Volume 23, Number 2 – Summer/Fall 2021

OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture

Volume 23 Number 2 • Summer/Fall 2021

AG RESEARCH

Featured Content

Hallowed Ground .

Donors and officials break ground on new building for the Ferguson College of Agriculture

10

Brightening Rural Oklahoma

Quilt trail increases agritourism in rural Oklahoma

20

From

Classroom to Courtroom

Ferguson College of Agriculture alumna becomes public defender

Uprooting Food Insecurity

Students manage garden to assist the community

Dawning New Days

OSU Agriculture constructs new Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center

From the Editors

Vision, details and teamwork.

We, the staff, would like to thank Shelly Sitton, Shaun Tune and the entire agricultural communications faculty for their guidance and support throughout this process as well as for our time in their classes. Without them, our Cowboy Journal would not have come to fruition.

To our incredible staff — thank you for your dedication and perseverance. This truly is OUR Cowboy Journal. When we walked into class this semester, we planned the most ambitious issue ever. We believe we succeeded.

To our Ferguson Family — thank you for letting us tell your stories. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed getting to tell them. Go Pokes!

Braeden, Alisa & Sarah

Editors

Braeden Coon

Sarah Harris

Alisa Northcutt

Managing Editor

Shelly Peper Sitton, Ph.D.

Assistant Managing Editors

Dwayne Cartmell, Ph.D.

Ruth Inman, Ph.D.

Angel Riggs, Ph.D.

Quisto Settle, Ph.D.

Shaun Tune, B.S.

Assistant Editor

Sarah Palmer

Photo Coordinator

Alicia Young

Sponsorship Coordinator

Tianna Kozuszek

Social Media Coordinator

Lauren Millang

Staff

Chelsea Alexander | Makenzie Barnes-Elkins

Savanna Chandler | Emily Cooper | Haven Davis

Karli Fuss | Amy Gardner | Tieren Gates

Carly Gump | Kirsten Hollansworth | Katie Lacey

Chrissy LeClear | Jiawen Li | Lauren Raley

Payton Randle | Rylee Reynolds | Mark Scalmanini

Anne Signore | Adriana Toste

On the Cover

with Pete’s

Ferguson College of

students serve others

Photo by Braeden Coon.

BYRD BEING THE BEST

OSU assistant professor receives national award

n 2018, cotton acreage in Oklahoma skyrocketed, creating a need in the Oklahoma State University Department of Plant and Soil Sciences for a dedicated, high-caliber professional to serve as a cotton specialist.

The hire was Seth Byrd, and in 2021, Byrd received the Beltwide Cotton Specialist of the Year award. This award is presented to a U.S. cotton specialist who displays exceptional leadership and service performance within the industry, Byrd said.

“This award represents the value you are providing to the industry,” said Tyson Raper, 2019 Beltwide Cotton Specialist of the Year. “No cash award is received, but from a value standpoint, winning the award really hits home for recipients.”

Byrd grew up in rural North Carolina and later attended North Carolina State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in agronomy in 2007.

Once Byrd graduated with his degree in North Carolina, the

Seth Byrd, 2021 Beltwide Cotton Specialist of the Year, helps Oklahoma cotton producers as a plant and soil sciences assistant professor at OSU. Photo by Payton Randle.

with even a little information or help make their operation more profitable or productive.”

Three years later, Byrd started graduate school studying agronomy at the University of Florida with a focus in irrigation management for potatoes. He also had experience with cotton in Florida, which was the start to his cotton career, he said.

“I have always enjoyed doing new things,” Byrd said. “But, it is interesting learning about different commodities within agronomy.”

Following his success at UF, Byrd studied under the cotton specialist

in 2015 and accepted a cotton specialist job for Texas A&M University.

The resources and cotton industry were booming in Texas, he said. However, his wife, Misha Manuchehri Byrd, was working in the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences as an assistant professor.

“We would alternate weekends of driving back and forth to each other,” Byrd said. “The situation started to become a challenge.”

Then, in 2018, the cotton specialist position at OSU became available. Byrd could not resist applying, he said, and he eventually got the job.

age and farming of cotton in Oklahoma compared to Texas was limited, but it has expanded during the past three years, he said.

“Oklahoma is in the top five states for planting acreage in cotton,” said Jeff Edwards, plant and soil sciences department head.

The Oklahoma cotton industry began in the southwest corner, but it has expanded across the state.

Cotton as a commodity is not finished once it has been harvested, Byrd said, but rather it goes through many phases before and throughout the production cycle.

vest,” Byrd said. “There are many steps

“For the producer side, I set up on-farm variety trials, field visits and meetings with producers,” Byrd said. “For the research side of my job, I do a lot of work with irrigation, small plot variety trials, and almost every single input of cotton production.”

What motivates Byrd are the people with whom he works, he said. He has endless opportunities to work with great people in the cotton industry, including producers, consultants, fellow cotton specialists, researchers, commodity organizations and allied industry representatives across the nation, he added.

“I learn a lot from producers,” Byrd said. “I typically end up asking them more questions than I get asked, but hopefully we’re learning from each other, and I think that’s the overall goal of my program.”

The Beltwide Cotton Specialist award is voted on by cotton specialists across the nation.

“Seth really deserved this award,” said Raper, who serves a cotton specialist at the University of Tennessee. “He benefits the grower and focuses on what will benefit the industry.”

Receiving the award helped Byrd gain confidence that his work is appreciated, he said, and added an increased level of value to his job.

“It’s gratifying to receive this award by the guys you looked up to in your youth,” Byrd said. “Knowing that you’re in the same playing field as them is humbling.”

Byrd has made many new connections and has brought plenty of depth

to the plant and soil sciences depart ment in the short time he has been at OSU, Edwards said.

His efforts provide a huge contribution to the recruitment of cotton scientists and researchers at OSU, Edwards added.

“Byrd’s work ethic, expertise, and social and leadership skills were of a high caliber and just what we needed to fill the position,” Edwards said.

The work Byrd has done for OSU has been tremendous, Edwards said. Byrd has created an environment of success, networking and engagement, Edwards added.

“We are fortunate to have Byrd,” Edwards said. “He truly represents our program in such a positive manner.”

In his role, Seth Byrd, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences, analyzes cotton after harvest. Photo by Payton Randle.

PAYTON RANDLE DURANGO, COLORADO

HALLOWED Ground

Donors and officials break ground on new building for the Ferguson College of Agriculture

our years after an assessment explored the possibility of the New Frontiers Campaign, ground was broken on the new building for the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

On April 23, 2021, more than 250 guests gathered in The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts to watch donors, administrators and dignitaries launch the next phase of the project by symbolically breaking ground on the new building.

Heidi Williams, senior director of principal gifts at the Oklahoma State University Foundation, said the master planning process assessed many buildings, including Agricultural Hall, and noted the building’s wings were at the end of their serviceable life.

This day was long awaited, starting with the master planning process in 2017, Williams said.

The cost to renovate the existing

dean

Agricultural Hall was $90 million, so the focus turned to constructing a new building, Williams said.

“We brought in a consultant early on and asked him to do a feasibility study that was helpful,” said Thomas Coon, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “Then, we took what he found and met with President Burns Hargis to garner his support.

“We went through a series of different decision points,” Coon said. “At one point, after we got the feasibility study back, it didn’t seem clear that we would be able to raise enough money to do the full building.

“However, the Ferguson family’s gift changed our outlook,” he added.

Williams said the total cost of this project is $100 million. Half of the cost will come from private support with the other half coming from the university, she added.

donors and OSU representatives to “break ground” April 23,

Thomas Coon (right), vice president and

of OSU Agriculture, joins

2021: Jeff Hilst (left), Lynn Hilst, A.J. Jacques, Susan Jacques, Frank Robson, Kay Ingersoll, Barry Pollard, Roxanne Pollard, John Groendyke, Kayleen Ferguson, Larry Ferguson, OSU Foundation President Blaire Atkinson and OSU President Burns Hargis. Photo by Alicia Young.

“The goal was ‘we need to get to $40 million before we’ll do groundbreak-

At the time of the announcement, the campaign was $43 million toward a $50 million goal, Williams added.

Preparations were made for the big day even before the groundbreaking

Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources director of capital projects, has worked with the architects and faculty regarding the new building.

“The only way I think you make something like a new building be effective and work is if you have complete faculty involvement,” Raper said.

With this project, everyone who understands what is going on and why needs to be involved, Raper said.

“Our faculty have said ‘this is how we think that should look’ and ‘this is how we think it should work,’” Coon said. “That’s the beauty of this project. It’s a lot of people who are contributing to the creative process of having a building and space that’s going to serve our students well long into the future.

“We want to have teaching space that is flexible and adaptable to the way students learn and teachers teach so the faculty members can create the learning environments they want,”

One piece of incorporated technology in this building is the teaching lab for agricultural education, Coon said. This lab will allow students studying to be agricultural education teachers to practice their craft, he added.

“They can go in and record themselves teaching a class, and then they can go back and review it with their instructors or with their advisers,”

The new building also will change the way faculty conduct research,

“Our old model allows every professor to have his or her own laboratory, and that’s where they get their work

Pistol Pete participates in the ground breaking ceremony to show the project’s impact on OSU. Photo by Alicia Young.

done,” Coon said. “We want to have large laboratories with multiple investigators in them.”

In the new building, faculty and students will be assigned the amount of laboratory bench space they need, allowing faculty to share expensive equipment as well as communicate and collaborate together, Coon said.

In addition, the new building will have a lot of windows, Raper said.

“As you walk down the hallway, you’re going to be able to look into a research lab and actually see the research going on, which is different than what we have in Agricultural Hall now,” he said.

The natural resource ecology and management department also will see major upgrades, Raper said.

“When NREM was created, it was an assemblage of faculty from across campus, and when they were brought into DASNR, we didn’t really have room for them,” Raper said. “Essentially, we put them wherever we could find space.”

Because of this, the NREM faculty and labs are dispersed across multiple buildings, he said. The new building will consolidate most of the ecology labs in one area so faculty can work together, he added.

The new building will bring back the Dairy Bar, and the menu for the new restaurant was presented during the groundbreaking event.

“What we heard from the alumni is they really missed the old Dairy Bar,” Coon said.

The old Dairy Bar was located east of Agricultural Hall but was demolished when construction began on what is now the Henry Bellmon Research Center, Coon said.

The Dairy Bar was a place where students and others could get together and drink a glass of milk, have an ice cream, or enjoy a cinnamon roll and coffee, he added.

Something Coon said he really appreciates is the New Frontiers campaign is on schedule.

“Four years ago, we said we want to

break ground in the spring of 2021,” Coon said. “And guess what? We did that even though we’ve had a pandemic for the last year.”

The most rewarding part of this project will be seeing people coming and spending time in this building to develop a sense of community, he said.

Coon also wants to see alumni come back and spend time in the building and at the new Dairy Bar, he added.

“We’ve designed a space where people can be creative, whether they’re teaching or learning, conducting research or planning,” Coon said.

“Whatever it is, we want them to find this the most attractive place they can go to get that work done and to be with friends and colleagues.”

ALICIA YOUNG NAPA, CALIFORNIA

Siewe Siewe, OSU adjunct professor, has worked with FAPC to create the first USDA-approved edible beef skin. Photo by Anne Signore.

INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION

FAPC helps client produce first USDA-approved edible beef skin

The words of Matshona Dhliwayo can offer direction for entrepreneurs: “If you know where you are from, it is harder for people to stop you from where you are going.”

His quote inspired the journey of Siewe Siewe, adjunct professor at Oklahoma State University, to become an entrepreneur by producing a food from his African culture.

Siewe worked with the staff from the OSU Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center to produce the first U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved edible beef skin in the country.

The idea for this product came from food Siewe grew up producing at home in Cameroon, West Africa, he said. Beef skin is a common food in many different cultures around the world, Siewe added.

“This project is important to me because it is an aspect of my identity,” Siewe said. “I am part of the beef-hideeating African culture.”

Siewe named his product KandaKpomo. In his culture, beef skin is called Kanda, he said, and in Nigeria, where his wife is from, the food is called Kpomo.

When Siewe brought the idea of this project to FAPC about two years ago, the staff immediately started the process of helping market his product, said Andrea Graves, FAPC business planning and marketing specialist.

“I didn’t know if he was entirely serious, to be honest with you, because it was something I’d never heard of,” Graves said.

“The USDA did not consider cow hide as an edible product,” she said. “We had to come up with a food safety plan that we had to send to prove the way we were going to produce this edible cow hide was safe.”

Innovation and helping develop value-added products always have been important goals to FAPC at OSU, Graves said.

Graves helps manage projects that come to the center and has been one of the main members of FAPC to help on the KandaKpomo project, she said. The FAPC team developed a more mechanical, commercialized process to make the product more efficient and economically feasible, Graves added.

In addition, the team assisted in writing necessary food safety protocols by writing Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans, she said.

at FAPC,” Siewe said. “They helped me navigate all of the hurdles, and there were plenty of them.”

Learning the process of producing the product while maintaining regulatory compliance was a challenge during this project, said Jacob Nelson, former FAPC facilities manager.

“It wasn’t necessarily the USDA approval of this product that was the most difficult part of this project,” Nelson said. “It was making sure our process was compliant with the existing regulations.”

This project is important to me because it is an aspect of my identity.

Siewe Siewe

“FAPC helps you develop a technique, a product and a processing strategy,” Siewe said. “We had to develop machines, HACCP plans and new ways of processing the product.”

Not only have the staff members at FAPC helped Siewe get his product USDA-approved, but also they have helped him with branding for his business and finding ways to make producing his product more effective, Siewe said. They have reduced processing time from six hides in two days to six hides in four hours, he said.

“I was very blessed to meet the team

Nelson showed Siewe new processing technology to enhance the product and gain USDA approval, Siewe said. Although Nelson has since left OSU, he is still a consultant on Siewe’s team and works with him on ideas to maximize efficiency and address regulatory compliance for the project, Siewe said.

From the start of their process to help Siewe, members of FAPC sent him in the direction of creating a successful business, Graves said. The staff first sent him to a one-day workshop called “Basic Training for Food Entrepreneurs.” They then helped him create a business plan, she said.

“We want to ensure everyone who comes to FAPC has a foundation and does the first steps you need to do correctly,” Graves said.

Almost two years from the day Siewe presented his product idea, he finally saw the product, Siewe said.

Prior to USDA approval, the product was not available for purchase legally in the U.S., Siewe said, and the quality was terrible.

“I’ve been able to find the proper way of producing my project,” Siewe said. “We use the way of doing it right according to the culture and the principles and the laws of this country, which makes it even better.”

This project is significant because of its meaning for the cultures that consume it and because the consumer base is so large, he said.

“The end product has a high value in the specialty stores where it is being sold,” Graves said.

Siewe has sold hundreds of pounds of KandaKpomo every month since it launched, Graves said.

With more than 3 million West Africans in the U.S. and a high demand from the customer base, this project was worthwhile to market, she said.

“We see trends that African flavors are hitting more of the mainstream market now, so that is another reason this is a strong project,” Graves added.

Siewe has direct customer sales online all over the country. He sells the majority of his product to businesses in Oklahoma and Texas, which is about 60% of his total sales, he said.

Goals for this product are for it to be common to eat in the U.S. and for most African households to be consuming this product, Siewe said.

“We are hoping someday everybody starts eating beef hides because we started processing it the right way,” Siewe said. “We worked it into something that becomes cross-cultural.”

This project also may bring new growth to the hide industry, as there has been a decline in the leather market, Graves said.

“The leather market just isn’t there right now,” Nelson said. “Hides of freshly slaughtered beef are of little value from any industry.”

This project provides a new marketability for beef hides and could decrease the amount of food waste the beef industry contributes, Nelson said.

Although this project has been successful, Siewe still works through

FAPC to improve upon his product and business, he said. They are working to reduce processing time for six hides down to one hour and on patenting the machines used for processing through OSU, he said.

“Siewe and the FAPC team are continually adding new equipment to quicken the process and make it more efficient,” Nelson said.

Siewe plans to grow his business outside of FAPC, he said. Although FAPC has been crucial to this project, the business will need to move locations to continue the growth of this project, he added.

“A lot of people come in with ideas, but it really takes someone special to move forward with it,” Graves said.

Team members working on this project at FAPC believe this product is unique and could make a mark on the world, Graves said.

CULTURAL DIVERSIFICATION

OSU students celebrate cultural diversity in agriculture

sing games, music and professional speakers, the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture Multicultural Programs Leaders hosted Celebrate AgriCULTURE in March 2021.

