Welcome! Thomas G. Coon DASNR’s New Leader
TRI TEACHING
NGLE RESEARCH
EXTENSION
DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES • OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
Taking Helm the
by Leilana McKindra
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ust before 6 p.m. on a warm, cloudless mid-August evening in northwest Oklahoma, Thomas G. Coon strides confidently through the doors of the Woodward Conference Center. Perched atop one of a cluster of low rolling hills and overlooking an expanse of green fields and a small pond, the modern, one-story building’s window-lined walls usher in a flood of natural light and provide a scenic backdrop for guests attending the reception co-hosted by Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma. The event is one in a series of similar gatherings across the state designed to welcome and introduce Coon as the new vice president, dean and director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at OSU. Coon, looking crisp in a suit and straw cowboy hat, mingles easily, shaking hands and making conversation. “He brings a wealth of experience and we’re excited to have him in Oklahoma,” said John Grunewald, president and CEO of Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, who had the pleasure of previously meeting Coon. “One of the great things is he’s going out and meeting with former students and business, community and agricultural leaders. It’s another way OSU connects with rural America.” For others, like Melanie Matt and Terry Peach, it is their first time meeting the division’s new leader. Matt, director of the Woodward County OSU Cooperative Extension office, instantly bonds with Coon when he asks about how the staff is coping after a fire in the county office earlier in the summer. “He’s very personable,” she said. “He has a strong background and a huge passion for 4-H. I just love that about him, and I think that will have a trickle-down effect to all the counties in Oklahoma.”
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Tom Coon visits with Brian Arnall, OSU’s Cooperative Extension precision nutrient management specialist, about the hand-held GreenSeeker® system at the Panhandle Station Summer Crops Field Day in Goodwell.
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The task of introducing Coon to a crowd of about 50 falls to Peach, district director of American Farmers and Ranchers, former Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture and Commissioner, and a co-host of the evening’s event. He praises the search committee for making such an outstanding choice before heaping more praise on Coon. “We think Dr. Coon is going to be the leader to take us to the next level,” Peach said. Clearly, no one knows what heights the division will reach under the direction of Coon, who officially joined OSU July 1 from Michigan State University, where he was director of Extension and a professor in the department of fisheries and wildlife. The bend in Coon’s career trajectory toward higher education administration was unscripted. At heart, he is a teacher, though heavy involvement early in his career in enhancing student advising efforts cracked the door open to opportunities beyond the classroom. Now, as he crisscrosses Oklahoma learning the land, people, university and division, Coon has been warmly
embraced as the division’s top executive. “Everywhere I go, it’s been a gracious reception, and on a personal level, that means a lot,” he said. “There’s tremendous support for this college and our division, and a strong sense of commitment for the land-grant mission. The notion that people look to us for leadership, insights, research and career opportunities has overwhelmed me.” Though both challenges and triumphs most certainly lie ahead in achieving whatever successes are to come, Coon’s relentless commitment to the land-grant mission and the people it affects keeps him energized. “There’s more for us to do, and as good as we are, we can be better. Trying to figure out how we can get better and have a greater impact gets me up every morning,” said Coon, who actually begins each day with a headclearing run or swim before engaging in some of that all-important figuring. The good news for Oklahomans is that Coon is no stranger to hard work. When he says “we,” he truly means it.
Above: Robbie, Tom, Charlie and Rhonda Coon. Right: Tom Coon using an Andean traditional fish capture net on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, in September 1978 as a graduate student.
The strong work ethic is a gift from his mother, a homemaker, and his father, who worked for farm implement dealers before eventually managing a fourcounty co-op in the family’s native Iowa. Growing up, in addition to helping in the family garden and being an active Boy Scout, Coon, the fifth of six children, managed a paper route, worked in the meat department of a local grocery store, picked up work on local farms whenever available, and in the summers, toiled in the cornfields. But, he is not all work. In his downtime, he enjoys fishing and scuba diving. Coon is settling into the business and rhythm of OSU and Stillwater with his wife, Rhonda, a former 4-H Extension educator in Iowa and former executive director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The couple met on a blind date while Coon was on the faculty at the University of Missouri. They have two children: Robbie, a graduate student at MSU, and Charlie, a sophomore also at MSU.
Though he has been on the job less than a year, Coon already envisions a robust future that will include solid growth across the division as well as meaningful influence on a variety of statewide and national issues such as water, climate, bioenergy and biomaterials, and livestock production. “We have more we can be doing if we get the right resources,” Coon said. “That means going after the best faculty and students and being very competitive for grant funding to support our projects. We should feel proud of what OSU stands for and what DASNR is able to accomplish in service to the state and the country.”
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THE DIVISION
TRI
NGLE
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Oklahoma State University, 102 Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, 405.744.2474
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LYNDALL STOUT Director, Agricultural Communications Services
TIERRA ELLER Editor
TODD JOHNSON Photographer
MIKE DAVIS Design & Layout
TRISHA GEDON MANDY GROSS SEAN HUBBARD LEILANA MCKINDRA DONALD STOTTS Writers
JACY BRADFORD JACOB LONGAN DAKOTA MILLER MELISSA MOURER Writers
ISSUE HIGH L I GHTS Lessons in Resiliency Risk vs. Reward Crafting Success A Unique Approach Extension Celebrates 100 Simulating Poverty A Place to Call Home In Memory of Dr. Tot Saddle Up for Success
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ON THE COVER:
Dr. Thomas G. Coon, vice president, dean and director, officially started at OSU July 1, 2014. ABOVE:
The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service held its biennial conference at the Student Union on the OSU campus. The team kicked off their centennial celebration with a cake cutting and a group photo.
