Volume 23, Number 1 – Winter/Spring 2021

OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture

Volume 23 Number 1 • Winter/Spring 2021

AG RESEARCH

50 Extending Helping Hands

Extension keeps serving amid pandemic

54 Foundation for Opportunity

OSU alumna creates legacy to honor her late husband and family

58 Taking Route

OSU improves infrastructure at The Botanic Garden

62 Social Spaces

OSU Professor changes the world of landscape architecture

64 Meet the Masters

Ferguson College of Agriculture honors four faculty with annual teaching awards

68 Small Processing Plant. Powerful Impact.

FAPC pilot plant provides resources for Oklahomans

72

Serving One Purpose

OSU alumni lead Oklahoma 4-H and FFA programs

75 Dual Degrees & Dreams

Orchids lead to international dual doctorates

78

More Than ‘Just a Job’ Ferguson College of Agriculture faculty retire after successful careers

meet the STAFF

EDITORS

Adrienne Blakey

Sarah Drown

MANAGING EDITOR

Shelly Peper Sitton, Ph.D.

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS

Samantha Blackwell, Ph.D.

Dwayne Cartmell, Ph.D.

Ruth Inman, Ph.D.

Angel Riggs, Ph.D.

Quisto Settle, Ph.D.

Kaylee Travis, M.S.

PHOTO COORDINATOR

Chelsea Stanfield

FACT CHECKER

Hailea Hooten Freiling

SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR

Colt Heap

STAFF

Madi Baughman

Justin Dewbre

Tailor Fields

This semester brought many new challenges that allowed the Cowboy Journal staff to adapt with creativity. We deeply appreciate the faculty, staff, students and alumni who helped produce this magazine — especially Holly Blakey, Tanner Lopez, Melissa Mourer, Samantha Siler, Jacob Sitton and Kristin Young — for their patience and grace as we navigated uncharted waters. We are especially grateful for Todd Johnson for allowing us to use his photos in describing many of these stories. Thank you for being the reason for our commitment to this magazine. We hope you enjoy it.

JD Graumann “OSU Dairy Herd” by Madi Baughman

Kendall Harshman

Emilie James

Angel Liverman

Mariah Marshall Rebekah Hale

Maggie Martens Neufeld

Carson Posey

Halie Schovanec

Logan Simunek

Emily Smith

Shaun Tune

Taylor Wood — Adrienne and Sarah

Larry580-726-3220 I Scott 580-726-5882 I Tom 580-482-4601 Brian 580-530-2208 I Colvin 580-530-2224

Let’s Eat!

Oklahoma 4-H’ers find a new way to stay active during a pandemic

Just like Christmas morning, Oklahoma 4-H members experienced the excitement of opening a package of materials they would use to prepare delicious meals.

“We usually do a summer program, but with the pandemic, we had to come up with something new,” said Cathy Allen, Oklahoma 4-H curriculum specialist. “We put our heads together and came up with Food, Fun, 4-H.”

Funded by a Walmart Healthy Habits grant, the Food, Fun, 4-H program was developed to bring families together to learn new skills and cook delicious meals, Allen said.

In addition, the families could have fun while trying new foods and developing communications skills, she said. The program was much more successful than they had anticipated, she added.

“When the program first started, we were hoping to reach 125 families,”

Allen said. “We never imagined we would get 727 families involved.”

During each month of the fourmonth program, 4-H members received recipes by email and cooking utensils through the mail.

The recipes included step-by-step instructions with photos showing how to prepare each recipe. In the first month, participants also received a green apron with the 4-H logo that the members wore when they prepared their meals, Allen said.

“We like all these new recipes!” said Hunter Haxton, McClain County 4-H member. “It’s been fun cooking them and trying something new. We had never had quiche before.”

Similar to a monthly subscription program, each 4-H member received a mystery package in the mail each month, Allen said.

In each package, they received two utensils used in preparing the meals

that month. Some of the tools were a rubber scraper, a zester and a rolling pin, she said.

Each month’s recipe set also had a specific theme. For example, one month was Rise and Dine featuring brunch recipes, and another was a Fiesta Mexicana with Mexican dishes.

Oklahoma 4-H members enrolled for the program electronically on the Oklahoma 4-H website, Allen said.

After the kids received their recipes, the families gathered the ingredients to cook their meals.

“I liked the fact that my brothers and I worked as a team to get the meal prepared,” said Brandon Raulie, Rogers County 4-H member.

Many 4-H members already had some cooking skills, Allen said, but through this program, they gained additional skills like time management and responsibility.

“My wish is to keep learning all

I can about cooking,” said Payton Smith, Woods County 4-H member.

“I’ve found I love being in the kitchen. It’s been very relaxing, and I get to spend a lot of time with my mom. I’ve also learned to communicate better through cooking.”

Many 4-H members became closer to their families and learned new skills from each other, Allen said.

“My grandma helped me make the homemade pie crust from her recipe from her mom, my great-grandma,” said Dayci Starr, Kay County 4-H member. “That was really special.”

Following each cooking experience, the 4-H members had to complete three prompts: I like …, I wish …, and I wonder …. Their answers provided feedback to Oklahoma 4-H and allowed them to receive their next package, Allen said.

The members also submitted at least two pictures each month, one

photo as they prepared one of the dish es and one photo of the family meal.

For members who did not have much experience cooking, through Food, Fun, 4-H with step-by-step instructions, they went into a kitchen and cooked amazing meals, Allen said.

Food, Fun, 4-H participants share their work (clockwise from left): Rylee Moore, Payne County; Nakiah Evans, Okfuskee County; Hunter Kelsey, Grady County; Harrison Kinsey, Pottawatomie County; Ayden Williams, Bryan County; and Ava Mitchell, Grady County.

piece students can do at home on their own or with family members, she said.

“I liked making the dish because I felt proud,” said Riley Price, Kay County 4-H member. “I haven’t really cooked much, and I learned how to cook meat, chop, and set a timer.”

The program went from May through August and received positive feedback, Allen said.

Now, Oklahoma 4-H has received an additional grant that will allow this program to be taken into schools. Extension educators will work with schools to provide an opportunity for youth to gain knowledge around nutrition, cooking skills, budgeting, food access, mindfulness and physical activity, Allen said.

The Food, Fun, 4-H program will come back the next summer with more delicious meals, Allen said. With such positive feedback, many 4-H members say they cannot wait, she said.

“I wish this program was all year,” Dayci said. “I learned something new every time we had to cook. I want to keep learning how to cook so I will be able to cook for my family.”

REBEKAH HALE SHERIDAN, ARKANSAS

During her time as an OSU student, Adrienne Blakey participated in undergraduate research with the OSU Wheat Breeding Program. Photo by Halie Schovanec.

'OSU senior receives Truman Scholar award

In 2011, an eighth-grade FFA member hid inside her mother’s closet, terrified by the thought of practicing her first public speech to an audience of friends.

Fast forward eight years and the same girl walked into a highly competitive national scholarship interview with a humble confidence — an attribute that led to her selection as a 2020 Truman Scholar.

Adrienne Blakey, Oklahoma State University plant and soil sciences and agricultural communications senior, is that girl. She credits the confidence she gained and the growth she underwent to the experiences garnered through her time in FFA and as an OSU student.

The scholarship is awarded by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation to college juniors who

excel academically, exhibit strong leadership skills, and have an extensive community service record.

“Those of us who are Truman Scholars are living legacies and help carry out President Truman’s legacy of leadership and public service,” said Cortney Timmons Cowley, a 2008 Truman Scholar, mentor of Blakey’s, and OSU alumna.

Cowley said the award is given to 55 to 65 undergraduates from across the country each year who are pursuing careers in public service. The rigorous selection process for the award takes roughly six months, she said.

“Adrienne came at the Truman selection process from a very humble perspective,” Cowley said. “You can just tell she has the attitude Harry Truman would have had. She really wants to make the world a better place, and she’s not afraid of how hard she has to work to do that.”

Selflessness is a quality of Blakey’s that stands out, Cowley added.

Blakey’s academic ability, work ethic and commitment to service prompted her academic adviser Shelly Sitton, professor of agricultural communications, to encourage and challenge Blakey to strive for the Truman Scholar award, Sitton said.

“A lot of people say Adrienne has accomplished a lot,” Sitton said. “But, the fact is Adrienne works really hard for what she’s accomplished. Most people don’t see the hours and the dedication that are behind the scenes.”

Witnessing

Blakey’s actions firsthand, Cowley said she recognized the genuine and selfless approach Blakey had toward leadership and service through the Student Government Association and involvement in her local community.

Research Scholar, Wentz Research Grant recipient, Borlaug Scholar, Greenfield Scholar and finalist for the National FFA Star in Agriscience award. She has earned numerous other academic achievements; however, the Truman Scholar award is the most treasured of her accomplishments, Blakey said.

She really wants to make the world a better place, and she’s not afraid of how hard she has to work to do that.

Cortney Cowley

During Blakey’s collegiate career, she has been selected as a Niblack

“Being awarded the Truman Scholarship is the epitome of honors I have received in my college years,” Blakey said. “It is by far the biggest honor I have been recognized with to this point in my life.” The scholarship selection committee reviews each candidate’s service, academic, and leadership history and analyzes what the recipients want to do with their futures and the sincerity behind what they want to accomplish, Sitton said. Blakey’s passion came through

Adrienne Blakey (second from right) receives National FFA Star in Agriscience finalist recognition from Erica Baier (left), her FFA adviser Tanner Nipper, and her mother, Holly Blakey. Photo courtesy of Adrienne Blakey.

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Grain and Animal Health Research in Manhattan, Kansas, Adrienne Blakey conducts research on gluten allergenicity in the lab. Photo courtesy of Adrienne Blakey.

because of her ability to communicate her goals, Sitton said.

Of Blakey’s experiences throughout college, she said her undergraduate research experience was the most rewarding. She worked on three separate research projects during a three-year period that all related to one thing — the gluten crisis, said Brett Carver, OSU wheat geneticist and Blakey’s undergraduate research adviser.

As part of the projects, Blakey traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, and Portland, Oregon, to carry the research on gluten immunotoxicity and aggregation in whole wheat flour.

Blakey generated the data about gluten from wheat samples spanning a century of wheat breeding, Carver said. In early 2020, Carver, along with others including Blakey, published their findings in a research article about wheat quality and sensitivity.

“A real critical piece of the story was the research she did,” Carver said.

analysis. I just wouldn’t imagine any other undergraduate students trying to undertake that project, but she had the confidence to learn and to apply what she learned, and then she had the ability to communicate it.”

Blakey’s career goals shifted from scientific research to policy development following her participation in an advocacy effort in Washington, D.C., Blakey said. She found a correlation between her research experience, communication skills and desire to serve those around her, Blakey said.

“My intellectual capacity was strengthened, and my excitement to share scientific knowledge with the public grew throughout my research experience,” Blakey said. “But, this advocacy experience enacted real change for the future of American science, and suddenly, I realized I wanted to do something a little different.”

Blakey said the experience was a pivotal moment in identifying her

said she invested more time with the OSU Student Government Association as a legislative liaison with the other Big XII Conference universities and helped facilitate additional policy advocacy efforts.

After graduating in December 2020, Blakey will begin her role as a fellow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Partnerships. She plans to gain more experience in developing and supporting policies shaping research proficiency and public usability before attending graduate school to use her Truman Scholarship, she said.

“The sky’s the limit for this young woman,” Sitton said. “ At the end of the day, I think she’s a difference-maker because of what she gives.”

HALIE SCHOVANEC GARBER, OKLAHOMA

Adrienne Blakey (left) explains the findings from her year-long research project determining the health impacts of gluten in the diet to Ranjith Ramanathan, associate professor in food science, at the Wentz Research Symposium. Photo by Gary Lawson.

FRIENDS IN DISTANCED

n Oklahoma State University student walks up Monroe Street wearing her mask, hurrying to her final class of the day. She passes her friend who asks, “Will I see you at the meeting tonight?” She nods at him and says she will log on as soon as her class ends.

On a regular basis prior to COVID-19, Ferguson College of Agriculture students in clubs and organizations would meet to discuss ideas, plan fundraisers, and enjoy free food.

The fall 2020 semester looked different, but multiple clubs offered activities to give campus life a sense of normalcy, said Dalton Miller, Ferguson College of Agriculture Student Council president and agribusiness senior.

“We moved all of our council meetings online to do our part in making sure everyone feels safe,” Miller said. “We hosted events to give students the opportunity to participate in an activity, even at a distance.”

Though virtual meetings do not allow students to interact with classmates in person, they offer a communication pathway to help students feel connected, Miller said.

“Some of our interaction was lost,” Miller said. “What we did allowed for a small source of communication, which in my mind was better than nothing.”

