In correspondence announcing that Hymon-Parker had been honored with the Distinguished Service Award, the AAFCS’s senior member relations manager, Sophy Mott, noted that, “As the new Associate Dean for Research in the School of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University, she's continuing a career built on the creation, transformation and advancement of FCS knowledge in the areas of teaching, scholarly research and outreach, and administration in higher education.”

The AAFCS Distinguished Service Award was established in 1979 by a forerunner professional organization, the American Home Economics Association, to recognize superior achievements in family and consumer sciences, and outstanding professional contributions through leadership as well as scholarship. ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/11/associate-dean-of-agricultural.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/11/associate-dean-of-agricultural.html Agricultural Research Family and Consumer Sciences Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:05:41 -0500 USDA has announced the availability of more than $47 million in funding for research and Extension projects that will "address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops." The program has five focus areas for FY 2010 : 1) standard research and Extension projects; 2) coordinated agricultural projects that make contributions to sustainable agriculture; 3) regional partnerships; 4) eXtension projects that develop Communities of Practice; and 5) research and Extension planning projects.

Letters of intent for Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grants are due Nov. 25, and the proposals themselves are due Jan. 14, 2010.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/11/special-funding-for-specialty.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/11/special-funding-for-specialty.html Agricultural Research Cooperative Extension Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:55:14 -0500 On Oct. 8, UNC-Charlotte hosted the 8th Annual Charlotte Biotechnology Conference, which brought 20 speakers and 350 biotech professionals together to discuss business-university partnerships, progress at the N.C. Research campus and dozens of recent technical advances. To generate student interest in biotechnology research, the conference conducted a graduate student poster competition with cash prizes. One of the six finalists was an SAES student, Olcay Boyacioglu, who presented a poster covering a research project guided by Dr. Ipek Goktepe, an SAES food scientist. Boyacioglu’s research was into “Biocontrol of E. coli O157:H7 in harvested spinach using bacteriophage cocktails.” Charlotte radio station WFAE still has interviews available with two of the students who entered the research competition. and video footage of the keynote address by Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton is available on the conference website. Boyacioglu also presented these research findings at the NC OPT-ED (North Carolina Alliance to Create Opportunity Through Education) Alliance Day in early October. The SAES was also represented at NC OPT-ED Alliance Day by one of Goktepe’s undergraduate students in the Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, Jasmine Brooks, whose poster presentation covered an “Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Select Plant Essential Oils.” ]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/cocktail-honored.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/cocktail-honored.html Agricultural Research Family and Consumer Sciences Food Sciences Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:56:47 -0500 Representatives from USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were in Raleigh Sept. 27 to hear from a panel of farmers about their concerns for possible economic fallout from legislation. before the Senate that has already received Congressional approval. The legislation will increase food safety inspections, and regulations facing growers as well as food processors and packing operations. The Raleigh listening session was one of several that the FDA organized across the county to gather reactions from individuals whose livelihoods are likely to be affected by passage of the Food Safety Enhancement Act. The names of two of the six farmers invited to Raleigh will ring many bells at A&T. The same Philip Barker whose on-farm biofuel project was the subject of a feature story in the 2009 issue of RE:search, the Agricultural Research Program’s annual magazine,  is quoted in the Sept. 27 Raleigh News & Observer as a spokesman for many small-scale farmers worried about the added expenses of tracking systems for farm commodities, and new restrictions on the proximities of livestock and produce operations. Jackie Rogers and John L. Council comprise another farm family whose participation in the listening session resulted in a quote in the News & Observer story. They’re also members of the farm family team that set Hoke County’s John L. Council Farms in order for the 2009 Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the Year Award, presented by The Cooperative Extension Program at A&T last March.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/a-third-of-the-panel-had-longs.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/10/a-third-of-the-panel-had-longs.html Agricultural Research Cooperative Extension Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:50:00 -0500 The annual World Food Day Teleconference will run from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, and it will be accessible to SAES researchers, Extension specialists, teaching faculty and students via the campus broadband and the official Teleconference website. The 2009 Teleconference topic is the impact of the financial crisis on families and individuals living in poverty, and the solutions that are emerging as the economic mainstream attends to these responsibilities.  One of the three individuals on the panel of experts will be Max Finberg, the director of USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He will be joined by Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, and Joy Phumaphi a Botswanaian who is head of the World Bank’s Human Development Network. The  American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences has approved Professional Development Units (PDUS) for members who participate.