Administration Thomas G. Coon
Vice President, Dean and Director Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
James N. Trapp
Associate Director Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Cynda R. Clary
Associate Dean College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
M. Keith Owens
Interim Associate Director Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
Scan the QR code to learn more about Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title Vl and Vll of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title lX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.This publication is printed and issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Vice President, Dean, and Director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and has been prepared and distributed at a cost of $1.02 per copy. 7,000. To simplify terminology, trade names of products or equipment are sometimes used. No endorsement of specific products named is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned. Material appearing in this publication may be reprinted without permission provided credit is given the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Oklahoma State University. For change of address or to subscribe, write to Agricultural Communications Services, 141 Agriculture North, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, or e-mail: agcommservices@okstate.edu.
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Lessons in R A Committment to Innovation
by Donald Stotts
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Resiliency Altus-Lugert Lake water levels have dropped to 11-percent capacity because of four years of historic drought, restricting or impeding water utilization practices by nearby communities and the agricultural sector.
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n May, 61 percent of the state was in an extreme or exceptional drought. Then Oklahoma got much-needed relief from the eighth wettest May-through-July period on record, and then from a wetter-than-normal fall. But even with the beneficial rainfall, Oklahoma is on tap for its 18th driest year on record, making access to insights and information about managing drought situations a vital service to agricultural producers, county residents, government representatives, community leaders and industry decision-makers. “The historic drought being experienced by Oklahoma and the region has presented many challenges,” said James Trapp, associate director of OSU Cooperative Extension. “Understanding different and sometimes subtle aspects of those challenges and developing solutions have become a focal point of many of the division’s teaching, research and Extension activities.” Trapp believes the very real distress caused by the drought has helped underscore the need to continually invest in innovation. “Innovation is and always has been a key part of the land-grant university mission, which is why DASNR programs and the release of technological
advances that often take years to develop need to be forward looking and continually maintained,” he said. “Plus, we work on behalf of Oklahomans, often in conjunction with key partners in the public and private sectors, placing DASNR in a unique position to address issues of importance and magnitude, and always with the understanding that our successes are based on the successes of those we serve.” Little wonder then that DASNR specialists and Extension educators were sought out frequently and regularly for their drought-related expertise throughout 2014. Now in our fourth year of persistent drought, Oklahomans in both urban and rural areas are looking for practical solutions to a lack of quality forage for livestock and insufficient water supplies to irrigate crops and horticultural plants; to tree and turf care for homes, golf courses and erosioncontrolling greenbelts; to environmental factors affecting decisions about nutrition, pest control, pet care and a host of other topics directly and indirectly caused by the drought. DASNR has been and remains in the forefront of providing scienceproven answers to these and similar drought-related concerns and issues.
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Doing With
by Sean Hubbard
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rought has quite a history of slamming the door shut on Oklahoma producers’ hopes of a successful harvest. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the terrible conditions in 1957 and the extremely hot and dry climate much of the state has experienced over the past few years are some easily recalled examples. However, DASNR researchers and OSU Cooperative Extension specialists have wedged their collective foot in that slamming door, leaving a crack of optimism for producers to succeed in these drought conditions. “We have made some advancements with genetics in terms of drought and heat tolerance, but we still have a long way to go,” said Jeff Edwards, OSU Cooperative Extension small grains specialist. “Crop biomass production and yield are a linear function of the amount of water transpired through the plant during the growing season.” Genetic improvements have been made in how efficiently the plant uses available water. This research is greatly appreciated by David and Brandon Bush, a father and son combo who manage Bush Farms in southwest Oklahoma. “It’s surprising how much we’ve done on what little moisture we have had,” Brandon said. “It still makes you feel good when that seed jumps out of the ground and you know you’ve done all you can to make it grow.”
More ess Brandon, the younger Bush, recalled the feeling of elation, bringing in 30 bushels when he first started running a combine years ago. “Now, we’re making that in a drought. With the technology that’s out here, if we can get some timely rains, we could easily get 65 to 70 bushels on dry land,” he said. It is these types of crop improvements that make the dry pill of drought a little easier to swallow for producers. “If you could bring someone back that’s been dead for even 20 years, they couldn’t believe how things have changed,” Davis said. “The amount of acres we can cover with a self-propelled sprayer in one day would just blow their mind.” Genetic improvements, coupled with improved management practices, such as no-till, have helped producers keep their heads above the water. “No-till has several benefits, but one of the primary benefits is moisture conservation,” Edwards said. “Instead of tilling and losing moisture during the summer, we control weeds with herbicides and reduce the amount of moisture lost to evaporation.” However, the fact remains, without water, there will be no plants. “Dealing with drought will always require planning and sound agronomic management by the producer. This was true in 1937, it was true in 1957 and will still be true in 2057, ” he said.
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RiskVS. Reward A
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baseball player could swing for the fences and try to bomb one deep into the stands over the centerfield wall. But, if he misses, he strikes out or pops out to the pitcher, ending the inning and his team’s chances of winning the game. Maybe a safer bet would have been to go for the base hit and keep the inning going for a bit longer and giving his team a chance to win. Risk versus reward is the name of the game. The same can be said for cattle producers doing their best to deal with the hot, dry conditions of drought in Oklahoma. When you’re managing for livestock, everybody tells you to destock,” said Sam Fuhlendorf, professor and Groendyke Chair for Wildlife Conservation in OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management. “Then, everyone destocks and the market isn’t very good.”
