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Panhandle land donation creates opportunities for PaSS research
Jackie Bauer
agricultural communications and animal science
July 29, 1997 — September 18, 2018
Jacob Field
natural resource ecology and management
April 20, 1999 — October 5, 2018
AFS researchers combine pomegranate with ground beef
EDITORS
Jackson Mayberry | Kate Miller | Jera Pipkin
MANAGING EDITOR
Dr. Shelly Peper Sitton
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS
Samantha Blackwell | Dr. Dwayne Cartmell
Dr. Ruth Inman | Dr. Angel Riggs
Dr. Quisto Settle | Erica Summerfield
GRAPHIC COORDINATORS
Annie Frische | Vanessa Wiebe
SPONSORSHIP COORDINATORS
Mary Frost | Megan Trantham
CIRCULATION COORDINATOR
Elizabeth Jones
FACT CHECKERS
Joy Hendrix | Katelin Spradley
STAFF
Steven Baringer | Sierra Beauford
Baylee Beck | Brett Budke
Bethany Farmer | Stanley Gaffrey
Colby Jane Hall | Karen Hiltbrand
Emily Horton | Cheyenne Jones
Tanner Lopez | Kinsey McDougald
Anna Miller | Cassandra Robledo
Cayley Strickland | Kassidy Weathers
Kaila Williams | Emily Woodruff
14
DASNR improves agriculture one smartphone at a time
28
FAPC helps in-state company edge the competition
HORT/LA research aims to improve field surface hardness
Greenbug forecasting system gets an update
OSU makes effort to conserve monarch butterfly habitats 19
“Welcome to the biggest group project of your life.”
Shelly Sitton greets a new CJ staff the same way each semester. While we knew this would be a semester of hard work and tradition, we did not know how much we would celebrate and mourn together. This semester, 28 students brought together their unique contributions — writing, photography, design and so much more — to make one beautiful magazine. We are ever grateful for the chance to fit their talents together because none of us alone could have produced what you hold in your hands today.
To our relentless staff, thank you for the teamwork and patience. For all of us, this Journal is a stepping stone, just one puzzle piece, on the way to even bigger and even better things.
To Melissa Mourer, Samantha Siler, Sara Honegger, Kelsey Conley, Holly Blakey and Jacob Sitton, thank you for your behind-the-scenes contributions.
To Ruth Inman, Samantha Blackwell, Quisto Settle, Angel Riggs and Dwayne Cartmell, thank you for your help in producing this publication. Most of all, thank you for developing us throughout our time on the fourth floor of Ag Hall.
CASNR department adopts new formal name
Remembering the lives lost during the 2015 homecoming tragedy
Oklahoma 4-H partners with an international exchange program
To Erica Summerfield, thank you for being our light and our focus. We could not have done this without you.
To Shelly Sitton, our steadfast managing editor, thank you for knowing us so well, encouraging us, and pushing us to create a magazine we are proud to put forward as a showcase of CASNR. With much joy, we embraced the chance to make you an even bigger part of our issue.
To you, the reader, welcome to a snapshot of a few of the people and activities going on inside the Cowboy Family. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have. — Jackson, Jera and Kate
During the 1893 Cherokee Outlet Land Run, a small sod house was built in Aline, Oklahoma, by a family man ready to start a new life. Many years later, next to that sod house is where a young Wayne Kiner found his love and passion for machines and how they work.
Kiner, biosystems and agricultural engineering lab manager and 1980 mechanized agriculture alumnus, is a self-proclaimed “original Okie” with deep roots not only in Oklahoma but also in the Oklahoma State University BAE department.
“When I was growing up, my grandfather was a pipeline welder,” Kiner said. “He never got out of the eighth grade, but he has two patents.”
Kiner spent many hours in his grandfather’s shop watching him design and build pieces of equipment — including his patented disc plow and pipeline pump. He said his decision to study mechanized agriculture came from his time in the shop all those years ago.
“It’s kind of in the blood,” Kiner said. “He taught me a lot, and that’s how I got interested in mechanical stuff and being on the farm. It just fit me to come and be in some type of agricultural mechanics field.”
In 1974, Kiner came to OSU as a BAE freshman. He soon started working at the BAE lab on campus. After graduation, he began his career working for Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. as a technician in the service department.
When a job became available in the BAE lab in 1986, Kiner applied and returned to OSU.
“My roots were grounded here,” Kiner said. “I knew what the place was about, and I liked the energy and fun of being around the students, not people whose stuff is broken all the time.”
Kiner not only manages the lab but also does design work.
“We have always had tremendous projects that have been cutting edge,” Kiner said. “Not only do we do projects for our department, but we do projects for the whole university. Everybody is doing different things, and it’s all interesting to see what’s happening.
“The purpose of the BAE lab is to provide technical support, equipment, fabrication and research space for the department,” he said.
Of all the jobs he does on a daily basis, the best part is working with the students, Kiner said.
Randy Taylor, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service assistant director, has worked with Kiner on a multitude of projects and has seen this collaboration firsthand.
“He has an enormous amount of patience,” Taylor said. “The time he’s been here and the student groups he’s been through — he’s about seen it all.”
While student collaboration has dwindled some, Kiner said students keep him young and excited about the work they do.
Students in the lab often work on
their own projects, but some work for Kiner to help maintain the lab, he said.
Kade Shelton, a 2018 agricultural engineering alumnus, worked for Kiner in the lab and said he was always learning from Kiner.
“He is one of the smartest and one of the best design guys in that department,” Shelton said. “He has the willingness to help everybody. His willingness to collaborate with all the departments on campus is one of his outstanding features.”
Kiner said working with different departments across campus is something he is proud to do. The lab has been part of multiple projects to help with research, production and extension.
“We may build little trinkets or educational materials for our extension guys,” Kiner said. “We’ve done multiple things like that for those folks.”
Taylor said when he has needed things designed and built for extension presentations, Kiner is always willing to give his services. Taylor said he admires Kiner’s vast knowledge of the equipment and phenomenal design work.
Part of the work done on faculty and student projects requires Kiner to design computerized models of the projects so technicians can build them. Shelton said Kiner is one of the most knowledgeable people in that area.
“Kiner really taught me how to create engineering drawings just how you would need them to read,” Shelton said. “He helped me a lot with that.”
After 32 years dedicated to working at the BAE lab, Kiner has decided to retire in February 2019.
The driving factor behind his decision was to spend more time with his family and enjoy his land, he said.
Kiner and his wife, Jody, plan to visit their children and grandchildren, who live all over the world.
Not one to brag on himself or his work, Kiner said one of the things he is proudest of during his time at OSU is how much the lab has grown.
“When I started here, we were kind of limited on what we had,” Kiner said. “It’s probably not any work of mine, but we’ve increased our equipment and our ability to do things like fabrication. I give all the credit to the technicians on all the work done in the lab.”
He also said while he is proud of all the work done in the lab, he hopes he has left a mark on at least one student in his time at OSU.
“I’ve worked with some wonderful people over the years,” Kiner said. “Those are my memorable times, working with those folks. Projects come and go, but it is still the people who are most important.”
Jacksboro, Texas
AGEC professor and cancer survivor gives back
sunshine always follows a storm, especially for Cheryl DeVuyst, a two-time cancer survivor. For her, having faith was the main priority to overcome such an overwhelming battle, she said.
“The Monday before Thanksgiving in 2005 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” said Cheryl DeVuyst, agricultural economics professor.
Leading up to the diagnosis, DeVuyst was cold and tired, she said, which she assumed was normal since she and her family were living in North Dakota. Without knowing what was wrong, the family assumed her illness was just a sinus infection or strep throat, she said.
“My doctor had moved, so I hadn’t had a regular doctor visit in a while because I was always the healthy one in the family,” DeVuyst said. “So, I went to a walk-in clinic.”
chemo, I was getting red and white blood cell booster shots,” DeVuyst said.
Doctors pronounced her cancer-free in May 2006, DeVuyst said.
Four years later, a colleague’s passing from melanoma left DeVuyst concerned about her future, she said, because melanoma is a common risk to any Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient.
“Being fair-skinned and being a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, I knew my risk was higher than normal,” DeVuyst said. “Being aware of this, I noticed a spot on my chest that was abnormal, so I scheduled an appointment to get it checked.”
Following her biopsy, DeVuyst was diagnosed with melanoma.
She went through a battle that she didn’t deserve to go through, but yet she has overcome that and serves others every day.
After sitting in the walk-in clinic for three hours while doctors ran multiple tests and scans, DeVuyst learned she had Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she said. After additional medical visits, she started treatments.
Tori Trimble agribusiness and marketing junior
“After having the spot of melanoma removed, I was cancer free again but had to follow up every six months to check for abnormal spots on my body,” DeVuyst said.
After her diagnosis with cancer, she was a rock when others could not be, said Eric DeVuyst, agricultural economics professor and Cheryl’s husband.
when she was going through her cancer journey, she never doubted. And only two times did she cry.
“Cheryl got through her journey with amazing cheer,” Eric DeVuyst said.
The strengths Cheryl DeVuyst showed during this time reminded him of her parents, he added.
“If we could go back and take the cancer from Cheryl so she never went through the things she did, as hard as it was for our daughter and myself to watch her go through it, as hard as it was for her to physically go through those things, we wouldn’t go back and change it,” he said. “It drew our family close to one another and, more importantly, close to God in the process.”
After fighting cancer and surviving, Cheryl DeVuyst became a volunteer with Coaches vs. Cancer and has been involved with the organization for five years, Eric DeVuyst said.
“What Cheryl is doing with Coaches vs. Cancer is beautiful,” Eric DeVuyst said. “Her love and compassion for those children in the program and their parents is amazing and is truly a ministry for her.”
“I spent six months going through chemotherapy, and when I wasn’t in
“Cheryl sees the positive in just about every possible circumstance,” he said. “She has incredible faith, and
Watching his wife work passionately with students and the children involved with the Coaches vs. Cancer program is inspirational, Eric DeVuyst said.
“Cheryl is a team player, always willing to pitch in where she is needed,” said Kendria Cost, the OSU Coaches vs. Cancer chairwoman. “Her strength is that, as a cancer survivor herself, she understands the importance of not only finding a cure but also supporting people along the way.”
Cheryl DeVuyst relates well to people and is open about her journey, Cost said, and she relates to the cancer survivors in a different way than someone who has not faced that diagnosis.
them, and I think Cheryl truly understands that.”
Cheryl DeVuyst relied on her faith to help her get through her diagnosis because that time in someone’s life is scary, Cost said.
Though battling cancer, Cheryl DeVuyst continued teaching and serving her students.
important thing affecting their lives, Trimble added.
“Cheryl treats me like I am her only advisee, and I know that she has so many more,” Trimble said. “She really wants each student to be the best and most successful they can be.”
She has incredible faith, and when she was going through her cancer journey, she never doubted.
“What most people don’t understand is that when someone is diagnosed with cancer — and it doesn’t matter what age the person is — that diagnosis changes the entire family dynamic,” Cost said.
Eric
DeVuyst
AGEC professor
“Originally, Cheryl was not my adviser, but after having her as a professor and speaking with her about my future, she took me under her wing, and I became her advisee,” said Tori Trimble, agribusiness and marketing junior.
“Cheryl is well prepared to help every time a student walks through her door,” Trimble said. “She understands that real life happens while we are students.”
By putting challenges behind her and accepting something difficult happened and moving forward, she inspires others to keep living their lives, Trimble said.
“Cheryl is strong in her faith, and she trusts in that,” Trimble said. “She went through a battle she didn’t deserve to go through, but she has overcome that and serves others every day.”
“Just because one person is diagnosed with the disease doesn’t mean that it doesn’t impact everyone else related to
Cheryl DeVuyst knows students have more happening outside of school, and sometimes school is not the most
ur arms and livelihoods are built on the health of the animals we raise. We treat animals with the compassion, dignity and respect they deserve. This means providing wholesome food, clean water, medical care and an environment that promotes the well-being of our animals.
The Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts were set to open the 2016 National Football League season at the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio, until the grounds crew deemed the turf at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium unplayable. This marked the first time an NFL preseason game was cancelled because of field conditions.
“The field surface is the most important part of the game,” said Chrissie Segars, who earned her Oklahoma State University doctorate in crop science in 2017. “If we don’t have a safe playing surface, then the athletes are at risk and cannot play to their highest potential.”
Segars worked with Justin Moss, horticulture and landscape architecture associate professor, to study field surface hardness and how improving field management practices can affect the overall hardness levels of football fields.
Segars said she has always been interested in sports turf research and would like to get more involved in the surfaceto-player interactions in the future.
Although a football field’s hardness plays a major part in the increasing number of player injuries, Segars said, athlete safety is not something fans tend to think about when attending a game.
“As sports turf managers, safety is our biggest concern,” said Tim VanLoo, manager of athletic turf and grounds at Iowa State University. “Nobody shows up on a game day and thinks about how the fields were taken care of in preparation. They show up to watch the football game itself.”
In the past few years, the NFL has increased the requirements related to field maintenance. These changes should result in safer playing surfaces and, in return, a lower number of player injuries, Segars said.
The researchers hope their efforts will improve athletes’ safety because the field’s health and maintenance plays a major role in the overall safety of the players, Moss said.
“Everything we do on a day-to-day basis revolves around healthy fields,” said Todd Tribble, OSU athletic field superintendent. “Having healthy fields is how we try to make sure our athletes do not get hurt.”
Segars said a field can be too hard or too soft. The softer fields are more likely to cause knee and ankle injuries while the harder fields are more likely to cause head injuries, she said.
The research Segars conducted at OSU focused on field surface hardness data collected from two natural turf playing surfaces: ISU’s Jack Trice Stadium and the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The data was collected using a Clegg Impact Tester, Segars said. The test consists of dropping the tester’s 2.5-kilogram hammer from a specific height to determine the Gmax score of that particular location on the field. The Gmax score provides a numerical representation of the surface’s response to impact.
Although a specific Gmax score range has not been determined as an appropriate level for any organization, the NFL requires specific actions to be taken to reduce field surface hardness if the Gmax score is higher than 100, she said.
VanLoo collected the data for Segars’ research project before every football game at Jack Trice Stadium.
VanLoo said collecting data always has been his favorite part of any research, so when Segars asked him if he would like to be involved in the research project, he did not hesitate.
VanLoo said he always will be willing to conduct research and help improve the turf industry. More research will help industry professionals make more improvements to their fields, he said.
Segars and VanLoo both have unique perspectives on the turf industry.
VanLoo referred to the industry as one of his passions in life.
“You hear it said a lot, but if you show up and truly enjoy what you do, it never feels like work,” VanLoo said. “The industry is a major part of my life and my family’s life.”
Segars has continued her work through another field safety research initiative, which is a portion of her role as an assistant professor of plant and soil science at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
The initiative is a cooperative effort among faculty at UT Martin, ISU and Texas Tech University. The project
began in fall 2018 with plans to complete it in spring 2019, Segars said. Data will be taken on more than 50 competitive high school, collegiate and recreational fields, she said.
Segars said she hopes researchers can show the need for further testing on all playing fields through this evaluation.
“Eventually getting down to the root of player and surface interactions will change the game for the better,” Segars said. “Athletes can know researchers are doing their best to figure out the best way to cut down injury risk.”
OSU Rodeo Team strives for growth in the program
No great goal or dream was successful overnight, taking years of passion and determination to forge the path of progress toward success — including the development and branding of the Oklahoma State University Rodeo Team.
Founded in 1946, the OSU Rodeo Team has provided students with an outlet to compete at the collegiate level in the sport of rodeo while gaining a high-quality education at a four-year institution, said Cody Hollingsworth, OSU Rodeo program coordinator and head coach.
The rodeo program has not always been under structured leadership or had a clear direction, he said.
“2012 was the first time the university ever hired a coach to manage the program,” Hollingsworth said. “When I started, rodeo at OSU was a student organization with a volunteer adviser.”
As the program’s first official head coach, Hollingsworth had the goal to provide structure and support for the team, he said.
The lack of organization and funding before his arrival made it difficult to find livestock to practice with or proper facilities to meet in, Hollingsworth said.
“I wanted to provide some structure and depth to the program,” he said, “allowing us to have sustained success as we represent the university.”
Hollingsworth has worked with the associate and assistant deans of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to establish guidelines for the program and build a functional team facility, he said.
“We have received a great deal of support from the university,” Hollingsworth said. “The support from CASNR administration has been tremendous in helping me and allowing me to establish the framework for the rodeo program.”
