as possible while she and some of our sav-ings helped keep us afloat.” Salas said he knew, now more than ever, this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. “The time came when it was time for Ricardo to quit his job,” Pepper Sa-las said. “I was managing a restaurant here in town, and I said, ‘I’ll support the family for now and you just go gung-ho with it.’” With all energy channeled into the new company, Ricardo Salas worked to make a name for Fruity Delights. “The toughest point has been to know where to find the right informa-tion,” Ricardo Salas said. “There is a bunch of data out there; knowing how to pick it in order to put a business plan together has taken the largest amount of time and patience.” That’s where Chuck Willoughby, business and marketing relations man-ager at the Robert M. Kerr Food & Ag-ricultural Products Center, got involved. Willoughby and Ricardo Salas first met through the Meridian Technology Cen-ter, Willoughby said. The Meridian Technology Small Business Assistance Center called FAPC about getting involved with one of the small businesses they were helping, Willoughby said. That small business was Fruity Delights. At that stage of the company, Ri-cardo Salas was looking at small-stage

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Summer/Fall 2008 • 7

production in Stillwater, Willoughby said. Trial markets for his product were local vendors, such as The Hideaway and OSU’s Student Union. Both are currently Fruity Delights vendors. “At first, we wanted to be a small re-tail location and make all the beverages ourselves and sell directly to the public,” Ricardo Salas said. “FAPC introduced the co-packer concept, which opened up a whole different company.” Willoughby aided Fruity Delights by suggesting using a manufacturing plant to produce the product and hav-ing regular business meetings with Ri-cardo Salas. They met every 30 days to discuss the business decisions Ricardo Salas had made and to plan what moves to make next. After facilities to produce Fruity Delights in the United States proved too expensive, Ricardo Salas turned to his native country of Mexico. Budget is crucial when trying to launch a new business, but money is not the only reason Ricardo Salas chose a factory in Mexico. He said some of the best-tasting fruit in the world is grown there. Now, Fruity Delights can reach more people at once and be made with some of the world’s best fruit, Ricardo Salas said. Strawberry, cantaloupe, lime and mango are Fruity Delights’ fruit picks, and the Salases plan to expand. They have experimented with flavors such as grape, watermelon, pineapple, plum and pear. Ricardo Salas is particularly proud of the story behind the mango flavor, his personal favorite. “I wanted to import mango from Mexico because we use a variety that is full in flavor and tastes nothing like the variety available in the U.S.,” he said. “We managed to find a way to export it and communicate that flavor to every-body else.” Since the manufacturing plant is in the heart of the best agricultural region in Mexico, Fruity Delights is processed, pasteurized, packaged and frozen within 24 hours of harvest. From there, the fin-ished product is shipped to Oklahoma

and stays frozen until the vendor thaws it. It is then put in a granita machine, which keeps the product frozen at a slushy consistency. What does this mean for consumers? An amazingly fresh, col-orful glass of Fruity Delights every time, Ricardo Salas said. And where can you get a glass of Fruity Delights? The product is avail-able in many locations on OSU’s cam-pus, including the Student Union, Twenty Something Too, Stout Hall, Adams Market and West Side Café. It can also be purchased at Hideaway Pizza and Swick’s Pizza in Stillwater as well as Café 501 in Edmond. And this is only the beginning, said the globally minded Ricardo Salas. “International commerce is what I want to do,” Ricardo Salas said. “We’ll start in the U.S. by interstate commerce, then cross boundaries to Canada and Mexico. Then, who knows, Europe?” Fruity Delights prides itself on be-ing one of the healthiest drinks on the market, Ricardo Salas said. It is 100-percent natural, made from fresh fruit purées, with no preservatives, caffeine, artificial ingredients or colors. Ricardo Salas said the beverage in-dustry maintains itself through artificial means. High-fructose corn syrup, caf-feine, artificial flavors and colors are sta-ples in the most popular drinks on the market. Fruity Delights is filling a niche in the natural foods market as a healthy substitute for soda. “I like them because they’re all nat-ural and taste good,” said Kelli Piguet, a biochemistry and molecular biology junior. “They’re very refreshing.” Piguet, whose favorite flavor is strawberry, first tried Fruity Delights in November 2007 through her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. The sorority’s lo-cal philanthropy is the Ju-venile Diabetes Research Foundation. Since Fruity Delights offers a sugar-free version, it provides an option for diabetics who want taste and flavor, while

adhering to strict diets. Ricardo Salas donated sugar-free Fruity Delights to a JDRF event conducted by the sorority, Piguet said. The Salas family is proud of its OSU and Oklahoma connections. Oklahoma is the optimal test market for Fruity Delights, Ricardo Salas said. While many of the household-name products are launched in trendsetting areas such as California and New York, Ricardo Salas looks invitingly at the challenge of launching in Oklahoma. “Oklahoma is a very tough cus-tomer,” Ricardo Salas said. “If we make it here, we can make it easier in Los Angeles and New York.” Oklahomans are proud of prod-ucts made in the state, Ricardo Salas said, and they pay close attention to “Made in Oklahoma.” Fruity Delights is a company that was made in Okla-homa, Ricardo Salas said. It was made in Stillwater, and it was made at OSU. “One of the main reasons for launching Fruity Delights in Stillwa-ter is because we love Stillwater — it’s our home,” Ricardo Salas said. “We

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love campus, and we want to give the opportunities that we learned through the process of creating Fruity Delights to OSU’s students.” Fruity Delights grew rapidly, and Pepper Salas was able to quit her job to become the chief operations officer of the company. Just as the Salas family is proud of Stillwater and OSU, those who know Fruity Delights’ story willingly support the company. “You know you’re supporting some-one who was here at OSU,” Piguet said. “Being an OSU student, I’m kind of following in his footsteps, and it’s nice having people like that.” Fruity Delights has a wonderful beginning, and the future looks bright. Thanks to a driven entrepreneur, the help of FAPC and a wonderful product, Stillwater and OSU have a company of which they can be proud, and that com-pany is here to stay.

148 FAPC, Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK 74078-6055405-744-6071 • www.fapc.biz Adding Value to OklahomaAdding Value to Oklahoma

f a p c

Food & Agricultural Food & Agricultural Products CenterProducts Center

Robert M. Kerr

Fruity Delights founders Ricardo (left) and Pepper Salas work side by side to make their dreams for their company a reality.

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WHERE CAN YOU GET A GLASS OF FRUITY DELIGHTS? Campus

Student Union • Twenty Something • Twenty Something Too Stout Hall • Adams Market • West Side Café

Off CampusHideaway Pizza • Swick’s Pizza • Café 501 in Edmond


By Evin GossCarmen, Okla.


THE RHYTHMIC CRY OF THEauctioneer swirls around the crowd. Bidders compete for their prized pieces of merchandise. At the Oklahoma State University Bicycle and Unclaimed Prop-erty auction, electronics, jewelry and clothes were up for grabs, but Chance Owen and his roommate Eric Kennel were there to buy bicycles. Owen is from Caddo, Okla., and Kennel is an Okeana, Ohio, native. Both young men are agricultural edu-cation graduate students and wanted to buy bicycles for their own enjoyment. “We were looking for a bike or two that was cheap to buy to get some exer-cise,” Owen said. Owen’s parents, Gary and Pam Owen, also attended the auction. On a church mission trip to Penjamo, Mex-ico, last summer, Pam Owen noticed a lack of transportation for local citizens.

“Chance talked about the bike auc-tion,” Pam Owen said. “I thought it would be a good idea to buy some to take to Mexico for our mission trip.” The bicycles started selling at af-fordable prices within the small auction crowd. At the end of the day, the Owens and Kennel had purchased 23 bicycles. “It was fun,” Pam Owen said. “It was my first time at the bike auction.” Most of the bicycles were in working order. However, some needed repairs. “Some of the seats and the brakes were broken,” Owen said, “and some tires we had to replace. We only spent about $200 on bikes and $10 to $15 for fixing them.” Some of the bikes stayed in Stillwa-ter with Owen and Kennel, and some were taken to Caddo. In Caddo, a few of the bicycles have been given to children in the Owens’ church. The rest will be taken to Pen-jamo this summer. In Stillwater, Owen and Kennel

have given some of their bicycles to OSU international students who have no mode of transportation. “In our department [Agricultural Education, Communications and Lead-ership], we have a lot of international students,” Kennel said. “This is a way we can make them feel at home.” To date, Owen and Kennel have given four bicycles to fellow students. “Since we are both in graduate school, we haven’t been as efficient in giving them away,” Owen said. “If we hear of people, we will fix one up and give it to them.” At the department’s annual picnic, Owen and Kennel noticed Samba Mor-iba, an agricultural education graduate student from Sierra Leone, Africa, did not have a ride home, so they took him back to campus. When they discovered Moriba had no means of transportation, they gave him a bicycle. “In a week, they fixed up a bike and gave it to me,” Moriba said. “I use my

Two agricultural education graduate students give back to their communities by donating bicycles

students

Bikes and Buddies

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bike every day, except when it snows. I don’t have a car, and besides, it is good exercise for me.” Most of the bicycles sold at the auction were abandoned and unclaimed on campus by students, said Jan Cook-Her-nandez, assistant manager of OSU Parking and Transit Ser-vices. OSU Parking and Transit Services and the OSU Police Department conduct the OSU Bicycle and Unclaimed Prop-erty Auction. “We normally do the auction once a year,” Cook-Hernan-dez said, “but this year we are doing two.” The Owens and Kennel bought their bicycles at the Au-gust 2007 auction. An additional auction was held April 15. The annual auction will be held in August. Owen and Kennel said they plan to attend the bicycle auction every year and continue to buy and donate bicycles. Owen and Kennel said they both love having the oppor-tunity to give to others. “If you give a little [to others], you get a lot in return,” Owen said.

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Chance Owen (left) and Eric Kennel purchased bicycles from the OSU Bicycle and Unclaimed Property Auction to give to people in need.

Oklahoma’s Favorite Oklahoma’s Favorite Pizza since 1957Pizza since 1957

405-372-4777 405-372-4777 230 S. Knoblock230 S. KnoblockStillwater, OK 74074Stillwater, OK 74074www.hideawaypizza.netwww.hideawaypizza.net

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students


By Callie HadleyMidland, Texas

DOCTOR. LAWYER. TEACHER.Consultant. Veterinarian. Though at first glance these careers may not seem to have anything in common, they are all careers an individual with a degree in biochemistry can pursue. Gary Thompson, head of the Okla-homa State University Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, will tell you, a common misconception is biochemistry graduates will spend their lives in laboratories, never seeing the light of day. In reality, biochemistry is more than laboratories and research. “A biochemistry degree gives stu-dents the opportunity to study the basic foundation for the way things work in almost every course,” said Steve Hart-son, assistant research professional and director of the OSU DNA/Protein Re-source facility, a facility specializing in DNA sequencing and mass spectrom-etry. “Students come to our program to get that depth.” The OSU biochemistry program offers students a background in chemis-try and biology. “A biochemistry degree gives stu-dents a good foundation in all the physi-cal sciences,” Hartson said. From the time they are undergradu-ates, students have the opportunity to participate in research based in the de-

partment of biochemistry and molecu-lar biology. The experience they gain in research situations and extracurricular activities helps prepare them for future careers in industry or graduate and pro-fessional studies, Hartson said. Individuals who receive a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and choose not to advance to a graduate program or professional school have options open to them in many fields, Hartson said. Thompson said the biofuels indus-try is one area where biochemistry ma-jors will be in high demand. “There will be jobs available con-ducting research on how best to create biofuels or how they can be utilized after production to jobs working in biofuel plants running equipment and overseeing everyday activities,” Thomp-son said. Research technician jobs are avail-able to bachelor’s graduates in various areas. Any company with a research de-partment will need individuals with re-search experience who can run tests and perform other duties in the lab, Thomp-son said. Those who have a passion for teach-ing can choose to teach at high schools or junior colleges with their bachelor’s degree, Hartson said. Technical or sci-ence writers are also needed. “The ability to sell yourself, along with speaking and writing skills, are just as important as a passion for science,”

said Bobby Johnson, an OSU biochem-istry graduate. Consulting also has become a career in which biochemistry graduates are needed, Thompson said. “There is a real need for individuals who have a good understanding of new technologies to help develop policies for states and nations, so they can make good judgments,” Thompson said. Policies concerning issues such as genetically modified organisms, cloning and other genetically related discoveries and innovations are examples. A huge demand has arisen for indi-viduals with scientific expertise in patent law, said Bob Matts, OSU biochemistry graduate coordinator. “The explosion in biochemical knowledge has been overwhelming,” Matts said. “There have been record numbers of million-dollar lawsuits deal-ing with discoveries and who does or who doesn’t own them.” A niche is developing for biochem-istry students who obtain a master’s or doctorate in biochemistry and then move on to get their law degrees. “The industry needs lawyers with biochemistry experience to help deter-mine what’s patentable,” Matts said. Biochemistry lawyers help compa-nies abide by the procedures that must be followed to acquire a patent or han-dle other issues related to patent law. Individuals with a biochemistry de-

DOBiochemists Do?What

Exploring the truth about biochemistry careers

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For individuals who wish to remain in a collegiate setting in a teaching and research capacity, they must know it is one of the most difficult careers to ob-tain, Matts said. Academic positions are competi-tive, despite the fact fewer individuals are seeking them, he said. However, the possibility always ex-ists of working in a lab in an academic setting and becoming a principal inves-tigator, Matts said. Principal investiga-tors are the primary persons in charge of a research grant and report to the indi-vidual in whose lab they are working or a department head, he said. “Principal investigators can work their way into being a department head or head of an institute with hard work and time,” Matts said. “Being a prin-cipal investigator is a way to get your foot in the door if you are unable to attain a professorship.” Thompson said the main benefit of a biochemistry degree is its flexibility gives students a real advantage. “The biochemistry degree is much more flexible than people think,” Thompson said. “It gives students a broader educational scope and employ-ers love our graduates. They know that we don’t mind a challenge.”