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Of course when the drought lets up a little and the precipitation increases, many ranchers are in the buying business and the market still is not very good. To help give producers a safety net when managing livestock in a drought, Fuhlendorf and his team looked at variations of fire use for grazing purposes. “Unfortunately when dealing with drought, there is no great answer,” he said. “However, our research would argue that a rancher could at least go longer without having to destock their herd.” Over a four-year period, seven sections of pastureland in Osage County were burned at different intervals and frequency. The first section was burned entirely for each year of the study. The next acreage of land was split into two halves, one of which was burned each year. The third
section was divided into thirds, and so on with the final section being divvied into eight sections, one section burned in the spring and another in the summer throughout the study. “If you burn everything, every year and it rains – that is the best thing to do from a livestock standpoint,” Fuhlendorf said. “However, that treatment is the most sensitive to rainfall. When it was dry, it really cratered.” Many producers are familiar with this crater, as the majority of the state is experiencing a multiyear drought. “The scary thing is if you burn everything, you have nothing. So if it doesn’t rain, you’re sitting there with no forage,” Fuhlendorf said. “If you only burn part of the pasture, then you’ve at least got last year’s leftover vegetation.”
Research has shown livestock prefer grazing recently burned grass and will stay in the area of the new growth until it is gone. The reasoning for this is still a bit of a mystery, but it is known that vegetation after a burn is nearly 20 percent crude protein, compared to 5 percent for unburned areas. “Burning sections of your land isn’t going to get as big of a bang if it rains a lot, but it does make you far less dependent upon rainfall,” he said. “If I were a rancher trying to beat these drought cycles, I would burn only a portion of my pasture.” It may not be the grand slam producers are looking for, but this research will likely help keep their team in the game by maximizing productivity during drought. by Sean Hubbard
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klahomans now have a new resource for information about water conservation, thanks to a budding partnership with the Oklahoma City Utilities Department, the OCES and OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Malarie Gotcher, OSU Cooperative Extension associate, landscape and horticulture, said this partnership has seen the development of two water conservation demonstration gardens in the metro area, with three more being planned. One is located at OSU-OKC and the other at the Myriad Botanic Gardens. “The OKC Utilities Department saw a need to promote outdoor water conservation through teaching, research and Extension, and sought this partnership with OSU to begin an educational outreach program,” Gotcher said. Oklahoma has been experiencing serious drought conditions for several years. Educating the public on proper water use in the midst of these extreme conditions is vital. Not only do the gardens demonstrate various methods of irrigation that conserves water, they also showcase many drought-tolerant plants that are beautiful in a landscape, including a number of native plants. Gotcher said in Oklahoma, about 30 percent to 40 percent of household water is used in the landscape, and this is one reason why these hands-on, educational gardens are so important.
Budding
Urban Partnerships by Trisha Gedon
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Malarie Gotcher began working on the garden in the spring of 2014.
“When we say water conservation garden, many people immediately think of cactus. Visitors can see the various plants and quickly realize drought-tolerant plants can add variety and texture to their landscapes,” Gotcher said. The gardens include efficient irrigation technology along with water-wise plants listed in the “Drought-Tolerant Plant Selections for Oklahoma” Fact Sheet. All plant selections have signage with QR Codes, so visitors to the garden can take a self-guided tour and use their smartphone or tablet to get more information.” Horticulture and landscape architecture students at OSU-OKC, along with irrigation specialists wanting to further their knowledge, also benefit because the gardens are used for irrigation planning and installation classes, as well as plant materials and principles classes. Justin Moss, HLA associate professor at OSU, is the principle investigator on the project. The project team, which includes Gotcher and Morgan Hopkins, graduate research assistant, has focused on educating homeowners, landscape installation companies, and golf course and sports field managers through publications, workshops and demonstration garden areas.
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Crafting
Success by Leilana McKindra
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heat is Oklahoma’s largest cash crop. The Wheat Improvement Team, an interdisciplinary group of nine OSU researchers, helps fuel the state’s robust wheat industry through cutting-edge research and development. The team, whose work also is supported by a strong cast of undergraduate and graduate research students, provides crucial support and outreach to wheat producers through the OCES. One of the primary objectives of the highly product-driven WIT is to create wheat varieties stamped with customized genetic packages that allow the crop to better thrive in Oklahoma. “We expect any variety we produce to perform better than its predecessor, either through increased yield or better protection from disease, insects and other factors that can affect yield potential,” said Brett Carver, WIT’s lead researcher. It takes the team, formed in 1998, an average of 11 years to develop each new variety. An average of one new variety is released annually. To get a sense of the team’s success, consider that in 2006, 54 percent of Oklahoma’s total wheat acres consisted of Jagger, a variety bred at Kansas State University. Just eight years later, the leading variety
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in the state is Duster, a WIT product. However, a newer variety Gallagher, released in 2012, features superior yield compared to the popular Duster. Data indicate that if producers replace at least 1.2 million acres of Duster with Gallagher in the next five to seven years, Oklahoma farm revenue could enjoy a boost of $53 million annually. Given that almost half the state’s wheat acres (2.5 million) are grown from dual-purpose varieties used for both livestock grazing and grain harvest, WIT also closely monitors the First Hollow Stem developmental stage and regularly hosts produceroriented in-service trainings and grower workshops. Accurately timing the termination of grazing is critical to avoiding potentially significant grain-yield losses. Research shows overgrazing pasture by one week or two weeks could slash harvested bushels by up to 25 percent or 60 percent, respectively. Carver believes wheat’s current economic value will only increase given a rapidly expanding world population and the continued high demand for wheat-based products. In other words, WIT has plenty of work yet to do. “Wheat is here to stay. If we don’t produce it, somebody else will,” he said.
H2O
Food Production
The first step in producing a new variety is hand-pollinating wheat plants (shown below). WIT typically makes more than 1,000 crosses in a given year.
by Mandy Gross
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imited water resources touch most aspects of agriculture, including food production. In fact, these limitations have been a part of life in southwest Oklahoma since before statehood. Altus is considered the hub for some of the most productive agricultural land in America, and boasts state-of-the-art processing facilities for crops such as cotton, wheat and others. Rodger Kerr, a charter member of OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center’s Industry Advisory Committee and an agricultural producer in Altus, said he is feeling the effects of drought in this area, along with other agricultural producers. “Most of the ponds are dried up in this area, and farmers and ranchers are selling their cattle to manage the resources they have,” Kerr said. “Many times that is selling their entire herd.” Altus also is home to one of five Bar-S Foods production plants. Bar-S, a long-time client of FAPC, is the only national value brand in the United States and produces more than 120-packaged meat products, which are marketed in all 50 states and some foreign countries. “We’ve tried to be a good citizen and find ways to reduce water usage in the plant,” said David Tucker, plant manager. “We’ve found that we have saved about 20,000 gallons of water per week. That may not be a lot compared to an entire community, but over the course of a year, it adds up.” The Altus plant is proactive in dealing with drought and is exploring future alternative options for water usage, including drilling wells on its property.
