AgroVision 2020 by School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences of Langston University

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Fc President’s Welcome 2 Message From The Dean 3 Sky Wrangler Drones Take Flight 7 Evia L. Davis A Childhood Educator 10 Triumph Through Teamwork A 20-Year Team

14 Daylily Research Beauty and Longevity

18 Sisters Of Saas A Mother’s Determination

22 Combating Internal Parasites Treatment Alternatives

24 Steve Hart An Extension Giant Leaves

34 Pests And Pollinators Row Cover Research

38 Farida Belksami Algerian Borlaug Fellow

41 Clark Williams A Special Instructor 43 Erick Loetz Research Farm Manager 45 Rocket Science NASA Experience 49 Nutrition And Health EFNEP Educates

52 Extension Briefs 55 Notables 56 Milestones BC Alumni Spotlight William Hunt

Experiential Learning STORY

Academics and Research Meet

L ANGSTON UNIVE RSIT Y A D M I N I S T R AT I V E C O U N C I L

Tilahun Sahlu, Ph.D.,Director of the American Institute for Goat Research

M AG A Z I N E E D I T O R I A L COMMITTE E

Kent J. Smith, Jr., Ph.D., President

Cynthia S. Buckley, Assistant Vice President, Student and Employee Services

Joshua Ringer, Ph.D., Associate

Ruth Ray Jackson, Ph.D., Vice

Joshua A. Busby, Dean of Students,

Extension Administrator

Roger Merkel, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Committee Chair

President of Academic Affairs

Division of Student Affairs

Theresa Graves Powell, Chief of

Pritchard Moncriffe, Chief Informa-

Staff, Office of the President

tion Officer

Mautra Jones, Vice President, In-

S C H O O L O F AG R I C U LT U R E AND APPLIED SCIENCES

stitutional Advancement and External Affairs

Wesley L. Whittaker, Ph.D., Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs

Langston University, incompliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, genetic information, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. Cynthia S. Buckley, Assistant Vice President

Vernon Jones, Ph.D., Associate

Kendra Gutierrez, Special Projects

Dean for Research

Coordinator

Evia L. Davis, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Mark Pennie, Pennie Works Studio

Steve Zeng, Ph.D., Chair, Depart-

ing | PR

ment of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Photos by Josh Dean Photography

Michael O’Neill, O’Neill Market-

Student and Employee Services, ADA/EEO Officer, Student and Employee Services, Page Hall 12, Langston, OK 73050; Phone 405-466-3204; email: cynthia.buckley@langston.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies. This publication, issued by Langston University as authorized by the Dean, School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, was printed by OU Printing Services at a cost of $7,372. 1,500 / June, 2020. Copyright © 2020, Langston University. All rights reserved .

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

ollowing the successful launch of the inaugural edition of Langston AgroVision in 2019 and the broad positive feedback we received, it is a pleasure to introduce the highly anticipated second edition. Over the past year, Langston University’s School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS) has continued to distinguish itself in all three areas of its land grant mission.

unique ways. These include Drs. Evia Davis, Erick Loetz and Steve Hart along with Mr. Clark Williams. Their service and contributions have been deeply appreciated and will be sadly missed.

I am personally grateful to all our faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to our mission. We can be justifiably proud of our accomAcademics was highlighted by the remarkable performance plishments this past year. Together, we remain steadfast of our students and the commitment of faculty to excellence. and focused on our vision. For the year ahead, we envisage Many students had unique experiential learning opporstrengthening our SAAS academic program with upgraded tunities, complementing classroom studies with research curricula and the introduction of a game-changing new conducted alongside faculty mentors. Other students prescholarship program for students. In research and cooperasented their research at the prestigious Association of 1890 tive extension, we will continue to broaden our focus to Research Directors (ARD) Symposium and other conensure we lead the way in developing and implementing ferences. It has been a joy to see so many hard-working broad solutions that help tackle food insecurity, protect students complete their Langston University academic prohuman and environmental health, and enrich the lives of grams, graduate, and explore new horizons in graduate youth and families. schools and professional careers. The onset of COVID-19 in recent months has adversely Our research, extension, and outreach programs played affected many communities throughout our country and leading and invaluable roles in numerous arenas. Of interest abroad. It has made a devastating assault on many populato many of our clients – including limited-resource, socially tions. The pandemic is a clear reminder that much in our disadvantaged populations and other stakeholders – were the lives is tenuous and threatened by diverse forces. As we small farmers’ conference, another successful annual goat go forward, we in SAAS are committed to doing all that and hair sheep field day, and numerous workshops around is within our power to deepen our support for individuals the state. I take great pleasure from being associated with who are affected and need our help. important SAAS programs that create opportunities for diaWe will continue to communicate with you through logue with our stakeholders and provide information that Langston AgroVision and various other channels. I encourage will undoubtedly improve economic and social conditions you to share your thoughts with us through the many avefor people and communities. nues we provide. Again, thank you for your support. In this 2020 edition of Langston AgroVision, you will learn about some of our accomplishments of the past year and the Wesley L. Whittaker, Ph.D. deeply impactful work of our SAAS team. As you read, you Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs will be impressed not only with their hard work, but also their remarkable contributions. Along with us, you will bid goodbye to some of our esteemed colleagues who recently retired or will soon do so. They have served Langston University well and have distinguished themselves in their

“… SAAS programs … will undoubtedly improve economic and social conditions for people and communities.” — DR . WESLE Y

W H I T TA K E R , D E A N

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

RESEARCH

The Future of Agriculture Is Now:

The Sky Wrangler Project

“Our goal with the drones is to provide the livestock producer with a high-value technology that saves labor and money as it improves production.”

— DR. TERRY GIPSON, EXTENSION LEADER,

A M E R I C A N I N S T I T U T E F O R G OAT R E S E A R C H

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

(continues)

RESEARCH

WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF A LIVESTOCK WRANGLER, MOST PICTURE THE COWHAND ON HORSEBACK, RIDING THE RANGE WITH ONE EYE ON THE HERD AND THE OTHER ON THE LANDSCAPE, LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE’S ENOUGH FORAGE FOR GRAZING. BUT THAT’S NOT THE IMAGE DR. TERRY GIPSON SEES. HIS IDEA OF A WRANGLER IS AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV) — OR DRONE — RIDING THE SKY SENDING UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFORMATION VIA TEXT MESSAGE TO THE LIVESTOCK PRODUCER AT THE REMOTEST CORNER OF THE RANCH OR BACK HOME AT THE KITCHEN TABLE.

n modern agriculture, drones are a bold new reality. As they become more affordable, they are increasingly incorporated into farm and ranch management. And the market for agricultural drones is set to take off. A recent report from PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers) estimated the potential market at $32.4 billion.

A Langston University School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS) research team, including Gipson and Marcio White, as well as professional Python programmer David Lechner, is developing a smart, inexpensive drone that will provide concise, actionable, real-time feedback to producers. Their project, called Sky Wrangler, is funded through the USDA’s 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program and includes collaborators from Purdue University’s departments of animal sciences and agricultural and biological engineering. The Sky Wrangler project is a new direction for Gipson. “My interest in drones grew out of a project we had on using goats to control redcedar,” he explained. “It included

SAAS students KaTerria Williams (left) and Brenda Hollins prepare a drone for flight.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

a drone component, and we soon realized the potential for drones in livestock production.” The new project promises to equip technology-minded producers, large and small, with the cutting-edge tools to better monitor and manage their operations. D R O N E S I N AG R I C U LT U R E : F R O M C R O P S T O LIVESTOCK

a passive tool to take photos or video for later review. Many of today’s UAVs are equipped with onboard computer systems that analyze photos, video, and sensor data and make intelligent precision-agriculture decisions in real time — mapping fields; monitoring irrigation, crops, and pests; guiding precise application of fertilizer and pesticides across varied terrains; and communicating directly with devices, equipment, and people on the ground.

These days, UAVs are used in nearly every area of crop agri- In the use of UAVs, however, precision livestock producculture. And as they have become more affordable, they tion has lagged behind crop farming — often far behind. have provided farms of all sizes with feasible options for “Reviewing the literature,” Gipson remarked, “I saw that increasing operational efficiency and economy. Plus, drone there was a wide variety of drone applications for crop agritechnology has evolved rapidly. No longer are drones simply culture but almost none for precision livestock (continues)

Adjunct Professor Marcio White (pointing) and Python programmer David Lechner explain a drone assembly to students.

The new project promises to equip technology-minded producers, large and small, with the cutting-edge tools to better monitor and manage their operations.

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

RESEARCH

With Sky Wrangler, Gipson and his team are confident they will bring much greater levels of precision to livestock farming. farming, or PLF as we call it.” Most PLF has concentrated on dairy cattle, swine, or chickens in confinement, where biosensors and cameras are functional, but drones are of little or no use. To date, UAVs have been used with grazing livestock almost solely to measure land/pasture utilization. “These findings made our decision to develop drone technology for PLF an easy one,” Gipson added. T H E S K Y W R A N G L E R P R OJ E C T

The objectives of the Sky Wrangler project are to develop a UAV that will help improve livestock production and to test the technology to ensure there are no adverse effects on animals.

To count livestock on pasture, the Sky Wrangler’s thermal camera will detect heat signatures from the animals. Gipson’s team will test this functionality by conducting various machine-learning trials in both open and wooded lands with different numbers of animals. To assess live pasture biomass, the team will use the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which determines the amount of live, green vegetation in a specified area. Using data from the images taken by the drone’s cameras, the Raspberry Pi will calculate the index by comparing the ref lectance of near-infrared light from the plants with the absorption of red light by the plants’ chlorophyll. To maximize the precision and usability of data sent to the producer, GPS coordinates will be overlaid on maps of the pasture status. Python scripts will be developed enabling the Raspberry Pi to generate pasture assessments in real time and make recommendations regarding rotation or nutrition supplements. One anticipated question is how livestock will react to aerial drones. Gipson and his team will test animal behavior and stress by maneuvering drones in various ways over penned animals while measuring visible reactions and heart rates. With these experiments, the team expects to determine optimal height, speed, and distance to acclimate animals to the drones and guide producers accordingly.

SAAS students Brenda Hollins and KaTerria Williams with Dr. Terry Gipson, who is leading the Sky Wrangler Project.

Gipson and his team are designing Sky Wrangler to employ off-the-shelf components that will send SMS messages to a producer’s mobile device providing a range of information: inventory of animals, spatial distribution in the field, pasture biomass and nutritive status, pasture conditions, and recommended actions. The team is currently assembling a quadcopter drone that includes a camera with visible and near-infrared spectrum capabilities, a separate thermal camera, a GPS tracking system, an onboard credit-card-size computer called Raspberry Pi to provide analysis, and mobile communication capabilities. LU students are assisting in construction and testing.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

S AV I N G T I M E , R E D U C I N G C O S T S

It goes without saying that technology continues to improve agriculture. With Sky Wrangler, Gipson and his team are confident that they will bring much greater levels of precision to livestock farming. After all, a drone transmitting real-time alerts about missing animals and changing forage conditions will be far faster, more effective, and more economical than the old cowpoke on horseback. “Our goal with the PLF drones,” Gipson concluded, “is to provide the livestock producer — including small or parttime producers — with a high-value technology that saves labor and money as it improves production.” For more information, please contact Dr. Terry Gipson, terry.gipson@ langston.edu.

ACADE MICS

The Inspired Career of an Early Childhood Educator and Leader: Dr. Evia L. Davis

“THERE IS NO SHORT CUT TO ACHIEVEMENT. LIFE REQUIRES THOROUGH PREPARATION. …” MEMORABLY EXPRESSED BY GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, THIS TRUTH IS THE CREDO OF DR. EVIA L . DAVIS, CHAIRPERSON AND PROFESSOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES (FCS) IN LANGSTON UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES (SAAS).

er lifelong success resulted from her own hard work and determination, even as her dedication to the young people in her charge — future teachers studying at FCS and children in the care of LU’s Early Childhood Laboratory — ensured that they had the thorough preparation needed to grow and thrive.