The goal of Celebrate AgriCULTURE is to expand the understanding of culture, diversity and inclusion in the agriculture, food and natural resources industries, said José Uscanga, director of multicultural programs in Ferguson College.

“We had more than 20 options of activities for participants to attend in person or online,” Uscanga said. “Participants could choose what they liked during the event.”

Cynda Clary, associate dean of Ferguson College, said Celebrate AgriCULTURE was not only about education but also a celebration in the college community.

“It not only brought our community together,” Clary said, “but also it helped build friendships, understanding and a shared vision for where we are going in the future.”

Celebrate AgriCULTURE was designed to increase awareness of the different cultures within the agricultural industry, said Ethan Attebery, agribusiness senior and multicultural programs leader.

Event participants interacted with Temple Grandin, animal science

professor at Colorado State University, and Thomas RaShad Easley, assistant dean for community and inclusion at Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Participants also learned the unique stories of faculty, staff and students, Clary said.

“Over the course of three days, each activity targeted different aspects of diversity and inclusion in agriculture,” Attebery said.

Grandin, who has autism, showed students anything is possible, he said.

“She has never let autism stop her in her field,” Attebery said. “She is a world-renowned expert on animal handling. She is very motivating and has inspired many people.”

Savanna Souza, agricultural communications sophomore, welcomes Celebrate AgriCULTURE participants. Ferguson College of Agriculture Multicultural Programs Leaders serve as liaisons to foster relationships of mutual respect among students, faculty and staff within the college and across campus. Photo by Jiawen Li.

tion in diversity, said Dalee Barrick, agricultural communications and

Vincent Li, agribusiness senior, took home Moroccan food, the recipe and a door prize from the celebrate AgriCULTURE cooking panel. Photo by Jiawen Li.

agribusiness junior and multicultural programs leader. Culture can affect the way agriculturalists strategize and make tactical decisions, she added.

Celebrate AgriCULTURE celebrated diversity and individuality within the agricultural industry to bring people together, Di Agostino said.

“It is more than the skin color you have or the sexual orientation you claim,” Barrick said.

“If we can stop seeing diversity as our skin differences, we can progress in agriculture and in everyday life.”

It was a lot of pressure, but it was the kind of pressure you feel when you know you are on the verge of making a positive impact on the lives of others.

Dalee Barrick

“It is more than your political affiliation or your religious opinions.

“It is your ideologies, your

Although the Ferguson College hosted this event, everyone at OSU was encouraged to come, Di Agostino said.

In the week prior to the event, the multicultural programs leaders set out a booth in front of Agricultural Hall to recruit students who walked by to sign up for the event, Attebery said.

More than 500 people attended the event based on the attendance recorded, Uscanga said. About 300 people

connect with each other in a different way, she added.

The multicultural programs leaders started working on this event in the Fall 2020 semester, Di Agostino said, and much collaboration was done to host the event.

“We formulated the idea and worked every week up to the event to find sponsors, create panels, craft game ideas, and find club members to help,” Barrick said. “It was a lot of pressure, but it was the kind of pressure you feel when you know you are on the verge of making a positive impact on others.”

Barrick said she hoped participants left the event with positive perspectives on their roles in agriculture.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a huge

JIAWEN LI BEIJING, CHINA

60 YE.A.RS OF EQUINE EXCELLENCE

BRIGHTENING Rural

OKLAHOMA

Quilt trail increases agritourism in rural Oklahoma

The colors of an Oklahoma sunrise fill the sky as farms and ranches come alive. These vibrant colors also are seen when exploring the Oklahoma Quilt Trail.

Across the state, barn quilts can be spotted from roadways as they hang on barns, houses and fences.

Starting as a piece of mediumdensity overlay plywood, these wooden quilts are transformed into a piece of artwork with paint.

Oklahoma’s history and traditions are relayed through these unique art pieces, said Lynda Latta, Ellis County family and consumer sciences/4-H Extension educator.

“The quilting history of Oklahoma is important to preserve family traditions,” Latta said. “Everyone who has a family quilt knows how precious they are and the meaning behind each color and symbol being used.”

The Oklahoma Quilt Trail was established five years ago and is growing at a tremendous speed, Latta said.

More than 350 barn quilts are registered throughout the state.

“The main goal of the Oklahoma Quilt Trail is to promote the history of quilting in Oklahoma,” Latta said. “The barn quilt trail is a way to pull people

into our smaller communities and explore rural Oklahoma.”

Each barn quilt is named and placed on a structure. Barn quilt dimensions range from 2 feet for beginners to 8 feet for advanced quilters, Latta said. However, quilts can be created to fit any space, she added.

The Oklahoma Quilt Trail committee recommends specific supplies to create a barn quilt — an MDO plywood board, primer, paint, a quilt pattern, pencil, ruler and painters’ tape.

“Once sectioned off with tape, starting with the lightest color, you begin painting,” Latta said.

A barn quilt is a painted wood surface featuring quilt blocks from a specific quilt pattern or any other design, said Joy Rhodes, Garfield County FCS/4-H Extension educator.

“Starting with one color at a time, the area must be taped off, painted and left to dry completely before moving on to the next color,” Rhodes said. “This ensures the colors and shapes come out correctly at the end.”

Barn quilt projects can take hours or days to complete, depending on how detailed and big each art piece is, Rhodes said.

“It is amazing how communities

Barn quilts, like this one near Sharon, Oklahoma, adorn many objects. They are not limited to barns. Photo by Todd Johnson.

come together to create these wonderful pieces,” Rhodes said. “It can really add life and something special to the smaller, rural counties in Oklahoma.”

Several rural communities are making enhancements to local property and businesses to display barn quilts, said Recia Garcia, retired northwest district FCS program specialist.

“People actually use these artwork pieces to show their skills and show how beautiful their property is,” Garcia said. “They have a sense of pride in their artwork and what their town and history mean to them.”

The quilt trail maps convey history and culture, Garcia said. This has been a goal to formalize Oklahoma’s quilt trail map, Garcia added.

“Having a statewide map is necessary to develop quilt trails into a tourist attraction capable of generating economic income as drivers dine, shop and refuel,” Garcia said. “This is especially true for rural areas.”

One community on the Oklahoma Quilt Trail map will be Covington, Oklahoma, where locals Cindy Bolz, Sandy Davis, Barbara McHendry and Annette Tooman transformed the TriCounty Senior Citizens Center into a piece of art.

“Our big project was to bring some life to the outside of the community center and brighten it up,” Tooman said. “We chose objects and symbols that represent Oklahoma and the traditions centered around it.”

With careful consideration on colors and figures, sketches came to life on board, Rhodes said.

“We wanted to draw people to come see the history of our town with these barn quilts,” Davis said. “It’s like a museum on the senior center. This building is 100 years old.”

The senior center is a community place where people gather for activities and meetings in Covington, Bolz said. What used to be a booming oil

town has turned into a quiet and small community, she added.

“The locals of Covington love seeing the barn quilts hanging on the building,” Bolz said. “They draw the interest of people to come inside the community center and learn about the history of our town.”

Coming up with ideas and being creative are what barn quilts allow an individual to do, McHendry said.

“The fellowship you gain with others is the best thing,” Davis said. “You also gain a sense of accomplishment from what you created from drawing to painting a barn quilt.”

For more information about the Oklahoma Quilt Trail, visit oklahomaquilttrail.okstate.edu.

Oklahoma. The quilts are displayed in various locations for people to enjoy. Photo by Lauren Raley.

LAUREN RALEY SANGER, CALIFORNIA

THE HISTORY BEHIND BARN QUILTS

Dating back to medieval times and beyond, quilts were used as clothing in the Middle East, China, North Africa and the colder areas of Europe. Now, these fabrics are generally associated with wall hangings and bedcovers.

Quilting in Europe was used during the Crusades in the la te 11th century. The Turks would wear the thick fabric underneath their armor to provide warmth and protection.

Even though fragments of patchwork were found in Asia and the Middle East through tomb excavations, two large 14th century whole cloth Sicilian pieces might be the earliest existing quilts.

Quilts also have been passed down through family generations to preserve traditions and memories. Today, quilts are used to craft, remember important history, and create timeless memories with family.

In 2001, Donna Sue Groves of Adams County, Ohio, came up with the idea for barn quilts. She wanted to capture tourism and honor her mother’s Appalachian heritage.

Sources: Encyclopædia Britannica and Pieced Together

Marlene Buck, retired Garfield County Extension educator, paints a barn quilt. Photo by Todd Johnson.

Gregory Schultz, retired OB-GYN professor at the University of Florida, earned both a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate from OSU. Photo by Raychal Rabon.

Not all careers look the same for graduates of the Ferguson College of Agriculture. Although some return to their family farms to continue the legacy of those before them, others enter into the workforce with an occupation far from traditional livestock pastures and crop fields.

After his studies at Oklahoma State University, Gregory Schultz found his career in medical research.

“While working at some of the most prestigious academic universities in the world, I was proud to say I got my education from Oklahoma State University,” said Schultz, who was named a 2020 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. “The phenomenal quality and breadth of instruction that goes on at OSU is outstanding.”

Schultz graduated from OSU in 1971, receiving a bachelor’s in biochemistry with honors.

In 1976, he completed his doctoral studies at OSU prior to attending the Yale School of Medicine for post-doctoral research.

Schultz said he is forever grateful to the OSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for serving as the foundation for his future career success. Schultz’s pathway to OSU can be accredited to his older brother, Rodney, he said.

“Rodney completed his bachelor’s in physics at OSU,” Schultz said. “He was a major factor in convincing me to go to OSU, and his unbelievable accomplishments during his 30 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory inspire me still to this day.”

Before becoming Cowboys in Stillwater, the Schultzes called Enid — a small oil- and agriculture-focused town in northwest Oklahoma — home.

“It’s crazy to see how time frames and conditions of your life influence where you end up,” Schultz said. “Rodney and I had a unique opportunity that was created by the vision of our teachers in small-town Enid.”

The Schultzes’ high school physics teacher, Jim Smeltzer, built community support to build a functioning astronomical observatory on the roof of Enid High School, Schultz said.

Schultz said using the observatory planted the seed for a deeply rooted love of science in his brother and him.

“We had a unique opportunity that was created by the vision of those people,” Schultz said.

Schultz’s high school background and his passion for the science industry opened the doors of many success stories, he said.

His efforts have led to 35 issued patents with six patent applications

pending. He has co-authored more than 400 scientific publications, including research journal articles, book chapters, and clinical diagnoses and treatment consensus guidelines. These publications have been cited more than 21,000 times, which puts him in the top tier of medical researchers for health sciences, Schultz said.

After finishing his post-doctorate research training at Yale University, Schultz continued his career at the University of Louisville College of Medicine in the Department of Biochemistry and retired in December 2016 from the Institute of Wound Research at the University of Florida.

John Gustafson, OSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department head, said Schultz represents what the department wants graduate students to become.

Gustafson said Schultz recognizes where he got his start, the opportunities provided to him, and how much he appreciates OSU.

“He found the opportunity in his heart to provide funds that can help all students succeed,” Gustafson said.

One of the best things about OSU was meeting his wife, Ruth, 1975 home economics alumna, Schultz said.

“Greg and I met in 1972 through my Willard Hall roommate, Kathy Kraft,

BIMB alumnus garners national recognition

when she worked as a lab assistant in the biochemistry department,” Ruth Schultz said.

The couple met while on a camping trip at Lake Tenkiller and married in 1974, she said.

“Ruth and I both received a phenomenal foundation at OSU,” Gregory Schultz said. “We wanted to enhance the opportunity for other students who would hopefully have as much benefit.”

Gregory Schultz said despite the differences in their studies, he and his wife agreed to create their endowment in biochemistry.

“Throughout the years, Greg loved going to our children’s activities and supporting their endeavors, especially the science fairs,” Ruth Schultz said. “He loved impressing middle school classes with electrophoresis and guiding our kids in the lab. It was as much fun for him as them.”

The couple wanted their endowment to benefit the whole department

instead of being consumed as a prize, Gregory Schultz said.

“He and Ruth have allowed us to utilize his endowment in the best possible way,” Gustafson said.

In addition to his recent Fellow recognition, Gregory Schultz was named a 2018 Ferguson College of Agriculture Distinguished Alumnus.

“It was totally unexpected and tremendously appreciated,” Gregory Schultz said. “When we were informed I had been nominated and then was selected as a distinguished alumnus, it really just brought home how fortunate we had been at OSU in the earlier parts of our lives.”

Gregory Schultz said receiving the award provided both him and his wife the opportunity to reconnect with the OSU community.

“I loved the beautiful campus and the feeling that there was a tremendous amount of knowledge available for me,” Ruth Schultz said. “I loved

spending time studying at the library and exploring new fields.”

The Schultzes also loved coming to the OSU football games after obtaining their degrees, she said.

“It’s hard for me to think of someone more deserving and who could do a better job at being a representative of science,” Gustafson said.

Gregory Schultz’s story is a true testament to the saying, “once a Cowboy, always a Cowboy,” Gustafson added.

Schultz said he loves the Cowboy heritage, has pride in his orange passion, and appreciates all OSU has done for himself, his wife and his brother.

“Oklahoma State University played a phenomenal role in who we are today and how we got where we are,” Gregory Schultz said.

MAKENZIE BARNES-ELKINS COALGATE, OKLAHOMA

BIMB graduate students receive research resources and financial support from the Dr. Gregory and Ruth Schultz Endowed Graduate Student Fellowship. Photo by Makenzie Barnes-Elkins.

Cowgirl Softball players find success in the Ferguson College of Agriculture

HOT coming in

peakers blare.

... I don’t do the most, but I do a lot

… I’m coming in hot The music of Lecrae and Andy Mineo echoes throughout Cowgirl Stadium as Oklahoma State University agricultural communications senior Chelsea Alexander walks to the plate, intensity evident on her face.

That intensity remains a constant for Alexander, especially in academics for herself and the other three Ferguson College of Agriculture students who compete on the nationally

ranked Cowgirl Softball team: Logan Simunek, agricultural communications senior; Jules Callaham, animal science sophomore; and Kelly Maxwell, biochemistry and molecular biology junior.

These women have pursued their athletic careers through Cowgirl Softball and found their academic futures within the Ferguson College, Simunek said.

Balancing academics and athletics is not an easy task, Alexander said.

In addition to regular classwork

and homework, the girls balance team meetings, practices and the more than 50 games on the schedule each season. They average four hours a day in practice time and attend classes each day, Alexander said.

“School and softball can be a lot,” Maxwell said. “But making a plan each day and working hard to not fall behind is really important for all of us if we want to have an opportunity to play on the field.”

Maxwell plans to attend medical school and knew choosing BIMB as

Four women represent the Ferguson College of Agriculture as members of the Cowgirl Softball Team: Logan Simunek (left), agricultural communications senior; Kelly Maxwell, biochemistry and molecular biology junior; Jules Callaham, animal science sophomore; and Chelsea Alexander, agricultural communications senior. Photo by Christine LeClear.

my schoolwork,” Alexander said. “But our professors in the Ferguson College are really understanding, and having people in our circle helping us do what it takes to succeed makes it so much easier on all of us.” Alexander said she did not count on playing softball in college but did always plan on coming to OSU.

When she looked into playing softball at OSU and met her Ferguson College professors, Alexander knew she was going to have the helping hand she needed to continue her softball career while pursuing her academics, she said.

school and softball. They work hard to help us be successful in the classroom and on the field.”

Gajewski said Callaham is a great student and softball player because she is locked in on her path for both her academics and athletics.

Callaham said she plans to attend veterinary school.

“She is laser-focused in her studies and on the field,” Gajewski said. “She takes both very seriously.”

Alexander said one of her favorite parts of being a student in the

Ferguson College is all of the people who support the team who have ties to the college but the players might not know about them.

“The Ferguson College community reaches so far at OSU and in Stillwater,” Alexander said. “There are so many people who come watch games or help out, and none of us have any idea they are part of the college.

“The Ferguson College family runs so deep and wide,” she added. “We don’t even know all the supporters we have throughout the college, university and Stillwater.”

Simunek said an important part of being a student in the Ferguson College is her classmates and peers within the college.

Simunek plans to continue her love of softball after college by giving pitching lessons and hosting softball clinics until she finds a marketing job.

Alexander, Simunek, Maxwell, and Callaham play a large role in the Cowgirl Softball team, but they’re leaving a footprint in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, as well, Gajewski said.

“The balance between athletics and academics isn’t always easy,” Alexander said, “but it’s worth it.”