The council executive members also hosted an online video contest to highlight different clubs and organizations, Miller said.

“With the cancellation of the Ferguson College of Agriculture Round-Up, we aimed to give students a chance to explore different clubs and organizations,” Miller said. “It wasn’t the same as Round-Up, but it helped younger students get a feel for some of the ways they could get involved.”

Whether online or in person, clubs and organizations give new students a chance to make new friends and connect with peers, said Kendall Hays, natural resources ecology and management freshman.

“The meetings I attended allowed me to get to know people who are interested in the same things I am,” Hays said. “This was great because not all of my engineering friends get my agriculture-related jokes.”

DISTANCED PLACES

Developing a sense of togetherness within the Ferguson College of Agriculture

Oklahoma State University student, Allie McCracken, joins an Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow meeting. Photo by Shaun Tune.

All but one of the Sigma Alpha meetings Hays attended were in person. The sorority followed social distancing guidelines while having its initiation in person at Totusek Arena.

“My Sigma Alpha initiation night was interesting and exciting,” she said.

Other clubs on campus have found ways to follow protocol and have in-person meetings, said Danielle Bellmer, adviser for the student chapter of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

“Club members were required to find a room big enough to maintain social distancing,” Bellmer said. “Students were required to wear masks and book a backup room in case of overflow.”

Some students preferred in-person meetings, Bellmer said.

“Students crave contact,” Bellmer said. “But, students who prefer not to attend in-person meetings had the option to join our meetings via Zoom.”

Under normal circumstances, clubs in the Ferguson College of Agriculture

often serve food to encourage meeting attendance, Bellmer said. This fall, students used new ways to continue this tradition safely.

“During one ASABE meeting, we provided prepackaged tacos for students,” Bellmer said. “Each student picked up two or three as they were walking out, since they couldn’t eat during the meeting.”

Although all of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow meetings were online, the club saw much success in the fall 2020 semester, said Kaylyn Branen, ACT president and agricultural communications and animal science junior.

“We had 35 students attend our September meeting and another 38 in October,” Branen said. “I was very pleased with the attendance levels throughout all of our fall meetings.”

Prior to fall 2020, ACT meetings had an average attendance of 20 to 25 students, she added.

“I think students are tired of not getting to communicate with their

peers,” Branen said. “Our meetings gave members a chance to learn about new opportunities and network.”

The October ACT meeting included an internship panel, Branen said.

“We put together a panel of four people to speak about internships,” Branen said. “Events like these allow underclassmen to learn about opportunities that can benefit their futures.”

Overall, clubs and organizations have not done everything the same, said Deb VanOverbeke, assistant dean of student academic services for the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

“Groups are doing different things to follow protocol,” VanOverbeke said. “Thinking outside of the box continues to be the best way to go.”

SHAUN TUNE QUAPAW, OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA PIG FARMERS WORK HARD.

Coach of Champions.

of Cowboys.

Jeff (left) and Gretchen Mafi raise purebred Angus cattle on their ranch west of Stillwater. Photo by Sarah Drown.

OSU meat science professor receives national recognition

Alittle encouragement goes a long way. A text saying “Good luck!” is one of many ways Gretchen Mafi, meat science professor at Oklahoma State University, shares encouragement with students on the meat judging team she coaches.

This compassion for her students and desire to see them succeed is one of the reasons Mafi won the 2020 National Teaching Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Association of Public Land-Grant Universities for Excellence in College

and University Teaching in Food and Agricultural Sciences award program.

“To have someone who worked in the industry, in the facets she did, and is sharing that knowledge with students is a learning experience that makes me so glad I came to Oklahoma State University,” said Lizzi Neal, food science senior.

Mafi received her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Texas Tech

University. She received her master’s degree from Colorado State University. Before coming to OSU, Mafi worked for the USDA in Washington, D.C., in meat grading standards. Then, she taught meat science at Angelo State University for four years where she helped develop a meat lab. Since 2006, she has taught in the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences and coached the meat judging team.

“The students, the rich tradition, the history of excellence in meat science and the high-quality facilities were the main things that brought me to OSU,” Mafi said.

Mafi’s mentors and family instilled in her a strong work ethic and value of agriculture, she said. She credits them for teaching her the importance of passion in one’s work.

“To be selected for the APLU award you have to be very elite in a teaching area,” said Clint Rusk, AFS depart -

Rusk, among others, recommended Mafi for the USDA-APLU award because Mafi knows the curriculum well and is a visionary who is full of innovative ideas, he said. She is looked up to and highly respected among the faculty in the department, he added.

“If you saw the list of how many classes she teaches, how many students she advises, plus the coaching, then you would wonder how she gets it all done,” Rusk said. “Yet, she is one of the most organized people I have ever been around.”

Mafi said stimulating, hands-on learning is the best way students learn.

“You have to be really creative to teach meat science,” Mafi said. “I am always dreaming up new ways to help people learn.”

Mafi prepares for classes, films videos for coaching, and assists her students even on weekends and school breaks, said Ranjith Ramanathan, AFS associate professor.

“She is one of the classic examples of ‘Ride for the Brand,’” Ramanathan said. “It does not matter the topic. She can connect with the students.”

Neal said Mafi is loyal to OSU and her students.

Mafi remembered Neal’s interests and strengths even before they began working closely together and recommended her for an internship. Now, Neal is an undergraduate research assistant and has worked with Mafi for a year.

“I can go to any meat science event and tell them I go to OSU,” Neal said. “People say, ‘Oh, wow. You are one of

Gretchen Mafi uses carcasses to coach the meat judging team. Photo by Sarah Drown.

Gretchen Mafi’s students’ because her name is so well-known.”

Mafi is one of the most engaging professors because she uses teaching tools like PollEverywhere to ensure students remain focused during class, Neal said.

“I remember the first class I took with her,” Neal said. “She didn’t water down the information. The information was still going to be factual, and it wasn’t going to be easy, but … the experience of the lab made it so you could understand it.”

In the years since she began coaching the meat judging team at OSU, the teams won the International Meat Judging Championship in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

“You are giving students on the team an opportunity, and they are learning so many life skills,” Mafi said.

Mafi is skilled at getting her students to perform at their full potential, Rusk said. He was not surprised when the meat judging team won the national championship in 2018, he added. Her tenacious attitude makes her a strong competitor, he said.

“I wouldn’t trade her for any other coach in America,” Rusk said. “I think she is the best.”

I wouldn’t trade her for any other coach in America. I think she is the best.

Clint Rusk

Mafi said she has fond memories of traveling across the country for meat judging contests with her students. However, if she cannot attend a contest, she still encourages the team from afar, she added.

“I will never forget when we got to talk to Dr. Mafi after we won the National Western Stockshow judging contest,” Neal said. “When we heard her encouragement, it kind of felt like we had won the contest for her.”

Mafi remembers the first team she coached to win the national championship in 2014. The team was full of dedicated, talented students, and she focused on challenging them in a positive manner, she said. The team helped her develop a mentality she has kept ever since, she said.

Mafi is a great asset to the AFS faculty, Rusk said. By serving on numerous committees, she gives back to the department and makes it stronger, he said. She also can be depended on to recruit students, he added.

“Whenever there is a problem around Dr. Mafi, we all rally together to figure it out, and she creates a ‘cando’ attitude,” Neal said.

For example, Mafi took charge of the 2019 OSU Big Three Field Day while the usual coordinator handled health issues, Neal said.

“While it was a really hard time for the AFS community… it was never a question for Dr. Mafi of ‘What happens next?’” Neal said. “She just stepped in to play the role.”

Mafi’s passion for seeing students learn and gain experience drives her to help the community in times of need, Neal said.

“She loves what she does, and that love shows in how passionate she is,” Neal said.

Jeff Mafi, Gretchen Mafi’s husband, said his wife demonstrates her passion for her students by investing hours preparing interactive, hands-on labs.

Gretchen Mafi is outgoing and has a genuine concern for her students’ learning, Jeff Mafi said. She is honest and willing to help anybody, he added.

“The students are really drawn to her,” he said.

Neal said Gretchen Mafi is authentic, which helps her create a professional, academic relationship with her students as well as a personal relationship with them.

Gretchen Mafi said she is honored to have the support of the faculty and administration at OSU who nominated her for the USDA-APLU award.

“It is really special to see that my peers value what I am doing,” Gretchen Mafi said.

Gretchen Mafi appreciates the students, mentors, faculty and staff members around her who have been instrumental in her success as an educator, she said.

“The mentorship of fellow faculty members and administrators I have worked with throughout my career helped shape me,” Gretchen Mafi said. “The only way you can be successful is if you have a good team of support and encouragement around you.”

A Recognition of Excellence

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities sponsor the USDA National Awards for Excellence in College and University Teaching in Food and Agricultural Sciences.

A committee of nationally recognized scholars and teachers review and select six regional, two national and two new teacher awards each year.

Nominations for these awards are generated from multiple departments, including agriculture, veterinary science, human sciences and natural resources.

CALIFORNIA

According to the associations, the selected winners exhibit an exemplary ability to teach students and utilize innovative methods.

The selection committee recognizes teachers of higher education with achievements in philosophy, technique and self-improvement, according to the APLU.

These awards are announced at the APLU’s annual meeting in November.

Information gathered from aplu.org

SARAH DROWN RAMONA,

As another day begins, Wyatt Hoback prepares to teach classes at Oklahoma State University. Unlike some of his faculty colleagues who wear OSU ties to work, Hoback chooses the perfect insectthemed necktie.

Ties to Teaching

the available pile that will be used as a teaching tool during lecture.”

This early morning routine is typical for Hoback, who is an entomology and plant pathology professor. He knows the importance of creating unique teaching methods to spark students’ interests, he said, and one method he uses is pairing his neckties to his lectures.

“I have 84 arthropod-themed ties separated into two categories — available and already worn,” Hoback said. “Every morning, I choose a tie out of

In November 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities honored Hoback with the National Teaching and Student Engagement Award through the Excellence in College and University Teaching in Food and Agricultural Sciences award program. This award honors only two professors each year.

“Doing something I love and being recognized for it is amazing,” Hoback said. “It is very humbling and exciting.”

Hoback started his education at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in biology with an

emphasis in environmental science. After graduation, he worked in construction almost three years.

Hoback knew construction was not his life plan, he said, which led him to pursue a master’s degree in biology from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.

Within this program, he taught a biology laboratory section focusing on cell parts.

“My first teaching experience was teaching students outside of the biology major,” Hoback said. “However, I realized I was really enthusiastic about the students learning and being able to guide them in understanding biology concepts by using concrete examples.”

From that point, Hoback knew he

Teaching

wanted to become a college professor, he said. He soon pursued a doctorate in entomology from the University of Lincoln-Nebraska because of his passion for teaching and his love for nature, Hoback said. He then started a teaching position at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

“I taught there 15 years and became a full professor with tenure before accepting an assistant professor position at OSU and essentially starting over,” Hoback said.

The 51-year-old’s passion for teaching entomology to students motivated him to accept the OSU position in 2013, he said.

“The main part of the position was teaching an Insects in Society course

Entomology associate professor receives national award

to all majors,” Hoback said. “Teaching students of all majors, not just one, is the most important job a university professor has.”

He said he enjoys his position and strives to teach concepts students can apply to their own lives, he said. He hopes to help people become more scientifically literate by making his lectures fun and interesting, he added.

“On the first day of class each semester, I bring a live Cicada killer wasp and allow it to sting me,” Hoback said. “I sting myself to show students the Cicada killer is not as big of a deal as the media portrays.”

Cicada killer wasps are commonly mistaken as the murder hornet from Asia, Hoback said. Students enjoy this

demonstration, he said, and it helps grab their attention. He tries to show students the importance of understanding entomology, he added.

In addition to classroom teaching, Hoback serves as the undergraduate curriculum coordinator for the entomology programs.

“It is quite impressive how many students he recruits for the department,” said Phil Mulder, head of the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.

“He is entertaining and engaging,” Mulder added. “He serves as a great source of information on just about anything related to nature.”

Hoback takes his teaching a step further by mentoring students, like

Wyatt Hoback has 84 arthropodthemed neckties he uses during lectures. Photo by Justin Dewbre.

Melissa Reed, entomology and plant pathology doctoral student.

“Dr. Hoback is the reason I decided to pursue my degree in entomology,” Reed said. “He helped me get a job and motivated me to fulfill my potential.

“With his help, I have published my own scientific findings,” Reed added. “He truly cares about the education and the success of his students.”

the same kind and compassionate guy in and outside of class.”

William Hoback said he is not surprised his father received a prestigious national award.