From her earliest years, Davis was inspired by her mother, an early childhood educator in Mississippi. “Thanks to her life and example, I learned how much I love children and families,” she said. “That guided me to the education profession.” Davis’s formal studies in education began when she enrolled at Langston University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1976. Two years later, she competed a master’s in child development from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. In 1978, Davis moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and began an 18-year career with Saint Louis Public Schools as an early childhood educator for kindergarten, fourth grade, and fifth grade, and as a preschool coordinator. During her time there, she realized that, with the right preparation, greater achievements awaited her. While fulfilling her school duties with distinction, Davis set to work on a doctorate in early childhood education at Saint Louis University, earning her Ed.D. in 1993. Soon after, she added the position of adjunct professor in the education department at Harris-Stowe State

College in St. Louis — even as she continued at the public schools. In January 2000, Davis made another momentous career decision, accepting a position as coordinator of the Early Childhood Laboratory at Langston University’s School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS). In August of that year, she was named chairperson of the Department of Human Ecology, later to become FCS. As chair, Davis worked tirelessly to modernize the laboratory. She sought grant funding to achieve multiple objectives — increase the number of children enrolled from 10 to 60, establish a demonstration teaching laboratory, begin an after-school program, and create a lending library. The crowning recognition of her efforts was the laboratory’s accreditation for excellence in childcare from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Davis also created an associate degree program in childhood development and led the self-study needed to receive accreditation. (continues) S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

ACADE MICS

“I encouraged my colleagues to make sure their students were exerting themselves beyond measure. And my constant refrain to students was that they must push themselves to work harder than anyone else.” — D R . E V I A L . DAV I S

Not one to rest on her local laurels, Davis shared her experience leading LU through these accreditation processes as a consultant with other universities, community colleges, and accreditation boards, including the Oklahoma-based Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Noting her work as an accreditation peer reviewer and member of the NAEYC audit team, Pamela Ehrenberg, director of accreditation services at NAEYC, lauded Davis for her “collaboration with colleagues at other universities toward a thoughtful evaluation of programs relative to standards of NAEYC and the early childhood field. …” In the midst of this full schedule with these agencies and LU, Davis made time to peer-review and contribute to seven published textbooks on childhood education. Knowing how much her own education had paved the way for her professional achievements, Davis wanted to make sure others also had career-building academic opportunities. She started by applying for and securing her first grant from the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program of the U.S. Department of Education. Through the grant, Davis was able to provide on-campus childcare for lowerincome parents so they could enroll in college. Another grant, from the Head Start Partnerships with Historically Black College and Universities, supported efforts to train staff working for Head Start and Early Head Start programs in childhood development or early childhood education, enabling them to achieve associate and bachelor’s degrees. “I am passionate about teaching and learning,” Davis remarked. “Teaching provides me with the opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of students and inspire the next generation.” One of those students, Amber Franklin (FCS 2012), expressed gratitude for Davis’s instruction, mentorship, and support. “Dr. Davis truly cared for her students,” Franklin said. “Even after I graduated, she came

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

to my school to observe and offer suggestions. She is a great role model.” With colleagues in FCS and teachers-to-be in the Early Childhood Laboratory, Davis stressed the importance of a strong work ethic and the will to succeed. “I encouraged my colleagues to make sure their students were exerting themselves beyond measure. And my constant refrain to students was that they must push themselves to work harder than anyone else.” Many of her colleagues bore witness to Davis’s steady guidance. Dr. Emisha Young, a newer member of the FCS faculty, thrived under Davis’s mentorship. “Working with Dr. Davis has been a blessing,” Young said. “She has been instrumental in my professional growth and confidence. She constantly encouraged me to advocate for myself and strive for excellence.” Excellence is the Davis hallmark — in her own educational preparation and in her many professional accomplishments. Mrs. Alice Strong-Simmons, former LU associate vice president, will always remember Davis as a Langston University champion. “Her passion and love for LU is matched by few others,” she said. “Without fanfare, she assisted many students and faculty behind the scenes. Her expertise in the areas of program development, grant writing, and accreditation will be sorely missed.” Dr. George Acquaah, formerly of LU and now dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, recalled her in exactly this way. “She has always subscribed to the notion of excellence as the only acceptable outcome for performing a task,” he remarked. “She was a dedicated educator who embodied the core values of LU.” Preparation, dedication, determination, excellence — these are the legacy of Langston University’s Dr. Evia L. Davis.” For more information, please contact Ms. Kendra Gutierrez, koregon@langston.edu

Q UALI F I E D STU D E NTS

Get an Affordable College Degree at Langston University Tuition, room and board is paid with an 1890 Scholarship. The 1890 Scholarship Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture supports training of undergraduate students in the food and agricultural sciences. The scholarship will provide most of the successful students’ tuition, room/board and fees. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and exhibit leadership, community service, and academic progress towards a degree. Funds are awarded on an annual basis.

Eligible applicants must: • Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States • Major in an agriculture discipline in the Langston University School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

• Current/transfer students need a minimum GPA of 3.0; high school seniors need a minimum GPA of 2.8 when applying

• Be a full-time Langston University student or a graduating high school senior

TO F I N D O UT I F YO U Q UA LI F Y, CO NTAC T : Dr. Steve Zeng Department Chair/Professor steve.zeng@langston.edu 405-466-6145

Dr. Nirodha De Silva, Ph.D. Assistant Professor nirodha.de_silva@langston.edu 405-466-6163

Ms. Kendra Gutierrez Special Projects Coordinator koregon@langston.edu 405-466-6172

RESEARCH

American Institute for Goat Research:

Triumph Through Teamwork

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR GOAT RESEARCH, OR AIGR, IN THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES AT LANGSTON UNIVERSITY FOCUSES ON THREE AREAS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH. AT MANY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, THESE AREAS FUNCTION SEPARATELY. AT AIGR, IN CONTRAST, SCIENTISTS HAVE FORGED A DIFFERENT PATH.

T H E T E A M TA K E S S H A P E ver a span of 20 years, they learned increasingly to count on one another and hone a true team approach. This integrated approach began to take shape in 1997, when Working on a wide range of projects in groups of two Dr. Tilahun Sahlu took over as director of AIGR. At the or three, or more, they became more creative, more time, Drs. Steve Hart and Ryszard Puchala were already innovative, and more productive. Today, cooperakey members of the scientist staff. Drs. Arthur Goetsch, tion and collaboration are hallmarks of AIGR, and the results Roger Merkel, and Terry Gipson joined them within two have been impressive. years. Then, not long after, Drs. Steve Zeng and Zaisen

Dr. Steve Zeng

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

Dr. Roger Merkel

Wang came on board. Little did anyone foresee that these seven scientists, with support from the farm crew and numerous research scholars, would merge into the productive force that would drive AIGR’s research, extension, and international programs — and its international reputation — to this day. During the first few years, each scientist concentrated on his specific area of interest — Goetsch, Puchala, and Wang on research; Gipson, alongside Hart, on expanding extension programming; Zeng on dairy products; and Merkel on AIGR’s early international programs. There was little doubt that each individual would make notable contributions, but all seven men soon came to realize that greater accomplishments awaited if they could more fully integrate as a team. Before long, most of them became involved in all three of AIGR’s focus areas. I N T E G R AT E D P R O P O S A L S A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E P U TAT I O N

The team began developing proposals that integrated components of research and extension, particularly for grant applications submitted to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and

Extension Capacity Building Grants Program and other USDA programs. Three grants awarded to AIGR exemplify proposed projects: “Use of Goats for Sustainable Vegetation Management in US Grazing Lands,” “Sustainable Small Ruminant Production Through Selection for Resistance to Internal Parasites,” and “Comparison of Biological Control of Redcedar With Goats to Conventional Methods of Control.” Other proposals added an international focus to research and extension objectives. Grants from USAID programs funded cooperative research and outreach activities with institutions in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Ethiopia. Among the largest such projects was the Ethiopia Sheep and Goat Productivity Improvement Program, or ESGPIP. Funded by USAID-Ethiopia, it lasted for six years and included four components: animal importation and breeding, on-farm research, training and training material development, and herd health including external parasite control and kid/adult animal health. Combining individual team members’ talents not only increased AIGR’s success at winning grants, it also boosted AIGR’s reputation and recognition at USDA, USAID, and other agencies. Granting agencies began inviting AIGR to submit proposals and recommended AIGR to (continues)

Dr. Arthur Goetsch

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RESEARCH

Combining talents not only increased AIGR’s success at winning grants, it also boosted AIGR’s reputation and recognition at USDA, USAID, and other agencies. other institutions and organizations as a trusted collaborator. An honor bestowed in 2007 was a testament to the collaborative achievements and vision of AIGR. Sahlu, Goetsch, Gipson, Merkel, and Zeng together received the George Washington Carver Agricultural Excellence Award. As AIGR’s international reputation grew, Langston University also became a destination for producers and others who needed to learn more about goats and goat production. Over a number of years, AIGR hosted individuals or groups from Armenia, the Philippines, Japan, Costa Rica, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). In addition, scientists from around the world increasingly saw AIGR as a premiere site to conduct highquality research funded by their national agencies. To date, AIGR has hosted scientists from Algeria, Argentina, Brazil,

Canada, China, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, and Spain. PRODUCER FOCUS

AIGR’s extension area pursued a similar strategy when Gipson built its programs around the diverse interests of team members. Hart combined extension and research objectives as he worked with farmers on nutrition, management, and internal parasites. Zeng carried out similarly integrated work on dairy products. Merkel developed handbooks to provide science-based information to meat- and dairy-goat producers while also designing and conducting workshops on tanning goat skins. Recognizing the importance of technology in extension, Gipson developed AIGR’s inaugural website, developed the online

Dr. Ryszard Puchala

AIGR Achievements Since 1998 195 peer-reviewed publications 252 peer-reviewed abstracts 18 book chapters 4 edited books 1 special edition of Small Ruminant Research on Nutritional Requirements of Goats 30 home countries of visiting scientists 7 home countries of short-term trainees 6 unique producer workshops $16,168,684 of grant funding as lead institution $27,457,253 of grant funding in which AIGR participated

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

nutrient calculator using equations developed by Goetsch and his research team, and later added a least-cost ration balancing program. Hart assisted with these projects, providing input during development and quality control at the end. Gipson and Merkel together developed online certification programs based on the handbooks Merkel had produced. A unique strength of the many workshops, handbooks, papers, and informational tools was the AIGR team’s focus on producers and their real-world needs. In recent years, the AIGR team has concluded a number of projects — evaluating genetic resistance to internal parasites in goats, discovering ways to reduce emission of greenhouse gases in sheep and goats, and researching practical methods for controlling invasive plant species. Expanding the boundaries of their own training, embracing current ideas, and a willingness to try new approaches are all hallmarks of AIGR’s integrated approach to helping producers. T OWA R D T O M O R R OW

Today, after 20 years, the team continues to collaborate in pursuit of important goals. Goetsch is leading a team investigating the climate-change ramifications of increasing salinity in livestock drinking water, even as he works with

Dr. Tilahun Sahlu

other scientists on other funded grants and research-focused extension projects. Gipson leads a team that is designing and building drones that will help producers manage livestock on pasture. A grant project of Merkel and Gipson’s uses small, hand-size computers that generate their own wireless networks so producers can access web-based certification content from locations where there is little to no internet connectivity. Puchala and Goetsch are updating the online nutrient calculator. Wang and others are looking at compounds to combat internal parasites in small ruminants. And the team is actively broadening the scope of AIGR to address the complete research and extension channel of production, marketing, product consumption, and economic returns to producers. At AIGR, the decades-long relationships forged among the team members have created a whole that is undoubtedly greater than the sum of its parts. Facing research, extension, and international challenges as a team allows these scientists to stretch their collective minds and imaginations and continually make discoveries. For more information, please contact Dr. Tilahun Sahlu, tilahun. sahlu@langston.edu.

Dr. Terry Gipson

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

RESEARCH

Drs. Kanyand Matand and Wesley Whittaker measure the height of a daylily and discuss other research observations.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

Beauty and Longevity: Dr. Kanyand Matand’s Daylily Research DAYLILIES ARE A POPULAR ORNAMENTAL GARDEN FLOWER, CELEBRATED THE WORLD OVER BY HORTICULTURISTS AND ENTHUSIASTS FOR THEIR VIBRANT COLOR AND BEAUTY. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN DAYLILY SOCIETY, THERE ARE ROUGHLY 89,000 REGISTERED DAYLILY CULTIVARS, MOSTLY BRED TO PRODUCE UNIQUE AND EXQUISITE FLOWERS. THE DAYLILY’S NAME DERIVES FROM THE FLOWER’S SHORT LIFESPAN — A SINGLE BLOOM TYPICALLY LASTS JUST ONE DAY. THE DAYLILY STEM, HOWEVER, HAS MULTIPLE BUDS AT DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES, SO EACH PLANT PRODUCES MANY FLOWERS OVER SEVERAL WEEKS. BUT THE DAYLILY OFFERS MORE THAN JUST PRETTY BLOOMS.

A field of daylilies in early flowering.

he research of Dr. Kanyand Matand, associate proPROGRESS IN BLOOMS fessor at Langston University’s School of Agriculture “Langston University has a large, genetically diverse collecand Applied Sciences, focuses on the daylily’s f lower tion of at least 250 varieties of daylily,” Matand said. “Using longevity as well as its functional properties, parthis resource, my research explores ways to extend the f lowticularly for conservation and food. The second er’s lifespan, accelerate propagation, demonstrate the broad growing season of his daylilies project ended recently, and value of daylilies, and educate the public about their perhaps he has made rapid progress toward achieving his research (continues) unfamiliar uses.” objectives.