Kristen Szabla, an OSU biochemistry graduate now pursuing her master’s degree in biochemistry, injects samples into the HPLC, a protein purifier, at the DNA/Protein Resource Facility.

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gree are not limited to getting a job in biochemistry, Matts said. He suggests immunology, pharmacology and ento-mology as a few of the various options biochemistry students have available to them after graduation. Lenora Volk, a 2001 OSU biochem-istry graduate, agreed. However, she said she tells students an advanced degree is always an option when they think about the future. Volk, a Tulsa native, completed a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at OSU. She participated in research in Hartson’s lab from her freshman year until graduation. After graduating from OSU, she earned a doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Texas Southwest Med-ical Center. She began post-doctorate work in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University in January 2008. “Probably the best option is to go to graduate school and then enter the work force,” Volk said. Biochemistry graduates can earn a master’s degree, but they have a unique option, also. “When getting a graduate degree in biochemistry, you can go straight from your bachelor’s into a Ph.D.,” Thomp-son said. “However, if an individual isn’t sure what they want to do, getting a master’s degree gives them an opportu-nity to think about it.” Students can get a master’s in almost anything that relates to the field they wish to pursue, including biochemistry, Matts said. “It can really give students that extra edge above the competition.” Students who are on the edge of get-ting into medical school often find get-ting a master’s degree can help them get in where they wouldn’t have otherwise. A master’s degree also can make students more competitive in doctoral programs in other disciplines outside biochemis-try, he said. Professional degree options also are available in medicine, veterinary medi-cine or dentistry. “The biochemistry degree prepares students for any professional program in

medicine,” Thompson said. “Our stu-dents go into graduate-level programs well-prepared because of the rigorous level of coursework required for a bach-elor’s degree.” The M.D./Ph.D., the doctor of medicine and the doctor of philosophy in biochemistry, is a degree combination available to students, Hartson said. Individuals who wish to go into the medical or pharmaceutical industries should consider working toward their M.D./Ph.D, he said. “This program allows individuals to perform clinical trials and other research where they actually get to interact with human patients,” Hartson said. Hartson said other professional programs such as veterinary medicine or dental schools appreciate biochemistry graduates because of their research expe-riences and abilities to balance challeng-ing coursework and other activities. The biochemistry and molecular biology program offers pre-profession-al degrees for medical and veterinary studies to help prepare students for professional schools. The challenging coursework helps students to be pre-pared and accepted to more competi-tive programs when they finally apply, Thompson said.

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Cowboys Make Make the CallCASNR students call alumni to raise scholarship money

By Skyler SelbyGage, Okla.


students

FOR STUDENTS IN THE COLLege of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, raising scholarship money for their fellow students is only a phone call away. CASNR student leaders, faculty and the Oklahoma State University Founda-tion are working hand-in-hand to raise money for CASNR students.

The OSU Foundation has a group of more than 20 students working as Cowboy Callers. These students work for the foundation to call alumni to ask for donations. To raise scholarship mon-ey for CASNR, students from different departments within the college have volunteered at the OSU Foundation to call alumni. Ed Miller, CASNR associate dean, and Amy Simmons, Agricultural Am-bassador coordinator, organized a time

when agricultural students could act as “calling compan-ions” to the Cowboy Callers. Miller and Simmons learned from the first year of calling in 2007 and are trying to improve their efforts. To try to raise more money this year, they decided to use more stu-dents from different areas of study within the college. “The students last year did a great job,” Miller said. “It is a great program. How-ever, when we looked at it this year, we said ‘Why not use more students from our leadership groups and make it even better?’” Last year, the “calling com-panions” and Cowboy Call-

ers raised more than $31,000. This year, 20 CASNR student leaders from groups such as Agricultural Ambassa-dors, Freshmen In Transition Student Academic Mentors and Career Liaisons were callers. The student leaders called from Feb. 18 through Feb. 27. The goal set for this year was $70,000. Cassie Lancaster, animal science se-nior and Agricultural Ambassador, was enthusiastic about this year’s goal. “It is a high goal, and I think it is great,” Lancaster said. “It is better to set the bar high than set it low.” Each student worked in three-hour shifts to call CASNR alumni. The amount raised by CASNR students and Cowboy Callers to date is $57,000. Miller said he is proud of the stu-dents who called and is thankful for all donations made. “Most of the students who are call-ing are on scholarship,” Miller said. “They know how important this sup-port is. Every scholarship donation, even if it is small, helps.” To prepare potential donors, a bro-chure was mailed a month prior to the calling period. The brochures specifi-cally explained needs within the college and described how donations can help CASNR students. The brochures pro-vide an estimate of how much a semester Ph

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“Calling companions” record donor information at the Oklahoma State University Foundation.

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at OSU can cost to give donors a better idea of the monetary needs of today’s students. The brochures also let donors know about their options. Donors can choose to contribute to a wide range of options: The CAS-NR general scholarship fund; a specific scholarship, department, major or pro-gram; or student leadership and service scholarships to provide students an in-ternational educational experience. “People want to be generous,” said Debbie Nance, director of the annual giving program for the OSU Founda-tion. “They want to know their gift is going to matter. The brochures help them with that.” Using students as Cowboy Callers is an effective and personal way to raise money for CASNR. “We try to reach as many alumni as we can in a short amount of time,” Nance said. “It helps when students are in the same area of study as the alumni.

Students have a great time talking to alumni, and it is a good way for them to build relationships and network.” CASNR students were excited about being “calling companions.” “I thought it really sounded like a lot of fun,” Lancaster said. “I jumped on that. I actually got to call my parents, and that was really fun!” Students who volunteered to be “calling companions” said they realized how important donations can be and enjoyed connecting with alumni. “This college has done a lot for me, and it is a great way for me to give back,” Lancaster said. “I think it is so crucial to build relationships with alumni.” Last year was the first time CASNR students were “calling companions.” To better prepare them for calling this year, a training session was held prior to call-ing sessions. Callers spent time discussing differ-ent calling scenarios, the anatomy of a

phone call and how to use calling scripts while talking to alumni. “The training teaches the callers how to build rapport and basically have a successful phone call,” said Heather Briggs, annual giving coordinator for the OSU Foundation. “They also learned about the paperwork that is involved and how to use the phone.” Miller said it is good to use students for Cowboy Callers because of the close relationships between CASNR alumni and students. “There is a strong connection in CASNR between our alumni and the departments from which they graduated that you don’t find in the other colleges,” Miller said. “We want to do everything we can do to maintain those wonderful relationships with our alumni.”

To donate to CASNR, call the OSU Foundation at 800-622-4678 or visit http://OSUgiving.com.

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When Oklahoma agricultural education teachers retire, agricultural education junior Brady Bond will be ready to fi ll their shoes. Will you?

From the Classroom to the Field and Back

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Cooperative Extension interns leave their mark on Oklahoma counties


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program leader. “In the past, we have recruited former 4-H members as em-ployees who had some understanding of the extension program through their 4-H involvement; however, over the last several years, we’ve had more difficulty recruiting employees who had much of an extension background. This exten-sion program seemed to be the answer.” Cox said he, Glenn Muske, the in-terim assistant director in family and consumer sciences, and Recia Garcia, the northwest district FCS specialist, worked together to develop the guide-lines and conduct interviews for the in-ternship program. Through state funding of the gen-eral OCES budget, the internship pro-gram became a reality. “We wanted the interns to have an opportunity to see what goes on in a county office,” Cox said. “In the most effective county of-fices, everyone helps a little with every-thing, so our goal was to let the interns see what happens in different program areas,” he said.

Emily Gregory, an agricultural lead-ership junior at Oklahoma State Uni-versity, said the program gave her a new perspective on the extension office. “I’ve been involved in 4-H since I was nine, but through this program I got to see another side of things,” Greg-ory said. “You get to deal with parents and with kids. It’s like turning the tables on yourself and seeing how you were as a 4-H’er. “I also didn’t realize the number of reports that extension educators have to do, the paperwork that you never see,” Gregory said. Cox said one of the requirements of the program was for the interns to pres-ent one educational program and one leadership training course. “The reality is that most of the in-terns did a lot of work — particularly the ones who had been very active in 4-H,” Cox said. “They put on 10 or 15 different workshops during the course of the summer. Some of those who had strong agricultural communications backgrounds wrote news releases; devel-

MAKING THE BEST BETTER. Empowering youth to reach their full potential. Learning by doing. Words designed to inspire. The Oklahoma Cooperative Exten-sion Service staff has worked to provide opportunities for youth to reach their full potential for 98 years. The new goal? To train college students to take positions as the inspirational leaders, the goal setters — the extension educators. Summer 2007 found OCES placing 12 interns in extension offices around the state. The interns, who were college juniors, seniors or graduate students, learned the duties and functions of a county educator. They also were given one or more special projects to develop and administer under the supervision of the local county educator. “Our goal was to help students have an opportunity to learn more about ex-tension,” said Charles Cox, 4-H youth development assistant director and

By Stacy PattonFaxon, Okla.

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For more information about the Okla-homa Cooperative Extension Service, visit http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/extension.

cants. To provide a student with new experiences, however, placement in the student’s home county is avoided if pos-sible, Cox said. Because the extension intern pro-gram was a success, Cox said continuing the program will not be an issue. “Of the 12 sites that we need for in-terns, we’ve had about 20 counties that have applied to host,” Cox said. “We also had some that will fund their own positions, so I think the program will continue to grow.” Cox said the best way to tell if the program is a success is to see how many interns pursue a career within the exten-sion field. “Several of the interns said, ‘This is for sure where I’m going to end up and what I want to do; this is the career I want to pursue,’” Cox said. “I think we’ll have several who will apply and ex-plore extension opportunities.”


Emily Gregory (far left) picks soybean leaves. Gayle Buellesfeld teaches a rocket workshop at Tri-county 4-H Camp. Natalie Kayne teaches a workshop in Oklahoma County. Dana Cox gives healthy eating tips at Pottawatomie Coun-ty farmers market. Megan Maxson works a Sun Safety IQ booth. Kelli Armbruster builds fence at the exten-sion farm. Rachel Perryman interviews a 4-H member.

NEXT EXIT

EXTENSION

98 NORTH

“Our volunteer leaders really com-plimented me,” Gregory said. “I got gifts from them when I left, which really helped me understand that I actually made an impact.” Cox said the program is not limited to OSU students. However, preference is given to juniors, seniors and graduate students pursuing a major in the Col-lege of Agricultural Sciences and Natu-ral Resources or the College of Human Environmental Sciences or to students with majors in other colleges that relate to employability with the OCES. “We even have an international stu-dent planning to attend OSU in the fall who sent in an application,” Cox said. “This student has an interest primar-ily in rural development and wanted to learn more about extension. He also wanted to get acquainted with every-thing before he came to school.” Cox said the interns could express a preference for the county where they wanted to work, but the final assign-ment depended on county needs and the collective preferences of all appli-

oped publications, brochures and fliers; and marketed things. It was phenome-nal the amount of work they did within their hosting counties.” Cox said counties hosting interns benefited greatly from the experience. “We had a few counties that applied and said, ‘We’re not sure if we want to do this because we don’t want to have to baby-sit somebody,’” Cox said. “Then at the end they were saying, ‘Dang, this is a good thing!’” Kyle Worthington, extension edu-cator in Oklahoma County, said the internship program was an excellent op-portunity for the interns as well as the extension staff at the county level. “Our intern [Rachel Perryman] was a blessing for a couple of reasons,” Worthington said. “She took on a large role in helping plan, coordinate and present programming for our county’s youth retreat. She was just very profes-sional with youth and adult audiences.” Likewise, Gregory said her experi-ences with the volunteer leaders in Bry-an County were positive.

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By Lance ShawChickasha, Okla.