Wyatt Hoback will forever be the professor, friend and mentor you want on your team. Phil Mulder

Wyatt Hoback is married to Kerri Farnsworth-Hoback, OSU graduate program coordinator, and they have three children Molly, William and Allison. Molly and William Hoback attend OSU.

As a young boy, William Hoback, theatre junior, dreamed of having his father as a teacher, he said, and his dreams came true in Spring 2020.

“My dad operates fairly and did not treat me differently because we are family,” William Hoback said. “He is

Wyatt Hoback cares about teaching others and invests in his students’ futures, his son said.

“He is doing what he loves and found a way to turn his passion into his career,” William Hoback said.

Wyatt Hoback enjoys many things outside of teaching, including coaching Little League softball, playing video games, and guiding people to achieve their true potential, William Hoback said.

“He wants everyone to work hard and achieve their goals,” William Hoback said. “When he coaches, his focus is not on winning but improving.”

Wyatt Hoback is an effective professor, coach and father, William Hoback added, and understands the importance of compassion and honesty.

“My dad is my role model,” William Hoback said. “He does more than teach. He inspires others and changes the course of their lives.”

William Hoback said he is proud of his dad.

Wyatt Hoback receiving the USDAAPLU award distinguishes the OSU entomology program, Mulder said. It brings positive and constructive attention to the department and the university as a whole, he added.

“Wyatt Hoback will forever be the professor, friend and mentor you want on your team,” Mulder said.

Wyatt Hoback is deserving of this award, Mulder added.

“He is making an impact and will continue to do so, not for himself or for recognition, but for the success of others,” William Hoback said.

Wyatt Hoback brings various insects to class to educate his students. Photo by Todd Johnson.

HAILEA HOOTEN-FRIELING STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA

' 00;05:18

Faculty use Swivl technology during classes to incorporate virtual students into the discussion. Photo by Maggie Neufeld.

EMPOWERING

EDUCATION

Distance learning powered by innovative teaching methods

Normal is defined as conforming to a standard: usual, typical, expected. The fall semester at Oklahoma State University was anything but normal. However, faculty and staff within the Ferguson College of Agriculture used this opportunity to find new, unexpected ways to be innovative with their methods of educating students.

Katy Teixeira, Swivl resource post-doctoral instructor, said faculty and staff knew they were going to be teaching through a hybrid approach of both in-person and online classes because of COVID-19.

“We needed to be able to broadcast teachers’ classes in case students couldn’t come to class,” Teixeira said.

With the entire world trying to go online and virtual, finding available technology proved to be a major struggle, said Mike Rasmussen, Ferguson College of Agriculture computer support specialist.

“We struggled to find supplies for things as simple as a laptop,” Rasmussen said. “Even webcams were unavailable because everybody was using virtual communication tools.”

As the fall semester approached, faculty and staff searched for a solution that would be easy for people to understand and easy to teach how to use them, Rasmussen said.

“We were fortunate a department within the college was using this

technology we’d never actually heard of called Swivl,” Rasmussen said.

Swivl is a robot and mobile application combination that connects to a mobile device, Teixeira said.

This technology has been used by faculty and students in agricultural education to record students’ lessons and agricultural education student-teachers in their cooperating centers, she added, as well as used in agricultural communications and agricultural leadership classes.

“We use Swivl in agricultural education as a feedback mechanism and had not thought about it in terms of using it to broadcast our lectures live with good audio,” Teixeira said.

Swivl is a tool that works with a mobile device and can be used anywhere on campus, Rasmussen said.

“Faculty members wanted to make sure that it was a fluid technology so they wouldn’t have to worry about readapting and relearning how to use it again,” Rasmussen said.

Cynda Clary, Ferguson College of Agriculture associate dean, said the flexibility of Swivl was one of the most important reasons for implementing the technology.

“We are using a lot of spaces that haven’t always been used as a classroom,” Clary said. “So, in order to spread out, we didn’t want to install something in there permanently.”

Swivl has the capability of tilting

SWIVLfor Distance Learning

a robot that spins,” Rasmussen said. “So, even if you’re in a classroom, field or anywhere moving around, you don’t have to have a cameraman.

“This technology does all the work of a second person,” Rasmussen said. “So, that’s another huge benefit of why we went with Swivl.”

The tracking technology captures the professors’ enthusiasm, which is a characteristic of effective teaching, Teixeira said.

“The robot is able to pan and follow the professor around the room, and that gives them the freedom to continue to do what they do without feeling tied down to a desk or lectern,” Teixeira said.

This feature allows professors to broadcast classes live with Zoom, Teixeira said.

Professors are able to teach what they are teaching and continue to do what they do well.

“They are able to share that classroom experience with students live without causing a huge disruption,” Teixeira said. “If they were just Zooming, they would have to be standing at a computer.”

Katy Teixeira

“We’ve realized to hear students live through Zoom, professors need to have an external speaker,” Teixeira said. “The next big rollout will be purchasing speakers for the robots.”

Students also are able to interact in class while their professor is teaching, Rasmussen said.

“They have the possibility to ask questions even though they aren’t in the room and have them actively

The ability to use Swivl long term outweighed the associated costs and effort to implement the technology, Rasmussen said.

“With something like Swivl, we found a niche where you didn’t have to actively have an internet connection to use it,” Rasmussen said.

In addition to livestreaming with

“A lot of the faculty who are also on an extension appointment are really excited about what this is going to do for their extension part,” Teixeira said. “They can go out, give trainings, record those trainings, and put them online.”

The biggest takeaway from using Swivl is how teachers are still able to lecture as they normally would, Teixeira said.

“Faculty have really taken off with it and are doing a great job with the technology,” Teixeira said. “One of the neat things is looking on the Swivl Cloud and seeing the different ways people are using it.”

one sitting.”

Muriana said he is excited about the added teaching opportunities Swivl provides outside of the classroom.

“I’m a food microbiologist, so maybe I can take a trip to a plant somewhere, and I can’t maybe bring the whole class, but they can attend via Zoom while my graduate student and I are on a tour through the facility discussing the ramifications of certain processes,” Muriana said.

Swivl technology is going to lend itself to a greater volume of online classes, which could benefit the university, Muriana said.

“There are students who can’t get to campus,” Muriana said. “By assembling experiences, Clary said.

Peter Muriana, animal and food

what they are doing in the classroom and what they are doing for online students, Muriana added.

“I’m really proud of the leadership for having the foresight to make this technology available to faculty members,” Teixeira said. “Professors are able to teach what they are teaching and continue to do what they do well. We’ve empowered them to be able to do that with this technology.”

Jacob Auer (left) and Jacob Kettner add another log to the fire halfway through their field test of the drying machine. Photo by JD Graumann.

sparked

Students design new grain-drying machine for developing nations

when farmers in developing nations finish harvest, they prepare the crop for drying in the sun. They must fight animals, thieves and other forces to protect the harvest and feed their families. Their success — or failur e — may be the difference in the family’s survival.

Two Oklahoma State University students pursuing biosystems engineering degrees — Jacob Auer, a senior, and Jacob Kettner, a junior — have developed a machine to help these farmers dry their crops in a more efficient manner.

“I asked my professor for ideas for a project,” Auer said. “She told me about a previous student’s grain-drying machines.”

With a previous set of machines on which to base their design, Auer and Kettner began their project for a corn-drying machine.

“I wanted to build a machine to help agriculturalists in developing nations,” Auer said.

With the help of Rob Agnew, OSU fire protection and safety engineering technology professor, Auer and Kettner worked with the previous designs to develop a new, simpler design.

“Initially, their design consisted of three axial fans stacked on top of each other,” Agnew said. “The problem with their initial design was that smoke contains moisture, and that caused problems with the drying process.”

With the exposure to smoke causing drying problems, Auer and Kettner changed their design to include one centrifugal fan, Agnew said. The fan blows air into the corn.

The fan is attached to a pipe that transports air from a set of copper pipes, which are heated using fire.

This heat is used to dry the corn. The corn is dried to make storage of the corn last longer and be more resistant to fungus, Agnew said.

“The hottest point of the fire reaches about 650 degrees Fahrenheit,” Kettner said. “From the pipes to the corn, some heat is lost, so the full heat is not being blown through the corn. However, the machine cuts the drying process from a few days to about four to five hours.”

During a test of the machine, Auer and Kettner tried wood instead of charcoal as their main fuel source.

“Initially, we used charcoal, but we wanted to make sure this design would work with cheaper options, such as firewood or other flammable materials,” Kettner said.

The initial tests of the machine used corn as a subject because of its availability and because in the countries

where they hope to use this machine, farmers have an abundance of the crop, Auer said.

“When we put corn into the machine, it will have a moisture content of around 19%,” Kettner said.

“By the time we are done drying it, we can get it down to around 13% to 14%.”

Holding two to three bushels in the drying bin, the machine was designed to be small and easy to use for family farmers and other small farms in developing nations, Kettner said.

I wanted to build a machine to help agriculturalists in developing nations.

Jacob Auer

“We hope to change this machine so it can be used for grains other than corn,” Kettner said.

However, the design would need to be modified to have a smaller mesh at the bottom of the bin to keep the grains from falling into the fan.

After drying in the machine, the moisture content is more ready for storage than if the corn had been sun dried in the same amount of time, Auer said. In developing nations, it takes one to three days to dry naturally by using the sun, he added.

“The biggest component of the machine is the bin itself,” Auer said. “After the bin, the fan is probably the heaviest component in the machine.

“Most of the drying machines in the United States are large to compensate for the amount of grain being dried,” Auer said. “But in the developing nations, it is mainly family farms or very small farms.”

The students wanted to ensure their machine was effective even at its small size, Auer said.

“Other than the corn that is being dried, the machine is surprisingly lightweight,” Kettner said.

They hope the lightweight components and simple operation will help make life easier for agriculturalists in developing nations, Kettner said.

The driers will cut time used for drying grain, giving agriculturalists in developing nations more time for other projects and aspects in their lives, Auer said.

“With the tests we are doing now, we feel we have a solid design for use in the field,” Kettner said.

The pair plans to build and ship driers by the first half of 2021, Auer said.

“The machine will cost about $750 to $900 to make,” Auer said.

Auer hopes to keep the costs down both in manufacturing the machine and shipping it to developing nations, he said.

“This machine is very feasible for its purpose,” Agnew said. “They have a good design that will do its job.”

JD GRAUMANN WEATHERFORD, OKLAHOMA

wireframe model of the drying machine. Diagram by Jacob Auer.

1921

Oklahoma A&M Meat Science begins with “Farm Meats” class.

1937

Farmers Week is held in the Meats Laboratory.

1956

Robert L. Henrickson begins his 31-year career as an OSU meat scientist.

OSU MEAT SCIENCE CELEBRATES

F1926

Oklahoma A&M creates Meat Judging Team.

rom Fred Beard’s first farm meats class in 1921 to today, the Oklahoma State University meat science program has developed tradition and a standard of excellence for a century.

“The meat science program has historically been an outstanding program because of the success in the early years,” said Fred Ray, 1978-2003 OSU Extension animal foods specialist.

“While at OSU, I gathered information that Lowell Walters, John Guenther and Robert Henrickson provided and shared with the public, consumers and producers,” he added.

Ray said he started working with these “wise ones” to continue to expand the rapidly excelling program.

“The tradition of meat science at OSU is rich, and no one can go into a meat company without meeting another OSU meat science alumnus,” said Jason Apple, chair of animal science and veterinary technology at Texas

1946

Lowell E. Walters begins his 38-year career as an OSU meat scientist.

A&M University-Kingsville and 1987 OSU animal science alumnus. “In discovering meat science, I also met my 10 dearest and closest friends.”

In the OSU meat science program students learn about food production from live-animal production through processing to retail display life, said Deb VanOverbeke, assistant dean for academic programs in the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

“Meat science is terribly complex,” said Jake Nelson, FAPC meat processing specialist and facility manager.

“There are so many moving parts, and it takes a lot of effort for retail meat to hit the shelves.”

The OSU meat science program partners with various processing and packaging leaders to assist graduate students in getting industry exposure, Nelson said.

“Students who graduate from this program succeed in the industry because of the research and real-life

experience they receive here at OSU,” Nelson said.

Graduate and undergraduate stu dents at OSU have an amazing ability to reach out to industry leaders for guidance and mentorship, Ray said.

“My time at OSU in the late ’80s taught me so many life skills including time management, analytical skills, presenting written information in a timely and meaningful way, and how to work as a team,” said Bucky Gwartney, international marketing specialist for USDA marketing service and 1987 OSU animal science alumnus.

Those traits are still relevant for today’s meat judging students who will be working in the agricultural industry, Gwartney said.

“Agriculture feeds the world,” VanOverbeke said. “Protein is a key part, so by having a food science degree, the ultimate goal is to have meat scientists hired in every aspect of product development.”

