The Ag e-Dispatch

Journal looking for looks into family resiliency

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:02:18 -0500

The interdisciplinary journal Family Relations, which has been publishing articles covering research and educational philosophies since 1951, has set June 1 as the prospectus submission deadline for a special issue of the publication that will focus on "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Strengthening Family and Individual Resilience: Conceptual, Empirical and Practical Innovations." The guest editor is looking for papers that: articulate current theories about family resilience; illustrate family resiliency buffered by real-world issues; highlight research; papers address methodological issues; or outline impediments to innovation. Prospectuses submitted should be three-to-five pages in length. Invitations for full manuscripts will go out by June 15.

Family treatises

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:55:30 -0500

A call for submissions has been issued for a forthcoming Social History of American Families: An Encyclopedia. The editors, faculty members at the University of Missouri, have a goal of 600 articles and a commitment to a "carefully balanced academic work that chronicles the social, cultural, economic, and political aspects of American families from the colonial period to the present." Among the broad categories that will be filled in and flushed out are family economics, families and social stratification, family law, gender roles, parenting and children. The editors will be accepting submissions and making assignments until June 7. Scholars in family relations and related academic disciplines who are interested in contributing to the Social History of American Families: An Encyclopedia should contact the project manager, via e-mail and provide a CV or a brief summary of their publishing credentials in related disciplines along with the query note.

Research mentoring helps students up the Hill and across the ocean

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:30:37 -0500

Drs. Paula Faulkner of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education and Patricia Lynch of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences were the faculty mentors for a poster Jasmine Scott, a sophomore majoring in agricultural education, was invited to present at Posters on the Hill, an annual event established by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to give members of Congress personal insights into the importance of undergraduate research. Scott's poster topic was "Lessons Learned from 4-H Rural Youth Concerning Living Healthier Lifestyles." The project was a comparison of attitudes toward nutrition and physical activity among rural youth participating in Cooperative Extension afterschool programs and those who aren't, and it was one of only 60 projects selected from more than 800 submissions (from undergraduates across the nation) for this year's Posters on the Hill competition.

Faulkner's talents as a mentor for student research were also lauded in email from Minnie Battle Mayes, director of International Programs at A&T, announcing A&T's first-ever student Fulbright Scholar, Emmanuel Johnson. Johnson is a senior, majoring in computer engineering, whose Fulbright award will be used to pursue a master's in robotics at the University of Birmingham in England. The email from Mayes announcing Johnson's Fulbright noted that "Special recognition and appreciation must go to Dr. Paula Faulkner who specifically worked with Emmanuel throughout the entire summer of 2011 and into the fall semester to help him prepare his research proposal."

Gold Skillet, Silver Spatulas and Bronze Butter Knives for cheesy inspirations

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:27:26 -0500

Midnight on the twelfth of May is the entry deadline for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board's "2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown." The prizes for the "tastiest and most unique grilled cheese masterpieces" this year include a $4,000 gourmet cookware set and a $1,000 MasterCard Gift Card for the first-place "Gold Skillet Award"; $500 Williams-Sonoma gift cards for the two second-place "Silver Spatula" winners; and $100 Williams-Sonoma gift cards for the eight Bronze Butter Knife Award winners who come in third. There will be Wisconsin cheese basket for all prize winners. Last year's top prize went to a South Carolinian whose gouda-and-provolone-grill was spiced up with arugula, spinach, fresh blackberries and bacon. Second place, which came from upstate New York, was for a grilled sandwich that complemented sharp cheddar with a Granny Smith apple and barbecued pulled pork. Third place went to another South Carolinian, for a recipe that congeals shrimp, smoked sausage and other "Low Country Boil" ingredients with Gruyère and cream cheese.

Swine and dandy

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:15:07 -0500

The National Pork Board has set 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, as the deadline for research proposals that have potential for helping pork producers comply with animal welfare, swine health or pre-harvest safety standards; or research with potential to lower producer feed costs or the environmental impacts of swine production. Among the specific research topics mentioned in the call for proposals are: transportation of weaned or feeder pigs, salmonella prevalence in ground pork, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus, and the effects of meat preparation and cooking methods on various meats. The six committees that will be reviewing proposals have between $150,000 and $900,000 to distribute in the current funding cycle.