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ressing up in costumes, giving away t-shirts for falling asleep and providing free access to the required textbook seem like unlikely things a college instructor would do, but that is the case with Bailey Norwood, agricultural economics professor for CASNR. Norwood said his unorthodox way of teaching is based on the fact that he empathizes with the short attention spans of students. With classes lasting from 50 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, finding ways to keep students interested is key. “If I am going to listen to someone for a while, I want it to be engaging,” he said. “I want to be inspired or entertained, otherwise I just can’t pay attention.”
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While designing lessons, Norwood keeps his desire to be engaged at the forefront of his mind and is always looking to incorporate ideas and teaching methods to keep students excited about learning. “You never know what to expect from Dr. Norwood,” said Dylan Johnston, agricultural economics graduate student. “He is always doing something to make the lessons more relevant for students.” Keeping students focused on what is being taught is the key to understanding and learning said Norwood. “If I can use a clip from ‘The Simpsons’ to explain an economic principle just as well as standing up and talking about it, I am going to use it,” he said.
A Unique
Approach by Dakota Miller
“Sometimes it’s dressing up in an outfit, I use a lot of different things.” He wants students to stay awake, but if that is simply not possible, he gives them a t-shirt with “I fell asleep in Dr. Norwood’s class” written on the front. “Very few students can fall asleep in his class to get a t-shirt,” Johnston said. “He keeps you too interested in the lesson. “Dr. Norwood is always coming up with new, intriguing ways to make sure his students understand what he is teaching,” Johnston said. Norwood has been a professor at OSU since 2002.
Main: Norwood poses with a student for a quick selfie while dressed as David Hume, a Scottish philosopher. Inset: Norwood often takes on a character while teaching to keep the students interested and engaged.
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H2O
Resources Center
by Donald Stotts
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arey Fox was named interim director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Center in July 2014, providing leadership for what is the hub of water-related research and Extension activities in the state. “Water issues in Oklahoma, whether water quantity or quality issues, require multidisciplinary solutions,” Fox said. “DASNR water faculty – especially in collaboration with other water faculty at OSU, agricultural producers, public and private organizations and community leaders – use the most recent information, knowledge and tools available to reach optimal solutions to difficult water issues.” A DASNR faculty member since 2006, Fox has been a researcher on 35 water-related grant projects totaling approximately $6.5 million, including serving as principal investigator on four national-level U.S. Department of Agriculture grants, two National Science Foundation grants and a U.S. Geological Survey grant. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Fox is the holder of OSU’s Orville L. and Helen L. Buchanan Endowed Chair in biosystems and agricultural engineering and was certified a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer in 2014, the highest post-license certification available in the water resources engineering profession. “During my opportunities to conduct field research and participate in outreach throughout Oklahoma, what continues to impress me is the willingness of Oklahomans to help and how they truly care about protecting the availability and quality of their water resources for future generations,” he said.
Sustaining Nine
Billion
by Sean Hubbard
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t is no secret the world population is on a steady incline, with projections of 9 billion people by 2050. Nearly 20 percent of our current population does not know where their next meal is coming from, so the ability to produce food in a sustainable manner is of utmost importance. “Sustainability is important because we are facing a growing world population, and global per capita demand for animal protein is projected to increase by 70 percent over current levels by 2050,” said Sara Place, assistant professor in OSU’s Department of Animal Science. “Simultaneously, we will face the constraints of limited resources such as fossil fuels and freshwater, and climate change. To be competitive in the future, the beef industry needs to pay attention to sustainability.” The idea of sustainability is nothing new to many beef producers who have been making continuous progress for many years. “The beef cattle industry represents about $3 billion in annual revenue for the state’s economy,” said Clint Rusk, animal science department head. “They are tasked with trying to keep up with increasing demands and we’re going to do our best to help them.” Place and her OSU colleagues have been
researching avenues of balancing the three areas of sustainability – economic viability, social responsibility and environmental stewardship. “A big component of improving sustainability is improving production efficiency – essentially producing more with less,” she said. “This may mean improvements in animal nutrition, improving reproductive efficiency and improving the genetics of a cattle herd to match a producer’s goals.” There are several factors in the sustainability equation, not only as producers, but also as beef packers, food retailers and consumers have different perspectives and values that influence how sustainability is defined. “Finding a balance or a single definition that all interested parties can agree on is challenging, as each of those areas are weighted differently depending on to whom you are talking,” Place said. “Communication and engagement to find shared values across these disparate groups of people is an important first step.” Improving production efficiency has important implications for the financial bottom line of beef cattle operations, as well as the natural resources required and environmental impacts created to produce a pound of beef for human consumption.