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WHEN APRIL SHOWERS BRING flowers, it can only mean one thing: Gardening season is back in full force. When the grass turns green and flow-ers start to bloom, those with green thumbs, and even those with not-so-green thumbs, need someone to turn to for all the latest tips and techniques. That person is Kim Rebek with “Okla-homa Gardening.” The 33rd season of “Oklahoma Gardening” is under way from the Okla-homa Botanical Gardens in Stillwater

with a new face hosting the show. Re-bek, originally from the Chicago suburb of Orland Park, Ill., has found her way to Oklahoma State University and is the show’s 10th host. While talking with Rebek about be-ing from the Chicago area, the question of whether she or her family had any kind of gardening or agricultural back-ground surfaced. “It was kind of a big switch, in terms of my family,” Rebek said. “I grew up in a suburb and never heard of the FFA or 4-H until I got to college.” Rebek attended the University of Wisconsin, where she received her bachelor’s degree in horticulture, and then attended Purdue University for her master’s in entomology. Rebek said with her educational background, she plans to bring something different to the show while serving as host. Rebek said most of the past hosts for “Oklahoma Gardening” have had strictly horticulture backgrounds. As host, Rebek said she plans to use her knowledge of horticulture and ento-mology, along with her certificate in en-vironmental studies, to put more of an environmental focus on the show. To do this, Rebek said she plans to stress such topics as water conservation through proper plant choices. This topic, along with others, will be discussed on “Oklahoma Garden-ing,” which can be seen each week on

the Oklahoma Education Television Authority network. The program gives examples of how-to projects and teaches about proper gardening techniques. Along with watching “Oklahoma Gar-dening” on OETA, one can view it on the OETA OKLA digital television net-work throughout the week to watch any missed episodes. The wide range of topics “Okla-homa Gardening” covers is something viewer Debbie Strickland enjoys about the show. “I’ve watched the show off and on for years,” Strickland said. “It’s always been so pertinent to what’s going on.” Rebek’s educational background will not be the only difference she will bring to the show. The fact she is not from Oklahoma will play a role in the direction she takes the show in attract-ing the audience’s attention. “Kim is from the north, and every-thing is new to her,” said Kevin Gragg, “Oklahoma Gardening” director and videographer. “[Past hosts] have been from Oklahoma or have been in Okla-homa prior to doing the show.” Gragg said Rebek is learning along with the audience during the show, and with a lot of things, she is like a kid in the garden. “That kind of excitement is neat because she is discovering everything,” Gragg said. “She is going to be able to really excite people who may not be

The New Face of ‘Oklahoma Gardening’This season of ‘Oklahoma Gardening’ brings its 10th host into homes across the state

Director and videographer Kevin Gragg (foreground) films Kim Rebek as they produce an episode for the current season of “Oklahoma Gardening.”

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extension

knowledgeable of the subject, almost to where she will come across as though she is learning things at the same time.” Since Rebek is new to the show, not only as the host but also as a viewer, Gragg said he is trying to be open to her ideas and not do things the way they usually do. “I am letting her find her way,” Gragg said. When asked what Gragg was look-ing forward to this season, he said it would be the opportunity of “gelling” more with Kim. “Kim and I are still learning to dance together,” Gragg said. “I equate it to dancing to where you have to learn what each person is thinking in order to film the show.” The 2008 season of “Oklahoma Gardening” will be on the road for vari-ous episodes. Rebek said the show plans to visit 12 member gardens associated with the Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum. While on the road visit-ing the member gardens, the show plans to visit the northwest corner of the state and feature gardening and growing for that region, Rebek said. “One aspect of the show is that we visit gardens across the state and those include homeowner’s gardens, public gardens or businesses,” Rebek said. She said another aspect of this sea-son’s show will be to expose viewers to the range of gardens across Oklahoma. An example she mentioned was the plan for “Oklahoma Gardening” to visit an organic farm this season. “I love the regional stuff because Oklahoma is so diverse,” Gragg said. “There is a huge difference in the types of plants that can be grown from region to region.” Strickland said she also enjoys the regional episodes that highlight the di-versity of Oklahoma. “To me, Oklahoma is distinctively divided into thirds,” she said. “[Re-gional] episodes give you, the viewer, an idea of the many characteristics of the state and what the different areas have to offer.”

The idea of traveling is somewhat of a new concept for the show, which start-ed when former host Steve Owens and Gragg began going on the road. Gragg said these trips started as short trips around the state that could be done in a day and then became regional tours. “We would go out for a week and concentrate on one region of the state and its gardens and special plants for that region,” Gragg said. “We just kind of stumbled into things and people liked the idea, so we continued to do it.” Gragg said this year the show might be on the road more than ever. Along with traveling the state this summer the show will have a series-long program about landscape design. During this series, Rebek will dis-cuss topics such as proper design ele-ments and different garden styles to use with the different landscapes of Okla-homa. Rebek also will describe different hardscape elements to use, such as the type of stones landscapers can choose. Continuing with the traveling theme of this season, Rebek said the show will visit various landscape design-ers and gardens in the Tulsa and Okla-homa City areas. Even though it sounds like “Okla-homa Gardening” has a busy season ahead of it, Rebek and fellow staff still find time to give back to viewers with the annual “Summer Gardenfest,” which is free to its viewers and the public. “It is our way of thanking our view-ers for watching the show,” Rebek said. Strickland attends “Summer Gar-denfest” and said she likes being able to see the types of plants the hosts have used that she finds in her own yard. “The longer you have your yard, the more shade you will have with the growth of your trees,” said Strickland. “So to be able to go [to Gardenfest] and see the shade plants and the things that will grow in some sun but more shade is very enjoyable to me.” This will be the seventh year for the celebration, which will take place June 9 in the studio gardens located within the OSU Botanical Gardens west of Still-

water. Rebek said the event will include tours of the OSU Botanical Gardens and a workshop with Barbara Brown, an extension food specialist. This year’s theme is “Insects and Gardens” and will feature guest speaker Eric Grissell, who will speak on the relationships between insects and gardens. “His garden philosophy is that we should work with, rather than against, nature in our gardens,” Rebek said. She said the event will have a family atmosphere, and the OSU entomology program will bring its insect zoo for the kids to see. “Summer Gardenfest,” and most importantly the show, would not be pos-sible if not for the support of the Okla-homa Cooperative Extension Service. Gragg said the OSU Division of Agri-cultural Science and Natural Resources produces the show with a majority of the funding coming from OCES. Gragg said even though the show is aired on OETA, the network does not produce it. OETA provides a conduit to air the show. Show production involves a partnership between OSU Agricul-tural Communications Services and the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. So for all of you green thumbs and even those not-so-green thumbs, tune in to “Oklahoma Gardening” when it airs on OETA Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sun-days at 3:30 p.m.

For more information about the show or “Summer Gardenfest,” visit the “Okla-homa Gardening” Web site at http://www.oklahomagarden-ing.okstate.edu.

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By Austin PartidaTipton, Okla.

WHAT IF THE U.S. FOOD SUPPLYwas affected by bioterrorism? What would law enforcement personnel look for in determining the cause? Jacqueline Fletcher, Sarkey’s dis-tinguished professor and director of the National Institute for Microbial Foren-sics and Food and Agricultural Biosecu-rity, or NIMFFAB, at Oklahoma State University has designed an initiative to help answer these questions. “What NIMFFAB tries to do is get everybody coordinated and train person-nel if we were faced with issues related to food biosecurity,” said Astri Wayadande, NIMFFAB assistant director. NIMFFAB began in January 2007 to determine if an agricultural plant dis-ease was caused by a natural outbreak or if the disease was intentionally placed. To help the security community, NIMFFAB will conduct an inaugural field exercise event in early May 2008. The field day exercise is one of the first outreach functions NIMFFAB has offered, and it is targeted toward people who have little or no previous experi-ence in agriculture, Fletcher said. “These are people from the FBI’s hazardous material response unit, for example,” Fletcher said. “They are very well-versed in incident command; they know diagnostic techniques, so we do not have to teach them those things.”

Instead, NIMFFAB will provide

training focused on an agricultural set-ting, Fletcher said. “They are not used to going out in a wheat field or a peanut field,” Fletcher said. “When they get into that setting, what is a sample? What do they need to collect? Where do they collect? Is it from the roots, the water, or the leaves, or is it the soil?” Fletcher said the field exercise will help law-enforcement personnel com-pare a healthy crop with one affected by a pathogen and learn how to better relate to the producer. “You want people to know what is expected and what the chain of com-mand is,” Wayadande said. “Unlikely though it may be of this happening, you do not want chaos.” In addition to the field exercise, OSU will teach courses to educate stu-dents about agricultural biosecurity. “We’ll have a very general agricul-tural biosecurity undergraduate course,” Fletcher said. “We’ve planned an up-per-level course primarily focused on microbial forensics. This will be in con-junction with our forensic science de-partment, which is at the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa.” She said OSU could offer a minor in agricultural biosecurity in the future. “We are hoping to get more faculty on board who will be under the auspices of NIMFFAB,” Fletcher said. Stephanie Rogers, an OSU bio-chemistry alumna, is using NIMFFAB for her research project as she works toward a doctorate in plant pathology.

Rogers’ research project includes a

study of wheat streak mosaic virus. Rog-ers uses the virus as a model system for all agricultural crop pathogens. “It’s like a question-answer tree that will guide law enforcement investigat-ing a field with steps to follow to deter-mine if it was a natural outbreak or an intentional outbreak,” Rogers said. “It will include the weather and other sur-rounding elements.” TeeCie West, a Tarleton State Uni-versity biology alumna, also works within the NIMFFAB umbrella for her research project as she progresses toward a doctorate in biochemistry and molec-ular biology. West’s research includes spotting plant samples onto microarrays. “I probe with known viral sequenc-es and look for plants that have the viral sequences in them,” West said. “I will be working on a single nucleotide poly-morphism using microarray, as well.” NIMFFAB merges plant pathology and forensic science, Rogers said. “Forensic science is well estab-lished,” Rogers said. “Plant pathology is well established, but they do not mesh. “We are trying to modify tech-niques in both areas to connect them so if something were to happen, we could have a really quick attribution.” West said she and Rogers will par-ticipate in internships this summer at the National Federal Bureau of Investi-gation lab in Quantico, Va. The threat of bioterrorism in the United States is low, but the “What if?” factor still exists. With con-tinuing support, education and re-search, NIMFFAB will help to answerthe question.

CSI: AGRICULTURAL STYLE

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Forensics and plant pathology unite through the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

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acker, an agricultural communications major from Pawnee, Okla. The remaining Top Ten Seniors were Christopher Branch, an agricul-tural economics major from Comanche, Okla.; Alicia Davis, a pre-veterinary op-tion animal science major from Bixby, Okla.; Megan Downing, an animal sci-ence major from Locust Grove, Okla.; Matthew Dvorak, an honors interna-tional agricultural economics major from Perry, Okla.; and Randis Gallaway, an agricultural economics and account-ing double major from Duncan, Okla. Jared Crain, a plant and soil science major from Woodward, Okla., received the Browning Outstanding Freshman in CASNR award. He is the son of Wesley and Marilyn Crain.

LINDSAY KUZMA, AN ANIMAL science and agribusiness double major from Lodi, Wisc., was selected as out-standing senior in the College of Agri-cultural Sciences and Natural Resources for her accomplishments as an Oklaho-ma State University student. She is the daughter of Frank and Wendy Kuzma. Nine other seniors earned the Top Ten Senior award; the top five also earned the Dean Fred LeCrone award:Whitney Danker, an agricultural com-munications major from Wellston, Okla.; Travis Jett, an agribusiness ma-jor from Laverne, Okla.; Kuzma; Blake Wilson, an animal science major from Okemah, Okla.; and Jillianne Zwei-

By Christa Martin Anadarko, Okla.

Animal science and agribusiness double major Lindsay Kuzma took home top honors as CASNR’s Outstanding Senior for 2008.

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Kuzma earns top honors at CASNR awards banquet

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By Whitney DankerWellston, Okla.


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THE OIL BOOMS OF THE EARLY 1900s held great potential for Oklaho-ma energy. Today, Oklahoma State Uni-versity biomass engineers are pioneering their way from the traditional “black gold” to a “sun gold” fuel source. After years of planning and gaining funding, biomass research through the Sun Grant Initiative began this year.

The Sun Grant is a research initia-tive for alternative fuel sources through the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program was created to im-prove energy sustainability by increasing biobased forms of fuel through agricul-tural products, said Clarence Watson, associate director of the Oklahoma Ag-ricultural Experiment Station. “The Sun Grant is a consortium of land grants to harness the extension and research power they have,” Watson said. In 2001, OSU was asked to serve as one of five regional centers for the Sun Grant Initiative. The regional centers are located at South Dakota State Universi-ty, the University of Tennessee, Cornell University, Oregon State University and Oklahoma State University. “We have had a long-standing bio-mass program here at Oklahoma State,” said Watson, who serves as director of the South Central Regional Sun Grant Center based at OSU, “and because of that, we were chosen as a program. “Our two major industries in Okla-homa are energy and agriculture. The Sun Grant marries those two together, getting energy from agriculture. Okla-homa was a natural choice.”

