Tuesday, March 24
• There will be an educational forum devoted to “The Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Approach from Farm to Fork” at the University Farm from 1 to 4 p.m. Forum leaders will be Drs. Keith Baldwin and Jimo Ibrahim of the Cooperative Extension Program at A&T, and two Extension associates, Rickie Holness and Diane Ducharme.
• From 5 to 8 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel, there will be a roundtable discussion focused on "Standards for Good Agricultural Practices: Does One Size Fit All?"

Wednesday, March 25
• At the Clarion Hotel from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Dr. Keith Baldwin of Cooperative Extension will be joined by Drs. Patricia Lynch and Ipek Gotkepe of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences for a program that will include a discussion of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) approach to addressing food safety through preventive analysis during packaging and distribution.
• Premiere of “Solutions for North Carolina” and Sponsors Reception, Alumni Foundation Events Center, 11 a.m. (By invitation only)
•  Small Farmers Appreciation Luncheon, Alumni Foundation Events Center, noon
The luncheon speaker will be Dennis Quaintance, CEO for Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels. The sustainable design and construction that went into Quaintance-Weaver’s O. Henry Hotel and Green Valley Grill in Greensboro has earned the complex a reputation as one of the “greenest” in the United States. Last October, Quaintance was honored by Sustainable North Carolina for promoting social responsibility and environmental stewardship in business. And Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants are currently a national semifinalist for one of the James Beard Foundation’s 2009 Restaurant and Chef awards — the culinary world’s Oscars — largely in recognition of efforts to connect with local agriculture,

Campus security will not be ticketing vehicles without parking permits that are parked in Alumni Events Center lots for the Small Farms Day activities at the Alumni Center. There will also be shuttle service from the War Memorial Stadium to the Alumni Events Center from 11a.m. to noon on Small Farms Day. ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/small-farms-week-at-a-glance.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/small-farms-week-at-a-glance.html Cooperative Extension Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:36:36 -0500 Tuesday, March 17, was Spring Honors Convocation at Harrison Auditorium, and four members of the SAES faculty received recognitions that merit repeating:

• For each academic year, one faculty member from each of the University’s seven schools and colleges is selected for a Teach of the Year Award, and Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor was the SAES recipient for the 2008-09 academic year.

• The Academy for Teaching and Learning at A&T named Dr. Rosemarie Vardell of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences one of two recipients of its Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards for the 2008-09 academic year. Vardell shares the award with Dr. Jerono Rotich of the School of Education.

• Dr. Paula Faulkner of the Dept of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education and Dr. Jenora Waterman of the Dept. of Animal Sciences were among the A&T faculty that the Division of Research and Economic Development announced as selections for the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. The program gives those faculty members selected the opportunity to focus on their research work for six weeks by working on a proposal, preparing an article for peer-reviewed publication or another research activity. ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/saes-faculty-among-the-honoree.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/saes-faculty-among-the-honoree.html Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education Animal Sciences Family and Consumer Sciences Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:34:33 -0500 On Monday, March 16, the WFMY 6  o'clock news picked up a national story about a Duke University immunologist’s new treatment for desensitizing individuals with peanut allergies, and localized and expanded the story with a stop by Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna's lab at Carver Hall for an update on his research into deactivating peanut allergens. The segment is still available for viewing on  the WFMY website.

(There are stories with complete details on Ahmedna’s peanut allergen research in both the 2007 and 2005 issues of Re:search).]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/news-crew-taps-into-carver-lab.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/news-crew-taps-into-carver-lab.html Family and Consumer Sciences Food Sciences Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:33:20 -0500 All members of the SAES staff who are SPA (subject to the State Personnel Act) as well as members of the staff who supervise SPA employees are required to attend a training session for the new University-wide competency assessment review process.  The training will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20, in the Webb Hall Auditorium.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/mandatory-meeting-for-spa-and.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/mandatory-meeting-for-spa-and.html SAES Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:31:48 -0500 A&T students who have been toying with notions of spending a summer or semester studying abroad will have an opportunity to pick up some new ideas to bounce around at the University’s Study Abroad Fair on Wednesday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Stallings Ballroom at the Memorial Student Union Building.