“Langston University has a large, genetically diverse collection of at least 250 varieties of daylily.” — D R . K A N YA N D M ATA N D , A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

RESEARCH

Matand has identified a small number of varieties that f lower earlier or have a longer blooming period. Other scientists have identified a few “death genes” that encode the rapid demise of daylily blooms. In his laboratory, Matand is screening daylilies to identify and silence the death genes and thus extend bloom lifespan. At the same time, he is manipulating cells of individual organs or tissues, such as stem and f lower bud, to accelerate plant propagation. Daylilies are slow to propagate naturally — in the LU daylilies collection, for example, the number of new plants propagated last year ranged from one to eight per parent plant. Matand’s approach takes a single tiny piece of stem tissue — less than half a centimeter — to produce

up to 100 new plants per year. And the supply of tissues is virtually limitless since a single stem can provide many such pieces. “Faster propagation and longer bloom life, coupled with other positive outcomes, will enhance the beauty and functional value of the daylily,” Matand remarked. DAY L I L I E S I N C O N S E RVAT I O N

Because of their spreading root system, daylilies can be used to stabilize soil and prevent erosion. In addition, the high moisture content of daylily foliage makes it hard to ignite, so large plantings can slow the spread of wildfire. Able to tolerate conditions from drought to occasional submersion,

“… my research explores ways to extend the flower’s lifespan, accelerate propagation, demonstrate the broad value of daylilies, and educate the public about their perhaps unfamiliar uses.” — D R . K A N YA N D M ATA N D , A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R

New plants that were induced from stem and bud tissues in the laboratory without using soil or seeds.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

Daylily flowers exist in different shapes and colors.

daylilies are hardy plants that could become the f lower of choice in a wide variety of settings. DAY L I L I E S I N F O O D A N D M E D I C I N E

Although most people in the U.S. do not realize it, daylilies are edible, nutritious, and delicious. In their native Asian homelands, they have been a food source for thousands of years. In fact, chemical analyses dating back decades showed that daylily f lowers have as much or more nutritive value than green beans or asparagus. (A word of warning: daylilies – Hemerocallis spp. – and lilies – Lilium spp. – are of different genera. Lilies should never be eaten, and some daylilies can have adverse effects. Be sure not to consume any daylily without guidance from scientists and growers). Preparing the f lowers for eating depends on individual taste and preference. Consumers can stew or fry f lowers, f lower buds, or shoot burgeons, and use f lower buds in fritters or soups. Matand is trying to determine which varieties in the LU collection are edible and most f lavorful. If few edibles are found, he plans to import edible varieties for cultivation.

Daylilies have also been used as a medicinal plant for millennia. And although Matand is not studying the plant’s health properties, the LU collection will enable future research into its therapeutic value. Preliminary research has demonstrated that daylilies have chemical properties that help in the treatment of cancer, jaundice, arsenic poisoning, sleeplessness, and general body fatigue. They have also been shown to improve memory and detoxify the body. DAY L I L I E S T O T H E H O R I Z O N

Matand believes his current work will discover many beneficial uses for daylilies in addition to beautifying gardens and landscapes. By demonstrating many of the daylily’s useful properties for food and conservation, he hopes to increase interest in this plant and spur new business opportunities for producers. Matand can already imagine a time when the lovely daylily helps feed, heal, protect, and profit people the world over. For more information, please contact Dr. Kanyand Matand, matand@ langston.edu.

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The Sisters of SAAS: A Journey and a Mother’s Determination IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR SIBLINGS TO FOLLOW IN ONE ANOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS. BUT IT IS UNUSUAL WHEN FIVE OF THEM — ALL FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS — MARCH THROUGH ONE UNIVERSITY IN QUICK SUCCESSION.

WHY L ANGSTON UNIVE RSIT Y? eginning in 2014, five sisters — Maya and Kambri Jackson, then Helena, Brenda, and Jharra Hollins — Mom Brenda Hollins — we call her “Mom Brenda” to dismatriculated at Langston University. Over the next tinguish her from her namesake daughter — explained how six years, at least two were walking the halls and the sister history, and a big family decision, unfolded. “Maya working toward degrees at any one time. Maya, the was recruited by Langston University while attending high trailblazer, began her studies in communication; Kambri, school in Palm Springs, California,” Mom Brenda began. criminal justice. Soon thereafter, Helena, Brenda, and Jharra “She was offered a full scholarship. Excited for the opportuall made names for themselves in LU’s School of Agriculture nity, she enrolled.” and Applied Sciences (SAAS).

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

“The best thing to do was to create a pathway everybody could follow. We chose Langston University because it was an affordable way for the girls to get the education they needed. It also helped a lot that it was the best choice socially.” — “MOM” BRENDA HOLLINS

When Kambri decided to join Maya in Oklahoma, Mom had learned that the LU campus was cozy and class sizes Brenda took stock of the family situation. She loved being were small — both important selling points. At home with close to her daughters, but living 1,200 miles away from the family in Oklahoma, Helena shared accounts of amazing her first two made that all but impossible. And with Helena, SAAS agriculture trips, piquing Brenda’s interest. And Brenda, and Jharra soon to take the college leap, Mother Jharra got a personal feel for the university’s family atmoBrenda reasoned that “the best thing to do was to create sphere: “Everybody had some type of bond with each other a pathway everybody could follow. We chose Langston — it felt like home.” University because it was an affordable way for the girls to get the education they needed. It also helped a lot that it was W H Y S A A S ? the best choice socially.” In 2015, Mom Brenda uprooted When Helena arrived on campus, her plan was to major in the whole family and moved to Coyle, Oklahoma, a town business. Then, when her advisor suggested adding an agriof roughly 360 inhabitants about two miles from the culture element, she enrolled in the SAAS department of LU campus. agriculture’s agriculture business option. “Agriculture was a last-minute choice,” Helena remarked, “and I guess it was As it happened, Mom Brenda also had enthusiastic support (continues) the best last-minute decision I’ve ever made.” from her younger trio. In phone calls from Maya, Helena S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

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She began taking agriculture courses in her sophomore year and loved the classes and learning about agriculture.

Association of Research Directors Symposium, where Brenda earned second place for her poster presentation.

The diverse educational and research opportunities offered by SAAS drew Brenda to join her older sister as an agriculture business major. “I feel like SAAS gives me many learning opportunities, not just on campus but globally,” she said. “The agriculture business option will allow me to be anything I want.”

During their time at SAAS, the sisters also grew personally and professionally. Presenting her research before an audience gave Jharra new confidence in public speaking. Helena and Brenda took advantage of the many opportunities offered by SAAS. Each was elected president of the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANNRS) Club and represented the LU chapter at regional and national club meetings. In 2017, Helena also represented SAAS students on the committee developing the SAAS 5-year strategic plan and on the dean search committee.

Jharra has always had a passion for children. “I’ve always been a kid at heart,” she said. “I love art and playing with little fun things — I make balloon animals as a hobby. I was really drawn to working with children, so, I thought, why don’t I become a teacher?” Jharra enrolled in SAAS’s department of family and consumer sciences and plans to teach art to children in kindergarten through third grade.

I M PAC T O F A S A A S E D U C AT I O N

Helena, Brenda, and Jharra know their education can take them places they scarcely dreamed of. As Brenda remarked, “I never thought I would be here and be able to accomplish so much in four years. Langston University has taught me how to be an adult and how to own up to my responsibilities. Everyone should come to Langston University for the experience alone, because you can grow based off of challenges and the things you face.” Helena appreciates how her education — from the acquisition of knowledge and mastery of skills to the application of them — prepared her for a professional career. And Jharra is fully prepared to complete certification requirements, become a teacher, and stimulate her young students’ creativity. FA M I LY T O FA M I LY Brenda Hollins presents the results of her research project.

RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

At SAAS, the three Hollins sisters found that educational opportunities extended far beyond the classroom. A point of emphasis in all departments is to pair students with research mentors so they can gain experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of research projects. All three sisters have excelled in their research endeavors. In 2017, Helena garnered two first-place awards. One was for a NASA Challenge; as part of the project, she and her research partner traveled to Houston to tour NASA facilities. She also won OSU’s Food & Beverage Product Development Competition with her Silly Billy Frozen Yogurt made from locally sourced, non-hormonal goat’s milk. Brenda and Jharra were mentored by Dr. Terry Gipson in animal science research that was presented in 2019 at the 1890 20

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Over the years, SAAS faculty, staff, and classmates have become family for the Hollins sisters, supporting and guiding them through their college career. For Mom Brenda, who never finished high school, the SAAS family helped her achieve the dream of ensuring a better life for her children. She is proud of all that her daughters have accomplished and of the young women SAAS has prepared them to be. With Brenda’s graduation in May 2020 and Jharra’s certification as a teacher, the Hollins family will say goodbye to Langston University, ready to forge new paths and embrace new opportunities. Helena, Brenda, and Jharra — and Mom Brenda — are grateful to the university and to the faculty and staff who helped guide them. For more information, please contact Dr. Steve Zeng, steve.zeng@ langston.edu

Helena Hollins

Jharra Hollins

Choosing LU-SAAS was one of the best decisions of my life. There’s something for everybody, even for those of us who come from a non-traditional agrarian background. Agriculture drives innovation and feeds human progress.

My work at Langston University has taught me to follow my dreams and never doubt my ability to make them happen. I have a sincere passion for working with children and guiding them to their future. That is the reason I chose early childhood education.

“I never thought I would be here and be able to accomplish so much in four years. Langston University has taught me how to be an adult and how to own up to my responsibilities.” — HELENA HOLLINS

Brenda Hollins

SAAS has taught me three things: to never give up, to set clear goals for my own success, and to take risks. As a person who wants to make a difference in this world, I knew that being an agriculture major was the perfect choice. S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

RESEARCH

LU Research: Controlling Internal Parasites in Small Ruminants THROUGHOUT OKLAHOMA AND AROUND THE WORLD, GOAT AND SHEEP PRODUCERS FACE A SEVERE PROBLEM. YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODES — OR ROUNDWORMS — CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR ANIMALS AND SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC LOSSES FOR SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCERS.

he National Animal Health Monitoring System of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reported that in 2015 more than 86,700 goats died due to internal parasites — one in four of all deaths not caused by predators. Oklahoma ranked second nationally in nonpredator-caused goat and kid losses, with over 31,000 deaths resulting in financial losses of $4.8 million.

Among the major nematode parasites in goats and sheep, the blood feeder Haemonchus contortus, or barber pole worm, is the most pathogenic. This prolific blood-sucking roundworm is called the barber pole worm due to its appearance, with its white reproductive tract visibly wrapping around its blood-filled digestive tract. The parasite lives in the ruminant’s abomasum, or fourth stomach. In a single day, a worm can lay thousands of eggs, which embed in the animal’s feces and, once

excreted, mature into infective larvae demand organically grown foods. For that contaminate pastures where herds small ruminant animals to qualify as graze and ingest the larvae. Unchecked, organic, the methods used to control this cycle can lead to high levels of parasites must follow the regulations set infestation. A single host animal can out by the USDA’s National Organic have thousands of these worms in its Program. gastrointestinal tract, each one piercing Faced with this situation, a number of the lining to consume blood. For the scientists are seeking to develop alterhost animal, the outcomes are anemia, natives to chemical dewormers. Dr. failure to thrive, and even death. For Zaisen Wang of Langston University is the farmer, the result is loss of producone of them. He and visiting research tivity and income. scientist Dr. Jessica Quijada, in collaboration with AZ Nature Art LLC of PROBLEMS WITH CHEMICAL San Diego, a biotech company engaged D E WO R M E R S in natural product sourcing, collecTo kill internal parasites, producers tion, extraction, purification, and mantypically use chemical dewormers, ufacturing, are exploring alternative technically called anthelmintics. But approaches to controlling the barber these chemical remedies face two of pole worm in sheep and goats. their own problems. On the one hand, roundworms have become resistant N E W WAYS T O CO N T R O L O L D to the chemicals – in as little as three PA R A S I T E S years in the case of one dewormer. Wang and Quijada are investigating a On the other, markets have evolved, number of parasite control approaches and increasing numbers of consumers

“Historically, these plants have been used for deworming … but we hope to improve their efficacy, and initial results from some plant compounds are positive.” — D R . Z AI S E N WAN G

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

Drs. Jessica Quijada and Zaisen Wang check cultured infective larvae of the barber pole worm.

that can be described as indirect, that is, enhancing the animals’ resistance to the barber pole worm. First, they are studying how nutrition can enhance resistance. “Protein supplementation can enhance immunity in goats, for example, and we are conducting experiments on the efficacy of various protein types,” Wang said. The second focus of their research is on the host animal’s immune system. Small ruminants’ immune systems respond in various ways to parasite infection, and the immune systems of some breeds of goat and sheep are more parasite-resistant than others. The team is working to better understand the mechanisms of immunity, for example by identifying the immune cell types with the highest

immunity to the barber pole worm, and to manipulate specific immune system pathways that best enhance the host’s protective resistance. Another approach focuses on direct attacks on the actual parasites. Wang and Quijada are exploring and testing natural anthelmintics derived from plants, including several Chinese medicinal herbs, such as Rheum officinale, Cortex meliae, Melia azedarach, and Quisqualis indica, as well as garlic and ginger roots. “Historically, these plants have been used for deworming both people and livestock,” Wang said, “but we hope to improve their efficacy, and initial results from some plant compounds are positive. At the

same time, we are also looking for new plants that will provide even stronger protection.” With support from the USDA, Wang’s project is integrating the strengths of animal nutrition, herbal medicine, parasitology, immunology, and molecular technology with the aim of helping small ruminants and the producers who raise them. For more information, please contact Dr. Zaisen Wang, wzaisen@langston.edu.

