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The theme for this year’s Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC), Dec. 2 to 4, is ""Energy, Food and Fiber Alternatives: Opportunities for Underserved Communities." This will be the 65th PAWC hosted by Tuskegee University. The student registration fee is $125. For other participants, the registration fee is $350 if received by Nov. 15, and $425 after that deadline.
Posted 04:49 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Milli Worku of the Department of Animal Sciences has been leading a faculty team, which received funding from the Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service for a new program to prepare SAES students for careers in agricultural biotechnology and genomics. The program can accommodate four students at a time, and the first quartet of graduates will be starting required research projects this summer, as faculty from all four SAES departments will be working as mentors for students in the program:
• Dr. Antoine Alston with be guiding Tadashi C. Totten through “An Analysis of North Carolina Secondary Principals Awareness of Biotechnology and the Future of Biotechnology Education.”
• Dr. Salam Ibrahim will be guiding Rosette Dibanza through research for “Determining The Microbiological Quality and Safety of Fresh Spinach Using the Soleris Instrument.”
• Dr. Willie Willis will be guiding Charles Hatcher through research into the “Health, Well Being and Product Safety of Broiler Chickens in Alternative Systems.”
• Dr. Worku will be guiding Derrick Coble through a look at the “Effect of Host Immune Factors in Whey on Global Gene Expression In E.Coli Genes.”
Students in the biotechnology and genomics program will be eligible for a graduate certificate in biotechnology once they complete research projects, coursework and outreach activity requirements. For coursework, they must have 15 hours in biotechnology and genomics. The program also requires 25 hours of outreach activities under the direction of The Cooperative Extension Program. Drs. Benjamin Gray and Donald McDowell have been working with Worku as a faculty steering committee for the biotechnology and genomics program.
Posted 04:34 PM | Comments (0)
Funding support from the Ford Motor Company is making it possible for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design to offer high school students starting their sophomore, junior or senior years next fall a special summer program that will explore a timely topic at a pre-college level: energy. The program goal is to give students a broad understanding of the origins and extent of energy production, consumption, efficiency and conservation. There will be demonstrations of how various forms of energy are generated, and experiments with solar energy, hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and biodiesel production.
Two sessions are scheduled: one the week of June 25 - 29; and another July 9 - 13. During each session, the program will meet daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The application deadline for both sessions is Friday, May 31.
Posted 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Omon Isikhuemhen of the SAES is teaming up with Dr. Rytas Vilgalys of the Department of Biology faculty at Duke University for a six-week training program in "Truffle and Mushroom Biotechnology" that began in mid-May and will continue through late June. The class role includes SAES and Duke students, some members of the SAES staff, and a visiting scientist.
The course syllabus includes basic lab methods, and fungi collection field trips. Classes will meet at both A&T and Duke. Dr. Omon will be using his Carver Hall lab for some of the class meetings, and the new mushroom production facility at the University Farm for others.
Posted 03:50 PM | Comments (0)
The 18th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando in mid-April, and a five-member team from A&T was among the 64 teams from Historically Black Colleges & Universities in the quiz bowl competition. The team was coached by Timothy J. Foster, an SAES research associate, who was himself a member of A&T's Honda Challenge team (and at one point team captain) during his student days at A&T.
To qualify for the Honda Challenge, HBCUs must organize a campus tournament to determine which students are best qualified to represent their school. The team Foster led this year began practicing for competition in January, and had a rigorous practice schedule of two hours per night, three-to-four nights per week. Practice sessions covered a broad variety of topics — from history, literature, the sciences, religion, geography and the arts to current events, social sciences, sports and popular culture.
Foster's recap of A&T's performance in the 2007 Honda Challenge boils down to good but wait 'till next year. He says that, "Our record this year of 5-2 was a strong showing. One game official mentioned, 'If A&T was in any other division this year, they would have made at least the Elite Eight.'"
Three of the five members of the A&T team in the 2007 Honda Challenge were sophomores.
Posted 03:47 PM | Comments (0)
The annual SAES Student Awards Banquet will begin promptly at 7 p.m. in the Stallings Ballroom at the Memorial Student Union Building on Friday, May 4. [registration link]
At the SAES Awards Banquet, students who have met the academic and public service requirement for membership in the Gamma Sigma Delta, Kappa Omicron Nu, Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Lambda Alpha honor societies will be recognized, as will SAES student athletes.
A&T’s chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society of agriculture, will be honoring undergraduates with the highest GPAs in their classes; those who were inducted into Gamma Sigma Delta at the chapter’s induction ceremony in April; and the students who submitted entries for the Showcase of Excellence research poster competition during Small Farms Week. Gamma Sigma Delta’s annual awards to faculty members for excellence in teaching, research and Extension will also be presented at the Awards Banquet.
The faculty members, which A&T’s Center for Student Success named SAES teacher and advisor of the year — Drs. Millie Worku and Valerie J. McMillan, respectively — also will be honored at the Awards Banquet. Another banquet honoree will be Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna, an SAES food scientist, who shared the Division of Research & Economic Development Senior Researcher Award with a member of the Chemistry Department.
Dr. Alton Thompson, the SAES dean, has two awards to present that will be kept secret until the Awards Banquet: the 2006-07 SPA or non-teaching EPA employee of the year, and the annual collaboration award that goes to a team of SAES faculty and staff who pulled together to pull off an extraordinary accomplishment.
Posted 04:17 PM | Comments (0)
In existence for only seven months, North Carolina A&T’s horse judging team nonetheless held its own at its first major intercollegiate competition at Middle Tennessee State University during the first week of April. Four members of the 10-member horse judging team were selected to travel to the competition, which drew 12 teams from universities across the country, including such traditional horse judging powerhouses as Kansas State, Virginia Tech. and the University of Florida.
The traveling squad for the horse judging team was composed of SAES students Carla Thomas, Laura Marley, Anna Miller and LaTisha Moody. The team finished eighth overall, and placed fifth 
in one of the three primary sub categories that comprise a collegiate horse judging competition.
Dr. Rusty Miller, the horse judging team’s faculty advisor, has an even more ambitious challenge on the docket for next fall. He plans to enter the Aggie horse judging team in the competition at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio in October, an event that draws 650,000 people and more than 16,000 horses.
Posted 04:11 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Omon Isikhuemhen, the SAES mushroom specialist, has a reminder and an announcement to pass along to SAES students interested in edible and medicinal mushrooms.
The reminder is that the American Mushroom Institute has an annual scholarship program for graduate students conducting research into edible mushrooms. Although the application deadline is June 1, SAES graduate students interested in applying should be encouraged to start on the application promptly. Applicants must provide four letters of recommendation, including two from individuals qualified to vouch for their academic achievements.
The scholarship is named to honor Dr. James W. Sinden, who began a 50-year career of research into mushroom production at Penn. State in 1930. Among Sinden’s innovations is the synthetic compost (a medium from wheat), which has made mushroom production commercially viable.
Dr. Omon’s announcement is that next fall he will be offering a new 400-level course, which will introduce students to the various groups of fungi and their morphology, biological activities, roles in ecosystems, economic importance and their application in biotechnology. The class will meet from 1-1:50 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and there will be a required lab from 1 to 2:50 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Posted 04:07 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Millie Worku of the Department of Animal Sciences served as mentor for a student research poster that was awarded second place in the university-wide student competition that was part of A&T’s Division of Research annual celebration of student and faculty research. Caresse Gerald’s prize-winning research was into the “Effects of Black Seed Oil (Niagra Sativa) on the Life Cycle and Reproductive Behavior of C. elegans.”
Posted 04:07 PM | Comments (0)
Gamma Sigma Delta’s annual induction ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. in the Godfrey Multipurpose Room at Coltrane Hall on Thursday, April 12. Students as well as faculty who are new additions to A&T’s chapter of the honor society of agriculture will be inducted. Faculty members who nominated students for Gamma Sigma Delta are encouraged to get in touch and give them a friendly reminder about the induction ceremony since it’s an especially hectic time of the academic year for most students.
Posted 04:21 PM | Comments (0)
On Thursday, Feb. 22, the A&T State University collegiate chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) will host a “Winter Agricultural Literacy Barbecue Fest” as a part of its celebration of National FFA Week. Middle school and high school students have been invited to campus to learn about the academic and career opportunities in agricultural and environmental Sciences. While they're here, the students will get overviews of research projects at the University Farm as well as the academic programs the SAES has to offer.
Posted 03:42 PM | Comments (0)
The American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) established the Webb-Godfrey-Hill Award to honor two former SAES deans, Drs. Burleigh Webb and Daniel Godfrey, along with Dr. Walter Hill, dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Natural Sciences at Tuskegee University. The award is presented annually, and the deadline for nominations for the 2007 award is Jan 31. Individuals, teams and departments from the SAES (as well as other 1890s) with distinguished accomplishments in distance learning are eligible. The nomination process is less time-consuming than most: There’s an online nomination form, and the screening committee will review the abridged online nominations and then select finalists before requesting letters of support and other documentation. The award winner will receive a plaque and $2,000.
Posted 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
The application deadline for the USDA 1890 Scholarships for 2007 is Monday, Jan. 15. If you know of high-achieving high school seniors who might be interested, encourage them to check out the program at http://1890scholars.program.usda.gov.
USDA’s 1890 Scholars Program is a top-flight opportunity for high-flying high school seniors. For students selected as 1890 Scholars, USDA pays full tuition and fees for them to attend one of the 1890 Institutions for four years, and the 1890 they attend gives them free room and board. USDA 1890 Scholars also receive employment with a USDA agency (and employee benefits) during each of the years they are working toward a bachelor's degree.
Posted 04:16 PM | Comments (0)
The USDA’s 1890 Scholars Program is a top-flight opportunity for high-flying high school seniors. For students selected as 1890 Scholars, USDA pays full tuition and fees for them to attend one of the 1890 Institutions, and USDA 1890 Scholars also receive employment with a USDA agency (and employee benefits) during each of their four years working toward a bachelor's degree.
The application deadline for the USDA 1890 Scholarships for 2007 is Jan. 15. If you know of high-achieving high school seniors who might be interested, encourage them to check out the program.
Another deadline that arrives early enough in 2007 to merit an apply-over-the-holidays alert is the Feb. 16 application cutoff date for the 2007 Research Apprentice Program. That means the holiday break will be an excellent time for high-caliber high school students with an interest in working with SAES research scientists next summer to fill out an application. The four-week RAP for 2007 will be June 24 through July 30. Cards announcing the 2007 RAP application deadline will soon be in the mail, but SAES faculty and staff are invited to take jump on the competition. Feel free to pass the card along to any high school junior or senior you know who might be interested in this 2007 RAP.
Posted 09:24 AM | Comments (0)
A&T's chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, has been awarded the Gold Chapter Award in recognition of chapter activities and accomplishments during the 2005-2006 academic year. Other chapters receiving Gold Chapter Awards for the 2005-2006 academic year were the University of Florida's and Iowa State's. Silver and bronze awards went to chapters at the University of Kentucky, Purdue, Penn State, N.C. State, the University of Georgia, Virginia Tech and the University of Arkansas.
Posted 06:38 PM | Comments (0)
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has a scholarship program for college undergraduates with a noteworthy stipulation for eligibility: Applicants must “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 must also have a GPA of at least 2.75 on the 4.0 scale. The application deadline for the next round of scholarship awards is Nov. 17. Details on this program as well as scholarship programs for high school students are available at the NRAEF Web site.
Posted 04:44 PM | Comments (0)
The application deadline has been extended to Friday, Sept. 29, for scholarships provided by a USDA grant to further undergraduate research in biotechnology and biodiversity. SAES juniors and seniors with overall GPAs of 3.0 and grad students with overall GPAs of 3.5 may be eligible for scholarship awards - for the current semester - from $500 to $800 for undergraduates, and $800 to $1,200 for grad students. The selection committee is looking for students whose course work and career goals reflect an ongoing interest in some facet of biotechnology, including issues of ethical and sociological importance. Scholarship recipients will be required to conduct an independent research project supervised by a faculty mentor.
Posted 05:27 PM | Comments (0)
The nomination deadline for the award for outstanding instructor for the 2006-07 academic year that will go to a member of the SAES teaching faculty is Monday, Nov. 6. A screening committee also selects instructors of the year from the other schools and colleges at A&T, and an administrator of the year for all for the entire university. The deadline for nominations for the administrator of the year award is also Nov. 6.