Seventy-five percent of the grant’s funding is allotted to the 13 land-grant universities in the region through a competitive grant process. Twenty-five percent of funding is allotted to OSU to develop a center of excellence. As the regional center, OSU receives approxi-mately $2.5 million each year to divide between the center and the universities. This year, the regional center award-ed 17 fully funded projects across the re-gion, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisi-ana, Texas and New Mexico. “Each region is unique,” said Ray-mond Huhnke, assistant director of the Sun Grant’s South Central Regional Center. “Regional focus is what the Sun Grant is about.” The region’s landscape ranges from a tropical area in Louisiana to the des-erts of New Mexico. “It is a very diverse region, and Oklahoma is typical of that,” Watson said. “We are a diverse state in terms of geography and climate.” Biofuel production opens a new market for the agricultural community by giving it the opportunity to produce fuel, not just feed, fiber or food. “With the funding, we can show the impacts we can make in converting vari-

Prasanth Maddipati (left) and Dimple Kundiayana check temperature levels of the syngas fermentor.

Black gold to sun gold

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ous types of feedstocks to marketable or value-added products,” Huhnke said. Ten of the selected proposals were joint projects, meaning universities col-laborate on the same research. The 10 projects each received $135,000 for three years. The remaining seven grants were single-university projects focusing on seed research. The seed projects are funded at $35,000 for two years. OSU received three of the competi-tive grants available in the region. Sun Grant-funded research projects at OSU include using sweet sorghum hybrids as bioenergy feedstock and breeding new switchgrass cultivars for increased biomass production. The third project funded is syngas fermentation. Dimple Kundiyana, a research en-gineer in biosystems and agricultural engineering, is working on syngas re-search. The syngas project was approved for three years of funding. Working with Kundiyana is Prasanth Maddipati, a BAE graduate student.

“Our main research objective is to increase ethanol yield from the syngas fermentation process,” Kundiayana said. “Syngas, or synthesis gas, is produced during gasification of biomass, for in-stance, switchgrass or bermudagrass.” Their research strives to increase ethanol yield, reduce the price of etha-nol and move from a bench-scale to a commercial-scale fermentor. “From studies, it has been found that corn is a cheap alternative source for producing ethanol,” Maddipati said.

Maddipati said the initial cost can be reduced by using corn steep liquor, leading to lower prices at the pump. Currently, their process yields three grams of ethanol for every one liter of syngas, but they said they are still a long way from their optimistic target. “We have successfully scaled up from 5-liter fermentors to 75-liter fer-mentors,” Kundiayana said. “The next challenge we face is to scale to 1,000-gallon fermentors.” Reaching the 1,000-gallon goal would mean ethanol could be mass pro-duced in less time, making it more read-ily available to consumers. It could also lower the production cost per gallon. “We have come a long way but are only at the beginning,” Huhnke said. Both Watson and Huhnke said they want to reach an annual funding goal of $10 million to each regional center. “We think the future looks very bright,” Watson said.

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By Samantha DavidsonRingwood, Okla.


students

PERSONALIZATION, FLEXIBILITY AND AN EXCIT ing international experience … concepts the College of Agri-cultural Sciences and Natural Resources faculty had in mind when they added the new international agriculture option to the Master of Agriculture degree. “We specifically designed this program not to be re-search-based,” said David Henneberry, assistant dean of in-ternational programs in agriculture. “The basis is coursework plus the international experience.” Many people worked together to add this internationally focused program to CASNR. “Vice President Robert Whitson was a crucial element in getting this degree started,” Henneberry said. Because this program is multidisciplinary, it is housed in the dean’s office. The degree option requires 32 credit hours, six of which come from an international internship. “There are two pieces to the focus of this academic de-gree: international agriculture and an agricultural focus area,” Henneberry said. An agricultural focus area consists of agricultural courses in the student’s area of interest. Brandon Boughen, an agricultural education alumnus, is the first graduate student accepted into the program. “I spent three months in Africa,” Boughen said. “This re-ally opened my eyes, and I found that international dynamic I was looking for. So, when I found out about the program from Dr. Jim Leising, I knew it was a perfect fit for me.” With CASNR’s multiple international ties, international alumni will play key roles in the new program’s success. Hen-neberry said he hopes these connections provide international experiences for CASNR students in the program. “There are quite a few international graduates who have received their degree from the college of ag,” Boughen said. “They would be more than willing to do some kind of student exchange. This would help our program tremendously.” Leising, assistant director of international agricultural programs, said he appreciates the benefits of the program. “This is an interdisciplinary program,” Leising said. “It

Students can use travel to earn a degree

introducing ...introducing ... an international master’s optionan international

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on

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doesn’t look at one aspect of agriculture but allows students to study multiple disciplines.” This broad education in agriculture provides students with a great deal of flexibility, Henneberry said. Students have the freedom to choose from a wide variety of agricul-tural coursework. “The students have a lot of freedom in designing their programs,” Henneberry said. “Students can pick and choose what is right for them. It doesn’t have to make sense to some-one else, but it needs to make sense to the student.” Henneberry said he is excited about this degree and em-ployers are excited about it, too, because the international agriculture option prepares graduates for various careers. “It offers a range of career options,” Leising said. “There are a multitude of opportunities — everything from volun-teer work to paid positions. “Almost all large agricultural companies like ADM and Cargill have international operations,” he said. “This degree would be a good fit for one of those careers.” International work within state and national departments of agriculture is another career path these graduate students could follow. “All 50 state departments of agriculture have interna-tional marketing divisions,” Henneberry said. “This is a good degree for that type of position.” Leising said he anticipates growth in this program. “This program meets the needs of our students,” Leising said. “This new option will integrate the knowledge about international agriculture and multiple disciplines needed to solve important problems in the world. “It’ll be a very exciting program and unique opportunity for students,” Leising said. “If they want to have some adven-ture in their lives, this is the perfect time to do it. Especially if they don’t know what they want to do, this helps them find more opportunities and network.”

Students interested in the master’s in international agricul-ture program can call Jim Leising at 405-744-9718 or send a message to [email protected].


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behind the

Alumnus Richard Danel has called Varsity Barbershop “home” for 50 years

Story and photos by Jillianne ZweiackerPawnee, Okla.


alumni

THE WALLS AT VARSITY BARBER-shop do more than support the build-ing. They tell the story of a Cowboy legend who has never once suited up for a game. Photographs of Oklahoma State University greats — Henry P. Iba, Ed-die Sutton, Bryant Reeves, Jim Dillard, Pat Noyes, Bob Fenimore and others — frame a mirror that reflects the sparkling eyes and gentle smile of one man who has touched the lives of many. At times, he may speak only in a whisper, but Richard Danel’s voice has been heard by more than a million peo-ple who have sat in his small barbershop on University Street. Varsity Barbershop is located three blocks south of Gallagher-Iba Arena, a place where Danel can be found cheer-ing on his beloved Cowboys and Cow-girls on many occasions. Danel, affectionately called “Whis-perin’ Richard” by those who know him, has been cutting hair since the age of 13.

“My dad was my first customer,” Danel said. “He told me that if I messed up, he could get it fixed.” While most kids spent their time fishing or riding bikes during the sum-mer months, Danel attended barber school the summers between his sopho-more, junior and senior years in high school and continued cutting hair while he attended college. Danel, along with his wife, Dot, attended Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College from 1952-1954 after graduating from Eastern OAMC. Richard Danel graduated with a double major in agricultural education and ani-mal science, and Dot Danel graduated with a degree in home economics. Although Richard Danel attended college, he said he always knew he want-ed to be a barber. “Majoring in agriculture is a side-line,” Richard Danel said. “Barbering is my profession.” Barbering has been his profession for 61 years, and he has cut hair in Var-

sity Barbershop since Oct. 7, 1957. At one time, he was cutting hair on more than 100 heads a day. “I really believe he was called to do that,” Dot Danel said. Richard Danel sums up his love of being a barber with a knowing smile as he whispers one word: “people.” People fill the photograph album on his countertop, their love for “Whis-perin’ Richard” evident. People are what keep Richard Danel far from retirement, although he said he believes he retired long ago. “When I retired 30 years ago, I started talking instead of cutting,” Rich-ard Danel said, as he kindly bumped the arm of a customer. Richard Danel cuts hair for people from all walks of life: students, coaches, businessmen, farmers and professors. “I like getting my hair cut [by Rich-ard] because it’s like having a moment with an OSU cultural icon,” said Shan-non Ferrell, agricultural economics assis-tant professor and a 14-year customer.

the

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People from the Stillwater area trav-el to Varsity Barbershop for their dose of “Whisperin’ Richard.” “The more and longer I work, the more it builds up,” Richard Danel said. Dot Danel agreed people keep her husband away from retirement. She said he is able to relate to people of all ages, from babies to adults. “If you don’t enjoy people, you don’t reach that milestone of being friends with people of all ages,” Dot Danel said. “Our Christmas list says it all. The bar-bershop is a common ground for every-one. Everyone is the same.” OSU legends have found this com-mon ground, and Richard Danel has cut the hair of thousands of players and coaches, including his good friend Jim Stanley, the 1973-1978 head coach of the OSU football team. Stanley is attributed with creating the nickname “Whisperin’ Richard.” With six barbers working in the barbershop originally, it became noisy, and Richard Danel would answer the telephone quietly as a courtesy to cus-tomers and colleagues. “Jim would call and ask if the shop was busy,” Richard Danel said. “Then he would tell the other coaches, ‘I’m goin’ to see Whisperin’ and get me a haircut. I’ll be back in a few minutes.’ Well, the name caught on.” A wooden sign above the window of the barbershop reads “Whisperin’ Richard’s.” It was given to him by Stan-ley, who received it from the men of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Each year, the fraternity brothers build a fort in the front yard of the fra-ternity house for their annual Frontier Ball, and one year during the ’60s they built “Whispering Richard’s” barber-shop as their focal point. A picture of the fort now adorns the wall of the shop, and the red and white wooden barber pole embellishes the outside of the front window. “I think Richard is very proud of the sign,” Dot Danel said.

Aside from being a barber, Richard Danel is a wearer of many hats. He is a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, traveler, handyman and, most importantly, a friend. “He is always busy accomplishing things,” Dot Danel said. The Danels grew up in Panola, Okla., and met before they began grade school. Best friends before they married, Richard Danel said they kept people waiting for their wedding day. “Everyone thought we would get married right after school was out in May, but we didn’t,” Richard Danel said. “We waited until June 1.” The Danels have two daughters, Dana and Tami, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They love traveling and have visited each of the 50 states as well as 18 countries on four different continents. They also travel to OSU basketball and football games as much as possible. “We take at least one vacation a year,” Richard Danel said. “Sometimes two weeks, sometimes four. We’ve been known to take off for six weeks at a time, but that’s not very nice [to the customers].” Having traveled to various places around the world and met many people, Rich-ard Danel is a champion storyteller. “I love coming here because he is a good sto-ryteller,” said Charles Graff, a two-year cus-tomer. “He always has neat things to look at.” Richard Danel laughed at comments

about his storytelling ability, as another customer added, “At least 20 percent of his stories are true, maybe.” The atmosphere at the barbershop is filled with light hearts and contagious laughter. People often say, “If only walls could talk.” If the walls at Varsity Barbershop could talk, they would not brag of a man who is good friends with Stanley, Sutton and many other OSU icons. They would not tell of the OSU paraphernalia that would stretch from Varsity Barbershop to Gallagher-Iba Arena. Rather than talk, the walls at Var-sity Barbershop would simply whisper a story about a good man who is friends with many, has put thousands of smiles on people’s faces and has given millions of good haircuts. More importantly, the walls at Var-sity Barbershop would smile gently, tell you to take a seat and listen to the fascinating stories told by a man called “Whisperin’ Richard.”

Left: Richard Danel cuts Tim Schlais’ hair while telling one of his many stories.