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EXTENSION

Dr. Steve Hart: An Extension Giant at AIGR MOST LIKELY, DR. STEVE HART NEVER IMAGINED THAT A SINGLE GRANT COLLABORATION WOULD SET THE TRAJECTORY OF THE CROWNING DECADES OF HIS CAREER. BUT THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED — AND THE PROGRAMS AND PEOPLE OF LANGSTON UNIVERSITY ARE FAR RICHER FOR IT. HART’S PROFESSIONAL YEARS BEGAN IN 1972, WHEN HE RECEIVED A B.S. IN DAIRY SCIENCE FROM TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY. HE SERVED TWO YEARS IN THE ARMY BEFORE RETURNING TO TEXAS A&M, WHERE HE STUDIED SORGHUM SILAGE FOR DAIRY COWS AND COMPLETED AN M.S. IN ANIMAL SCIENCE IN 1977. HART THEN HEADED EAST AND, IN 1981, EARNED A PH.D. IN ANIMAL SCIENCE FROM VIRGINIA TECH.

“He excelled at producer communication and training. … His expertise and friendly, informative teaching style were well known all over Oklahoma and throughout the country.” — D R . R O G E R M E R K E L , A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

octoral diploma in hand, Hart joined the ranks of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at El Reno, Oklahoma. There, he focused his considerable energies on silages and crop residues for beef and stocker cattle, grain-forage interactions in cattle, turnips as a feed source for sheep, and sheep grazing behaviors. FROM ARS TO AIGR

In 1988, ARS initiated a small grant program to establish collaborative ties with 1890 land-grant institutions, Langston University among them. With his sheep and animal nutrition experience, Hart was a natural fit to collaborate on a grant proposal with Dr. Tilahun Sahlu, a research scientist at LUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR). Winning the grant, Hart and Sahlu combined their own expertise and their institutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; facilities, studying nutrient metabolism of goats at AIGR and conducting goat grazing trials at (continues)

(continues)

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EXTENSION

“There were many wonderful friendly people who encouraged me, shared their knowledge, and made me feel at home ….”

— D R . S T E V E H A R T, R E S E A R C H S CI E N TI S T A N D E X T E N S I O N S P E CI A LI S T

El Reno. When the project concluded, Dr. O.C. Simpson, dean of LU’s School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, saw Hart’s potential to fill a research and extension role at AIGR, and invited him to join the faculty. So it was that in 1991 Hart traded sheep for goats and began an AIGR career that would span nearly 30 years, first as a research professor, then as acting director in 1995-1996, and ultimately as a research scientist and extension specialist. Hart celebrated his retirement in 2019.

director and later president of the Mohair Producers of Oklahoma. Hart often gave generously of his own time to the goat farming community, helping over many years at the birthing centers at the Oklahoma State Fairs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He was, and still is, regularly invited to present at producer organization meetings and scientific conferences. Wherever he goes, Hart educates scientists and goat producers while representing Langston University with skill and class. A S C I E N T I S T I N S E RV I C E

A DRIVING FORCE FOR EXTENSION

During his time at LU, Hart was responsible for many of the extension activities carried out at AIGR. Dr. Roger Merkel, a colleague and collaborator, recalled Hart’s approach. “He excelled at producer communication and training,” Merkel said. “Each year, he conducted many workshops and presentations on topics such as internal parasite control and goat feeding and nutrition. His expertise and friendly, informative teaching style were well known all over Oklahoma and throughout the country.” Hart worked closely with a great many farmers and responded to countless inquiries via phone and email. He was closely involved in producer organizations, serving as director of the Oklahoma Meat Goat Association and as 26

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During his career, Hart was awarded several research grants focusing on grazing-based dairy production systems and vegetation management. Most recently, he investigated using

goats to control Eastern redcedar as a less expensive, more sustainable alternative to conventional control methods such as burning, mechanical clipping, and herbicide. In addition, he served on and was chair of LU’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Hart was also very active in professional societies, notably the American Society of Animal Science, both regionally and nationally, and the American Dairy Science Association. He represented the dairy goat industry at the National Conference of Interstate Milk Shippers, where he worked to get antibiotic

residue test kits approved for goats and to resolve problems with somatic cell levels in goat milk. A L A S T I N G L E G AC Y

The scientists, researchers, and staff of AIGR will long remember their colleague as someone who never hesitated to lend a hand. “Steve is the ‘service’ in cooperative extension service. His motto is to serve everyone,” said Dr. Terry Gipson. “He has been instrumental to AIGR. If I needed

an innovative or creative idea,” Gipson continued, “the first person I went to was Steve, and he would almost immediately provide me with a new outlook. That is how quick his mind works.” To Dr. Raquel Laurencon, who worked with Hart on numerous grant projects, he will always be a role model. “I’m so proud and thankful for the years that I worked with Dr. Hart,” she said. “He was an extraordinary advisor and taught me a lot about goats and

extension. I appreciate and admire his kindness, patience, hard work, and sense of humor. I really enjoyed our road trips to research plots and conferences. He is one of the best men I have ever met.” Everyone who worked with Hart knows he won’t be easy to replace. Among the many things Hart will look back on fondly, friends and colleagues top the list. “At AIGR, we all worked together as a team,” he recalled. “The job at hand was everyone’s job, and everyone worked together until it was done. There were many wonderful friendly people who encouraged me, shared their knowledge,

and made me feel at home — from day one.” In retirement, Hart plans to raise his own goats and stay active the industry. As he says farewell to AIGR, true to form, he leaves a nugget of wisdom for future students. “Find something you love, learn all you can, and learn how to write and communicate effectively.” For more information, please contact Dr. Tilahun Sahlu, tilahun.sahlu@langston.edu.

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Where Academics and Research Meet:

Experiential Learning at SAAS A CORE MISSION OF LANGSTON UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES (SAAS) IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO COMPETE AND EXCEL

STORY

IN TODAY’S DEMANDING PROFESSIONS. FACULTY, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRA-

TORS AT SAAS KNOW THAT CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION ALONE DOES NOT PROVIDE THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES STUDENTS WILL NEED TO THRIVE. TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE MOST MEANINGFUL AND REWARDING LEARNING EXPERIENCES, SAAS PAIRS THEM WITH SCIENTISTS WORKING ON ADVANCED RESEARCH INITIATIVES SO THAT THEY CAN GAIN DEEPER KNOWLEDGE, SHARPEN ANALYTICAL SKILLS, AND ENRICH THEIR UNDERSTANDING. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BUILD FOUNDATIONS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT SAAS GRADUATES HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO DRIVE INNOVATION, COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY, AND EARN LEADERSHIP ROLES IN GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA, OR INDUSTRY.

uring spring 2020, SAAS faculty and research scientists mentored a total of 41 students, who assisted with research projects and related activities in their disciplines. Beyond the classroom — in laboratories, greenhouses, farm fields, pastures, and at professional symposiums — they honed their abilities in socioeconomic analysis, genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, technology development, computer programming, professional presentation, and more. B I O T E C H N O L O GY R E S E A R C H : F R O M D N A T O DATA

Research scientist Dr. Yonathan Tilahun teaches molecular biology 28

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techniques to students working in the SAAS Teaching Laboratory. His research mentees from the natural resources management program — Jahlin Williams and Talia Alexander — performed DNA extraction for microbiome research and prepared samples for gene sequencing. Research mentee Charles Lett, Jr., a computer science major, focused on bioinformatics and the uses of various software applications for data analysis. “Each student made contributions to the growth and development of the Teaching Lab’s capabilities,” Tilahun said, “from helping complete wet laboratory bench work to finding answers to computational problems before even taking a (continues on page 30)

Rob Hoskins learns laboratory techniques from Dr. Chanelle Hayes.

“Mentoring students … allows me to inspire inquisitiveness, passion, discipline, and dedicated effort. ... The undergraduate research experience profoundly changes the student’s outlook. ...” — DR . E RICK LOETZ , AIG R RESE ARCH FARM MANAG E R

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

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Dr. Yonathan Tilahun teaches laboratory procedures to Monica Mascarenas and Audia Jones (center).

computer science course.” Lett offered a student’s perspective. “Research is as important in the classroom as in the lab,” he said. “The knowledge I gained working in bioinformatics has helped me tremendously in my classes, especially in problem solving.” Dr. Kanyand Matand, associate professor, stressed transferable laboratory skills with the plant biotechnology student-researchers he mentored. “They were trained in gene isolation as a general concept and then isolated ‘death genes’ in daylilies specifically. In addition, they gained experience and skill introducing foreign genes into plant cells to develop genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Over the course of their training, they gained hands-on technical experience with such processes as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), total RNA isolation, mRNA purification, cDNA synthesis, genomic library construction, and gene screening during plant transformation processes. All of these laboratory skills are directly transferable to career opportunities,” Matand concluded.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

Matand’s mentees — Kameron Lindsay, Maya Williams, Zoe McGowan, and Meordrick Shoemake — expressed the excitement they felt discovering the integral relationship between agriculture and core STEM disciplines. Lindsay noted, “My knowledge of research and fundamental laboratory protocol has been greatly enhanced. In our newest research project, the team and I received results we weren’t prepared for. That made us think in different ways and ultimately made me want to acquire more knowledge.” Thanks to his work with Matand, Shoemake gained a new appreciation for plant biotechnology and has re-focused his vision for the future. He is more confident than ever that new skills sharpened in the field, greenhouse, and laboratory will be in demand in industry or a graduate program. L E A R N I N G T O F LY, W I T H D R O N E TECHNOLOGIES

In some cases, students took on integral duties in a SAAS scientist’s research, and Dr. Terry Gipson, extension leader for the American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR), has long made that a part of his grant

“In our newest research project, the team and I received results we weren’t prepared for. That made us think in different ways and ultimately made me want to acquire more knowledge.” — K A M E R O N L I N D S AY, S A A S S T U D E N T

and project planning. “In all my recently funded proposals,” Gipson said, “I made it a point to include student roles in research because I firmly believe we must do all we can to train the next generation of scientists.” Gipson’s research mentees were Brenda Hollins, KaTerria Williams, TeLecia Young, Johnathan Schanufer, and Joshua Mason. All five were involved in two of Gipson’s projects — Sky Wrangler, a drone equipped with cameras and an on-board computer that will provide livestock producers with real-time information and actionable recommendations for herd management, and PastureDrone, a drone project focused on pasture management. The students attended classes to learn the Python programming language and helped develop the Python scripts that will control the drones and analyze data from the near-infrared and thermal cameras onboard. They also investigated and reported on ways to commercialize and market the systems. In addition, Gipson’s mentee team studied the design of the drones, helped build the unmanned aerial vehicles, learned to f ly them in autonomous and semi-autonomous modes, and interpreted collected data based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in order to make practical recommendations. At the end of their experience, the students presented their findings at regional and national meetings.

undergraduates in my research projects years ago at the University of Arkansas and have been excited to continue that practice here at LU. My aim is to mentor students so they can develop into top-notch scientists or excel in other professions. Both Sierra and Tyrone have shown considerable motivation and drive to deepen their knowledge and make new discoveries.” At the AIGR farm, farm manager Dr. Erick Loetz guided Joshua Farris and Alexia Thurmond in working with small (continues) ruminants to collect, evaluate, and

SCIENCE AND TECH IN SMALL RUMINANT AG R I C U LT U R E

Animal science majors Sierra Garrett and Tyrone Bowman were mentored by Dr. Arthur Goetsch, research leader at AIGR. Garrett assisted with sample preparation and lab analyses, including gross energy, fiber, and dry matter determinations, as well as data entry for blood chemistry analyses for metabolites such as albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Bowman’s research, focused on goats and sheep, involved the quantification of feed and water consumed, collection of blood and ruminal f luid samples, and measurements of body weight and body condition scores. Goetsch remarked, “I started involving

Sierra Garrett inserts a sample for nitrogen determination. S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

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Felicia Johnson prepares to pipette samples in the SAAS Teaching Laboratory.

freeze semen; collect blood samples; detect estrus in female sheep and goats; and carry out other management and production procedures. “Mentoring students in research,” Loetz said, “allows me to inspire inquisitiveness, passion, discipline, and dedicated effort, which are the building blocks of career success. The undergraduate research experience profoundly changes the student’s outlook on every aspect of their lives because it teaches them how science uses facts to understand and work with reality.” Farris added his own angle on his mentor’s ideas. “Conducting research on the farm challenged me to think more deeply about my own vision,” he said. “The opportunities I enjoyed have pushed me to aim for a graduate degree after I finish my bachelor’s.” Jaliyah Flowers worked with Dr. Roger Merkel on a project entitled Certification in a MoodleBox. She and her mentor used a novel method to provide web-based information to producers when they are without internet connectivity. “I worked with a small handheld computer called Raspberry Pi,” she said. “My objectives were to beta test the programs, 32

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have input on integration with wireless tablets and other project components, and clarify technical guides so the system is easier for farmers to use.” ECONOMICS AN D FOOD PRODUCTION

Two projects — Food Insecurity Intervention Strategies in Selected Oklahoma Communities and Assessing the Potential Factors Affecting the Demand for Goat Meat Consumption in Oklahoma — were the focus, respectively, of agribusiness majors Adolfo Escoto and Taylor McNair. Both worked with Dr. Nirodha De Silva, assistant professor. Prior to starting his project in fall 2019, Escoto served as an intern with the Natural Resources Conservation Service of USDA in summer 2019. When he began working with De Silva, Escoto realized that combining research and academic goals fit perfectly with his long-term plans. “My experiences had a lasting impact on my personal growth,” Escoto said, “and I give credit to Dr. De Silva and the agriculture and natural resources department for their support. I wanted to show that a degree from

“…I made it a point to include student roles in research because I firmly believe we must … train the next generation of scientists.” — DR. TERRY GIPSON, AIGR EXTENSION LEADER

Langston University provides a high degree of value and career opportunity,” he added. His primary responsibilities on the project included conducting literature reviews on food security issues in Oklahoma and the U.S., collecting data and entering it into an economics database, and analyzing results. Through his project, Escoto strengthened his abilities to compete in the job market at the highest levels.

next level by presenting research results in poster and oral formats. In 2019, 22 students presented posters or gave oral presentations at the 19th Research Symposium of the Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD) in Jacksonville, Florida. Several SAAS students won awards, including Brenda Hollins, Brendon Foster, and Joshua Farris. SAAS students have also been awarded prizes at the Oklahoma State University Research Symposium in multiple years. Langston University Research Day and Oklahoma Research Day are other venues where LU students present their research results.