Posted 05:10 PM | Comments (0)
An SAES agriscience education major, Courtney Owens of Henderson, has become the first student to enter the Peace Corps through the Master's International program that was launched in the fall of 2004. The three-year program begins with a year of graduate coursework, followed by two years of Peace Corps service that applies the classroom learning to the real world. With his year of coursework under his belt, Owens will be departing for French-speaking West Africa in late September to begin the two years of service as a Peace Corps volunteer that will complete requirements for his master’s degree.
Posted 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
Friday, July 7, will be an optimal day for prospective students from all walks of life to get their questions answered about enrolling in the SAES or other A&T schools and colleges. The A&T Admissions Office will be hosting a drop-by-at-your-convenience information fair from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. in the exhibit hall at the Memorial Student Union Building. If you know someone who has been thinking about an SAES graduate degree for career advancement, or a potential continuing education student who is thinking about returning to college for an undergraduate degree, this will be a convenient opportunity to get answers to all the important questions.
Posted 10:44 AM | Comments (1)
As part of Dr Antoine Alston’s 700-level course in the applications of technological advances (AGED 709) this summer, Dr. Millie Worku is coordinating two days of biotechnology lectures and lab demonstrations. One of the featured speakers is Dr. Theresa Fulton, director of Outreach and Training at Cornell University’s Institute for Genomic Diversity. Dr. Fulton will be discussing the use of molecular marker learning modules for studies in plant genomic diversity. Fulton’s talk on Tuesday, June 27, in Room 207 of Webb Hall, is open to SAES faculty and staff as well as students enrolled in the agricultural education course.
Posted 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
Faculty and staff who are members of A&T's chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society of agriculture, have until the end of the month to nominate deserving students for induction into Gamma Sigma Delta. Nomination forms complete with academic and other criteria are here.
Posted 04:01 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Willie Willis of the Department of Animal Sciences made a guest appearance on WGHP (Fox 8) during the 10 o'clock news on Nov. 8 to discuss the possible bird flu pandemic that has become a focus of public concern. Willis was well positioned to answer the reporter's question about what the SAES is doing to keep the H5N1 strain of avian flu out of poultry flocks in the United States. He and Dr. Ipek Goktepe, an SAES food scientist, and Dr. M. J. Ibrahim, an Extension specialist, are conducting workshops for Extension personnel and small-scale poultry producers to cover safety precautions for keeping the bird flu out of North Carolina.
Although small poultry flocks are more vulnerable to the spread of bird flu than poultry produced in confinement facilities (where chances for contact with migratory birds are minimal), Willis' first message for producers and consumers alike at this point is not to overreact. "We should be concerned," he says, "but still, no case of bird flu has been found in the United States. And there's no evidence at this point that there is any danger in eating poultry that has been properly cooked." Willis is confident that poultry producers and research scientists around the globe are tackling the issue head on, and that there's no threat to public health in the United States on the immediate horizon.
Willis can be reached for more information on avian flu at (336) 334-7786, or willisw@ncat.edu. Here is a Web site he recommends for additional details.
Posted 04:02 PM | Comments (0)
What was formerly the Department of Human Environment and Family and Consumer Sciences is now the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). The URLs on SAES web pages will also reflect that change. While you're updating your address book, note that the office of Dr. Valerie McMillan of the FCS faculty is now in the Price Hall Annex, and her phone number is 334-7539.
Posted 03:54 PM | Comments (0)
Drs. Alton Thompson, Richard Robbins and Osei Yeboah made a fact-finding visit to the People’s Republic of China in mid-September, and the SAES delegation returned home with exciting prospects for research collaborations, and student and faculty exchanges. Dean Thompson and the SAES faculty from the SAES International Trade Center met with officials from Nanjing Agricultural University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Chinese Academy of Agriculture. The Chinese universities are very interested in SAES work with pastured pork and poultry, small ruminants and biotechnology.
The trip was an outgrowth of research conducted by Drs. Xiang Dong Qin and William Amponsah, both formerly of SAES. They analyzed the export potential in Chinese markets for small and independent U.S. pork producers. Qin is now back in China at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and in that role he is continuing his work to connect small-scale pork producers in North Carolina with Chinese markets. There’s tremendous potential for SAES research and Extension to be links in this chain.
Posted 05:59 PM | Comments (0)
This past summer Dr. Guochen Yang of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design was called on to give biotechnology seminars in some strikingly dissimilar settings. In June, Yang went home to China to present a seminar on biotechnology developments and impacts across North Carolina at Jilin Agricultural University in Jilin Province of the People’s Republic of China. (Jilin is located in the northeastern corner of the country, bordering both Russia and Korea.) Yang’s presentation came at the request of the president of the Jilin Agricultural University, and his trip to China also included a visit with scientists at the Chinese Academy for Agricultural Sciences in Beijing.
In July, Yang, conducted plant tissue culture workshops at two North Carolina community colleges — Richmond Community College in Hamlet and Carteret Community College in Morehead City — as part of a biotech summer enrichment program coordinated by UNC-Pembroke. The workshops at the community colleges included hands-on work with the laboratory and greenhouse procedures and equipment used to propagate plants using micropropagation.
Posted 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Manuel Reyes of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design joined with Philip Gassman of Iowa State University to present a “Review of Peer-Reviewed Literature on the SWAT [Soil and Water Assessment Tool] Model” at the third international conference devoted to SWAT in Zurich, Switzerland, in mid-July. SWAT is a computer modeling tool developed by USDA and is used to project the impact of land use management on soil as well as water quality. Among the state and federal agencies that now turn to SWAT is the Environmental Protection Agency, which has SWAT on its list of modeling tools predicting nonpoint source pollution for the 20,000 or more water bodies in the United States with poor water quality. 
Posted 10:58 AM | Comments (0)
Drs. Benjamin Gray and Anthony Yeboah, and John Paul Owens of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education presented a study of "Student Perceptions of Traditional Versus Nontraditional Teaching Approaches" at Ed-Media 2005 - the "World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications" 
hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education in Montreal in late June. The SAES's three-year project to prepare faculty for incorporating interactive whiteboards and other technologies into classroom instruction served as a basis for the study.
Information about Ed-Media 2006 (in Orlando June 26-30) is already available at http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/. Around 1,500 participants from 700 countries are expected, and the deadline for presentation proposals is Dec. 19, 2005.
Posted 04:17 PM | Comments (0)
The SAES's Agricultural Research Program had its grow-how on display at the American Society for Horticultural Science's annual conference in Las Vegas July 18-21. Drs. Yang and Niedziela presented a study of their work to expedite galax seed germination in vitro. Zhongge Lu, a research associate, was also part of the project team, which investigated different culture media's pH conditions and explored suitable explant materials for aseptic cultures. Niedziela and Yang also presented their research into the potential for using tobacco transplant greenhouses for Celosia cristata L. 'Persimmon Chief'- a variety of cut flower suitable for commercial production. The project involves a comparison of four different production systems. For complete abstracts on these projects, start at http://www.ashs.org/annualmeeting/conference/index.lasso, and enter the name of one of the SAES faculty members in the search form.
Yang's trip to Las Vegas for the ASHS's annual conference did something to contradict the television commercial's claim that, "What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas." ASHS President Paul E. Read asked Yang to serve on the selection committee for the ASHS's Outstanding International Horticulturist Award. Yang's selection committee responsibilities may have begun in Las Vegas, but they certainly won't end there.
Posted 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
Two groups of youths from the Smith and Ray Warren communities in Greensboro were SAES guests on a quest in July. Dr. Geraldine Ray coordinates a special “Fabric and Thread Camp that brings youngsters to the SAES for weeklong introductions to textiles and fashion merchandising and design. This year the emphasis was on machine quilting and embroidery.
Funding for the Fabric and Thread Art Camp came from the Greensboro Arts Council, the United Institutional Baptist Church, the Greensboro Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, and the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences at A&T.
Posted 05:09 PM | Comments (1)
Dr. Donald McDowell, SAES associate dean for Academic Programs, was one of 10 economists honored for contributions to the Committee on the Opportunities and Status of Blacks in Agricultural Economics (COSBAE) at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Agricultural Economics (AAEA) in Providence, RI, in late July. McDowell and the other COSBAE honorees were cited for creating new professional development opportunities for young economists, recognition for accomplishments in the field, and for heightening cultural sensitivity in the AAEA.
One of the AAEA’s main objectives is to serve as a forum for scholarship and breaking news in agricultural economics, and the organization’s Web site does a great job of living up to this commitment. The AAEA newsletter, “The Exchange, is online at http://www.aaea.org/fund/pubs/newsletter/, and the bi-monthly publication provides comprehensive coverage of professional development opportunities, research publications, and what’s unfolding at colleges and universities. The Web site has a breaking news section at http://www.aaea.org/info/news/ that puts an international eye on agricultural news and global economics.
Posted 04:59 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Ralph Noble has been named chairman of the Department of Animal Sciences. He comes to the SAES from Tuskegee University, where he was co-coordinator of the animal, poultry and veterinary Sciences teaching, research and outreach programs. Noble received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences and master’s degree in animal sciences from Tuskegee University, and his Ph.D. in reproductive physiology in animal sciences from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Noble’s research focus has been on improving reproductive performance of goats and cattle. His work has primarily been with small farmers in the Black Belt area of the southeastern United States. He has also been involved in a number of projects in East and West Africa, as well as Egypt, China and the Caribbean.
Teresa McRae has joined the Department of Agricultural Communications and Technology (ACT) as officer manager. Her desk is at the north wing of the C. H. Moore Agricultural Research Station; her phone number is 334-7636; and her e-mail is tamcrae@ncat.edu. McRae comes to ACT from the Office of the Registrar.
Posted 04:42 PM | Comments (3)
The SAES's 27th annual Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) came to a conclusion on Friday, July 15. The 16 high school students who were selected for the program went home with a taste of college life, and a month of guidance from the SAES research faculty. The closing ceremony project presentations were:
Gregory Baskett of Louisburg High did "A Comparison of Nutrient Content of Whiting, Grouper and Cultured Salmon" under the direction of Dr. C. W. Seo, and Sarah Williamson, research associate Amber Brown of Charles Herbert Flowers High (in Springdale, MD) researched the "County-Level Impact of Hog Production in North Carolina" under the direction of Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor.
Stephen Fails of Andrews High School (in High Point) researched the "Separation of Liquid and Solid Waste Using PAM" under the direction of Dr. Arona Diouf, and Parvaneh Asefi-Nouri, research assistant.
Jessica Farrar of Southeast Guilford High researched "Mushroom Extract Manipulation in Broiler Chickens" under the direction of Dr. Willie Willis.
Larelle High of Northwest Halifax High (in Littleton, NC) did an "Evaluation of Contents and Activities of Antioxidants in Sweet Potato Peels" under the direction of Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna.
Benjamin D. Hopkins of Kinston High performed an "Evaluation of Free Cell and Immobilized Bifidobacterial longum in Cheese Whey Batch Fermentation" under the direction of Dr. Abolghasem Shahbazi and Michele Mims, research assistant.
Jaron Jones of South Central High School in Greenville researched "Carbon Dioxide Fluxes from Terrestrial Ecosystems" under the direction of Drs. M.R. Reddy, and W.A.R.N. Fernando, research assistant.
Wayne Kimball Jr. of Northwest Halifax High (in Littleton, NC) worked on "Estimating Sediment and Nitrogen Losses from Lake Fork Watershed Under Different Management Practices" under the direction of Dr. Manuel Reyes.
Jannety Mosley of South Central High (in Winterville, NC) worked on a "Business Plan Development for Shiitake Mushrooms" under the guidance of Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore.
Lauren Johnson of Marietta High (in Marietta, GA) researched "Amplification of a Bacterial Gene" under the direction of Dr. John Allen and Andrea Byers, research assistant.
Amanda Morgan of Eastern Guilford researched "C. Elegans Eating Genetically Modified Food" under the direction of Dr. Mulumebet Worku.
Amanda Spruill of Northwest Halifax High looked into the "Effects of Unlimited, and Time Restricted Feeding Intervals on Weight Gain in Spargue Dawley Rats," under the direction of Drs. Tracy Hanner, Stacy Branch and Javier Cisneros, and Steven Hurley, laboratory assistant.
Thelton Stringfield, Jr. of Union High (in Clinton, NC) researched "Obesity in the Southern Black Belt of the United States" under the direction of Dr. Benny Gray and Makieisha Foster, graduate assistant.
Starrlett Tillery of Louisburg High researched the "Effect of Feeding Probiotics on Production Performance of Young Broiler Chickens" under the direction of Dr. Willie Willis.