This support has given the program the opportunity to provide more scholarships to rodeo team members, he said.
“The struggle now is getting out and selling our story,” he said. “We have the opportunity to help students with scholarship money, so now we can go out and find students who are a good fit for our university and our program.”
Cowboy Stampede, which began in 2014, is the annual rodeo hosted by the OSU Rodeo Team. In just four years, the rodeo has added to the program’s success, he said.
Cowboy Stampede was voted the best rodeo in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Central Plains Region in the fall of 2017.
With the team’s history, a need existed to show the community the program is bringing in quality students, he said. Cowboy Stampede has given the team the opportunity to introduce those individuals, he added.
“Bringing back the Cowboy Stampede was a tremendous move for us,” Hollingsworth said. “It gave us the opportunity to showcase the type of people we have in the program to not only the university but also the Stillwater community.”
The increased positive visibility of the program and the skills students gain by hosting the Cowboy Stampede are invaluable, said Cynda Clary, CASNR associate dean of academic programs.
“It is giving students practice in learning by doing,” Clary said. “It is practice in being a part of a large event, and it is something they should be very proud of.”
Cowboy Stampede gives community members the opportunity to be involved in the rodeo program and gives the team a platform to advocate for the sport of
rodeo, said Brittany Perron, OSU rodeo team past-president.
“The Cowboy Stampede has been a tremendous addition for outside parties to get involved with the program,” Perron said. “The rodeo recognizes university officials, allows local businesses to advertise, and brings alumni back to become involved with their alma mater.”
Perron said she believes the Cowboy Stampede is a testament to the team’s current support and its growing success.
“Students should understand how far this program has come in just six short years,” Perron said. “They should understand it will continue to grow to accommodate anyone’s needs, interests and disciplines.”
Being part of this team while studying at OSU is a privilege because the program is well supported, Perron said.
“We have now been able to offer
the best of both worlds for students,” Hollingsworth said. “I recruit for students who really value the type of education offered here at OSU.”
The updated facilities and scholarship opportunities along with the education students gain at OSU has helped in selling the team’s success to prospective students, Hollingsworth said.
“Students can now come be a part of a program, not just a club,” Clary said. “The program is purposeful about its goals and objectives, its support of students, and really making the connection to academic success.”
The rodeo program is now one of the programs CASNR administration and faculty use in the student recruitment process, Clary said.
“The program is part of what we communicate when we do regular recruiting as a college,” Clary said. “It has
allowed us to shift and share the message that the program is about getting a great education and getting to be a part of something you are passionate about.”
As the rodeo program moves forward, the goal is to attract the best students who seek a high-quality education while wanting to be competitive on the college rodeo circuit, she said.
“We need to clearly keep moving forward and continue to think bigger,” Clary said. “We need to attract students — from both Oklahoma and around the country — who are strong rodeo athletes and students.”
California
Mechanical rumbles, swishing crops and livestock murmurs are all predictable sounds in the world of agriculture. But today, the beep and chime of a smartphone might be just as familiar on a farm as on a busy city street.
Oklahoma State University is a leading institution for mobile application development in agriculture and natural resources, said Brian Arnall, plant and soil sciences associate professor and an
“Fact sheets are so easily turned into applications,” he said. “So are the decision-aid programs our agricultural economists have. Extension is really set to take advantage of it.”
He said the beginnings of the app development program in DASNR started in 2013, when agricultural leaders at professional conferences voiced a desire for more of these tools.
These technologies appeal to every generation, he added.
apps were available, he said. Today, more than 320 apps are available for monitoring and managing cereal and fiber crops alone, Arnall added.
“For DASNR, it started with a recognition that we have more of our clients who are using hand-held devices, tablets or smartphones with their combines or in a greenhouse, and they’re looking for information,” said Dwayne Hunter, DASNR information technology manager.
parameters or what variety of crop you want to sow, we have a lot of decision-aid apps that will help you do that,” Hunter said.
DASNR has produced more than 30 apps ranging from input calculators and crop production measurement tools to research aids and agricultural economics learning games, Hunter said.
“We’re in the digital age in agriculture,” said Randy Taylor, OCES assistant director. “We have the ability to collect more data than we can even process mentally.”
Taylor said in his role as OCES program leader for agricultural, natural resources and community economic development programs, he tries to ensure faculty members have the resources to be successful.
“The faculty have the application ideas, but they’re not programmers,” Taylor said.
In the past, faculty wishing to bridge the gap between idea and complete application had to find outside resources for funding and off-site application programmers, Hunter said.
However, funding can be found through a variety of grant programs as well as checkoff programs and researchers who need more information on a specific topic, Arnall said.
When Arnall started developing apps, he sought help from computer science master’s students, he said.
“What I found is I can bring students
on and give them assistantships,” Arnall said. “They get their tuition waived, and I have them build apps for me.”
Relying on student employees results in high-quality work because they are learning the most current practices, Arnall said, but the high rate of programmer turnover can be unsustainable.
Jaya Nagaboyina, mobile application developer, was hired by DASNR IT in August 2018 as a full-time programmer for both Apple and Android systems.
contact information about human resources, such as state specialists, faculty or county extension educators, to provide more information,” Hunter said.
He said this information is a way of bringing attention to new research.
We have the ability to collect more data than we can even process mentally.
Randy Taylor OCES assistant director
“I collect requirements from faculty and create an app that meets those requirements,” Nagaboyina said.
Her role also includes assisting student programmers with problems they encounter and facilitating a smooth transition when programmers cycle through, she said.
“If we have a full-time person and we can get her to stay, she understands how an app was developed and understands the mechanics behind it,” Hunter said. “This will help us with sustaining the application development, not only creating new ones but also updating the ones we have out on the market.”
This ability to update applications ensures producers have the most upto-date science available, even when it changes over time, Hunter said.
“In each app, we normally link to relevant fact sheets and try to provide
“We have a product that has our logo on it, and it has science behind it,” Hunter said. “The application will maybe pique someone’s curiosity about what else DASNR has to offer or additional resources related to whatever they’re interested in.”
The demand for innovation and updates is expected to increase, he added. This popularity is why putting resources toward mobile app development is so important, Hunter said.
“We know apps are a way of doing business,” Taylor said. “Using a cell phone with apps is really important to that generation and to that group of people. We try to have relevant apps that help them be a part of something. It makes it easy.”
For a related story, read the article on page 28.
KATE MILLER Owasso, Oklahoma
Jacob Auer
BAE
South Coffeyville, Oklahoma
Ryan Callahan ANSI Edmond, Oklahoma
Seraiah Coe
NREM McKinney, Texas
Cale Hinrichsen AGBU Westmoreland, Kansas
ANSI Alva, Oklahoma
Lauren Millang AGCM Woodland, California
Truitt Taylor
AGBU
South Coffeyville, Oklahoma
Tegan Maxson
BIMB
Cathy Mapes Welch, Oklahoma
Luke Muller PASS & AGBU Altus, Oklahoma
Halie Schovanec AGCM
Garber, Oklahoma
AGBU
Hunter Thomas Newkirk, Oklahoma
Erica Wiebe
AGBU
Hooker, Oklahoma
IAgriculture partnered with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities to present national awards honoring excellent teaching at colleges and universities.
The USDA gives four national awards and eight regional awards. This year, two College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources faculty members received these awards. Ranjith Ramanathan won a New Teacher Award, and Shelly Sitton won a Teaching and Student Engagement Award.
“To win an award is a pretty big feather in the winner’s cap,” said Wendy Fink, APLU Board on Agricultural Assembly academic programs executive director. “It really is something to be chosen out of a vast swath of people to be nominated and then to actually win.”
The New Teacher Award was created in 2005 to honor two faculty members annually who have no more than seven years of experience in higher education and research.
“What makes new teachers unique is they have barely gotten their doctorates, and they’ve moved into this role,” Fink said. “They may have been hired to do a lot of research, and at the same time, they’re learning how to teach.”
percentage for teaching and research appointments. However, the review committee analyzes teaching strategies, research success and other innovative factors, Fink said.
“When you read through these application packets, honestly, you wonder how they manage to sleep,” Fink said. “Some of these folks are achieving well beyond what anyone would probably expect of them.”
Created in 2018, the Teaching and Student Engagement Award recognizes faculty members who have a 75 percent or more teaching appointment because teaching at land-grant universities has evolved, Fink said.
“This national award was created for fantastic teachers who don’t fall into the other categories because they spend less time on research,” Fink said.
The review committee members look for applicants who demonstrate meritorious teaching and service to students, she said.
“Meritorious teaching means people who are amazing,” Fink said.
The service component includes student advising and mentoring as well as sponsorship of student organizations and competitive teams.
winners’ peers recognize their work as high quality, said Cynda Clary, CASNR associate dean of academic programs.
The USDA, a key partner for Oklahoma State University in agricultural extension, research and education, is honoring those involved in that partnership, said Thomas Coon, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources vice president.
“The USDA gives out awards to recognize exceptional professors who have been involved in teaching as well as in extension and research,” Coon said.
National award winners receive a personalized U.S.-shaped plaque, a marble apple with a golden stem and a stipend to benefit their programs, Fink said.
With its two most recent recipients, OSU now has 10 USDA national and regional teaching award winners, making the university tied for fifth in the national count.
“The two winning faculty members are committed to the CASNR family,” Clary said. “Dr. Ramanathan and Dr. Sitton embody CASNR’s culture of excellence and commitment to students. We are proud to have them here.”
Jackson Mayberry and Jera Pipkin
rom the southern region of India to the red dirt of Oklahoma,
Ranjith Ramanathan, animal and food sciences associate professor, has charted his course in the classroom.
Cultivating inspiration into a career has allowed him to make a difference in students’ lives across the globe, he said.
“He is having an impact,” said Clint Rusk, head of the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal and Food Sciences. “He’s not just teaching and getting a paycheck for doing it. He’s touching people’s lives and helping them find their niche.”
Ramanathan, who is known across the OSU campus as “Dr. Ram,” received a Bachelor of Science in veterinary and animal science from Kerala Agricultural University in India, then pursued his Master of Science and Doctor
of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. Six years ago, he made his way to Stillwater to begin his collegiate teaching journey.
“I think Dr. Ram shows people another side of what education can be,” said Deborah VanOverbeke, assistant dean of academic programs for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
To start teaching without prior experience was a “big challenge,” Ramanathan said. He relied on countless mentors, educational courses and university opportunities to perform his best in the classroom, he said.
At the University of Connecticut, Ramanathan watched from the sidelines, observing his colleagues’ teaching strategies and admiring the hard work they put into their profession, he said.
Richard Mancini, UConn meat science associate professor, and Cameron Faustman, interim dean of the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, showed Ramanathan how to teach complex topics with the utmost simplicity, he said.
“A lot of people inspired me,” Ramanathan said. “So, why I’m here today is purely due to the fact I was really fortunate to meet a lot of really good people.”
Courses throughout his higher degrees also provided insight into valuable teaching methods, Ramanathan said. From guest speakers to learning opportunities and preparation techniques, Ramanathan’s courses were one of the turning points that led him into pursuing teaching in higher education as a career, he added.
Also, learning and using technology has helped him connect with a broader audience and provide students with integral resources, Ramanathan said.
“It’s not about me,” he said. “It’s all about the students. Everyone has some good educational ideas, so I combined them. That way, I can make a change.”
Ramanathan’s teaching influence extends into five OSU classes on a rotating schedule, including Fundamentals of Food Science, Food Chemistry I, Food Chemistry II, Analysis of Food Products and Advanced Meat Science.
“It’s a challenge to teach all my classes because it’s the same person teaching,” Ramanathan said. “I try to be different in each one because in freshman-level classes I can have 16 different majors from freshmen to seniors.”
Being adaptable to the diversity of students allows them to stay engaged, he said. By incorporating valuable research findings, hands-on methodology and interactive activities with peers into the daily classroom model, students learn more, Ramanathan said.
“The neatest thing I’ve seen Dr. Ram do is grow in his link to students,” VanOverbeke said. “When you see how his class has changed in terms of student interaction, it has been pretty phenomenal. He will go out of his way to help students succeed in the classroom.”
Using in-class demonstrations are one way Ramanathan works to connect students together, regardless of their different backgrounds, he said. The complex topics he teaches, like protein denaturation and structure, are better understood with hands-on learning models, Ramanathan added.
“To show protein denaturation, I will bring an egg white into class, add some ethanol and you can see the colors change,” he said. “I can also 3D print protein structures, so if I give students those templates they can understand with ease.”
Allowing students to engage with each other is important to the teaching process, especially with students’ diverse backgrounds, Ramanathan said.
Incorporating opportunities for students to learn from each other helps Ramanathan teach better, he said.
“Student learning means I can teach, but you learn better when you talk with your friend because you have the same language,” Ramanathan said.
Incorporating activities such as icebreakers and interviewing each other allows him to include this style of learning, he said.
In six years, Ramanathan has published 47 peer-reviewed journal articles, 72 refereed abstracts and four full-paper conference proceedings. He also has secured $1.4 million from federal agencies for research.
It’s not about me. It’s all about the students.
Ranjith Ramanathan AFS associate professor
But for Ramanathan, good is not always good enough, he said. Rusk said Ramanathan works to improve his skills and learn more about his teaching from his students, showing how much he cares about them.
“Dr. Ram doesn’t wait until the last week of the semester to do course evaluations,” Rusk said. “He starts doing course evaluations the first week of class, which is highly unusual. He not only does them. He listens to them.”
Ramanathan takes the information and works to improve the next class period, Rusk said.
VanOverbeke said Ramanathan adapts to student needs, changing assignments to fit specific strengths.
“He’s one you see at every teaching workshop, unless he’s out of town,” VanOverbeke said. “He puts a priority on professional development to better himself in the classroom for students, and not everybody does that.”
Teaching is not Ramanathan’s only role at OSU. With a 60 percent teaching appointment and 40 percent research appointment, he finds unique ways to balance and incorporate his research into his food science classrooms, VanOverbeke said.
Ramanathan’s research is centered around improving beef quality and lasting color freshness. He uses new research findings to demonstrate the importance of food science principles to students, he said. Using pictures, animations and video clips helps him convey the ideas in simple ways that help students, Ramanathan said.
“I try my very best not to compromise,” Ramanathan said. “Some days I sleep two or three hours. Trying to balance teaching and research is an immense challenge.”
Ramanathan’s commitment to excellence in teaching and research has decorated him as one of two U.S. Department of Agriculture New Teacher Award national winners for 2018.
Whether he is showing students the importance of food science, inspiring them to become educators and researchers, or influencing other faculty, Ramanathan’s persistence has guided many, Rusk said.
“I have never met a man who cares more about his students and his profession,” said Markel Harris, agricultural leadership senior.
VanOverbeke said Ramanathan’s humble nature, pay-it-forward mindset, and dedication to improving himself and his students has made a lasting impact on OSU.
“He looks at it from a standpoint of it’s everyone’s award,” VanOverbeke said, “because without professional development and having colleagues to bounce ideas off of, he wouldn’t be where he is today.”
Ramanathan said he is humbled and thankful for those who have made a difference in his life.
“I want someone to understand — do your best and care about others,” Ramanathan said. “You can make a positive change.”
JERA PIPKIN Republic, Missouri
students enter 404 Agricultural Hall in groups, chatting as they make their way to wheeled chairs colored in America’s Brightest Orange. Some swivel to work on shiny, silver computers while others continue talking as they organize their notes.
“Hello, friends!” Shelly Peper Sitton says as she enters the room with a smile accompanying her joyful greeting.
“I feel like I’m home when I walk into the computer lab,” said Sitton, Oklahoma State University agricultural communications professor. “It is an extension of my office.
“We go there to get work done, and the learning happens while we’re working,” she said.
She walks to the front of the room and opens an Adobe Illustrator document on the projector screen. She begins designing a logo, explaining the process as she goes.
“Shelly is a teach-by-doing kind of person,” said Erica Summerfield, Sitton’s graduate teaching assistant and agricultural communications master’s student. “When Shelly and I walk into class, we know what we are teaching about but don’t have an exact plan.”
Sitton plans and verbalizes her lessons as she teaches so students can see and hear the processes happening inside her head, Summerfield said.
“I don’t pre-think or have graphics going in,” Sitton said. “It takes longer, but I start from scratch, too. Students do not see the mental hoops I go through if everything is too prepped.”
However, sometimes not every example goes well, Summerfield said.