Isaiah Gordon and Naomi Daniels, horticulture majors, worked with Dr. Tracey Payton performing field research trials for tomato, squash, and other vegetable varieties. Their objectives included implementing monitoring equipment, maintaining and checking irrigation systems, posiFor Hollins, earning an award was one of her most memotioning and removing insect nets to thwart pests, setting up rable achievements in her college career. “Presenting my hoop house ventilation systems, and gathering test results. research results and winning my competition at the ARD “Working on the squash research project last summer opened symposium in 2019 was one of the highlights of my research my eyes to things I never noticed before,” Gordon said. experience at LU — in addition to the enriching experi“After I analyzed the data, I was able to see how something ence of working on research projects and learning a lot from as small as a squash bug could completely alter a plant’s my mentor, Dr. Gipson,” she said. Talia Alexander added physiology and significantly reduce fruit production. Our her own perspective on her integrated learning experiences. goals were to control the pest and improve production.” “My professors in SAAS pushed me to work hard in my classes and my research assignments,” she recalled. “Now I want to go to graduate school to continue that work.” P R E S E N TAT I O N S A N D R E C O G N I T I O N Without reports and presentations of results, research is incomplete. For this reason, SAAS provides opportunities for students to take their experiential learning to the

For more information, please contact Dr. Wesley Whittaker, wesley. whittaker@langston.edu

Bradley Wilkinson presents a poster of his research and poses with a group of his peers at the 1890 ARD Research Symposium in 2019. S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

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Controlling Squash Pests, Encouraging Pollinators: Langston University Extension Research NATIVE TO THE AMERICAS, THE SQUASH FAMILY INCLUDES BOTH SUMMER VARIETIES, SUCH AS ZUCCHINI AND YELLOW SQUASH, AND WINTER VARIETIES, SUCH AS BUTTERNUT AND SPAGHETTI SQUASHES, PUMPKINS, AND GOURDS. SOFT-SKINNED SUMMER SQUASH TYPICALLY MATURE IN A MATTER OF WEEKS, WHILE THE HARDER-SKINNED WINTER VARIETIES DEVELOP MORE SLOWLY AND CAN BE STORED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER AUTUMN HARVEST.

iven these diverse characteristics, squash varieties can be planted and harvested six months of the year. So it’s no wonder that many Oklahoma farmers cultivate the popular vegetable to supply local farmers markets and food processing plants — and to generate significant income.

reducing the quantity of fruit produced and the farmer’s potential income. The second risk is somewhat more ‘indirect.’ When insecticides are used to control pests, pollinators can also be killed. The outcome is the same — less fruit and lower income for the farmer.”

The squash bug provides a good illustration of the pest problem. The bug overwinters as an adult; then, in early spring, it f lies into newly planted crops to feed and to lay eggs on the underside of the plant’s leaves, hidden from casual view. Often, infestation is only discovered on close inspection, when the farmer lifts a leaf and reveals masses of eggs or hatched nymphs, by which time it may be too late. While eggs and nymphs are developing unseen, the adults have been feeding by sucking sap from the plants, damaging vines and reducing their ability to produce fruit. Several insecticides are approved to combat the squash bug, but adults are “The first risk,” Payton explained, difficult to control, and applica“is that insect pests, particuJim Shrefler, OSU Extension Area Horticulture Specialist, tion timing is critical. If timing larly the squash bug and squash and Dr. Tracey Payton, LU Horticulturalist, plan the placeis off, the crucial pollinators can vine borer, can cause substantial, ment of row covers on the test plot. Shrefler secured the research grant and has been doing squash bug/row cover be harmed. Once plants begin direct damage to squash plants, There are, however, problems that affect squash crops and impact the producers, and School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS) horticulturalist Dr. Tracey Payton is at work solving one of the most significant. Her research, funded by an Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant and a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant in cooperation with Oklahoma State University, focuses on addressing two important risk factors involving two quite different groups of insects — pests and pollinators.

research for many years.

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(continues on page 36)

Typically, squash bug eggs are found on the undersides of squash leaves. The eggs are small and hard, resembling strawberry seeds.

The farmer must carefully weigh the potential for crop damage caused by the insect pest against the danger the insecticide poses to pollinating insects.

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Eric McHenry, SAAS horticulture technician, and Isaiah Gordon, student researcher, bend hoops used to put row covers in place.

f lowering, the farmer must carefully weigh the potential for crop damage caused by the insect pest against the danger the insecticide poses to pollinating insects, which are necessary for fruit set. E X P E R I M E N TA L T R E AT M E N T S

Building on prior trials of row covers to keep insect pests away from summer squash plants, Paytonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research investigates ways to exclude the pests while allowing pollinating insects to reach the squash f lowers safely. In one test 36

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to assess differences in fruit set, row covers were removed at one, two, three, or four weeks after the plants began to f lower. Although analysis of data is ongoing, initial indications are that removing the covers in weeks three and four results in an optimal balance between pest control and successful pollination. When covers are removed at one or two weeks, squash bug infestations occur at a typical rate. When they are removed at three or four weeks, infestations decline, pollinators are able to fertilize the f lowers, and fruit is soon ready for harvest. An added benefit of using the covers was that plants had more time to develop and mature before pollination and were better able to withstand insect damage. A second treatment tested different types of row cover â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a light frost blanket, a heavy frost blanket, and an open

“Giving farmers options to produce in response to changes in price and demand is an important part of Langston University’s approach to working with smallholder farmers.”

— DR. TRACEY

PAY T O N , L A N G S T O N U N I V E R S I T Y H O R T I C U LT U R A L I S T

Research plot testing different types of row cover materials.

weave netting — as well as the timing of their removal and replacement over the course of the day. The most promising result, regardless of cover type, was removing the row cover for two hours from 8 to 10 a.m. B R I N G I N G VA L U E T O S Q UA S H FA R M E R S

“Results of this research show that farmers can use row covers in an integrated fashion to exclude pests and better manage fruit development — without using insecticides,” Payton said. “In the end, they can earn more money and bring safer produce to market.” In the course of these experiments, Payton also discovered an unanticipated benefit. Farmers can grow plants under covers well beyond the f lowering stage, uncovering them for pollinators to access roughly 10 days before the grower needs squash to sell.

At present, Payton continues to analyze harvest data and plan further trials. Nonetheless, she expects that, when her findings are disseminated, farmers will be able to exert more control over the production cycle, uncovering multiple groups of plants under different covers to supply produce over a prolonged period or replacing covers to suppress production if there is an oversupply in the marketplace. “Giving farmers options to produce in response to changes in price and demand is an important part of Langston University’s approach to working with smallholder farmers,” she concluded. For more information, please contact Dr. Tracey Payton, ptracey@ langston.edu.

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Farida Belksami:

Borlaug Fellow at AIGR

AS A MEMBER OF THE FACULTY AT MOHAMED EL BACHIR EL IBRAHIMI UNIVERSITY IN ALGERIA , FARIDA BELKSAMI HAD DEVELOPED A KEEN INTEREST IN ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION. WHEN A COLLEAGUE TOLD HER THAT THE RESEARCH FOCUS OF THE 2019 USDA FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE BORLAUG INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WAS IN EXACTLY THOSE AREAS, SHE SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY.

he submitted her application and soon learned she had won a prestigious Borlaug Fellowship. Based on her research interests, the Borlaug program paired her with her future mentor, Dr. Arthur Goetsch, of the American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR) at Langston University. They corresponded and together designed a research program.

Belksami leapt into her work at AIGR. Mentored by Goetsch, she spent most of her 15-week stint on research trials using three breeds of hair sheep to evaluate the “Effects of Nutritional Plane Before and After Breeding on Reproduction Performance.” As she cared for the animals, she collected data for the initial phase of her research, which will end at lambing in the spring 2020. She was particularly interested in using body condition scoring in a research setting and learning more about small ruminant nutrition. And with the help of AIGR scientists, Belksami honed her laboratory and other skills in the areas of calorimetry, feedstuff fiber analysis, general laboratory skills, and RNA extraction. In addition, having expressed a desire in her fellowship application to delve into statistical analysis techniques, including modeling and regression, Belksami was especially grateful when Dr. Terry Gipson stepped in to provide training sessions using the SAS statistical software suite and the R statistical analysis environment.

In August 2019, Belksami arrived in the U.S. and at Langston University. Her first impressions were somewhat overwhelming. Belksami had never traveled to the U.S., and her ideas of America had been formed by movies, television, and news. The real U.S. was not exactly what she anticipated. For one thing, it was bigger. “There is a lot of land and big houses,” she recalled. The U.S. was also more rural than she had expected – in the media, she had seen mostly cities and urban areas. Langston University and the region around it were quite different from her bustling home of Bordj Bou Arréridj, a northern Algerian city of 200,000 inhabitants. Fortunately, language was not a surprise – in addition to her native Arabic, Belksami speaks f luent Farida Belksami records data from tri-axial French and English. accelerometers used to measure rumination and lying/standing time.

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Borlaug fellows are encouraged to travel during their program, and Belksami took advantage of her opportunities, (continues on page 40)

“If I could have stayed longer, I would have gained even more benefit; I’ll miss the work here.” — FARIDA B E LKSAMI

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Farida Belksami greets a hair sheep used in her research.

The Borlaug Fellowship Program Honoring Norman E . Borlaug, the

Typically, Borlaug fellows are scientists,

Farida Belksami is the third Borlaug

American agronomist, humanitarian,

researchers, or policymakers in the early

fellow hosted by the American Institute

and Nobel laureate known as the “father

or middle stages of their careers. Each

for Goat Research at Langston University,

of the Green Revolution,” the Borlaug

fellow works one-on-one with a mentor

following two fellows from Kenya in 2014.

Fellowship Program promotes food

at a U.S. university, research center, or

security and economic growth by pro-

government agency, usually for 8 to 12

viding training and collaborative research

weeks. The mentor will later visit the

opportunities to fellows from developing

fellow’s home institution to continue

and middle-income countries.

collaboration.

visiting small ruminant farms in Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas as well as USDA facilities at Booneville, Arkansas, and the Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. Along with Goetsch, she also traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to attend the annual World Food Prize Symposium, where they met other Borlaug fellows and scientists from around the world. When her time at AIGR came to an end, Belksami felt her research objectives and expectations for the program had been met. Still, it had gone quickly. “If I could have stayed longer, I would have gained even more benefit; I’ll miss the work here.” 40

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Back home, she resumed her teaching duties, forged ahead with her research, and continued studying statistical analysis. In fall 2020, as the last part of the Borlaug Fellowship Program, she will be joined in Algeria by Goetsch to help her complete the Borlaug project, meet with her colleagues, and discuss future endeavors. “My hope,” Belksami said, “is to keep in touch with the AIGR team and work with them on other projects, even from Algeria.” For more information, please contact Dr. Arthur Goetsch, arthur. goetsch@langston.edu.

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“I had the privilege to spend time with so many great SAAS students. I have kept in touch with some and am amazed at where their SAAS education has taken them.”

Answering the Call: Instructor and Extension Specialist Clark Williams CLARK WILLIAMS WAS BORN AND RAISED ON A WHEAT, CATTLE, AND ALFALFA FARM IN COYLE, OKLAHOMA, A SCANT SEVEN MILES FROM LANGSTON UNIVERSITY.

s a boy, he was active in both 4-H and FFA and, as a high school senior, was awarded a State FFA Degree. He spent his college years at Oklahoma State University, where he earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in agricultural economics.