Zellen Williams of East Forsyth High did an "Evaluation of Antibacterial Properties of Rosa Canina Against Foodborne Pathogens" under the direction of Dr. Ipek Goktepe.
Samuel Young of Northwest Halifax High School investigated "Cover Cropping for Increased Infiltration" under the direction of Dr. Charles Raczkowski.
Posted 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
A new of shipment of white golf shirts with the "School of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences" imprint and the A&T logo has arrived, and the new supply also has SAES branding on the sleeves and collars. There is a limited time offer: Buy one of the new golf shirts and a denim shirt, and get 20 percent off the grand total.
Denim shirts are $32 for sizes S - XL; $34 for XX
L; and $34 for XXXL. Golf shirts are $30 (sizes S - XL; $32 for XXL; and $36 for XXXL. An order form is available at here.
Posted 04:40 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Milli Worku of the Department of Animal Sciences is leading a faculty team which was recently notified that it has received funding from USDA's Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service for a new program to prepare SAES graduate students for careers in biotechnology and genomics.
The new biotechnology and genomics program can enroll up to four graduate students at a time, and students accepted into the program will receive financial assistance. The program requires 15 hours of course work in biotechnology and genomics, but many students accepted into the program will be able to concurrently satisfy a majority of the 15-hour requirement with courses which also satisfy requirements for their master's concentrations. Those students in the biotechnology and genomics program working towards an M.S. that includes thesis credit will be required to choose a topic relevant to agricultural biotechnology or genomics. Students in the biotechnology and genomics program also will have to complete at least 25 hours of outreach activities in collaboration with The Cooperative Extension Program.
Drs. Benjamin Gray, Donald McDowell and C. W. Seo will be working with Dr. Worku as a faculty steering committee for the new biotechnology and genomics program. Faculty from all four SAES departments will be working as mentors for students accepted into the program. The broad-based faculty involvement in combination with the high-profile interest in biotechnology and genomics should quickly lead to new entrees for student research work, and internships with government agencies and biotech firms in the private sector.
Posted 09:17 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Thessalenuere Hinnant-Bernard, an SAES housing researcher, was invited to conduct a seminar for the Summer Research Institute for students in A&T’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. Hinnant-Bernard’s seminar — "A Snapshot of the Research Process" — covered the basic steps in research methodologies and the components of research planning and design. This is the second consecutive summer that Hinnant-Bernard was invited to kick off the Summer Research Institute for McNair Scholars with a seminar. Hinnant-Bernard’s research specialties are the social and economic aspects of housing, and such consumer issues as predatory lending.
A&T was one of 14 universities selected in 1989 to pilot a program named to honor Challenger crew member and A&T alumnus Ronald E. McNair. It has since grown into a major Department of Education scholarship program, serving thousands of students at colleges and universities across the United States. For an overview of the program’s national scope, visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/triomcnair/index.html. For a look at the McNair Program at A&T, go to http://www.ncat.edu/~remcnair/homepage.htm.
Posted 03:45 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Bratcher has assumed responsibilities as the immediate supervisor for the information technology team within the Ag. Communications and Technology unit. Bratcher moves from support for day-to-day SAES computer needs to supervising the IT staff, developing long and short-term IT strategy and other projects. Bratcher’s IT staff will include computer consultant Lalit Rainey at Coltrane Hall, and Sabrina Roddy Snider, who will be joining the SAES as a computer consultant July 1. Snider’s office will be in Carver Hall.
Posted 03:37 PM | Comments (0)
The new SAES recruitment brochure is ready. If you are attending an event with potential students, contact Donald McDowell or Azell Reeves about getting copies of the brochure to take with you. The new brochure mirrors the new recruitment traveling display and the flat panel display in the lobby of Webb Hall. The traveling display can also be checked out by contacting Azell Reeves. These materials, using the tagline, “Cultivating Potential” are designed to standardize and brand SAES marketing efforts.
Posted 07:05 PM | Comments (0)
SAES faculty need not respond to the request for photos that was issued by University Relations. Ag Communications and Technology will set up a photo schedule in the fall for new faculty and those wishing to get new photos. SAES faculty may share their resumes with University Relations if they wish, but here too ACT has you covered. University relations usually contacts ACT when a need arises for background information for media requests.
Posted 05:50 PM | Comments (0)
A wholesale renovation of the landscape architecture wing of the second floor of Carver Hall is under way this summer. When the dust has settled and construction is complete there will be:
• Four revamped studio classrooms, with walls lined with tack boards for student projects, and new drafting and work tables.
• A presentation room with track lighting, a carpeted floor, and tack board walls. This will give the department a gallery-like atmosphere for displaying architectural drawings and other work.
• A state-of-art computer lab with 24 computers (all with access to CAD and GIS software), and an overhead projection system.
• Extensive cosmetic improvements to the hall outside rooms 201-215, which serves as a gallery for student and faculty designs.
• A new storage room, electrical work, plumbing renovations and other infrastructure improvements.
Posted 05:40 PM | Comments (0)
Each summer the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education hosts the Institute for Future Agriculture Leaders (IFAL) conference - a week-long program for high school students interested in agriculture. The 2005 IFAL conference will be June 19-24. All the students selected for the program are rising seniors in the top third of their classes. The IFAL experience has a special emphasis on career opportunities, and the scientific and commercial aspects of agriculture. The North Carolina Farm Bureau, which provides funding support for IFAL, has an extensive collection of photos from last year's activities at http://www.ncfb.com/ifal/ncat.htm.
Posted 05:36 PM | Comments (0)
Raymona Anderson has joined the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education as a program assistant. Her desk is at the north wing of the C. H. Moore Agricultural Research Station, her phone number is 334-7055, and her e-mail is rdanders@ncat.edu. Anderson comes to the SAES from the Greensboro Housing Coalition.
Posted 05:26 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Gladys Shelton, chair of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences, will be on medical leave until early July. In her absence, Drs. Geraldine Ray and Valerie McMillan will jointly serve as acting chairs. During the month of July Dr. Anthony Yeboah will be on leave and Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor will fill in as acting chair of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education.
Posted 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
The Office of Student Services has launched a new SAES Ambassadors Program, and the first 12 students selected to represent the SAES at important functions (and in important ways) have been through an orientation, and a training session at which Dr. Jane Walker of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences provided some tips on dressing professionally.
The SAES Ambassadors will be called upon to represent and promote the SAES to prospective students, corporate partners, alumni and other groups and individuals. The Ambassadors will be called upon when it's time to put our best foot forward.
Plans are to add another eight SAES student ambassadors next fall, and Azell Reeves, the SAES Student Services director, requests the assistance of all SAES faculty members in identifying SAES students with the personalities and academic qualifications to serve as SAES Ambassadors. If you've got a student to nominate, please pass his or her name along to the appropriate department chair:
Dr. David Libby, Animal Sciences
Dr. G. B. Reddy, Natural Resources & Environmental Design
Dr. Gladys Shelton, Human Environment & Family Sciences
Dr. Anthony Yeboah, Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education
Posted 09:31 AM | Comments (0)
The SAES was one of two 1890 Land-Grant programs to receive an honorable mention award for its distance education work from the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) at the organization's annual meeting in late April. ADEC established the Webb-Godfrey-Hill Award to stimulate and recognize distance education forays by 1890 Land-Grants, and the award is named for a trio of 1890 deans, Drs. Daniel Godfrey, Walter Hill and B. C. Webb, who were instrumental in getting the 1890s on board when USDA's land-grant system began to explore satellite communications and other distance learning technologies. Drs. Webb and Godfrey were SEAS deans, while Hill is dean of Tuskegee University's College of Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Sciences.
Specifically cited in the ADEC honorable mention for SAES distance learning were Drs. Antoine Alston and Marcus Comer for their online partnership with community colleges: the "2+2 Program," that gives students the option of starting work on an associate's degree in horticulture-related fields at a community college, and then pushing on for a B.S. through online courses offered by the SAES. Alston and Comer have developed 19 online courses in conjunction with the program.
The Ag. Communications and Technology unit was cited for its video productions, graphic and Web design and news writing. The joint online master's program in Agricultural Education that allows students to take courses at both A&T and North Carolina State University was also singled out in the ADEC awards bulletin.
Topping the Webb-Godfrey-Hill Awards list was Fort Valley State's Mobile Information Center. The University of Maryland - Eastern Shore also received an honorable mention for its distance education program for Head Start employees.
Posted 09:15 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Rosemarie Vardell, a candidate for the Human Environment and Family Sciences faculty, will have a seminar presentation on Thursday, May 19, in Room 106 of Benbow Hall from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. All SAES faculty and staff are invited to attend.
Posted 11:06 AM | Comments (0)
At the 70th annual meeting of the Association of Social and Behavior Scientists (ASBS) in Nashville in March, Dr. Donald McDowell, associate dean for Academic Programs, was elected president of the national organization for 2005-2006. McDowell also presented a paper on "Determinant of Poverty in Manufacturing-Dependent Counties in the Rural South," and Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education
presented a paper on "Food Insecurity in the South: Lessons From Three Southern States." Dr. Osei Yeboah worked with graduate student Hong Xue on a paper on "Rural Household Income Determination: A Case Study in China" that also was presented at the ASBS meeting.
The Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists is a multi-disciplinary organization founded in 1935 by W. E. B. DuBois and other scholars. Its annual meeting serves as a forum for social sciences research, professional development and academic advancement.
Posted 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
The April 27 Greensboro News & Record localized a wire service story about a proposed name change for the University of Nebraska's college of agriculture by surveying Chancellor Renick and Dean Thompson for their thoughts on perhaps changing the name of the SAES. Renick and Thompson were both quick to dismiss any notions of changing the name of the SAES to exclude "agriculture" from the school's name.
The News & Record story also notes that, "Thompson sells the school to students by highlighting the career possibilities available in the school." Speaking of career options that the SAES opens up for students: if you haven't yet had a chance to see the new SAES recruitment display, take a look here. The new 88-by-66-inch display is made of lightweight materials, and folds down into a shoulder-strap carrying case. The new display is available to SAES faculty and staff representing the school at any function where prospective students are gathered. To reserve it, contact Azell Reeves at the Office of Student Services, (336) 256-2062 or reevesi@ncat.edu.
Posted 02:16 PM | Comments (0)
The following SAES faculty and staff were honored along with students at the April 15 awards banquet:
Dr. Jane Walker of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences received the Gamma Sigma Delta Award of Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Tracy Hanner of the Department of Animal Sciences was named Academic Advisor of the Year.
Each year, one faculty member from each of the seven schools and colleges within the university is selected for the Teacher of the Year Award, and Dr. Ghasem Shahbazi of the Bioenvironmental Engineering Program was the SAES recipient for the 2004-05 academic year.
Dr. Ipek Goktepe of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences was the recipient of this year's Outstanding Young Investigator Award, presented by the Division of Research and Economic Development.
The Golden LEAF team won the collaboration award. Team members are: Drs. Keith Baldwin, Godfrey Ejimakor, Marihelen Glass, Jimo Ibrahim, Carl Niedziela, John O'Sullivan, M.R. Reddy, Chang Seo, Vestal Shirley, Chuck Talbott, Willie Willis, Millie Worku, Guochen Yang, and Anthony Yeboah; and SAES staff members Anthony Hooks, Mary Mafuyai-Ekanem, Marsha McGraw and Grace Summers.
Complete details on the awards and the award winners will appear in the June issue of On The Move.
Posted 02:14 PM | Comments (0)
Long-sleeve light blue denim shirts with "School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences" and A&T's Aggie logo are still available for $30 (sizes S - X Large); $32 (XX Large); and $34 (XXX Large). White cotton golf shirts with the Aggie logo on them are $30 (sizes S - X Large); $32 (XX Large): and $34 (XXX Large). Ordering information is available here. Proceeds from shirt sales go to the SAES Alumni Society
Posted 01:53 PM | Comments (0)
SAES student volunteers helped out at the North Carolina unit of the Herb Society of America's annual herb and plant sale in Greensboro last week, and their contributions were rewarded with a prompt dividend. The Herb Society announced an award of $4,000 for SAES students majoring in horticulture. Three-fourths of the award will go for scholarships, and the remaining $1,000 will be used to help students with textbook purchases.
The Herb Society of America promotes "the knowledge, use and delight of herbs" with educational programs, and support for research and higher education. The Herb Society also is committed to environmentally sound, sustainable horticulture. Take a look at its Web site at http://www.herbsociety.org/.