“I struggle, too,” Sitton said. “When I began I was a perfectionist, but age has a way of helping you understand you don’t have to be perfect.
“Owning my own mistakes helps others see they can make mistakes, too,” she said.
Sitton teaches differently than other professors, said McKenna Knight, agricultural communications and agribusiness junior. Sitton gives students an opportunity to learn the design process for themselves, she said.
My mom taught me to love people just like they were my own family members.
Shelly
Sitton
AECL professor
While working on the finishing touches of a design project, Knight said she was frustrated when Sitton suggested extra changes.
“Shelly expects a lot from you, and she lets you know it,” Summerfield said. “But, she will not leave you hanging.”
Whether for a design or writing piece, Sitton takes time to give individual feedback to each student, Summerfield said. Students understand her input matters, she added.
“It all comes back to relationships,” Sitton said. “I am tough and have high expectations because the world does, and I want students to be prepared for the real world.”
Sitton works hard to build relationships with students so she can challenge them to think critically about their work and the creative process, said Dwayne Cartmell, agricultural communications professor and Master of International Agriculture Program assistant director.
“Many students talk about being bad at layout and design,” Cartmell said. “But, they really are good and just need to be challenged.”
Deep relationships make it possible to challenge students and help them be well-equipped, Sitton said.
Sitton teaches layout and design, feature writing and editing, and the program’s capstone course, which produces the Cowboy Journal.
“Shelly told me and the whole class she wants us to want to get more out of the class than just an A on a project,” Knight said.
Knowing someone is helping students beyond their grades is comforting, Knight said.
“I get in the trenches with these kids,” Sitton said. “The graduate teaching assistants and I are side by side with them even when it means extra time.”
Sitton knows students outside of the classroom, too, Summerfield said. The lines between her work hours and her office hours are blurry because of the flood of students waiting to see her, Summerfield said.
editing, Shelly Sitton writes “See S²� when
“It doesn’t matter if she has a million things to do,” Knight said. “When students ask for help, she is always willing to help.”
Many students come to Sitton seeking advice about topics inside and outside the classroom, Knight said. People look up to Sitton and value her opinion, she added.
“An open door makes for great relationships,” Sitton said. “That is why it stays open.”
The agricultural communications faculty members work hard to make all the students feel like “our kids,” Sitton said. Students need to know they are valued and loved, she said.
Hugs and words of encouragement are some of the ways Sitton tells students she cares about them, she said.
“My mom taught me to love people just like they were my own family members,” Sitton said. “The greatest compliment I have received was being told I am like her.”
While growing up on her family’s cattle ranch, Sitton saw her mom show compassion to everyone, said Trent Peper, Sitton’s brother and Peper Patch Farms co-operator.
“She gets it from our family and the people we call family,” Peper said. “Shelly picked up our mom’s attitude of ‘if you’re in my house, you are family.’”
Life is about building relationships, Sitton said. As a student adviser and teacher of the capstone course, she sees many of “her kids” during their first and last days on campus, she said.
“Not every student is the same, and not all are good at the same things,” Sitton said. “I try to help individuals get where they want to be.”
To recognize her impact during the past 27 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture presented Sitton with the National Award for Excellence in Teaching and Student Engagement.
“The USDA identified Dr. Sitton as one of the preeminent instructors teaching agricultural students in the
country,” said Thomas Coon, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources vice president.
The USDA created this award to recognize exceptional teaching by someone who has a majority teaching appointment, said Cynda Clary, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources associate dean of academic programs.
Sitton received this award because of her long-standing impact on her students and her profession, Clary added.
“What isn’t shown on Shelly’s course list is the time she spends being available to students,” Clary said.
The award recognizes professors excelling in and out of the classroom, Clary said. Sitton embodies this with excellence and passion, Clary added
“It is overwhelming,” Sitton said. “I was in shock when I found out because I didn’t think there was a chance. The first thing I did was call my son, Jacob, because he and his brother, Matt, have
had to share me with several thousand students to let me do what I do.”
Sitton said when she found out, she felt humbled more than anything.
“This award isn’t about me,” Sitton said. “This award is about the program. Faculty and students support each other, and that makes all of this possible.”
Sitton is focused on students and making the students and program look good, Summerfield said. When they succeed, she feels like she has succeeded, Summerfield added.
Shelly Sitton demands the best because she cares about people, said Jacob Sitton, Shelly Sitton’s son and 2018 agricultural communications alumnus. She sees people’s potential and does all she can to get them there, he added.
“She didn’t treat me any differently,” Jacob Sitton said. “Anything she did for me, I know she would and does do for all students.”
Shelly Sitton also works hard to create a family atmosphere, which brings
people in and keeps them here, Jacob Sitton said.
“I guess I have a couple thousand siblings because the students who have gone through the program are all Mom’s kids,” Jacob Sitton said.
Since starting in 1992, Shelly Sitton said her years at OSU have not felt like work because she loves what she does.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Shelly Sitton said. “It took my breath away when I found out I got this job, and I still get chills thinking about it.”
Shelly Sitton said being hired at OSU is a “God-thing.”
“CASNR and OSU are my home,” Shelly Sitton said. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Here’s something worth shouting about. As an electric co-op member, you have a say in how the co-op is run and the decisions that are made. Isn’t that nice to hear? Learn more about the power of your co-op membership at www.oaec.coop.
• Two locations. Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma City, and Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction, Ada, Oklahoma
• Experienced representatives capable of providing professional advice
• Program allows the producer to share in 100% of the profit of a pasture grazing program. The producer develops a plan to purchase cattle when and where they choose and market those cattle back via method of their choosing.
• Lenders who understand industry challenges and are committed to the producer’s success
• Convenient check-writing system to access your credit line & a loan transaction reporting system to help track inventories
• Manage market risk with our hedging program
• No Margin Calls
Every year, farmers can endure multiple economic setbacks before harvesting their crops. But what if wheat farmers could make better financial decisions? What if a system could help farmers decide if they needed to treat a field for pests? The Oklahoma State University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology has made these “what ifs” possible.
Greenbugs, which are a type of aphid, are a common pest in winter wheat. The small creatures feed on the juices in wheat plants, causing visible damage and economic hardship, said Tom Royer, entomology and plant pathology professor and integrated pest management coordinator.
“Greenbugs reduce yield and the health of the plant,” Royer said. “Sometimes they cause winter kill. The plants become too weak and cannot tolerate the winter.”
Crop consultants, extension personnel and wheat producers attempt to manage greenbugs with minimal economic loss, Royer said.
Royer said when he started at OSU, he noticed an abundance of greenbugs in wheat. He wanted to create a tool to help farmers know when and how much insecticide to apply, he said.
This tool, or forecasting system, can help farmers make financial decisions based on realistic goals and crop values, Royer said.
“Forecasting systems are important to help producers make decisions about
how to manage their crops and their farms,” Royer said. “With increasing farm sizes, we want to help farmers manage their operations.”
The team members who created the first and only greenbug forecasting system, called Glance ’n Go, were Royer; Kris Giles, entomology and plant pathology Regents professor; Norm Elliott, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service employee; Dean Kindler, retired USDA ARS employee; Douglas Jones, Bayer Crop Science market development representative; and David Waits, former SST Software board chairman.
Glance ’n Go was designed as a reusable card to fit in a back pocket, Royer said. Farmers were able to use the system for the first time in 2002.
The team began their research by determining what the yield relationship to greenbugs is, he said.
“We were literally counting every aphid we found in the beginning,” Royer said. “We were looking for that relationship between percent infested and actual number.”
Data collection for the system’s baselines took about seven years and meant viewing every wheat leaf, or tiller, from more than 100 fields before Glance ’n Go was completed, he said.
Royer said he recommends wheat producers stop every 30 feet and look at three tillers while crop scouting. The size of the field determines how many stops producers should make, he added.
After inputting the number of infested tillers, producers can determine if treatment is needed. If the data is inclusive at the end of sampling, producers need to come back in two to six days to take more samples, Royer said.
The greenbug population may be changing, Royer said.
Glance ’n Go was one of the first forecasting systems to incorporate the activity of the natural enemy in the treatment decision, Royer said.
For example, the parasitic wasp is an aggressive natural enemy of greenbugs, Royer said. They lay eggs inside the greenbug. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the inside of the greenbug, causing it to turn into a mummy, he said.
producers have to connect to the internet or they cannot use it, Royer said.
As a result, the team decided to create an app, which will not need the internet to use.
“We want it to be a self-contained application that will work all the time, every time,” Royer said.
Brian Arnall, plant and soil sciences associate professor, coordinated the app’s development.
“Dr. Royer came to me and asked what it would take to turn Glance ’n Go into an app,” Arnall said.
With increasing farm sizes, we want to help farmers manage their operations.
Tom Royer ENTO/PLP professor and integrated pest management coordinator
If producers check 15 tillers and find four or more mummies, treatment is unnecessary, he said.
“The natural enemies are going to take care of that aphid population,” Royer said.
If an aphid is stung, the larvae feed on it, slowing down its reproduction. The larvae pop out of the aphid after they are fully developed, killing the aphid, Royer said.
As technology evolved, so did Glance ’n Go. In 2012, it turned into an online system in collaboration with Kansas State University and the USDA.
The online system works well, but
Arnall said he got involved with the project when they started talking about applying for a grant. When the grant was funded, Arnall hired Yash Tiwari to develop the app. Tiwari, OSU management information systems master’s student, began developing the Glance ’n Go app in June.
Creating a more convenient user experience is the goal for the Glance ’n Go app, Tiwari said.
“The app is much more user-friendly,” Tiwari said. “Farmers can use this in the fields.”
Farmers only need to say how often greenbugs are present, Royer said. Then, the app will tell the farmer if treatment is necessary.
The Glance ’n Go app is available for all Apple and Android products.
“Part of agricultural efficiencies is
Glance ’n Go allows you to put new information in and get timely information back out.”
Glance ’n Go makes insecticide treatment decisions easier for wheat farmers, Arnall said. The app helps them decide if their decisions make economic sense, he said, which also can be more beneficial for the environment.
“The Glance ’n Go app helps the
environment in saying we’re only going to spray when we’re above an economic threshold and need to,” Arnall said.
“We’re helping eliminate unnecessary insecticide spraying.”
The greenbug was officially identified as a U.S. pest in 1882, said Tom Royer, Oklahoma State University entomology and plant pathology professor and integrated pest management coordinator.
“They are small, soft-bodied insects that have a needle-like mouth part they plug into a plant and suck plant juices,” Royer said.
Greenbugs cause visible damage as yellow or orange spots with a dark, necrotic lesion in the center.
Williamsburg, Iowa
With a lifespan of a few weeks, greenbugs are all females and give birth to live young, Royer said.
“They can grow from nymph to adult in seven to 10 days,” Royer said. “One female can produce up to 35 young during her life.”
Oklahoma AgCredit serves rural Oklahoma communities and agriculture with loans and financial services for rural property, farm and ranch land, country homes, livestock, equipment, and operating costs.
0n Dec. 14, 1891, students attended the first classes offered by the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. During the next 16 years, the College of Agriculture included two departments: agriculture and horticulture.
“During the next 60 years, the agricultural department went through a series of changes that resulted in splitting the department into more narrow disciplines,” said Clint Rusk, animal and food sciences department head.
Between 1891 and 2018, Rusk’s department has been reorganized and renamed six times. On Feb. 9, 2018, he proposed an official name change of the department to the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
“As a department, we have been wanting to grow the food science major,” Rusk said. “Putting food science in the department name helps incoming students find us.”
Once the idea was proposed to Thomas Coon, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources vice president, the department sent a survey about the potential change.
“A brief questionnaire was developed for faculty, staff, students and alumni to provide feedback,” Rusk said.
The survey was distributed to those who could be reached via email. It also was shared on departmental social media platforms for alumni to access, Rusk said.
“We received roughly 1,000 responses that were mostly positive,” said Gretchen Mafi, animal and food sciences professor.
The name change process was thorough, Coon said. All faculty members had a voice and voted on the proposed name change.
Once the change was proposed, the process was finalized within five months, Coon added.
“The food science major currently offers four undergraduate options, which are industry, meat, safety and science,” Rusk said. “Career opportunities in food science continue to increase, creating demand for more food science majors. This change better markets food science and the food scientists within the department.”
Coon said including food science in the name is an important change and he
wants people to understand the department’s faculty made this decision.
“Adding food science into the department name makes a lot of sense for the department,” Mafi said.
The name officially changed July 1, 2018, to the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
The goal of the name change is to help grow the food science program, Mafi said. If changing the name helps in a positive way, then the change was the right thing to do, she added.
“I believe this will help recruit freshmen to our program and show we are here and growing,” said Jessie Payne, food science senior.
“Everyone in food science is excited about this change,” Payne said. “I remember when it was proposed and everyone was talking about it. Now, it has become a reality.”
KINSEY MCDOUGALD Friant, California
Thriving on a passion for rural Oklahoma, RJ Gray uses his position at the Oklahoma Agricultural Cooperative Council to connect a generation of agriculturalists to the industry that gave him his start.
Gray grew up 18 miles southeast of Stillwater in the small town of Ripley, Oklahoma, where he dreamed of becoming an Oklahoma State University Cowboy, he said. For his first two years of college, Gray attended Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. He transferred to OSU, which led to a bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership in 2005.
leadership and what the implications were for his professional work life,” Weeks said.
Upon graduation, Gray accepted his first job as OACC executive director. He enjoyed it from the beginning and now has a passion for OACC, he said.
“Co-ops represent a large portion of Oklahoma agriculture,” Gray said.
I love the culture of the cooperative system and rural Oklahoma.
RJ Gray OACC executive director
“I was able to see what the organization could be. I work with people who have a vision for the future of cooperatives, agriculture and Oklahoma,” he said.
offer great benefits in those rural communities, Gray said.
“I love the culture of the cooperative system and rural Oklahoma,” Gray said. “I get to work at OACC alongside farmers who feed the world day in and day out. Those farmers then serve on community boards tirelessly with not many thanks.”
During Gray’s time at OACC, he has created fundamental and specialized board development programs, out-ofthe-box employee leadership training, and an internship program for college students to educate them about the cooperative system, he said.
“The leadership theory found in the agricultural leadership program intrigued me,” Gray said.
Gray said he was a typical college student until he served as the CASNR Agricultural Legislative Intern before his senior year at OSU. The internship helped him realize the importance of the education he was receiving, he said.
“I remember having RJ in class after he finished his internship,” said Penny Weeks, agricultural leadership professor. “RJ was so excited about school during that semester because he saw real-world applications to what he was studying in the classroom.
“He was eager about studying
OACC’s mission is to enhance the public’s understanding of cooperatives and advance their development.
Gray said he took the mission to heart early, striving to create new programs for current and future employees, board members and members.
Cooperatives are unique because they are owned and controlled by the members, he said. Therefore, farmers own the company while also governing it.
“Co-ops stick around in rural Oklahoma to provide services to rural communities while the larger companies typically do not when times get tough,” Gray said.
Often the largest employers in their community, many cooperatives typically provide the area’s largest payroll and
Early in Gray’s career, he wanted to show young people they have the ability to live and have a career in rural Oklahoma by providing exposure to different areas of the cooperative model, he said.
“My idea was to bridge the gap between the older and younger generations in hopes to attract more people to the cooperative system,” Gray said.
With the help of the OACC Board of Directors, Weeks, co-op managers and key stakeholders, Gray developed an OACC internship program for students interested in what the co-op system is and does, Gray said.
Three areas inspired the internship program: increase exposure to the different areas of the co-op, show
young people they can work in rural Oklahoma, and show co-ops have a huge impact, he said.
“The OACC’s internship program allowed the co-ops to do something together that they could not do on their own,” Gray added.
Weeks supervises students’ internships through the agricultural leadership program. Therefore, she provided feedback on experiences as well as obstacles, she said. In addition, Weeks helped OACC create structure for its internship program, such as competitive salary, leadership development opportunities and overall experiences, she said.
“RJ is great at recruiting the next generation of co-op employees,” said Samantha Siler, former OACC director of education. “The internship provides more than a summer job to students. They are exposed to the co-op model and are able to see how they can fit in as future leaders in their communities.”
Gray said farmers have different expectations of a co-op leader. In response, OACC offers various leadership opportunities to board members as well as employees and provides strategic planning to help them succeed, he said.
The cooperative system can help farmers compete on a broader scale, Gray said. OACC is dedicated to serving its local farmers and customers.