How Williams came to spend 30 years at Langston University’s School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS) is the story of a single day in August 1990. That morning, Dr. Francis Epplin, a professor in OSU’s department of agricultural economics, asked Williams if he had applied for “the position being offered in your backyard.” When Williams wondered where the position was being offered, he learned that SAAS was searching for an extension specialist to work on a new USDA grant. Still a few months shy of completing his master’s degree and looking for work, he immediately called LU. He was asked if he could interview that afternoon. He could, he did, and, at

the interview’s end, he accepted the job. His official first day at SAAS was September 9, 1990. S T U D E N T- F O C U S E D

Williams never intended to have a career in teaching, but two months into his extension duties, he was asked to teach the introduction to agricultural economics course in the spring semester. He soon discovered how much he enjoyed working with students and making a difference in their lives. In fact, teaching became the favorite part of his job. Dr. Terry Gipson, extension leader for the American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR), colleague, and friend for 20 years, always appreciated Williams’ contributions to students. “Clark did immeasurable good for countless SAAS students,” Gipson said. “He always put them and their interests first. His retirement will be a great loss for the next gen(continues) eration, who will not have his guiding hand to S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

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shepherd them through the often-complicated pastures of academic rules and requirements.” In 1998, Williams became the primary academic advisor in the agriculture and natural resources department in SAAS and the faculty advisor to the Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources and Related Sciences club (MANRRS). Again he excelled. Courtney Brown, former SAAS communications coordinator, remembered working alongside him. “I co-advised MANRRS with Clark for several years, and he was a joy to work with,” she said. “I was blessed to learn so much from his experience, and I admired his true commitment to the students. LU is losing a true gem, but his impact will be long-lasting.”

farm management even after taking on significant teaching and academic responsibilities. He served until his retirement on numerous university committees, most notably the academic policies and retention committees. For his many career accomplishments, Williams received deserved accolades. He was a long-standing member of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture. He served as president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and as vice president of the Langston City Lions Club. He was a graduate of Class XI of the Oklahoma Agriculture Leadership Program. At LU, he received SAAS outstanding advisor and faculty awards.

Many students also share a deep appreciation for Williams and his uplifting inf luence. Each fall, year after year, new agricultural science students quickly realized that Williams had the answer to every “how do I” or “what should I do” question. Helena Hollins, a 2018 SAAS graduate, recalled that Williams was one of her favorite instructors. “He was the go-to guy for everything,” she said. “He knew all the answers and took every situation in stride.” Current senior Jaliyah Flowers agreed. “Mr. Williams was helpful to the nth degree,” she explained. “He always had a smile on his face and really cared about students. I cannot imagine SAAS without him.”

When he thinks back on his 30 years at SAAS, Williams’ fondest memories will be the many people he got to interact with. “I had the privilege to spend time with so many great SAAS students,” he reminisced. “I have kept in touch with some and am amazed at where their SAAS education has taken them. And I’ll always look back and enjoy the literally thousands of lunches I shared with Drs. Raymond Faucette and Steve Zeng.” Williams will also remember the trips he was able to take with students — traveling to national MANRRS conferences in many U.S. cities, accompanying study abroad students to China, and camping trips to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, sometimes with students who had never camped before.

Dr. Steve Zeng, chairperson of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who worked with Williams for many years, offered an appreciation of his teaching and mentoring. “In the last 10-plus years, Clark was the only instructor who never had complaints from students. He was always there to assist in academics and extracurricular activities. He always demonstrated strong patience with and passion for our students. He is simply beloved by all the students in our department.”

A single day changed a life. A morning’s question launched a career. And simple acts of caring became the thread that wove the Clark Williams story — a lively conversation with colleagues, the sparkle of understanding in a new student’s eyes, and the beam of confidence when a graduate ascends the commencement stage. Looking back on his years with the faculty, staff, and students of SAAS, Williams should feel justly proud that his instruction, mentoring, and caring forged careers and enriched lives.

DUTY DONE

For more information, please contact Dr. Steve Zeng, steve.zeng@ langston.edu.

Williams’ years at SAAS were a period of constancy and stability. He continued serving as an extension specialist in

“Clark did immeasurable good for countless SAAS students. He always put them and their interests first. His retirement will be a great loss for the next generation…” — DR. TERRY

GIPSON, AIGR EXTENSION LEADER

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

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Dr. Erick Loetz: AIGR Research Farm Manager Dr. Erick Loetz working in the andrology laboratory.

BORN IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA, ERICK LOETZ SPENT HIS LATE CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT YEARS IN BOLIVIA, WHERE HE RAN HIS FAMILYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FARM IN THE YUNGAS RAINFOREST IN THE ANDES FOOTHILLS. THERE HE REMAINED UNTIL HE HEARD THE CALL OF ACADEMIA AND HEADED NORTH TO CALIFORNIA. LOETZ STUDIED FIRST AT SAN MATEO JUNIOR COLLEGE AND LATER ENROLLED AT CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, WHERE HE EARNED A B.S. IN ANIMAL SCIENCE IN 1980. IN A PORTENT OF THE PATH HE WOULD FOLLOW FOR MOST OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE, HIS SENIOR PROJECT WAS ON GOAT NUTRITION.

is studies resumed at Bridgerland Technical College in Logan, Utah, where he completed a year-long dairy herd management program in 1981. Seeking to expand his knowledge of dairy animals, Loetz matriculated at Utah State University, earning an M.S. in reproductive management in 1986.

OKLAHOMA INTERRUPTED

Eager to put his broad expertise to work, Loetz applied for and was hired as research farm operations manager at the American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR) at Langston University. At AIGR, he managed herds of 120 Alpine dairy goats and 80 Angora goats, raised for their mohair. He also co-authored his first research publication, (continues) S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

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dealing with milking machine parameters for dairy goats. A coworker at AIGR, Dr. Tilahun Sahlu, would later become director of the institute and be instrumental in bringing Loetz back. In 1988, Loetz left AIGR to pursue doctoral studies in reproductive physiology at Oklahoma State University. He was prevented from completing his degree, however, when family matters called him back to Bolivia. Over the ensuing 10 years, he managed the family farm, taught at universities in La Paz and Cochabamba, and completed a B.S. in agricultural engineering and an M.S. in cytogenetics from the School of Medicine at the Dr. Erick Loetz Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz. AT A I G R F O R G O O D

Always yearning to develop professionally and stay true to his agricultural roots, Loetz contacted AIGR. In 2001, he was hired by Sahlu, who had been named director of AIGR, to manage the research farm once again. This time, however, the job would be more demanding. In the 14 years since his first stint at AIGR, the number of animals at the research farm had increased tenfold and management duties had expanded to an even greater extent. While he was handling his farm management tasks, Loetz became involved in all aspects of AIGR. International assignments took him to Armenia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Namibia. He developed herd management programs for producers throughout Oklahoma, across the U.S., and around the world. And in the midst of this work, he earned his

doctorate in biological science from the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. During his tenure as manager of the research farm, Loetz took the greatest satisfaction from building two state-of-the-art laboratories and establishing AIGR’s assisted reproductive technology program. The first laboratory is dedicated to embryo transfer, early pregnancy diagnosis, estrus and ovulation synchronization, estrus detection, various means of performing artificial insemination, and laparoscopic ovum retrieval. The second is a fully equipped andrology lab established for evaluating buck and ram semen quality and freezing semen. The assisted reproductive technology program, while spearheaded by Loetz, benefitted from the contributions of numerous visiting scientists and scholars — Dr. Bridgitte Muasa, a 2014 Borlaug fellow from Nairobi, Kenya; Dr. Desiderio Arrocha, from Panama; and Drs. Miguel A. Rojas, Rommel M. Calle, and Fabiola Encinas from Bolivia. Sahlu has only the highest praise for Loetz. “Erick has been instrumental in managing the farm for the past 19 years,” he remarked. “His guidance has allowed AIGR scientists to conduct high quality research in a variety of areas. His own research and his willingness to train visiting scientists and undergraduate students has greatly strengthened our capabilities. As he prepares to retire in 2020, it is only right that all of us at AIGR and Langston University express our appreciation for his vision, energy, and commitment to his job and his staff. He will be missed.” For more information, please contact Dr. Tiahun Sahlu, tiahun. sahlu@langston.edu

During his tenure as manager of the research farm, Dr. Erick Loetz took the greatest satisfaction from building two stateof-the-art laboratories and establishing AIGR’s assisted reproductive technology program. 44

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It IS Rocket Science! … at LU-SAAS MARCIO WHITE , ADJUNCT PROFESSOR IN THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES (SA AS), HAS BROUGHT ROCKET SCIENCE DOWN TO EARTH FOR LANGSTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOLS. FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, NASA — THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION — HAS ENGAGED TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN A BROAD EFFORT TO EDUCATE FUTURE GENERATIONS IN SPACE EXPLORATION AND RELATED SCIENCE FIELDS. WHITE GRAVITATED NATUR ALLY TO THESE PRO GRAMS, GIVEN HIS ROLE TEACHING STEM SUBJECTS — SCIENCE , TECH NOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS — AND HIS OWN INTEREST IN SPACE.

ince 2011, he has been instrumental in connecting Langston University to NASA programs and activities, winning grant awards to participate in NASA programs, bringing fellow educators into the NASA orbit, and ultimately expanding the horizons of LU and Oklahoma students. N A S A E N G AG E M E N T

One of the first steps White took — nearly a decade ago — was to make sure LU became more involved as a charter member of the Oklahoma NASA Space Grant Consortium. This affiliation opened the door to many opportunities for both LU students and Oklahoma teachers. (For information

Adjunct professor, Marcio White, holding LU’s payload from the 2018 RockSat-C sounding rocket.

about the Oklahoma NASA Space Grant Consortium, visit http://spacegrant.oknasa.org/about.)

Starting in 2011, White has recruited two students each year to participate in the University of Oklahoma’s Geospatial Summer Fellowship and Symposium, one of the NASA Space Grant programs. Before the summer program, they enroll in White’s introductory and advanced classes in GIS/ GPS (geographic information systems/global positioning systems). Then, in the program, they delve deeper into GIS and remote sensing and their uses in higher education. With each passing year, White realized just how much his (continues) work with students on these NASA-sponsored

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One LU team designed an experiment entitled Countermeasures for Dysregulation of the Immune System of Astronauts During Prolonged Space Flights. programs had become a passion, one that recently reached new heights. W E H AV E L I F T O F F !

Annually, NASA and supporting institutions host a five-day RockOn! workshop, where teams of students and faculty from universities across America prepare experiment kits to send into sub-orbital f light aboard a sounding rocket (see the sidebar to learn about sounding rockets). Three years ago, White and Dr. Randy Hunt, associate professor at LUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Education and Behavioral Sciences (now retired), took students from LU and Oklahoma State 46

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University to Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, to take part in the 2017 RockOn! program. Their experiment was intended to capture temperature, humidity, pressure, radiation, and other data in near-zero gravity. In the workshop, the team assembled instruments to take required measurements, programmed an Arduino minicomputer to aggregate data collected by the instruments, constructed and tested their experiment kit, and integrated the kit alongside others inside the payload compartment of a two-stage Terrier-Orion rocket. After cheering the rocket off toward the edge of interstellar space, they awaited recovery and then, back at the Wallops facility, retrieved their kits to analyze data.

What Is a Sounding Rocket? The NASA Sounding Rocket Program (NSRP) LU students and faculty at the Wallops Flight Facility 37 minutes prior to liftoff of a sounding rocket carrying their payload into space.

has been in existence for more than 40 years. Sounding rockets take their name from the nautical term “to sound” or measure the depth of water, though the rockets now perform a vast

Teams that complete the RockOn! program qualify to participate in the more advanced RockSat-C program, where they get to conceive, design, and build their own experiments. In 2017-2018, led by Dr. Byron Quinn, associate professor and chair of the biology department in the School of Arts and Sciences, the LU team embraced that opportunity. In fall 2017, the team designed an experiment entitled Countermeasures for Dysregulation of the Immune System of Astronauts During Prolonged Space Flights. In spring 2018, they tested the experiment, reviewed the integration process, and trained in launch readiness. Then, in June, they traveled to the Wallops Flight Facility to load their experiment into the RockSat-C rocket and observe the launch. “Soon after takeoff,” White recalled, “the rockets reach speeds of Mach 3, or roughly 2,300 miles per hour. There is a huge shockwave, a loud bang, and the rocket leaps off (continues)

range of measurements as they carry out their scientific, technical, and educational missions. Most NSRP missions are sub-orbital, lasting from 5 to 20 minutes. They employ relatively simple, low-cost solid-fuel rockets that carry a payload of scientific instruments for experimental purposes. Over the years, NASA has engaged university researchers to design experiments, develop instrument payloads, and analyze results, while the space agency provides launch vehicles and mission support. More information can be found at https://www.nasa.gov/ mission_pages/soundingrockets/index.html.

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the pad.” The 2018 sounding rocket f lew to an altitude of more than 300,000 feet before its parachute deployed and it descended into the Atlantic Ocean for recovery by NASA technicians and data analysis by the participating teams. (A video of the 2017 RockOn! program, produced by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Y90151n0kx w&feature=emb_logo.

Information on the RockOn! program can be found at https://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code810/student.html. Both of these sources were used in the writing of the above descriptions.) T E AC H E R S R E AC H F O R T H E S TA R S

can control and use the 34-meter telescope from their classrooms, bringing real-world — or real-space — experience to their young students. This past year, White took Monte Myers, a high school teacher from Guthrie, Oklahoma, to the Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers. The academy instructs high school teachers in the principles of f light and aerodynamics, the science behind rocket payloads, and the transfer of this knowledge to their classrooms. As part of the program, the teachers also get to build a NASA-designed model rocket and payload, launch it into the air, and observe the launch of the RockSat-X rocket into space. On completing the academy, both White and Myers received NASA certification as space science educators.