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NREM studies show sand plum thickets provide homes for North American bobwhite quail

By Darrin SchultzPond Creek, Okla.


research

MOST PEOPLE’S MEMORIES OF wild plums are the jellies their grand-mothers used to make. Although an Internet search on sand plum is more likely to result in jelly and wine recipes than wildlife, during the last 50 years, the value of the sand plum as a source of food and medicine for hu-mans has diminished. Today, the real value in sand plum is the cover and structure they provide for wildlife and livestock. Fred Guthery, professor for Okla-homa State University’s natural resource ecology and management department, began his research on a study of the im-portance of the sand plum. “We did a radio telemetry study on bobwhites and found that the birds

spent much of their lives in or near sand plum,” Guthery said. The sand plum is a shrub species native to Oklahoma, Texas and Kan-sas. The species is better known as the Chickasaw plum, since it was believed to have been introduced east of the Mis-sissippi river by the Chickasaw Indi-ans through trade. The shrub’s current distribution stretches from the western edge of the southern Great Plains east to the Atlantic coast. Individual plants grow up to 15 feet tall. Sand plum is drought tolerant and prefers well-drained, acidic sandy soils. In the spring, it produces snowy white flowers and is one of the few shrubs that flower before leaves are produced in the spring. In late summer, it produces a red or yellowish fruit that is quickly con-sumed by wildlife as well as humans. Guthery works with graduate stu-

dents researching the management of Chickasaw plum on rangelands to meet wildlife and livestock objectives. Guthery has worked with many col-leagues and graduate students during his time at OSU. “I got the project organized,” Guthery said. “However, it’s a team ef-fort. There was no research on sand plum. We knew how to kill it but didn’t know the importance sand plum had on other animals.” Historically, ranchers have sprayed woody cover like Chickasaw plum to make room for grass, Guthery said. Management decisions and knowl-edge of the surrounding environment helps guide researchers. “Understanding the natural history of plants and wildlife can aid in mak-ing informed management decisions,” Guthery said. “I view natural history as

Plum Sweet Plum

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important factor in summer weight gain in livestock, Guthery said. Shade provided by the Chickasaw plum may be as effective as water and supplemental feeding as a tool to pro-mote uniform grazing of pastures. Heat stress due to the lack of shade also affects breeding performance in cattle. “A landowner might have a nega-tive outlook on sand plum because the plum competes with livestock forage,” Guthery said. Shade provided by sand plum is beneficial to cattle and other livestock, Dunkin said. Cattle could be found resting dur-ing midday in large sand plum patches, he said. During calving season, calves were found resting in patches while the herd grazed nearby.


the arithmetic of natural resource sci-ence because it consists of the purest facts with which we deal. Facts of natu-ral history are, in an ecological sense, tantamount to the axioms of mathema-ticians and the molecules of chemists.” Guthery and Stacy Dunkin, NREM research assistant, directed a recent study on private properties in three Oklahoma counties: Payne, Harper and Ellis. In 2006, Dunkin surveyed the his-tory of the Chickasaw plum and the plant’s relation to wildlife. One of the objectives of this project was to gather descriptive natural story observations on the use of Chickasaw plum by mammals, reptiles, birds, in-vertebrates and plants. Chickasaw plum is an important food source for a variety of wildlife, including turkeys, black bears, wolves, coyotes, white-tailed deer and fox. “I had observed 30 species utilizing or associated with Chickasaw plum,” Dunkin said. “These included five spe-cies of mammals, 17 birds, one reptile and four insects.” Chickasaw plum fulfills the role of trees by providing shade for wildlife and livestock where trees are absent or re-stricted. The major benefit to domestic livestock is shade that dense patches pro-vide, and shade has been shown to be an

Opposite page: Ripening fruit catches the eye in a sand plum thicket in Payne County. Left: OSU’s sand plum research has focused on habitat for North American bobwhite quail. Right: NREM research assistant Brett Cooper measures sand plum in a thicket in Ellis County.

Dunkin’s research study was the first to specifically look at Chickasaw plum growth and wildlife use. However, two additional studies followed from NREM research assistants Brett Cooper and Adam West. “So far, our studies are the only ones ever done,” Dunkin said. Dunkin’s research found birds were the most frequent users of Chickasaw plum. Quail regularly were flushed from plum patches. “When bobwhites were encoun-tered in patches, they tended to run to the far end and hold,” Dunkin said. “If they were pressed further, they would run a short distance from the edge of the patch and flush toward an adjacent [sand plum] patch.” According to OSU’s research, quail have a variety of uses for sand plum. “These birds were found calling from within patches usually just af-ter sunrise,” Dunkin said. “It appears patches were used as roost sites.” The NREM graduate students are promoting the Chickasaw sand plum as an important woody cover to benefit a variety of wildlife. “Sand plums are not just for jelly anymore,” Dunkin said. “The real value in sand plum is the structure it provides for wildlife.”

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acy

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“”

The real value in sand plum is the structure it provides

for wildlife.— Stacy Dunkin

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fire, then you are going to end up with a problem,” Stansberry said. “And we definitely have a problem in this state.” Fire is a unique tool when used to keep ecosystems intact, but with fire sup-pression, the invasive Eastern redcedar is somewhat overtaking the Cross Timbers ecosystem in Oklahoma, Elmore said. CTER, just like the rest of the Cross Timbers ecosystem, has changed dra-matically due to lack of fire. Cedars are invading the land base basically east of Interstate 35, said Brent Westerman, field and research service unit senior director. And fire is the most economical way to control invasive spe-cies like the Eastern redcedar. The Eastern redcedar is not fire adapted, meaning it does not re-sprout following fire like oaks do, Elmore said. Fire suppression has led to the current overabundance of this invasive species in Cross Timbers. “CTER is suffering from an enor-mous cedar encroachment problem, and if nothing is done, it will eventually be one solid cedar forest,” Gourley said. “Areas on CTER where old herbi-cide studies were conducted have not been burned for at least 25 years,” he said. “It is extremely evident how fast

the cedars will take Cross Timbers over without fire.”

STRETCHING FROM SOUTH–eastern Kansas to central Texas is Cross Timbers, a 19.5-million-acre ecosystem crossing through Oklahoma State Uni-versity territory. OSU owns roughly 1,800 acres of Cross Timbers on the OSU Range Research Station, 12 miles southwest of campus. “Cross Timbers is a big ecosystem and one of the few ecosystems still large-ly intact because of the nature of the terrain,” said Adam Gourley, range re-search station assistant superintendent. “The soils and brush make it hard to farm and costly to develop.” In the past, research has focused on vegetation responses on the Cross Tim-bers Experimental Range, Gourley said.

research

In fact, scientists agree a gap exists in the scientific knowledge about the Cross Timbers ecosystem. This Southern Plains ecosystem is not what it once was, said Dwayne El-more, state wildlife extension specialist. Historically, Cross Timbers would have been an oak-savannah habitat with an open-forest structure. Fire suppres-sion is a major component of the closing canopy, the diminishing grasslands and the reduction in native wildlife species, Elmore said. Fire can bring back what was once natural to this area. “The interesting part of all this is that when you drive from Stillwater to Oklahoma City what you see is not what this landscape looked like 100 years ago, ” Elmore said. “It would have been much more open, and there would have been great numbers of bison, prai-rie chickens and elk in Payne County, species that are not anywhere in this county now.” The goal of the research station is to restore native habitat with prescribed fire, said Chris Stansberry, range research station superintendent. Every year, the fire crew “crosses their fingers” to hold off burn bans. In spring 2008, areas on the Cross Timbers Experimental Range were burned; the rest of CTER will be burned in the near future. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out if you suppress fire in an ecosystem that evolved with

By Blayr BeougherOwasso, Okla.

Drip torches, like this one used by Chris Stansberry, are used when conducting controlled burns.Cowboy Journal • 30

CROSS TIMBERSCROSS T

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“The OSU Range Research Station crew, in conjunction with Dwayne El-more, have begun to monitor wildlife numbers and movements,” Westerman said. “They have set up cameras to monitor deer; it is something we haven’t done in the past.” CTER is designed to research sev-eral things at the same time similar to a working ranch, Fuhlendorf said. Fire lines built throughout CTER will dou-ble as roads, helping the workers get around easier and allowing tours, which are part of the new project. Due to the rough terrain, conduct-ing research on CTER has been a strug-gle in the past, Westerman said. CTER is under a major renovation to improve the infrastructure, which will complement ongoing research activities, he said.

Research on CTER started in the early 1980s. Now, the station has plans for multiple research projects in one area, providing farmers and ranchers in Okla-homa with information on how to man-age their land. We have decided to shift the re-search’s focus and build on what we learned from the previous 20 years of experiments, which is that basically we can’t do anything in that land without fire,” Fuhlendorf said. The primary research project on CTER now is the development of a re-search and demonstration area for the Cross Timbers ecosystem. The primary part of the research and demonstration area is to demon-strate patch-burning techniques on a landscape scale, Gourley said. Eighteen patches will be burned, and cattle will be collared to moni-tor how fire affects grazing behaviors, he said.

Some areas on CTER that once were grasslands already have been converted to a cedar forest, Gourley said. Because patches of CTER are so far gone, it will take years and a lot of work to see a ma-jor turn around, he said. The abundance of cedars on CTER makes the staff more determined to do everything possible to get rid of the rap-idly spreading invasive species. “Using fire to open the forest can-opy is going to somewhat shift Cross Timbers back to a grassland system and not dominated by forest,” Elmore said. “Cross Timbers will be more of a bal-ance between forest and grass.” Stansberry said the fire crew plans to make the perimeter and interior fire-lines on CTER 150 feet wide and free of cedars with few oaks, making prescribed fires much easier and safer. “Economically important wildlife species, such as bobwhite quail, can thrive in Cross Timbers habitats that are managed appropriately,” said Sam Fuhlendorf, professor of natural re-source ecology and management. The OSU Range Research Station and its Cross Timbers Experimental Range areas are important for research, as evidenced by the number and size of grants that have been awarded to study wildlife, invasive species, cattle and ecosystem shifts, Westerman said. Most research stations only conduct cropland research, making the

OSU Range Research Sta-tion unique, Fuhlen-

dorf said.


Cross Timbers is a mosaic of xeric oak woodlands with patches of savanna and prairie openings that covered nearly 8 million hectare before European settlement pri-marily in central Oklahoma and northern Texas.

OSU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management

CROSS TIMBERSTIMBERS

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Renovations include road improve-ments, pond upgrades and preparation of the station to showcase research and demonstration activities in the near fu-ture, Westerman said. “Currently, the terrain is so rough, one can hardly get around, not to men-tion build fire lines and support re-search,” Westerman said. “Most of the area is only accessible on foot or horseback.” The Range Research Station recent-ly received new equipment to help com-plete many tasks they have struggled to complete in the past. “We were very fortunate this winter to receive funding from the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the

Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station’s field and research service unit to purchase an ASV Posi-Track loader,” Stansberry said. “That piece of equip-ment is going to be a tremendous asset to the range station for constructing fire lines, roads, creek crossings and fences not only on CTER but also the rest of the range station.” CTER not only benefits research projects but also is an area where local and national groups and organizations can come for demonstrations or hold contests, Elmore said. In the past, CTER brought in 4-H members to discuss fire ecology, Elmore said. This summer, members from 30 states will visit CTER during the big-


2007 Darrel “Dean” Troxel Outstanding Fraternity34 of the last 40 years

2007 Junior Ironman Outstanding Pledge Class22 of the last 27 years

2007 Outstanding Campus Involvement

2007 Outstanding Community Service

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Best Grades Among Fraternities74 of 80 years

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gest wildlife contest in 4-H, the Nation-al Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Contest, which will be held in Oklaho-ma for the first time. “The more people we can get on this site the more people we can educate about fire, cattle grazing and wildlife,” Stansberry said. “Research possibilities out here are endless.” A goal of the natural resource ecol-ogy and management department at OSU is to perform research that not only will be published in journals but also will provide relevant information to landowners about exactly how to man-age their land, Fuhlendorf said. CTER and OSU provide Oklaho-mans across the state with useful infor-mation about how to manage natural resources for multiple uses. “We do research to help people in Oklahoma make a better living and have a better life,” Fuhlendorf said.

For more information about CTER, call Chris Stansberry at 405-743-4714 or send a message to [email protected].

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Cross Timbers Ecosystem with suppressed fire (left) and with prescribed fire.

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By Ashley SchnoorMaquoketa, Iowa

alumni

“NOW’S THE TIME. THIS IS THE Place. Dr Pepper is the Taste.” “Be You.” “The friendly ‘Pepper-Upper.’” As the oldest major soft drink in America, Dr Pepper has not only a his-tory of slogans but also a 40-year-old tradition of “passing the bottle” within the agricultural economics department at Oklahoma State University. “I really started it,” said Gerald Doeksen, OSU regents professor. The tradition began in 1968, Doeksen said, when 10 to 15 graduate students gathered nightly to study in Agricultural Hall. Nine o’clock served as break time to get a Coke or Pepsi from the pop machine. “One night we took our break and went to get our pops,” Doeksen said. “Dale Kalbfleish put his money into the machine, and instead of a Coke or Pepsi, he got a Dr Pepper.” Kalbfleish did not like Dr Pep-per and did not drink it. Rather, he sat it on his desk, starting the 40-year-old tradition. When Kalbfleish graduated in 1969, he typed his name and graduat-ing year on a black label, placed it on the Dr Pepper bottle and put the bottle on Doeksen’s desk. Doeksen followed Kalbfleish’s lead and stuck his name and year on the bot-tle and passed the bottle to Harry Mapp after graduating. Doeksen said the bottle is an an-tique and is older than his office in Agricultural Hall. When the tradition began, Ag Hall was two separate build-ings, the north and south wings were not connected as they are today.