CHRISTINE LECLEAR MEADE,

KANSAS

Left: Logan Simunek, agricultural communications senior, pitches for the OSU Cowgirl Softball team. Photo by Christine LeClear. Top Center: Jules Callaham, animal science sophomore, plans to become a veterinarian. Photo by Bruce Waterfield. Bottom Center: Kelly Maxwell, biochemistry and molecular biology junior, was a 2021 All-Big 12 First Team selection. Photo by Bruce Waterfield.

Right: Left fielder Chelsea Alexander, agricultural communications senior, was a 2021 All-Big 12 Second Team selection. Photo by Christine LeClear.

Oklahoma, Kansas and

Grain sorghum, or milo, is being used for research on SMARTFARMs in

Texas. Photo by Todd Johnson.

NO MAN’S LAND

RECLAMATION

OSU research uncovers key to sustainability through OSU SMARTFARM

magine a cool autumn wind stirring against the back of your neck, leaving your skin speckled with goose flesh as you take in the myriad of pastel colors displayed in the westward skyline.

As the wind rustles the leaves of the cr op to come, you relish in the feeling of fresh air in your lungs and the approach of a cool evening. This scene is a genuine reward for the hard work of today, yesterday and the days of long ago. Without toil, the crop field before you might not have existed nor would the expanse of beautiful scenery be observable from all directions.

This place is still desolate, a place so antiquated in the history of the past that has come and gone it even garnered the name “No Man’s Land.” Regardless, this land is brimming with biota and other evidence of life.

Such is the setting in the Oklahoma Panhandle region where efforts in sustainability are unfolding through the SMARTFARM initiative.

As a tool, the act of sustainability can be used in a proactive way to confront climate change, said Gopal Kakani, plant and soil sciences professor at Oklahoma State University. Ultimately, actions such as these will prove monumental in the sustainability movement, he added.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the act of being sustainable relates to “the method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”

What does this word truly mean today, but more importantly, for the lives of the generations to follow?

Despite the desolation, areas in the Oklahoma Panhandle, in the Texas Panhandle and in southwest Kansas are being used to protect generations to come, Kakani said.

OSU officials, in coordination with Texas Tech University and Kansas State University, began a partnership in researching bioenergy crop production to study grain sorghum in 2020, he said.

Approved and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the program’s research and activity began in 2021, said Jeff Edwards, head of the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

“We all want to be smart,” Kakani said. “The SMARTFARM initiative represents the Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management. This market is expected to exponentially grow to a value of $200 billion in the coming years.”

Research on behalf of the SMARTFARM initiative focuses on the study of sustainability and carbon sequestration, which is the act of storing and putting carbon back into the soil, Kakani said.

“The goal of the SMARTFARM program is to develop technologies to put organic matter, or carbon content, into the ground while optimizing the ‘gold standard,’” Kakani said.

“The gold standard is the data outputs we produce from this project,” Kakani said. “We collect the data using sensors that measure carbon inputs — or sequestered carbon — in the ground.”

Kakani’s sustainability efforts with the SMARTFARM initiative are praised at OSU, Edwards said.

Kakani’s skillset, reputation and research have been an asset to the department, Edwards added.

eventually help Oklahoma producers extract value from the carbon market, Edwards said.

“We have to do better with what we have,” said J.B. Stewart, a 75-year-old fourth-generation Cimarron County producer who works with the OSU SMARTFARM. “We must always have a tremendous respect for the land and what it can do while taking joy in what we do as agriculturalists.”

Farmers and ranchers are obligated to take care of the land, he added.

“I’m beyond excited to see what the OSU SMARTFARM research brings in terms of sustainability education,” said Alisen Anderson, owner of Ogeechee Ranch and Anders Farm Enterprises.

All of the research on behalf of the OSU SMARTFARM is conducted by studying grain sorghum, a biomass crop often called milo.

“Milo is an efficient crop that’s growing stages are very similar to corn,” Anderson said. “It thrives in the Panhandle because it’s a drought resistant crop that grows well in that kind of soil.”

It’s not just playing in the dirt anymore. We have to face this issue of sustainability now or be confronted with the wrath of mother nature in the future.

Gopal Kakani

“We are fortunate to have Dr. Kakani working in our state and working for the people of Oklahoma,” Edwards said. “I’m proud of the work he does, and I consider us fortunate to have him here.”

Kakani’s efforts with the OSU SMARTFARM intitiative are going to have a major impact on what is understood about climate change and sustainability, Edwards said.

“A sustainable system has the least negative impact on the environment,” Edwards said. “To be sustainable, an agricultural system really needs to be both agronomically sustainable and economically sustainable.”

The work and research taking place at the SMARTFARM will lead to a better understanding of climate variability, carbon sequestration and

The research taking place at the OSU SMARTFARM focuses on grain sorghum’s benefits in creating ethanol products and high-energy, carbon-heavy alcohols that can be used as fuels, Kakani said.

Though the agricultural industry is constantly in the spotlight for its actions regarding climate change, the efforts of Kakani and his counterparts exist to help the farmer, he added.

“Every agricultural system requires inputs,” Edwards said. “The major focus of agricultural systems is to maintain production that is economically viable and meets the food, fuel and fiber needs of the country but uses those inputs the most efficiently.”

Every agricultural system can play an important role in being sustainable, Edwards added.

“If we don’t figure out how to live sustainably, it will be detrimental for the human race,” Anderson said.

Gopal Kakani, plant and soil sciences professor, heads the research projects at the new OSU SMARTFARM. Photo by Todd Johnson.

“Taking care of the world is our right, and as agriculturalists, it’s our job.”

Anderson and her family take pride in running their sustainable crop farming and ranching operation in Fairland, Oklahoma, and throughout Ottawa County, she said.

An adamant believer that sustainability is of utmost importance, Anderson said it provides the answer to feeding the world for decades.

“Sustainability in agriculture has been a buzz word for 20 years,” Stewart said. “It’s taken a different meaning throughout that time frame.”

Now more than ever, farmers and ranchers like Anderson and Stewart are being called to support the sustainability movement.

“Our love and passion as farmers and ranchers is to take something we have and make it better so it can withstand the test of time,” Anderson said. Anderson and Stewart both said

they want to leave the next generation with the opportunity to continue the farming and ranching tradition in a better world.

“For my farm, I want to keep the land just as good and just as productive as it was when I took it over,” Stewart said. “That takes a lot of studying, a lot of learning and a lot of experimenting.”

The future of sustainable agriculture lies in the hands of the current and upcoming generations to make a difference, Kakani said.

The knowledge, tools and passion from previous generations and sustainability research will help the next generation feed the world in years to come, Anderson said.

“It’s not just playing in the dirt anymore,” Kakani said. “We have to face this issue of sustainability now or be confronted with the wrath of Mother Nature in the future.”

You shift your focus from the oil painting of the sky to study your worn leather shoes, as cracked and weathered as the parched ground beneath your feet. As you lower to the ground and scoop up a handful of soil, the thought of your children crosses your mind, and a smile works itself into your tired features.

The soil falls through your fingertips as you think back upon your years.

A feeling of pride is met with a brimming adoration and a love not only for the land you so tirelessly tend but also for your family members who will continue the legacy.

They are the future of this land, this heritage, this operation.

They are the future of this world.

Crops such as grain sorghum are beneficial because they return carbon to the ground. Photo illustration by Sarah Harris and Jacob Sitton.

SARAH HARRIS SPRINGWOOD, VIRGINIA

4-H’ers share their knowledge around the globe

sthe Water Connects Us All curriculum because of its STEM ties.

“Oklahoma 4-H members traveled to Iowa to learn the curriculum,” Sallee said. “This was made possible through Bayer Agriscience and the National 4-H Council.”

In 2020, these 4-H members and the Luzabu Group Association formed a partnership to dive into the Water Connects Us All curriculum.

The Luzabu Group Association is an organization that promotes STEM education in the Republic of the Congo.

Japhet Mavoungou, the association’s co-founder and vice president,

shares the same motivation as Oklahoma 4-H members to spread the impact of the curriculum, he said.

Living in the Republic of the Congo, Mavoungou is a petroleum engineer by profession and an entrepreneur and youth trainer by passion, he said.

The Luzabu Group Association organizes workshops to familiarize students with STEM and prepare students for careers, Mavoungou said.

Mavoungou was selected to be a part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2018, a flagship program of the Young African Leaders program created by former President Barack Obama. This opportunity served as a valuable connection to Sallee.

“Sallee invited me to join a camp with Oklahoma 4-H, and once I came back to the Congo, I was invited to be a part of the Water Connects Us All project,” Mavoungou said.

The curriculum is about the importance of water and how it connects the whole planet, Mavoungou added.

The students tried to engineer practices that could improve water quality in both agriculture and communities, Mavoungou said. Students designed a watershed and learned of its importance, he said.

“We know a human being can destroy resources, but at the same time, we can contribute as a team to find solutions so we can use resources smartly,” he added.

Mavoungou and his staff received training materials from the U.S. and met with Oklahoma 4-H members online via Zoom to learn the curriculum.

“Our kids went through the activities and lessons with Mavoungou and his staff,” Sallee said. “Watching young kids from different counties in Oklahoma demonstrate what they know was amazing.”

After training, the staff took the curriculum from school to school to do the same presentation for as many students as possible in the Congo, Mavoungou said.

the new curriculum.

“I jumped on the opportunity because I enjoy teaching others about agriculture,” said Teegin Crosthwait, Oklahoma 4-H Ambassador who played a role in the project.

Crosthwait was chosen as a top teacher and attended the National Ag Innovators curriculum in Iowa last February, she said. The trip allowed her to meet new people who shared her passions, she added.

“We learned the curriculum, and the opportunity arose to teach youth in the Republic of the Congo,” she said.

How Water Connects Us All was

“I could definitely find a rewarding career teaching others about something I’m so passionate about,” Crosthwait said.

Moving forward, Crosthwait plans to continue teaching others and has set a goal to reach 1,000 students with this curriculum, she said.

Mavoungou also has a vision for how to continue this partnership moving forward, he said.

Although Kenya and several other countries in Africa have 4-H programs, the Republic of the Congo does not have an established 4-H program, Mavoungou added.

Mavoungou.

“It is my burning desire to create 4-H in the Congo so we can have more collaborations in the years to come,” Mavoungou said. “That is my dream, and dreaming is always good.”

Earth. Photo by Lauren Millang. Bottom: Japhet Mavoungou (left) of the Luzabu Group Association teaches the Water Connects Us All curriculum to students in the Republic of the Congo. Photo courtesy of Japhet

LAUREN MILLANG WOODLAND, CALIFORNIA

We all look for that sparkle and excitement in the student’s eyes when they see the future of agriculture education at Oklahoma State University. The P&K Equipment family and I also look forward to seeing the faculty and staff work together in this new environment that allows for the free exchange of ideas and thoughts to further enhance agriculture research. With the opening of this facility the future will look even brighter for the university with “The Brightest Orange.”

Dr. Barry Pollard, ’73, New Frontiers Cornerstone Donor

When you give to the New Frontiers campaign you are investing in OSU Agriculture and the efficacy of its research, the quality of education, the power of Extension and OSU’s important role in feeding the world.

AGRICULTURE

To learn more about the campaign and to view construction progress , visit : OSUgiving.com/New-Frontiers

Meets the Eye More Than

FAPC and AGCM partner on innovative technology

Arecent investment in eye-tracking glasses could allow the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center and the agricultural communications program to “see” what you see.

The units partnered to invest in a pair of Tobii Pro Glasses 3. These specialized eyeglasses can track eye movement and the amount of time someone looks in a certain direction, said Megan Silveira, agricultural communications master’s student.

After an idea to purchase a pair of directional eyeglasses was discussed, a plan to invest in the technology was put into place, said Mandy Gross,

former FAPC communications services manager.

“The faculty and staff in the agricultural education, communications and leadership department and the FAPC bought the glasses, a license for the technology, and a laptop that connects directly to those glasses,” Gross said.

Silveira was the first graduate student to use the equipment, getting help from Greg Clare, design, housing and merchandising associate professor, for the research and data analysis.

Clare has a two-dimensional, computer-mounted version of this eye-tracking technology and has partnered in other research studies.

“The Tobii X2-30 of Dr. Clare’s are

different from the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 because the 2D technology doesn’t account for individual’s head movement or the direction they are looking,” Silveira said.

Once one calibrates the glasses to the participants’ eyes, the system tracks their head movement and where they specifically look through the glasses as they look at the screen, Silveira said.

“It’s set just to the screen, and it tracks the eye movement on the screen,” Silveira said. “The glasses basically examine the whole field of vision the viewer has. The Pro 3 glasses are 3D because we see in 3D, and that is what the glasses capture.”

Tobii Pro 3 eye-tracking glasses track the direction of consumers’ eyes. Photo by Tianna Kozuszek.

The research Silveira conducted will help benefit FAPC with the evaluation of its newly redesigned website, Gross said.

“The first part of the research focuses on the usability of the FAPC website,” Silveira said. “The second part of research is testing these glasses for FAPC and getting the first experience with this type of technology.”

The research consisted of comparing data from the X2-30 system and other thesis research from OSU, Silveira said.

“I collected 15 sets of data with the computer-mounted device, and then another 15 with the eye-tracking glasses,” Silveira said. “I had participants look at the FAPC website on the same laptop, but data was collected with both of the different technologies.”

Volunteer participants had certain tasks to perform, such as finding specific information on the updated FAPC website, Gross said.

Silveira said having the opportunity to be the first to experience this technology opened her eyes and gave her new marketing knowledge.

“From an industry perspective, we want to give Oklahoma companies the best information about what the consumer is looking for, what caught the consumer’s attention, and why the consumer chose that product,” said Rodney Holcomb, agricultural economics professor who assists in FAPC.

Data from Silveira’s project shows researchers a rich data set and allows them to compare data from both the Tobii X2-30 and the Tobii Pro Glasses 3, Holcomb said.

background?” Holcomb asked. “Or are they looking for a link that’s not there because the design has been changed?”

Eye-tracking also can be used to examine consumers’ preferences in the food labeling aspect of the agricultural industry, which plays an important role in the world of marketing, Holcomb said.

From an industry perspective, we want to give Oklahoma companies the best possible information about what consumers are looking for.

Rodney Holcomb

“The technology can be used to examine consumers’ preferences,” Holcomb added.

In marketing, especially on a website, a lot of what you do revolves around finding the thing that attracts or catches the consumers’ attention, Holcomb said.

“Do consumers really care about pretty images and moving video

When asking consumers if they would buy this product, the main concern is which specific product they would choose, Holcomb said.

“With these eye-tracking glasses, we can send someone to the store and let them buy whatever they would buy normally while we see what they are looking at,” Holcomb said.

“Take produce, for example,” Holcomb said. “The consumer may look at where the product is grown or visual appeal of the products.”

The glasses are being used to obtain research about what consumers care about, Holcomb said. They help to discern if consumers spend their time contemplating price, where the product was grown or how the product looks, he added.

“In addition, researchers get a better idea of what factors really impact consumers’ buying, as opposed to what they say impacts their buying,” Holcomb said. “Consumers don’t realize what unconscious factors impact their buying decisions.”

In the future, FAPC staff plans to partner with different agricultural industries to determine what food labels attract the consumer’s attention, Gross said.

“Research with these glasses will prove to be beneficial in the agricultural field and marketing in general,” Silveira said. “I am excited to see the impact they will have.”

Megan Silveira, agricultural communications master’s student, analyzes data from this eyetracking technology for her research project. The technology will allow researchers to know how consumers react to what is in front of them. Photo by Tianna Kozuszek.

TIANNA

CRICKET

ENTO senior combines passion for fashion and insects

An Oklahoma State University student turns off the sewing machine to focus on her real passion. As she rises out of her seat, she looks forward to her next adventure with a rather unconventional subject: insects.

From vogue to vespids, she combines the unlikely components of crickets and couture.

Getting an associate’s degree in fashion design and following it with a bachelor’s degree in entomology is not what most people have in mind when they choose what they want to be when they grow up.

with my fiancé, and while we were visiting with friends, I saw a cicada,” Partin-Topper said. “I then said, ‘Oh, that would be so cool if I could somehow study bugs and just hang out with them all day.’ That’s when my friend asked, ‘Why don’t you?’”

Partin-Topper said her friend then explained how entomology was a bachelor’s degree for available at OSU.

I am really appreciative to have each set of skills because it is useful in other ways.