Posted 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
A&T's chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society for agriculture, will have its final meeting for the 2004-05 academic year on Thursday, April 28, from 3-4 p.m. in Room A-8 of C. H. Moore. The top item on the agenda for this meeting will be the election of officers for the next two academic years. John Paul Owens of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education, who served as president-elect this past year, will move up to the presidential suite next fall, but the positions of vice president, secretary, treasurer and historian will be filled by elections on Thursday.
Posted 11:24 AM | Comments (0)
The annual SAES Student Awards Banquet is Friday, April 15, in Stallings Ballroom at the Memorial Student Union Building. The first item on the agenda is the Gamma Sigma Delta induction ceremony, which will begin at 6:15 p.m. Twenty-eight SAES students will be inducted this year, along with three faculty members. Three other community members, including Chancellor James C. Renick and Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, will be inducted as honorary members.
A "meet 'n greet" social will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the banquet will start promptly at 7 p.m. It will wind up by 9 p.m., to ensure that students who want to make the step show later in the evening can attend both events.
The Academic Advisor of the Year Award, the SAES Collaboration Award and the Gamma Sigma Delta Award for Excellence in Teaching all will be announced at the banquet. This year’s featured speaker will be Erica Upton Peterson, executive director of the N.C. Agribusiness Council.
Banquet tickets are $20 for faculty, staff and guests. If you phoned or e-mailed your reservation, please bring along cash or check on Friday evening.
Posted 02:13 PM | Comments (0)
SAES landscape architecture students were on special assignment the first week of April. A team of landscape architects with a Denver-based firm, the Design Workshop, spent the week guiding teams of students step-by-step through projects that were real-world and close to home. Students came up with concepts for making the A&T campus more pedestrian friendly, and the landscape architects then steered them through the process of analysis and organization that goes into a comprehensive plan for reshaping the layout and design of a developed area. All landscape architecture classes were suspended for the week so students could devote full attention to their projects and take advantage of the mentors who were in town.
The Design Workshop has offices in eight U.S. cities as well as Denver, and also three offices in South America. The firm’s portfolio includes community planning, resort area developments, collage campuses, national parks and core area development in large cities. (Visit http://www.designworkshop.com/portfolio/portfolio.html for a photographic portfolio that illustrates the craft of landscape architecture.) The Design Workshop has conducted similar high-intensity programs for the landscape architecture departments at Louisiana State University, Penn. State and Cal. Tech.
The design plans that the landscape architecture students completed for their work with the Design Workshop mentors are on display on the second floor of Carver Hall, outside the department offices and classrooms. The plans were presented to a team of instructors and planning specialists to critique at a special grand finale for the Design Workshop team’s visit.
Posted 01:51 PM | Comments (0)
SAES landscape architecture students were on special assignment the first week of April. A team of landscape architects with a Denver-based firm, the Design Workshop, spent the week guiding teams of students step-by-step through projects that were real-world and close to home. Students came up with concepts for making the A&T campus more pedestrian friendly, and the landscape architects then steered them through the process of analysis and organization that goes into a comprehensive plan for reshaping the layout and design of a developed area. All landscape architecture classes were suspended for the week so students could devote full attention to their projects and take advantage of the mentors who were in town.
The Design Workshop has offices in eight U.S. cities as well as Denver, and also three offices in South America. The firm’s portfolio includes community planning, resort area developments, collage campuses, national parks and core area development in large cities. (Visit http://www.designworkshop.com/portfolio/portfolio.html for a photographic portfolio that illustrates the craft of landscape architecture.) The Design Workshop has conducted similar high-intensity programs for the landscape architecture departments at Louisiana State University, Penn. State and Cal. Tech.
The design plans that the landscape architecture students completed for their work with the Design Workshop mentors are on display on the second floor of Carver Hall, outside the department offices and classrooms. The plans were presented to a team of instructors and planning specialists to critique at a special grand finale for the Design Workshop team’s visit.
Posted 01:51 PM | Comments (0)
At the SAES faculty and staff meeting on March 29, Dean Thompson presented the SAES strategic plan, “Planning Our Prepared Future,” that he and a cross-disciplinary SAES team have been working on for many months. After a review of the most recent slate of suggested revisions and additions that came out of school-wide review and the March 29 faculty and staff meeting, “Planning Our Prepared Future,” is headed down the homestretch. Friday, April 15 is the final deadline for suggestions and input for the SAES strategic plan. The document is available here, and suggestions should be sent to radams@ncat.edu.
Posted 04:15 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Donald McDowell, associate dean for instruction, closed out the March 29 faculty and staff meeting with a reminder and an update that merit repeating:
* The annual SAES Student Awards Banquet is Friday, April 15, in Stallings Ballroom of the Memorial Student Union Building. Faculty and staff awards also will be announced and presented at the Awards Banquet. Although there is no charge for SAES students, the cost for faculty, staff and guests (family and friends) is $20. Faculty and staff are asked to RSVP to Azell Reeves at (336) 256-2062 by Thursday, April 7. Cash or checks can also be dropped at her office (Room 115 of Webb Hall) or mailed. 
Read Dean Thompson's memo concerning the banquet.
* Although the SAES Awards Banquet is the same evening as the fraternity step show on campus, the banquet will begin promptly at 7 p.m. and conclude by 9 p.m., to ensure that students can attend both events. The meet-and-greet reception prior to the Awards Banquet begins at 6:30 p.m.
Gamma Sigma Delta members and new inductees should plan to arrive at Stallings at 6:15 p.m. for the induction ceremony.
Posted 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
The SAES Alumni Society has what’s missing from your spring wardrobe. Long-sleeve light blue denim shirts with “School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences” and A&T’s Aggie logo are now available for $30 (sizes S - X Large); $32 (XX Large); and $34 (XXX Large). White cotton golf shirts with the Aggie logo on them are $30 (sizes S - X Large); $32 (XX Large): and $34 (XXX Large). An order form is available here.
Posted 04:04 PM | Comments (0)
The North Carolina Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association (NCFW&BA) was founded more than 50 years ago to provide training and information for communications professionals at newspapers, and radio and television stations who cover agriculture in North Carolina. Its membership also includes personnel with the communications departments at the SAES and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at N.C. State, and communications liaisons with commodity groups. At the NCFW&BA’s annual Winter Institute in Raleigh on March 18, Dean Alton Thompson of the SAES, N.C. State Chancellor James Oblinger (formerly dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N. C. State), and the current dean of CALS, Dr. Johnny Wynne, received honorary lifetime memberships in recognition of their contributions to the flow of news and information from land-grant campuses to the media.
One of the NCFW&BA’s major community service projects each year is the North Carolina 4-H Congress Photography Contest, and this year’s contest has a new category "Changing Face Of Agriculture" that might be well-suited to 4-H’ers with alternative ag. connections. The entry deadline is June 13. Visit http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/4-HPhoto/ for complete details.
Posted 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
Know of a member of the SAES staff who is an EPA or SPA non-teaching employee whose contributions to the SAES are meritorious? Know of a member of the SAES faculty whose commitment to advising students is exemplary? If you answered yes to either question, then you have until March 28 to download a nomination and submit it. Nomination forms are available for both SPA and EPA Non-Teaching and Academic Advisor categories. The winners of the 2005 EPA/SPA non-teaching employee of the year and the Advisor of the Year awards will be announced at the annual SAES Awards Banquet on April 15. The Gamma Sigma Delta awards for excellence in teaching, research and Extension also will be presented at the SAES Awards Banquet.
Posted 04:51 PM | Comments (0)
An SAES faculty and staff meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, at 3 p.m. in the Webb Hall Auditorium. This meeting will focus exclusively on the SAES strategic plan, and all faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to come to the meeting prepared to discuss the document by reviewing it reviewing it beforehand.
Posted 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
Long-sleeve blue denim shirts with "School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences" and A&T's Aggie logo are now available for $32 (sizes S - X Large); $34 (XX Large); and $36 (XXX Large). All proceeds will go to the Dean's Discretionary Fund. Ordering information is available here.
Posted 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Thessalenuere Hinnant-Bernard of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences is among the contributors to a new textbook, an Introduction to Housing, that Prentice Hall has scheduled for publication in June. Hinnant-Bernard is one of the authors of the chapter on "Financing Homeownership." Pre-release information is available here.
Hinnant-Bernard is also the coauthor of an article in the current issue of Housing and Society, a journal published by the Housing Education and Research Association (HERA). The article on "Subprime Lending and Reverse Redlining" is a recap of research into predatory and discriminatory lending practices that are on the rise in low-income areas and neighborhoods with high percentages of households with minority, female, and elderly heads-of-household. The study was carried out in conjunction with Hinnant-Bernard's doctoral dissertation at Iowa State, and it was cited with the HERA's Tessie Agan Award for excellence in scholarship.
Posted 07:58 AM | Comments (0)
The 10th annual Life & Physical Sciences Symposium at Stallings Ballroom in the Memorial Student Union Building on Friday, Feb. 25, has a guest speaker whose expertise is of special interest to SAES faculty, students and researchers who pay attention to current issues in nutrition and public health. Dr. David Satcher, a former U.S. surgeon general and interim president of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, will be giving the plenary address at 9 a.m. Satcher is one of the nation’s leading advocates for improvements in health care delivery to underserved minority populations. He is also credited with increased public awareness of the “obesity epidemic” that threatens to neutralize advances in medicine and health care.
There’s a complete agenda for the Life & Physical Sciences Symposium at http://www.ncat.edu/~biology/symposium/, and the online registration form is at http://www.ncat.edu/~biology/symposium/2005/register.html.
Posted 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
On Thursday, Feb. 17, the A&T State University collegiate chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) will host a “Winter Agricultural Literacy Barbecue Fest” as a part of its celebration of National FFA Week. The top 10 agricultural students from 20 high school agricultural education programs will be coming to A&T for the “Agricultural Literacy Barbecue Fest.” While they’re here, the students will get overviews of SAES academic programs and research projects at the University Farm. Before they leave campus, the students will also get to sample the work of the SAES’s newest research partner: Mitchell’s Ribs, Chicken, and Barbecue of Wilson.
The staffs from Area III Soil and Water Conservation Districts — encompassing 11 central Piedmont counties — will be getting together at the A&T State University Farm for a spring meeting on Thursday, March 3. The meeting agenda includes discussions of recent developments in alternative agriculture by Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, associate dean and director for The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T, and Leon Moses, farm superintendent. Current research at the A&T farm into sheep and goat production, talapia, and exotic mushrooms will be part of a tour for the water conservation district staffs.
Posted 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
Current members of A&T’s chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta have until Friday, March 4, to nominate students, alumni and colleagues for induction in the national honor society for agriculture. March 4 is also the deadline for Gamma Sig members to submit nominations for the honor society’s annual awards for excellence in teaching, research, and Extension.
Posted 08:46 AM | Comments (0)
SAES faculty, staff and students are invited to join colleagues from the School of Nursing, Library Sciences, and the School of Education for a two-hour town hall meeting with Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, in the Webb Hall Auditorium on Thursday, Feb. 3, beginning at 10 a.m.
Posted 11:22 AM | Comments (0)
Ed Mitchell's rise to fame in the world of barbecue had humble origins. In the early 1990s, he was looking for an added attraction to bring customers to his family's mom 'n' pop grocery in Wilson, and started cooking up a little barbecue in the back room. As word got around of Mitchell's whole-hog barbecue and other fixins he was serving up, the mom 'n' pop grocery quickly evolved into an always-crowded restaurant, a landmark for barbecue gourmets and a must for every guidebook to North Carolina barbecue.
The SAES hosted the most recent installment in the Mitchell's barbecue success story last week, as an agreement was announced for animal sciences researchers to develop a production and certification method for producing pork with a signature flavor that he hopes to market nationwide. For complete details, go to http://www.ag.ncat.edu/news.htm.
Posted 11:19 AM | Comments (0)
The SAES's Career Expo and Professional Day 2005 is Monday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union's Stallings Ballroom. Representatives from agribusiness firms, state and federal agencies, and other employers with career opportunities and internship programs will be meeting with SAES students.
SAES students can register electronically for Career Expo and Professional Day at www.ag.ncat.edu/saesic/2005_expo_register.asp. Registration will ensure that a "Passport to Success" will be awaiting them when they arrive at the Career Expo. The "Passport to Success" will serve as a name tag, and a ticket for scholarship drawings.