Recently, White also began introducing Oklahoma teachers to the excitement of space science. It started when he parWhite continues to engage Oklahoma teachers from every ticipated in the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope secondary level. Under his guidance, middle school teacher (GAVRT) project, jointly run by NASA, the Jet Propulsion Aczavuis Smith of Taft Middle School in Oklahoma City Laboratory ( JPL), and the Lewis Center for Educational completed a NASA program preparing him to guide his stuResearch. Participants learn how to use the 34-meter radio dents through online training that will allow them to contelescope belonging to NASA’s Deep Space Network and ceptualize and propose a small project that can be sent aloft work with other scientists from around the world on a sounding rocket. to make new discoveries. Once certified, as What might White’s ultimate mission White was, he was able to share his knowlbe? “I’d hope to find a middle school edge with Oklahoma educators. He or junior high school stuintroduced four area high dent who wants to be an school teachers — Monte astronaut,” he said. “Then Myers and Carie Keith of I’d really like to work to Guthrie High School in help that student become Guthrie, James Harding Jr. an astronaut on the human of U.S. Grant High School mission to Mars planned for in Oklahoma City, and 2030.” Karen Macabe of Cashion High School in Cashion For more information, please contact Marcio White, marcio. — to the GAVRT project. white@langston.edu. The four are in the process Marcio White and other college instructors from across the U.S. of being certified, and as stand in front of the space telescope, part of the Near Space Prohigh school teachers, they gram, at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

“I’d hope to find a middle school or junior high school student who wants to be an astronaut. Then I’d really like to work to help that student become an astronaut on the human mission to Mars planned for 2030.” — MARCIO WHITE, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

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The EFNEP team provided a nutrition demonstration to Shiloh Camp & Adventure Course participants in Oklahoma City. The team, along with the help of youth volunteers, created a variety of healthy refreshing fruit smoothies. Representing SAAS are (adults left to right): Joshua Todd, Melvin Williams, Jeremiah Wilson, Dorothy Wilson, and Joshua Davis.

Teaching Nutrition and Health:

EFNEP Makes a Difference JOSHUA TODD, JOSHUA DAVIS, AND MELVIN WILLIAMS ARE NUTRITION EDUCATORS WHO STRIVE TO HELP OKLAHOMANS EVERY DAY. THE THREE ARE MEMBERS OF THE EXPANDED FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM, OR EFNEP, CONDUCTED BY THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM IN THE LANGSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES (SAAS).

“O

ur mission,” Todd explained, “is to reduce food insecurity and related problems by teaching schoolage children and families with young children about nutrition and health.”

INTO COM M U NITIE S

The EFNEP team at LU-SAAS works to fulfill program goals in four areas: diet quality and physical activity, food choices for best nutritional quality, food safety, and food security. The program graduated more than 2,000 Oklahomans in 2019 and has served more than 20,000 in the 15 years it has been affiliated with the university.

EFNEP is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture. Operated by land-grant universities, it reaches people throughout the U.S. and six U.S. territories. According to USDA, roughly 80 percent of families served “We go to schools, community centers, and churches where by the program live at or below the federal poverty level and we can speak with adults and children about healthy life70 percent are underserved minorities. The program uses styles,” Davis said. “The choices our participants make dedicated staff to help its participants lead healthier lives. (continues) regarding nutrition have a major impact S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

EXTENSION

throughout their lives.” Todd most appreciates “helping participants shop smarter at the grocery store. Adults and children are often unfamiliar with nutritional labels, and everyone can learn more about stretching their food dollar.” For Davis, the most important thing EFNEP promotes is better habits to create healthier lifestyles. “Oklahoma is No. 8 in obesity nationally,” he explained. “The guidance we offer can have a life-long benefit for everyone in the home.” Although the focus of EFNEP is on physical health, some participants need other kinds of support. “People face a wide range of emotional and personal issues that affect their overall wellbeing,” Williams said. Having a master’s degree in counseling, he knows from experience that, before some clients are ready to learn about nutrition, they may need to talk about life itself. When called upon, he is there to listen, be compassionate and empathetic, and lend a professional hand. CHANGING LIVES

Ultimately, EFNEP is about teaching people to make optimal consumption choices and lead healthier, more active lives, as the following examples illustrate. Program graduate Tabitha Green and her family have made important changes thanks to EFNEP. “Before the classes,” she said, “my husband and I lived a very sedentary lifestyle. I didn’t consider many physical activities enjoyable, but now, we enjoy many of the activities we learned in class. We now grocery shop together and cook meals using recipes we learned in class. We’re more physically active with our daughter and really enjoy walking together after dinner or going to the park on weekends. Also, we started our own garden, which helps us stay active and provides fresh vegetables for the family. Combined, my husband and I have lost over 20 pounds,” she added. “I was overspending at the grocery story,” Anthony Payne recalled, “so my favorite part of EFNEP class was learning ways to save. I never used a shopping list before and often bought things I didn’t need. Now, not only do I create a grocery list, I also compare prices and use the unit price to see which packages are less expensive. I save $5 to $10 per shopping trip. I sometimes still make impulse purchases, but I’m getting better. I’m even learning learn how to use the internet to compare prices for even more savings.” An Oklahoma County woman who prefers to remain anonymous described how her lifestyle has changed. “Before the EFNEP classes, our family was just going through the 50

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

EFNEP team members, (left to right) Joshua Davis and Joshua Todd, present a smart shopping exercise to eighth graders from Millwood Middle School.

motions when it came to eating. We didn’t think much about what we were doing, we were never consistent about reading labels, and we weren’t very mindful of what we ate. I often struggle with my weight and didn’t want my son to adopt my poor eating habits. Because of what we learned in the class, we now discuss portion sizes, and he understands the difference between an adult-sized portion for me and a child-sized portion for him. Honestly, he was upset with me at first because he wanted more than I was giving him. But he realized I was concerned for his health. Now, we read labels together and pay attention to calories, sugar, and sodium intake, and we make better food choices. In addition, I’ve been able to share the information I’ve learned with my entire family. Our communication and understanding about food and nutrition has improved greatly.”

“Oklahoma is No. 8 in obesity nationally. The guidance we offer can have a life-long benefit for everyone in the home.” — J O S H UA DAV I S , S A A S N U T R I T I O N E D U C AT O R

T H E WO R K C O N T I N U E S

Jeremiah Wilson, deputy associate extension administrator for SAAS, and Dorothy Wilson, director and state program leader for SAAS 4-H youth development and EFNEP, have been driving forces at LU-SAAS EFNEP for years. “EFNEP has been a very important part of my professional life,” said Jeremiah Wilson. “It was my job to build the program such that its impact on people’s lives would be tangible and meaningful. I am proud of what the program has accomplished in improving people’s consumption patterns and for the broad assistance we’ve given to many Oklahomans.” Dorothy Wilson echoed this sentiment: “Since its inception at LU-SAAS, EFNEP has had tremendous impact on the citizens of Oklahoma.”

The differences that teachers Todd, Davis, and Williams have made — and will continue to make — in the lives of countless Oklahomans stretches beyond time spent in classrooms, churches, and community centers. Their lessons will endure. Davis reiterated how important it is “to reach these kids in school at a young age so they can practice good health throughout their lives.” Todd is certain that the EFNEP classes “positively impact young people and adults throughout their lifetime.” Williams said he only hopes “I have made differences in people’s lives, especially in pointing them in the right direction.” The attitudes of these three educators ref lect the care and concern LU-SAAS EFNEP has for every Oklahoma participant. For more information, please contact Mr. Jeremiah Wilson, jeremiah. wilson@langston.edu.

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

news news news news EXTENSION BRIEFS

Goat and Hair Sheep Field Day: Knowledge Is Power Since 1986, the American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR) has held an annual field day to equip small ruminant producers with essential skills, knowledge, and abilities to sustain their operations profitably. One of AIGR’s core cooperative extension events, the field day focused on goats until 2018, when hair sheep programming was added to the event and the name became Goat and Hair Sheep Field Day. Each year is focused on a different theme, the most recent being “Holistic Practices.” Field day proceedings books are handed out to attendees and posted on AIGR’s website. In 2019, for the first time, AIGR livestreamed the morning’s plenary sessions, reaching many who could not attend in person. The Goat and Hair Sheep Field Day is popular with producers. Over the past several years, more than 200 have attended annually. The field day is an important opportunity for the AIGR team to share successful production methods and challenges and to meet face-to-face with producers and other stakeholders from Oklahoma and other states.

A future goat owner holds an Alpine kid at the Goat and Hair Sheep Field Day. For more information about the annual field day, contact Dr. Terry Gipson, terry.gipson@langston.edu.

Extension Partnership: Farmers Market & Agritourism Conference Why can using plasticulture help me raise more vegetables

conference drew over 500 participants. The three-day

to sell? What is the most economical way to control pests

event kicked off with a day of workshops, including one

in a market garden? How can I take the gardening lessons

that proved why Anderson is the “extension educator of

learned by the diverse cultural groups in Oklahoma and

choice” on all things plasticulture. Day two gave all three

apply them to grow unique, marketable crops? These were

SAAS extension team members time on the stage. Ringer

a few of the many questions posed to the LU-SAAS

gave lessons on cultural gardening, Payton dis-

horticulture team of Dr. Joshua Ringer, Dr. Tracey

cussed integrated pest management, and Anderson

Payton, and Micah Anderson at the Oklahoma

preached the do’s and don’ts of plasticulture. The

Farmers Market and Agritourism Conference in

third day wrapped up the conference with farm tours.

February 2020 in Edmond, Oklahoma. Sponsored

Listening to producers, learning their production

jointly by LU-SAAS; the Oklahoma Department of

constraints, and providing useful information are

Agriculture, Food and Forestry through a USDA

key components of the SAAS extension strategy.

Specialty Crop Block Grant; and the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center’s Oklahoma

For more information on market gardens and agritourism, contact Dr. Joshua Ringer, joshua.ringer@langston.edu.

Nutrition Information Education Project, the

Aquaponics: A Growing Industry in Oklahoma Aquaponics is the raising of fish and plants symbioti-

growing rapidly. To provide much-needed education and

cally in a water-efficient circulating system. Dr. Malcolm

information to new producers, SAAS researcher Dr. Yonathon

McCallum, assistant professor of aquaculture, reports that

Tilahun led a team that proposed and was awarded an

the Oklahoma aquaponics industry, just a decade old, is

1890 Institution Capacity Building Program Grant entitled

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

news news news news “Aquaponics Education: The Solution for Food Deserts in America’s Heartland.” With the grant funding, the SAAS team is providing aquaponics training and management information to help small-scale producers sustain and enhance their systems and to high schools to prepare an educated workforce. Tilahun and his team see aquaponics as a long-term means to produce food in rural and urban areas of Oklahoma that are classified as “food deserts.” For more information on aquaponics, contact Dr. Malcolm McCallum, malcolm.mccallum@langston.edu, or Dr. Yonathan Tilahun, yonathan. tilahun@langston.edu.

Vegetables growing in the SAAS aquaponics facility

Cheesemaking in Jamaica: A Caribbean Extension Experience In 2019, Dr. Steve Zeng traveled to the Kingston region of

sustainability. Zeng developed teaching materials and pro-

Jamaica to teach cheesemaking to goat producers, extension

vided training on goat milk quality, testing, and standards as

agents, college students, and teachers. The trip was funded

well as cheesemaking basics, principles, processes, quality

through the U.S. Agency for International Development

control, and marketing. Zeng left Jamaican farmers better

(USAID) Farmer-to-Farmer Program implemented by

prepared to add value to their goat milk operations and

Partners of the Americas. Conducted in conjunction with

enhance their livelihood.

the Jamaican Rural Agricultural Development Authority, Zeng’s training program was designed to help Jamaican

For more information on cheesemaking, contact Dr. Steve Zeng, steve.zeng@langston.edu.

dairy goat producers generate income and enhance farm

Dr. Steve Zeng teaches cheesemaking to a Jamaican farmers group.