The SAES has three international programs that will be highlighted at the Study Abroad Fair:
• The Peace Corps Master’s International Program — which combines graduate school with Peace Corps service to give students a resume that includes both a master’s degree and two years of work experience in international development — is accepting applications.
• Dr. Terrence Thomas has openings to send two more students to Ege University in Turkey next fall as part of an exchange program made possible by a USDA grant.
• Dr. Anthony Yeboah and John Paul Owens of the Dept. of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education are project co-directors for a Capacity Building Grant that is providing SAES students with scholarships for study abroad. The grant also provides funding to help defray the costs of airfare, passports, visas, vaccinations, health insurance, and other costs associated with international travel. Applications are now being accepted from SAES students who would like to apply for study abroad scholarships for spring and summer of 2010.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/worldly-series.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/worldly-series.html Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education SAES Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:30:41 -0500 The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation has a scholarship program with a March 31 application deadline that this year will make awards of $2,500 to undergraduates. There is a stipulation that applicants “have completed at least one semester in a restaurant and/or foodservice-related program.” Students in SAES nutrition and dietetics programs qualify. Another requirement for scholarship eligibility is 750 hours of work experience in restaurant or food service industries. Applicants for this scholarships program also must also have a GPA of at least 2.75.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/food-science-students-have-ins.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/food-science-students-have-ins.html Family and Consumer Sciences Food Sciences Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:29:49 -0500 Dr. Tracy Hanner, the coordinator for the SAES Lab Animal Science Program, was presented the Iverson Bell Recognition Award by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges on March 13. The award is named to honor a pioneering African-American vet who graduated from Michigan State’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1948 and went on to high level positions in both state and national associations committed to advancing veterinary medicine. The Bell Award is presented biennially to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to adding cultural diversity to veterinary medical education. Hanner joins a distinguished group. Past winners of the Bell Award include former Kansas State provost Dr. James R. Coffman; Dr. Halcyon Watkins, a professor and program leader at Prairie View A&M; and Dr. Alfonza Atkinson, former dean of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health.

In presenting Hanner the Bell Award, the Association of American Veterinary recognized him “for his leadership and contributions in promoting opportunities for underrepresented minorities in veterinary medical education”. Hanner was nominated for the award by one of his former students, Dr. Allen Hill, who is now the assistant director for the Office of Laboratory Animal Care at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The SAES will have to share a portion of pride in the honor Hanner has received with the College of Veterinary Medicine at N. C. State. Hanner was the first African American to receive a DVM from the N. C. State College of Veterinary Medicine.

The American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) will be holding a joint annual meeting along with the Canadian Society of Animal Science in Montréal July 12 to 16, and members of those organizations who register online before midnight (central daylight time) on April 1, will receive a $25 off on the early bird registration fee of $375. The registration fee after the June 10 expiration of the early bird discount is $525. For graduate students who are members of the organizations, the registration fees are $75 before June 10 and $100 after the cutoff. For undergraduates who are members of the ASDA ($5 annually) or ASAS (no annual dues), there is no registration fee before June 10 and a $25 fee after the cutoff.

And as of June, ASAS members and nonmembers as well a graduate and undergraduate students who are American citizens will be required to have a passport book or a passport card for to Canada. Passport application processing time is currently four weeks.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/early-bird-incentives-for-two.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/early-bird-incentives-for-two.html Family and Consumer Sciences Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:23:57 -0500 A&T’s Division of University Studies has put out a call for submissions for the second issue of the Convergence Review, an interdisciplinary journal that publishes scholarly research and creative nonfiction as well as fiction, poetry and reviews. The summer 2009 issue of the Convergence Review will have a central theme that should raise eyebrows throughout the SAES: water. Submission, along with an SASE, should be submitted, by April 15, to:
Convergence Review
211 Hodgin Hall
North Carolina A&T State University
1601 East Market Street
Greensboro, NC  27411

The Convergence Review is also geared up to accept queries via e-mail.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/call-for-convergent-compositio.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/call-for-convergent-compositio.html University Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:20:51 -0500 Students and scientists who will be making oral presentations at the Association of Research Directors15th Biennial Research Symposium in Atlanta (March 28 - April 1) have a March 20 deadline for submitting PowerPoint presentations via e-mail. The PowerPoint presentations should be e-mailed to PSOJ23@gmail.com. SAES faculty, staff and students who have had oral or poster presentations accepted for the Biennial Research Symposium should also pack up and bring along a backup copy of their PowerPoint presentation on CD or memory stick.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/ard-reminder.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/ard-reminder.html Agricultural Research SAES Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:17:11 -0500 The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T has reopened its search for an agribusiness and marketing specialist who will join the state-level staff at Coltrane Hall. The new application deadline is March 31. Cooperative Extension also is accepting applications until March 31 for a vacancy at the Richmond County Extension Center.  The opening in the south-central part of the state is for an Extension agent who will work in family and consumer sciences in Richmond County.

Among the responsibilities for the agribusiness and marketing position is leadership for design, development and implementation of agribusiness marketing programs. The selection committee is looking for applicants with experience providing technical support for direct marketing of farm commodities. Applicants should have at least a master's degree in agricultural marketing, business administration or a closely related field, and preference will be given to those with doctorates.