“I am almost scared to touch it,” Doeksen said. “It might blow up.” Since graduation, Doeksen has worked on the OSU campus. Although his titles have changed, he has not ventured far from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, allowing him to watch the bottle travel among 27 graduate students. Of those who have possessed the bottle, only two teach at OSU: Doeksen and Kim An-derson, the Charles A. Breed-love agribusiness professor. “I was glad to get the bottle, because it was a sta-tus symbol rather than a bottle of shame,” said An-derson, who earned his doctorate in 1980. Anderson and many others were bestowed the honor of housing the Dr Pepper bottle after at-tending OSU for more than six years. Some years have more than one name; Anderson said this was because students left as soon as they finished their dissertations. Anderson said he was not the only name for 1980; he was joined by Tom “TT” Harris. “When you became the senior graduate stu-dent who had been here the longest, you received the Dr Pepper bottle and you got your name on it,”

Anderson said. “When you graduated, you found the next oldest senior to gradu-ate and passed the bottle on to him.” Anderson said the agricul-tural economics department kept a log of seniority used to assign office space to gradu-ate students. This list also was used for the “passing of the bottle” because names were listed by seniority. It was the bottle holder’s job to de-termine who the next student to receive the bottle was and then pass it on. Anderson said the defense dissertation marked a graduate student’s last proj-ect before hand-ing the bottle to the next student. “You were the senior person,” Anderson said. “It was a big deal to get the [Dr Pepper] bottle.” W h o e v e r housed the bottle placed it on the next student’s desk. Anderson still has the same desk he sat at 25 years ago and pointed out the exact home of

the bottle while in his possession.

Keepers of Ye BottleForty years of ‘Ye Olde Ph.D. Pepper’ in agricultural economics


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Department Head Mike Woods currently houses the 39-year-old bottle of pop that has close to 35 names taped to it. The bottle remains intact and has never been broken or opened.

Woods is not sure what to do with it and joked it may be a little too flat to drink now. “It was just a way to acknowledge that graduate school takes longer than

you think,” Woods said. “It is also a way to recognize and slightly poke fun at who was here the longest.” Although Woods grad-uated from OSU in 1981 with his doctorate in ag-ricultural economics, he

never received the bottle. That year was skipped, Woods said.

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“I think there was a scandal,” Woods said with a grin. “I am not sure why there is not a name for 1981, but Harris skipped me.” Since the 1968 bottle of Dr Pepper is full of names, Woods purchased a six-pack of Dr Pepper bottles, which await the continuation of the tradition. Woods said one of the more recent names on the bottle is Rob Hogan, who earned his Ph.D. in 2004 and works as a professor and extension economist for Texas A&M University. Hogan said he works in District 6 of Texas and serves as the link between research economists and research cen-ters at TAMU and producers. He also teaches farm and ranch management and marketing management to produc-ers within his district. Rita Carreira, a 2004 graduate, is the most current name on the bottle. “It’s a lighthearted tradition that ties [OSU agricultural economics graduate students] together,” Woods said.

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Mibey assumes duties as vice chancellor of Kenya’s Moi University

By Cori HarrisonMinier, Ill.


alumni

ON THE WESTERN EDGE OFthe African equatorial country of Kenya, you not only will find the world’s second largest freshwater lake and nearly 80 major species of animals but also an Oklahoma State University graduate making a difference in students’ lives. Kenya native Richard Kiprono Mibey walked the halls of Agricultural Hall for nearly four years while obtain-ing his master’s degree in plant pathology in 1981 and his doctorate in agricultural education and extension in 1984. “My time at OSU exposed me to various aspects of life,” Mibey said. “The university has a large foreign stu-dent population with diverse cultures.The environment is conducive to learn-ing, doing research and recreation.” In addition to working as a graduate assistant in the plant pathology program and as a research assistant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory in Stillwater, Mibey was president of the plant pathology club at OSU. Dur-ing this time, he was advised by Rob-ert Price and was Price’s 240th graduate student to advise. “Dr. Mibey is carrying on the ex-cellent tradition of the department of agricultural education and of Dr. Rob-ert Price with great respect,” said David Henneberry, director of international agricultural programs. Upon graduation from OSU, Mibey returned to Kenya, where he gained an abundance of teaching and administra-tive experience, highlighted by his re-

cent signing as vice chancellor of Moi University in September 2006. “[Dr. Mibey] is singularly focused on the future of Kenya, and on his role in shaping Moi University into an insti-tution that Kenyans look to as a place where they can transform their futures through acquiring an education,” Hen-neberry said. Located approximately 300 miles from Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, in the city of Eldoret, Moi University opened as Kenya’s second public university in 1984 and has grown from a single for-estry department to 13 schools spread across nine campuses. Currently, the university has an en-rollment of nearly 15,000 students and employs almost 3,000 staff members. Mibey has been the supervisor of four of the university’s doctoral students and 16 graduate students. “Dr. Mibey is a very inspirational individual,” Henneberry said. “He has a quiet portrayal of leadership, allow-ing those around him to each have their turn in the spotlight.” Mibey said the management cours-es he took in the later part of his edu-cation have helped him to successfully overcome the situational management challenges as the leader of a university. “Earlier this year, all the universities and schools in Kenya were closed due to the widespread violence that erupt-ed after the results of our presidential elections,” Mibey said. “I moved into the villages surrounding the university to seek peace and cooperation with our neighbors. “After several days of discussions, the

communities sup-ported my efforts in helping to re-open the university.” Current OSU agricultural educa-tion graduate student and fellow Kenyan Patrick Saisi is a close friend of Mibey. “He is goal-oriented, self-motivated and very innovative with good interper-sonal skills,” Saisi said. Before moving to Moi University, Mibey occupied several teaching and administrative positions. These includ-ed professor of mycology, the study of fungi, at the University of Nairobi in 2002 and deputy vice chancellor of administration and finance at Maseno University from 2004 to 2006. While at Maseno University, he su-pervised the construction of five new university dorms and several lecture rooms. He also helped secure the deed for a university farm to expand Maseno’s veterinary program. Along with his academic work, Mibey is a world-recognized specialist on fungal taxonomy and biodiversity conservation. Through his work as a fungal taxonomist, he has discovered and classified more than 120 species of

Alum Goes the Distance...To Make a Difference

alumni

CJp_35_36_OSUAlumGoesTheDistance1 1CJp_35_36_OSUAlumGoesTheDistance1 1 4/11/2008 8:37:53 AM4/11/2008 8:37:53 AM

Fall 2008 • 2

fungi and made notable contributions toward the conservation of Kenyan en-dangered indigenous tree species. He has published 28 articles about his work. Mibey adds involvement in sev-eral distinguished societies to his list of achievements. He is the current presi-dent of the African Mycological Asso-ciation, which was established in 1995 and promotes mycology through con-tact among members in Africa. He has been a board member of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and chairman of the Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute. The KFRI works to develop forestry through research, while the KIRDI promotes the development, acquisition and diffusion of technologies to the local industry. Mibey has taken part in several fel-lowships, including membership as a senior research fellow in the publicly funded German academic exchange service. While working in Munich, he helped name a collection of fungi from around the world.

At this time, he is a fellow of the World Innovation Foundation, which helps make scientific advancements through research and knowledge. Mibey also is a past Darwin Fellow at the International Mycological Insti-tute in Ukraine where he contributed to naming fungi that previously had been incorrectly identified. Mibey currently resides in Eldoret with his wife, Elizabeth, and children. In November 2007, Mibey and a group of administrators from Moi University traveled to Stillwater to meet with OSU representatives to begin a col-laboration between the two prominent research universities. The two institutions formalized a memorandum of understanding be-tween OSU and Moi University, which was signed by Mibey and Robert Whit-son, vice president, dean and director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at OSU. “The memorandum of understand-ing signed between OSU and Moi Uni-

versity will offer opportunities for the exchange of students and faculty, thus enriching learning experiences,” Mibey said. “We shall also be able to have joint research projects completed by staff and students from both institutions.” The agreement is to cover all of OSU; however, CASNR is expected to take the lead role in working with Moi University, Henneberry said. CASNR has produced many suc-cessful international alumni like Mibey, Henneberry said. The OSU agricultural education program has produced two university presidents in Thailand, Thep Phongpar-nich and Pongsak Angkasith, he said. “I am ever grateful for the guid-ance, encouragement, motivation and support I received at OSU,” Mibey said. “OSU excels in building a strong per-sonal character, professionalism, endur-ance, dedication and creativity. “My achievements today are based on those things.”

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By Kandice TaylorPaden, Okla.


IMAGINE THE HEARTBREAK and fear you would feel if you learn you have cancer. Your emotions run wild as questions fill your mind. What will the future hold? Gary Sherrer, Division of Agricul-tural Sciences and Natural Resources assistant vice president for external af-fairs, found himself in this circumstance last fall after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In the midst of his emotional turmoil, a beacon of light appeared, and hope came in the form of colleagues who supported him in his battle with cancer. Sherrer said being diagnosed with cancer was certainly a set back, but ev-eryone has something they have to go through. He said he was glad the cancer was diagnosed so at least he knew what he had to fight. Sherrer said he has had an outpour-ing of support from family, friends and colleagues. He said their support is what gets him through the hard times. “You have to have a good attitude,” Sherrer said, “and fight with all your heart and soul.” To support Sherrer in his fight, plant and soil sciences professors formed the Sherrer Squad relay team and partic-ipated in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 27. Although the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is 26.2 miles long, the Sherrer Squad par-ticipated as a relay team, taking turns running in the race. They registered their team with the American Cancer Society to raise money and awareness for cancer research. “It’s been a real struggle for him go-ing through this,” said Dave Porter, pro-

fessor and head of the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. “We wanted to help.” Porter and fellow PASS faculty Brett Carver, Kefy Desta, Bjorn Martin and Chad Penn form the Sherrer Squad. The team would like to get other colleges around campus involved in the relays for cancer research, Porter said. Porter said Bob Whitson, vice presi-dent, dean and director of DASNR, sup-ports the team’s efforts to raise awareness about cancer and to fund research. “I felt honored that they would do that to raise money to fight such a dreadful disease as cancer,” Sherrer said. “There’s going to be a cure sometime, and that gives us a great hope.” Sherrer had a PET scan performed in February, and the doctor said the tumor was gone; therefore, the can-cer is in remission. Sherrer completed two more treatments on the doctor’s recommendation to be sure the cancer was gone.

Everyone on the team joined to show his or her support for Sherrer. “I think it is a very good and noble cause to help out,” Carver said, “and burn a little energy in the process.” While this is the first attempt to form a relay team within PASS, this is not DASNR’s first attempt to raise funds for the ACS. Department of Ag-ricultural Economics Regents Profes-sor Damona Doye said the Ag Econ & Friends relay team has participated in the Payne County Relay for Life event for more than 10 years. The Relay for Life raises money and awareness to fund cancer research. It is not a set number of miles. It begins with a lap made by cancer survivors and is followed by team members walking laps throughout the night until the next morning, symbolizing how cancer never sleeps. Payne County’s Relay for Life Event will be held August 22 at Couch Park in Stillwater. The Ag Econ & Friends relay team

Dave Porter (left), Kefy Desta and Bjorn Martin trained countless hours for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in April.

Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources faculty ‘team up’ in the battle against cancer

RACE AGAINST

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was started by a former colleague, Dan Bernardo, a cancer survivor. Since then, others have been diagnosed, includ-ing Doye’s late husband, Harry Mapp, who was also an agricultural economics professor. Doye said this encourages the team to keep participating to raise funds for research. “Most people have a personal tie to the relay,” said Doye. “For me, it’s a con-tinuing tribute to Harry.” Like the Sherrer Squad, the Ag Econ & Friends team includes people who have been touched by cancer. “Relay for Life is a great way to help raise money for cancer research,” said Katie Reim, communications specialist and Relay for Life team member. “Hav-ing family members and friends who have had cancer and are battling cancer, this is a way for me to help raise money to support this cause. It is also a time for fellowship and celebration for those who have fought the battle with cancer and won.” The Ag Econ & Friends relay team has raised $70,000 for cancer research. Not only do the relay teams support cancer research by raising awareness and funds, but also they create team-mem-ber interaction, which benefits members in their day-to-day jobs. “It has given me the opportunity to get to know people outside of my department on a more personal basis,” Doye said. “It’s fun and rewarding.” Everyone gains something different by being a part of the teams. “Being a part of the relay allows me to be thankful for my healthy family and friends and reminds me of the im-portance of giving back to others,” Reim

said. “It also is a time for me to remem-ber those who have lost the battle.” While DASNR professors make a difference in the lives of students ev-ery day, some are on another mission:

to make a difference in the world. These professors spotlight what DAS-NR faculty, students and alumni are all about: Change can begin with one person.

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Gary Sherrer, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in October 2007, continues his work with a bright smile and positive outlook despite his struggle with cancer. The cancer was found to be in remis-sion in February 2008.

• National Outstanding Chapter Award for three consecutive years

• National Community Service Chapter of the Year for three consecutive years

• 30 National Critique and Contest Awards recipients in 2007

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By Kirby SmithElk City, Okla.