And speaking of video....

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:11:31 -0500

On Tuesday, April 23, students in the SAES's Fashion Merchandising and Design Program commemorated Earth Day with a fashion show in the Holland Bowl featuring dresses and other garments constructed of cupcake liners, coffee filters, newspapers, soft drink cans and other materials whose final resting ground is more frequently a landfill than a runway. The Earth Day fashion show caught the attention of WFMY, and video footage of the student designers strutting their stuff is available for review on the TV station's website. Dr. Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is the Fashion X-Cetera faculty advisor for the 2012-13 academic year.

Forsyth County residents who subscribe to TimeWarner cable will find some WSTV 13 is a division of the city's Marketing and Communications Department. It is available to all subscribers of TimeWarner cable in Forsyth County on WSTV 13. TimeWarner of Forsyth County has all the "Solutions" videos from Cooperative Extension's 2013 multimedia annual report incorporated into the station's current regular rotation.

Video footage with a considerable sprinkling of SAES on-air talent is available on YouTube, which has the entire 2013 Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Sustainable Agriculture Lecture. The speaker in Durham on Feb. 27 was Maya Wiley, the author of a number of articles on race equality and land-use planning and the and president of the Center for Social Inclusion, a national public policy incubator Wiley’s Feb. 27 address, "Unmasking Inequities: Building Toward a More Just Food System for All!" was prefaced by introductory remarks from Dr. John O'Sullivan, the SAES's professor of sustainable agriculture and local food systems; Shorlette Ammons, A&T Extension's community-based foods systems outreach coordinator at the CEFS; and former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton, a longtime SAES ally.

SAES supplies NCAFCS with top young professional and top-notch student

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:10:41 -0500

Dr. Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer of the SAES's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has received the North Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NCAFCS) 2013 Young Professional Award. As an assistant professor of fashion merchandising and design, "Dr. Newcomb" (as her students know her) has turned to a range of innovative teaching methods to engage students, and the NCAFCS also recognized her as a research mentor for students in the Ronald McNair Undergraduate Research Program. She also has served as advisor for the Fashion X-Cetera student organization and as coordinator of the Family and Consumer Sciences Advisory Board.

The SAES student organization Fashion X-Cetera that was part of Dr. Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer's credentials for the NCAFCS 2013 Young Professional Award showcased over 30 garments in an Earth Day Fashion Show at A&T on April 22. The Earth-friendly fashions were dresses and other garments constructed of newspapers, coffee filters, soft drink cans, cupcake filters and other materials whose ultimate destiny is more frequently a landfill than a runway.

The NCAFCS also turned to the SAES for its 2013 Student Unit Award, which the organization presents annually in recognition of academic excellence and service to school and community. The 2013 NCAFCS Student Unit Award winner is Danita Washington, an A&T senior majoring in child development and family studies. Washington was singled out for her contributions to the NCAFCS as the State Student Unit Treasurer, and to the Scott Cares Foundation, the National Black Child Development Institute, and the Family and Consumer Sciences Club. She also finds time to help out as a volunteer at the YMCA, the SAES's Child Development Laboratory and a preschool, the Next Step Academy.

Family treatises

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:18:33 -0500

April 12 is Kitt Scholarship application deadline

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:24:01 -0500

The American Association of Candy Technologists' (AACT) John Kitt Memorial Scholarship is a $5,000 annual award to a sophomore, junior or senior majoring in a food, chemical or biological science who has a demonstrated interest in confectionary technology. For the AACT, evidence of interest in confectionary tech. includes research projects and work experience. Applicants should also have an overall GPA of at least 3.0. Applications for the 2013-14 John Kitt Memorial Scholarship must be submitted by April 12.

Food science crews making news

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:34:46 -0500

With newspapers across the state providing such unsettling reports as "A new strain of norovirus could make this a busy year for the nasty intestinal disease [norovirus] (Raleigh News & Observer) and that "State health officials say a new strain of norovirus is making North Carolinians sick," (Asheville Citizen-Times) media inquiries to the N.C. Research Campus reached critical mass for a Web page and a news release devoted to recurring questions regarding norovirus. The authority on foodborne pathogens selected for guidance is Dr. Leonard Williams, director of the SAES's Center for Excellence in Post Harvest Technologies at the N.C. Research Campus. Williams' advisories for avoiding norovirus are to wash produce thoroughly in warm water, and that "Vegetables like lettuce that have multiple folds need to be scrubbed meticulously." He's also an advocate of frequent and conscientious hand washing when the hands will be handling food.