“The best days are when we go into
a local co-op’s boardroom or training room to work directly with employees to solve problems and to hopefully move co-ops forward,” Gray said.
“These leadership and developmental programs are where my agricultural leadership education comes into play, which is really enjoyable,” he said.
In addition to being honored as a distinguished alumnus in agricultural leadership, Gray has served on the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Dean’s Advisory Board as well as the Agricultural Leadership Alumni Advisory Board.
“I get to serve rural Oklahoma and the American farmer,” Gray said. “But, growing up in a small town made me who I am today.”
He said his teachers and the members of his community taught him to have high standards and strong values.
Now, Gray and his wife, Jecole, are instilling those same values and love for rural Oklahoma in their two boys: Hudson, 4, and Beckett, 1.
“Rural Oklahoma is and will always be a core piece of me,” Gray said.
Internship candidates submit an application, then participate in an interview. The qualified candidates are placed in various locations across Oklahoma, said RJ Gray, Oklahoma Agricultural Cooperative Council executive director.
The interns have an opportunity to experience the many facets of co-ops, Gray said.
“The younger generation needs to return to work in rural Oklahoma,” Gray said. “They have opportunities to be community leaders and to have a real impact in those rural communities.”
Internships are all about trying something to see if you like it or not, Gray said.
OACC tries to be competitive and offer the best experience possible to interns, in hopes interns want to work for them and in the future are a natural fit, he said.
This internship is unique because OACC provides exposure to many different parts of the co-op system, said Samantha Siler, former OACC director of education.
“What’s really interesting about this internship program is they truly mentor you, and it is a good experience for a soon-to-becollege graduate,” said Penny Weeks, agricultural leadership professor. “Interns are going to work hard at the co-op. They will also create a strong network through the co-op employees and customers.”
The internship application is due March 1, 2019, and more information can be found at okagcoop.org.
osé Uscanga’s dream was not to have all the money in the world or to be famous. All he wanted was to own a bicycle.
Uscanga, director of multicultural programs for the Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, grew up in southeast Mexico on a small farm with no electricity or running water. The oldest of five siblings, Uscanga learned how to help on the farm at a young age, he said.
Uscanga said he would wake up early to let the family’s pigs out to pasture and to grind corn for tortillas before walking to school.
“I would walk two hours to school barefoot through the rainforest,” Uscanga said. “Right before I got to the schoolhouse, I would always stop at a puddle to wash my feet off before putting on my shoes.”
Uscanga’s school had only one teacher. Once Uscanga was finished with his schoolwork, his teacher would send him to help teach the younger students how to read and write. Once school ended for the day, Uscanga said, he would walk the two hours home where he would tend to the pigs, complete his homework, and then take a shower at the well behind his house.
MIAP alumnus pursues an education to change his life
get an education. They didn’t have a lot of resources, but they gave him all they could, he said.
Growing up, school did not come easily for him, he said. He became interested in college in fourth grade when his teacher, Casto, came to school riding a new bicycle, Uscanga said.
“I asked him how I could get a bike like his and he said to go to college,” Uscanga said. “That is when I knew I had to go to college.
“All I wanted when I was little was a bike,” Uscanga said. “My uncle had a bike. I learned to ride it when I was younger, but I never had my own. That’s why I wanted to go to college.”
Uscanga said the day he learned how to ride a bike was amazing. As a kid, he would be sent on errands, and with a bike he could complete them much faster than on foot, he said.
“I felt like I was flying on a bike,” Uscanga said.
But, I knew I wanted that bike and I knew I wanted to go to college to change my life.
José Uscanga director of multicultural programs
His parents, Flora and Manuel, became supportive of Uscanga’s desire to
Uscanga said after he finished middle school, he started studying for the qualifying exam to be accepted into Universidad Autonoma Chapingo in Mexico, which accepts a small percentage of all students who apply. Uscanga and 12 classmates took the exam, but no one passed it. Uscanga knew he had only one more chance after finishing high school, he said.
“I studied my whole senior year
to prepare for the qualifying exam,” he said. “I still remember my mentor showing me the national newspaper of Mexico with my name printed in it saying I was accepted. I was so happy.”
Chapingo is similar to boarding schools, Uscanga said, and has high school and college combined. After being accepted, Uscanga packed his bags and moved five hours away to begin his studies at Chapingo.
“It was hard to get into Chapingo, but with a low graduation rate, it’s even harder to stay in,” Uscanga said.
Uscanga said his first year in college was the hardest year of his life. He slept an average of three or four hours each night so he could pass the end of the year exams, he said. If students do not pass these exams, they are removed from the college.
Uscanga graduated from college with an agricultural engineering degree. He married his girlfriend, Aracely, and moved to the U.S. in 2006. He said he began working different jobs such as janitorial services, construction and farm work, including picking tomatoes for $1 per bushel.
Finally, Uscanga started working for an agricultural company in California, but he still did not make enough money to support his growing family, he said.
“I wasn’t making very much money for the work I was doing at the time,” Uscanga said. “I realized the way to fix that was to go back to school.”
Uscanga said he decided to get a
master’s in agribusiness and found a university in Mexico, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Puebla, which had a partnership with OSU. He came to Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 2011 where he graduated with a Master of International Agriculture from OSU and a Master in Agribusiness from
“He is very diligent and dedicated in academics and with his family.”
Edwards said he has seen Uscanga grow throughout his academics and brings a new perspective about multicultural affairs to the college.
“I remember talking to someone about this job, and I was asked ‘when
activities that promote enthusiasm for involvement in broadening their overall college experience.”
Of more than 60 first cousins, Uscanga is the second to attend college. He said he saw the life of his teacher compared to the lives of his parents and knew he wanted to change his life. He said the biggest life lesson he has learned is education is powerful.
“My school growing up in Mexico wasn’t the best quality,” Uscanga said. “But, I knew I wanted that bike, and I knew I wanted to go to college to change my life. Education is so important, and you never stop learning.”
After reflecting on his life — both the struggles and the victories — Uscanga said success for him is overcoming limitations and facing the unknown. He said he is thankful for things he has and works for what he does not. Uscanga said he is most proud of his family, specifically his children: Marco, age 12; Carlo, age 10; and Danna, age 4.
“Coming home from work and receiving a hug from each of my kids always brings a smile to my face, regardless of how tired I am,” Uscanga said. “It’s amazing how you can think you love someone, but then you have kids and suddenly that love is indescribable. You know they love you without having to say it. That is love.”
Uscanga said he is trying to encourage his younger cousins and his own three children to go to college because even if their future job or business fails, they will always have their education.
“If you want to break the cycle of whatever you are going through — poverty, social injustice, cultural norms — whatever it is, get an education because it will change your life,” Uscanga said.
The Stillwater Strong memorial is located near the 2015 Homecoming crash site at the corner of Main Street and Hall of Fame Avenue.
Remembering the lives lost during the 2015 homecoming tragedy
klahoma State University is known for “America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration.”
The house decorations, the orange fountain and the Sea of Orange Homecoming parade bring spirit to the OSU campus and community. However, what was only a day of celebration now includes remembrance and reflection.
On Oct. 24, 2015, a car drove into the crowd during the annual Homecoming parade, injuring dozens and taking the lives of Nikita Nakal, Nash Lucas, Marvin Stone and Bonnie Stone.
“It was a completely senseless tragedy,” said Scott Petty, executive director of the Stillwater Medical Foundation who spearheaded the Stillwater
Strong committee and building of the Stillwater Strong memorial.
Marvin and Bonnie Stone were familiar faces at OSU, especially within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Bonnie Stone worked in key information technology roles around campus, and Marvin Stone was recognized
around the world because of his career in the OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.
This fall, three years and two days after the crash, the Stillwater Strong Memorial was revealed across the street from where the tragedy occurred. The land for the memorial was donated by the City of Stillwater.
One feature of the memorial is a 6-foot-tall, blue and orange metal ribbon constructed by Wiemann Metalcraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“The orange is, of course, for Oklahoma State,” Petty said. “The blue represents the City of Stillwater. The event happened during the university’s Homecoming festivities, but it affected the Stillwater community as a whole.”
The memorial also includes four granite plaques — one for every life lost that day — and one separate plaque explaining the meaning of the memorial. The plaques have a photograph of each victim etched into the granite as well as a short paragraph about the person.
“It’s hard to capture the essence of a person’s whole life in just 40 to 50 words,” Petty said, “but that’s what we tried to do.”
Petty said the memorial cost around $75,000. During the 2015 Bedlam football game, $43,000 was raised for the victims of the crash.
Two years later at the 2017 OSU Homecoming game, Leadership Stillwater Class XXIV organized collections for the construction of the Stillwater Strong memorial.
“The memorial has been an idea since the week following the crash,” Petty said. “Gary Sparks contacted me soon after the incident and volunteered to design the memorial at no charge.”
Sparks, who graduated from OSU in 1966 with a Bachelor of Architecture, was the architect for Gallagher-Iba Arena and Boone Pickens Stadium renovations as well as the Remember the 10 memorials in Stillwater and Colorado.
Sparks said he knew how meaningful the Remember the 10 Memorial
was for the families involved. When the Homecoming incident took place, Sparks said he knew a memorial for the victims could have the same impact.
“Mark Lambert of Lambert Construction Co. was the contractor for the memorial,” Sparks said. “He was helpful getting different people involved to help bring in the materials to keep the cost down.”
Petty said during the dedication of the memorial, people were emotional. They were reminded of the event that changed multiple lives and shook the town of Stillwater, he said.
“The memorial is more of a celebration of life,” Petty said. “People have overcome a horrible tragedy, whether it was lives altered or lives lost.”
We see things from the ground up, all of the small details that go into the big picture of ranching. Because agriculture is what we know, it’s all we do.
CASNR students explore two countries in one trip
rom the mountains of Italy to the Swiss Alps, 10 students spent eight days traveling abroad last May to earn course credits and explore two cultures.
An Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources study-abroad program allowed students to explore two countries in one trip. Each student received three college credits and enjoyed guided tours of both destinations.
“I lived in Europe for four years, and I thought this would be an ideal opportunity for me to use the knowledge I have about my European experience and share that knowledge with OSU students,” said John Gustafson, trip leader as well as professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Gustafson earned his doctorate in medical microbiology at the University of Zürich while living in Switzerland. When planning the itinerary, Gustafson wanted to do things he knew about and would excite OSU students, he said.
“I wanted to go to the cool, fascinating parts that make Italy and Switzerland and their natural beauties accessible and wonderful to visit, simply because I had that experience,” Gustafson said.
He said he planned a short trip to show students how much they could see by visiting only a few spots. During eight full days, the students gained a base knowledge of science, mode of travel, culture and cuisine, he said.
Next year, Gustafson will include a health portion of the trip, he said, because of a suggestion by Cynda Clary, CASNR associate dean of academic programs. All students are welcome to join a CASNR study-abroad trip, but Clary suggested Gustafson target this trip for pre-health students, he added.
The Italy and Switzerland trip was the first study-abroad trip for the BIMB department. The majority of the students who attended were biochemistry and molecular biology majors; however, four of the 10 students were from other CASNR departments.
“Many students wanted to take advantage of getting to know Dr. Gustafson and to explore two countries during one trip,” said Georgia Blackwell, a biochemistry and molecular biology sophomore.
“I wanted to go on the Italy and Switzerland trip because Dr. Gustafson lived in Switzerland,” Blackwell said. “This made me comfortable knowing he had already experienced the itinerary.”
The undergraduate students, along
with Gustafson and Sikta Patnaik, a biochemistry and molecular biology doctoral student, departed May 22, 2018, arriving in Cuneo, Italy, for their first stop.
A favorite site among students was the Caseificio La Bottera farm, a family-run farmhouse for cheese making and pig farming in Cuneo, Patnaik said. Students understood unique aspects about the farm because of their knowledge about how enzymes create an distinct taste in cheeses, Patnaik said.
“I had the chance to use the information I learned in class and see how the information applies in real life,” Blackwell said.
Gustafson said during their journey in Italy, the students visited Salumificio La Perla in Parma to enjoy tasting Parma ham. They then traveled to Milan to explore the Sforza Castle.
For dinner, the students had a unique experience at a restaurant in the middle of town, Gustafson said. Nello Mangiafico, a former post-doctoral fellow at OSU, crafted a personal menu for the students to enjoy.
“When I called Dr. Mangiafico, I thought the meal was just for me,” Gustafson said. “But, he made reservations for all 11 students and paid to have this special menu served for all.”
Students tour the mountains of Italy and Switzerland during their study-abroad experience: Allison Luna (back left), Jennifer Cooper, Karlie Wade, Cassandra Salinas, Ty Montgomery, Olivia Davis (front left), Georgia Blackwell, Jake Scheetz, Lydia Dance, John Gustafson and Sikta Patnaik. Photo courtesy of Georgia Blackwell.
The group’s final day in Italy included a tour of HubMilan, a local business, and visiting the National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. At each day’s end, the students had free time to explore the city, Gustafson said.
“As a graduate student, I was amazed to see how independent these kids are,” Patnaik said. “They had no fear and used their free time to engage in each country’s culture.”
Blackwell said during their free time her friends explored a museum known for famous Egyptian monuments.
“I hesitated wanting to explore another museum,” Blackwell said. “But, I learned the museum in Turin, Italy, has the second-most Egyptian artifacts in the world, and I would not have experienced anything like that in another place. It goes to show you never know what you like until you try it.”
The Italy and Switzerland trip was
Blackwell’s first study-abroad experience. Her biggest takeaway from the trip is having an open mind and a go-withthe-flow attitude, she added.
“It’s not just your experience,” she said. “It’s the group’s experiences.”
Following the Italy portion of the trip, the group took a train overlooking the views of Switzerland as they traveled to Zürich, where they stayed for their final four days. The city of Lucerne, Switzerland, was another popular place with the students, Gustafson said.
“My favorite memory of the trip was renting a motorboat on Lake Lucerne,” said Olivia Davis, a biochemistry and molecular biology junior. “We also got to experience what locals do every day and see the beauty of Switzerland.”
On their final day abroad, students spent their time visiting the University of Zürich and networking with undergraduate students. The groups discussed
university cultures and traditions while having the opportunity to learn the differences in academic curriculum abroad, Patnaik said.
The students grew close during their eight-day adventure, Gustafson said. He learned more about each student on the trip, such as where they were from and how they grew up, he said.
“I learned to appreciate Oklahoma culture while I was abroad,” Gustafson said. “I learned more about cow-calf operations, show cattle and what it means to the people who love them the most.”
Gustafson said the trip made him a more insightful person because he knows more about Oklahoma culture from the students.
Planning for a second trip to Italy and Switzerland is already underway, Gustafson said. The trip set for May 2019 will explore new levels of health engagement by including a Swiss hospital visit and additional health-related companies in Milan, he said.
Gustafson said he looks forward to traveling with more OSU students to share the unique histories of the Italian and Swiss cultures.
“Traveling somewhere is a huge opportunity to continue with lifelong learning,” Gustafson said. “That’s what this trip is about.”
Panhandle land donation creates opportunities for PaSS research
Rich in history and promise for the future, Oklahoma State University’s McCaull Research and Demonstration Farm is nestled in the shortgrass prairie of the Oklahoma Panhandle.
At this new facility, professors and students in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences have dedicated their time and effort to provide groundbreaking crop research.
J.R. McCaull was a farmer from Goodwell, Oklahoma, who left his property in the Ruth McCaull Irrevocable Trust, named after his late wife. McCaull directed his gift to be used for crop research by OSU faculty and students.
The McCaull Research and Demonstration farm consists of about 1,000 acres in Texas County with four crop production circles, spanning 122 acres each and irrigated by center pivots.
Darren Buck, a local farmer contracted by OSU to plant and harvest the crops on the property, has helped to establish two circles of corn, one of wheat and one of sorghum, he said.
“This farm is important because it gives OSU a big opportunity to have a larger Cooperative Extension presence in the Oklahoma Panhandle,” Buck said. “Agriculture in the Panhandle is diverse because farmers need to irrigate more and have different cropping systems.
“I want to see the McCaull farm develop into a truly commercial-scale research farm,” Buck said. “It can directly
can improve farm management for years to come.”
Buck, who also serves as a representative for Pioneer Seed, said more than 75 percent of the seed he planted this year was donated or discounted to OSU for commercial research purposes.
Pioneer, DeKalb, Fontanelle Hybrids, Channel Seed, Hoegemeyer Hybrids and Nutrien Ag Solutions donated seed to the research farm because OSU gives these companies the results of the research being done, said Cameron Murley, senior station superintendent of the Oklahoma Panhandle Research Extension Center and the McCaull Research and Demonstration Farm.
producers to know which seed variety produces a higher yield or works better in different climates or regions, he said.