1978

Fred Ray begins his 25-year career as an OSU meat scientist.

2006

Food science major is added for students in the Department of Animal Science.

CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL

1958

John L. Guenther begins his 33-year career as an OSU meat scientist.

This year, about 75 students are involved in meat science. They work in the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, work in research labs, and participate on the judging team or in other meat science activities, said Gretchen Mafi, professor and Boulware endowed chair in the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

“At OSU, we have created a culture for growing the minds of our students to not only become successful in their chosen careers but also evolving into amazing young people,” Mafi said.

Creating opportunities for students to intern and learn from industry-leading experts is one of the many reasons OSU meat science is a tremendous program, Ray said.

During the past 100 years, only two meat processing facilities have housed students and faculty: the OSU meat laboratory built in 1932 and FAPC, Nelson said. The meat laboratory was

1996

OSU breaks ground on the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center.

demolished in 1994 to start construction on FAPC.

FAPC is a state-of-the-art facility built to enhance food production and allow students to learn and develop the skills needed to help address global food insecurity, Nelson said.

“FAPC collaborates with state, national and international partners getting meat products marketed to consumers,” Nelson said.

OSU alumni have expanded into many careers within the meat industry throughout the past century, including research and development meat scientists, food safety specialists, meat marketing managers, and production managers, Mafi said.

“Being able to send students into the industry where they are making huge impacts in food and meat science is something to be proud of,” VanOverbeke said.

Giving students the meat science option in 2018 was a huge step forward

2018

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences is re-named and adds a meat science option.

for the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences, VanOverbeke said.

“Historically, students have done extremely well getting industry exposure from leading individuals around the country,” Ray said.

Within the next 100 years, the effort to feed the world and sustain high-quality meat products will continue, Mafi said.

“There has been such a rich tradition starting with faculty that trickles down to students who come back to become involved alumni,” Mafi said. “Meat science has had a great 100 years, but we expect an even better next 100.”

TAILOR FIELDS WYNONA, OKLAHOMA

WORKING through ADVERSITY

Students adapt to change in their internships

In Spring 2020, as students identified summer internships, they discovered many of their plans changed because of COVID-19.

Despite this challenge, many students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture made the most of their internship experiences, including seniors Lauren Millang, Ridge Hughbanks and Kaela Cooper.

Continuing Virtually

While most interns faced the task of moving their positions online, Millang, agricultural communications senior, was already there.

In spring 2019, Millang began an internship with Vivayic, a virtual company that consults, strategizes, and designs projects related to learning, training and knowledge transfer.

While working with Vivayic, Millang completed two summer internships with the company where she developed resources such as animal flashcards and online learning modules for different company clients.

“Vivayic is a virtual company, and the employees work from home,” Millang said. “The really cool thing is that it allows people to balance their home life and their families.

“I have learned how to use technology so well that when COVID-19

happened, it was a little bit easier for me to adjust to my classes, and I felt more prepared overall,” she said.

During her internship, a typical week for Millang began with a Monday morning conference call to discuss projects with her manager and co-workers as well as team calls and project calls.

Millang’s large project during her summer internship involved creating professional development events for teachers across the United States.

“Before COVID-19, the events were going to be in-person, massive events that involved in-person professional development trainings at various locations,” Millang said.

Social distancing requirements meant Millang had to learn how to transform this production into a completely virtual experience, she said, including how to set up the information for a Zoom-based conference and make different types of promotional videos for social media.

Prior to the pandemic, Vivayic staff would travel to visit clients, attend industry conferences, and host quarterly team meetings. However, travel and in-person meetings were limited during the pandemic.

Millang said she enjoyed her internship and plans to join the Vivayic team

full time as a learning designer following her graduation.

“I’ve really appreciated that I found a company that values my own personal growth,” she said.

A Hybrid Model

Hughbanks, agribusiness senior, had a different experience than Millang. His internship was a hybrid.

Hughbanks served as a public policy intern with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Federation, which consisted of working remotely for three days a week and in person the other two days.

“I was a public policy team member working alongside the executive director and the president on some special projects,” Hughbanks said.

After his internship with American Farm Bureau in Washington, D.C., was postponed, Hughbanks said he reached out to various mentors in an effort to find an available internship. He then reached out to OKFBF, who created a position for him.

“I find myself feeling extremely fortunate for how the cards fell and for their willingness to bring me on as an intern under these circumstances,” Hughbanks said.

During Hughbanks’ internship, he studied the supply and demand of beef processing, planned an innovative

farmer panel meeting to discuss a potential future rural venture fund project, and represented OKFBF on a statewide beef task force hosted by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

The goal was to determine why major disruptions occurred in U.S. beef markets, and share this information with OKFBF members, he said.

“I was studying what was causing these events, why there were apparent lapses in the value chain, and what were the implications of these findings on beef processing moving forward,” Hughbanks said.

Hughbanks said communications during COVID-19 made part of his internship difficult.

At times Hughbanks had to travel out of his way to find a professional working environment with a strong enough internet connection to be in virtual meetings, he said.

because he worked on assignments with real-world implications, he said.

“Whenever you are doing a job that matters, it makes it easy to be excited about going to work,” Hughbanks said. “It was such a good summer because we found solutions with the potential to perpetuate real change.”

Adapting to Change

A week before her internship, she and four other interns were assigned to a district where the supervisor was gone on maternity leave, she said.

This meant those five interns managed their supervisor’s sales in the district, which included two states.

However, not all interns had easy transitions into the virtual work place.

Cooper, animal science senior, served as a companion animal sales intern with Elanco Animal Health.

Cooper attended the Agriculture Future of America conference in October 2019, where she attended a career fair and met representatives from Elanco.

Whenever you are doing a job that matters, it makes it easy to be excited about going to work.

Ridge Hughbanks

A week after the AFA conference, Elanco flew her to Indiana for a second interview.

“In the end, I was really thankful for the experience because I got the most sales experience I could with the situation rather than having one project,” she said.

Cooper did not deny the internship had some difficulties.

“I had to be ready for work around 5:30 a.m. most days because of the time difference,” she said.

She gained most of her experience through emailing with customers, however, the Elanco teams did have Zoom calls on Wednesday and Friday mornings, she said.

Hughbanks knew this was something everyone had to work through, and it did not deter him from making the most of a great experience, he said. He had a general excitement

“A month before the internship began, I found out it was going to be virtual,” Cooper said. “I was supposed to be going to live in Minneapolis for 12 weeks in a hotel.

“I ended up doing my internship from California, and it went to eight weeks instead of 12,” she said.

Cooper said being moved to a virtual experience was a “let down” because she could not see new areas or experience the agriculture there, but she was grateful to have learned from her internship experience.

TAYLOR WOOD PANHANDLE, TEXAS

Lauren Millang (left), Ridge Hughbanks and Kayla Cooper joined many virtual meetings during their internships. Photos by Taylor Wood.

Peaches are available from mid-June to early October at Livesay Orchards near Porter, Oklahoma. Photo by Justin Dewbre.

Livesay Orchard thrives through family tree

ne man with one dream making one purchase was all it took for Austin Livesay.

As a man who attended an electrical school in Chicago, he changed his life’s direction when he purchased the land that became Livesay Orchards in Porter, Oklahoma.

Now in its third generation, the family-operated orchard is owned by Kent and Steve Livesay, Austin Livesay’s great-nephews who continue his legacy.

“Many businesses do not survive three generations,” Steve Livesay said.

“Family is important.”

Austin Livesay wanted to purchase the orchard in the 1940s, when the richness and quality of the soil drew him in, Kent Livesay said.

Although Austin Livesay was unable to afford the purchase at the time, he expressed his interest in the farm should it ever come up for sale. More than 20 years later, he had his opportunity, Kent Livesay said.

“My great uncle was not in the fruit tree business at the time he bought the orchard,” Kent Livesay said. “He was a big cotton farmer.

“In 1966, he instantly had 100 acres of orchard — 55 acres of peaches and 45 acres of apples,” he added.

After Austin Livesay’s death in 1969, David Livesay’s family assumed ownership of the orchard in 1970.

Today, the orchard has 140 acres of peaches, 15 acres of apples, and numerous other crops planted, such as pumpkins, watermelons, vegetables

and various grain crops, such as soybeans and corn.

Kent Livesay oversees the retail store and wholesale market, while brother Steve Livesay is in charge of machinery and overseeing the crop production side of the business.

The brothers both graduated from Oklahoma State University with degrees in agronomy.

The family’s foundation of determination and perseverance allows the business to grow and thrive, Steve Livesay said.

“Each person has to fulfill his or her responsibilities,” Kent Livesay said. “You have to compromise and work together to accomplish your goals.”

The Livesay family’s heritage and strong work ethic is noticed by the public, said Whitney Wilkinson, Oklahoma Agritourism coordinator.

“They all pour their hearts and souls into their farm,” Wilkinson said. “They are successful because of that. People visit the orchard because they want to be a part of that family environment.”

Whether at the farm, at the farm’s own market, or at Kent and Dawna Livesay’s Peach Barn, the Livesay family works hard with smiles on their faces, Wilkinson said.

While the orchard is a business, it also made way for stronger family ties, said Dawna Livesay, Kent’s wife and Livesay Orchards’ bookkeeper.

“It strengthens our family,” she said. “We have the opportunity to work together and spend a lot of time together. It makes us a close family unit.”

Steve Livesay’s wife, Brenda, works on the farm and is an integral part of production. Both brothers’ children work on the farm, as well, even in their adult years.

The business also has played an important part in the community, Steve Livesay said. The Livesay family participates in the local Lion’s Club, which organizes the annual Porter Peach Festival.

“Having peaches here is an integral part to Porter,” Steve Livesay said. “The peaches are really what draw people to Porter from surrounding

Steve Livesay prepares for soybean harvest. Photo by Justin Dewbre.

areas, in some cases from well over 100 miles away.”

However, because of COVID-19, the Lion’s Club faced the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 festival, Steve Livesay added.

“The COVID-19 pandemic added numerous challenges in how we do things,” he said. “We’ve tried to keep people as safe as possible.”

Although school tours will not be available this year, the Livesays implemented an online system for the public to schedule times to visit the pumpkin patch and hayride at the orchard.

This system has proved to be beneficial at various agritourism farms across the state, Wilkinson said.

“When people make appointments, they’re more likely to show up,” she said. “They have more at stake.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people spent an extended period of time inside in quarantine, Wilkinson said, which often caused them to seek local places to buy their food.

“Schools were shut down,” Wilkinson added, “and a lot of typical businesses were all shut down with the exception of agritourism farms.”

Livesay Orchards had a part in producing quality food for public purchase, Steve Livesay said.

Although the family is still adapting to the daily changes, the plan is to reflect after COVID-19 to discuss changes worth implementing long term, Steve Livesay said.

Regardless of what the future has in store, the Livesay family will remain focused on growing the business by providing multiple products customers desire and need, Steve Livesay said.

“The family legacy is a very big deal,” he added. “It’s something we are happy we were included in from the last generation and are hopeful for the next generation.”

DIBBLE, OKLAHOMA

JUSTIN DEWBRE

Kent Livesay oversees sales at Livesay Orchards. Photo by Justin Dewbre.

Milk on

Technology. Innovation. Efficiency. At the Oklahoma State University Ferguson Family Dairy Center, these ideals came to fruition with the installation of a robotic milker in Fall 2020.

Following the completion of a new free-stall dairy barn in 2018, the obvious question of “What’s next?” arose, said Clint Rusk, head of the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

Larry and Kayleen Ferguson were among those looking toward the future of the dairy, said Nicole Sanders, OSU

dairy herd manager. Because of their desire to keep OSU dairy students on the cutting edge of technology and research, the Fergusons had a robotic milker in mind, she added.

“The Fergusons have helped open new doors that weren’t possible for us otherwise,” Sanders said.

The robotic milker is a valuable asset for students and producers to experience firsthand, Rusk said.

“A part of our role as a land-grant university is to provide education and to take knowledge to the producers,” Rusk said.

By allowing producers to view OSU’s milker, they can learn about the technology while also building a positive relationship with the university, he added.

“The agricultural way of life, in my opinion, is a great one,” Rusk said. “If we can help producers to be more efficient and help that livelihood, I think there’s a better chance to get their children to go back to the farm and continue that operation in the future.”

The opportunity for Oklahoma dairy producers to spend a day at the Ferguson Family Dairy Center learning

Demand

the management style and operations of a robotic facility could impact their decisions of whether to implement similar technology on their own farms, said Stephanie Dillon, DeLaval advisory specialist.

DeLaval is the milking equipment and technology provider of the robotic milker. Dillon assisted the OSU dairy center staff with the final stages of the milker installation in October 2020.