Morgan Partin-Topper

“I had literally never heard of entomology,” PartinTopper said. “It was in August right before the new semester started when she told me this, so it just kind of clicked.

Oceanside, California. Her fiancé’s family was in Stillwater, so she had another family to provide support.

“It was crazy how it worked out,” Partin-Topper said. “The fact OSU had an incredible entomology program and I had a second family was awesome.”

Since she cannot go back in time, Partin-Topper is thrilled to have both degrees, she said. She is most likely one of a few individuals who have a fashion degree and an entomology degree, she said.

Neither did Morgan Partin-Topper, but here she is.

“I always loved bugs and fashion design,” said Partin-Topper, entomology senior. “When I was in my last year of fashion design school, I knew I didn’t want to continue in fashion. I wanted to get my bachelor’s in something else. I just didn’t know what.”

Partin-Topper said she planned to earn a bachelor’s in women’s studies but couldn’t find any jobs to secure after attaining the degree.

“I was visiting the OSU campus

“Then, I was accepted in October,” she said.

Partin-Topper said she loved insects at a young age and especially loved her books about ladybugs, snails and other creatures.

“Making the switch to entomology and a new university actually was not scary at all,” Partin-Topper said. “Since it took me four years to get my associate’s degree in fashion design, I was already around 23 years old when I made the move to OSU.”

Partin-Topper is originally from

“I am really appreciative to have each set of skills because it is useful in other ways,” Partin-Topper said. “If I could go back though, I wish I would have known entomology was a subject from high school age because then I would have immediately known what I wanted to do.”

Partin-Topper said she always envied those who knew exactly what they were born to do. That’s how she felt when she found entomology, she added.

“Right now, I am looking at insect rearing positions and taking care of colonies of insects on a larger scale,” Partin-Topper said.

Partin-Topper is interested in conservation of natural resources, she said. She is also interested in doing

Morgan Partin-Topper, OSU entomology senior, has an associate’s degree in fashion design and works at the OSU Insect Adventure. Photo by Tieren Gates.

research about using insects for alternate protein sources.

“I’m interested to see how insects can play a roll in conservancy and fashion all at the same time,” PartinTopper said. “I would like to study this sector more once I graduate.”

Andrine Shufran, coordinator of the OSU Insect Adventure, said the best thing about Partin-Topper having studied fashion before entomology is the different perspective she brings to the discipline.

Partin-Topper brings a unique viewpoint from her experiences that is really fresh, interesting and leads to novel ideas, Shufran added.

“Morgan has used her fashion abilities frequently while working in the entomology department and OSU Insect Adventure,” Shufran said. “In fact, she made me a wonderful

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach costume that is so realistic. She’s also designed and made new cages for our walking sticks.”

Wyatt Hoback, OSU entomology and plant pathology associate professor, was an influential part of Partin-Topper’s academic career, Partin-Topper said.

“Fashion looks for inspiration, and insects have more than a million different kinds to use,” Hoback said.

Hoback said insects can be marked with various colors and patterns that relay warning signals, advertise danger, indicate distastefulness or poison, or offer amazing camouflage.

The patterns, colors and shapes of an insect exist to help these insects survive, Hoback said.

“With Partin-Topper’s background in the fashion industry, she can see

insects in the environment in a different way than people who have been scientists all their lives,” he added.

Partin-Topper is a passionate student who enjoys learning, Hoback said, and she especially enjoys teaching others about entomology.

Partin-Topper’s previously acquired skills, her unusual academic career with its ties to fashion and her interest in insects gives her an adept talent when teaching kids, Hoback said.

“She cares about the environment and the role insects play in food webs,” he said. “She is an incredible human, a hard worker, and I believe she will make a real impact on the industry.”

Morgan Partin-Topper, OSU entomology senior, works with diverse insect species including jungle nymphs and giant walking sticks. Jungle nymphs originate from the Malay Peninsula. Giant walking sticks are found across North America. Photo by Tieren Gates.

Opening the PANTRY

Pete’s Pantry helps ensure food security for OSU’s students

Food fuels the brain, and Oklahoma State University students use their brains every day toward completing their education. However, recent research proves some students worry about where they will get their next meal.

To combat the situation, members of the OSU Student Government Association’s food insecurity committee created an initiative to help food insecure students.

According to the “Assessment of Food Security among Oklahoma State University Students,” food security is emerging as a serious problem in the U.S., including in Oklahoma.

Through a survey distributed to a random sample of OSU students, 43% of the respondents reported being food insecure.

This research project shows rates of food insecurity at OSU are higher than the national average of 12%.

Healthy food for OSU college students is available at Pete’s Pantry. Photo by Mark Scalmanini.

“These numbers are organized into low food security and mild to moderate food security, but the bottom line is we realized we had a problem,” said Amarie Griffeth, agribusiness and agricultural communications junior.

“The students’ perspective showed an on-campus pantry would be beneficial because the majority of food insecure

students work full-time jobs and needed something at their disposal.”

Vanessa Wiebe, 2018 SGA vice president and OSU agribusiness and agricultural communications alumna, set the foundation for what is known today as “Pete’s Pantry.”

The pantry was developed through cooperation among Big 12 schools,

campus administration and other SGA legislators, Wiebe said. She said she recognized a problem existed on campus for food insecure students and knew she had to be proactive to change the circumstances at hand.

“After realizing we were the only Big 12 school without a food pantry for its students, I developed a sense of guilt

Amarie Griffeth, agribusiness and agricultural communications junior, shares the diverse range of food groups offered in Pete’s Pantry to students. Photo by Aubrey Treumann.

y I I I ) LIi \ )I

for not doing anything earlier,” Wiebe said. “From there, I developed a strong passion to ensure the continuation of success for fighting food insecurity.”

Wiebe appointed Griffeth as the SGA director of food insecurity in April 2019.

As of fall 2020, members of the SGA food insecurity committee began the SGA food pantry, better known as “Pete’s Pantry,” Griffeth said. The pantry is a “no questions asked” welcoming process where students can obtain resources from Room 211 of the OSU Student Union, she added.

“We are great partners with Our Daily Bread, the local food resource center that does mobile markets on campus, making them our benefactor in the sense that they donate extra or leftover items to us,” said Melisa Echols, OSU SGA programs coordinator.

agribusiness and plant science senior. “There are resources about things on campus, too, whether that be about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program help, mental health awareness or graduate school resources.

As the SGA vice president, Muller was key to starting Pete’s Pantry, Griffeth said.

“Coming from a production agricultural background and coming to a land-grant university like OSU, we pride ourselves in feeding and clothing the world, but we weren’t doing a good job of that with our neighbors on campus,” Muller said. “Pete’s Pantry truly helps students on campus in a whole new way.”

Coming from a production agricultural background, we pride ourselves in feeding and clothing the world.

Our Daily Bread Food & Resource Center can offer something SGA’s committee cannot offer to students, which are perishable food items, Griffeth said. The partnership is valuable not only for the pantry but also for the students to have access to more options of food, she added.

Luke Muller

Seeing people with children enter the pantry is an eye-opening experience, Echols said. Not only single individuals receive help from Pete’s Pantry, but also families and the community get aid, she added.

The whole goal from the beginning was to impact and uplift the Stillwater community, Echols said, and that goal is the most important part.

Want To Help?

Interested in donating food and resources or making a monetary donation to Pete’s Pantry? You can help in multiple ways.

Donate directly to the Pete’s Pantry donation box in Room 211 of the OSU Student Union.

Examples of needed items include the following:

• Non-perishable foods

• Coats and jackets

• Toothbrushes and toothpaste

• Shampoos and body washes

Monetary dona tions can be made in two ways:

• Donate through Venmo to @okstateSGA

• Mail a check to OSU S GA at the following address: Pete’s Pantry

Oklahoma State University 211 Student Union Stillwater, OK 74078

Pete’s Pantry has done a great job of diversifying the food products available for students, Echols said. Students can find foods of high nutritional value to supplement a healthy diet of a college student, she added.

“We try to pay close attention to dietary needs for different students when purchasing food for the pantry,” Echols said. “By supplying vegetable and plant-based items, we are able to provide more than just your common nonperishable goods.”

Other resources are accessible to students through Pete’s Pantry, which supplies non-food items to assist students in financial stress.

“We have hygiene products such as toothpaste and shampoo, articles of clothing and heavy coats, and menstrual products,” said Luke Muller,

Four years ago, Pete’s Pantry began as a small portion of non-perishable food on a shelf and fridge in the SGA vice president’s office, Wiebe said. The platform of Pete’s Pantry has expanded tremendously through hard work and leadership, impacting students on an entirely new level, she added.

“Honestly, I am grateful to be surrounded by caring leaders who want to serve other students,” Griffeth said. “The joyful way in which a difference can be made and the happy place that students can spend their time is incredible.”

MARK SCALMANINI HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA

Students use Pete’s Pantry stickers to brand and spread awareness. Photo by Mark Scalmanini.

A NATURAL

TREASURE

Owens retires after 14 years of service to OSU Agriculture

Much like a natural treasure, the impacts of Keith Owens’ time at Oklahoma State University will continue to last for years to come.

After nearly 14 years serving in leadership positions in the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Owens plans to retire in July 2021.

Owens has provided leadership as the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station associate vice president since 2014.

“I wanted to major in forestry based on the time I spent in the woods on my grandparents’ farm in Delaware,” Owens said.

Owens has undergraduate degrees in forestry and in range management from the University of Idaho. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wyoming and a doctorate from Utah State University, both in range management and range ecology.

“The range ecology came after I spent time in the natural ecosystems in the West,” Owens said.

Owens said he pursued research because he was always interested in why something happens.

“A lot of my friends during my undergraduate career were graduate students,” Owens said. “I got to help on their projects, which fueled my research interests.”

After completing his education, he became an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. He worked 20 years at a research and extension center in a position fully funded for research.

“I worked as a 100% research

faculty member in the areas of plant water use, fire ecology and wildlife grazing,” Owens said.

Owens said being inquisitive and not giving up are two things that made him successful as a researcher.

“Some things must be repeated and corrected to get an answer,” he said.

In 2007, Owens joined the faculty at OSU as the first full-time department head for the newly formed OSU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management in the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

department, he brought together people from different academic cultures.”

Engle said he considers Owens a great colleague and friend as well as an excellent research scientist and leader.

Owens has provided constant support for faculty, staff and students while challenging them to do good work, Engle said.

I will always remember the departments, students, faculty and staff. Those interactions are important and something I’ll cherish.

Keith Owens

He spent seven years as the NREM department head. In Fall 2014, he was appointed to interim associate director of OSU Agriculture before officially taking the role of associate vice president in July 2015.

The NREM department was formed by uniting the OSU Department of Forestry, the range faculty from the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, and the wildlife faculty from the zoology program in the OSU College of Arts and Sciences.

“It wasn’t a seamless transition, but it worked well,” Owens said.

He credited the ease in the transition to the effort by the faculty and the positive attitude from students.

“Owens has served OSU to the best of his ability and to our benefit,” said Dave Engle, NREM faculty emeritus. “When he came into the newly formed

“He allowed us to be independent scholars,” Engle said. “He created an environment that encouraged excellence across the board.”

The NREM department still reflects the leadership Owens provided in his time as department head, Engle said.

“One thing Owens accomplished was to get faculty members, staff and students to pull together as one department,” Engle said.

Engle said he believes Owens was chosen to lead OSU Ag Research because he demonstrated his strong leadership abilities while serving as the NREM department head.

“Owens left NREM with departmental faculty and staff thinking he did a great job bringing the different departments and colleges together,” Engle said.

Thomas Coon, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture, has worked closely with Owens in the leadership of OSU Agriculture, which includes the Ferguson College, the OSU Extension and OSU Ag Research.

Each has its own mission, and each mission is unique, Coon said. Administration’s task is to manage the three parts as one division, he added.

“Dr. Owens has been responsible for the research mission and for research infrastructure such as laboratories and field stations,” Coon said.

Coon said the administration works as a team to maintain the different stations and infrastructure.

OSU Agriculture has 18 research stations across the state and about 25,000 acres to manage, Owens said.

Owens’ position for OSU Ag Research requires extensive collaboration among the research stations, he said.

Owens also managed the financial resources for research, Coon said. The funds come from the federal and state government resources as well as grants faculty receive.

“Dr. Owens has a really strong sense of mission,” Coon said. “Accountability is really important to him as well as for those who hold positions funded by OSU Ag Research.”

Owens’ manner makes a difference, Coon said. His willingness to work with people and hold them accountable works well in various situations.

Listening is a key to being successful in administration, Owens said. He added the enjoyment of helping faculty, staff and students succeed is an important part of being a leader.

“In any of my positions, the success of the individual depends upon department or the people in the orga -

After retirement in July, Owens plans to spend time with his wife, Mia Elizabeth, traveling to visit his daugh -

“We are a family that values education,” Owens said. “Among Mia and I, our three daughters and their husbands, we collectively have 21 aca -

Owens has five grandchildren with

“We also have a wish to visit all the national parks in the United States,” Owens said. “We’ve been able to visit most of the parks in the West.”

Owens said they would like to split their time between their home in Stillwater and their home in Colorado.

“I will always remember the departments, students, faculty and staff,” he said. “Those interactions are important and something I’ll cherish.”

RYLEE REYNOLDS STRATFORD, OKLAHOMA

passion for research and the outdoors. Photo by Christine LeClear.

COURTROOM from classroom to M

Ferguson College of Agriculture alumna becomes public defender

acy Griswold sat, hunched over her desk for the second day in a row, taking the longest exam she would ever have. Her hand ached, and the tip of her pencil was losing its ability to write. Soon, the bar exam would be through, and the next chapter of her life would begin.

Griswold, Ferguson College of Agriculture alumna, said she had an interesting career path to get where she is today.

“It was one of those crazy fate things,” Griswold said.

Griswold graduated with degrees in animal science and agricultural communications in December 2016.

Griswold’s Oklahoma State University studies gave her the ability to interact with people, she said, and

she still maintains a close relationship with people from her time at OSU.

“You learn people have different backgrounds and grew up differently,” Griswold said. “The people in the Ferguson College of Agriculture are inclusive of all that.”

Griswold learned how to handle herself through different circumstances in the Ferguson College, said Jerry Fitch, animal and food sciences professor and her academic adviser.

His strongest memory of Griswold was her competitive and driven spirit with livestock and in her academic career, he said.

“She didn’t like to be second in anything she did,” Fitch said, “including her classwork.

“Her advising appointments were

Macy Griswold, Ferguson College of Agriculture alumna, keeps a globe on her desk as a reminder of where she has been and where she plans to go.

Photo by Sarah Palmer.

basically trying to find her niche and where she was going with the rest of her life,” Fitch said.

After graduating, Griswold said she took the next semester and the summer off to recuperate.

During that time, Griswold used her agricultural communications skills to run her photography business and spent time figuring out her next step, she said.

In January, her grandfather’s death shifted her path, Griswold said.

She had contemplated nursing school but made a 180° turn to apply for law school, she said.

“It definitely was a leap of faith,” Griswold said.

Griswold said her academic break was a “blessing in disguise.”

In April 2017, Griswold toured the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Along with the tour, she also reconnected with Jessie Heidlage, Griswold said.

Heidlage, who now serves as a Muskogee County assistant district attorney, was in FFA and on the OSU Meat Judging Team with Griswold while the pair were students in the Ferguson College.

Heidlage was a first-year law

student in the OU College of Law when she gave Griswold a student’s perspective of law school.

“Macy came to observe class since she was touring OU,” Heidlage said.

During her tour, Griswold learned the deadline for the June LSAT was the next day, she said.

“In a matter of hours I was like, ‘this is where I want to be — this feels like home,’” she said. “I went home that night, talked to my parents, and said, ‘I think I’m going to law school.’”

Griswold registered for the LSAT that night and had six weeks to study for the test, she said.

“Everything was kind of a blur during that time,” Griswold said.

When Griswold started law school in August 2017, she knew she wanted to practice criminal law and learned law school is different from undergrad, she said.

“Law school is definitely a different experience,” Griswold said.

Griswold had to adjust her mindset in the first year because law school classes were unlike anything she had experienced before, she said. In law school, most classes do not have homework and students’ grades are determined by the final exam, she added.

Every day, students are immersed in new material and required to keep up to date on extensive reading lists, Griswold said.

The competitive atmosphere in law school was intense, Griswold said.

“Once you get to law school, everybody is smart,” Griswold said.

Law professors will not give everyone an A, Griswold said.

“You are graded on a curve,” Griswold said. “Somebody has got to be at the top, and somebody has got to be at the bottom.”