These research-based cropping systems give OSU a foothold with the right kind of property to research irrigation, cropping and fertilization strategies that can make a difference to the farmers of the Panhandle, Murley said.
It gives OSU a big opportunity to have a larger Cooperative Extension presence in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Darren Buck owner of Buck Farms
“Researchers at the McCaull Farm are taking real-world agronomic applications to a non-biased agricultural environment, which is sponsored by different professionals in the industry,” Murley said.
Along with other agronomic stud -
Jason Warren, plant and soil sciences associate professor, has spearheaded the McCaull project. Warren and post-doctoral fellow Sumit Sharma work to provide real results from the rough topography in the Panhandle, he said.
Buck said farmers in the Panhandle will be more willing to rely on OSU for results and help because the university now has a field research station dedicated to this part of the state.
“This property provides tremendous opportunity to do large-scale research in a highly intensive agriculture system
before,” Warren said. “We can do things on a scale that allows us to climb to the tip of the sword to help producers achieve production goals.”
Sharma, who received his undergraduate degree in India and a soil sciences master’s degree from OSU, said Indian agriculture is focused on grain production, horticultural crops and other annual plants. However, the irrigation practices being researched at the McCaull farm have the potential to help worldwide under similar climatic conditions, he said.
The Panhandle region of Oklahoma and surrounding states only receives about 16 inches of average annual rainfall per year, while the eastern border of the state gets as much as 55 inches of rain annually, according to the Oklahoma Climatology Survey.
The McCaull Research and Demonstration Farm lies above the Southern High Plains, or Ogallala, Aquifer that supplies irrigation water to crops in the Panhandle, Sharma said. With the water table going down, new
be explored to sustain agricultural crops, he said.
With the research being conducted at the McCaull Demonstration and Research Farm, OSU professors and students hope to provide other irrigation methods and a way to prolong the use of the aquifer for farmers in this region, Buck said.
As OSU alumni, Buck, Warren, Murley and Sharma are dedicated to putting the university on the map and making an impact on the agricultural industry by helping the McCaull Research and Demonstration Farm succeed, Buck added.
“We need research to help us extend the life of this aquifer while maintaining economic viability,” Buck said. “This is a very tall order.”
Buck and his family have lived in the Oklahoma Panhandle their entire lives, he said. He runs a successful business and thoroughly enjoys being a part of the research being done by OSU.
“My family’s livelihood, like many others in this region, depends on the
need to think outside the box for more irrigation strategies to give OSU an opportunity to lead in this area for the first time.”
Despite the lack of rainfall, Texas County is the No.1 agriculture-producing county in the state as well as No. 1 in individual sorghum, corn, swine and cattle production.
Texas County’s productivity and efficiency makes it imperative to provide large-scale results to farmers who need it, Murley said.
Now, OSU can provide real, commercial-scale results to farmers who harvest considerable acreage, Warren said, offering promise for the future.
“We’re the only university doing anything like it,” Murley said. “That’s what makes it unique.”
Waynetown, Indiana
In his final semester at Oklahoma State University, Sean Kouplen attended an OSU A&M Board of Regents dinner, not knowing this night would provide a career-changing opportunity for him.
Students like Kouplen, CASNR Student Council and Interfraternity Council president at the time, often were asked to attend dinners and banquets with business professionals so students could hone their social skills and make contacts, said Jim Halligan, OSU president emeritus.
“A man by the name of Bruce Benbrook, who owned a bank in Woodward, Oklahoma, attended this dinner,” Halligan said. “To paint the picture, I was in seat No. 1. To my left, Sean was in seat No. 2, and Bruce Benbrook was in seat No. 3.
“I asked Sean if he had a life plan,” Halligan said. “He then proceeded to look over at the name card of Bruce Benbrook where it said ‘banker.’ Sean said he wanted to be a banker, truly knowing he had no clue what he wanted to do in life at this point.”
Halligan said this brief comment made at the dinner changed the course of Kouplen’s life.
“I was too embarrassed to say I had no career plans, so I made a very quick career decision,” said Kouplen, 1995 agricultural economics alumnus and now chairman and CEO of Regent Bank. “When walking out of the banquet that night, Dr. Halligan explained to me he had a good friend who owned a group of banks in Oklahoma City.”
Halligan’s friend at Midfirst Bank hired Kouplen for an internship during the summer of 1995. When the internship ended, he was hired as a full-time employee. The combination of people and numbers in the banking industry inspired him to venture into community banking, he said.
“After a few years of working in Oklahoma City, I got a call from an OSU friend named Doug Tippens who asked me to join American Heritage Bank in El Reno, Oklahoma,” Kouplen said. “I worked for the bank for several years and was promoted to an executive position there.”
“It was my first community banking job,” he added. “I loved being involved in the community and helping to improve people’s lives.”
This job led to several leadership positions with local community banks, including Citizens Security Bank and Grand Bank.
At age 34, Kouplen decided to make a career move.
“I remember vividly when he told me he wanted to buy a bank,” said Angela Kouplen, Sean’s wife. “We had just had our second child, and it was a pivotal time in our lives with the company I was working for in the process of moving the headquarters to Houston.”
The Kouplens did not know what bank ownership would entail, but that lack of knowledge did not stop her husband, she said.
“When Sean puts his mind to something, he is going to get it done,” Angela Kouplen said.
Before he bought Regent Bank, he resigned from Grand Bank and began raising the funds, she said. Angela Kouplen worked at Williams Cos.
throughout this time, helping provide for the family until the bank purchase went through.
Sean Kouplen and his investment group, Regent Capital Corp., purchased Regent Bank on April 1, 2008. Then, the U.S. economy began to suffer and the markets began to decline in the fall of 2008, Angela Kouplen said.
Perseverance and prayer guided the couple through this chapter in their lives, Angela Kouplen said, but the process was worth it.
“At the time we purchased the bank, we were a small community bank with two locations, 43 employees and $72 million in assets,” Sean Kouplen said. “Now, we are a regional bank in two states with four different markets, 105 employees and almost $600 million in total assets.”
Before Sean Kouplen’s investment group purchased the bank, it had been family-owned and family-controlled in a small town, said Darrell Fry, Regent Bank board member. Fry was a board member with the previous bank and is now a Regent Bank board member.
“Sean’s vision of what he wanted to turn the bank into, with its presence in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, was very exciting to all of us,” Fry said. “Because Sean was so excited about this opportunity, we were hopeful.”
The bank has grown quickly, Fry said. With the growth in deposits and loans, the bank is on a sound financial basis, continues to pay attention to the quality of loans, and has the staff to handle the increased volume, he said.
“Sean has so much energy, which is infectious for everyone throughout the organization,” Fry said. “He is positive and cares about every individual he interacts with. This is what makes people want to work for or with him.”
me how he can handle everything he does and continue to make it all work.”
Sandy Moore, Regent Bank corporate secretary, said Sean Kouplen is a professional and driven man, yet warm and friendly. Many employees love the new aspects he has brought to the bank, she said.
Sean Kouplen is a caring person who makes it known how much he cares about his employees, Moore said. It only takes moments of being around him to know how great of a person he is, she said.
He continues to amaze me how he can handle everything he does and continue to make it all work.
Darrell Fry Regent Bank board member
Bank employees call him the rainmaker because he makes things happen for the company, employees and customers, Fry said.
“He has built such a wonderful organization, and I am pleased to be a part of it,” Fry said. “He continues to amaze
“I have been with this bank for more than 21 years, and Sean has changed our lives and this bank in many ways,” Moore said. “We have grown in terms of personal and organizational growth, employee benefits, and various programs offered.”
Despite the hard times in life or banking, the Kouplens remain positive, faithful and persevere no matter what comes their way, Moore said. Even when Angela Kouplen was diagnosed
chemotherapy, radiation and the trials that go along with it,” Sean Kouplen said. “Any time someone goes through a life-threatening illness, it makes you reevaluate everything in your life.
mony for overcoming challenges.”
He said his wife’s experience showed how important relationships are in life and has made each day more special.
“Angela and I had two guiding principles going into her battle with cancer,”
“My family’s experience shows that with good family, friends and faith, you can get through anything,” Sean
Kouplen said. “Sometimes hardships are a necessary part of our personal and professional growth.”
wAfter receiving her master’s, O’Dell and her husband moved to Arkansas where she worked in the live poultry industry at O.K. Industries.
“My husband is an agricultural education teacher,” O’Dell said. “In 2011, he got a job offer in my hometown, and we said ‘OK, let’s go.’
“I left a job that I loved, came back to my hometown, and didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said.
After a local veterinarian asked if she had considered working for Blue Bell, O’Dell said she completed an application and was happily surprised to be called back for an interview.
O’Dell was hired in January 2015 and participated in a program designed to let new employees try several different departments, she said.
“I was working in dry storage, driving a forklift, unloading trailers, and staging freight,” O’Dell said.
Three months after O’Dell started, Blue Bell’s production was shut down because of a potential listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Blue Bell revamped the plant, and O’Dell moved to the quality assurance department after supervisors learned about her background, she said.
“I knew she had some experience working in that industry and she knew the importance of following strict guidelines to make sure our food supply
is safe,” said Marty Kilgore, general manager for Blue Bell Creameries of Oklahoma. “In the chicken industry, they have to keep such excellent records of things, and that was what I was looking for.”
Her new position required cooperation with teams of microbiologists and quality assurance experts, O’Dell said.
“With that came a job title change and a whole lot more responsibility,” O’Dell said, “but I definitely wouldn’t change my new role for anything.”
Kilgore said Blue Bell needed someone in the quality assurance department with experience in traceability and government regulations. O’Dell was the right person to take care of the responsibility, he said.
“Blue Bell and I didn’t know we needed each other, but we kind of found each other,” O’Dell said. “I took my science background and learned everything I needed to know about the food safety side.”
O’Dell said she had to teach herself everything she needed to know about food safety rules and legislation.
“I had tested for salmonella and campylobacter at my old job, but I never had this much food safety,” O’Dell said.
During any free time O’Dell had at work or at home, she would print reports and scientific papers to learn as much as possible, she said.
New legislation and food safety laws and best practices need to be implemented all the time, O’Dell said.
“She has a really good understanding of regulations and how to interpret regulations and comply,” Kilgore said. “She’s very good at creating and implementing new policies and new programs. She just has a keen knowledge of food safety, in general.”
O’Dell became instrumental in creating and implementing food safety programs as soon as she was placed in quality assurance following the outbreak, Kilgore said.
“It was absolutely a group effort, and I’m so proud of Blue Bell and everything they have done to get back to where we are right now,” O’Dell said.
All of the notebooks filled with notes and scientific papers have helped O’Dell continue to improve, she added.
“When she’s off the job, she’s still researching and doing things to make herself better,” Kilgore said.
Stacy Eckert, director of quality assurance for Blue Bell Creameries, said she appreciates O’Dell for her detail-oriented nature.
“I never have to worry about a task when it’s given to Kacie,” she said. At the end, it will be a perfect project, procedure, or task.”
O’Dell said her many long hours of studying and reading have paid off.
“She can work with a wide variety of people, whether it’s a microbiologist, attorney or someone working on the production floor,” Kilgore said. “She can communicate with every level with a great deal of professionalism.”
O’Dell brings a willingness, a fantastic attitude, a great personality and a desire for continuous learning to the Blue Bell team, Kilgore said.
“Our jobs can be very stressful at times, but during some of the worst situations, you can count on Kacie to help you smile or laugh,” Eckert said.
NREM researcher helps improve soil fertility
For Adam Cobb and his childhood friend Joey Sorenson, jumping a fence was a part of their daily after-school routine.
Cobb, postdoctoral research fellow in natural resource ecology and management at Oklahoma State University, grew up in a Seattle suburb, but opportunity to be around a farm and livestock was just over the fence at his friend’s house, he said. The boys would disappear for hours playing and admiring the Sorensons’ livestock. They also spent time in the garden and nearby woods, which always intrigued Cobb, he said.
Then, at age 11, Cobb and his family moved to the Philippines, where he saw poverty firsthand, he said. After that, Cobb knew he wanted to help end poverty and food insecurity, he added.
“Nobody should have to live in poverty, no matter where in the world they live,” Cobb said.
Cobb said ending hunger and human misery inspired him the most while growing up, through his college career and beyond. He wants to make a difference in the lives of others through the improvement of their food systems and soil, he said.
“Soil is the foundation of a sustainable economic system,” Cobb said.
Cobb’s foundation for life is his passion for learning new things, said Craig Watters, director of the Riata Institute for Global Social Entrepreneurship at OSU. Watters said he has known Cobb since 2011 and described him as someone who gives 110 percent in everything he does.
“Adam is a go-getter,” Watters said. “He’s always willing to help anyone with anything and does so with such a great attitude.”
Aside from learning about new ways to improve soil, Cobb has another
passion: traveling. He said he enjoys going to new countries and researching ways to help people improve their soil and crops. So far, he has visited 36 countries outside of the U.S.
Cobb said in 2008 he made one of his most influential trips and fell in love with family farming.
After spending three months in New Zealand he made the choice to pursue agriculture and help others, he said. This trip gave Cobb the drive to work to end poverty and help others learn how to have more sustainable and abundant crop production to feed their families and themselves, he said.
Cobb said he is far from being done exploring different parts of the world. Already planning for 2020, Cobb is set to travel to Iceland with graduate school friends for a group reunion.
When Cobb arrived in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 2009, he and his friend and colleague Sara Siems, who works as an Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service assistant, decided they were going to do something to reduce food insecurity on a local level. They wanted to start a small community garden, Siems said.
“Adam will see things through and take the time needed to make sure things are done right,” Siems said.
The pair received a piece of land at the Stillwater First Church of the Nazarene to help people in low-income neighborhoods. Cobb said he knew for the garden to be productive and sustainable for the community they needed a good foundation — the soil.
The pair spent the first year of the garden working solely on soil fertility and quality. Then, in early 2010, after the soil was right, they began growing different vegetables and flowers as well as creating a small orchard with fruit
trees. They also installed rain barrels and a water collection system from the church roof.
“The garden has changed forms a few times,” Cobb said. “It is still going, but I pulled back from leading it in 2012 when I got busy with the start of my doctoral degree.”
Cobb said he would love to have a small plot of land to have a “microfarm” to grow various crops to use as a public education tool to show anyone can produce food. He said he also wants to teach the public about the importance of regenerative agriculture.
“Adam can usually teach you something you didn’t even know you could learn more about,” Siems said.
Researchers use dehydrated pomegranate rind in a solution to lengthen ground beef’s shelf
pthe ground beef to which it is added.
“The plan is to add pomegranate extract to ground beef patties to extend the shelf-life of the color, retaining more of the reddish-pink color,” said Emmy Bechtold, food science senior and undergraduate research scholar.
| COWBOY JOURNAL
The ground beef with the pomegranate extract shows an enhanced color and does not spoil as quickly as ground beef without the added extract, Pfeiffer said.
“Dr. Ram is world-renowned for meat color research,” Pfeiffer said. “It means a lot for him to have a paper
control to the one-and-a-half percent pomegranate sample, the results were getting so much better.”
The delay of spoilage extends the shelf life of ground beef in the store as well as the time ground beef can stay fresh after purchase, Pfeiffer said.
Neilson said her career plans do not lie in meat or food science, but she liked the idea of using a natural antioxidant to extend the amount of time meat stays fresh and to reduce waste.
Neilson said chemicals can be added to ground beef to delay lipid oxidation, but adding an antioxidant like those found in pomegranates instead is a great alternative to achieve similar results.
“We aren’t adding pomegranate in high enough percentages to claim you are getting any additional health benefits,” Pfeiffer said, “but you are getting a little bit of the antioxidants.”
Lipid oxidation and resulting meat spoilage is a controversial topic in the meat processing industry, making this research relevant to a broad audience of people, Neilson said.
Neilson presented the research through a poster at the Reciprocal Meats Conference in June 2018.
“This is one of those projects a lot of people would stop by to see because it is something they are all trying to achieve, too,” Neilson said.
One question Neilson said she received multiple times during the
conference was whether the research could be applied outside of a lab setting.
“I don’t think a big industry grinder is going to use it, but the smaller ones that grind in-house could add the pomegranate solution in a small concentration,” Pfeiffer said. “Ultimately, it would save a ton of money if we could keep ground beef on the shelves longer.”