Posted 10:46 AM | Comments (0)
A&T's chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society for agricultural research, teaching and Extension, will be having its first meeting of the semester on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 11:30 a.m. in Room A-8 of the C. H. Moore Agricultural Research Station.
Gamma Sig members who are working with students who are preparing posters for the Showcase of Excellence during Small Farms Week are asked to return the application form to John Paul Owens by Feb. 16th
Ag. Communications & Technology (ACT) has a handout for faculty poster mentors to pass along to students. It has guidelines for preparing posters for the SAES's large format printer, and a few tips for making posters that are attractive as well as informative. The ACT staff also has an important request for faculty and students: Please help avert a last-minute logjam by passing along posters as soon as they're ready, and as much in advance of Small Farms Week itself (March 20-26) as possible.
Gamma Sigma Delta members have until March 5 to nominate faculty, alumni and students for induction into the A&T chapter. March 5 is also the deadline for nominations for the 2005 awards for teaching, research and extension.
Posted 10:42 AM | Comments (0)
SAES will bring a select group of high school students to the A&T campus for the 2005 Research Apprentice Program, June 19 to July 15. If you know of a top-notch high school junior or senior with academic and career interests in agriculture or environmental studies, or any of the food, family and consumer sciences, please pass along this link to application forms and additional information: http://www.ag.ncat.edu/summer/rap/default.html. The application deadline for the 2005 Research Apprentice Program is Friday, Feb. 11. In addition to four weeks living in a dorm on the A&T campus and with members of the Agricultural Research Program faculty, RAP students also receive weekly stipends of $250.
Posted 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
High school students selected for USDA's 1890 Scholars Program receive full tuition to attend A&T or another 1890 Institution, and 1890 Scholars also receive employment with a USDA agency during their four years working toward a bachelor's degree. The application deadline for the USDA 1890 Scholarships for 2005 is Feb. 15. If you know of high-achieving high school seniors who might be interested, encourage them to check out the program at http://1890scholars.program.usda.gov. The SAES's USDA liaison officer, J. C. Brown, is available for additional information. Contact him at amescb@ncat.edu.
Posted 10:32 AM | Comments (0)
The SAES's Career Expo and Professional Day 2005 is Monday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union's Stallings Ballroom. Representatives from agribusiness firms, state and federal agencies, and other employers with career opportunities and internship programs will be meeting with SAES students.
The SAES Career Expo is not just for seniors who will start climbing their career ladders in a few months, but for all SAES students. The recruiters from agribusiness firms, food processing industries, and government agencies coming to Stallings Ballroom on Feb. 7 will have internships and on-down-the-road employment opportunities to discuss with freshmen, sophomores and juniors.
All SAES students planning to attend the SAES Career Expo must complete an online registration form by Wednesday, Feb. 2 (http://www.ag.ncat.edu/saesic/2005_expo_register.asp). For additional information on the Career Expo, please contact Azell Reeves, the SAES Student Services Manager, at reevesi@ncat.edu, or (336) 256-2062.
Posted 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
Governor Easley has named Dr. Valerie Jarvis McMillan of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences to the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), an advisory group that works to ensure that "all children have access to high quality early childhood education and development services." The 25 members of the board serve three-year terms, and McMillan was one of 10 new additions named by Easley in early January. The governor fills 12 of the 25 board slots by appointment.
In naming McMillan to the NCPC board, the governor's office noted that her qualifications included membership on the N.C. Interagency Coordinating Council and the Policy Council of the Regional Child Care Resource and Referral Services at Guilford Child Development.
Posted 02:28 PM | Comments (0)
As part of a project for one of his agricultural engineering classes, Dr. Ghasem Shahbazi is looking for a site for a storage building 10 feet by 12 feet. The cost for materials will be about $800, but the labor will be supplied by Shahbazi's ag. engineering students. Any member of the SAES faculty and staff who is interested should contact Shahbazi at ash@ncat.edu.
Posted 02:03 PM | Comments (0)
• Dr. Donald McDowell, the associate dean for instruction, had emergency surgery last week. Although Dr. Mac is resting fine and on his way to full recovery, he'll be out of action for six weeks or so.
• Deborah Harris, interim purchasing manager for The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T, has moved to Room 208 of Coltrane Hall, and her telephone extension is 2205.
Posted 01:58 PM | Comments (0)
The USDA’s 1890 Scholars Program is a top-flight opportunity for high-flying high school seniors. For students selected as 1890 Scholars, USDA pays full tuition and fees for them to attend one of the 1890 Institutions, and USDA 1890 Scholars also receive employment with a USDA agency (and employee benefits) during each of their four years working toward a bachelor's degree. Four of the 30 USDA 1890 Scholars for 2004 enrolled at A&T, and began working on their degrees in the SAES last fall.
The application deadline for the USDA 1890 Scholarships for 2005 is Feb. 15. If you know of high-achieving high school seniors who might be interested, encourage them to check out the program at http://1890scholars.program.usda.gov. The SAES’s USDA liaison officer, J. C. Brown, is available for additional information. Contact him at amescb@ncat.edu.
Posted 02:00 PM | Comments (0)
A new Corporate Advisory Board has been established by Dean Thompson to help guide the SAES. The group's inaugural meeting and brainstorming session last week was a resounding success. Clemente McWilliams of Ely Lilly and Company was elected chair of the 14-member board, and Nelle Hotchkiss, senior vice president of North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, was elected vice-chair.
The SAES Corporate Advisory Board will give business and agency executives a platform for sharing their views on needs and trends in preparing students for careers in agriculture and natural resources management, and family and consumer sciences. The board also will be working to facilitate technology transfer between the SAES and its corporate partners, and to expand student internship programs. For a look at the entire membership roster, click here.
Posted 05:32 PM | Comments (0)
The cover story for the current issue of "Homes of Color" magazine went to a lady named Williams - tennis star Venus Williams. But a feature story on a guy named Williams - Douglas Williams of the SAES landscape architecture faculty - also has a prominent position in the magazine's November/December holiday issue. The article covers Williams' background in landscape architecture, his design philosophies, and notes that, "He is proud to be an assistant professor of landscape architecture in the oldest program of landscape architecture at a historically black university."
For a good glance into "Homes of Color," check out the publication's Web site at http://www.homesofcolor.net/. The magazine showcases the work of prominent African American architects, designers, artists and gardeners. The holiday issue is now on sale at Borders, and Barnes and Noble bookstores, and Lowe's home improvement stores.
Posted 04:59 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Tracy Hanner of the Department of Animal Sciences has chalked up yet another accolade for his accomplishments as an academic advisor. Last March, Hanner was the recipient of the SAES's first-ever Academic Advisor of the Year Award. More recently, Hanner is one of nine members of the entire A&T faculty and staff who were honored for their work as student advisors by the Center for Student Success and the Academic Advising Retention Team.
Posted 04:57 PM | Comments (0)
Drs. Geraldine Ray and Jane Walker of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences drew some national and international attention to the department's research into Internet commerce at the International Textile & Apparel Association (ITAA) annual meeting in Portland, Ore., the first week of November. Walker presided over a symposium on merchandising and marketing apparel over the Internet, and also conducted a workshop with colleagues from Virginia Tech and East Carolina University entitled "Weaving A Global Tapestry for Students Using Web Course 
Software." Ray presented a poster session on "College Students' Satisfaction with Internet Shopping." At another poster session, Walker presented findings of research she and Ray conducted into the "Factors Related to African American College Students' Future Purchases with Non-store Retailers."
The theme for the ITAA's 2004 conference was "Weaving a Global Tapestry: People, Planet, Profit." The focus was on environmental and social responsibility in the textile and apparel industries. The ITAA is both a professional and educational organization, and a listing of workshop and symposia topics from the November meeting is available at http://www.itaaonline.org/template.asp?intPageId=125.
Posted 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
The first Friday in December is the deadline for nominations for the SAES award for the Outstanding Instructor for the current academic year, the University's Outstanding Administrator Award, and the University nominee for the Oliver Max Gardener Award. (The Gardener Award is presented by the Board of Governors each year to "a system faculty member who has made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race.") Click links for criteria and guidelines for the Outstanding Instructor award, the Outstanding Administrator,and for the Oliver Max Gardener Award. For the A&T State University awards nomination award form, which can be used for all these awards, click here.
Posted 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
Dean Alton Thompson of the SAES has been named to a three-year term on the 30-member National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. He joins other agricultural leaders from across the nation - all named by Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman - on one of USDA's key sources for guidance on national priorities for agricultural research, extension, and education. The 1996 legislation that established the NAREEE stipulates representation from commodity groups, national farm support organizations, consumer groups and other constituencies. Thompson will be taking a board seat reserved for representation from 1890 land-grant universities.
Posted 03:31 PM | Comments (0)
A&T has a university-wide Academic Fair each fall for undergraduate students who are yet to select a major. This year's Academic Fair will be from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Memorial Student Union Exhibit Hall on Thursday, Oct. 28. The SAES will have a booth and SAES faculty and students will be available to discuss academic programs and degree options. SAES faculty and staff who are acquainted with any undergrads still making up their minds about a major are urged to steer them our way.
Saturday, Oct. 30, is University Day 2004 and the Office of Admissions is bringing thousands of students and their parents to Greensboro for a look at what A&T has to offer. That Saturday, the SAES will have booths with displays and information covering our academic programs at the Corbett Sports Center and B. C. Webb from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The Pre-Vet Club and the University Farm will have animals for live action exhibits in front of Webb. SAES faculty and staff who know of high school students (and parents) coming to campus for University Day are urged to suggest they stop by Webb.
There will also be a Graduate Studies Open House at Corbett Sports Center from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. on University Day, and the SAES will have representatives on hand to discuss SAES graduate programs with undergrads who are thinking about extending their educations. SAES faculty and staff who are acquainted with any undergrads who are thinking about extending their education are urged to make sure they know about the Graduate Studies Open House, and that the SAES graduate studies lineup includes: http://www.ag.ncat.edu/grad.html.
For additional information on the Academic Fair, University Day or the Graduate Studies Open House, contact Azell Reeves, SAES Student Services Manager, at (336) 265-2062, or reevesi@ncat.edu.
Posted 02:39 PM | Comments (0)
In October of 1974, A&T's chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, was formed with 38 inductees. In October of 2004 - last week - the A&T Gamma Sigma Delta chapter celebrated its 30th anniversary by inviting those original inductees to join current members at Coltrane Hall for a luncheon. Honored guests for the occasion included:
* Dr. A. P. Bell, who was chair of the Department of Agricultural Education at the time of his retirement.
* Dr. Basil Coley, who is now chair of the Department of Economics and Transportation/Logistics in the School of Business and Economics.
* W. C. "Bill" Cooper, who was A&T Extension's first state 4-H specialist
*Dr. Thelma Feaster, now personal and organizational development leader for The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T.
* Dr. D. D. Godfrey, former dean of the SAES and first director of the Cooperative Extension Program.
* Dr. Harold Mazyck, former chair of what is now the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences.
* Dr. William Reed, a former SAES dean and a member of the school's Hall of Fame.
Since it was founded in 1974, A&T's Gamma Sigma Delta chapter has inducted more than 550 individuals.
Posted 02:07 PM | Comments (0)
October 16 was World Food Day and the SAES hosted one of the hundreds of teleconference downlinks at colleges across America and at U.S. Embassies around the world. Napoleon Osagie, a junior majoring in animal sciences, was able to connect up with the conference uplink site in Washington, D.C., to ask a panel of international experts a question about the ties between import duties and world hunger.
Posted 01:55 PM | Comments (0)
There will be an SAES faculty and staff meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. in the Webb Hall auditorium. Dr. Rita Lamb, director of the Center for Student Success, will be dropping by to discuss new student recruitment and retention strategies. Dr. Robert Davis of the University's General Education Review Committee also will be at the meeting to report on the current status of the revised core curriculum for undergraduate students at A&T — an overhaul that will become effective in the fall of 2005. Dean Thompson and other members of the SAES administrative team will provide an update on reverberations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s new Technology Services Center and the National Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS) site at the University Farm.
Posted 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
The SAES chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society for agriculture, will have its initial meeting for the 2004-05 academic year at Coltrane Hall at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19. Members planning to attend are asked to confirm their luncheon reservations with Dr. Worku (worku@ncat.edu) at 334-7615, or Dr. Reyes (reyes@ncat.edu) at 334-7787. The price of the luncheon is $10. Dr. Worku, the chapter treasurer, will be completely amenable to accepting annual membership dues of $20 at this meeting.