“OSU has the VMS™ V300,” Dillon said. “That’s the newest model available right now, which DeLaval came out with in 2018.”

This technology comes equipped with time-of-flight cameras, which create a 3D-image of the teat, Dillon said. This image ensures the robot knows exactly where to go, making milking attachment almost instant, she added.

“What we’ve found with the transition to the time-of-flight camera and the DeLaval insight technology that programs it is we’re doing a better job attaching to a variety of udders,” Dillon said. “This model attaches to them almost instantly, so it’s a very minimal stress experience for the cows.”

OSU officials chose to use a freeflow robotic system, allowing the cows to be milked whenever they choose throughout the day, Dillon said. This means cows stand in line in a holding area. To entice them to visit the robotic milker, they are fed as they are being milked, she added.

Once entering the milker, the cows have their teats cleaned by the robot to ensure proper sanitation, Dillon said. Then, they are milked while eating, which usually takes about six minutes.

When they finish, the milker then sorts them back to their original free

stalls, which is crucial for the OSU dairy setup because of housing both Jersey and Holstein breeds, she added.

Jerseys and Holsteins have differences in size and stature, so they are sorted in separate pens to allow proper care and nutrition, Dillon said.

For dairy producers, robotic milkers present many benefits to potentially advance their operations, Rusk said.

“Innovation and efficiency allow some producers to survive while others may not,” Rusk said. “If we continue to milk cows like dairy producers did in the 1950s and 1960s, I don’t think they would be as competitive in today’s market.”

completely replace all milking systems, Dillon said.

“In the dairy industry, we’re seeing a lot of the really large farms going to a combined system,” she said.

You’re taking that time spent milking and devoting it to the health of the animals, to the feed or to the nutrition.

Stephanie Dillon

In this combined system, the problematic, sick or first-time cows are milked in a traditional manner in the parlor. The healthy, productive cows are milked by the robot, reducing the amount of labor and human interaction with these cows, Dillon said.

“Cows using the robotic system get to live a more relaxed lifestyle,” Dillon said. “They produce more milk because they are more relaxed.”

producers to overcome labor shortage challenges by reducing the number of employees needed, Rusk noted.

For this reason, Dillon said robotic milkers can benefit large and small producers. On her family’s operation, robotic milkers have allowed them to gain economic efficiency, she added.

“When we started with robotics, we were at about 180 cows,” Dillon said.

“It’s allowed us to grow by almost 100 milking animals and not add any additional labor to our farm.”

Rusk said he expects an efficiency increase because the cows have 24-hour access to be milked by the robotic milker.

Dillon said the robot system has changed dairy producers’ way of thinking from pounds of milk per cow to total pounds of milk produced.

Robotic milkers are the future of the dairy industry, even if they do not

Along with making the cows more relaxed, robotic milkers allow

“Robotics are just a part of this revolution the dairy industry and

As the cows enter the milker, their digital ID is scanned on their ear tags, and the pen adjusts to fit their size. Photo by Madi Baughman.

agriculture in general are going through right now,” Dillon said. “You have to be business-minded to stay in the dairy industry or to stay in agriculture in general.”

Sanders, who ensures OSU’s cows are trained to the process, said she looks forward to learning what additional information they can track through the new milking system.

With advanced data collection, Dillon said producers can find illness faster and see the cow’s specific production levels in a more detailed way than with previous tracking systems.

To track the progress of individual cows, the machine scans their radio frequency identification tags, or RFID tags, as they walk into the milker, Dillon said.

This allows producers to spend less time milking and more time monitoring their herd, she added.

“You’re taking that time spent milking and devoting it to the health of the animals, to the feed or to the nutrition,” Dillon said.

In the long run, this new technology is pushing producers to become better managers, she added.

Most of all, having access to a robotic milker allows OSU students to become more well-rounded individuals with unique agricultural experiences, Rusk said.

“I wanted this technology at the OSU Ferguson Family Dairy Center because I think it’s important to give our students an advantage when they apply for a job in the dairy industry,” Rusk said.

This experience with the robotic milker is valuable not only to students wanting to work on dairy farms but also to students who want jobs as feed advisers, veterinarians or any other

profession interacting with the dairy industry, Dillon said.

“This robotic milker experience is so valuable for all of the students who are going to be at the university and working at the university because this is the future,” Dillon said.

Allowing students the opportunity for hands-on learning will draw them to Stillwater and the dairy specifically, Sanders said.

By doing this, OSU can build a dairy program all of those involved in the dairy — past and present — have dreamed of, she added.

Using 3D imaging technology, the robot attaches the milkers to each individual udder quickly. Photo by Madi Baughman.

This system allows production per pound to be tracked on each individual udder. Photo by Madi Baughman.

MADI BAUGHMAN

LONE GROVE, OKLAHOMA

ACl•lthough some differencemakers follow a guided, direct path, others find their way in an unforeseen manner.

Such was the case for Alexa Wilcox, the 26-year-old executive director of Field of Hope, a non-profit serving Uganda and India.

“I explain my work to a lot of people as we are loving our neighbors through agriculture,” said Wilcox, an Oklahoma State University alumna, “understanding that our neighbors are the people who live in this life with us.”

Wilcox works eight months of the year from her family’s horse ranch in Bowie, Texas, and the other four months alongside the Field of Hope

team in Uganda. For Wilcox, the excitement she brings to her role with Field of Hope grew from a passion for connecting with people, she said.

Growing up on a 16,000-acre cattle ranch in rural southeastern Colorado with eight siblings, Wilcox spent her childhood rooted in the hard work of production agriculture, shaped by the responsibility to care for others and colored by the excitement of rodeo, she said. Her high-achieving involvement in breakaway roping, the rodeo queen circuit, a youth ministry, and membership in 4-H and FFA instilled the value of earnestly seeking to serve a larger purpose than herself, she said.

“Field of Hope is wonderfully

served by Alexa’s experience in rodeo,” said Mike Hafner, co-founder of Field of Hope and former executive director. “When you get bucked off a horse, you get back on and ride it out. Agriculture development work has its share of challenges, as well. You have to have toughness and resilience to get back to the task at hand after a setback.”

The opportunity to rodeo at the collegiate level came to fruition for Wilcox at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where she met her future husband and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications in 2016.

“I have three passions — agricultur e, people, and my walk with God,”

OSU alumna leads international non-profit

Wilcox said. “My undergraduate degree in agricultural communications was the perfect opportunity to combine those first two things.”

Her extensive rodeo background at the national level and internship experiences at the Austin and San Antonio rodeos formed a passionate career trajectory, she said. However, following her graduation from Texas Tech, Wilcox stumbled onto the path fate would have her follow.

In June 2016, Wilcox began the OSU Master of International Agriculture Program while continuing her investment in collegiate rodeo.

She was a member of the OSU Rodeo team in the 2016-2017 academic

year, her first year at OSU, and then served as a team assistant coach during the 2017-2018 academic year.

The following summer, Wilcox gained hands-on experience as an intern with Field of Hope, where she developed enthusiasm for a career in global agriculture, she said. During that time, Wilcox completed her thesis research on the phenomenon of women’s empowerment projects and compiled a report describing the women’s experiences for the Field of Hope board of directors.

“In that first trip, I took the approach of just wanting to learn,” Wilcox said. “I didn’t want to provide solutions yet. The point was to learn

from the women’s perspective what they really thought about the Field of Hope programs.”

This lesson — striving to learn continuously — is one Wilcox credited to one of her mentors, Craig Edwards, an agricultural education professor and Wilcox’s graduate adviser and committee panel chair.

“Alexa has great passion for her work and is deeply committed to it,” Edwards said. “For her, it is not only a professional commitment. It is a personal commitment and passion. That was evident to me early on.”

Women in the rural areas of developing nations are significantly marginalized, Edwards said, with most

Left: Alexa Wilcox (right) works side-by-side with Alex, a teacher at the Village of Hope Children’s Home. Right: Alexa Wilcox (left) works with Walter Okullu while in Uganda. Photos courtesy of Alexa Wilcox.

lower quality of education and fewer opportunities, he said.

“Wilcox’s long-standing interest in women’s equality is a deep and burning passion,” Edwards said.

As Wilcox continued with Field of Hope, she said she realized the friendships with the Ugandans she worked with and the depth of their collaboration was unique.

“In the sixth week of my eight-week trip, I called my now-husband and told him, ‘I think God wants me to do this as a career. I feel like I can make a big difference here,’” she said.

Hafner said he also recognized the natural fit and excitement Wilcox brought to the organization. He and other members of the leadership team decided they had to have her as Field of Hope’s first paid staff member.

She had an unmatched resiliency — a rock-solid dedication to the job. Mike Hafner

Walter Okullu, the Field of Hope Ugandan country coordinator, described the dynamic of Africa as a multi-ethnic community of tribes.

“We have a lot of diversity in terms of cultural norms, and that is not very easy for someone who comes from the other side of the world,” Okullu said. “What I found really unique about Alexa was her ability to master the Ugandan culture.”

At women’s group functions, Wilcox would join the dancing and singing. She fell in love with the Ugandan people and they with her, Hafner said.

“A new maturity was starting to come forward,” Hafner said. “She was really picking up the vision of Field of Hope and starting to meld her youthful passion and exuberance with a real grounding of the reality of the challenges and difficulties of the people we serve.”

After completing her summer internship, Wilcox was invited back to Field of Hope in January 2018 for a fellowship. She was hired as the program coordinator and first paid employee in May 2018. The full-time role was intended to allow Wilcox to share the administrative responsibilities and strategic planning with Hafner, he

said, but as she excelled it turned into a process of coaching her to become the next executive director.

“I was so honored somebody like Alexa would agree to come on staff, given that we were such a small non-profit,” Hafner said. “We began to gradually give her more responsibility and were watching very carefully how she responded to the challenges and disappointments that took place. She had an unmatched resiliency — a rock-solid dedication to the job.”

In November 2019, Wilcox began her role as executive director. Now, in their visits to different groups, Okullu said if Wilcox is not introduced as the director, people do not realize she is the leader because of her humility, kindness and compassion.

Wilcox’s perseverant outlook and confidence is contagious, Hafner said, accrediting most of her demeanor and work ethic to her upbringing.

“When you are leading an organization, people want to see self-confidence,” Hafner said. “They want to see assurance. They want to see methodical practices put in place. With Alexa, they see that.”

Left: The Field of Hope teaching curriculum is a resource used by more than 230 teachers in Uganda. Center: Alexa Wilcox observes classrooms using Field of Hope curriculum while in Uganda. Right: Alexa Wilcox (right) has forged deep relationships with her Ugandan counterparts, including with Santa, chairwoman of the women’s group in Uganda’s Amolatar District. Photos courtesy of Alexa Wilcox.

Given the past civil unrest in Uganda and some cultural norms that marginalize women and youth, Okullu said a desperate need exists to treat neighbors as family.

“We learn a lot from the doctrine of Christ to love thy neighbor as yourself,” Okullu said. “It fell upon us as people who are working with Field of Hope, or who have been empowered in some way, to bridge the gap.”

Their team strives to share their blessings of knowledge, resources and experiences, Okullu said, and they can accomplish that goal because of Wilcox’s leadership.

“Going to work every day is a lot more exciting and a lot more rewarding just knowing that God is the reason I’m here,” Wilcox said. “God wanted me here for a reason. At the end of the day, it is all His work and success and not mine.”

GIVING HOPE

Founded in 2011, Field of Hope is a Christian non-profit dedicated to agricultural education and extension.

During the 20-year strife perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army in the 1990s and 2000s, northern Ugandan communities were displaced to camps and uprooted from their agricultural life, said Mike Hafner, co-founder of Field of Hope.

After the war, families began returning to their land, but their knowledge of agricultural practices had been all but destroyed, Hafner said.

Alongside co-founder Brandy Young, Hafner and his wife, Cathy, established Field of Hope to share agricultural knowledge to increase financial stability and, most importantly, to demonstrate God’s unconditional love for all people, he said. Since 2011, Field of Hope has worked to fulfill this goal through three pillars: youth agricultural education, smallholder farmer advancement and leadership development. Field of Hope accomplishes this by equipping local teachers, students and farmers to expand their agricultural knowledge and develop their businesses, he said.

Field of Hope now employs three full-time Ugandan staff members and has a nine-member board of directors. The non-profit has hosted 11 OSU students as fellows and provided teaching curriculum to more than 200 teachers in 2020. Field of Hope established a Ugandan office, developed a Ugandan university scholarship program, and awarded eight Student in Agriculture Grants with five more to come in the next year. Their efforts have expanded beyond northern Uganda to India, and they are exploring potential expansion in Rwanda, said Alexa Wilcox, OSU alumna and Field of Hope executive director.