Looking forward, Neilson said the next stage of research will be a taste test with a trained taste panel to see whether the addition of pomegranate changes the flavor of the ground beef.
OSU researchers also may look to pair with other universities to use pomegranate extract to enhance dark-colored steaks, which otherwise would be discarded due to consumer preference, Pfeiffer said.
One of the project’s biggest challenges is the seasonal availability of pomegranates, Bechtold said. Making the pomegranate solution is a pretty affordable process since the rind is a by-product but the seasonality of the fruit makes it hard to obtain a year-long supply, she said.
“We have frozen the solution for
up to a year, and it was still good,” Bechtold said.
Despite the challenges, the research holds big implications for OSU and the meat processing industry as a whole, Pfeiffer said.
“It is a big deal this worked and could have some relevance in the industry,” Pfeiffer said. “It is also rewarding for the whole university and the department.”
The hands-on experiences gained and connections made through their research involvement was something both Neilson and Bechtold said they rely on as they continue their educational careers. Both Bechtold and Neilson did a lot of the work required to make the research a reality, Pfeiffer said.
“No matter where it is published or where it is talked about, people will always say OSU did this,” she said.
Throughout the country, 4-H members have recited the 4-H pledge since its creation in 1927, pledging their service to their clubs, communities and country.
In 1973, 4-H added “and my world” to the pledge, opening new avenues for the program.
One avenue is through international exchange programs.
“By Oklahoma 4-H partnering with the Labo International Exchange program, Oklahoma 4-H is fulfilling the 4-H pledge,” said Kevin Allen, Oklahoma 4-H state program leader and assistant director for the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
Labo is a family-based, Japanese youth organization, in which parents register their 3- and 4-year-old children.
“They go to something like a 4-H club where they have a tutor, like our 4-H volunteers,” said Jim Rutledge, 4-H international exchange program state coordinator. “The tutor’s job is to work with a small group of kids to help them learn English.”
Labo’s mission for its participants is to learn English and also experience American culture.
When the Labo participants are in high school, they come to the United States for one month in late summer, Rutledge said. They get to experience part of the summer and start school with their host family.
“Some of these kids get out of school, and three days later, they are on a plane to America,” Rutledge said. “They only get a month for summer break so when some of them get home they have missed the first two or three days of the new school year.”
Oklahoma 4-H joined 22 other states already partnered with Labo in 2014 by agreeing to host students, Rutledge said. Since then, Oklahoma 4-H has hosted 71 Labo youth and six chaperones. This program is a month-long immersion into life in Oklahoma, Allen said.
“The participants get the experience of family life here in Oklahoma,” Allen said. “The relationships they make in a month become heartbreaking when it is time to leave.”
Adryn Ingle, 16-year-old Hughes County 4-H member, can attest to that. His family hosted Taku Hashimoto from Tokyo.
Ingle’s father, Daniel Ingle, grew up
hosting several exchange students, so he wanted his family to have the same experience, Ingle said.
Being part of Labo was not the first time his family had hosted exchange students, Ingle said. When he was younger, they hosted a student who was six years older than him.
“This time it was a lot more fun because he was my age,” Ingle said.
The Dockrey family from Shawnee, Oklahoma, who have helped with the program multiple times, hosted the group’s chaperone, Junko Kawamata.
“We participated the first time because we wanted our daughters to learn about another culture and support this important program,” said Angela Dockrey, who is also a Pottawatomie County 4-H volunteer.
“After such a great first experience, and now that our children are grown, we viewed hosting Junko as an opportunity to learn from one of our peers since she was the adult chaperone,” she said.
While in Oklahoma, Kawamata enjoyed spending her time helping on the farm, cooking traditional Japanese meals, and learning about Native American history, Dockrey said.
“While Junko was in Oklahoma, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation had its annual powwow,” Dockrey said. “She arrived interested about native culture, so the timing was perfect for her to learn and participate in a powwow.”
Some of the participants stayed close to their host families’ homes and the others got to experience Oklahoma 4-H activities firsthand.
Every summer, Oklahoma 4-H’ers can attend 4-H State Roundup. In July 2018, Hashimoto attended with Ingle and the Hughes County delegation.
Ingle and Hashimoto taught a workshop titled “How to Impact Your World,” Ingle said.
“During the workshop, Taku did a question-and-answer session,” Ingle said. “He talked about why he decided to come to the U.S.
“Taku said his favorite part was the freedom we have,” Ingle said. “He talked about how everyone is friendly here.”
Even though Hashimoto was only in Oklahoma for a month, Ingle — who has two brothers — said it felt like he had another brother.
“The month lasted forever because we were always together,” Ingle said.
“We shared a room. We would wake up every morning and go to school. It was just me and Taku everywhere I went.”
Being intentional with your time and giving your international guest an ideal experience is important, Dockrey said.
However, host families must also continue their normal routines to ensure their guests experience what everyday life is like in Oklahoma, she said.
“We became very close with Junko,” Dockrey said. “We gave an arrowhead to her because Native American culture was of high interest to her and because we genuinely formed that level of bond with her.
“Junko loved trees, so we planted a Japanese-variety tree with her before she left so we can watch it grow and think of her often,” she added.
The Labo program gives 4-H’ers an opportunity to tie in the “my world” aspect of the 4-H pledge, Ingle said.
“Not everyone gets that opportunity,” Ingle said. “This gives you a bigger aspect of what is going on in the world and that you can impact someone from outside of your community.”
4-H members see the club and community aspect every day, Allen said.
Oklahoma 4-H members also experience the country aspect at national contests and educational trips, he said.
“4-H is an international organization,” Allen said. “More now than ever, our world is shrinking. The international experience that older generations of 4-H members lacked is now expected from the younger generation,” he added.
To ensure future generations of 4-H members get international experience, every year Rutledge asks the host parents how he can help improve the program, he said.
“One host father said ‘there is one really big problem with this program,’” Rutledge said. “‘Saying goodbye is just too hard.’”
Those interested in becoming a host family for Labo can contact the Oklahoma 4-H office at 405-744-5394 or Jim Rutledge at jim.rutledge@okstate.edu.
STEVEN BARINGER Sulphur, Oklahoma
AECL alumnus leads FFA chapter to success
with cattle bellowing, clippers humming and the sound of water hitting hair and hide, the early morning noises of the cattle barn combine.
Lawson Thompson, FFA adviser in Carney, Oklahoma, drags a clipping chute into place and prepares to help his students for show day at the fair.
“The days like today are why I do my job — waking up at 5 a.m. to come down to the fair to allow students to compete,” Thompson said. “If the kids want to do it, we need to do it.”
On most days, Thompson works in the classroom, teaching about livestock, leadership and various agricultural topics while helping students discover their passions, he said.
“It’s about finding what students are interested in as far as getting more involvement,” Thompson said. “The biggest thing these kids need is to get out, meet people, and make connections. For me, that’s what it’s all about.”
Not too long ago, Thompson was in the same blue corduroy jacket as the FFA members he now leads.
Thompson grew up in a “sports-driven household,” he said, where playing sports was expected of him. However, Thompson said he also learned about FFA through his older siblings.
“I knew I was going to be in FFA,” he said. “My older brother and sister were involved in FFA and raised pigs.”
Raising and showing pigs was a family project, Thompson said.
“We would play ball on Friday
nights, come home and work late, and then get up super early on Saturday mornings to make it to the show,” Thompson said. “That was the life we led, and it was awesome.”
This family love of showing pigs and Thompson’s first steps into an agricultural education classroom his freshman year of high school helped mold him into the FFA adviser he is today, he said.
Jarrod Johnson served as Thompson’s agricultural education teacher at Deer Creek-Lamont High School.
“Showing pigs was all I knew about FFA, and Mr. Johnson saw more potential in me,” Thompson said.
Johnson said he continued to mold and change the way Thompson was beginning to envision the future and what Thompson could do after his time in FFA.
“Originally, I wasn’t going to teach agricultural education,” Thompson said. “Coming out of the Oklahoma FFA State Convention that final year of high school and getting elected as an Oklahoma FFA officer, I stuck with agricultural education.”
Knowing people personally and having people check on you helps you grow as a person.
Lawson Thompson Carney High School FFA adviser
“He saw that I could be a leader.
“He saw what I see in my students,” he added. “With some training, these kids are going to really go far in life.”
Johnson worked alongside Thompson as he grew through the FFA program.
“I knew Lawson was special and talented, just in the way he carried himself,” Johnson said. “I could see the potential he had the day he walked into my classroom.”
Johnson said Thompson had a strong work ethic and was willing to do anything asked of him.
“Originally, I told him to be a lawyer because he was so intelligent that he could have been anything he wanted to be,” Johnson said. “With the job he picked, he is able give back to students and that speaks to his character.”
These leadership opportunities led Thompson to Oklahoma State University’s agricultural education program, but his College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources experiences kept him hooked, he said.
“Everyone talks about OSU being a family, but I guarantee you it’s not like it is in CASNR,” Thompson said. “Knowing people personally and having people check on you helps you grow as a person.”
After being placed in a student-teaching position at Morrison High School during his last semester at OSU, Thompson was challenged to grow just a little more, he said.
“My time at Morrison was unbelievable,” he said. “My skill set overlapped with Morrison’s program. You could not have drawn it up more perfectly.”
Thompson said Morrison High School’s FFA chapter focused heavily
on leadership and showing livestock. The culture was one of hard work and building success, along with an uplifting feeling students received when walking into the classroom, he said. All of this reminded Thompson of his home chapter and what he wanted his future chapter to be, he added.
While student teaching, Thompson received a call for an interview at Carney High School.
“Only 20 to 30 minutes of the meeting was the actual interview, and then an hour and a half was natural conversation about the future of this program,” he said.
Thompson said he told the interviewers he would restructure the program to help students realize and tap into the potential they possessed.
“Chasing dreams with the kids is why I’m in it,” Thompson said. “If that opportunity was taken away, I’m out because I just want to be with the kids.”
Thompson said he wants his students to explore life beyond Carney, to get exposure and to represent themselves and their chapter with pride.
“Mr. Thompson makes me feel like someone cares about me and my future,” said Haleigh Ohl, Carney High School freshman. “He wants me to be successful, and that makes me proud.”
Thompson said he has begun helping his students develop their full potential through FFA career and leadership development events.
“What Mr. Johnson did with me made me less one-dimensional,” Thompson said. “He helped me gain the skills to do so much more than just show pigs.”
Students involved in agricultural education and FFA leave high school prepared for their future, he added.
“They have those much-needed college and career-ready skills,” he said.
Ty McCorkle, Carney High School
freshman, said Thompson is supportive of his students’ extracurricular activities and has an great relationship with them in and out of the classroom.
“The way he does things makes me and others feel like he cares about us,” McCorkle said. “He wants us to be involved in FFA so we can succeed in life.”
Now, two years into Thompson’s teaching career, Carney FFA is a National Three-Star Chapter, which is the highest achievement level the National FFA Organization can present to an individual chapter.
“Students know when they come into my classroom, I want to make them feel valued, just like I felt in my small school,” Thompson said. “They need to know they are supported.”
ld Central, the oldest building on the Oklahoma State University campus, stands loyal and true and provides a home for the OSU Honors College.
Like the architecture of Old Central, the OSU Honors College presents a unique college experience with many added benefits for students willing to put in extra work, said Keith Garbutt, dean of the OSU Honors College.
Students who join the Honors College often are driven individuals who seek to set themselves apart in their academics, said Karen Hickman, assistant dean of academic programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
“These students sometimes are encouraged to join the program by either their parents or a high school guidance counselor because of the status associated with graduating with honors,” said Hickman, who serves as CASNR’s honors college liaison.
goal is. If you are keen to learn about stuff, honors is for you.”
Within the classroom, honors students experience a deeper level of education with hands-on activities and lower student-to-professor ratios, Garbutt said.
“Some of the big pluses of the Honors College are the honors courses themselves,” Garbutt said. “These courses take students on a different intellectual journey, and they come in lots of different sorts with lots of different outlooks and experiences.”
In addition to the honors seminars, students also may earn honors credit through the honors add-on courses.
You must have a lot of intellectual curiosity, and if you have that, the Honors College is for you.
Keith Garbutt
OSU Honors College dean
Garbutt said these add-ons are available for “highly technical courses,” such as The Meat We Eat course. Gretchen Mafi, animal and food sciences professor, teaches this course.
Students in the add-on section of The Meat We Eat course learn firsthand how meat products are processed as the course allows students to process a pork carcass from start to finish.
“We use a hog from the school farm,” Mafi said. “Students get to process the carcass, making sausage and bacon. It is very hands-on. They see the whole process. They also get to try all the products they make.”
Students also do hands-on projects with beef and chicken products throughout the semester, she said.
“It is just one extra hour a week,” Mafi said. “Then, for their credit at the end of the semester, students write a short paper on a topic we choose for the class. It is not a lot of additional work for them outside of class, but it is great additional hands-on experience.”
Garbutt said the Honors College provides a personalized educational experience to allow students to gain more from their time in school.
“You must have a lot of intellectual curiosity, and if you have that, the Honors College is for you,” Garbutt said. “It does not matter what your major is or what your ultimate world
Mafi said these add-on courses allow students to earn honors credit along with credit for their degree-required undergraduate courses.
“With the honors add-ons, students take an additional hour with the regular course, allowing them to gain honors credit and additional information,” Mafi said. “It is a good opportunity because it is a smaller class size and they get a lot of hands-on experience.”
Hickman said CASNR is wellrepresented in the Honors College with different opportunities throughout CASNR’s academic departments. One of these opportunities is the honors add-on to Animal Genetics.
Udaya DeSilva, animal and food sciences associate professor, teaches Animal Genetics. DeSilva said in the honors add-on portion of the course, students have the opportunity to analyze their DNA through the 23andMe company.
“The add-on allows students to explore their own genomes,” DeSilva said. “I walk the students through the
process of analyzing their data, but they do not have to share the data with me for privacy reasons.”
DeSilva said students finish the class with a five-minute presentation discussing one thing they learned, one thing they found interesting, and one thing they found surprising. Outside of CASNR, DeSilva also teaches the honors seminar Science and the Movies.
“During the semester, we watch 14 movies and discuss if the producers got the science in the movie right,” DeSilva said. “Before viewing each movie, students write one paragraph about the movie. After viewing the movie, they write a 3,500-character review
explaining what the movie got right or wrong. We then have in-class discussion about the movie.”
DeSilva said this honors course and many others provide students with a diverse group of peers as students from all branches of the university can take these courses.
“We have students from history majors to music majors, animal science students and biochemistry students,” DeSilva said. “With so many different backgrounds, each student walks away with completely different views of the movie. A good day for me is when I get them to argue about something because that leads to a good discussion.”
While honors courses provide students with a higher level of education, Garbutt said the benefits of the Honors College surpass classroom experience.
“In a very practical way, the fact the honors students get priority registration is a big plus,” Garbutt said. “There are also advantages in the ability to build complicated curriculum.”
Last year, more than three-quarters of OSU honor student graduates completed both a major and a minor, Garbutt said. As double majors also are becoming increasingly common, the honors student degree-planning database has been rebuilt to allow up to three majors, he said.
“Additional advising is one of the perks of the Honors College,” Garbutt said. “You have an honors adviser as well as an adviser in your major. Honors advisers keep students on track for honors, but also they try to look at big picture things.”
Garbutt said honors advisers assist students in establishing and working toward their long-term goals. The honors advisers think about “not only what students do in the classroom but also those things that must be accomplished outside the classroom to build a résumé and make graduates as competitive as possible,” he said.
The option to live in Stout Hall, home of the Honors College Living Learning Program, is one of the many benefits of honors outside the classroom, Garbutt said.
Sarah Riley, biosystems and agricultural engineering senior, has taken advantage of living in Stout Hall since her freshman year. She also served as the Stout Hall vice president for two years.
“Living in Stout Hall is a great opportunity because we have so many activities, and you can get involved in this little family group,” Riley said.
“Mrs. Christine Garbutt, Dr. Garbutt’s wife, makes cookies and tea every Tuesday, and we have a board game night every Thursday.
“It is especially easy to stay involved if you live in Stout Hall because it is
all right here, but even those no longer living in the dorm come back for these activities,” Riley said.
Riley said if she were to give advice to students considering the Honors College, she would tell them honors courses require “a little extra work, which is a bit intimidating, but in the end provide so many opportunities.”