Applicants for the Richmond County opening for a Family and Consumer Sciences agent should a have a bachelor's degree in human development, family and consumer sciences, or a related discipline. Preference will be given to applicants with master's degrees. Programming priorities will be parenting, teenage pregnancy prevention and financial resource management for families with limited resources.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/april-fools-will-be-too-late-f.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/april-fools-will-be-too-late-f.html Cooperative Extension Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:16:14 -0500 The welcome news for members of the SAES faculty and staff who rely on procurement cards for supplies and travel (and especially those who complete the monthly reconciliation logs) is that on March 25 a new automated system will replace the current necessity of filling out monthly forms. The University Accounting Office is requiring all A&T employees who use procurement cards to attend a 90-minute workshop that introduces Bank of America’s Web–based payment documentation system that everyone will be using as of March 25. The final two introductory programs will be Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19. They will be held in the computer lab (Room 213) and the new education building, and 90-minute sessions will start at 8:30 and 10 a.m. both days.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/pcard-process-gets-pronto-upgr.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/pcard-process-gets-pronto-upgr.html SAES Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:13:09 -0500 Sin #1: "Seldom has an SAES student past all the requisite coursework for certification and then had any difficulty whatsoever passing the national registry exam itself." (The past tense of pass is “passed,” while “past” is an adjective or adverb that indicates history. So even students with a past that’s rich in agricultural studies may fail to achieve passing grades if they fail to turn in assignments.)

Sin #2: “One of the many good reasons why alcoholic beverages should not be served at any SAES student organization’s meeting is the large percentage of students who are miners.” (It’s actually a very small percentage of SAES students who have enough work experience in coal or iron mining to qualify as “miners.” We do, however, have a considerably high percentage of students under the age of 21, and when it comes to legal consumption of alcohol, those students are “minors.”)

Sin #3: “The SAES will be working with the colleges of agriculture at other 1890’s to submit a new generation of funding proposals that is more attentive to the opportunities in the economic stimulus package now before Congress.” (Like other acronyms and words formed by numbers, it’s not only unnecessary to follow the concluding letter or word with an apostrophe when pluralizing, it’s not correct to write of “GED’s,” “SAT’s,” or “1890’s” unless the reference is a single entity possessive. When it’s just a “group of applications with GEDs and strong SAT scores who are considering 1890s,” there’s no room for apostrophes.)

Sin #4:  “The SAES stands to loose a number of students if the unemployment rate continues to rise.” (The SAES may begrudge loosing students on society without degrees if the economy doesn’t pick up, and we may have to cut off the air condition and wear loose, cool clothing if things don’t pick up, but we will lose — not loose — students if Greensboro doesn’t get more part-time job opportunities.)

Sin #5: “There will be a N. C. A&T banner at all functions that have a SAES recruitment booth.”  (The determination as to which indefinite article “a” or “an” — should precede an abbreviation is not whether or not the word begins with a vowel. Abbreviations and acronyms that begin with a consonant sound such as NASA and NCAA get preceded by “a.” Abbreviations and acronyms that begin with a vowel sound — such as “en see a” and “es a e” are preceded by “an.”

Sin #6: “Nowhere else in higher education in the U.S. is graduate instruction complimented with the resources that USDA directs to land-grant institutions.” (Compliments are flattering remarks; a complement is a mutually beneficial quantity or quality.)

Sin #7: “Students, faculty, staff, parents, stakeholders, and etc. are all going to get an especially warm welcome at Spring Commencement on May 8.” (The abbreviation “etc.” translates to English from Latin as “and other things.” That means it’s redundant to precede “etc.” with “and.” And because the literal translation of “etc.” is “and other things,” the abbreviation shouldn’t be used to refer to people.)]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/seven-deedly-sins.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/seven-deedly-sins.html Communications Corner Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:06:36 -0500 “Last week, Mrs. [Michelle] Obama added her voice to those praising community agriculture: ‘I’m a big believer in community gardens, both because of their beauty and for their access to providing fresh fruits and vegetables to so many communities across this nation and the world.’” — Christian Science Monitor

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) has a workshop in “Production Basics: For Home, Market and Community Gardening” scheduled for Saturday, March 14. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and cover the basics of seed selection, transplants, soil conditioning and watering. There will be a special focus on vegetable- and- small- fruit production. Although there are no fees for the program, advance registration, by Thursday, March 12, is required.

The CEFS is a 2,000-acre research farm near Goldsboro that is operated collaboratively by the SAES, the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at N.C. State, and the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Through demonstrations and workshops, the CEFS provides support for farmers interested in sustainable agriculture, and innovative crops and farm-based enterprises. The CEFS also works closely with Extension specialists at A&T and N.C. State, and with county Extension personnel across the state in supporting sustainable agriculture on small and medium-size farms.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/community-gardening-now-has-ne.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/03/community-gardening-now-has-ne.html Cooperative Extension Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:39:06 -0500