ADRIENNE BLAKEY STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA

As a non-profit, the Field of Hope staff and board of directors are grateful for a wide variety of supporters who give their time, talents and resources that allow the mission to continue, Wilcox said. For more information about Field of Hope, visit www.fieldofhope.org.

The mission of Field of Hope is supported by donors who give their time, abilities and resources. Photo courtesy of Alexa Wilcox.

extendinghelping

Extension keeps serving amid pandemic

Through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Josh Campbell, Oklahoma County urban agricultural educator, said he sees a silver lining for Oklahoma State University Extension.

“Through this pandemic, our office has implemented a lot of improvements,” Campbell said. “We used to be a widely paper- based office, but I’ve learned how to better use Adobe programs and other technology.”

Campbell said having a closed office has been hard for him.

“I like to be the guy who is out on the producers’ farm sites, face to face, answering questions and making relationships with these men and women,” Campbell said. “But, since COVID-19 hit, we haven’t been able to do as much of that.”

been a lot of calls to our office by people who want to get into agriculture for the first time,” Campbell said.

From at-home gardeners to firsttime cattle buyers, people are gaining interest in agriculture, Campbell said.

“Whether it be because people are losing their jobs due to COVID-19 or just seeing the state of the world right now, more people are taking an interest in agriculture,” Campbell said.

During this pandemic, there have been a lot of calls to our office by people who want to get into agriculture for the first time.

This has driven the Oklahoma County Extension office to implement new classes for beginning farmers and ranchers, Campbell said.

Josh Campbell

“Because of the high demand and increase of people interested in getting into agriculture,” Campbell said, “we offered 12 all-day sessions covering the basics of beginning livestock and crop production.”

hands

assistant director and agricultural program leader, commended the many solutions offices around the state implemented.

“With regard to programming, new forms of outreach were added and other adaptations were made,” Taylor said. “Our county offices added drop boxes outside the offices for soil tests and more so that contactless hand-offs were possible.”

4-H camps and programs also looked different, Taylor said.

“Virtual 4-H activities became abundant, including contests from livestock judging to bake-offs,” Taylor said. “4-H Roundup was held virtually over several weeks with workshops and award ceremonies online.”

A lot of this was made possible by people stepping up, Taylor said.

“Volunteers stepped up in many ways, including making thousands of face masks,” Taylor said.

Even when he is not able to meet people in person, Campbell said he finds ways to help those in need.

“People will call my office and ask questions,” Campbell said. “If I find myself in over my head, there are people such as area agents and state specialists I can use as resources.”

Being a more tech-savvy office isn’t the only positive brought on by COVID-19, Campbell said.

“During this pandemic, there have

With the beginning farmer program kicking off, Campbell said the need for education has never been greater.

“Extension and education have never been more important,” Campbell said. “With the growth of the agricultural community in our county and the need for better understanding of the industry by the urban community, we have seen an increase in the use of OSU Extension.”

Randy Taylor, OSU Extension

Damona Doye, OSU Extension associate vice president, said some local extension offices struggled a bit during the initial closings.

“Limited broadband access at some employees’ houses caused the need to work from offices at times,” Doye said, “but many could work from home.

“Some offices around the state established shifts so that someone would be in the office during business hours,” Doye said, “but employee interaction was minimized.”

EXTENSION

FOOD DISTRIBUTION 3 -

From distributing food in Muskogee County (top two photos) to teaching irrigation system assessment in Oklahoma County, extension educators continued to help Oklahomans during the 2020 pandemic. Josh Campbell says working face to face with clientele is still the best part of his job. Photo by Todd Johnson

With mandates and guidelines varying across the nation and within the state, Doye said OSU Extension established their own safety requirements during the pandemic.

“Educators continued to respond to phone calls, emails, mail and texts,” Doye said. “We established uniform guidelines statewide for interacting with clientele and office procedures to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Doye said this pandemic brought challenges that led to unique and beneficial opportunities.

Doye said new interactive webinar series and online offerings were for youth audiences, as well.

“Interactions with youth in schools have changed in some places to include kit drop-offs with instruction via Zoom,” Doye said. “We have had to find new ways to reach our clientele while they observed the governor’s safer-athome policy.”

They have shown their land-grant spirit during a time that has been both personally and professionally challenging.

Damona Doye

“New programs offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture led to new educational programs to assist farmers and ranchers in understanding who was eligible and how to apply,” Doye said. “Webinar series have been conducted to address areas from herd health to livestock nutrition and forage management.”

Doye said she is confident OSU Extension handled the pandemic well.

“OSU Extension is a nimble organization, and we were able to quickly adapt to a fairly unknown digital delivery system,”

Doye said. “We continued to be an unbiased, research-based source of information for the public. We just had to find a different means to deliver that information.”

The pandemic will make communities stronger rather than drive people out of agriculture, Doye said.

“Society will continue to need the food and fiber that production agriculture provides,” Doye said. “While the pandemic has certainly created challenges, agricultural producers are perseverant, and the agricultural industry is resilient.”

Doye said the industry and her field of work has impressed her with its strength and flexibility.

“I am proud of the way our extension personnel have responded statewide,” she said. “They’ve learned new skills and continued to serve admirably while also often juggling childcare or virtual education at home.

“They have shown their land-grant spirit during a time that has been both personally and professionally challenging,” Doye added.

FREDERICK, OKLAHOMA

forward. moving you

Kathy Noltensmeyer knows a thing or two about hard work and dedication, so when the time came for her to leave a legacy, she could not think of a better way than giving back to her alma mater.

In September 2015, Noltensmeyer reached out to the Oklahoma State University Foundation on a mission to pay tribute to her late husband, Leo, and their family, Noltensmeyer said.

Noltensmeyer established the Leo and Kathy Noltensmeyer Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Precision Agriculture in December 2015.

“When my husband passed away in

2015, I really wanted to honor him and both of our families,” Noltensmeyer said. “I was inspired by the Ferguson College of Agriculture because of its ongoing research and ways to improve food and our daily lives, along with the close connection my husband had with food and farming.”

Noltensmeyer said she and her husband both have valued education. They both received their degrees from OSU. In 1965, she earned her degree in speech therapy, and he earned his degree in sales and marketing.

“After Leo’s passing, Kathy wanted to make a difference at OSU and

establish a legacy,” said Megan Smith, assistant director of development for the OSU Foundation. “The difference Kathy wanted to make was to improve the lives of people involved with agriculture by funding an endowment to conduct research.”

Though Noltensmeyer looked at several areas across the OSU campus, Smith said she focused on the former College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources — now the Ferguson College of Agriculture — to establish the Leo and Kathy Noltensmeyer Professorship.

“Her professorship has escalated to

Foundation

for Opportunity

OSU alumna creates legacy to honor her late husband and family

a chair, and they also created the Leo and Kathy Noltensmeyer Graduate Student Endowed Fellowship for Precision Agriculture,” Smith said.

Smith said a professorship and chair are the highest financial awards the university can bestow upon a faculty member, and the corresponding endowment will serve the university for countless years to come.

“Dean Thomas Coon of the Ferguson College of Agriculture really led me to choose the agricultural department when I was taking tours of all the different programs at OSU,” Noltensmeyer said. “He was so

forthcoming about the research they do, and I found it fascinating.”

The Noltensmeyers both came from agricultural backgrounds. She knew her husband would have been really interested in the college, which is why she felt it was the perfect fit, she said.

With Noltensmeyer’s philanthropic gifts, she hopes to make agriculturalists’ lives easier through gaining research and supporting those who are interested in improving food production, Smith said.

“I know how hard life can be when it comes to farming, so knowing I am able to do what I can to improve the

lives of people in agriculture makes me feel like I am doing what is right,” Noltensmeyer said.

Her continued support makes a difference in the lives of graduate and undergraduate students and provides additional research opportunities, Smith said.

One person in particular who benefits from the Noltensmeyer endowment is Ranjith Ramanathan, associate professor specializing in food science in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, Smith said. He holds the Leo and Kathy Noltensmeyer Endowed Research Professorship.

Kathy Noltensmeyer, a major donor in agricultural research, graduated from OSU in 1965 with a degree in speech therapy. Photo by Todd Johnson.

Ramanathan said his long-term research goal is to better understand the role of postmortem meat biochemistry to increase both the body of knowledge and economic benefits associated with improvements in muscle food appearance, particularly beef color.

“Kathy’s generosity and vision have helped many agriculture students and researchers like me be able to conduct creative research and do new things at OSU,” Ramanathan said. “Without the Noltensmeyer endowment funds, none of it would have been possible.”

someone, they write me a personal letter,” Noltensmeyer said.

Smith said Noltensmeyer is loved and respected by many at OSU. Even though Noltensmeyer is humble about her contributions, what she gives goes a long way, Smith said.

At the end of the day, I do what I can to improve the lives of others around me and at OSU.

Kathy

Noltensmeyer

Noltensmeyer said she looks forward to meeting all of the graduate students who benefit from her endowment and learning what type of research they do.

“One of my favorite things about supporting graduate students is each time the scholarship is awarded to

As a recognition for her support, the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources recognized Noltensmeyer’s with the DASNR Champion Award in 2019.

This award recognizes individuals with exceptional records of providing meaningful and lasting benefits to Oklahoma as part of the state’s production, processing and related agricultural industries, Smith said.

“When she received the DASNR Champion Award, she was extremely humbled about the recognition,” Smith said. “But with the continued support she provides OSU Agriculture, along with the university, the award was very much deserved.

“Kathy’s support to OSU makes a difference in the lives of so many and deserves to be recognized and celebrated,” Smith added.

Noltensmeyer often will understate her support as compared to others who contribute to OSU, Smith said.

“The truth is, her continued dedication creates opportunities for students and helps retain the top talent of faculty members,” Smith said.

With the legacy Noltensmeyer has created for herself and her late husband, their impact aids the university in creating top-notch research and education opportunities, Smith said.

“At the end of the day, I do what I can to improve the lives of others around me and at OSU,” Noltensmeyer said. “Knowing I’m doing exactly that with this legacy brings me great joy.”

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Visitors can now enter The Botanic Garden on the newly paved road between Highway 51 and the garden. Photo by Angel Liverman.

The smell of freshly bloomed flowers carries in the air as a slight breeze dusts the pollen away. A hummingbird zips past and lands in a nearby tree. From the distance comes the faint sound of water.

This sensory experience at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University now is available to more

Route Taking

people because of the new infrastructure at the garden, said Lou Anella, The Botanic Garden’s director and OSU horticulture professor.

“It’s imperative to make the garden accessible for older people, for those with disabilities, for families, and for the community,” Anella said.

The garden now has a paved road,

running from its Highway 51 entrance to the new paved parking lot in front of the sensory garden. Other recent improvements include paved walkways, new greenhouses, a new chicken coop and a new play area for children.

The road was one of the biggest projects completed in the summer, Anella said. Construction started June

OSU improves infrastructure at The Botanic Garden

1 and concluded with a drive-thru grand opening in mid-August.

The road and parking lot cost $430,000, Anella said. More than half of the funding for the road came from the university, and the rest came from fundraisers, donations and sponsors.

Treewalk Village, the new children’s area, includes a series of elevated

platforms built into the trees and is connected by rope bridges.

“Treewalk Village was developed through a grant we got from the recreational trails programs through the Oklahoma State Department of Tourism,” Anella said.

Treewalk Village is a two-phase project. The first phase is complete

and cost $160,000. The second phase will include another platform and a slide to loop around into the existing platforms with a projected cost of $40,000, Anella said.

“The Treewalk Village was created to make The Botanic Garden more interesting to children and families,” Anella said. “The garden is a great

History of The Botanic Garden

The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University started as a research station and opened in the 1970s.

The garden began as a facility to serve as a studio garden to record the “Oklahoma Gardening” TV show, said Lou Anella, The Botanic Garden director. The TV show initiated the construction of the garden, but the garden is staffed and funded by OSU, Anella said.

“The garden sits on 110 acres, the majority still being a research station,” Anella said.

Only 4 to 5 acres are manicured as The Botanic Garden. The site includes turf research and an arboretum. Every year, the garden area expands.

The staff includes the garden director, garden manager, volunteer coordinator, and up to five student workers.

“The garden estimates around 40,000 visitors a year,” Anella said, “with 3,000 to 4,000 a month.”

The Botanic Garden offers multiple elements of nature for visitors to enjoy, such as bird watchers or butterfly enthusiasts, said Kathy Adkins, an ambassador at The Botanic Garden.

“The garden is an inspiring place with unique elements,” Adkins said.

The garden is open from dawn to dusk and is free for visitors. The area is pet friendly and a great place for the whole family, Adkins said.

Moss, head of the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Moss said he is excited to see these ideas and visions for the garden infrastructure come to fruition.

With the addition of the paved road and parking lot, school groups and bus tours now can visit, Moss said.