Being driven by her peers was where Griswold found her motivation, she said. Students have to be able to keep up with lectures and discussions or take practice tests to see if they are on the right track through the semester, she added.

“You have a pretty good social life during the semester, and then about

Defense System as a public defender in June 2020. Photo by Sarah Palmer.

two weeks before finals, it’s like you don’t leave the library,” Griswold said. “Finals are two weeks long rather than just one.”

Griswold said first-year students either love or hate the Legal Research and Writing class, but she really loved the course because of what she learned in her agricultural communications classes at OSU.

Griswold said her three-semester experience in the University of Oklahoma Legal Clinic was her favorite class.

Brenda H. Barnes, OU Law clinical legal education assistant professor, supervised the class. In the clinic, practicing attorneys supervise the students who each carry a caseload.

Griswold said she had a unique student experience because one of her cases in the clinic almost went to trial before it was settled.

Griswold was disappointed when her case did not go to trial because she had completed all the preparation, Barnes said.

“That was truly a defining moment in my law school career when I decided low-income clients were the clients I wanted to help,” Griswold said. “That was the position I wanted to be in.”

Gaining courtroom etiquette from the legal clinic was a huge help, Griswold said. Starting her career was “like trying to drink water from a fire hose” but would have been more difficult without her experience in the clinic, she said.

Barnes said her strongest memory of Griswold is the big smile she brought into the clinic each day. She brightened everyone’s day, Barnes said.

Griswold was known for putting in more hours than required, Barnes said.

“Once you go to law school, it ruins your experience watching shows like ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘Law and Order,’” Griswold said. “You are critiquing them and have a more accurate representation of what is realistic and what is not.”

Griswold took the bar exam in February 2020, learned she had passed in April, and started her current job

for the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System in June, she said.

“When she had her first trial as first chair, I got to go watch,” Barnes said. “It was exciting to get to see one of my former students in trial themselves.

“She won!” Barnes said.

Griswold was nervous starting as a lawyer, she said, but she soon found her groove.

Griswold is one of the five salaried staff attorneys in Cleveland County, the third largest county in Oklahoma, and works in a satellite office. Anyone who applies and qualifies in Cleveland County for a court-appointed attorney is represented by the office.

people each and every day, whether that be in person or on the phone, at the office or in the courthouse,” Griswold said. “I like the diversity of my job and the fact that every day I get the opportunity to help somebody.”

Griswold’s empathy makes her an exceptional attorney, a quality sometimes hard to find, Heidlage said. Griswold invests in her clients on an extra level because of her ability to empathize and hear each client’s situation, Heidlage added.

You learn people have different backgrounds and grew up differently. The people in the Ferguson College of Agriculture are inclusive of all that.

Macy Griswold

As the second newest hire, she has three more-experienced attorneys who provide support when she needs advice, Griswold said.

“My life as a public defender is extremely diverse,” Griswold said. “Truly, no two days are the same.

“The ability to effectively and persuasively communicate is the most important thing for a lawyer,” Griswold said.

Another key factor to being a good lawyer is to have confidence in your abilities, Griswold said.

“I am in a unique position to be able to help people in ways that a lot of people aren’t,” Griswold said. “As an attorney, I’m in the position to ask for what people can’t ask for themselves.”

The career of a public defender often may be overlooked because the position pays less than other areas of law, Griswold said. However, she would not get the same emotional fulfillment from any other job, she added.

“At the end of the day, happiness is more important than my salary,” Griswold said.

Griswold’s happy demeanor in her job sometimes surprises people, she said. A big part of the job comes from connecting with people, she added.

“I interact with a lot of different

“Macy has a heart of gold, and I know that if you’re in need, Macy would give you the shirt off of her back,” Heidlage said. “That serves true in her professional life.”

Griswold works tirelessly to represent the interests of her clients and serve those around her, Heidlage said.

“She’s a giving person,” Fitch said. “She’s got a heart as big as Oklahoma.”

Everyone Griswold meets grows to love her, Barnes said, and she has never met any strangers.

The most important skill for a lawyer is to possess the ability to evaluate facts with an open mind and advocate for any position, Heidlage said.

“Macy embodies that, and it’s been evident throughout her life,” Heidlage said. “I can only imagine she is an outstanding advocate for her clients now.”

Even though her path was unconventional, Griswold said she was proud of where she is.

“I had a very diverse education path,” Griswold said. “I might not use everything I thought I might, but I think everything happens for a reason. It brought people into my life I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and I wouldn’t change anything.”

SARAH PALMER IDABEL, OKLAHOMA ti]

ALL AMERICAN

LEGACY

AFS judging teams provide path to national recognition

The lights dim as the master of ceremonies moves to the podium, the heels of his square-toe boots the only sound audible across the banquet hall. Anxious competitors watch his every movement in anticipation of the names he is about to read.

Members of the Oklahoma State University Livestock Judging Team sit around their table, all eyes on the man as he begins to describe the legacy of the All American title.

courses, spend hours at practice, and begin to understand time management, he added.

“We require our team members to be dedicated to their studies as we travel through the country going to contests,” Cooper said. “They leave the team understanding how to balance responsibilities.”

The tradition of excellence will continue as OSU Cowboys continue to embrace the All American legacy. Parker Henley

The All American title exists to recognize some of the most talented, competitive students in the agricultural industry, said Parker Henley, OSU Livestock Judging Team coach.

All Americans are recognized in the collegiate livestock, meat, horse and dairy judging disciplines.

“Being recognized as an All American is like the icing on the cake for a competitor,” said Morgan Pfeiffer, OSU alumna and All American in both livestock and meat judging. “If selected, you are recognized for your academic and competition successes.”

The qualifications for becoming an All American vary by discipline, but overall selection is based upon performance in the classroom and/or arena, said Steven Cooper, OSU Horse Judging Team coach.

Team members take a full load of

To be named an All American in horse judging, a team member must be a top 10 finalist at the national contests and maintain a 3.5 GPA.

“Being recognized as an All American is no easy feat,” said Gretchen Mafi, OSU Meat Judging Team coach.

Since the American Meat Science Association began recognizing All Americans in 2007, Mafi has witnessed 23 of her students achieve the accomplishment, she said.

“Meat judging is so competitive,” Mafi said. “Being an All American is so impactful for the students’ careers because employers understand the difficulty of the competition.”

To become an All American meat judge, results from a competitor’s two highest contest placings, placings at the international contest and GPA are taken into account, Mafi said.

Livestock judging All Americans are selected through applications.

“The process to become an All American livestock judge begins in the summer,” Henley said. “Students submit their applications to the All American academic program to be reviewed by a panel of administrators across the country. The students are then evaluated on their judging and academic successes and their future career goals.”

Being involved in a judging team and striving for the national championship title is the opportunity of a lifetime, Pfeiffer said.

“The judging program helps keep team members disciplined and introduces them to so many people,” Pfeiffer said. “While competing at national contests, team members have the opportunity to join a long-lasting legacy of talented individuals.”

Cooper said the All American program is beneficial because it provides interaction with industry professionals, develops public speaking and team working skills, and offers the opportunity to help future career successes.

“All Americans have put forth the effort in the classroom, during workouts and at contests,” Henley said. “The tradition of excellence will continue as OSU Cowboys continue to embrace the All American legacy.”

Cowboy All Americans 102

1996-2007

Brad Chapman, Dairy

Brandon Covey, Dairy

Alan Jennings, Dairy

Daniel Neely, Dairy

Carl Oblander, Meat

Samuel Percival, Meat

Wravenna Phipps, Livestock

Amber Skinner, Livestock

Reed Smith, Meat

Andrea Troyer, Livestock

2008

Cassie Bacon, Livestock

Amanda Burrows, Horse

Kelly Manke, Meat

Erin Way, Livestock

Kristi Wright, Horse

Jason Zwilling, Livestock

2009

Leslie German, Dairy

Kylee Willard, Livestock

2010

Megan Bryant, Livestock

Jett Eder, Livestock

Garrett Knebel, Livestock

Michael Kinna, Livestock

Zach Robertson, Meat

Travis Timmons, Horse

2011

McKenzie Clifton, Meat

Carrie Doyle, Horse

Laura Padgett, Dairy

Stephanie Willis, Livestock

2012

Katie Duysen, Livestock

Emily Handke, Horse

Morgan Meisenheimer, Livestock

Morgan Neilson, Meat

Lauren Wells, Horse

Clay Zwilling, Livestock

2013

Jeffery Dalton Newell, Livestock

Taylor Graham, Livestock

Katie Jordan, Horse

Morgan Neilson, Livestock

Kass Pfeiffer, Livestock

Sarah Schobert, Horse

2014

Gary Agar, Livestock

Jake Bloomberg, Livestock

Jessie Heidlage, Meat

Jessica Neal, Horse

Jenalee Nies, Horse

Wilma Van der Laan, Dairy

Kelly Vierck, Livestock

Audrey Zoeller, Meat

2015

Marissa Chapa, Horse

Elizabeth Nixon, Livestock

Faith Onstot, Horse

Hope Onstot, Horse

Macy Perry, Meat

Kyndal Reitzenstein, Livestock

Matt Walta, Livestock

2016

Callie Akins, Livestock

Julianna Albrecht, Meat

Abby Bechtold, Meat

Taylor Gilbert, Horse

Rebecca Janes, Horse

Jenna Kool, Horse

Taylor Leach, Dairy

Hana Murphy, Horse

Macy Perry, Horse

Dylan Price, Horse

Garrett Reed, Horse

Emily Rice, Meat

Franchesca Rollerson, Horse

Logan Van Allen, Livestock

2017

Brooke Catterton, Horse

Kayleigh Crane, Horse

Emily Haak, Horse

Karli Jones, Horse

Jessica Judge, Livestock

Mattie Lemmons, Horse

Faith Onstot. Livestock

Hope Onstot, Livestock

Charley Rayfield, Meat

Krista Rodney, Horse

2018

Jax Bauer, Dairy

Grayson Cottrell, Horse

Justin Dewbre, Horse

Lyndsey Harvey, Horse

Kathryn Hearn, Meat

Lilly Hildebrand, Meat

Anna Grace Parnell, Livestock

Katelynn Priest, Horse

Nicole Sanders, Dairy

Rachel Scott, Horse

Haley Stark, Livestock

2019

Justin Chupp, Dairy

Erin Leach, Dairy

Shane Robison, Dairy

Nicole Sanders, Horse

Truitt Taylor, Horse

2020

Holly Beringer, Horse

Leo Elsasser, Horse

Grace Harris, Meat

Mamie-Cate Haydon, Meat

Lara Hays, Horse

Dani LeDonne, Meat

Will Shelby, Livestock

Hannah Tweed, Horse

Diverse vegetables, planted by students, grow in the garden at Our Daily Bread Food & Resource Center.

Photo by Kirsten Hollansworth.

Uprooting food insecurity

Students manage garden to assist the community

while kneeling in the garden at Our Daily Bread Food & Resource Center, students unearth much more than the top layer of the nutrient-rich soil. They tackle food insecurity, which much like the fast-growing and unwanted weeds of a garden, threatens to disrupt the success and harmony of individuals within the community.

Bailey Norwood, agricultural economics professor at Oklahoma State University, plants the seed of food insecurity knowledge into the minds of his students by offering a handson experience to benefit low-income residents of Payne County.

This experience is part the Farm to Fork course, AGEC 3023, with more than 200 students enrolled in the Spring 2021 semester.

“If Our Daily Bread employees had to put resources to a garden, it would take away from the actual mission,” Norwood said. “By running a garden,

we take the responsibility off of the staff, and they still get the garden that the community expects. We get value out of it by having students gain hands-on experience.”

As a self-taught gardener, Norwood credited learning about the craft from reading and online videos. The experience in his own garden and through Master Gardener classes contributed to his ability to teach gardening concepts, he said.

“People expect a food pantry to have a garden, but it would be a drain on the staff if they had to do it,” Norwood said. “People think you can produce food cheaper in your garden than from the store, but it’s just not true.”

Most of the produce at Our Daily Bread comes from the food pantry system, Norwood said. Volunteers spend all week going to grocery stores and getting their surplus, he added.

“It’s mainly a way of helping people afford the things they need by taking

food that otherwise would be thrown away,” Norwood said. “In one way, it’s bizarre that the richest nation in the world has people needing food banks, but living in this world is expensive.”

Most people wait until April or May to start gardening, but by using the greenhouse, students can plant cool season crops in March, Norwood said. Some plants, such as lettuce, handle the cold and taste better when grown in cold conditions, he added.

“We start plants in the greenhouse because it is the ideal environment, and the plants don’t experience any adversity,” Norwood said. “Before transitioning the plants to the garden, they are rotationally moved outside to adapt to colder temperatures.”

Almost all for-profit vegetable farms use drip irrigation, Norwood said. If you have too much water in the soil, the plants can’t take in oxygen and it can cause fungal diseases, he added.

“Drip irrigation works at a much lower pressure,” Norwood said. “The nice thing is it leaks slowly and is very low maintenance.”

To ensure high germination rates, seeds are purchased from supply stores, Norwood said. Choosing where to purchase seeds is crucial to the success of the garden, he added.

“It has been nice to incorporate in-class experiences to help students become more aware of food insecurity problems,” Norwood said. “The resources available help community members stretch food budgets.”

Katy Rippetoe, agribusiness senior, worked 10 to 15 hours a week as the garden manager.

“Our Daily Bread represents people who are getting the chance to have a choice in their food selection,” Rippetoe said. “It’s important to help teach community members about growing their own food.”

The garden is an opportunity to see fruits grown, such as raspberries and grapes that are not as common in Oklahoma, Rippetoe said.

“Having experience in a garden is beneficial to students especially agriculture majors,” Rippetoe said. “A garden is resourceful because students can grow food and lessen food insecurity by giving to others.”

The garden at Our Daily Bread grants community members the privilege of picking their own food, Rippetoe said.

“Anyone can have an at-home garden to grow at-home food,” Rippetoe said. “The advice I would give to someone looking to garden is it can be

affordable and easy. You don’t have to have a lot of land or equipment to grow your own produce.”

Brooklyn Evans, agricultural leadership senior, experienced the impact of the community garden firsthand as a student in the class.

“Dr. Norwood demonstrated how to do the task before I did it myself, which made me feel more comfortable through the whole gardening process,” Evans said.

Students working in the garden have taken the initiative to help fight food insecurity by providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the families in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Evans said.

“Norwood did a great job of explaining the purpose of planting specific things,” Evans said.

When students submerge seeds in the nutrient-rich soil at Our Daily Bread garden, growth is imminent. To an untrained eye, the top layer of soil looks untouched, but from the per spective of students, they planted their own seed in combating food insecurity within the community.

KIRSTEN HOLLANSWORTH SMITHTON, ILLINOIS

Bailey Norwood (second from left), professor of agricultural economics, joins Rachael Condley (third from right), executive director at Our Daily Bread Food & Resource Center, celebrate harvest with Ferguson College of Agriculture students Tanner Weston (left), Tuff Johnson, Allison Carson, Brooklyn Downs, Ethan Buck and Spencer Sanders. Photo by Kirsten Hollansworth.

sigmaalpha.okstate@gmail.com

Oklahoma 4-H’er garners national award

STEM ing

from adversity

Adversity either motivates individuals or sends them on a completely different path.

Aidan Spencer, 18-year-old Oklahoma County 4-H member and Epic Charter High School senior, took his adversity and channeled it into a new passion.

When he was younger, Spencer was active in both basketball and football.

Adversity struck, Spencer said, and 4-H became a grounding force when his life turned upside down.

In 2014, his entire house burned down, leaving his family with almost nothing left. Just two months later, the car in which Spencer was riding was rear-ended by a distracted driver. This accident left him with a back injury and unable to do many physical things, he said.

Spencer’s friends recognized his struggles and began asking him to come to workshops and events put on by Oklahoma County 4-H. He said he believes without his accident he might not have become interested in 4-H.

incredibly talented young man who is continuously applying his knowledge to learn more.”

In 2021, the National 4-H Council named Aidan Spencer the winner of the Youth in Action Award for STEM, making him the first individual from Oklahoma to win this honor.

“Aidan has been doing the work for years and has always known what he was here for and found his passion in his involvement in STEM,” Virginia Spencer said.

Of the 6.5 million 4-H members in the U.S., only four individuals each year are selected as 4-H Youth In Action winners.

The National 4-H Council reserves the Youth in Action Awards for students who exhibit impact within pillar areas based upon their personal impact story and the influence of 4-H in their lives.