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Extension celebrates100 by Leilana McKindra
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his year, the national Cooperative Extension Service turned 100 years old and Oklahoma spent the entire year celebrating the remarkable milestone. “Extension’s mission is to use the research and expertise of land-grant institutions like OSU to help people live the best lives possible,” said James Trapp, associate director of OSU Cooperative Extension. “We’re proud to say we’ve done that for a century.” Anniversary observances began in January in Stillwater with Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb presiding over a cake-cutting ceremony with Extension staff from across the state on hand. OSU President Burns Hargis also read during the event a proclamation recognizing the centennial. In the spring, Extension honored its beginnings with a festival and reenactment of a 1900s demonstration train whistle stop near Wellston,
Oklahoma. Then, in May, a feature-length documentary, “One Hundred Years of Oklahoma Extension,” premiered on OETA-TV, reflecting the organization’s past, present and future. The unique Quilt Block Challenge took center stage in the late summer, attracting 152 high-quality entries. The best 42 blocks were incorporated into the official centennial quilt, which will be on display at various venues. Trapp said Extension remains as committed as ever to its original mission. “Extension has been working side-by-side with farmers and families to solve everyday challenges, and we’re looking forward to continuing to do the same for another 100 years,” he said. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed the SmithLever Act on May 8, 1914, to formally establish the Extension Service.
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The OCES celebrated 100 years of service by re-enacting a historical Extension train whistle stop in Wellston April 12, 2014. Stillwater Central Railroad provided the train for the day’s festivities.
OCES Centennial Whistle Stop Celebration Counter-clockwise from upper left: • Lynn Brandenberger shares tips about growing tomatoes • Oklahoma Historical Society corn-cracking demonstration • Justin McDaniel organized the dutch oven cooking • Reenactor Brad Tipton performed as W.D. Bentley • OHS vounteers churning butter in mason jars • Oxen were a big hit with youngsters and photographers • An OHS volunteer shows a youngster how to use a washboard • Ricki Schroeder assists in firearm safety training • Phil Mulder explains the progression of pecan weevil control • Adelaide Evans, Tulsa County 4-Her, entertaining guests • A younster shows off a handkerchief doll she made
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early 100,000 school-aged children in 72 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties have had the opportunity to learn about agriculture, nutrition, physical activity and health thanks to Farm to You, a traveling, interactive, walk-through display introduced in 2008 and geared toward kindergarten through 6th grade students. Lisa Taylor, a registered dietitian, serves as state coordinator of Farm to You, and said the display has undergone some changes. “Of the 10 stations in the Farm to You display, the first four recently were updated to be more agriculturally themed,” she said. “This is to help children gain a better sense that their food is grown on a farm and it doesn’t simply come from the grocery store. The display gives students an opportunity to learn how foods from the farm are used by their bodies for good health. It also helps educate them about the different food groups and the important role each food group plays in their health.”
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Other components of the Farm to You display include teaching children the importance of reading food labels to make healthy choices, physical activity and personal hygiene. “An added bonus of the display is it also helps increase awareness among parents, school personnel and community members about the importance of teaching children healthy habits,” Taylor said. “Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle among Oklahoma’s youth indicate a great need to educate children about the importance of good health and help them gain a better understanding about where their foods are grown.” Farm to You is a collaborative effort of the OCES, OSU’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State Department of Health and Southwest Dairy Farmers.
Farm to You
H2O by Donald Stotts
Weather Variability & Beef Cattle T
by Trisha Gedon
he southern Plains states are among the nation’s most important beef-producing regions. However, weather variability makes the system as a whole more vulnerable to factors such as drought, flooding and high temperatures. DASNR researchers are part of a team of southern Plains scientists and educators receiving $9.6 million over five years to improve understanding of the vulnerability and resilience of beef production in an environment of increased weather variability, dynamic land-use and fluctuating markets. “Our team’s goal is to safeguard and promote regional beef production while mitigating the environmental footprint of agriculture,” said Dave Engle, OSU Regents professor of range ecology. “The project also includes education and Extension components to train the next generation of producers and researchers in addressing weather effects on beef cattle.” The award is being provided through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, under the auspices of its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative funding opportunity. Administered through DASNR’s Water Resources Center, the team includes 32 scientists from seven organizations.
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his spring, CASNR Student Council took the lead in raising awareness of global hunger issues with two powerful initiatives. Approximately 80 CASNR students, faculty and staff assembled 10,000 meals April 22 that were included in a larger shipment of 285,120 meals from Kansas-based humanitarian organization, Catholic Relief Services, to aid families in Burkina Faso, Africa. “Our students are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of others,” said Cynda Clary, CASNR associate dean. “We’re proud of the time and money CASNR students contributed to making this meal packaging event a success.” Hundreds of OSU students, faculty and staff also toured HungerU’s 40-by-40 mobile exhibit when it rolled through the Stillwater campus April 17 and 18. The exhibit’s large, flat-screen digital displays, interactive kiosks and pedal tractors reinforced key messages about the challenges and solutions to global hunger. It also examines crucial ways in which today’s farmers are feeding a hungry world, along with modern agriculture’s important role in putting food on tables in Oklahoma and across the world. HungerU tours college campuses sharing with students the story of modern agriculture’s role in addressing world hunger.
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Hungry to Help by Leilana McKindra
by Melissa Mourer
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Rodeo
odeo is back at OSU. For the first time in nearly three decades, the OSU Rodeo Team and CASNR hosted the Cowboy Stampede, a National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association rodeo, Oct. 9-11 in Stillwater. “The chance to host a rodeo has been an amazing opportunity to take our program to the next level,” said Cody Hollingsworth, OSU Rodeo Program coordinator and coach. While CASNR provides support, a portion of funding for travel expenses and equipment comes from fundraising efforts of the rodeo club and at times, from competitors themselves. “Hosting a rodeo enables donors, sponsors and
supporters to come and see how they’re helping. It gives them something to hang their hats on,” Hollingsworth said. This semester, four scholarships were awarded to rodeo team members. Hollingsworth is hopeful hosting an annual rodeo will provide more scholarships. “The support from the college, campus and community for the rodeo has been wonderful,” Hollingsworth said. “We are looking forward to making the rodeo a must-attend event for years to come.” To view photos, videos and results, visit casnr.okstate.edu.