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

news news news news EXTENSION BRIEFS

Goat Birthing Centers: Sharing the Miracle of Birth Many urban children have never witnessed the miracle of

and adults hoping to see a live birth. While few have the

birth. The American Institute for Goat Research (AIGR) has

good luck to be in the right place at the happy moment,

been teaching children where baby animals come for more

everyone enjoys seeing the goats — and especially the new-

than 20 years, providing goats to birthing centers each

born kids. Once they arrive, the kids become the stars of

fall at the Oklahoma City and

the show as they prance, play,

Tulsa State Fairs. Preparations

and climb on each other and

begin in spring, starting with

on their mothers. The centers

the AIGR staff counting back

are prime opportunities for

150 days from the fairs’ opening

cooperative extension per-

days to pinpoint breeding

sonnel to answer questions,

dates, caring for the mother

provide information, and tell

goats during their five-month

visitors about all that Langston

gestation, and, as the big day

University has to offer.

nears, preparing pens at the

For more information about the birthing centers, contact Dr. Terry Gipson, terry.gipson@langston. edu.

fairs. The birthing centers are popular exhibits, attracting tens of thousands of children

City Agriculture: SAAS Brings the 4-H Experience to Oklahoma City Youth “Where can I raise my own goat?” This was the question

Advanced Studies High School, Santa Fe South Pathways

asked by several eager Oklahoma City teenagers after

Middle College, and Douglass High School in Oklahoma

touring the Oklahoma County Junior Livestock Show in

City. All are youth interns at RestoreOKC, a non-profit

February. SAAS extension staff Keisha Scott and Iliana

whose aim is to improve the lives of area families. SAAS’s

Rodriguez planned the outing as part of their strategy to

partnership with RestoreOKC began in 2018, when SAAS

get more urban middle and high school students involved in

extension horticulture educator Micah Anderson taught

agriculture and 4-H. Their effort paid off. Ten young people

vegetable gardening, plasticulture, and container gar-

participated in the tour, and, after 4-H members explained

dening techniques to local families. In 2019, Scott started

the basics of raising and showing livestock, many of them

working with RestoreOKC’s interns and was soon planning

expressed interest in beginning their own 4-H livestock proj-

a SAAS-sponsored 4-H club.

ects. The budding urban livestock owners haled from Dove Science Academy, Epic Charter Schools, Classen School of

For more information on the Langston University 4-H Program, contact Dorothy Wilson, dorothy.wilson@langston.edu.

SAAS Extension personnel Keisha Scott (left) and Joshua Davis (driver) take a group of youth to the Oklahoma County Junior Livestock Show.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

N O TA B L E S

Faculty and Staff Spotlight L U - S A A S G R A N T AWA R D S PastureDrone: An innovative tool for grazing and pasture management ($50,000, Association of Research Directors New Seeds Initiative) PI: T. Gipson, CoPI: M. White, D. Lechner, B. Kouakou, C. Ogden, K. Andries, R. Noble, N. Gurung, and N. Escobar. This project’s goal is to develop a smart but inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicle (PastureDrone) that assesses pasture biomass and nutritive status and then provides useable and concise feedback to farmers for pasture management via SMS. The PastureDrone will be a quadcopter assembled from off-the-shelf components including Raspberry Pi, camera, and cell phone capabilities. A Python script will be developed for the Raspberry Pi that will assess pasture quality in real-time. Project partners are Langston University, Fort Valley State, Kentucky State, North Carolina A&T, Tuskegee, and Maryland-Eastern Shore. Aquaponics Education: The Solution for Food Deserts in America’s Heartland. ($600,000, 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grant Program) PI: Y. Tilahun, CoPI: M. L. McCallum, S. Zeng, T. Payton, and M. Brevitti. The primary objective of this project is to help secure and sustain the Oklahoma food system through educational enhancement. The overall goal is to create Oklahoma’s first four-year aquaponics program while providing needed outreach to high schools and small aquaponics producers through a standard integrated approach that focuses mainly on education to expand an under-developed, infant aquaponics industry in Oklahoma. This project is a result of preliminary demonstration trials on aquaponics, experience developing curriculum and programs, industry and academic cooperators, and the established and highly regarded extension program of the School. Rural to Urban Small Farms Agripreneurship Program. ($247,546, 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grant Program) PI: J. Ringer, CoPI: T. Payton-Miller, and N. De Silva. The Small Farms Agripreneurship Program (SFAP) will survey rural underserved producers, community leaders, and food entrepreneurs to identify potential markets for locally produced food and specialty crops. The SFAP will develop promising value chains and test the economic viability of tying small farm production to rural and urban markets. Agriculture students will have hands-on experiential learning experiences in using appropriate scale equipment, no-till and regenerative agriculture practices, and the sound economic principles needed for starting and operating a small rural or urban farm. Students will use these experiences to develop agribusiness proposals and present them to potential investors and lenders. The ultimate goal of this project is to increase profit and sustainability of small farms while teaching students and the next generation of food producers. Improving Economic Opportunities for Oklahoma’s Small and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers through Outreach and Technical Assistance Programs. ($547,446, Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program) PI: J. Ringer, Co PI: V. L. Jones. This project will use funding from the USDA Office of Public Engagement and Partnerships to increase the number of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers successfully operating their farm and/or ranch enterprise. Expected outputs of this project include assisting approximately 1,900 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers per year through one-on-one meetings, community meetings, agriculture field days, and an annual small farms conference. The geographic

service area includes Oklahoma counties located primarily in the eastern, southeastern, south central and southwestern parts of the state.

Goetsch, A. L. 2019. Recent advances in the feeding and nutrition of dairy goats. Asian-Australas. J. Anim. Sci. 32:1296–1305. doi.org/10.5713/ajas.19.0255.

L U - S A A S P U B L I C AT I O N S 2020

Gosh, K. and S. Chowdhury. 2019. Reviewing the aquaponics system: a search for a technically feasible and economically profitable system. Arkansas Environmental, Agricultural and Consumer Sciences Journal. Vol 9: 5–14.

Dawson, L. J., C. F. Shipley, R. Merkel and D. G. Pugh. 2020. Herd and flock health. In: Sheep, Goat, and Cervid Medicine. Third Ed. D. G. Pugh, A. N. Baird, M. Edmondson, and T. Passler (eds.). Elsevier, Inc. Pp. 479–498. De Silva, N., B. Chidmi, and W. Whittaker. 2020. Investigating the impacts of agronomic weather measures on rice production in Sri Lanka. Paper presentation at Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA Annual Meeting), Louisville, Kentucky, February 01–04, 2020. doi: 10.22004/ag.econ.302318. Hussein, A., R. Puchala, I. Portugal, B. K. Wilson, T. A. Gipson, and A. L. Goetsch. 2020. Effects of restricted availability of drinking water on body weight and feed intake by Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix sheep from different regions of the USA. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 98, No. 1. doi:10.1093/jas/skz367. Matand, K., M. Shoemake, and C. Li. 2020. High frequency in vitro regeneration of adventitious shoots in daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) stem tissue using thidiazuron. BMC Plant Biology 20:31 doi.org/10.1186/ s12870-020-2243-7. Payton, T. L., E. J. Rebek, and M. Payton. 2020. Foliarand soil-applied pesticide compatibility with Aphidius colemani parasitoids. Southwestern Entomologist (in press). Qin, G., Z. Qin, Z. Ye, A. Elaswad, B. Su, C. Lu, H. Li, Y. Zhang, Y. Huang, H. Shi, K. Gosh, N. Y. Abass, K. Vo, R. Odin, W. Bugg, N. Backenstose, D. Drescher, Z. Taylor, T. Braden, and R. Dunham. 2020. Gene editing of the catfish gonadotropin-releasing hormone gene and hormone therapy to control the reproduction in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Scientific Reports Journal (in press). Zhi Ye, A. Elaswad, G. Qin, D. Zhang, K. Khalil, M. Bangs, Z. Qin, B. Su, N. Abass, Q. Cheng, R Odin, K. Vo, N. Backenstose, D. Drescher, M. Shang, H. Li, D. Zhang, Z. Taylor, W. Bugg, K. Gosh, D. Robinson, and R. Dunham. 2020. Sterilization of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) via overexpression of bax gene regulated by a tet-off system in the primordial germ cells. Marine Biotechnology Journal (in press).

2019 Estrada-Reyes, Z. M., Y. Tsukahara, A. L. Goetsch, T. A. Gipson, T. Sahlu, R. Puchala, and R. G. Mateescu. 2019. Association analysis identifies immune response loci related to Haemonchus contortus exposure in sheep and goats using targeted approach. Livest. Sci. 229:109–119. doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2019.08.005. Estrada-Reyes, Z. M., Y. Tsukahara, A. L. Goetsch, T. A. Gipson, T. Sahlu, R. Puchala, and R. G. Mateescu. 2019. Signatures of selection for resistance to Haemonchus contortus in sheep and goats. BMC Genomics 20:73. doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-6150-y.

Liu, H. Y., R. Puchala, S. LeShure, T. A. Gipson, M. D. Flythe, and A. L. Goetsch. 2019. Effects of lespedeza condensed tannins alone or with monensin, soybean oil, and coconut oil on feed intake, growth, digestion, ruminal methane emission, and heat energy by yearling Alpine doelings. J. Anim. Sci. 97:885–899. doi:10.1093/jas/sky452. McCallum, M. L., S. D. Weston, and Y. Tilahun. 2019. Angular substrate preference and molting behavior of the Giant River Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and its implications for cannibalism management. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 99:7–11. McCallum, M. L. 2019. Perspective: Global countryby-country response of public interest in the environment to the papal encyclical, Laudato Si’. Biological Conservation 235:209–225. Merkel, R. 2019. Smallholder livestock commercialization. WARTAZOA. Indonesian Bulletin of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. 29 (1):43–50. Tadesse, D., R. Puchala, I. Portugal, A. Hussein, and A. L. Goetsch. 2019. Effects of level of intake of a 50% concentrate pelleted diet on metabolizability by mature Katahdin wethers. Small Rumin. Res. 174:7–12. doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2019.03.003. Tadesse, D., R. Puchala, and A. L. Goetsch. 2019. Effects of hair sheep breed and region of origin on feed dry matter required for maintenance without and with a marked feed restriction. Livest. Sci. 226:114–121. doi. org/10.1016/j.livsci.2019.06.012. Tadesse, D., R. Puchala, T. A. Gipson, and A. L. Goetsch. 2019. Effects of high heat load conditions on body weight, feed intake, rectal and skin temperature, respiration rate, and panting score of Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix sheep from different regions of the USA. J. Appl. Anim. Res. 47:492–505. doi:10.1080/097121 19.2019.1674658. Trauth, S. E. and M. L. McCallum. 2019. Bilateral diaphyseal chondrodysplasia and polymorphic osteodysplasia of the tibiofibulas in a Southern Leopard Frog, Lithobates sphenocephalus (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae). Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 73:129–132. Tsukahara, Y., T. A. Gipson, S. P. Hart, L. J. Dawson, Z. Wang, R. Puchala, T. Sahlu, and A. L. Goetsch. 2019. Across and within breed differences in the relationship between packed cell volume and fecal egg count in growing meat goat and hair sheep males naturally and artificially infected with Haemonchus contortus. Vet. Parasitol.: Regional Studies and Reports 17:100311. doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2019.100311. Yirga, H., M. Urge, A. L. Goetsch, and A. Tolera. 2019. Quality of water from Rift Valley lakes of Ethiopia for Livestock Drinking. East African J. Vet. and Anim. Sci. 3(1):9-16. ISSN:2626-8804.

Gipson, T. A. 2019. Recent advances in breeding and genetics for dairy goats. Asian-Australas. J. Anim. Sci. 32:1275–1283. doi.org/10.5713/ajas.19.0381. Goetsch, A. L. 2019. Recent areas of research emphasis in feed practices and the nutrition of lactating dairy goats. J. Appl. Anim. Res. 47:103–114. doi.org/10.108 0/09712119.2019.1580585.

S C H O O L O F A G R I C U LT U R E & A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S

MILESTONES 2019–2020

Appointments Ashli Bell Administrative Assistant, Research Program

Iliana Rodgriguez Extension Educator, Oklahoma City

B.A., Communications, Sterling College, KS; M.S., International Studies, Oklahoma State University

B.S., Agriculture Science, Texas A&M University-Kingsville; M.S., International Agriculture, Oklahoma State University

Email: ashlimb@langston.edu

Email: iliana.rodriguez@langston.edu

Jewellena Golden Administrative Assistant, Extension Program

Keisha Scott Extension Crop Technician, Oklahoma City

B.A., Psychology, Langston University; M.S., Rehabilitation Counseling/Visual Rehabilitation Services, Langston University

Redlands Community College Email: keisha.scott@langston.edu

Email: jewellena.golden@langston.edu

Dr. Kamal Gosh B.S., Fisheries Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University; M.S., Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University; M.S., Aquatic Resource Development, Stirling University; M.S., Aquaculture, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Ph.D., Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Auburn University Email: kgosh@langston.edu E’ula Green Extension Educator, Tulsa

Dr. Emisha Young Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences B.S., Elementary Education, Langston University; M.S., Curriculum Leadership and Development, Oklahoma State University; Ph.D., Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, Specialization in Early Childhood Education, University of Oklahoma Email: emisha.young@langston.edu

B.S., Rehabilitation Science, Langston University; M.S.W., Master of Social Work, University of Oklahoma Email: eula.k.green@langston.edu

Retirements Dr. Evia L. Davis, Chairperson, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Elizabeth Jones, Administrative Assistant, School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Donna Foster, Instructor, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Dr. Erick Loetz, Research Farm Manager, American Institute for Goat Research

Dr. Steve Hart, Extension and Research Scientist, American Institute for Goat Research

Clark Williams, Instructor/Extension Specialist, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Shirlene Hurte, Extension Specialist, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY

AgroVision 2020

Articles inside

Erick Loetz Research Farm Manager

Notables

Nutrition And Health EFNEP

Extension Briefs

Clark Williams A Special Instructor

Farida Belksami Algerian Borlaug

Pests And Pollinators Row Cover

Experiential Learning

Sisters Of Saas A Mother’s

Steve Hart An Extension Giant

Daylily Research Beauty and

Combating Internal Parasites

Sky Wrangler Drones Take Flight

Evia L. Davis A Childhood Educator

Message From The Dean