The deadline for submitting proposals for papers is Nov. 20. For technical papers submitted by authors uncertain of which track is most appropriate, there is a general track, and abstracts steered into it will be assigned a track by the conference director. Among the over-arching topics for the World Congress of the International Commission of Agricultural Engineering are biosystems and the environment, new processes in food engineering, rural development policy, and food traceability.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/multiorganization-ag-engineeri.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/multiorganization-ag-engineeri.html Agricultural Research SAES Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:58:07 -0500 Each year the National Science Foundation (NSF) awards as many as 900 fellowships to students with plans for research-based master’s or doctoral degrees in several fields, including life sciences, geosciences, engineering and social sciences. A&T’s Division of Research & Economic Development (DORED) is bringing an NSF representative to campus on Friday, Sept. 18, to talk to students about preparing applications, and to talk with faculty and administrators about identifying fellowship candidates. Both programs will be in Room 410 of the Fort IRC Building, with the student program running from 8:30 to 10 a.m., and the program for faculty running from 10:30 a.m. until noon. DORED has an online registration form on its website.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/nsf-fellowship-info-sessions-o.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/nsf-fellowship-info-sessions-o.html Agricultural Research Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:52:21 -0500 The National Science Foundation (NSF) awards as many as 900 fellowships annually to high-caliber students with plans for research-based master’s or doctoral degrees in a number of fields, including life sciences, geosciences, engineering and  social sciences. A&T’s Division of Research & Economic Development (DORED) is bringing an NSF representative, Tim Turner, to campus on Friday, Sept. 18, to talk to students about preparing applications, and to talk with faculty and administrators about identifying fellowship candidates. Both programs will be in Room 410 of the Fort IRC Building, with the student program running from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m., and the program for faculty running from 10:30 a.m. until noon. DORED has an online registration form  on its website.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/national-science-foundation-fe.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/national-science-foundation-fe.html Agricultural Research SAES Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:52:12 -0500 What has developed into the world’s largest annual event for biotechnology industries, the BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) International Convention, will be accepting proposals until Sept. 8 for breakout sessions at the 2010 BIO International Convention next May in Chicago. Proposed educational sessions should fit into one of the conference’s 17 major tracks — one of which is “Food & Agriculture.”  Another, “Marketplace Watch,” includes both agriculture and biofuels as subtopics.

Last year’s BIO International Convention, in Atlanta, attracted more than 14,000 participants.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/big-biotech-conference-accepti.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/big-biotech-conference-accepti.html Agricultural Research Natural Resources and Environmental Design Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:44:50 -0500 Dr. Shirley Hymon-Parker has joined the SAES as associate dean for the Agricultural Research Program. Hymon-Parker comes to A&T from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where she served for the past five years as chair of the Department of Human Ecology. For the past 11 years and while attending to teaching and Extension responsibilities concurrently, Hymon-Parker has also served as associate research director of 1890 programs for the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at UMES. She received her doctorate in education policy, planning and administration from the University of Maryland; her master’s in apparel design from Cornell University; and her bachelor’s from North Carolina Central University in Durham. Hymon-Parker is originally from Warrenton, N.C., and a graduate of Graham High School.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/staff-update-5.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/09/staff-update-5.html Agricultural Research Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:41:35 -0500 The North Carolina Alliance to Create Opportunity through Education is working to increase the number of minority students receiving doctorates in science, technology and engineering. One of the organization’s major projects is an annual Alliance Day, where students showcase their research work, meet with grad school recruiters and attend professional development workshops. The 2009 Alliance Day will be Oct. 2 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Special Events Center. The deadline for submitting abstracts is Monday, Aug. 31. An abstract of 300 words or less describing the research is required for both poster and oral presentations.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/last-day-in-august-is-last-day.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/last-day-in-august-is-last-day.html Academic Departments Agricultural Research SAES Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:38:28 -0500 A&T’s Division of Research and Economic Development and its Biotechnology & Bio Sciences Research Cluster, which includes the Agricultural Research Program, are bringing the nationally recognized “How to Write Award Winning Grants” to campus on Friday Sept. 11. The program will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union’s Stallings Ballroom B.

The seminar will emphasize concept development, as well as tips for pleasing and appeasing proposal reviewers. Grant writing strategies for private sector funding, in addition to state and federal agencies, are also part of the program. Although there is no registration fee, seating is limited and first-come/first-served.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/oneday-grant-writing-seminar-s.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/oneday-grant-writing-seminar-s.html Agricultural Research University Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:12:52 -0500 What has developed into the world’s largest annual event for biotechnology industries, the BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) International Convention, will be accepting proposals from Aug. 17 until Sept. 8 for breakout sessions for the 2010 BIO International Convention (in Chicago May 3-6). Proposed educational sessions should fit into one of the conference’s 17 major tracks (one of which is “Food & Agriculture”). Last year’s BIO International Convention, in Atlanta, attracted more that 14,000 participants.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/big-biotech-gathering-acceptin.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/big-biotech-gathering-acceptin.html Agricultural Research Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:47:45 -0500 Institutions of higher education and other eligible non-profit organizations in North Carolina have until noon on Aug. 12 to get their preproposals in the running for one of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Regional Development Grants, which will be awarded to projects that support economic development initiatives in the life sciences. For pre-proposals that make it through the first round of screenings, full proposals will be due Oct. 7. As much as $75,000 may be requested, and a 50 percent direct match is a requirement. The panel that reviews pre-proposals will be looking for projects with a close-knit relevance to biotechnology and project goals tailored to local strengths and needs in a particular community or region. The extent to which existing resources are effectively used will also be evaluated. Specific focus areas now include projects that provide foundations for future biotechnology-related industries, and projects that encourage or support for commercialization of biotechnology applications in nutrition, food safety or agriculture.]]> http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/biotech-preproposals-due-secon-1.html http://www.ag.ncat.edu/agedispatch/2009/08/biotech-preproposals-due-secon-1.html Agricultural Research SAES Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:44:03 -0500