Posted 12:18 PM | Comments (0)
This past summer Dr. Milli Worku of the Department of Animal Sciences was invited to participate in a workshop along with more than 50 members of college and university faculties from across the U.S. who are working to incorporate genetic research into undergraduate courses. The three-day workshop was made possible with funding from the National Science Foundation, and it was held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. One of the major hurdles for Worku and biotech colleagues on other faculties is the high cost of the DNA chips which allow students conducting research to monitor the response of genes to external stimuli. Connections Dr. Worku made at the Georgetown workshop have opened the door for the SAES to become part of a consortium that joins the SAES to a network for DNA chip-sharing.
“Membership in the Genomics Consortium for Active Teaching will contribute to full utilization of the SAES microarray facility for undergraduate research,” said Worku. “This is also a boost to our effort to establish a Center of Excellence for Studies in Genomic diversity, a project that has received initial funding from a FUTURES grant.”
Posted 12:14 PM | Comments (0)
Know of an individual, team or department at SAES whose accomplishments in the field of distance learning are noteworthy? The American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) is now accepting nominations for its Webb-Godfrey-Hill Award for individuals or groups from 1890 institutions whose distance learning projects demonstrate exceptional “creativity, impact, resourcefulness, vision and collaboration.” The nomination process is less time-consuming than most: There’s an online nomination form at http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/dl/WEBB-GODFREY-HILL.htm, and the screening committee will review the abridged online nominations and then select finalists before requesting letters of support, VITAs and other documentation. The deadline for first-round nominations is Nov. 30.
ADEC’s Webb-Godfrey-Hill Award, presented annually, honors two former SAES deans: Dr. Burleigh Webb and Dr. Dan Godfrey, along with Dr. Walter Hill, dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Natural Sciences at Tuskegee University. Webb, Godfrey and Hill were pioneers not only in bringing distance learning technologies to the 1890 community, but also in establishing ADEC’s predecessor, Ag*Sat, the landmark agricultural satellite network that gave land-grant institutions their first venue for sharing courses and other resources via telecommunications satellites.
Posted 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Lizette Sanchez-Lugo of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences has been reappointed by the General Assembly to a seat on the state’s Minority Health Advisory Council. The 15-member council makes recommendations to the Governor and the Secretary of Health and Human Services concerning programs and policy changes that will streamline access to healthcare for Hispanics, African-Americans and other minority populations in North Carolina. Sanchez-Lugo is the director of the SAES program in dietetics/nutrition, and her research work includes investigations into the relationships between dietary practices and health among minority populations in North Carolina.
Posted 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
The National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees provides 10 $500 scholarships to students at A&T and other 1890 land-grant institutions each year. The scholarships are open to high school students planning to attend an 1890 as well as current students majoring in agricultural or family and consumer sciences. The application deadline for the scholarships that will be announced in December is Oct. 15. Applications are available online at http://www.tnstate.edu/usda/scholarships/pbnrcsenat-scholarship.htm, and there are application forms in the offices of SAES department chairs. J.C. Brown, the USDA liaison officer for A&T, is also a source for information on these scholarships, and he can be contacted at jamescb@ncat.edu for assistance.
The application deadline for the FUTURES biotechnology and biodiversity scholarships has been extended to Monday, Oct. 4. Juniors, seniors and graduate students with GPAs of at least 3.0 and a strong interest in biotechnology and biodiversity are invited to apply. Awards will range from $500 to $1,000, and an independent research project will be required of recipients. For complete details, check the flyer.
Posted 09:12 AM | Comments (0)
Patricia Lynch has joined the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences as an assistant professor. Lynch has bachelor's and master's degrees from A&T, and is a candidate for a Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a registered dietitian and a licensed medical nutrition therapist. Her research areas include health disparities in minorities, program planning for lifestyle changes, obesity and weight management in adults, and lipid oxidation in nutrition and food systems.
Posted 09:07 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Manuel Reyes of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design presented a paper on “Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Instruction and Research at North Carolina A&T State University” at the International Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE), held in Ottawa, Canada, the first week of August. According to the SWAT Web site (http://www.brc.tamus.edu/swat/) it “is a river basin scale model developed to quantify the impact of land management practices in large, complex watersheds.” It is now being used to predict environmental impacts of land use changes, as well as to pinpoint sources of pollution. Reyes also moderated a technical session on soil erosion research at the ASAE meeting.
Posted 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has provided funds for new scholarships for animal sciences majors at North Carolina A&T and nine other institutions. The SAES is pleased to be part of this program that also includes Penn State University, Virginia Tech and the University of Minnesota. At the SAES, incoming freshmen and transfer students with 2.5 GPAs who plan to concentrate their animal sciences major in poultry sciences will be eligible for $1,000 scholarships, provided they are willing to seek and accept summer internships and employment in the poultry industry. Dr. Willie Willis has been the point-person for the arrangements between the Poultry & Egg Association and the SAES for these scholarships, and he will be coordinating the application process. For a scholarship application and additional information, contact him at willisw@ncat.edu.
Posted 09:54 PM | Comments (1)
Drs. Valerie Jarvis McMillan of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences and Dawn Waegerle of the School of Education have received a $15,000 FUTURES grant for a "Teachers of Promise" project that will provide enhanced individualized tutoring and mentoring for students planning to apply for programs at A&T that lead to teacher licensure in birth-kindergarten (B-K) and special education, as well as elementary and secondary education. Capstones of the project will be specialized fall and spring institutes for students planning to take entrance exams for teacher education programs.
Posted 09:51 PM | Comments (0)
Drs. Donald McDowell, Kofi Adu-Nyako, Terrence Thomas, Benjamin Gray and Osei-Agyeman Yeboah of the SAES were in Denver the first week of August for the annual meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA).
Thomas presented two updates on SAES work on a broad-ranging initiative for addressing persistent poverty in the Southern Black Belt. Funding legislation is pending for an economic development program, modeled on the Appalachian Regional Commission, that 
will target 380 counties in 11 southeastern states with high concentrations of African Americans and poverty. Thomas and other members of the Applied Research and Survey Lab have been extensively involved in program development for the Black Belt Initiative.
At an AAEA symposium on the effectiveness of food safety and nutrition labels, Kofi Adu-Nyako presented a paper on his study of “Separating [food] Label Effects from Culture.” At a seminar on regional trade agreements, Yeboah made a presentation on the “FTAA [Free Trade Across Americas] and North Carolina: Income Redistribution across Labor Groups.”
Posted 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. G. B. Reddy, chair of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, was part of the nine-member planning team that put together a 13-state "Water Quality Collaborative Conference" for environmental scientists and Extension specialists from 1862, 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions. Primary conference objectives were to strengthen linkages between USDA-CSREES and water quality research and Extension outreaches at 1890 and 1994 Land-Grants, and to look at the potential for increasing public awareness of water quality research at minority institutions. Reddy also served as moderator for the conference's closing day session.
The two-day summit was held in Atlanta in mid-July, and SAES research faculty attending included Dr. Carolyn Turner, the SAES associate dean for research, and Drs. Charles Raczkowski and Manuel Reyes. The team from the Agricultural Research Program presented posters on soil and water quality modeling and research at A&T. The SAES Cooperative Extension Program was also represented at the conference, as Drs. Ellen Smoak and Robert Williamson presented educational materials they have developed at one of the information exchange sessions.
Posted 05:32 PM | Comments (0)
Douglas Williams has joined the Landscape Architecture Program's faculty, where his teaching responsibilities will include freshman introductory courses, sophomore studio classes, and senior-level project courses. Williams has a master's in Landscape Architecture from Cornell and a bachelor's degree in ornamental horticulture from the University of Illinois. He comes to A&T from Morgan State University, and prior to joining the Morgan State faculty, Williams worked for the National Park Service in Denver. His office is 231 Carver Hall; voice mail is 334-7520; and the fax number is 334-7844.
Posted 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
One of Cooperative Extension's great success stories -- in North Carolina and across the U.S. -- is the Master Gardeners' program. The program provides extensive, high-level training for individuals with a keen interest in gardening and horticulture. In exchange for the training, these "Master Gardeners" serve as volunteers for community improvement projects which utilize their gardening skills and training. Many times "Master Gardeners" pay for their training by conducting gardening workshops for other groups and individuals.
Dr. Marihelen Glass of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design recently gave Guilford County's Master Gardeners some training at a level that's undoubtedly the envy of thousands of Master Gardeners who aren't lucky enough to live in the same county as one of their state's land-grant institutions. Glass conducted a ten-week class in plant propagation, and covered budding and grafting, breaking seed dormancy, herbaceous cuttings, tissue culture of African violets and extraction of DNA from onions. There are 73 counties in North Carolina with Master Gardener programs, but chances are that only those programs real close to research facilities at A&T, N.C. State, or one of the Agricultural Research Stations are going to get training that involves lab coats and petri dishes.
Posted 03:44 PM | Comments (0)
The SAES is entering the 2004-05 academic year with three exciting new options for students that faculty advisors and mentors will want to keep in mind as students begin to drop by for guidance:
* Students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in the SAES also will be able to work toward a certificate in "Agricultural and Natural Resources Information Science," which will provide a background in the latest instructional technology tools and instructional design theories. The computer technology for presentation and training skills is at the forefront of the new certificate program. The curriculum consists of a student-selected base of 15 hours from the student's SAES major, and these courses will be used to generate the agricultural instructional materials in the certification program's capstone course: Agricultural Education 400 - Instructional Technology in Agriscience Education. Dr. Marcus Comer will be directing the program, and he can be reached for more information at (336) 334-7711 and marcusc@ncat.edu.
* An online degree program that makes it possible for students with associate degrees in horticulture and related areas to complete work on a bachelor’s degree by taking classes on home computers. The “2+2 Program” has agreements with eight community colleges across North Carolina, and students with associate’s degrees from these community colleges can proceed seamlessly on to a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from A&T without commuting to Greensboro for classes. For a complete listing of cooperating community colleges and complete details on the 2+2 Program, check out the Web site at http://www.ag.ncat.edu/2plus2/.
* Students deciding between graduate school and the Peace Corps can now have their cake and eat it too through SAES’s new Peace Corps Masters International Program. Students accepted into the program complete their course work at A&T (30 - 37 semester hours), then spend two years overseas as Peace Corps volunteers to complete requirements for a master’s degree in either agricultural economics or agricultural education. The program enables students to graduate with an advanced degree and two years of substantive professional experience in an international setting. Prospective students must apply to and be accepted by both the Peace Corps and the A&T Graduate School. For more about the MI Program, visit http://www.ag.ncat.edu/MIProgram/curriculum.htm.
Posted 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
Drs. Benjamin Gray and Terrence Thomas of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education were part of a three-member team, along with Satish Verma of Louisiana State University, that presented a paper at the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education’s annual conference in Dublin, Ireland in late May. The paper, entitled “Beyond Technical Solutions: A Dynamic Approach to Problem Solving in an Era of Multifunctional Agriculture and Post-Modern Extension Work” proposes a problem formulation model for Extension staffs to use in collecting and analyzing data that is most relevant to today’s stakeholders. A .pdf of the paper is available here.
The Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) serves as a global catalyst for focusing the expertise of Extension educators on the problems on current social issues and economic development, and one of the organization’s top priorities is a communications network for Extension educators. Complete information on the AIAEE's activities and publications is available at http://www.aiaee.org/.
Posted 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Guochen Yang of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design and Dr. Carolyn Turner, Associate Dean and Agricultural Research Program, were called to a major crime-scene investigation at Chowan College last week. The setting for the caper was the 2004 North Carolina Biotechnology 4-H Camp, which followed a national 4-H curriculum outline that makes the basics of DNA, cloning, 
and other biotech clues parts of a murder mystery seventh- and eight-graders solve during the three-day camp. Campers become investigators looking into the suspicious death of “controversial research scientist, Hall Halftrack.” Turner and Yang had the crucial role of giving the 4-H’ers a basic introduction to DNA and aseptic practices, and they relied on Yang’s research into plant tissue culture and propagation for giving campers “just the facts” for blowing the lid on the case.
Posted 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
The 2004 Research Apprentice Program for the select group of high school students invited to spend four weeks at A&T will be winding up the week of July 12 - 16. Dr. Claudette Smith, who coordinates The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T's Community Voices leadership development program, will be giving these future leaders a workshop in "Preparing to Lead" on Monday, July 12. The following Tuesday, RAP students will get a tour of Greensboro's African-American historic highlights, led by Dr. Sandra Alexander of the English Department at A&T.