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SIMULATING T
his year, the OCES celebrated its 100th anniversary of enhancing the lives of Oklahomans while also playing a major role in an effort that could positively affect the quality of medical care received by state residents well into the next century. Extension personnel led about 100 medical students at the OSU Center for Health Services through a powerful
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poverty simulation that offered crucial insights into the typical lives of low-income families. “When we learned about the poverty simulation, we thought it would be an excellent way to sensitize our students to the realities faced by low-income people and help prepare them to work effectively and compassionately with low-income patients,” said Nancy Van Winkle, a course coordinator at OSU-CHS. During the simulation, students assumed the roles of families in poverty trying to survive month-to-month by tapping into various community resources, services and agencies over the course of four 15-minute “weeks.” Examples of roles included recently unemployed families, homeless families and grandparents raising their grandchildren. The simulation, which is one of the ways Extension addresses poverty and hunger in Oklahoma, seems like a game at times, but it is designed to help sensitize participants to the realities faced by low-income families, said Brenda Miller, northeast district OSU Extension family and consumer sciences program specialist. “The experience really gives participants an idea
POVERTY of what it’s like walking in the shoes of low-income families,” she said. “As these students progress in their careers, hopefully this experience will give them the ability to better understand the circumstances some of their patients from low-income families may face, and as a result, provide an enhanced level of care.” As part of the two, four-hour sessions of 50 students each, Extension personnel stressed poverty is more than a financial situation, shared poverty related statistics and facts specific to Oklahoma, and challenged participants to actively address factors that directly contribute to poverty. According to its website, OSU-CHS trains osteopathic physicians, research scientists and other health care professionals with an emphasis on providing care for rural and underserved areas of Oklahoma. Hosted at OSU-CHS’s Tulsa campus in January, the simulation was incorporated into a new four-semester course at the college, “Developing the Physician.” The course extends through the first two years of the curriculum and prepares students to be culturally competent physicians through a mix of practical and real-life opportunities.
by Leilana McKindra
Extension’s Sonya McDaniel of Pottawatomie County; Jessica Nickels of Garfield County; Jan Maples of Okfuskee County; Charlotte Richert, Tracy Lane and Barbara Tricinella of Tulsa County; and OSU professor emeritus Renee Daugherty joined Miller in overseeing the simulation.
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H2O
Livestock Adaptability
by Donald Stotts
O
SU has been awarded a $1 million grant through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to provide some of the first weather adaptation tools for beef producers in the form of water management resources. “The ultimate goal is to develop beef cattle and production systems that are more readily adaptable to the negative effects of drought,” said Megan Rolf, OSU animal scientist and co-principal investigator of the project. One of the primary emphases of the project is the development of a water management resources tool, working in conjunction with the Oklahoma Mesonet. “Oklahoma beef producers already have access to a cattle comfort index through the Mesonet system,” Rolf said. “This allows them to fine-tune operational management decisions related to animal well-being, and to essentially do so in real time, as well as forecast possible future concerns.” A major short-term objective is to expand the cattle comfort index so the information provided is usable by beef producers no matter where they reside in the nation. Longer term, the project scientists will focus on the use of genetic selection tools to increase the adaptability of beef cattle to weather variability. The $1 million project is the first of its kind, focusing on the measurement of water intake efficiency at the same time researchers are measuring feed efficiency on a large scale.
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A Place to Call Home by Sean Hubbard
T
he greater prairie-chicken is considered an umbrella species for the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, meaning if you spot some on your property, it most likely means many wildlife species are thriving there, as well. Creating the suitable habitat for them to live in is of the utmost importance for landowners with wildlife management as a goal. But, what habitat is conducive to the GPC lifestyle? Enter, Torre Hovick, postdoctoral researcher in OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Mangement. “Prairie-chickens provide many ecological services that include cultural inspiration, wildlife viewing opportunities, insect regulation, nutrient cycling and seed dispersal,” he said. “Greater prairie-chickens are an iconic species to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and can be an indicator of a diverse grassland ecosystem.” As the entire population has decreased by nearly 70 percent over the past few decades, using GPS to track the birds has been very fruitful in determining where they are and why. “Prairie-chicken nest survival is greater in cooler and cloudier years and in areas with greater residual cover,” he said. “The greatest factor influencing nest site selection was time since fire.” Prescribed fire has long been a necessity when it comes to land management, but restoring fire similar to historic patterns is equally important when managing for GPC. “Our main recommendation is to maintain prescribed fires to prevent woody encroachment, but don’t burn everything each year because the birds need areas of greater cover for nesting activities,” Hovick said.
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Fender Blender Bike by Trisha Gedon
H
ead. Heart. Hands. Health. Together, these are the elements behind the four-leaf clover logo of the Oklahoma 4-H Program. Although health may be the fourth H, it continues to play a prominent role in the youth organization. Now, thanks to the new Fender Blender Bikes, club members can combine the physical activity of riding a bike with the healthy snack option of making a smoothie, said Cathy Allen, OSU Cooperative Extension 4-H curriculum coordinator. “The Fender Blender Bike is a stationary bike fitted with a blender on the front fender, along with a customized front wheel cover with the 4-H logo,” Allen said. “The bikes are part of the Walmart Youth Voice: Youth Choice grant, and fall right in line with the 4-H Get Fit 4 Life! curriculum. Our goal is to emphasize increased intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as increased physical activity. The Fender Blender Bike definitely fits the bill and helps the 4-H program meet one of its goals of helping people live healthier lives.” The Fender Blender Bikes have been featured at several events this year, including the Oklahoma Youth Expo, OSU Cooperative Extension’s Whistle Stop centennial celebration and the Oklahoma Association of Extension 4-H Agents state meeting,” she said. “We’ve also showcased them on the OSU campus. The response to the bike has been phenomenal. People of all ages love it.” Joy Rhodes, family and consumer sciences/4-H
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youth development educator, and Blaine County Extension director, said she used the bike for nutritional education during a summer school program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. “The bike is a great tool for nutrition and fitness programs. We talked about healthy ingredients in smoothies, how exercise is important and to be sure to get 60 minutes of exercise each day,” Rhodes said. She said the children in the class were especially intrigued and the younger children kept asking about the missing tire. “Everyone loves the Fender Blender Bike, and with it being so colorful and having the 4-H emblem, it makes a bold statement,” Rhodes said. There are several different smoothie recipes 4-H’ers use when showcasing the bike, but one of the favorites is the 4-H Green Smoothie. Allen said people sometimes are hesitant to try it because it contains spinach. “People typically say they don’t like spinach, but once they try this smoothie they’re asking for more,” she said. “We also have recipes for several kinds of nut butters, including almond, pecan and cashew. Sorbet, hummus, guacamole and salsa are other options, all of which are wonderfully tasty and healthy treats. These bikes have been such a big hit and we’re excited to see the positive impact they’ll have on Oklahoma’s youth.”