The garden has become even more popular as people look for ways to get outdoors, Moss said.

“Every morning, groups of people get together in the parking lot under the shade trees, and I know they are coming specifically because the parking lot is now paved and they feel safe,” Anella said.

Gardens also are good for people’s mental health, for exercising outside,

rREEWALKVILLAGE

and for families to bring their children to play, Moss said.

“You can get out to the garden, walk through, and leave in a better state of mind,” Moss said. “It’s just good for the psyche and good for the soul.”

OSU students also are highly involved at the garden, Moss said.

“A lot of students are doing undergraduate and graduate research projects at The Botanic Garden while others have internships as student workers,” Moss said. “In addition to serving visitors, The Botanic Garden serves as an outdoor classroom for OSU design students, construction students, and horticulture and landscape architecture students.”

She said the infrastructure and expansion changes are positive because people can now come for more activities, like feeding the chickens or having a picnic at Treewalk Village.

More variety equals more people coming, she added.

The Botanic Garden serves as a front door to OSU.

Justin Moss

Peyton Osborne, horticulture and landscape architecture senior, works at the garden.

“I have learned from this job firsthand by using the equipment and implementing the processes we learn in the classroom,” Osborne said. “This job has been a big blessing. Experiencing working at a public garden has set the way for me, and I cherish that.”

The new infrastructure makes coming and bringing items to the garden easier, said Kathy Adkins, ambassador for The Botanic Garden. The new walkways make moving around within the gardens easier, she said.

“Volunteering at the gardens changes people’s lives,” Adkins said. “Life still goes on for people after they retire, and this gives us something to do.”

The new infrastructure is valuable because it creates extra exposure for the garden, said Linda Blum, ambassador for The Botanic Garden. As a result, more people want to invest in it now, she added.

The new infrastructure means more people to share the garden with and to educate about horticulture, Blum said.

“The Botanic Garden serves as a front door to OSU,” Moss said. “The garden is no longer a hidden gem. Now, it stands out in the open.”

The Treewalk Village is made accessible via stairs and a ramp. Photo by Angel Liverman.

ANGEL LIVERMAN LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

For many, social media influences how they see the world. The same may now be true for a new generation of landscape architects because of the research of Bo Zhang, an assistant professor of landscape architecture at Oklahoma State University.

“When people post pictures on Instagram, they document their perception of the public space for the researchers with an image,” Zhang said. “Social media users are doing all the work for us, and they’re doing it every day.”

Zhang’s research earned him the 2019 American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Honor Award. He is one of only two recipients in the research category this year.

“Zhang’s accomplishment is extremely significant within our

profession,” said Michael Holmes, program director and professor of landscape architecture at OSU.

“Receiving this honor shows the quality and relevance of Zhang’s research.”

Zhang collected and analyzed three years of data from Instagram to study public use of Freeway Park in Seattle, Washington. He said the data provides greater clarity on usage and public perceptions of the famous park.

freeway a decade earlier, according to the Freeway Park Association.

As the vegetation in the park matured, the unique maze-like architecture of the park became difficult to navigate, Zhang said, and crime increased in the area.

As a result, the park is not well liked and goes unused by locals — a dilemma Zhang said is important to address.

Built in 1976, Freeway Park rests above a section of Interstate 5. The park is the first of its kind and considered a masterpiece in landscape architecture design, Zhang said.

Designed to provide an outdoor space in a densely populated downtown Seattle, Freeway Park reconnected surrounding neighborhoods divided by the installation of the

“People like to present how necessary and good open spaces like these are, or should be, but there is a lack of empirical study on actual usage by the public,” Zhang said. “This is even more so when you are dealing with a park as famous as Freeway Park.”

Zhang accepted the challenge to find the usage numbers of the park, he said, although conducting research on such a famous park can be demanding.

Bo Zhang visits Seattle Freeway Park in Seattle, Washington. Photo courtesy of Bo Zhang. Shauna Brennan explores Seattle Freeway Park in Seattle, Washington. Photo by Brett Stanfield.

OSU professor changes the world of landscape architecture

To collect data to study park usage in the past, Zhang would have had to travel to the park and observe human behavior regularly, which can be expensive and time consuming, he said.

Today, social media offers a quick and easy way to access an enormous amount of public data, which is why Zhang chose to use Instagram in his research, he said.

Zhang, OSU students and his research collaborator, Yang Song, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, searched Instagram posts using a geographical tag, gathering posts associated with Freeway Park, he said.

“By looking at the posts, we can look at what activities people do in the park,” Zhang said. “We can see their facial expressions, their focus and

whether they’re coming to the park in groups or alone.”

More than 3,300 Instagram posts from more than 2,000 users were collected for the research on Freeway Park, Zhang said. Then, he analyzed and categorized the data.

Zhang said the goal was to answer the following three questions: How is the park used as a public space? What are the users’ emotional ties to the built environment of the park? How should social media data be used to understand site-scale landscape architecture design issues?

Jacob Krafft, Zhang’s former undergraduate research assistant and 2020 graduate of the landscape architecture program at OSU, said the hardest part was categorizing the data.

“I looked at each and every photo

for this project,” Krafft said. “Because we were documenting emotions and faces as well as activities nobody else has done before, categorizing had to be done manually.”

The ASLA Awards Jury called Zhang’s research innovative by allowing designers to see their work literally through the eyes of the public.

“The world is changing through technology and social media,” Holmes said. “Zhang’s willingness and desire to understand how that change is impacting our profession and the lives of our citizens is commendable.”

CHELSEA STANFIELD OAKHURST, CALIFORNIA

Meet The

MASTERS

Ferguson College of Agriculture honors four faculty with annual teaching awards

Each year the Ferguson College of Agriculture honors educators who excel in various areas of their roles.

Educators are nominated by their peers and students who admire their work and dedication.

A committee then reviews the applications and awards one recipient for each of the four award areas: Excellence in Undergraduate Student Advising and Mentoring, Excellence in Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring, Early Career Excellence in Teaching, and Excellence in Teaching.

This year, the Ferguson College of Agriculture honored Patricia Canaan, Brian Arnall, Qing Luo and Danielle Bellmer.

“The Ferguson College of Agriculture is proud to have faculty members such as these individuals who go above and beyond for their students,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean for the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

The Ferguson College of Agriculture honors Qing Luo (left), Brian Arnall, Patricia Canaan and Danielle Bellmer. Photo byJustin Dewbre.

EMILIE JAMES ALTUS, OKLAHOMA

MARIAH MARSHALL PORTER, OKLAHOMA

Brian Arnall has excelled in advising his graduate students.

In 2020, Arnall, a professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, was recognized with the Excellence in Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Award in the Ferguson College of Agriculture. As described by his students, Arnall is patient, devoted and honest with each student he comes into contact with.

Arnall grew up in Wyandotte, Oklahoma, and his path to working in agriculture was influenced heavily by his FFA land judging experiences. He pursued and achieved his associate’s

Brian Arnall

Excellence in Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring

degree in agronomy at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy, master’s degree in plant and soil sciences, and doctorate in soil science from OSU.

“My major professor, Dr. Raun, instilled in me the idea that as an academic, our greatest achievements are those of our students,” Arnall said.

Arnall finds excitement and fulfillment in the process of pulling out talents and exposing passions in students they did not know about, he said.

Vaughn Reed, OSU doctoral student in soil science and advisee of Arnall’s, said Arnall identifies the specific interests of his students and cultivates situations in which they will grow.

Danielle Bellmer

Caring serves as a central value for Danielle Bellmer, the 2020 recipient of the Ferguson College of Agriculture Excellence in Teaching Award.

Bellmer attended Michigan State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in food engineering. She had no plans to land in higher education for work, let alone seek higher education for herself beyond her undergraduate degree, she said. A professor at MSU encouraged Bellmer to pursue a USDA fellowship at Purdue University, where she received her doctorate in biological and agricultural engineering. This path sparked her career in education, she said.

“Once there, I really began to reflect

Excellence in Teaching

on my college career as a whole and came to realize I only had one female professor throughout my entire college experience, and that was for an English class,” Bellmer said. “Soon thereafter, I decided that being a professor provided a tremendous opportunity to serve as a role model for female students in science and engineering.”

“Mentoring students is about preparing people to be able to impact the real world,” Arnall said.

Among Reed’s other advisors and mentors throughout his education, he said he cannot think of anyone better than Arnall to receive the award.

“He has molded me into the academic I am today,” Reed said. “He sees the potential that I can be and pushes me further to reach that.”

Arnall said his goal is for his students to be successful in their communities and society.

“I want them to always think critically and quickly,” Arnall said. “I want them to make the choices that will lead to a better and sustainable future.”

“Dr. Bellmer has been a teacher, mentor and adviser to me since the day I started in the biosystems and agricultural engineering department,” said Courtney Andrews, biosystems engineering student. “She has greatly shaped my college experience and has helped encourage and guide me through these last four years.”

dents and I that Dr. Bellmer truly cares about any student who is lucky enough to cross paths with her,” Andrews said. A lot can be said about an educator who leaves such a lasting impact on her students, Andrews added.

“If we can teach students to be responsible, work hard, have integrity, and treat others with respect, those traits are more valuable than any specific technical content we can teach them,” Bellmer said.

Patricia Canaan

Excellence in Undergraduate Student Advising and Mentoring

Compassionate, inspirational and knowledgeable are a few of the words mentioned by students and colleagues when speaking about Patricia Canaan, the 2020 recipient of the Ferguson College of Agriculture Excellence in Undergraduate Student Advising and Mentoring Award.

Canaan received her bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Oklahoma State University in 1986. She also received her master’s in microbiology from OSU in 1990 and her doctorate in microbiology and molecular genetics in 1997.

Canaan joined the OSU biochemistry program in 2001 as a researcher who led workshops. In

2004, she became a faculty member in the OSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as an adviser and assistant professor.

Teaching is something Canaan always was interested in. Throughout high school, she tutored classmates and helped them with their math and science courses. This was only the beginning of what would develop into something much more, she said.

“Anyone can teach, but if you don’t teach with passion, I don’t think you can be as effective,” Canaan said.

lecular biology alumna, said Canaan has been supportive, educated and invaluable as her academic adviser and mentor in her undergraduate degree.

“She continually educates, inspires and mentors young scientific students like myself,” Gore said.

Canaan said it’s important to be passionate about the subject matter.

Canaan said she further developed her love for teaching as a graduate student and served as a teaching assistant for laboratories and a few lectures.

Oklahoma State University having studied and practiced design in multiple parts of the world.

Luo, assistant professor of landscape architecture, was honored with the 2020 Ferguson College of Agriculture Early Career Excellence in Teaching Award.

Given her passion for teaching, it is no surprise Luo received this honor, said Carmen Wright, landscape architecture student.

Luo grew up surrounded by higher education. Her father is a mathematics professor at a college in China, and she spent much time on campus as a child.

Qing Luo

Early

“However, it’s most important to be passionate about the students and the students’ learning and their outcomes,” she said.

Career Excellence in Teaching

“I have always been very fond of the environment of campus,” Luo said. “I witnessed that my dad’s help made a difference in students’ lives.”

Luo’s love for teaching was not only influenced by her father but also from an innate talent for helping other people learn difficult material, she said.

Before teaching, Luo worked in the industry as a landscape architect. Her teammates often admired her ability to help them understand difficult information, she said.

“It was easy for me to break down a complex issue into small, bite-size pieces to explain to the junior designers,” Luo said.

Being a landscape architect helped

Luo connect with her students because she is not afraid to share stories of her mistakes and successes to prepare students for their careers, she said.

“I used to be a student, and I practiced for a long time,” Luo said. “That experience allows me to teach with a clarified mind.”

In her roles as a professor and in OSU extension, Luo said she develops materials she hopes will benefit society. She finds joy in helping her community and students unearth their potential, she said.

“Have patience and be passionate about the students,” Luo said. “Every student can be a leader in their future if they’re guided right.”

OSU

SMALL PROCESSING

POWERFUL

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, shoppers would go to their local grocery stores only to find the meat protein they wanted was out of stock.

To help add to the available supply, the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center pilot plant continues to provide Oklahomans resources throughout the pandemic.

The FAPC pilot plant was created to help develop successful value-added enterprises in Oklahoma, said Chuck Willoughby, FAPC business and marketing relations manager.

The FAPC pilot plant has one fulltime staff member, Brandon Kahle, and multiple student workers. Since FAPC opened in 1997, U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections have allowed the sale of meat from teaching and research activities.

“About seven years ago, FAPC began processing more frequently for customers,” Willoughby said.

Willoughby said various factors caused the tremendous increase in the demand for locally processed meat, especially during the pandemic.