The most important thing to me is showing people what they can accomplish and leading by example.

Aidan Spencer

Before Spencer became active in 4-H, he was confined to his house in a hard plastic back brace, said Virginia Spencer, Aidan Spencer’s mother.

“Aidan found his passion for STEM after his accident while looking for a way to channel his energy,” said Cody Yount, Oklahoma County 4-H Extension educator. “He is an

Through this award, Youth in Action winners travel on behalf of National 4-H and become spokesmen for their awards, Yount said.

Aidan Spencer applied for the award during a time of uncertainty when the global pandemic was beginning last March, said Mindy McNeil, Oklahoma County 4-H Extension educator.

All of his time as a Youth in Action ambassador occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with the adversity he has faced, he has maintained a good attitude and a desire to help others get involved in the community, McNeil said.

“When I first heard I was a final ist, I thought someone was messing with me,” Aidan Spencer said. “The lady who interviewed me showed no emotion. I left the interview thinking I bombed the interview.”

Aidan Spencer said he realized most things people do in agriculture relate back to STEM. He wants to ensure STEM education is available for all individuals, he said.

“What allowed me to give back so much is having the ability to fundraise through my award for others who are involved in my clubs,” Aidan Spencer said. “We could do more projects and make more connections with business partners with more funding.”

Aidan Spencer has always been pas sionate about helping others, whether it was his sister who suffers from a chronic illness or helping fight for di versity and inclusion, his mother said.

Aidan Spencer said winning this award allowed him to raise approxi mately $8,000. As president of his 4-H club, he realized no position handled sponsorships or fundraising, he said.

“I realized a need for this, and I wanted to do more for my club, so I be gan cold calling businesses in the hope of finding a new way to raise funds for our community members,” Aidan Spencer said.

He began working with a program called “Sciencing on Saturday,” an activity designed to get children and teenagers involved in STEM, he said.

Aidan Spencer’s robotics coach wanted team members to find their passion, Virginia Spencer said.

Aidan Spencer assists and mentors younger 4-H members with their projects. Photo by Mark Scalmanini.

LEGO® League as well as for the community to provide different camps and activities, Aidan Spencer said.

“He’s passionate about serving the underserved minority youth and takes any chance he gets he is working to recruit individuals for workshops such as robotics club,” Yount said. “He is service-minded, raising thousands of dollars for STEM funding.”

Being proud parents is an understatement for Virginia Spencer and her husband, Brendan, she said.

Aidan Spencer is an individual who has always been respectful to others, even those with differing viewpoints, and embraces the idea of having

the most recent Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Projects, or MAPS 4, he said. Through his involvement, he was able to work with a team to provide a location for workshops as well as practice area for the robotics team.

During his 4-H journey, Aidan Spencer felt overwhelmed at times and made a few mistakes, he said, but he is proud of his accomplishments. His mistakes helped him learn to serve his teams and peers better, he added.

McNeil said Aidan Spencer looks for new recruits in the STEM program and includes individuals who otherwise might not have the ability to participate in STEM. He has worked

“This award is bigger than me,” Aidan Spencer said.

“The most important thing to me is showing people what they can accomplish and leading by example,” Aidan Spencer said. “I invite people to different events, and if they can’t come to me, we go to them and find ways to accommodate each individual wanting to get involved in STEM. Anyone can do it.”

SAVANNA CHANDLER

VAN ALSTYNE, TEXAS

Judy Hall, biochemistry and molecular biology instructor, prepares samples daily for her students in her lab. Photo by Alisa Northcutt.

DASNR’S GOLDEN GIRL

Judy Hall celebrates 51 years of dedicated service to OSU

Asanitized lab bench covered with materials is prepared for biochemistry students as a stoic woman stands to the side, awaiting the arrival of the students in her class.

The woman is Judy Hall, biochemistry and molecular biology instructor at Oklahoma State University. Although this scene is a normal occurrence, this year is monumental as Hall celebrates 51 years at OSU as an instructor, an accomplishment few people achieve.

Hall has seen and experienced tremendous changes in the world of science throughout her time instructing and has done so with great patience and perseverance, said John Gustafson, head of the OSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She is at the forefront of scientific laboratory teaching and is an essential piece of the department’s success, he added.

“She is kind, direct and has an incredible work ethic,” Gustafson said. “Hall is a true fixture in this department, and we can always count on her being here.”

Hall said she has adapted to many technological changes and advancements in science throughout her life with experiments and research.

“Getting the job in the lab was a total accident,” Hall said. “I took the job

in the lab because I needed it. It was not at all what I had anticipated doing at first.”

Hall said she is doing what she likes and not at all what she had envisioned while she attended school at OSU pursuing a degree in microbiology.

She said her original plan was to attend nursing school, but upon graduating in 1966, she continued working as a laboratory technician at OSU. George Odell, a professor in the department, encouraged her to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree in biochemistry, she said. Hall obtained her master’s degree in biochemistry in 1970.

various types of plants in the Noble Research Center on the weekends. Hall has experienced many different research and experimentation methods throughout her years of experience.

“I find it fun to dig for new ways to experiment with things,” Hall said. “I like adapting and trying new things and would much rather be teaching students than living in a retirement home somewhere.”

I enjoy seeing students understand what I am teaching and then finding ways to apply it after graduation.

Judy Hall

Stillwater, Oklahoma, became the place she built a home, married, found a job she loves, and raised a family, she said. The job in the lab allowed her to spend valuable time with her three children and husband, Leo, as they navigated life together, she added.

A typical day for Hall involves preparing and analyzing data in between lab sessions. She researches different proteins and how they bind to different samples. Additionally, Hall and her husband spend time stewarding

Hall is affected by post-polio syndrome, a disorder of the nerves and muscles. Her symptoms of this disorder have caused her to maneuver through the lab with a walker to assist her. As a child, Hall contracted polio and had numerous surgeries and operations throughout her life in hopes of minimizing the effects of polio, she said.

Her adaptability and willingness to try new experiments despite any obstacle shows her love for the job, Gustafson said. Her colleagues and students alike know her love for science and teaching is genuine, he added.

Just as she looks for new ways to do an experiment, she also encourages and helps her students whenever possible, said Bri Clary, BIMB senior.

“She explains things in a way that makes sense for everyone, and she allows us the freedom to figure things out on our own,” Clary said. “If I ever have a question or any difficulty, she is always willing to help me.”

Hall has established sincere professionalism in the biochemistry and molecular biology department and has impacted hundreds of students throughout her 51-year career, Gustafson said.

Her diligence to reinvent laboratory exercises and adapt to technological changes has proven to be a huge success in the department, he added.

“She is constantly reinventing the laboratory curriculum to keep up with

the technological advances that are ongoing in biochemistry and molecular biology, which is central to our students’ education,” Gustafson said.

“Judy has included authentic research experiences in the lab for our students,” Gustafson added, “which really gives them a hands-on experience with modern research and common biomedical issues humanity faces.”

Amid all the changes, one thing has stayed consistent through it all: her love for teaching.

“It was just an accident,” Hall said. “I graduated. I wanted a job. I wanted a career.

“I started teaching, and I liked it,” Hall said. “I enjoy seeing students

understand what I am teaching and then finding ways to apply it after they have graduated.”

Hall has seen science go from “bucket chemistry” — chemistry with few safety precautions and limitations — to technologic ally advanced research in her 51 years of experience.

“She has made a tremendous impact on the OSU campus and on the lives of her students, and we are proud to call her an integral part of the Cowboy family,” Gustafson said.

Judy Hall, biochemistry and molecular biology instructor, works with students during their lab sessions to ensure understanding and handson learning. Photo by Alisa Northcutt.

ALISA NORTHCUTT TISHOMINGO, OKLAHOMA

AECL doctoral student creates course

Passion

for history in

An interest in her history sparked a passion in one agricultural education doctoral student for understanding the development and changes for African Americans in agriculture into a new one-credit course.

In Spring 2020, Courtney Brown was assigned to teach a weekend course to help students gain information about George Washington Carver.

The course would have taken students to Diamond, Missouri, to visit the birth place of this famous African American. However, the learning experience was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brown, along with Rob Terry, agricultural education, communications and leadership department head, came together to create the course and then redesigned it for Fall 2020.

“Courtney deserves tons of credit for taking that situation and coming up with an alternative that turned out to be tremendous,” Terry said.

“She is people-oriented and really shared her passion for advocating for diversity in agriculture,” Terry said.

Brown said she wanted to create a space where students had the opportunity to discuss things they lacked information on and to feel comfortable doing so.

The course topic has a deep historical narrative, Brown said, and she needed a creative way to discuss it for six hours on a Friday night.

Brown and 16 guest speakers described the experiences and challenges

of African Americans and how they approach those situations, she said.

Brown organized the class to inform students about the facts and history of African Americans in agriculture. Students also heard real-life experiences and opinions from multiple African American professionals within the industry.

“I really appreciate her integration of variety and methods to get students engaged with guest speakers and assignments,” Terry said.

Brown explained a variety of perspectives to expand on the things that happened to African Americans throughout history and the strength those individuals developed from those events, she added.

Agricultural education freshman Erick Clements took the course and thought the content was well organized by learning historical background one day and having interviews with discussions the next.

“I wanted the angle of the class to focus on the resiliency of Black people in agriculture,” Brown said.

Brown incorporated content to show the African American perspective of agriculture as well as the economic impacts of American slavery. She expanded on what happened to African Americans throughout history and the strength developed from them, she said. Topics also included leaders who emerged from the diversity like George Washington Carver, Fannie Lou Hamer and Booker T. Washington, she added.

Brown focused on showing students the historic and current facts of African American culture and its relevance to agriculture, she said.

“I knew it was going to be challenging to talk about race and agriculture, especially when it relates back to slavery,” Brown said.

During the course, Brown talked about the Reconstructive Era and how newly freed slaves were met with excitement and uncertainty when deciding what to do or where to go. Most of the freed slaves did not know what it was like to be a free person and had to learn how to live that life, she said.

Another topic of the course was the discussion of what 1890 land-grant institutions have contributed to the agricultural industry.

With OSU being a land-grant university, many students were aware of the Land-Grant College Act of 1862, or first Morrill Act, but not the second Morrill Act in 1890, Brown said.

The second Morrill Act helped establish Black colleges and universities to focus on agriculture and mechanical arts. The act was designed to also encourage higher quality agricultural research and education programs and to produce graduates in these areas, Brown said.

As a result, the historically Black colleges and universities helped build African American communities by developing educators and future leaders, Brown said.

Discussion of 1890 land-grant institutions naturally led to talk of

agriculture

the New Farmers of America as well as its merger in 1965 with the Future Farmers of America, now known as the National FFA Organization.

“My favorite topic was probably the NFA,” Clements said. “I had no idea it existed until that class.”

The merger between the NFA and FFA felt like NFA was absorbed into FFA in the eyes of African American students and teachers, Brown said.

Students who went from NFA to FFA lost the ability to run for national offices and other opportunities they originally had, Brown added, and many of the African American instructors who taught in the NFA lost their jobs after the merger.

The OSU students in Brown’s course did not realize the gravity of what had happened and what was lost in the African American community because of the merger, Brown said.

The entire course was interesting, Clements said, and learning about different cultures and forgotten history was beneficial.

This course was started as an opportunity for students to learn about one man within the agricultural industry, but it evolved into something much more when things did not go as planned, Brown said.

Courtney Brown, OSU agricultural education doctoral student, created a course based on her interest in African American experiences in agriculture. Photo by Haven Davis.

HAVEN DAVIS CARMEN, OKLAHOMA

JoMarie Hickerson, former communications specialist in biosystems and agricultural engineering, demonstrates the new classroom equipment.

Photo by Emily Cooper.

BAE’s Brightest

Green

Donors provide support to update technology

Although Oklahoma State University touts “America’s Brightest Orange,” a second bright color shares the stage in the OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering — the green of John Deere.

“P&K Equipment and John Deere have a longstanding relationship with OSU and the Ferguson College of Agriculture in particular,” said Scott Eisenhauer, P&K Equipment general manager. “The John Deere Classroom is one example of that partnership.”

P&K Equipment took the lead in funding the 2020 renovations to the classroom, said Craig Trible, BAE systems administrator. Additional donors were Jay and Cathy Albright, Jo Lyn Becton, Charles and Verna Gause, Greg and Kristen Hart, Larry Herriman, Brad Kosanke, Ken and Judy Long of Long’s John Deere, Todd Love, Don and Kim Yarbrough, and Yancy and Christina Wright.

Initially designed in 1994, the John Deere Classroom in Room 225 Agricultural Hall has had multiple upgrades during the years.

“The age of the current equipment made it necessary to upgrade the room in 2020,” Trible said. “The BAE department worked with the OSU Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence to design an updated classroom.”

The classroom is used heavily by undergraduate and graduate students, so all technology in it must be kept up to date and functional, Trible said.

The most recent updates included improving lighting conditions, installing an HDMI source, and adding two 85-inch flat panel TVs.

“Now, all of the lights in the room can be on and the displays are still easy to see and read from the back of the room,” Trible said. “The instructor also can display different information on each screen because of the updates.”

In addition, the classroom’s technology now allows for wired connections as well as wireless screen sharing from laptops, tablets or cellphones to the video/sound system.

Eisenhauer said the renovations brought the classroom, program and students into a new era of opportunity.

With the changes happening within the Ferguson College as well as the specific technology upgrades in this classroom, students will have experiences beyond what anyone thought possible just a short time ago, Eisenhauer said.

John Veenstra, retired head of the BAE department, said he is a strong believer in giving students the best equipment and technology to use while earning their degrees and developing the necessary skillsets to have successful careers.

“P&K Equipment has been a big supporter of OSU students,” Veenstra said. “They did not hesitate to help when asked if this was something the company wanted to be involved in.”

The company supports OSU BAE in other ways such as providing academic

scholarships and hiring graduates to serve in various roles at its 18 locations in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

“P&K has enjoyed watching the program advance over time,” Eisenhauer said. “Through the years, the college has produced incredibly strong assets for the agricultural industry.”

Donors like P&K Equipment make academic program advancements possible, said Mari Chinn, BAE department head.

“The students and faculty are fortunate to have the support of the donors that help the programs here at Oklahoma State,” she said. “Because of them, we get to enhance the experience the students receive.

“We are very thankful for those who stepped up and helped with the upgrading of the room’s equipment,” she added.

Eisenhauer said P&K will continue to provide support to the department and the college.

“We were proud to play a part in this classroom renovation project, knowing more agricultural leaders will emerge from those doors and continue to advance the industry,” Eisenhauer said. “P&K Equipment is proud to support the positive and forwardthinking development within the Ferguson College of Agriculture.” EMILY COOPER PRAGUE, OKLAHOMA

SMOKE UP IN

OSU Extension restores native lands through prescribed burns

Grasslands burn near Lake Carl Blackwell during a prescribed fire conducted by OSU Extension. Photo by Katie Lacey.

klahoma is known for its beautiful tallgrass prairies, but a hot history glows behind how this landscape came to be.

Natural fires played a vital role in the creation of the native prairies, scrublands and forests, according to Oklahoma State University Extension.

Today’s landscape is often threatened because of the lack of fires occurring throughout the state, said Aisha Sams, natural resource ecology and management master’s student.

Several things such as years of fire suppression, lack of burning and Eastern red cedar encroachment have

contributed to the endangerment of Oklahoma’s ecology, Sams added.

“Fire is not a part of Western European culture,” Sams said. “There has been almost 200 years of fire exclusion in the area plus major changes since the 1950s.”

Fire was part of Native American culture, Sams said. Explorers such as Washington Irving and Thomas Nuttall found Native Americans using fire in what would become Oklahoma, according to OSU Extension.

“Without periodic fire to keep cedars and other woody plants in check, grassland ecosystems in Oklahoma

will transition to forests and shrublands,” Sams said.

After the Dust Bowl leveled the farming lands of Oklahoma, federal conservation programs started mitigation to prevent another Dust Bowl from happening, Sams said. One of the prevention practices was planting Eastern red cedar trees as windbreaks and to help prevent soil erosion.

“The Eastern red cedar is native to Oklahoma but is also a volatile tree that catches fire easily,” Sams said. “Prescribed burns can control woody invasion into prairies.”

Eastern red cedar trees are considered hazardous fuels because of volatile oils that are stored in the trees, Sams said, and their structure allows fire to crawl from the grass to the tree’s top in what is called a fuel ladder.

The tree burns in a shower-like fashion and makes this tree hazardous

to homeowners and firefighters alike, she added.