The tour guide for Wednesday's RAP outing will be Perry Howard of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, and the destination will be Durham. Howard will be showing the RAP students some impressive buildings in equally impressive settings thanks to innovative design work by landscape architects. Dr. Milli Worku will be conducting a special biotech workshop for the RAP students Thursday, and they also will be going to the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market for a look behind the scenes.
The grand finale for the 2004 RAP is Friday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at Webb Hall. All the research apprentices have worked closely with a research scientist on a project, and the apprentices will be making poster presentations and discussing what they've learned. All members of the SAES faculty and staff are invited to stop by Webb Hall for the closing ceremonies and reception for the budding scientists and their parents on Friday.
Posted 10:49 AM | Comments (0)
The 1890 Extension administrators who are in Greensboro for the organization's semiannual meeting will be touring SAES facilities Thursday afternoon (July 8). Their tour will begin around 3 p.m. at Carver Hall, where Dr. Terrence Thomas will give an overview of the Applied Survey Research Laboratory and Dr. Milli Worku will make a presentation on her biotech projects. Dr. Dave Libby, interim chair of the Department of Animal Sciences, will discuss his department's research and instructional programs when the group moves on to Webb Hall. At the tour wind-up at the University Farm, the first stop will be the new poultry unit. Also on the agenda for the farm visit are stops at Dr. Keith Baldwin's horticulture demonstration, Extension associate Travella Free's agricultural information stations for elementary school students, and Dr. Omoanghe Isikhuemhen's edible and medicinal mushroom research.
The Greensboro AEA meeting is homecoming for Dr. Clyde Chesney, Extension Administrator at Tennessee State University, and his counterpart at Alcorn State University, Dr. Dalton McAfee. Drs. Chesney and McAfee both launched their Extension careers at Coltrane Hall as members of The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina A&T.
Posted 10:38 AM | Comments (0)
Jane Walker of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences gave a presentation on research into "Leadership Development of Students Engaged in Experiential Learning: Implications for Internship Programs in Textiles and Apparel" at the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences annual meeting in San Diego the last week of June. Walker's research into learning preferences focused on the effect of these preferences on leadership development.
With more than 10,000 members, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is dedicated to improving family life by providing educational programs and influencing public policy. Current areas of emphasis for AAFCS research and educational initiatives include such life skills as financial literacy, child care and parenting, conflict resolution; consumer education, housing and environment, apparel and textiles, and dietetics and nutrition. The AAFCS has a rich Web site at http://www.aafcs.org/about/index.html.
Posted 09:27 AM | Comments (0)
The A&T Faculty Senate has given the SAES approval for a new certificate program that will gear up this coming fall. SAES students will be able to work toward a certificate in "Agricultural and Natural Resources Information Science," which will provide them backgrounds in the latest instructional technology tools and instructional design theories. The computer technology for presentation and training skills is at the forefront of the new program. The curriculum consists of a student-selected base of 15 hours from the student's SAES major, and these courses will be used to generate the agricultural instructional materials in the certification program's capstone course: Agricultural Education 400 - Instructional Technology in Agriscience Education. Dr. Marcus Comer will be directing the program, and he can be reached for complete information at (336) 334.7711 and marcusc@ncat.edu.
Posted 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Godfrey Ejimakor, Associate Professor in the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education, is among the 18 members of the A&T faculty who were recipients of more than a quarter million dollars in Venture Fund Grants awarded by the Chancellor's Office. Dr. Ejimakor has received a $15,000 grant for "Studies in Food and Agricultural Policy." The funding will be used to augment student and faculty awareness of environmental issues that are closely related to food, agriculture, and natural resources policies.
Posted 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
A chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society with chapters at nearly 300 colleges and universities in the United States was established at A&T last fall. Of the 21 A&T faculty members inducted into the chapter most recently, at a banquet in late April, eight were members of the SAES faculty: Drs. Salam A. Ibrahim and Mohamed Ahmedna of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences; Dr. Mulumebet Worku of the Department of Animal Sciences; Dr. Omon Isikhuemhen of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design; and Drs. M. Ray McKinnie, Ellen Smoak and Robert Williamson of the Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina A&T. Dr. Marihelen Glass of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design is one of the charter members of A&T's chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, and is currently chapter secretary.
Phi Kappa Phi promotes academic excellence and recognition of scholastic achievements across all fields of study at institutions of higher learning. A&T's association with Phi Kappa Phi brings with it eligibility for fellowships, financial support for study abroad and research grants for members of the faculty invited to join the chapter. Graduate and undergraduate students with top-flight academic records are also eligible for invitations to join Phi Kappa Phi.
Posted 01:58 PM | Comments (0)
Students taking the Department of Animal Sciences' introductory course and those taking courses in swine production and poultry management this past semester got something yummier than a final exam as the semester came to a conclusion. Dr. David Libby, the interim department chair, invited the students to the A&T Park on East Lee for an "Evaluation Laboratory" at which they got to, "taste the final results." For many of the students, this was a first opportunity to taste some of the University Farm's more unconventional enterprises, such as goat meat, tilapia, and pastured poultry.
Posted 02:38 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Ipek Goktepe of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences has accepted an invitation to serve on the editorial board of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture serves as an international clearinghouse for peer-reviewed research, and the publication has frequently been the pipeline for the flow of research findings to magazines and other mass communications media. In recent months, research published in the Journal has set the groundwork for a Forbes Magazine article on nutrient losses when vegetables are cooked in microwaves, and a story on the CBS Web page about the shelf life of olives. The current issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture and a complete listing of the editorial board is here.
Posted 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Gladys Shelton, chair of the Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences, has been invited to serve on a national task force which will conduct a comprehensive review of the collaborative relationship between USDA's Agricultural Research Service and the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service. After a survey of current ties between the two agencies, the task force will formulate recommendations for strengthening them and forming new partnerships.
The 25-member task force includes administrators from 1862 and 1890 Research and Cooperative Extension Programs, and its work is being coordinated by Dr. Bobby R. Phills, former dean of Florida A&M University's College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture.
Posted 04:35 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Osei-Agyeman Yeboah has been appointed interim director of the SAES International Trade Center. Yeboah joined the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education as an assistant professor for international trade, environmental and national resource economics last year. Dr. Yeboah came to the SAES from Auburn University, where he was a visiting scholar in environmental and natural resource economics.
Posted 03:18 PM | Comments (0)
The 2004 SAES Awards Banquet is set for Stallings Ballroom at the Memorial Student Union on Monday, April 26. The annual recognition night for students, faculty and staff will get started with a "meet `n' greet" social at 6:30 p.m., and the banquet will start promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for faculty, staff and guests, and $5 for students. Call Azell Reeves at 256-2062, or e-mail reevesi@ncat.edu to RSVP. Cash or checks should be sent to her (c/o the Dean's Office) by Monday, April 19. Please make checks payable to N. C. A&T University Foundation and write "SAES Student Awards Banquet" in the memo section. Those making reservations by phone or e-mail can pay at the door.
Dean Thompson and other members of the SAES administrative team are requesting strong support - and attendance! - from faculty and staff (read the Dean's letter). Donations are being solicited from faculty and staff to help defray student costs for the banquet. Please contact Azell Reeves if you can.
One of the major awards presented at the annual Awards Banquet is the SPA/EPA Non-Teaching Staff Award, and the deadline for nominations is Monday, April 19. Nomination forms are available here.
A new addition to the awards line-up this year is the Academic Advisor of the Year Award, and SAES students who think their faculty advisor merits special recognition likewise have an April 19 deadline for nominations. Nominations forms are available here.
Posted 05:49 PM | Comments (0)
Twelve high achieving Aggies recently earned scholarships to study biotechnology through the FUTURES Interdisciplinary Biotechnology and Biodiversity Project. The awards were presented March 17 by Dr. Guochen Yang of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, and Dr. N. Radhakrishnan, A&T's vice chancellor for research and economic development. Scholarship criteria included a GPA of at least 3.5, and a strong interest in pursuing a career in biotechnology and biodiversity. Recipients also must conduct independent research under the supervision of a faculty mentor, and then submit a report on their findings.
Students receiving the awards were: Siham Ahmed of Greensboro, a master's student of food sciences and nutrition; Theophilus Asante, of Ghana, a master's student majoring in plant, soil and environmental sciences; Carinthia Cherry of Windsor, a master's student majoring in food and nutritional sciences; Deidra Felton of Morehead City, a senior majoring in food and nutritional sciences; Thomas Lynge of Lexington, a junior majoring in bioenvironmental engineering; Antrison Morris of India, a master's student majoring in food sciences; William W. Pettiford of Greensboro, a junior majoring in political science; Somphavanh "Lonnie" Phetsomphou of High Point, a senior majoring in food sciences; Tammy Putmon of Syracuse, NY, a master's student in animal health sciences; Khalilah Taylor of Murfreesboro, a master's student majoring in food and nutritional sciences, Kasey Vaughans of Greensboro, a graduate student majoring in plant, soil and environmental sciences, and Eric Wilson of Brevard, a master's student majoring in food sciences.
Posted 05:38 PM | Comments (0)
Perry Howard of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design was one of seven faculty members recognized with North Carolina A&T State University's highest annual teaching awards. Each year, one faculty member from each of the seven schools and colleges within the university is selected for the Teacher of the Year Award, and Howard was the SAES recipient for the 2003-04 academic year.
Posted 10:26 AM | Comments (0)
The SAES chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honorary society of agriculture, conducted its third annual Showcase of Excellence during Small Farms Week, and the student research posters entered in the competition were on display outside Stallings Ballroom the day of the Small Farmer Recognition Luncheon.
The winning entries in the undergraduate research poster competition were:
Amber Jefferson - "Antimicrobial Resistance Of Campylobacter Isolates Using Disk Diffusion And Epsilometric Tests" (Advisor: Dr. Tracey Hanner)
Keyonica S. Lassiter - "Total Phenolics And Antioxidant Activity in Peanut Skins" (Advisor: Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna)
Tom Tse - Antimicrobial Effect of Guava and Guava Extracts on Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Liquid Medium"
(Advisor: Dr. Salam Ibrahim)
Graduate award winners were:
Theophilus M. Asante - "In Vitro Response of Micropropagated Chestnut Shoot to Different Growth Regulators"
(Advisor: Dr. Guochen Yang)
Nicholaus Cunningham - "The Effects of Anti-Inflammatory Agents on Gene Expression of Bovine Neutrophils"
(Advisor: Dr. Mulumebet Worku)
Phani Medida - "Remediation of Atrazine in Constructed Wetlands" (Advisor: Dr. G.B. Reddy)
Eric Wilson - "Interaction of Probiotics and Nutraceuticals- Determining the Potential for the Food Industry"
(Advisor: Dr. Salam Ibrahim)
Cash awards went to all the award winners, and funding support was provided by Barrington Nutritionals and the A&T Agricultural Research Program.
Posted 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
The Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS) was established in 1899, and one of the organization's chief objectives has been an annual meeting and information exchange for agricultural scientists and educators. The organization is divided into special interest groups that cover nearly all sub-disciplines within the broad range of educational and scientific work coordinated by schools and colleges of agriculture in the U.S. The SAES was well represented at the most recent SAAS convention, which took place in Tulsa, in mid February:
• SAES faculty participating in symposiums and facilitating breakout sessions at the Tulsa SAAS conference were Drs. Antoine Alston, Marcus Comer, Omoanghe S. Isikhuemhen, Marsha McGraw, Mary Mafuyai-Ekanmen, and Sheilda Sutton.
• Comer and Alston were part of a team that put together an examination of Cooperative Extension in North Carolina, and they conducted a poster session on their new online agricultural education program, "2 + 2."
• Drs. Guochen Yang and Carl Niedziela presented findings from their work with in vitro germination of a high-country ornamental plant (galax) used by the floral industry.
• Dr. Terrence Thomas gave "An Update and Assessment of the Southern Black Belt Legislative Efforts of the Last Two Years."
• Dr. Donald McDowell was co-author of a presentation on the "Determinants of Poverty in Manufacturing-Dependent Counties in the Rural South."
• "Predictors of Employees' Perception of Innovation in Organization Performance Following Restructuring" was the focus of a presentation by Drs. Terrence Thomas, Frank Clearfield, and Benny Gray.
• Thomas also gave "An Update and Assessment of the Southern Black Belt Legislative Efforts of the Last Two Years."
• Mafuyai-Ekanem was part of a team that presented a paper on the role of Extension professionals in shaping consumer attitudes towards biotechnology.