Dr. Jianmei Yu, an SAES assistant research professor, is the co-author of an article that appeared in a late fall issue of the International Journal of Food Science and Technology that provides an extensive review of research into the "Functional components of grape pomace: their composition, biological properties and potential applications." Yu's co-author for the article is Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna, a former SAES food science professor and director of the Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies who is now at Qatar University. Yu and Ahmedna's review of research work with the wine industry by-product includes grape pomace's health and nutritional benefits (it increase the fiber and antioxidant when added to other foods) and its untapped potential as a food preservative.

The current issue of The Open Mycology Journal has an article on the potential medicinal mushrooms hold for providing poultry producers a non-chemical method for "keeping birds healthy and free of disease in an intensive, confined rearing environment." The team of authors for "Open Access Effect of Level and Type of Mushroom on Performance, Blood Parameters and Natural Coccidiosis Infection in Floor-Reared Broilers" is led by Dr. Willie Willis of the Department of Animal Sciences, and includes Dr. Omon Isikhuemhen of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, Dr. Salam Ibrahim of Family and Consumer Sciences, SAES Research Associates Felicia Anike and Steven Hurley, and two SAES graduate students, Joi Nicole Jackson and Dannica Wall.

Staff update

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:33:52 -0500

Dr. Devona L. Dixon has joined the Family and Consumer Sciences Department as an assistant professor in Fashion Merchandising and Design. Dixon received her doctorate in the social and psychological aspects of dress from Louisiana State University. She also has a master's in design, merchandising and consumer sciences, from Colorado State University, and a bachelor's in clothing textiles and related arts from Southern University and A&M College. Her research interests include body-image perceptions and the social psychology of African-American dress and fashion history. Dixon's teaching specialties include merchandise buying, apparel manufacturing and quality analysis, and history of 20th century fashion. She is a native of Baton Rouge, La. Dixon comes to the SAES from Western Kentucky University, where she was an assistant professor in the Design, Merchandising and Textiles Program.

Houston to host 2013 AAFCS

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:56:50 -0500

From June 26 to 29, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) will be convening its 104th Annual Conference in Houston. The cutoff for early bird registration is April 15. The discounted early bird registration fee for students is $124. For AAFCS members, the registration fee is now $365, and for nonmembers it's $474.

All Conference participants are invited to apply to make 20-25 minute presentations of case studies of how they have been "Putting Research into Practice." The application deadline is March 15.

Ides of March is Farm Bureau scholarship deadline

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:47:55 -0500

March 15 is the first in a series of deadlines for applications for the North Carolina Farm Bureau scholarship program that is now awarding 24 scholarships of $ 3,750 annually for four years of study at a college or university in an agriculturally related curricula. Each county Farm Bureau singles out an applicant to forward along for the statewide competition, which means the most immediate piece of advice to offer high school seniors is that they need to complete an application and get it to their county Farm Bureau by the 15th. Applicants must also have satisfactory grades, financial need, and describe a plan for pursing a career in an agricultural field and an understanding of the agricultural and agribusiness community.

Paging family and consumer science research

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:48:32 -0500

March 1 is the deadline for undergraduates to submit one-page abstracts summarizing research for poster presentations at a session coordinated by the Higher Education Unit at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences annual conference and expo in Houston, June 26-29. Early Bird discount registration rates expire April 15, and until then the cost for members is $390 ($365 online); for nonmembers it's $474 ($449 online); and for students it's $124 ($99 online).

Opportunity for family demography scholarship

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:45:21 -0500

The editorial staff for a quarterly magazine published by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), NCFR Report, has announced that the theme for the summer issue in 2013 will be "family demography," and the deadline for submissions is March 21.

Submissions to the NCFR Report should come from members of the organization, and the writing style should be magazine-style, journalistic fashion (not APA). Graphs and charts are discouraged and the average length for articles accepted is in the neighborhood of 1,800 words.