Riley said honors courses allow students to interact with individuals from all departments of the university, take on leadership roles, and develop a diverse résumé.
“Honors provides the first step to professional networking and building a competitive résumé,” Riley said.
Students other than incoming freshmen will be eligible for the Honors College on the basis of OSU and cumulative college grade point averages meeting eligibility requirements for continued honors course enrollment.
Students with fewer than 60 credit hours must meet a 3.30 cumulative grade point average. Students with 60 to 93 credit hours must meet a 3.40 cumulative grade point average. Students with 94 or more credit hours must meet a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Incoming freshmen applying to the Honors College must have an ACT composite score of 27 or higher or SAT-R score of 1280 or higher (critical reading and math only) to be eligible.
Additionally, th ey must meet a high school grade point average of 3.75 or higher. Applicants may use weighted high school grade point averages certified by their high school.
More information about the OSU Honors College program can be found at honors.okstate.edu.
Although Webster’s Dictionary defines success as achieving desired aims or attaining prosperity, Brad Kard’s definition of success is making an impact.
Kard, entomology and plant pathology professor, served more than 30 years in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserves. He also served as a high school principal and science teacher in North Carolina.
Although Kard has called Oklahoma home for the past 19 years, he grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. After graduating high school, he began studying engineering at a local college and then chose to join the U.S. Army.
“One advantage I have among civilians is the leadership skills I learned through my military career, both as a company commander and as a battalion commander,” Kard said.
Kard began as an infantry private and retired as a division primary staff colonel. Among other roles, he served as an Army Ranger and a master parachutist.
Kard said he credits much of his success as a professor and researcher to the discipline and leadership skills he learned in the Army.
“As an air defense officer, I received a significant amount of combat training and leadership training,” he said. “I had to improve my troops’ chances of surviving a deadly force situation.”
Kard said while he was parachuting from airplanes and excelling as a soldier, he also was setting the framework for his career as a researcher studying wood-destroying insect pests.
Kard received his bachelor’s in biological science at San Jose State
University. He earned a master’s in plant pathology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as well as his entomology doctorate from North Carolina State University.
Prior to joining OSU’s entomology and plant pathology faculty, Kard worked for the U.S. Forest Service for more than 13 years. He spent this time in Gulfport, Mississippi, studying wood-destroying insects such as carpenter beetles, bees and termites.
Kard said through his work with the U.S. Forest Service, he developed a passion for termite research. Kard researched termites and termite control methods such as termiticides.
“Dr. Kard’s position is 70 percent research,” said Phil Mulder, head of the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. “This endowed professorship is funded by multiple donors associated with Oklahoma pest control.”
“Brad has been important to me because often when I’m out of the office he fills in as the department head and does a commendable job,” Mulder said. “The staff enjoys him, and despite having a strong military background, he does not rule with an iron fist.”
He is considered one of the top five termite researchers in the world.
Brad
“If a chemical company comes up with a molecule, then for that chemical to be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it has to go through years of testing,” said Brad Parker, owner of Parker Pest Control. “Dr. Kard tested termiticide efficiency, duration and any impacts it may have on the environment.”
Parker said getting a pesticide approved by the EPA takes 12 to 15 years. It takes more time and money to get a pesticide approved than a pharmaceutical, he added.
“Brad is not afraid to make tough decisions when it comes to testing pesticides,” Parker said. “He is well known in the chemical testing industry not only in the U.S. but also internationally.”
In 2001, Kard accepted the Endowed Professorship of Structural and Urban Entomology position at OSU.
Kard’s endowed professorship position requires him to work alongside small business owners, pest management professionals, international researchers, students and university colleagues every day.
“Brad works with researchers outside the U.S.,” Mulder said. “He has participated in research in Australia, Asia, Central America and Europe — almost anywhere these pests are found.”
Kard also serves the Oklahoma Pesticide Safety Education Program. He has helped to train 2,100 pesticide applicators and 80,000 pest management personnel.
With the help of Kard, the Pesticide Safety Education Program has lowered customer complaints by 90 percent in Oklahoma’s structural and household pest management industry.
“Brad has been very active in our association,” Parker said. “He presents at our seminars because he’s an expert on the material and is highly appreciated in our organization.”
Parker said he works with Kard through BASF, a global insecticide company. Parker provides BASF with termite-infested houses on which to test pesticides and use patterns. After the soil around a house is treated with a termiticide, Kard will set up a termite monitoring program and conduct research on treatment effectiveness.
“Brad is a leader in the industry,” Parker said. “He is considered one of the top five termite researchers in the world. To this day, he continues to present fundamental termite research.”
Since the 1990s, Kard has published more than 200 scientific and technical papers as well as presented more than 700 programs and short courses.
“We have nicknamed Brad ‘The Colonel’ because of his military background,” said Charles Luper, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service pesticide safety education associate. “But, ask anyone in the Noble Research Center what they think of Kard, and you will realize he is respected and well-liked by his colleagues in our department.”
Luper said Kard is a hands-on professor and colleague who dedicates himself to his students and research.
“His day to day isn’t just sitting in an office doing paperwork,” Luper said. “He’ll get his hands dirty and even crawl under houses when needed.”
Misha Manuchehri grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington, with no strong ties to agriculture until taking a weed science class in college.
Manuchehri, a 30-year-old Oklahoma State University assistant professor, said she originally did not love her college undergraduate courses until she found herself enrolled in a Principles of Weed Science class — the same class she teaches now at OSU — and has been passionate about the field ever since.
Manuchehri graduated from Washington State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural food systems.
Manuchehri chose to continue in the WSU weed science master’s program focusing on assessing the competitiveness of spring crops against wild oats.
Following an adviser’s suggestion and her sense of adventure, Manuchehri said she sold or gave away most of her things in 2012. With two suitcases in hand, she moved to Lubbock, Texas, and started her doctorate in plant and soil sciences with an emphasis in weed science at Texas Tech University, she said.
“Because of her background, people are intrigued by Misha,” said Jodie Crose, a plant and soil sciences master’s student who works with Manuchehri.
“She’s not from Oklahoma. She’s from Seattle and grew up a city girl. That can make people skeptical, but as she’s gotten out into the community and worked with producers, she’s become a novelty in a way.”
Manuchehri graduated from TTU as the department’s outstanding senior with a Doctor of Philosophy in plant and soil science in 2016. She began working full time for the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service because she felt the job fit both of her passions — working with farmers and teaching, Manuchehri said.
“Manuchehri came right out of her doctoral program fresh into a faculty position,” said Randy Taylor, OCES assistant director.
“That’s hard enough as it is. The teaching part is well-defined as far as teaching responsibilities, but it’s not easy to walk into a course and teach for the first time.
such a passion for what she does. Misha is a perfect model for extension because your job revolves around what producers need.
“She has such a strong passion to help people even outside of agriculture, and she’s a really good communicator,” Crose added.
Manuchehri’s passion shows in her work ethic with producers and students, Crose said. Manuchehri is approachable, thorough, and likes to make sure goals and expectations are established and achieved, Crose said.
Manuchehri always works with a big smile on her face and is a happy person in general, Crose added.
First and foremost, she’s very selfless. She has such a passion for what she does.
Jodie Crose plant and soil sciences master’s student
“For her to hit the ground running in her extension role and to be so focused and successful so early is impressive,” Taylor said.
Crose said Manuchehri’s passion for her field makes her great at her job.
“First and foremost, she’s a very selfless person,” Crose said. “She has
“ Misha always seems to be really happy, no matter how busy she is or what’s going on,” said Bryan Vincent, a sales agent and consultant for Nutrien Ag Solutions. “She really enjoys what she does. That’s a great quality. She is very passionate and enjoys working with people and it shows. Her smile beams from her face like a light.”
Manuchehri’s appointment while working for OSU is 15 percent teaching and 85 percent extension.
She works with producers as well as conducts research about different weeds
and the effects of herbicides on produc ers’ operations.
“She’s been a big asset to me in some of the stranger weeds I come across in identifying them and helping me with what to use to control weeds and pro tect the crop,” Vincent said.
Aside from her knowledge and pas sion, Manuchehri distinguishes herself from other extension specialists because she calls and asks producers’ thoughts about their crop systems and discusses potential solutions, Vincent said.
“It is refreshing when Misha calls and asks for my advice and opinion,” Vincent said. “She wants to see what she could do differently than other past weed scientists.”
Manuchehri said when she is not at work, she enjoys her time with her dogs and her husband, Seth Byrd, OCES cotton specialist.
Manuchehri met Byrd, who is origi nally from North Carolina, at the 2015 Southern Weed Science Society con ference while they were both doctoral students. They started dating a year and a half later and were married in September 2018.
Manuchehri’s motivation to help oth ers is selfless and purely from a desire to help others succeed, Crose said. Her willingness to learn and to help others, even if the problem is outside of her
unusual project for a weeds and small grains specialist, because the system types and equipment are different, Crose said. Manuchehri spent a dedicated amount of time in troubleshooting, learning and consulting, Crose added.
“I like a challenge,” Manuchehri said. “Weed management is a really challenging field because we still don’t understand much about weeds and there’s a lot to learn. Weeds are interesting because they’re so competitive.”
Manuchehri is knowledgeable and humble, which makes her an excellent communicator with producers, Crose said. From students to industry members, Manuchehri explains well and talks to each individual on an understandable level, Crose said.
“She’s patient, so whenever someone doesn’t understand, she’s willing to step back and explain things in a different way, whether that’s to a student or a
projects ranging from weed identification to multi-year studies with different weed-control measures to finding an area to conduct research or a specific weed Manuchehri wants to study.
Vincent said he always enjoys working with Manuchehri because her communications skills are great. She is prompt and passionate about her job, Vincent added.
“Misha’s a very pleasant person,” Vincent said. “She’s not shy or reserved. She’s willing to speak her mind, but she’s very pleasant about it and extremely knowledgeable in her field. Therefore, it is easy for her to express herself and not make people feel stupid.”
Because of her background, Manuchehri said she has a different perspective in some situations since she lacks a history in agriculture.
Manuchehri brings creativity to weed science and problem solving, she added.
“I love it when students come into my classroom and aren’t afraid to share their ideas,” Manuchehri said. “Sometimes my ideas are nuts and aren’t good ideas, but I’d like to think that some of the time I come up with a few good ideas because I do not have that ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ perspective.”
Taylor said Manuchehri balances all her projects and teaching and is a great team player with OSU plant and soil sciences faculty members. She does her job with a high level of energy and commitment, Taylor added.
“She is professional while being relatable,” Crose said. “I think it helps people respect and trust her.”
The Pfeiffer family makes OSU a tradition
Twenty miles west of Stillwater, Oklahoma, along State Highway 51 stands a Pfeiffer Farms sign. Turn right on North Pine and follow a gravel road that leads to the home and farm of a family whose two favorite things are agriculture and America’s Brightest Orange.
Jerry and Ada Pfeiffer, natives of Orlando, Oklahoma, and owners of Pfeiffer Farms, are no strangers to the Cowboy Family. The Pfeiffer name has become recognizable across the
Stillwater campus, specifically in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, for the family’s involvement and support at the OSU Sheep and Goat Center.
“I can’t remember a time before Oklahoma State,” said Jerry Pfeiffer, owner of Pfeiffer Farms.
Raised on an Angus farm near Orlando, Jerry Pfeiffer attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College as a member of a livestock judging team before attending OSU, he said.
While a student at OSU, Jerry Pfeiffer was a member of a livestock judging team coached by Bob Kropp, where he spent his time absorbing industry knowledge and making irreplaceable connections, he said.
The luckiest connection he made was his wife, Ada Leven Pfeiffer, he said.
An OSU animal science alumna herself, she was a member of the 1981 National Champion Livestock Judging Team.
“It’s the atmosphere at Oklahoma State that makes the difference,” said
riage, Jerry and Ada Pfeiffer have raised three OSU Cowboys — Kelsey, Kass and Karisa — on their family farm.
“It’s never been a question where to go to school,” said Kelsey Pfeiffer, herdsman at Pfeiffer Farms and 2012 animal science alumnus. “We grew up loving OSU.”
The Pfeiffer family is known across the country for raising show goat wethers and does with competitive genetics, Kelsey Pfeiffer said. Like many families in the show livestock industry, their story began with a 4-H project, he said.
Six-year-old Karisa Pfeiffer had two pygmy goats and her few pygmy goats led to the purchase of a doe and wether, Taffy and Bullet, to show in 4-H when she was 9 years old, Ada Pfeiffer said. The Pfeiffers then purchased four additional does. From there, they purchased 100 more does, and the rest was history, she said.
“We were looking for another outlet in the agricultural industry for a hobby, but it ended up being more than a hobby,” Ada Pfeiffer said.
Since then, Pfeiffer Farms has grown to one of the largest show goat herds in the nation. The Pfeiffer family also raises cattle and sells livestock across the country through online and live production sales.
Because of the family members’
across the country judge classes of goats, Jerry Pfeiffer said.
“One of our favorite things to do is host judging teams during their winter workouts and feed them while they are here,” he said.
Darin Annuschat, herdsman at the OSU Sheep and Goat Center, has worked with the Pfeiffer family for numerous years.
Sheep and Goat Center, the family supports multiple judging teams and offers
Angel Molina, 2018 agribusiness alumnus, worked for the family for three years while he attended OSU.
“The Pfeiffer family has a tremendous work ethic,” Molina said. “They possess a heart of service, are humble, and are genuinely great people.”
Molina said much of what he learned throughout college and the connections he has made can be attributed to the
“They are truly a testament of how welcoming the Cowboy Family is,”
Kass Pfeiffer Newell is following in her mother’s footsteps and serving the OSU Animal Science Alumni Association as secretary.
“I grew up watching my mom serve on the board, and we always went to the Animal Science Gala,” Newell said.
As involved as the family is, they do not have any plans of slowing down, Ada Pfeiffer said.
They are truly a testament of how welcoming the Cowboy Family is.
“They are really big into helping with collegiate livestock judging,” Annuschat said. “If Kelsey knows he can help make a quality livestock judging class, he is more than willing.”
Kelsey Pfeiffer said because they are close in distance and in history to OSU, they get to stay connected and want to stay involved in the future.
One of the most prominent influences the family has had at OSU is their support of the OSU Sheep and Goat Center through providing their knowledge, genetics and animals to the program, Annuschat said.
“When I started, the program just had a handful of Boer goats, and in 2015 the Pfeiffers donated 20 doe kids,” Annuschat said. “The Pfeiffers are the primary donors and supporters of OSU’s goat program.”
In addition to helping the OSU
“We try to attend as many functions as we can because it’s just part of our lives,” Ada Pfeiffer said. “We don’t feel like we have to. We are proud to.”
Like their parents, Kelsey Pfeiffer and Kass Newell found their significant others while at OSU. Morgan Neilson Pfeiffer, Kelsey’s wife, is a doctoral canidate in animal science with a focus in meat science and serves as the coach of the meats judging team. Dalton Newell, Kass’ husband, is a 2014 animal science alumnus now pursing a degree in veterinary medicine at OSU.
“All of us knew we were going to go to OSU,” Kass Newell said. “It’s in our blood — it’s tradition.”
An expanding population means an increase in the need for food and a growing demand for food safety specialists.
A $246,000 grant awarded to Oklahoma State University in 2017 offers students a chance to meet the demand, said Danielle Bellmer, OSU Food Manufacturing and Safety Fellows program faculty adviser and one of the principle investigators for the grant.
The College of Agricultural Sciences
grant through the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship grant program.
Eligible land-grant universities can apply for the grant to help fund students wishing to complete graduate programs in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences. The grant CASNR received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2017 allows six students to be in the program.
The fellows program is designed to
further education, even if they may not have been able to, Bellmer said.
“In addition to providing training in food safety, another goal is trying to fill spots in the program with underrepresented students,” Bellmer said.
These students could be minorities, women, or students from non-traditional backgrounds, she said. Students who are eligible to apply must have completed a bachelor’s degree in a food science-related field, she added.
Once in the program, students participate in four specific experiences: an industry audit internship, participation in workshops hosted by the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, food safety case studies, and monthly professional development meetings. The grant funds support these experiences, which are in addition to the students’ graduate program requirements for their master’s degrees.
All four components of additional experiences are designed to prepare students for jobs in the food safety and manufacturing field, Bellmer said.
The industry audit internship has students accompany, observe, and participate in the audit process, allowing students to witness food industry regulations and requirements. The workshops give students the chance to learn and gain experience about various topics in the food industry, she said.