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3-Minute Thesis
Und in the
by Jacy Bradford
A
n 80,000-word thesis would take 9 hours to present. Their limit … 3 minutes. This tagline for the Three Minute Thesis® competition, first developed at the University of Queensland in Australia, exemplifies the challenge of condensing a complete thesis into one static slide and a 3-minute presentation. In spring 2014, each college across the OSU campus held preliminary competitions and finalists qualified to compete in the OSU 3MT® contest during Graduate Education Week. Steve Damron, assistant dean for CASNR, said this was the first year for CASNR to host the 3MT. He said this exercise develops academic, presentation and research communication skills. “In academia, we often struggle with communicating research findings to the general public,” Damron said. “This rigorous exercise helps students learn how to effectively explain their research and why it matters.” With more than 80 audience members and 13 contestants, CASNR’s first 3MT was a positive experience for many, especially for animal science graduate student, Amanda Curtis. Curtis finished first place in the universitywide contest with her thesis “Using Innate Immunity to Fight Off Infections Without the Use of Antibiotics.” Curtis said she first heard about 3MT in 2011 on her study abroad experience in Australia. After hearing OSU had adopted it, she said it was too coincidental not to give it a shot. “I entered this contest with the goal to represent animal science well and to persuade others to find research interesting,” Curtis said. “I hope my presentation encouraged people to get their degree or further their education.”
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by Melissa Mourer
U
ndergraduate Research Scholars in CASNR have the opportunity to learn not only answers to research questions but also what questions should be asked. Research conducted by the roughly 30 students in the program varies from field applications at experiment stations statewide to on-campus projects evaluating data, said Cynda Clary, associate dean, CASNR. “Getting students involved in the process helps demystify the idea of research,” Clary said. “Students learn that they can make a contribution to solving important research problems even while in the early stages of their academic careers.” As a partnership with the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, the program is successful in building mentoring relationships and invigorating the research process for the students and scientists involved, said Keith Owens, interim associate director, OAES. “It’s nice to have young minds with a different view of things involved in research,” Owens said. “The students bring new and fresh ideas into the research program.” Participation in the program engages students in the educational process and plays an important role in supporting academic achievement and graduation.
ergrads Lab
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In memory of
Dr. Tot (1926 - 2014)
B
orn in 1926 on a livestock and wheat operation in north central Oklahoma, Robert “Bob” Totusek went on to foster a culture of excellence in OSU’s animal science programs for more than 60 years. As a 38-year faculty member, “Dr. Tot,” as he was called, coached great livestock teams and performed landmark beef cattle research. As head of the OSU Department of Animal Science for more than a decade, he was responsible for bringing together what had been three separate academic departments into one and led the unit to national renown as a producer of great scholars, industry leaders and outstanding purebred livestock. In retirement, he served as an ambassador and distinguished elder statesman for the department. “Dr. Totusek was responsible for record-setting donation campaigns and became a driving force behind our Animal Science Alumni Association,” said Clint Rusk, animal science department head. “One of his final leadership contributions was helping the ASAA establish five purebred-teaching center endowments.” A Cowboy alumnus as well as a faculty member, Totusek earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from then Oklahoma A&M College in 1949, after serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. by Donald Stotts
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National Champions T
he OSU Meat Animal Evaluation Team defeated 11 other schools to win the National Championship at the 2014 Meat Evaluation Team Contest in Lubbock, Texas. This is the second time the team has earned the title of National Champions in the last four years. The team placed 1st in the overall contest, market animals, cattle and communications. They placed second in meats, breeding animals and swine, and third in sheep.
Front row (left to right): Katie Kirsch, Kass Pfeiffer, Shannon White, Ashley Judge and Morgan Neilson. Second row (left to right): Mari Palacio, Nolan Hildebrand (Asst. Coach), Austin Kindschi, Kyle Wilson, Kurt Parsons, Cody Johnson, Kelly Vierck and Gretchen Mafi (Coach). Back row (left to right): Blake Bloomberg (Coach), Jake Bloomberg, Taylor Langford, Gary Agar, Taylor Graham and Clint Rusk (Dept. Head).
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S
Saddle Up for
Success by Jacob Longan
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tudents at OSU will soon reap the benefits of a new state-of-the-art equine teaching center, thanks to Linda Cline’s passion for equine students and desire to honor her late husband. The multimillion-dollar OSU Charlie Cline Memorial Equine Teaching Center will replace the current animal science equine facility on campus. The current building was constructed in the 1980s and no longer lends itself to today’s best teaching practices encouraged by equine industry leaders. “With the new facility, we will be able to teach in classrooms and then step right outside to work with the horses in our labs,” said Steven Cooper, holder of the OSU Cline Family Equine Science professorship. The center will include a teaching barn with stalls for foaling mares, an indoor arena, classrooms, feed and tack rooms, a wash rack and treatment area. It also will provide space for classes, clinics, 4-H programs and other outreach opportunities that serve Oklahoma’s expansive equine industry. Neither of the Clines attended OSU, but the family has built close ties to the animal science program and has always believed in helping students. The OSU equine and livestock judging teams have both used horses from the Clines’ Char-Lin Ranch for practice, judging clinics and contests.