Posted 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
Each academic year A&T's chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the national honor society for agricultural research, teaching and Extension, presents awards for faculty excellence in the three areas of the land-grant triumvirate. The deadline for nominations for the 2003-04 awards for excellence in teaching, research and Extension is Friday, March 5. Nominations are available here, and Dr. Manuel Reyes and other Gamma Sigma Delta officers would like to encourage all chapter members to review the guidelines and consider nominating those colleagues whose contributions to the SAES have been particularly outstanding. The 2003-04 Gamma Sigma Delta awards for excellence in teaching, research and Extension will be presented at the SAES Awards Banquet on Monday, April 26.
Posted 05:27 PM | Comments (0)
A banquet was held last Saturday at Greensboro's posh O'Henry Hotel to honor 35 small-scale swine producers. According to Eliza MacLean of Niman Ranch, Inc., these are farmers "who have ventured away from growing tobacco and, under the guidance of Niman Ranch and North Carolina A&T, are raising hogs the old fashioned way - outdoors." Niman also requires that swine it purchases from farmers are never fed antibiotics, and that care is taken to treat farmland as a renewable resource. Niman protocols were developed by the Animal Welfare Institute.
Assistance for all 35 farmers who have made the jump to "upscale pork and "porc du saison" has been provided by Dr. Chuck Talbott and members of the field staff of A&T's Cooperative Extension Program. Talbott's work has been made possible with grants from Golden LEAF (the North Carolina tobacco settlement fund), Heifer Project International, and USDA.
The meal was prepared by chefs Bart Ortiz of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants in Greesnboro, and Ashley Christensen of Enoteca Vin Restaurant in Raleigh. Their recipes featured pork that came from the farms of the honorees.
The banquet was highlighted by a keynote speech by Rick Dove, who helped lead efforts to revitalize the Neuse River. Dove now works with the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national organization working to keep America's waterways clean. Jan Weber, a Brooklyn film-maker, presented a film about chefs in Brooklyn who are using Niman Ranch pork.
Posted 05:20 PM | Comments (0)
Poultry research scientist Dr. Willie Willis was recently a key link in helping a branch of A&T not usually associated with agriculture to take advantage of resources at the A&T farm. For the A&T theater department's production of the August Wilson play "Seven Guitars," technical director Jeff Richardson contacted Willis about feathers for several scenes involving backyard chicken coops, and Willis was able to obtain feathers from a poultry processing plant. In the course of conversation it came out that Richardson was planning to use imitation chickens instead of the real McCoys in the production. Willis suggested that Richardson audition live chickens at the A&T poultry unit for the show. They got the parts and were big hits.
"The chickens were returned to their home facility nightly after a hard day's work at the theater," says Willis. "This cooperative arrangement was a true example of real Aggies helping each other. Aggie Pride!"
Posted 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
The next seminar in the series that Dr. Guochen Yang has organized with a FUTURES grant will be Thursday, March 18, beginning at 2 p.m. Room A-14 at C. H. Moore. Dr. John Allen, research coordinator in the Department of Animal Sciences, will be giving a presentation that reviews the structure and function of the bacterial immunoglobulin-binding proteins. The review will include a discussion of Protein V, an Immunoglobulin-binding protein isolated at A&T. There will also be a discussion of these compounds in biotechnology fields and their potential for industrial uses.
Posted 05:14 PM | Comments (0)
Dean Alton Thompson extends a cordial invitation to all SAES faculty and staff to join the SAES student body for a meeting and reception in the Webb Hall lounge area that will get started at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Dean Thompson will be briefly interrupting the pizza and beverage consumption with a few remarks on SAES goals and activities for the remainder of the academic year, and a quick status report on the SAES major program initiatives.
Posted 08:10 AM | Comments (0)
The A&T chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, will be having a luncheon meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 11:30 AM to 1 p.m., in room A-8 of the C. H. Moore Ag. Research Station. The speaker will be Minnie Battle Mayes, director of International Programs at A&T. Gamma Sig members can make reservations - the deadline is Friday, Feb. 20 - by contacting chapter treasurer Milli Worku (334-7615 or worku@ncat.edu). The chapter treasurer is also in the process of collecting 2004 membership dues.
Posted 08:09 AM | Comments (0)
Each issue of the Carolina Gardener magazine has a how-to column called "gardenscapes," and each of these columns is now illustrated by a detailed landscape design created by an SAES landscape architecture student. According to Sherry Hollingsworth, an assistant professor with the Landscape Architecture Program, "Design parameters, such as plants to use and bed sizes, have been given by the magazine [staff], but starting next month, students will work with the magazine to select the plants."
Although the online edition of Carolina Gardener doesn't include columns and feature stories, there's an interesting collection of resources for gardens and gardeners at http://www.carolinagardener.com/.
Posted 08:05 AM | Comments (0)
Dr. Antoine Alston of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education is assisting the Graduate School with a survey that will be used to formulate plans for new doctoral program in leadership studies at A&T. All SAES faculty should take a moment to complete and return this survey.
Posted 08:03 AM | Comments (0)
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, there will be a meeting of the 12 SAES student club presidents and faculty mentors at 5 p.m in the B.C. Webb auditorium. An important issue on the agenda is a discussion of ways for the student organizations to schedule activities more cohesively, so as to avoid duplication of efforts and conflicts.
Posted 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
Archer Daniels Midland Company has a $5,000 scholarship to award to a current or former member of the Future Farmers of America who is attending North Carolina A&T and majoring in agribusiness, agricultural engineering, or food science. Sophomores and juniors with GPAs of 3.0 or better are eligible. The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2004.
Complete details on this scholarship as well as a downloadable .pdf with a long list of FFA-administered scholarships are available at http://www.ffa.org/programs/scholarships/index.html.
Posted 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
Dr. Carl Niedziela of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design has been named a Certified Professional Horticulturist by the American Society for Horticultural Science. The ASHS certification program identifies horticultural professionals with distinguished contributions in educational, scientific and service activities. Certification requirements include scholarly presentations, and professional engagement in areas of specialization.
With nearly 4,000 members, the ASHS is the world's largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research and education.
Posted 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
The SAES's Career Expo 2004 is now less than a month away, and the SAES Office of Student Services has some important tips for faculty to pass along to students.
First and foremost, the Career Expo is for all SAES students - not just seniors anxious to start climbing the career ladder in a few months. The recruiters from agribusiness firms, food processing industries, natural resources management and government agencies coming to Stallings Ballroom on Thursday, March 4, will have internships and on-down-the-road employment opportunities to discuss with freshmen, sophomores and juniors.
SAES students who want to impress prospective employer are advised to have these ducks in a row before the Expo:
• Registration with the University Office of Career Services - recruiters who wish to make future contact with SAES students they meet at the Career Expo will work through the OFCS, and students who are not registered will miss the boat.
• A neat, clean professional resume - one that does NOT include a clever but not-too-professional e-mail moniker, nor a phone number for a cell phone or answering machine that has a clever but not-too-professional greeting on it.
• Professional, dress-for-success attire - an outfit that does NOT include a cell phone that might ring during an interview.
Posted 03:55 PM | Comments (0)
Ray Gibbs, the director of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., will kick off the Landscape Architecture Program's brown-bag luncheon series on Friday, Jan. 23 , with a discussion of redevelopment mileposts and plans for downtown Greensboro. The program will begin at noon in the Carver Hall assembly room (first floor). Although Downtown Greensboro Inc. receives some financial support from the city, the agency is a nonprofit working to guide restoration of cultural, economic and social fabric of the city. For additional information on Downtown Greensboro, check out the Web site: http://www.downtowngreensboro.net/.
Posted 01:50 PM | Comments (0)
SAES juniors, seniors and grad students with overall GPAs of 3.5 may be eligible for scholarships provided by a U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative in biotechnology and biodiversity. Scholarship awards - for the current semester - range from $400 to $500 for undergraduates, and $500 to $1,000 for grad students. The selection committee is looking for students whose course work and career goals reflect an ongoing interest in some facet of biotechnology. Scholarship recipients will be required to conduct an independent research project supervised by a faculty mentor. The application deadline is Jan. 30, and complete details on application requirements are available here.
Posted 01:46 PM | Comments (19)
The Ag. Research Program will be coordinating its 24th annual Research Apprentice Program (RAP) for a highly select group of high school juniors and seniors from June 20 to July 16. Application forms are available here. The application deadline for the 2004 RAP is February 13.
A central part of the program for each student is a special research project, conducted under the direction of one of the SAES's research scientists. RAP also features field trips and other learning experiences that show participants that agriculture offers exciting career opportunities in technology, science and research.
Posted 11:37 AM | Comments (0)
Through spring semester, construction interruptions at C. H. Moore will be disrupting the workaday lives of members of the Ag. Research and Ag. Communications and Technology staffs. There will be days when SAES personnel at Moore will be suddenly (and without advance notice) unable to get to their voice mail or e-mail. Please keep this in mind when a need arises for consultation with Ag. Research or Ag. Communications and Technology.
Also during the remodeling work at Moore, the building's conference rooms will not be available. Faculty with tentative plans for booking a Moore conference room for a workshop or another activity need to make firm plans to reserve a conference room in Coltrane, Webb or Carver. Workshops and other activities that were long ago scheduled for Moore will be moved to another location.
Posted 11:32 AM | Comments (0)
Eight seniors majoring in Landscape Architecture used downtown Rocky Mount as the subject for their design class last semester. Their project began with a study of how thriving downtowns look in other cities, and an evaluation of the existing points of interest that could anchor redevelopment plans in Rocky Mount. The SAES students' work culminated in a well-received presentation to an audience of city officials and community leaders, and a front-page story in the Rocky Mount Telegram
"The students found that Rocky Mount is dealing with the same problem as many other cities," says Perry Howard, the faculty guide for the project. "How to bring life back to a city center that was largely abandoned by business during the '70s and '80s? A key element of the plan was 'pedestrian scale,' with buildings situated to make a person walking downtown interested, engaged and secure. Rocky Mount has the benefit of much historical architecture intact, and this served to anchor the students' design. A park and hotel were designed to complement the old depot, and a block at the other end of town was envisioned as a community gathering place, with buildings of historical significance restored."
Posted 03:25 PM | Comments (0)
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has a two-day workshop entitled "A Field Guide to GenBank and NCBI Molecular Biology Resources," which will be offered at locations across the country in 2004. The team of instructors for the course, which includes a hands-on computer workshop as well as lectures, consists of biologists and other members of the National Center for Biotechnology Information staff. The workshop will be offered at Webb Hall at A&T, Jan. 13-14 . Check here for complete details on the workshop.
The course is designed for principal investigators, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and advanced undergraduate students. The course is open to research and teaching faculty from other schools and colleges at A&T, and qualified faculty and students from other area colleges and universities.
Dr. Mulumebet Worku of the Department of Animal Sciences is the site coordinator for the workshop, and she urges all interested SAES faculty and students to contact her soon and register promptly. Space is limited. For A&T faculty and students with scheduling conflicts that make it impossible to attend the entire workshop, it may be possible to register for either the classroom or lab segments individually.
Posted 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
The SAES's "Career Expo 2004" will be Thursday, March 4 ![[click to synchronize event]](http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/images/calendar_icon.jpg){kind=icon}
. Representatives from agribusiness firms, state and federal agencies, and other employers with career opportunities for SAES graduates will be coming to the A&T campus. Informed sources with the SAES Office of Student Services have indicated that it's not at all too early for instructors, advisors and mentors to start reminding students who plan to take advantage of the Career Expo that they should have seven weeks to get copies of their resumes proofread and polished. It's also a good idea for students who will be launching career searches in a few weeks to circle "March 4" on their calendars, and add a note that asks: "Dress-for-success clothes ready to go?"
Posted 03:13 PM | Comments (0)
- Ray Gibbs, the director of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., will kick off the Landscape Architecture Program's brown-bag luncheon series on Friday, Jan. 23, with a discussion of redevelopment mileposts and plans for downtown Greensboro. The program will begin at noon in the Carver Hall assembly room (first floor
- The SAES's Soil and Water Quality Initiative Team has invited Dr. Detlef Knappe an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Water Resources/Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University, to present a seminar on Thursday, Jan. 29. Knappe's topic will be "Strategies for Algae Detection and Algae Removal in Water Treatment Plants," and the program is scheduled to begin at noon in room A-8 of the C. H. Moore Agricultural Research Station. (For more information on Knappe's background and research interests, check out his Web page.)
Posted 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