Conner McDaniel, a second-year fellow in food science, said the workshops are the highlight of the program for her.
Throughout the case study portion of the program, students analyze and solve real-world food safety problems. The monthly meetings for the faculty and students in the program are opportunities for the students to discuss ideas and share progress on their respective projects, Bellmer said.
Dennis Pletcher, also a second-year
have been the most enjoyable part of the program.
“I have the ability to participate in workshops that offer certificates for training in many areas the food industry likes to see on résumés,” Pletcher said.
Without the financial support asso ciated with the program, Pletcher, like most of the fellows, would not be able to pursue his master’s degree at this
Ravi Jadeja, a faculty adviser for the program, said the program offers handson experience in the industry.
“Most companies hire recently graduated students and are required to spend around $15,000 in additional training to prepare them for jobs,” Jadeja said.
The program is working toward graduating experienced students to work in the food safety industry in Oklahoma and beyond, he said.
As a result, OSU is on the forefront of the food safety industry, Jadeja said.
The five-year grant will continue to fund assistantships for students until 2022, but the faculty members hope to reapply and receive this grant again so they can fund students in the program
To the staff and volunteers of The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University, “The Sisters” were a well-known pair.
Sisters Barbara Pass and Joyce Taylor volunteered together at the gardens. The two women were just as much best friends as they were sisters, Taylor said.
In January 2018, Pass died from Crohn’s disease, but she left behind a gift to benefit The Botanic Garden for years to come.
“We are so pleased to have Barbara’s
donation,” said Lou Anella, director of The Botanic Garden at OSU. “We are immensely sad to have lost her as a friend and volunteer, but we are honored to receive a majority of her estate and plan to keep her memory alive by utilizing the funds well.”
Pass left behind an endowment to The Botanic Garden that is expected to generate about $40,000 annually for the gardens, Anella said. This income will help fund internships and pay for general operating expenses and repairs.
Pass was an active ambassador when it came to the gardens, volunteering at least once a week, Anella said. Laura Payne, volunteer coordinator at the gardens, said Pass accumulated more than 130 volunteer hours annually at the gardens.
Pass and Taylor grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and each knew they would attend OSU, Taylor said.
The sisters’ father, Hartwill Pass, worked in agronomy at OSU, and Taylor said she recalls helping him tend
to small garden plots in their backyard and accompanying him to his research-related work.
The sisters’ parents encouraged their daughters to study hard from an early age, Taylor said.
“I have a vivid memory of standing in the bank with my father when I was 5 years old and holding a carton of pennies, nickels and dimes,” Taylor said. “I remember setting the carton on the marble counter and having just enough money to open my college savings account.
and becoming a certified public accountant, Pass worked at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. At this point in the 1970s, companies were beginning to use digital technology, Taylor said.
“Barbara enjoyed studying accounting, but it wasn’t her true passion,” Taylor said.
People would tell you how much of a hard worker Barbara was and how she was dedicated and single-minded.
Joyce Taylor
Barbara Pass’ sister
After Pass decided to go back to school at OSU and graduated with a second master’s degree in computer science, she received an offer to work for Sandia National Laboratories in automating the company’s benefit processing, Taylor said.
Sandia is a contractor for the U.S.
engineering for Sandia, where her main project was working as a contractor for the U.S. Air Force.
She helped develop the graphical user interface to make computers more user-friendly and worked on numerous confidential projects, including traveling several times to Russia to work on geographical mapping and digitization.
Pass was also in the National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves. She served in the finance corps for 20 years before she retired as a lieutenant colonel.
“People would tell you how much of a hard worker Barbara was and how she was dedicated and single-minded,” Taylor said.
While living in Albuquerque, Pass
“My dad scrounged around in his pockets while holding 3-year-old Barbara, and then he opened an account for her, too,” she said.
Pass started as a math major when she attended OSU, but soon switched to accounting. After receiving her bache lor’s and master’s degrees in accounting
wanted to become an ambassador at The Botanic Garden and convinced Taylor to go through the ambassador classes with her, Taylor said.
Pass was familiar with succulent gardening after living in New Mexico and helped to develop the succulent garden at The Botanic Garden.
“Barbara had a huge impact on the succulent garden and was fond of working with them,” Anella said. “We were able to grow the garden to a different level with her help.”
were avid OSU sports fans and attended as many games as they could with their mother, who had season tickets to basketball games since the 1940s and football tickets since the 1950s.
“People always ask, ‘what do you do since you’re retired?’ and I’ve always told them we’re pretty busy at the gardens and attending all the OSU sporting events,” Taylor said.
The gift Barbara left to the gardens was more than we could have expected and is genuinely appreciated.
Laura Payne
Pass and Taylor also contributed to resurrecting the garden’s rock garden.
volunteer
coordinator for The Botanic Garden at OSU
“We spent weeks and hours liberating the garden from overgrown weeds,” Taylor said. “The rock garden was always our special project that we worked on together.”
In addition to being active ambassadors at the gardens, Pass and Taylor
The Botanic Garden was originally created for studio use by the “Oklahoma Gardening” TV show, Anella said.
The gardens are composed of different sections, and many of the gardens are rectangular-shaped to make it easier to change plants for different “Oklahoma Gardening” TV episodes.
Over time, the gardens have become a place for the public to enjoy, as well, he said.
“2017 was a hard year financially for
the gardens, so Barbara and I had talked about leaving an endowment to help out in the future,” Taylor said. “Lou also had so many great ideas for the gardens, and we wanted him to be able to enact them in the future without having to worry about money.”
The garden’s staff salaries are funded by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and by OSU. Community members can volunteer at the gardens through the ambassador program and help fundraise additional money for the gardens through plant sales, Anella said.
“The gift Barbara left to the gardens was more than we could have expected and is genuinely appreciated,” Payne said. “She is deeply missed.”
MILLER Linden, California
Connecting southern Texas to northern Minnesota, Interstate 35 offers a main travel route through the Midwest; however, the corridor provides a passage for more than just vehicles.
“Monarch butterflies migrate primarily along the I-35 corridor from Mexico to Texas, Oklahoma and up to Southern Canada,” said Kristen Baum, professor of integrative biology at Oklahoma State University. “The I-35 region is important for the monarch butterfly migration and breeding.”
In November 2014, two conservation groups began a petition to list monarch butterflies on the endangered species list after an 80 percent population decline in the last two decades.
“The population size is estimated by flying over the monarch butterfly wintering grounds,” Baum said. “Conservationists noticed a sizeable decline while doing so, which triggered the concern for petitioning to put the butterflies on the list of threatened and endangered species.”
When states along the I-35 corridor reached an agreement to support monarch butterfly habitat, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation decided to delay summer mowing along the rights of way to allow monarch butterflies to reproduce on milkweed plants located outside the safety zones.
To support the research agreement, ODOT changed its mowing procedures in 2016.
“ODOT tries to follow two procedures, safety mows and full mows,” said Madison Schein, ODOT spokeswoman. “However, it all depends on the location and safety of drivers.”
The clear and safety zone spans from
the pavement shoulder’s edge, where cars can pull off, to about 15 feet.
“ODOT has two mowing procedures, a safety mow, which is throughout the summer that goes up to 15 feet from the median, and what we call a full mow after July 1, which includes the entire right of way,” Schein said.
The clear and safety zones are mowed in rural areas as part of a safety mow, which is done to encourage pollinator habitats during the spring and summer months, Schein said.
“The rights of way in urban areas are mowed during the season due to high traffic volume and usability,” she said.
In 2015, OSU began a collaborative project with ODOT to research different mowing regimes to provide information regarding how milkweed plants respond to the frequency and timing of mowing, Baum said.
Milkweed plants, specifically the Green Antelopehorn Milkweed, are the main food source for caterpillars and also provide nectar for butterflies in Oklahoma, said Dennis Martin, extension turfgrass specialist at OSU.
“This is our third year of conducting the research,” Martin said. “We marked the mowing plots in 2015 and began the trials in 2016.”
The research is being conducted on plots along State Highway 51 on the west side of Stillwater and north on I-35, Baum said. Milkweed plants are counted and classified by their phenological stages so researchers can understand plant condition, she said.
In a collaboration between two teams, Baum and Martin provide the consistency across every year of research since the project began.
“Dr. Baum’s team handles the biology
aspect of the insects and milkweed assessment,” Martin said. “My team handles the vegetation aspects and how changes in management practices interact with what ODOT does to have safe rights of way for the public.”
Martin’s team trains ODOT personnel to mow and apply herbicides properly in the clear and safety zones.
The right of way is for vegetative purposes, to provide a pleasant view for motorists, and to stabilize the soil so erosion does not wash it away and compromise the paved surface, Martin said.
“The monarch habitat program does not affect the clear and safety zones,” Martin said. “Citizens must understand the concept of the clear and safety zone. Mowing is done at least four times a year to keep the vegetation short and allow for suitable lines of sight and sight distance by motorists.”
Motorists have expressed concerns about sight distance in the rights of way. However, the new mowing regimes should not affect sight distance, which is what motorists need to safely operate their vehicles, Martin said.
“Safety is our No. 1 priority,” Schein said. “We are always evaluating the rights of way for visibility because we want our drivers to be safe.”
SH-51 can be called a “controversial corridor,” Martin said. The majority of OSU alumni who travel SH-51 to Stillwater prefer the grass be mowed short for a pleasant look, he added.
To provide good roadside management, six different mowing regimes are being considered for the monarch butterfly research program, Martin said. These regimes consider the best time of the year to reduce fire potential and nurture milkweed growth, he said.
“The overall process of good roadside management involves site preparation, proper vegetative selection, proper veg etation installation and establishment to assure invasive plants do not get loose, and administrating proper sprays or mow downs to achieve the goals,” Martin said.
The Green Antelopehorn Milkweed sets seed in late June to July, so mow ing early in the summer is ideal, but learning when to mow is the question, Martin said. Once the roadside is cut, the possibility increases for caterpillar habitat growth during late summer months, Martin said.
“Meeting the needs of everyone and everything involved is complicated and challenging,” Baum said. “We need to find and provide information on the growth and migration of the monarchs while keeping a healthy and safe eco system. We are looking for long-term decisions that will provide long-term support for these habitats.”
The goal of this program is to find a balance, Baum said. Safety is one of the biggest concerns, so the safety zone will be mowed regularly regardless of the ongoing research.
“We really do enjoy this partnership with OSU, and we do appreciate the feedback we have received from the research,” Schein said. “We go in and evaluate the findings to see how we can use the results along with assuring the safety of our drivers.”
FAPC helps in-state company edge the competition
strong, black liquid streams into the pot — freshly brewed coffee — an aroma that captures the attention of many adults before the start of a work day. However, for some, the art of coffee roasting is work.
US Roaster, a company established in Oklahoma City, develops coffee roasters to be sold to companies around the United States and occasionally around the world.
Dan Jolliff, owner of US Roaster Corp., grew up around coffee. His dad owned a coffee-roasting business, so Jolliff helped with deliveries and anything else he could, he said.
In 1979, Jolliff started Coffee Pros, a coffee-roasting business with his dad and younger brother. Putting his brother in charge of Coffee Pros, Jolliff left the company in 1997 to start a new business: Roasters Exchange.
With Roasters Exchange, Joliff traveled around the world fixing coffee roasters for companies, he said, using
the experience to start building his own coffee roasters.
“In 2003, I started building roasters,” Jolliff said. “I built a roaster, and a friend of mine saw it and wanted me to make one for him. Then, a couple more people saw it, and they decided they wanted one for themselves.”
At that point, Jolliff reached out to the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center to help him improve his line of roasters, he said. He then worked with FAPC engineers to make a better roaster. Together, they created “The Revelation.” This roaster is the world’s first industrial roaster to meet Southern California’s air emission standards.
FAPC works with food production companies throughout the state to add value to Oklahoma, said Chuck Willoughby, FAPC’s business and marketing relations manager.
Willoughby estimates FAPC has helped from 1,200 to 1,500 companies.
“Some companies we work with numerous times a year,” Willoughby said. “Others might reach out to us only once or twice when they have hit a bump in the road.
“Whether that is in their production process, marketing, or whatever else, we help them through it and they are on their way,” Willoughby added.
In the time FAPC and US Roaster have worked together, FAPC has helped the Oklahoma company gain two instate grants from the Oklahoma Applied Research Support program to help them develop the new roasters, Jolliff said.
The US Roaster and FAPC relationship also helps FAPC by getting the students involved with the company, Willoughby said.
Tim Bowser, FAPC engineer who works with US Roaster, said the relationship has been important for the OSU students.
“US Roaster has supported us so much by employing our students,”
Bowser said. “We are always looking for new projects for our engineers to work on, and US Roaster welcomes our students’ help.”
The students help Jolliff develop and design new roasters, Bowser said.
“Dan and US Roaster have been great for the students of FAPC,” Willoughby said. “Our students get real, hands-on experience, which is valuable to the growth of our students.”
Students who work at FAPC get jobs shortly after graduating because of the experience they receive in working at a place like US Roaster, Willoughby said.
“Every one of the Oklahoma State students that I have gotten to work with has been great,” Jolliff said. “The ability and intelligence of the engineers coming out of OSU is amazing.”
In addition to gaining professional experience, students get paid for their work at US Roaster, Bowser said.
Jesse Bowser, OSU engineering student, is on staff for US Roaster. Jesse
Bowser said he has enjoyed his time with US Roaster and has learned a lot in the three years he has worked there.
“My favorite part about the job is the freedom I am allowed,” Jesse Bowser said. “Dan gives me the opportunity to be creative, and he trusts that my ideas will work.”
The relationship between US Roaster and the FAPC staff has gone past business and turned into a real friendship, Jolliff said.
“Tim is a mentor to me,” Jolliff said. “I know he is somebody who has my back, and I can trust him.”
Many of the clients FAPC works with love OSU and enjoy being affiliated with the university, Willoughby said. US Roaster is a great example of a solid business relationship and a lifelong friendship, he said.
FAPC and US Roaster still work together on different roasting techniques, including different sensors that monitor roasting with less human input to make
it simpler for coffee roasters to achieve more with less effort, Tim Bowser said.
US Roaster, with the help of OSU graduate and undergraduate engineers, is developing a new roaster unique to any other roaster in the world and could help take US Roaster to the next step, Jolliff said.
“This company would not be as successful as we have been if it were not for the FAPC grants we received,” Jolliff said. “If you’re willing to put the money up and really invest in your business, FAPC is going to support you and help you get to where you want to go.”
science, business, education or government and public service early in their careers. To be eligible, a nominee must possess an undergraduate or graduate degree from CASNR and have earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 15 years. Award recipients will be honored during the CASNR Awards Banquet in the spring. Nominations are due by Dec. 31, 2018. Visit casnr.okstate.edu/alumni for more
Phillip Cowley earned an agribusiness degree specializing in farm and ranch management in 2002.
Soon after graduating, Cowley began work at Double T Trading in Morrison, Oklahoma, and has "been doing it ever since," he said.
Cowley raises and sells show cattle, like he did as he was growing up. He met his wife, Amy Morris Cowley, during his time at OSU and they have two children, Phillip Cowley Emory and Quinn. He said he enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his kids.
Cowley is excited to come back to OSU and CASNR and to be part of a board of his peers, he said.
"I look forward to giving and hearing good ideas from other members," Cowley said. "I want to help where I can and move things forward for CASNR."
Meg Murphy Stangl has been involved in CASNR through clubs and extension programs since beginning her undergraduate degree.
In 1986, Stangl graduated with an agricultural economics degree, focusing on farm and ranch management.
These days, Stangl keeps the books and works with her husband, Greg, on their farm in Kingfisher County. Before this, she worked in the banking and lending industry, including running her own business packaging loans.
Stangl and her husband have three daughters, Molly, Amy and Catherine. She volunteers with her Meg Stangl local church as well as FFA and 4-H.
"I love giving back to OSU and CASNR in this way," Stangl said.
"I bleed orange, and I always have. OSU is a big part of our family's life."
Oklahoma family farmers and ranchers deal every day with influences far beyond the farm gate.
That is why Oklahoma Farm Bureau members understand the need to share the amazing stories that happen each and every day in rural Oklahoma. From helping bring Oklahoma's Agriculture in the Classroom program to students across the state to sharing their experiences with civic groups in their local communities, Farm Bureau members help educate our fellow Oklahomans about the need for our state's family farmers and ranchers to succeed. After all, we know the best way to help agriculture prosper is to help all of Oklahoma succeed.