OSU Extension staff have use fire as an ecological driver to restore ecosystems and landscapes, according to OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Prescribed fires throughout the state are used to mitigate the Eastern red cedar trees and to improve the quantity and quality of forage in grazing lands, Sams said.

“Patch burning is the most costeffective tool for wildfire prevention and brush management,” Sams said. “OSU Extension is pioneering this research and is doing a really good job of handling misconceptions.”

Patch burning is when small sections of pastures are burned without igniting the whole field, Sams said.

Sams said the positive outcomes from prescribed burning heavily

outweigh the negatives. A lot of misconceptions still exist, however, because of safety and liability issues, she added.

“New technology and burn demonstrations have allowed for more fire to happen throughout the state,” Sams said. “The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is a good example of what fire can do for natural landscape.”

About 10 years ago, a major wildfire impacted the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now emphasizes the use of prescribed fire for prevention and habitat management, Sams said. Prescribed fires are planned to meet specific management objectives, such as enhancing the habitat, she added.

Cole Fagen, NREM master’s student, has conducted research using drones to assist with prescribed burns. Using drones is becoming

prescribed burn at Lake Carl Blackwell to control the direction of the burn. Photo by Katie Lacey.

increasingly popular throughout mul tiple agricultural practices, according to OSU Extension.

Using drones can make conduct ing prescribed fires safer, Fagen said. During a prescribed burn, multiple people are posted around the burn to monitor the live fire.

People will end up downwind of the fire right in the line of the smoke, Fagen said. Smoke can aggravate breathing and eyesight among other things, he added.

“This person does a lot of what we call ‘eating smoke’ when they’re on that job,” Fagen said. “The drone has helped eliminate this person eating smoke throughout the day.”

Fagen said the drone he uses has two cameras: a regular conventional camera and an infrared camera that can detect heat signatures.

The infrared camera can see through the smoke and help see where the fire might get away from the burn area, he said.

The drone also allows the operator to see how fast and in what direction the fire is moving.

“Using drones for prescribed fire is not perfect,” Fagen said. “Operating the drone is a one-person job, and you really have to know what you’re look ing at.”

The drone can replace three or four people at a prescribed burn and will be useful technology for the future of fire, Fagen said.

Fire is crucial to the health of the ecology in Oklahoma and drones allow prescribed fire to become safer and more regular throughout the state, according to OSU Extension.

“Even with new technology like drones, prescribed fires are still a hands-on event,” said John Weir, associate Extension specialist in NREM. Through outreach programs with landowners, agencies and students, OSU Extension provides information on prescribed fire. Weir said he has worked for 30 years to start more fires in Oklahoma — safely of course.

“We help people write burn plans, use tools, understand wind directions

and more so they are able to host their own burns,” Weir said.

People who are interested in developing burn plans and learning more about what prescribed fire can do for their lands should contact their local county extension office, Weir said.

OSU Extension also offers a basic, online prescribed fire course through its website.

“I recommend people find someone who is burning and go help or watch,” Weir said. “People can be scared of fire, but experiencing it makes it less of a big scary monster.”

Ryan Parisotto, fire and ecology management senior, monitors a fire during a prescribed burn at Lake Carl Blackwell. Photo by Katie Lacey

KATIE LACEY

LONE PINE, CALIFORNIA

Support from the Ferguson Family Foundation, Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers and the OSU Foundation has allowed for the development of the visitor center and curriculum. Photo by

Adriana Toste.

DEVELOPING

DAIRY CURRICULUM

Industry support helps build dairy visitor center

A

s a land-grant university, Oklahoma State University serves as an avenue for learning, research and extension, not only for students, but also for alumni, families, community members and visitors of all ages and origins.

The same goes for OSU’s livestock units in close vicinity to campus, including the Ferguson Family Dairy Center, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art freestall barn, robotic milking system and new visitor center, which made its debut in Fall 2020.

The implementation of a visitor center developed when discussing the potential for additions and renovations to the dairy center, said Rob Terry, OSU agricultural education, communications and leadership department head.

Management at the Ferguson Family Dairy Center expressed a desire for the visitor center because as many as 3,000 visitors stop by the center each year, an impressive number that intrigued various supporters, including Thomas Coon, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture, Terry said.

“Because people see it as a destination to learn about the dairy industry

or just satisfy some curiosity, the visitor center will be a great feature for the facility,” Terry said.

He said Coon recognized if a dairy visitor center was created, it would need to be intentional, purposeful and allow visitors to leave with dairy industry knowledge.

The idea to create specialized curriculum brought in the involvement of the agricultural education, communications and leadership department and the OSU Foundation to find sponsors, Terry said.

“This is a great opportunity for us to do some agricultural literacy teaching and help people understand where their milk comes from, see how a working dairy operates and experience the process of production agriculture,” Terry said.

To help with this project, Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers became a sponsor, Terry said.

Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers, a USDA-qualified dairy checkoff program and promotion agency, is supported by dairy farmers across 12 states who give 10 cents per hundredweight of their milk marketed each month toward a local agency

The lessons developed by Heath will

Guests of all ages, like 8-year-old Audrey Arnall (left) and her 10-year-old brother, Brayden Arnall, can come to the visitor center to learn about the dairy industry, the on-farm technology used and the robotic milker. Photo by Adriana Toste.

Various audiences will be sent a pre-test prior to their visits and a posttest after their visits to see if their knowledge and perceptions changed after visiting the center, Heath said.

The learning opportunities the visitor center will bring to the Ferguson Family Dairy Center are key to achieving the land-grant mission of teaching students hands-on and incorporating the research and extension sectors, Terry said.

“If you think about it, there’s research taking place, there’s teaching with for-credit courses, and then there’s extension to people who aren’t taking for-credit courses who can benefit from learning something about agriculture,” Terry said.

The “learning by doing” concept being done at the visitor center has the potential to be conducted across other animal and plant units, especially because of their convenient location to Stillwater, Terry said.

“We can duplicate the idea of ‘learning by doing’ if we get the formula figured out,” Terry said. “Wouldn’t it be neat if a person could interface with a facility and learn about that commodity area?”

The support of the OSU Foundation and Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers has been instrumental in how things have come together, he added, and they hope to have the visitor center in full swing come May 2022.

“If we can get outside support — get people to believe in what we’re doing enough to help fund it — we can really produce some great educational products,” Terry said. “You have to have that kind of support to make something like this happen.”

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ADRIANA TOSTE GUSTINE, CALIFORNIA

James Pickel, owner of Prairie Earth Gardens, uses a hoop house to grow crops when temperatures are too cool to have them outside. Photo by Mark Scalmanini.

PICKEL’S PICKS

OSU alumnus operates urban garden in Oklahoma City

Drive slowly or you might miss the turn, but once you know where to go, you will never forget how to get there. Old stone buildings, garden plots and a “Prairie Earth Gardens” sign let you know you have arrived at the right place.

Prairie Earth Gardens is an urban garden northeast of downtown Oklahoma City.

What began as a hobby and a little roadside stand has grown into a professional gardening operation consisting of one greenhouse, three hoop houses and four garden plots, said James Pickel, Oklahoma State University alumnus and owner of Prairie Earth Gardens.

While growing up in Duncan, Oklahoma, Pickel was raised by his grandparents who always had a garden in their yard, he said. Gardening is something he has been around his entire life, he added.

“My first job was going door to door when I was 8 years old selling vegetables to the ladies in our neighborhood,” Pickel said. “I went to college so I wouldn’t have to grow vegetables.

“Now, here I am, retired from my professional career, growing vegetables,” he said with a laugh.

Pickel graduated from OSU in 1972

with an agricultural economics degree. After graduation, he worked in agricultural sales for three years, until realizing his passions were elsewhere, he said.

Pickel spent eight years helping a fraternity brother start his architectural firm, he said. He then spent six years working with a general contractor before becoming co-owner of Smith & Pickel Construction, he said.

After 37 years in the construction industry, Pickel and his partner sold the business at the end of 2013.

Just two years after he retired, Pickel began to expand his personal garden, he said. Owning a professional garden was something Pickel said he never imagined for himself.

“It’s the worst retirement plan in the world but the greatest way of life,” he said. “I am no longer the owner of a construction company, but I still haven’t been able to cut back to a 40-hour work week.”

Pickel credits the growth of Prairie Earth Gardens to Julia Laughlin, his friend and 4-H Extension educator in Oklahoma County.

Laughlin helped turn Prairie Earth Gardens from Pickel’s personal garden to a multi-acre gardening operation, he said.

“I met Pickel at the wedding of a mutual friend of ours,” Laughlin said. “I’m not sure either one of us expected this gardening business to come out of our friendship.”

Laughlin had just left her job as an associate professor and department head of horticulture at OSU-Oklahoma City in January 2015.

Pickel said he was looking for someone to help at the garden and heard Laughlin was looking for a job.

“Hiring Julia was the turning point for Prairie Earth Gardens,” Pickel said. “She has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience.”

Laughlin graduated from OSU with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture. With her experience in the industry, Laughlin said she knew a growing need existed for locally grown produce. Starting Prairie Earth Gardens was a dream job, she said.

“I wanted to work with Pickel because of his ideas for the community and his neighbors,” Laughlin said. “His enthusiasm drew me in.

“Pickel is a community-minded person with deep roots in Oklahoma agriculture,” she added.

The pair’s vision came to fruition in 2015 when Prairie Earth Gardens officially opened.

summer, Pickel said.

Prairie Earth Gardens and its nine employees provide fresh produce to local restaurants as well as routine customers throughout the week. The garden also has its own farmers market every Saturday morning.

“Prairie Earth Gardens truly grew organically,” Pickel said. “I hate to use the pun, but it’s true.”

ed offering home deliveries, and people can pick up produce throughout the week,” White said. “We call it ‘barnside’ pickup.”

During the last year, Prairie Earth Gardens built a website and began taking credit card payments, White said.

We deal with salt-ofthe-earth people who make it all worthwhile.

James Pickel

Prairie Earth Gardens once supplied fresh produce to more than 30 local restaurants, Pickel said. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, that number dropped to zero but has built up during the past year, he added.

“Much of our business with local chefs has grown from word of mouth,” Pickel said.

Fortunately, the garden kept its regular customers by continuing to open the Saturday Market and offering new services, Pickel said.

Christy White, Pickel’s friend and Prairie Earth Gardens market manager, played an important role in the garden’s success during the last year, he added.

White began working at Prairie Earth Gardens in 2017. Before that, she

“Technology and gardening are so different,” she said. “It created chaos, but we made it through and grew during the process.”

Despite the occasional challenges, White has enjoyed her time at Prairie Earth Gardens, she said.

“I love being able to have personal communication with the customers during the Saturday Market,” White said. “I love seeing their excitement about our produce.”

Everyone at Prairie Earth Gardens takes pride in what they do, Pickel said. Product quality and customer satisfaction are top priorities for the business, he added.

“There is a distinct difference in the taste and quality of the produce we grow,” Pickel said. “It’s hard to beat homegrown vegetables.”

However, the produce is not the

Prairie Earth Gardens,” Laughlin said. “Whether you’re a customer or an employee, you feel like family.

“Prairie Earth Gardens is Pickel’s family,” she added.

In addition to owning the garden, Pickel is also a member of several non-profits and other organizations in Oklahoma City.

“Since retiring, Pickel has mellowed out in such a good way,” White said. “He stays very busy but is able to commit his time to people well.

“He truly has the best interest of others in mind, no matter what he’s doing,” she added.

Gardening is now a way of life for Pickel, he said. He enjoys the little things in life and appreciates simplicity, he added.

“We plan to stay who we are,” he said. “We aren’t trying to become a huge garden.

“It’s an enjoyable way of life,” Pickel said. “We deal with salt-of-the-earth people who make it all worthwhile.”

LIGHT BEACON OF

Small-town girl earns 2021 Outstanding Senior honors

At a young age, Oklahoma State University natural resource ecology and management senior Seraiah Coe of McKinney, Texas, developed a passion for life and a hunger to learn about the details of her surroundings.

“As a child, my mother encouraged me to keep a nature journal to record the unique things I saw when I explored,” Coe said. “I would then delve into study at our local library concerning any flora or fauna I found in the hopes I could truly understand what I was observing and teach this information to anyone who would listen.”

Coe’s drive for success and service to others led her to receive the 2021 Louis and Betty Gardner Outstanding Senior Award.

This drive became essential, she said, as she encountered various family trials. Although she faced tribulation in her early years, Coe said failure was not an option.

“My father got remarried when I was 10,” Coe said. “My sisters and I suffered about three years of physical, emotional and verbal abuse at the hand of his wife and her son.”

Coe was told she was “extremely stupid,” would never make it through high school, and was not capable of achieving success, she said.

“From that experience — not because of it but in spite of it — I used my undergrad career as an opportunity to define the future I want,” Coe said.

“Attending OSU was one more step toward the life I wanted to make for myself,” Coe said, “a life I would refuse to allow anyone to dictate my limitations concerning growth and success.”

While attending OSU, Coe received awards, scholarships and recognitions for her work.

José Uscanga, director of multicultural programs, said Coe’s outstanding academic abilities set her apart from any student he has ever known. She has an excellent ability to manage her time, he added.

“Seraiah is brilliant,” Uscanga said. “She is so dedicated to her academics. She has an ability to keep up with all of that and get involved.”

By looking at her transcript, one sees she is a talented student, he said. People are blinded by her 4.0 GPA before they see the other areas they can learn from her, he added.

“She’s always been extremely enthusiastic,” said Sue Fairbanks, NREM associate professor and Coe’s academic adviser.

Coe’s level of interest, enthusiasm and diverse involvement makes her stand out, Fairbanks added.

Coe attributes her success to the mentors who helped her as an undergraduate student. She said a turning point was during her sophomore year when she met Karen Hickman, director of the environmental science program, and Cynda Clary, Ferguson College of Agriculture associate dean.

“Both Dr. Hickman and Dr. Clary provided me with essential connections and support for internships and positions that could further develop the vision I had of my future,” Coe said.

“During my time in the Ferguson College and at OSU, I found my community, my second family and my home,” Coe said. “That’s one of the major aspects that has shaped me throughout my college career.”

Aside from academic achievements, OSU gave Coe the opportunity to impact her peers, Uscanga said.

Coe said her first experience on OSU’s campus made it evident to her the people around her were genuinely interested in showing her the best options possible.

“This knowledge that I was actually respected as an individual within my college helped me to feel valuable,” Coe said. “However, I still felt isolated as an out-of-state student with no prior connections to the university.”

The feeling of isolation gave her

determination to find specific people to help her reach her full potential through professional growth, she said.

“During freshman year, I was introduced to the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences organization, and it helped save me,” Coe said. “In MANRRS, I found a community of support and inclusivity I never realized I needed.”

Coe became involved in MANRRS, realizing a way to heal from her experiences by providing students a welcoming and encompassing community, she said.

“Through my involvement in this club, I found a voice that did not have to be validated by achievements,” Coe said. “Instead, I could find my purpose by pouring myself into making the campus better for those who will come after me.”

Coe used her personal challenges in the most productive way someone can — to develop herself, Uscanga said.

Coe does things over and above what is necessary or required of her, Fairbanks said.

While gaining experience to further her own future, Coe remains committed to helping others and involving herself in the community around her, Fairbanks added.

“Having that awareness of how the broader community is important and how you can give back, at such a young age, is really special,” Fairbanks said. “She’s not only focused on her own goals and career, but also she pulls others up with her.”

As the 2021 Louis and Betty Gardner Outstanding Senior, Coe wore the distinguished orange gown across the stage at graduation.

“When I was a freshman, I found out what an orange gown senior was,” Coe said. “I swore to myself as a freshman that I would be an orange gown senior but for all the wrong reasons.”

When she started her college career,

Honoring

2021 Dean’s Award of Excellence Recipients

she tried to find her self-worth through achievements alone, aside from how she saw herself as a person, Coe said, but today, she stands confident in herself aside from her accomplishments.

Coe plans to earn a master’s degree in biology and has been accepted to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro to research transgenerational environmental epigenetics, she said. Her end goal is to work at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, she added.

“My background has been composed of many intertwining positives and negatives,” Coe said. “I have used that background as a springboard to higher ambitions. Now, my path forward shines as a beacon of light to me.”

AMY GARDNER

LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO

Georgia Blackwell

Venus, Texas

biochemistry and molecular biology

Adrienne Blakey

Stillwater, Oklahoma

plant and soil sciences / agricultural communications

Seraiah Coe

McKinney, Texas

natural resource ecology and management / biology

Ridge Hughbanks

Alva, Oklahoma agribusiness

Luke Muller

Altus, Oklahoma

plant and soil sciences / agribusiness

Don’t Fence

The long days of building and fixing fence may soon be over.