CLARK KENT’S TRANSFORMAtion to Superman allowed him to dart into alleys and face the current crisis in his legendary blue cape. His quick de-partures and high-flying problem solv-ing ensured a safe future. Oklahoma State University’s Col-lege of Agricultural Sciences and Natu-ral Resources’ environmental science program teaches students to resolve en-vironmental issues and, like Superman, help make the world a safe place to live. Established in 1992 as an interdisci-plinary program, environmental science prepares its graduates to identify and as-sess environmental problems, develop alternatives and understand the implica-tions. A portion of this preparation is a capstone class. “With the capstone class, we really want students to begin interacting with

professionals in the industry,” said Jeff Hattey, soil science professor, environ-mental sciences program director and capstone course instructor. “We want students to understand what they will be doing when they walk onto a job.” Hattey is in his second year of teaching the class. He and other envi-ronmental science faculty use innovative teaching methods and classes to promote research opportunities and partnerships, such as the senior capstone class. The Environmental Science Ap-plication of Problem course, or ENVI 4813, addresses real-world issues by connecting students with organizations and individuals needing advice to rem-edy specific environmental problems. Class objectives focus on developing an understanding of problem solving and the application of the environmen-tal sciences. Students also learn how to work with clients to meet their needs, and develop the ability to communicate

recommendations to clients in a profes-sional manner. With an average class size of 13 stu-dents, the class is divided into groups. Each group receives a project from vari-ous sources in Oklahoma. “The bulk of our projects come from government agencies, private in-dividuals, public industries and even OSU,” Hattey said. One such project took place near Tar Creek in Picher, Okla. “The land in this project had high levels of lead and zinc in the soil from previous mining operations,” said Chad Penn, assistant professor of soil and en-vironmental chemistry. “The landowner wanted to run cattle on the land and needed to know the safest way.” Penn assisted with the project. “I would make sure they were on the right track or would assist them if they were missing an integral part of a potential solution,” Penn said.

OSU Plant and Soil Sciences graduate student Lisa Fultz (left) and extension agent Chris Stiegler perform water quality tests.

ProfessionallyProfessionallyEnvironmental science class teaches students to apply knowledge in real-world applications

Saving the world …Saving the world …students

Photo by Todd JohnsonSummer/Fall 2008 • 39

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Spring 2008 • 40

“The students definitely did most of the work.” Brandon Sloan graduated in De-cember 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and a minor in soil science; he was a student on the Tar Creek project. “Being a part of the class and get-ting to work on the Tar Creek project really taught me that every problem isn’t easy and not every problem is the same,” Sloan said. “Every problem has more than one solution.” Sloan now works as an environ-mental scientist for a consulting firm in Tulsa, Okla. He credits the capstone class for familiarizing him with the day-to-day activities of his current position. “In other classes, the only time you get hands-on experience is in lab,” Sloan said. “That’s a short time, but in the capstone class, time was yours to do what needed to be done. We made the initial contact with the client and met with him to find out what he want-ed and his budget.”

Rhonda Gerig, an environmental science senior and participant in the class, reflected the feeling of working with an actual client. “It was very intimidating,” Gerig said. “At the end of the project, we gave our recommendations in an hour-long presentation. That experience really helped me because I’ve presented a proj-ect I worked on to a government agency. Any presentations I have to give in other classes are no big deal at all.”

The capstone class focuses on pre-paring students to make the transition from college life to professional life, Hattey said. “So much of college life is laid back,” Hattey said. “We are trying to introduce students to the mind-set of being a young professional.” Interacting with clients gives stu-dents the opportunity to practice profes-sionalism before joining the work force. “We hope this class lets people know our students are not only top quality in the classroom but also in the industry,” Hattey said. Students in the capstone class re-ceive a hands-on encounter with life as a working professional. The experience gives students a chance to go beyond the books and see the application of their education. “Out of all the classes at OSU I’ve taken, I learned the most and gained the most experience from the capstone class,” Gerig said.

“”

I learned the most and gained the most experience

from the capstone course.

— Rhonda Gerig

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OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine commemorates its diamond anniversary

By Shawna AllenNewcastle, Okla.


alumni

THIS YEAR MARKS THE 60TH ANniversary of Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechani-cal College’s School of Veterinary Medi-cine opened its doors May 1, 1948, after years of work by “the father of veterinary medicine in Oklahoma,” L.L. Lewis. Although Lewis died before the veterinary school opened, he had been appointed the professor of veterinary

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science in 1896 and was a vital part of the college’s success and establishment. Early veterinary schools, such as OAMC’s, began primarily for teaching equine care to students, said Michael Lorenz, CVM dean and OSU alumnus. “Horses and horse-drawn carriages were the means of transportation in the early 1900s,” Lorenz said. “Veterinar-ians were needed to doctor and take care of the horses.” During the first year, OAMC’s vet-erinary school taught two classes to the 31 male students: anatomy in the morn-

ing, histology after lunch and morning labs for both classes on Saturday. “Veterinary school was like a full-time job,” Lorenz said. “The students had class Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon, an hour break for lunch, then back to class until 5 p.m.” Although days were long, the small class size encouraged a feeling of belong-ing and unity among the students, said Roger Panciera, 1953 graduate and for-mer veterinary professor. By 1957, the school of veterinary medicine had 35 faculty and six depart-ments. Today, the college has 114 faculty, three departments, a teaching hospital and a disease diagnostic laboratory. The three departments are veterinary patho-biology, physiological sciences and vet-erinary clinical sciences. “We are a small faculty with a wide array of courses offered to our students,” Lorenz said. “This indicates the faculty’s primary goal is educating students on how to be good veterinarians.” Although students have the op-tion to specialize in a particular field with their electives, the CVM faculty takes pride in teaching students the core curriculum and the primary care tech-niques. Lorenz said professors at OSU Six veterinary students walk in front of the World War II army building, which housed the first class-room from 1948 to 1968.

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are “eye-to-eye” with their students, making sure they learn and understand the material. The dedication put forth by the fac-ulty and students resulted in success for all. By 1961, OSU’s College of Veteri-nary Medicine had 255 graduates work-ing in 37 states and overseas. Now, the total number of graduates is 3,089. “We’ve graduated three presidents of the American Veterinary Medical Association,” Lorenz said, “along with Bob Whitney, the only veterinarian to serve as surgeon general.” With an increase in total numbers and student success came an increase in cost and building space. “In 1948, the budget allotted for the CVM was $110,023,” said Derinda Lowe, CVM public relations coordina-tor. “Today, one semester of veterinary school costs a student $6,565 in-state tuition and $15,202 out-of-state.” As for building space, McElroy Hall was built a year after the school was established. During the years, several wings were added to the original struc-ture to accommodate students, faculty and laboratories. “We have more facilities, faculty and research now than there were back then,” Panciera said. Today the College of Veterinary Medicine [McElroy Hall], the Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and the Oklahoma Animal Disease Di-agnostic Laboratory are the three build-ings housing the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. “The first classroom was a tempo-rary World War II army building and the veterinary hospital was located in

McElroy Hall,” said Mark Neer, director of the teaching hospital. “The hospital as we know it today wasn’t constructed until 1976.” All students are required to work in the teaching hospital to observe real-world veterinary cases. Neer said it is exciting to see students take what they learn in the classroom to diagnose live patients. The teaching hospital not only helps veterinary students, but also it serves animal owners in the community and state. “We get a lot of pets for general checkups,” Neer said, “along with some unique cases we have not seen.” Researching internal diseases and parasitology are special areas on which the OSU CVM focuses, Lorenz said. “It is important to have research,” said Jerry Mayaler, associate dean for research and graduate studies for the CVM. “We are one of the few veterinary schools that conducts research on tick-transmitted diseases.”

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Whether learning primary care, conducting research or receiving hands-on experience, the OSU CVM pro-vides graduates an education to meet the needs of employment or graduate school, Lorenz said. “OSU means a lot to me,” Panciera said. “I came back as part of the faculty hoping to make a difference.” Each year, the CVM has a fall con-ference for veterinarians, technicians and office personnel. Specialists from OSU and other colleges share their knowledge with the attendees. Alumni events and reunions also are scheduled during the conference, which is Oct. 30-31. Seeing the pride alumni have for the college and their passion for the veteri-nary industry is exciting, Lowe said. “We are planning a big celebration this year,” Lowe said. “During the fall conference, we hope numerous faculty, students and alumni join us to com-memorate our 60 years of success.”

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students

By Brittainy BartonJarrell, Texas UPON ENTERING THE STUdent Success Center, one is greeted by smiling faces, along with the sights and sounds of students assisting fellow stu-dents with résumés, job searches and many other student development and career service-related activities. These same students are seen on campus help-ing with the recruitment of potential Oklahoma State University students. These students are here because they share common interests: They enjoy spreading the OSU spirit, want to help others succeed and have a “team player” attitude. They are Student Success Lead-ers. SSLs consist of Agricultural Ambas-sadors, Career Liaisons and Freshmen in Transition Student Academic Mentors, or FIT SAMs. Each team represents the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources as well as OSU. Since an SSL has many responsi-

bilities, potential applicants may worry becoming an SSL might conflict with classes and other activities in which they already are involved. “We normally get to choose our four office hours around our class schedule at our convenience,” said Carol Cook, Career Liaison. “Also, I don’t take night classes so I can be available to do club presentations in the evenings.” Becoming an SSL provides students with networking opportunities with leaders in the college, the university and the community. “Being an SSL will help me in the future because I have had experience working with a diverse group of students, and have had the opportunity to network and help coordinate many activities,” said Megan McCool, 2007-2008 FIT SAM. As an SSL, opportunities exist to spread the spirit of OSU and to ensure others gain from their experiences. “Being an SSL isn’t about what

we gain from the experience but how others gain from it,” said Whitney Danker, Ag Ambassador student council representative. “We are here to serve the college because we love CASNR and are thankful for the opportunities that we have been given.” These leaders work with students in either getting them interested in CASNR or assisting with post-graduation plans. “The students that I work with are the future at OSU, and I love that I get to work with them,” said Karolyn Bolay, Ag Ambassador. When considering whether to become an SSL, students should keep many things in mind. Sometimes being an SSL means being ready and willing to work anytime you are asked. Many qualities are ideal for each SSL position. The diverse qualities are what makes the group such a great team. “To be a good SSL, I think you need to have a passion for the College of Ag and its students,” Cook said. “You

CASNR implements new selection process for Student Success Leaders

Making a difference … one student at a time

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need to have a servant’s attitude and a willingness to help. These qualities — along with responsibility and smile — will make you a great SSL.” To become an SSL, students must participate in the new pre-training program for applicants. “The idea to start the SSL training came from networking with other advisers from universities similar to ours,” said Amy Simmons, coordinator of prospective student services and Ag Ambassador adviser. Each year prior to the beginning of classes, SSLs were asked to go through training to learn about etiquette, majors and options, presentation skills, résumé development, job responsibilities of each position and general information about OSU and the CASNR. “We found that many of the students felt overwhelmed by what they were learning and wanted to know what was going to be expected of them prior to applying,” Simmons said. “This prompted the development of the training process prior to applying.” The new selection process also provides the advisers of each group an additional opportunity to interact with the applicants, to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and to decide in which group each student would fit best. “You participate in four sessions before the SSL interviews take place, so that you can become acquainted with the advisers and selection committee as

well as learn what you will be doing if you are selected,” Cook said. After the sessions, the applicants are invited to a mix and mingle event with the selection committee. “During the mix and mingle, each applicant gets one-on-one time with each committee member,” Cook said. “Based on this experience, about 40 applicants are asked in for interviews. “The interview consists of a business-professional meeting with the selection committee, where you discuss why you would like to be an SSL and which position you can see yourself in,” she said. The committee forms the teams and notifies the new SSLs by e-mail. “We are hoping that the new process will first indicate which students are truly committed to the program,” Simmons said. “Second, we are providing an opportunity for students to learn about each position in depth, and third, the coordinators have the opportunity to interact with the participants multiple times prior to selection.” Current SSLs said they encourage their peers and new transfer students to consider an SSL position in the future. “I have really come out of my shell by being an SSL,” McCool said. “It has given me confidence that I once did not have,” she said. “I have met so many new people, and I credit all of this to being an SSL.”

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Ag Ambassadors• Attend livestock shows

in Oklahoma• Attend state and national

FFA conventions• Meet every Thursday• Organize and attend Kick-

off Retreat, Back-to-School Training and Ag Roundup

• Participate in Future Ag Leaders Conference

• Participate in Ambassador Phone-a-Thon

• Facilitate high school visits

FIT SAMs• Serve as in-house student

mentors for freshmen involved with the FIT program

• Establish a sense of “community” for FIT participants

• Coordinate programming activities for the FIT students

• Contribute to the general student service/student development efforts of CASNR

• Attend training sessions, seminars and programs to become a better mentor

Career Liaisons• Organize and participate in fall

and spring career fairs• Volunteer for four hours

per week in the Student Success Center

• Assist students with résumés, cover letters, thank-you letters, job searches and interview tips

Opposite page: Lindsey Cheek (right) assists Dan Morris with his résumé.

Bottom: In the Student Success Center (clockwise from far left) Brynn Ross, Katy Pfenning, Katie Allen, Cammeron Cooper, Amy Simmons and Cassie Lancaster use the computers on a variety of projects.