DASNR DONORS CRITICAL TO SUCCESS Branding Success: The Campaign for Oklahoma State University is having an immeasurably positive impact across all OSU campuses. The transformations are evident throughout every facet of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. DASNR set a $28.5 million goal for the seven-year campaign. The goal was exceeded with $54.4 million in gifts and commitments, to date. Tremendous donor support allowed DASNR to surpass its campaign goals in three of the four priority areas. The generous support funds life-changing scholarships for students, empowers OSU to recruit and retain the best faculty and researchers, allows for much-needed facility upgrades, and enhances programs that inspire academic excellence through innovative efforts. During the campaign, 26 chairs and professorships, as well as 146 scholarship funds, were added in DASNR. As the Branding Success campaign draws to a close, we remain focused on raising funds for critical capital projects that will continue to advance DASNR. These funding priorities include Agriculture Hall, Foundation Seed Stock Building, Animal Physiology Nutrition Center and Teaching Greenhouses.
Thank you to our generous donors. You are all loyal and true Cowboys, and we couldn’t have done it without you!
STUDENT SUPPORT: GOAL $14.25M
185% $26.3M FACULTY SUPPORT: GOAL $5.7M
294% $16.7M PROGRAM SUPPORT: GOAL $4.275M
213% $9.1M FACILITY SUPPORT: GOAL $4.275M
FOR MORE INFORMATION or to discuss ways to make an impact now or through an estate gift, please contact us at the OSU Foundation. Heidi Griswold
Kathy McNally
405.385.5656 hgriswold@OSUgiving.com
405.385.5606 kmcnally@OSUgiving.com
51% $2.2M 41
More DASNR
IMPACTS Extension
Last year, the OCES made more than 1.1 million instructional-contact hours, which is equivalent to the teaching of 766 three-hour classes with 32 students in each class. Follow-up surveys with people attending a wide variety of family and consumer sciences programs across the state in 2013, show a 43 percent increase in adults who plan to regularly track income and spending. Also, 53.4 percent of divorcing couples who attended Extension’s co-parenting workshops agreed they would consider a program to work out their problems and save their marriage. Extension’s highly interactive Insect Adventure is the only live bug petting zoo in the state. Featuring more than 25 species of arthropods, the popular exhibit touches 300,000 people annually through more than 350 presentations staged across the state, including 40 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Each year, nearly 1,900 tax professionals attend the summer and fall OSU tax schools. Participants are responsible for annually preparing more than 65,000 federal farm returns, which is more than half of the farm returns generated in Oklahoma, as well as overseeing more than 350,000 federal income tax returns each year.
Research Currently, almost half of Oklahoma’s wheat acres are grown from OSU-developed varieties, up from less than 3 percent in the early 2000s. These new varieties have increased yield potential to such a degree that wheat producers overwhelmingly prefer to plant them in an effort to increase both production and profit. OSU agricultural economics faculty found rural counties with 60 percent or more adoption of a wired high-speed Internet connection experienced higher income growth and saw a smaller increase in unemployment rates compared to counties that did not reach the 60 percent threshold. Research from OSU’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has received international acclaim with the identification of a molecule (miR156) in switchgrass, which could double its biomass production. OSU animal science researchers’ findings suggested no difference in the nutritional value and quality of meat between cattle raised naturally and cattle raised using conventional methods such as feed additives and other growth-promoting compounds.
Teaching In fall 2014, CASNR students accounted for nine of the Top Twenty Freshmen Men and eight of the Top Twenty Freshmen Women at OSU, and during the 2013-14 academic year, 12 of 47 Seniors of Significance and four of 15 Outstanding Seniors also were students in the college. Twenty-one students conducted research with a faculty mentor in the jointly sponsored CASNR/Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Undergraduate Research Scholar program, including 18 who presented their research in OSU undergraduate paper competitions and/or regional and national meetings. Several won honors in undergraduate paper competitions. The college’s undergraduate enrollment has grown 15.8 percent over the past five years. Including graduate students, CASNR’s total fall enrollment is at an all-time high of 2,914 students and represents 45 states and 38 countries.
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CASNR awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarship support to students for the 2014-15 academic year.
FY2015 FINANCIAL
OVERVIEW Funding Sources 80.28M
57.5%
23.93M
17.2%
16.50M
%
State Appropriations + Tuition
$
Grants and Contracts
$
11.8
$
Revolving, Station Sales + Carry-over
12.87M 5.95M
139.53M
$
USDA
9.2
4.3
$
Endowments + Program Fees
Other
%
$
Federal Appropriations
FY2014 Sponsored Research
%
100.00
%
42.6%
36.65M
26.3%
26.56M
19.0%
16.82M
12.1%
Maintenance and Operations
$
Fringe Benefits
$
$
Other Salaries and Wages
139.53M
$
$
NIH
$
SunGrant
$
DoE
$
598K
432K
284K
21.43M
59.50M
$
1.83M
NSF
$
Expenditures Professional Salaries
12.23M $ 6.06M
$
100.00%
Budget by Agency 73.68M
52.9%
54.87M
39.3% 7.8%
Research
$
Extension
$
10.98M
$
Teaching
139.53M
$
100.00%
FY2014 Royalty Funds 1.64M
$
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Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources 102 Agricultural Hall Stillwater OK 74078-6019
THE DIVISION
TRI
NGLE
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Oklahoma State University, 102 Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, 405.744.2474
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID Stillwater, OK Permit No. 191