Virtual fencing allows ranchers to put up fence from the comfort of their own homes.

The concept of virtual fencing first sparked an interest with Ryan Reuter and Laura Goodman about four years ago as a way to practice rotational grazing with no physical barriers.

Reuter, Oklahoma State University associate professor of animal and food sciences, researches beef cattle management and facilitates the Blue Stem Research Range where a virtual fencing pilot project is being conducted.

In the current research project, Reuter and Goodman use collars to control and track cattle behaviors in response to virtual fencing, said Goodman, assistant professor in the OSU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.

“When the animal approaches a boundary where it’s not supposed to be, the collar will beep at the animal,” Reuter said.

Virtual fencing operates through a GPS system the cattle wear around their necks, similar to a dog collar, Reuter said.

The GPS system allows Reuter and Goodman to program the collars for where they want the cattle to graze for a certain period of time.

Cattle have responded to the sound well, Reuter said.

On occasions when the cattle do not respond to the sound, “the collar gives an electronic stimulus to encourage the animal to stay in the area it’s supposed to be in,” Reuter said.

Reuter and Goodman work with Todd Parker, director of product and programs for Vence Inc., to conduct this project. Vence Inc. provides the

technology needed for Reuter and Goodman to conduct their research.

Right now, about 50 cows are being used for this project, Reuter said, and he plans to expand in the future. This technology has allowed Reuter and Goodman to come up with several ideas they hope to implement over time, he added.

Goodman would like to experiment by concentrating the cattle to certain areas of the pasture to make for grazed fire breaks, she said.

These fire breaks would protect land the cattle are grazing from wildfires without the use of heavy equipment like a bulldozer or mower, she added.

“We could create fire breaks to help control the spread of fires and protect critical structures,” Goodman said.

Virtual fencing also can keep cattle away from the sensitive areas in the

Me In.

pastures, like creek banks and ponds, to protect those areas from too much animal activity, Reuter said.

Kevin Wagner, OSU Oklahoma Water Resources Center director, plays an important role in this pilot project, as well.

Wagner received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to fund the next steps in the virtual fencing project.

“Putting in permanent fence to protect a riparian area can be a real issue for some landowners,” Wagner said. Riparian areas include the banks of the river or the area between the land and any adjacent waterways, Wagner said.

Floods along with other natural disasters can take these fences out, Wagner added.

Virtual fences allow ranchers to keep their cattle where they’re

OSU faculty research unique fencing alternative

supposed to be even if these disasters occur, Wagner said.

When it comes to grazing management, most ranchers use electrical wire or permanent fence to cross fence their pastures, Wagner said. This means cattle have to be physically moved from one paddock to the next, he added.

“Virtual fencing allows ranchers a hands-off approach to achieve their grazing goals,” Wagner said.

While the advantages of using a virtual fence are substantial, learning how to use this technology comes with a curve, Reuter said.

With all the technology involved, planning ahead is crucial for this project to be successful, he added.

Moving forward in the project, Reuter plans to expand not only the number of cows but also the acreage they graze, he said.

Goats may be a primary target in expanding this technology into other species, he added.

“Goats are notoriously hard to contain with physical fencing, and we would like to use them in Oklahoma to really focus on some of our invasive species of weeds,” Reuter said.

Reuter, Goodman and Wagner have high hopes for the future of this project, Wagner said.

As the project is only a year old, they plan to continue expanding their team so they can expand the research that goes along with it, Reuter said.

CARLY GUMP FLETCHER, OHIO

Beefmaster heifers wear GPS collars that control where cattle are allowed to roam.

Photo by Carly Gump.

DAWNING NEW

As the first specks of light caress a white building, a young woman approaches the door. Kneeling to adjust her battered pant leg, she’s overwhelmed with a memory.

Not long ago, she approached a different building to conduct her research. Thoughts of the challenges she faced there bring a grimace to her face. However, like the sun, the old brick and mortar gave way to a new dawn.

During the 2018-2019 school year, Brittany Lippy, Oklahoma State University animal science doctoral candidate, conducted her undergraduate honors thesis at the original OSU Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center west of Stillwater.

“I had 30 individually stalled sheep,”

Lippy said, “but those stalls were built for cattle.”

Lippy adapted the stalls for sheep by installing heavy floor mats to protect the sheep’s hooves, she said.

“I had to individually put hog panels down the middle of the stalls to make them smaller for the sheep,” she said.

Lippy experienced more challenges in the winter months, she said.

One cold night on the way home from Edmon Low Library, Lippy stopped to check the sheep and discovered a water leak, she said.

The pipes in the 1970s building could not withstand the belowfreezing temperatures, Lippy said.

The building was outdated, said Keith Owens, associate vice

president of the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station.

Similar to Lippy, OSU faculty also had difficulties maintaining equipment in the aging facility, said Blake Wilson, animal and food sciences assistant professor.

“The squeeze chute we had was pretty old,” said Andrew Foote, animal and food sciences assistant professor.

Using up-to-date equipment, like a proper squeeze chute, is the best practice for accurate research and safety, Foote said.

The old facility was labor intensive for project preparation, Wilson said.

“If you wanted to run a research project out there, you had to have all hands on deck for a week or two just

NEW DAYS

OSU Agriculture constructs new Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center

trying to get the facility into usable shape,” Wilson said.

Faculty, staff and students faced problems with the old facility’s insulation and drainage systems, Foote said. Therefore, extra biosecurity precautions were necessary to prevent sample contamination, he added.

“The old facility did not prevent faculty and students from doing research,” Wilson said. “But, it was more of ‘we had to make it work’ because we had research to do.”

Conducting safe research involving animals is a constantly changing process, Owens said. Researchers take safety seriously, he added.

“The available technology and what we know about an animal’s wellbeing

has changed,” Owens said. “We needed a better facility.”

Changing expectations and challenges in the old facility were catalysts to a five-year process of researching and designing OSU’s new Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center, Owens said.

A committee formed within OSU Agriculture began designing a “dream” building, Wilson said. The committee had engineers and architects look at the existing structure, he added.

“The base foundation of the facility was in a state of disrepair,” Wilson said. “Even if we stripped everything out there, really there wasn’t anything worth saving.”

Visiting other institutions’ new,

similar facilities was a major aspect of the planning, Owens said. Implementing successful elements from different facilities and altering less successful ones helped create the blueprint for OSU’s center, he added.

A $7.1 million budget constructed a 23,000-square-foot building consisting of three wings west of Stillwater, Oklahoma. The budget was funded internally with support from animal science alumni for maintenance costs, Owens said.

“The new design of the working facilities is vastly superior,” said Paul Beck, OSU animal and food sciences associate professor.

Each wing of the center has a unique use, Owens said. One is for

Graduate students arrive to the facility early to feed and water the research animals at the center. Photo by Braeden Coon.

large animals, one is for smaller animals, and the other is for aquatic

The large animal wing has two large rooms, each with metabolism stalls.

Owens said the building’s design prioritizes animal health and safety.

Upcoming projects in the facility include cattle nutrition trials, Foote said.

“In a metabolism trial, we’re looking at the source of fat in feedlot diets and the concentration of fat,” Foote said. “The trial is a factorial look at the effects of the type of fat on fiber digestion and feedlot finishing diets.”

The trial will compare commodity soybean oil to GMO soybean oil with a different fatty acid profile, Foote said.

“There’s a chance the oils may affect fiber digestion differently,” Foote said. “We may be able to feed a little bit more fat to increase the energy density of the diet and not have negative effects on nutrient digestibility.”

The small animal wing consists of lab space and individual rooms with the ability to control lighting and temperature, Owens said.

Research involving chickens will look at probiotic use to avoid infection, Owens said. Limiting antibiotic use in animals has led to probiotics as a preventative measure, he added.

“The facility is designed so we can have separate rooms so the flow of air is independent of different treat -

The third wing is unique unto itself, Owens said. The fisheries and aquatic ecology area is equipped to adjust light, temperature and humidity to replicate cave environments, he added.

“There are various endangered crayfish, salamanders and even fish we have not been able to do research on until now,” Owens said.

Lippy is intrigued by the aquacultural research planned for the facility,

“Being from a mid-Atlantic state where aquaculture is the No. 2 agricultural industry,” Lippy said, “it is really cool to have aquacultural research done in a completely landlocked state.”

The facility will feature 10- and

The new cattle chute allows faculty, staff and students to safely monitor the health of cattle while protecting those involved from threat of injury. Operations include inserting cannula and catheters as well as completing medical checks. Safety is one of the most vital aspects of research involving animals. Photo by Braeden Coon.

need this,’ and we invested our money potential graduate students.”

Beck said the new facility sets a higher bar for conducting multidisciplinary research.

“The types of research we can do will be way ahead of what we’ve been able to do in the past,” Beck said.

Opening Jan. 15, 2021, the new Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center is available to all Oklahoma State University colleges and departments. For more information, contact Chris Richards, OSU Field and Research Service Unit director at chris.richards@okstate.edu.

Individual research stalls are equipped with feeders and waterers to ensure proper animal care and complete variable control. Photo by Braeden Coon.

BRAEDEN COON MOUNTAIN VIEW, OKLAHOMA

FERGUSON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

ALUMNI EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Stephanie Rogers serves as the acting principal director of biotechnology for the U.S. Department of Defense, Office

for Research and Engineering in Washington, D.C.

Sara Scott serves as the vice president of foodservice at Certified Angus Beef® in Wooster, Ohio. Scott attended

Rogers received her bachelor’s degree in 2006 from Oklahoma State University and completed her doctorate in plant pathology at OSU in 2011.

During her time at OSU, Rogers held many leadership positions, served as a member of Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture, and received recognition for the OSU Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship.

In her current and prior positions, Rogers has played a large part in the development and implementation of strategic road maps for biotechnology that modernize national security capabilities to build a healthy, secure and resilient nation. Among a wide range of responsibilities, she is involved with biotechnology efforts across the U.S. government to advance capabilities for

Oklahoma State University where she received her bachelor’s degrees in agribusiness and marketing in 2007. She is a current member of the OSU Alumni Association and is known by her peers for her welcoming demeanor and professionalism that exemplifies the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

She began her career at Certified Angus Beef® in 2007 and has since held multiple positions as she worked her way to earning her current role.

As vice president of foodservice, Scott leads a sales team nationwide and plays an integral role in the company by planning and executing strategy targeted toward the success of the Certified Angus Beef® brand and its distributor and restaurant partners across the nation.

Aside from her successful career

the nation’s protection against biological threats, improve the stability of the economy, and create new opportunities for supply chain resiliency. In the words of her peers and mentors, Rogers’ vast expertise has set her career path at a higher level, unique to anyone who came before her.

Rogers embodies the culture of the Ferguson College of Agriculture. She has mentored a freshman entomology and plant pathology class as a guest speaker, sharing her career journey and the growth she experienced along the way. She advocates for the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and its programs to her colleagues and leaders in national security by highlighting the program’s innovation of merging plant pathology with forensic science to strengthen biodefense capabilities.

at Certified Angus Beef®, Scott is co-owner and operator of Scott Land and Cattle in Elk City, Kansas, and serves on the Montgomery County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. In 2015 she participated in the Kansas Farm Bureau Leadership Program, a year-long program that is limited to 10 participants who work to further develop agriculture and communities across the state.

In 2019, she and her husband, Travis, recieved the Montgomery County Conservation District Clyde Clubine Conservation Award for their dedication in resource conservation.

Since graduating from OSU, Scott has remained involved in the Ferguson College of Agriculture by interacting with current and past students through scholarships and internships.

ALUMNI NEWS

OSU ANNOUNCES CENTENNIAL HOMECOMING CELEBRATION

The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association is announcing plans to host the centennial edition of America’s Greatest Homecoming Oct. 24-30, 2021. The nationally recognized celebration, which was first hosted by the Alumni Association in 1920, was postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“OSU’s centennial Homecoming is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our Cowboy family,” said Rob McInturf, OSU Alumni Association president. “Our staff and student volunteers have put a tremendous amount of work into planning it, and we look forward to welcoming home alumni and friends to celebrate OSU’s greatest tradition in the safest manner.”

OSU Athletics also is anticipating a return to full capacity at Boone Pickens Stadium. Accordingly, the Alumni Association will continue to closely monitor the situation with COVID-19 and make any necessary adjustments to Homecoming events and gatherings to ensure the health and safety of both students and alumni.

More than a dozen Homecoming events are expected to take place throughout the week leading up to the Kansas vs. OSU football game Oct. 30 at Boone Pickens Stadium.

The OSUAA is working on opportunities for hotel and ticket blocks for members. More information about Homecoming 2021 will be available at orangeconnection.org/homecoming.

WE ARE THE FERGUSON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE ALUMNI SOCIETY

In January 2020, Oklahoma State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources was changed to the Ferguson College of Agriculture in honor of the $50 million gift from the Ferguson Family

Foundation to fund the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall. In celebrating with the college name change, we have changed our name from the CASNR Alumni Association to the Ferguson College of Agriculture Alumni Society.

FERGUSON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE ALUMNI SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kirby Smith President Oklahoma City Central District

Haley Nabors Vice President Enid, Oklahoma At-large Member

Rick Reimer Secretary Claremore, Oklahoma Northeast District

Dr. Cynda Clary Executive Secretary Stillwater, Oklahoma

Philip Cowley Morrison, Oklahoma At-large Member

Raylon Earls Guymon, Oklahoma Northwest District

Mechelle Hampton Tulsa, Oklahoma Northeast District

Jon Marc Holt Woodward, Oklahoma Northwest District

Amber McNeil Elgin, Oklahoma Southwest District

Charles Rohla Ardmore, Oklahoma Southeast District

Meg Stangl Okarche, Oklahoma At-large Member

STEADFAST SUPPORT

Glenn Selk

Department of Animal and Food Sciences

Glenn Selk retired from Oklahoma State University on Feb. 21, 2021, after a 48-year career.

Selk received his bachelor ’s in animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his master’s at OSU. He then earned his doctoral degree in animal breeding and physiology at OSU.

Selk served as an area extension specialist, a field director for the OSU

Department of Agricultural Economics

After a 38-year career, Joe Schatzer is set to retire from Oklahoma State University on July 2, 2021.

Originally from California, Missouri, Schatzer received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from the University of Missouri at Columbia and doctoral degree from Iowa State University, all with majors in agricultural economics. Schatzer served OSU as an

agricultural economics professor and academic advising coordinator.

“While evaluating my career at OSU, I enjoyed helping students achieve their goals,” Schatzer said.

In his retirement, he and his wife, Pam, plan to move back to Missouri to spend time with extended family. They also will do some traveling in the U.S. and abroad.

Alumni Association and an extension animal reproduction specialist. Since 2010, he has written the weekly Cow Calf Corner newsletter, presented it on “SUNUP,” and provided weekly management tips on KFRM radio.

“The highlights of my OSU career were always the interaction with cattle producers of Oklahoma,” Selk said.

In his retirement, Selk and his wife, Mary, plan to stay in Stillwater.

Larry Sanders HonoringOSU Agriculture Retirees

Department of Agricultural Economics

On July 1, 2021, Larry Sanders is set to retire after a 36-year career at Oklahoma State University.

Originally from Carlsbad, New Mexico, Sanders received his Bachelor of Art in sociology. In 1979, Sanders received his Master of Science from New Mexico State University. A small business endeavor led Sanders to complete his doctoral degree in economics at Colorado State University.

Sanders served as a professor focused on agricultural policy who assisted multiple times with the development of the U.S. Farm Bill.

He is known around campus for his unique and personable teaching style.

Sanders’ teaching and life philosophy is, “We are here on this planet for two reasons — to learn and to have fun — and sometimes we are blessed to do both at the same time.”

Oklahoma's rural communities are just that -communities. All across our state, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members demonstrate their heart of service for their fellow rural residents. From supporting our agriculture youth to serving on local boards and committees, our members know their involvement has a long-lasting impact that makes our rural communities vibrant. Oklahoma Farm Bureau is proud to support family farmers, ranchers, and our rural way of life to ensure rural Oklahoma is a place to grow for generations to come.

Featured:Stacy Simunek,Kay County Farm Bureau member

NAVIGATE YOUR FUTURE

Our Ferguson College Career Services team is here to guide you on your path to success. Let us help you discover, prepare, secure and thrive by providing you the tools and support to get you to your career destination!