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alumni

Byrd Curtis A worldwide career can start in Stillwater, Okla. Byrd Curtis has trav-eled to 65 different countries and has called five of them “home.” This world leader in wheat research, however, credits his career success to his time at OSU. “I couldn’t have done any of it without my background from OSU,” Curtis said. Curtis completed both his undergraduate and doc-toral degrees at OSU and served as an agronomy pro-fessor from 1953-1962. He then worked as a faculty member at Colorado State University, where he served as the state wheat breeder. As he continued with his agronomic career, Curtis was the first manager for Cargill’s hybrid wheat research pro-gram. His program helped improve the cross-pollination traits in wheat, advancements that led to the development of wheat hybrids in the U.S., although these hybrids were not adopted by producers. “My experience with Cargill included many inter-actions with foreign wheat breeders, researchers and ag-ricultural administrators in Europe, South America and the USSR,” Curtis said.

This helped prepare him to be the director of the wheat program at the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement in 1981. Curtis was only the third person to hold this title at CIMMYT, where he oversaw the world’s largest germplasm develop-ment network for wheat, triticale and barley. Because of advancements in wheat varieties and wheat growing technology from CIMMYT, wheat production in many developing countries has in-creased dramatically. CIMMYT is based in Mexico but has a global reach. As director of CIM-MYT, Curtis traveled to rep-resent the organization. “I grew up in Roosevelt, Okla., a small town 40 miles northwest of Lawton,” Curtis said. “Not many people [from small towns] are that lucky to travel to 65 countries.” Upon retirement in 1991, Curtis returned to Colorado where he is a retired emeritus professor at CSU. “Golf, exercising, Ki-wanis, volunteering and computer work, particularly in genealogy, keep me busy,” Curtis said. “I have a good time each day. I never have a free moment.”

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EXCELLENCE. EXCELLENCE. EXCELLENCE. The excellence gene permeates graduates of the Okla-homa State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, especially the 2007 Distinguished Agricultural Alumni: Byrd Curtis, Eddie Smith and Den-nis White. “It’s important to recognize achievements of outstand-ing individuals,” said Ed Miller, CASNR associate dean for academic programs. “They provide a model of achieve-ment for the rest of us to attain. “Each honoree excelled in a quite unique way. They show us many ways to provide exceptional leadership and service in our industry.” Honorees are chosen each year based on their career achievements. Nominations for the Distinguished Agri-cultural Alumni Award come from many places and in-dividuals, but most nominations come from the alumni’s department or major. “A strength of this awards program is that nomina-tions can come in many ways,” said Miller. “The university president, the dean, past honorees and faculty are great resources to identify nominees.”

Real men Real men of excellenceof excellence

By Sara-Jane SmallwoodClayton, Okla.

CASNR honors three distinguished alumni

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shop. I knew I wanted to go into animal science. That’s where I started and where I stayed.” White’s bachelor’s and master’s animal science de-grees from OSU took him far. During his career, White managed the sliced bacon de-partment at Wilson & Co., worked as a livestock special-ist for the Texas A&M Ex-tension Service and was the director of the American Na-tional Cattlemen’s Associa-tion Feeder Council. After holding these po-sitions, White became the senior technical adviser for Elanco Animal Health, a di-vision of Eli Lilly and Co. He stayed there for 22 years. “The most rewarding part of my career was getting to know people in all parts of the beef industry across America,” White said. “I got to understand the beef cat-tle industry in the broadest terms, not just what was go-ing on at home in Oklahoma or Texas.” White and his wife Mar-ta returned home to Nin-nekah, Okla., in 1999. He now divides his time among activities at OSU, working in his woodshop, traveling and running stocker cattle.

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Eddie Smith After a renowned career helping shape young agri-cultural leaders, Eddie Smith has returned to the lands of his upbringing. As a student in Jet, Okla., Smith was active in the local FFA chapter. His experiences raising cattle and his mem-bership in the FFA led him to OSU and a degree in agri-cultural education. “OSU was more than I expected,” Smith said. “I was a little overwhelmed at first, but I soon felt at home after I fell in with agricultural edu-cation and FFA programs.” Smith’s career began as an Oklahoma agricultural education teacher at Fargo and Burlington high schools. “During those days as a teacher, I grew even more fond of OSU,” Smith said. After several years in the classroom, Smith found an-other calling within agricul-tural education. In 1976, he took a posi-tion with the Oklahoma De-partment of Vocational and Technical Education — now the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education — and became the state supervisor of agri-cultural education in 1988. “OSU and CareerTech

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have a long-standing tradi-tion of working together,” Smith said. “They have a three-part program: Ca-reerTech, the teachers’ asso-ciation and OSU. We have all players working together.” During his tenure as state supervisor, Smith revitalized agricultural education cur-riculum and promoted youth leadership through the FFA. Because of his dedication to agricultural youth, Smith was named the outstanding member of the National As-sociation of State Supervisors of Agriculture in 2004. Smith retired from his position at CareerTech in April 2007 and has returned to his agricultural roots in northwestern Oklahoma. “I have farmland and a small cattle herd in north-west Oklahoma,” Smith said. “I also enrolled in real estate school right after retirement. I enjoy playing with my cows and selling real estate.” Smith’s background in agriculture benefits this job. He sells hunting, farming and recreation land for Hunting Country Real Estate. “It’s been very success-ful,” he said. “All land is good and has its own purpose. I’m in it to enjoy it.”

Dennis White Extracurricular activities are an important part of the college experience for many students. For Dennis White, however, those extracurricu-lar activities became an im-portant part of his life, even beyond college. White, an animal science alumnus, still attends many campus activities. The posi-tive effects of his involvement as a student inspired him to continue those contributions as a graduate. White’s continued sup-port of many OSU activi-ties, including the livestock judging team, the OSU Foundation, the Animal Sci-ence Alumni Association and sports teams, brings him back to Stillwater and OSU’s cam-pus on a regular basis. “College helps you grow as a person,” White said. “You see there is a lot more than what is just in your county. I got to travel a lot with the judging team. From that, I learned how to think and or-ganize my thoughts.” White said he always knew his career path would involve animal agriculture. “Just like every country kid, I got involved with 4-H and FFA,” White said. “I had beef cattle and was in farm

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international

Whitson’s Notes With increased interconnectivity in today’s world, DASNR emphasizes interdisciplinary programs in our classrooms, the Oklahoma Agricul-tural Experiment Station system and the Oklahoma Cooperative Exten-sion Service. Our students are pro-vided the opportunity to experience multidisciplinary approaches to solv-ing complex issues related to Oklaho-ma agriculture and natural resources through these programs. Most DASNR faculty and staff are affiliated with interdisciplinary teams to combine the knowledge and experience necessary to solve challeng-ing issues and concerns important to Oklahoma, the region and beyond. The division’s 2nd Century Ini-tiative — a road map to tackle the challenges of the future — has seven research and extension thrusts: 21st Century Animal Enterprises; 21st Century Biological Technologies; 21st Century Plant Enterprises; Eco-nomically Strong and Empowered Communities; Natural Resources — Quality and Management; Resil-ient and Healthy Families; and 4-H — Developing Community Leaders. These thrusts encompass high-profile issues, such as enhancing the energy industry through biofuel de-velopment, managing water resources and strengthening rural economies. We measure DASNR’s successes in part by the success of Oklahoma and its citizens. In turn, our research and extension efforts enhance classroom opportunities, which is the land-grant mission made real.

Dr. Robert E. WhitsonDASNR Vice President,Dean and Director

2008-2009 Agriculture Alumni Association Board of Directors

Shelly Ramsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jones President, NortheastKim Spady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hinton

Vice President, SouthwestBrent Garvie . . . . . . . . . . . . Burlington

Secretary, NorthwestBrent Kisling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enid

NorthwestJami Longacre . . . . . . . . . . . Kellyville

NortheastWes Elliott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elk City

Southwest

John Cothren . . . . . . . . . . . . Shawnee SoutheastSteve Upson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ardmore

SoutheastDana Bessinger . . . . . . . . . . . .Watonga

At-largeDanna Goss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canute

At-largeJason Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . El Reno

At-largeShirley Stephens . . . . . . . . . Chickasha

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Gear up for DASNR Access TourTHE AGRICULTURE ALUMNI Association will conduct its fifth tour June 4-5. The tour is a two-day journey across the state with several stops. This year, the tour will travel to the south-central part of the state. The Agriculture Alumni Associa-tion board of directors looks forward to the 2008 Access Tour and invites cur-rent and future alumni to mark their calendars for the event. Come and ride with the Cowboys to learn about the diverse agriculture in the great state of Oklahoma. If you would like more informa-tion about the tour, call Steve Upson at 580-224-6433 or send a message to [email protected].

The 2007 DASNR Access Tour participants pose for a group photo and visit various facilities during their two-day excursion.

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international

NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT of the Agriculture Alumni Association Shelly Ramsey is proof hard work, disci-pline and joy in what you do can take a person far in life. Growing up on a cattle and wheat farm in Bray, Okla., Ramsey said she participated in various activities for as long as she can remember. “I was extremely active in 4-H and showed Shorthorn cattle for 11 years,” Ramsey said. “In high school, I partici-pated in every possible sport I could, in-cluding basketball, softball and track.” Ramsey’s next steps were to Still-water, Okla., and to the home of the Cowboys, Oklahoma State University. Things were different in a bigger city, but Ramsey made the most of her col-lege experience. “Going to OSU from a small town was frightening and exciting at the same time,” Ramsey said. “I quickly got to know my adviser and was helped in gaining the experience and knowledge I needed to be a success in the profes-sional world.” Ramsey was involved in numerous organizations on the collegiate level, in-cluding the Agricultural Communica-tors of Tomorrow, Agricultural Student Council, Collegiate 4-H, Agricultural

Ambassadors and Kappa Delta sorority. She credits these activities with helping her grow as a person and learning to en-joy life in general. “[My activities] taught me a great lesson in balancing personal life and business, something I use on a daily ba-sis,” Ramsey said. “It is very important to keep that balance and remember to have fun and enjoy life. You only get one shot!” Ramsey graduated in 1995 with a degree in agricultural communications. Shortly after, she married Greg Ramsey, a 1995 agricultural economics graduate. Now residing in Jones, Okla., Shelly Ramsey serves as an event coordinator for the University of Central Oklahoma, but she has not forgotten her roots as an OSU alumna. She credits the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Re-sources for much of her success. “DASNR not only provides you a family away from home, but also it pre-pares you for what is to come in your future,” Ramsey said. “Even though I may not work in the agricultural world on a daily basis, my degree prepared me for any type of role.” Ramsey became a lifetime member of the OSU Alumni Association about eight years ago, and in 2004, was asked


SUMMER/FALL 2008

Ramsey assumes duties as new board president

Mark your calendars for Barbecue 2008!

to serve on the Agriculture Alumni board by former president Brent Kisling. “I always participated in the Agri-culture Alumni Association activities, but when I was approached, I was hon-ored,” Ramsey said. “What better way to give back to a great college?” Now, as the new president, Ramsey plans to continue her predecessors’ work and give back to the College of Agricul-tural Sciences and Natural Resources. “In the past few years, the board has tried to increase the way it gives back to the college and the students,” Ramsey said. “I hope to continue the success of the past presidents as well as reach out to those alumni with whom we have not made that connection back to the Agri-culture Alumni Association.”

COME TO THE ANNUAL AGRIculture Alumni barbecue Oct. 18, and cheer on the Cowboys take on the Baylor Bears. Game time will be announced at a later date, but if the game is at 2 p.m. or later, the barbecue will begin two and

half hours prior to game time. If game time is at 11 a.m., the barbecue will fol-low the game. Special recognition will be given to alumni celebrating 10, 25 and 50 years, as well as the Distinguished Agriculture Alumni. It is a great opportunity to visit

with classmates, reunite with old friends and meet DASNR faculty and staff. Barbecue registration information will be mailed in September. If you don’t receive notification, please call DASNR at 405-744-5395.

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Center for Veterinary Health Sciences112 McElroy HallStillwater, OK 74078Admissions Offi ce: 405-744-6653

Veterinary Medical Teaching HospitalWest Farm Road & Hall of Fame

Stillwater, OK 74078405-744-7000 • www.cvhs.okstate.edu

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WHY FOOL AROUND WITH THOSEOUT-OF-STATE CLOWNS?

You may think all insurance agents are a bunch of clowns. Well, if that’s true, the agents at Oklahoma Farm Bureau are more like the kind of

clown you’d find at a rodeo. We’re always there for you, ready to take the bull by the horns if things get serious. After all, we’re from Oklahoma, too.

And if there’s one thing Okies know how to do, it’s take care of their neighbors. You can trust our agents to give you good advice, a good price,

and fast, friendly service when you need it. As for those out-of-state guys, well, let’s just say you’d have better luck talking to a mime.

For details about Oklahoma Farm Bureau, visit us online at okfbins.com

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CASNR Career Services103 Agricultural Hall • Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078

405-744-9464 • www.casnr.com • [email protected]

Putting professionals in the field

Agriculture

Career Services

Cowboy JournalOklahoma State UniversityDepartment of Agricultural Education,Communications and Leadership448 Agricultural HallStillwater, OK 74078-6031

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