Consumers now want to know if their meat is raised and processed in the United States, Willoughby said.

FAPC student employee Jaelyn Sewell cuts extra meat in the FAPC processing room. Photo by Kendall Harshman.

POWERFUL IMPACT. PROCESSING PLANT.

FAPC pilot plant provides resources for Oklahomans

The FAPC pilot plant’s traditional clients include small, locally branded beef companies and customers who sell at local farmers markets, said Kahle, FAPC meat pilot plant manager.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, the FAPC pilot plant was not processing custom orders for outside clients,” Kahle said. “We soon realized we needed to help alleviate the demands bigger processing plants had.”

this point, we have ended up with approximately 2,600 pounds of pork.

“The pandemic impacted many sectors in this industry,” Kahle said. “We were more than happy to help the Oklahoma Pork Council with this important project.”

This was a noble opportunity for the FAPC pilot plant to help the Oklahoma Pork Council.

Chuck Willoughby

Many processing facilities were booked into 2021, which prompted opening the FAPC pilot plant to help Oklahoma producers, Kahle said.

“In March, we decided the FAPC pilot plant needed to open up and do full processing,” Kahle said. “Since the first of May, we have processed nearly 200 head of cattle.”

In addition to beef, the FAPC pilot plant has processed pork. Oklahoma Pork Council officials contacted Kahle needing help processing 2-pound pork packages to be donated to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Kahle said.

“Every Friday for four weeks, we processed six to eight head of hogs at the FAPC pilot plant,” Kahle said. “To

Producers in western Oklahoma donated the hogs to the council’s project, Willoughby said. They did not want their animals to be euthanized because processing plants were unable to meet the high demand, he said.

“This was a noble opportunity for the FAPC pilot plant to help the Oklahoma Pork Council,” Willoughby said. “Many individuals lost their jobs due to the pandemic and now need this added help from the food banks.”

Jaelyn Sewell, OSU food science junior, was the only undergraduate student to help fabricate the pork for the Oklahoma Pork Council project. Her role in the project made her realize meat processors deserve more appreciation, she said.

“After seeing an increase of processors helping producers in Oklahoma,” Sewell said, “I wish people would thank the processors for their work.”

Sewell, who began working at the FAPC pilot plant in May, said she sees a continued need for smaller processing plants in Oklahoma and beyond.

“I truly believe more individuals are starting to realize how much processors do for our food system,” Sewell said. “We are often the middle man who is forgotten about, but our jobs during this time have been essential.”

During the pandemic, the demand for smaller processing plants has increased and many consumers are now picking them instead of larger plants, Sewell said.

“People may not think processing plants are important,” Sewell said, “but the processors are the reason individuals can get meat in stores and eat at home during the pandemic.”

A need has developed during the pandemic to have more processing plants open, Kahle said.

“The pilot plant has many resources to help producers in the state to open their own processing plants,” he said.

With the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act passed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Kahle hopes to see more processing plants open or expand, he said.

The CARES Act awarded grants

totaling $10 million across 40 awards within the state of Oklahoma.

“This money will help with a variety of needs that newer processing plants or existing ones have,” Kahle said.

Rodney Holcomb, a FAPC agribusiness economist, was instrumental in developing the CARES Act, Kahle said.

Holcomb helped select the companies and individuals who received the grant funds.

“It has always been our mission to help new processing plants, and so we have,” Willoughby said. “We even have feasibility templates on the website for both small- and medium-sized processing plants.”

Before the pandemic started, having anyone interested in entering the meat-processing business was rare, Willoughby said.

Kahle said FAPC offers classes to help those interested in meat processing, including a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points plan meant for processing plant owners.

“The course is designed to help individuals and companies know how to plan to be inspected on a state or federal level,” Kahle said. “This course helps individuals or companies move beef, pork or lamb into a retail sector.”

FAPC provides multiple resources and templates for anyone interested in learning more about starting and running processing plants.

“Even when everyone else started telecommuting, the processing plant never shut down,” Willoughby said.

Ideally, the FAPC pilot plant will go back to regular business of processing only for few clients and teaching, but for now it will be a resource for the state, Willoughby said.

“We are trying to take up a void in the private sector,” Willoughby said. “We also see the FAPC pilot plant not competing against the private sector. We are just helping it out.”

KENDALL HARSHMAN FREDERICK, MARYLAND

JD Fox, a FAPC student employee, processes a piece of beef. Photo by Kendall Harshman.

Serving One

As two Oklahoma State University alumni take the lead with Oklahoma’s two largest agricultural youth organizations, the partnership with the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture stays the same.

Steve Beck came on board to guide the Oklahoma 4-H organization in March. Scott Nemecek began his role as the new Oklahoma state FFA advisor and CareerTech program manager for agricultural education in June. Leaders in the Ferguson College of

Agriculture take great pride in the role the college plays and impact it has on Oklahoma’s 4-H and FFA programs, said Cynda Clary, Ferguson College of Agriculture associate dean of academic programs.

Land-grant universities across the

Purpose

OSU alumni lead Oklahoma 4-H and FFA programs

Unites States have a common trait: a commitment to youth development.

As a land-grant, OSU has a three-part mission: extension, research and teaching. Oklahoma 4-H plays an integral role in the OSU extension mission, Beck said.

“We rely completely on the Ferguson College of Agriculture to complete our mission,” Beck said.

When Oklahoma 4-H develops curriculum, they often involve faculty that work in the Ferguson College of Agriculture to help, Beck said.

In addition to helping Oklahoma 4-H programs have research-based educational material, OSU faculty members also assist in the annual State 4-H Roundup.

4-H Roundup is an annual summer event. Each county 4-H club sends its

on campus, but they tend to be leaders wherever they go.”

as the animal science aspect that goes into those activities.”

Research shows 4-H members are four times more likely to give back to their community as opposed to their peers, Beck said. 4-H members see the world as something bigger than themselves, Beck added.

“4-H focuses on positive youth development and education, making sure we provide opportunities for the students to develop life skills and, ultimately, be contributing members of society,” Beck said.

4-H provides its members with opportunities for students to grow in their abilities through hands-on learning and opportunities to serve, and the FFA does the same. FFA also promotes leadership, personal growth and career success, Nemecek said.

The association is represented in 365 schools across the state with approximately 27,000 members.

“The program will serve them well no matter what career field they will pursue in the future,” Nemecek said.

Many FFA activities also are hosted

such an important achievement and learning event for students is really important,” Clary said.

In addition to hosting various activities, Ferguson College of Agriculture faculty members assist Oklahoma agricultural education teachers by instructing in-service training and providing resources, Nemecek said.

“We provide assistance wherever they need and want us to be involved because those students are important to us,” Clary said. “We work with 4-H and FFA to support leadership development programs and be actively engaged whenever possible.”

As a result of the working relationship between the Ferguson College of Agriculture and both youth organizations, a large number of members choose OSU, specifically the college of agriculture, as the next step after graduating high school, Clary said.

“One thing we always point out to admissions is that students who come from a 4-H or FFA background often have very strong leadership development and applied experiences,” Clary

Since these students come to college with a background in leadership development and service through 4-H or FFA, they come to OSU looking for the same kind of engaging experiences, Clary said.

The relationship the Ferguson College of Agriculture has with Oklahoma’s 4-H program is different from the relationship it has with Oklahoma FFA. However, the core values of leadership and youth development, exposing students to various career opportunities, and the importance of service before self are the same, Clary said.

To invest in the next generation of agriculturalists, the Ferguson College of Agriculture supports and promotes the Oklahoma 4-H and FFA programs, Clary added.

“In 4-H and FFA, the value of service to others aligns to OSU’s and Ferguson College’s values,” Clary said. “Making a difference outside of ourselves — that’s why these programs are a good fit.”

Left: Scott Nemecek began his new role in June 2020. Center: The Ferguson College of Agriculture works to support Oklahoma 4-H and FFA

EMILY SMITH

ELK CITY, OKLAHOMA

Dual Degrees & Dreams

rom Mexico to Oklahoma, Luis Flores achieved in 2020 what no student had done before: completing simultaneous dual doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State University and Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla.

At the age of 24, Flores attended the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management as well as his master’s degree in international business.

After Flores was educated in the business industry, he decided to invest and became interested in orchids, he said. Soon after he began investing in small amounts, he became aware of government grants for a high-tech

greenhouse to grow luxury flowers, Flores said. He applied for a grant from the government of Mexico, which he later received.

“With little knowledge of agriculture, I knew I needed to learn more about the subject to help my orchid growing investment become successful,” Flores said.

Returning for a bachelor’s degree in biology crossed his mind, he said, but then he learned about a dual doctoral program with UPAEP and the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership.

Rob Terry, AECL department head, visited UPAEP to discuss the program with Pablo Núno, general director of internationalization and program

adviser at UPAEP. When Flores interviewed with Terry and Núno, he was accepted into the program but still had to pass two exams.

“The process took time,” Flores said. “So, I wasn’t sure if it would really happen.”

Flores received his results and started courses in strategic planning at UPAEP. Núno became Flores’ thesis director at UPAEP and his program adviser.

“Luis demonstrated a very positive attitude and high ethical standards and was also very professional and responsible,” Núno said. “He was always engaged with school activities besides academic ones.”

Upon finishing his requirements

Orchids lead to international dual doctorates

A plan to raise orchids drew Luis Flores to the dual doctorate program. Photo by Hailea Hooten-Frieling.

at UPAEP, Flores came to Oklahoma for the first time in the fall of 2017 to start his dissertation research in the agricultural education program.

In his first semester at OSU, he met Craig Edwards, an agricultural education professor who taught one of Flores’ courses.

“We had common interests and clicked,” Edwards said.

In summer 2018, Edwards hired Flores to be a staff member at the Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute in Stillwater.

During his time there, Flores heard experts’ views on the potential of luxury niche agricultural products for

teaching assistant in one of his courses, Edwards said.

“Luis always had a positive attitude and high work ethic,” Edwards said. “He was dedicated to improving what he was doing and eager to learn.”

Flores said he did not know how the program was going to work and it became exhausting for him at times.

“During the happy times, everything was good, like everything else in life,” Flores said. “And the difficult times, I didn’t know what to do.”

For his dissertation research, he conducted a Delphi study that collected experts’ opinions on how to get smallholder farmers to grow luxury niche products instead of specialty

benefit those small farmers more, Flores added.

His dissertation was challenging because he had to link strategic planning and agricultural education, he said.

“The dual degree program was one of the best things,” Flores said. “I would do it again. I learned a lot, and it was difficult but very enriching.”

Flores’ goal is to continue doing research and become a full-time professor, he said.

“He tried to learn about teaching and improve his ability to do so and worked hard to do that,” Edwards said.

Today, Flores is writing research articles from his dissertation and teaching an online strategic marketing class at Anáhuac University in Mexico.

Luxury-niche products are specialty crops or commodities not many farmers grow, such as certain vegetables,

In Mexico, some small farmers grow specialty crops, Flores said, but they cannot compete with the larger enterprises. Growing luxury crops would

“My dreams are beginning to unfold,” Flores said.

CARSON POSEY DRUMRIGHT, OKLAHOMA

Conggratulations

2020-21 OSU Seniors of Significance from Ferguson College of Agriculture

Ridge Hughbanks — Alva, Oklahoma; Dalton Miller — Amber, Oklahoma

Luke Muller — Altus, Oklahoma; Erica Wiebe — Hooker, Oklahoma

Lora Wright — Monett, Missouri

Agribusiness

Adrienne Blakey — Stillwater, Oklahoma; Halie Schovanec — Garber, Oklahoma

Agricultural Communications

Makayla Elliston — Moore, Oklahoma; Alexis Main — Modesto, California

Cathy Mapes — Alva, Oklahoma

Animal Science

Courtney Andrews — Stillwater, Oklahoma; Jacob Auer — Lenapah, Oklahoma

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Josh Anadu — Katy, Texas

Environmental Science

Georgia Blackwell — Venus, Texas

Casandra Salinas — Atolinga, Zacatecas, Mexico

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Adrienne Blakey — Stillwater, Oklahoma; Luke Muller — Altus, Oklahoma Plant and Soil Sciences

Grant Eaton — Kingfisher, Oklahoma

Agricultural Education

Seraiah Coe* — McKinney, Texas; Madison Stevens — Dallas

Natural Resource Ecology and Management

*second major in biology

more than ‘just

Carol

Jones

Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

On Sept. 5, 2020, after more than 18 years as a professor, Carol Jones retired from OSU.

“I will always cherish the one-onone time with President Hargis and his administration team,” Jones said. “The highlight of my career was working with students and being a part of Pete’s Pet Posse."

While at OSU, Jones served as a

Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management

After a 21-year career, Salim Hiziroglu will retire from OSU on Feb. 1, 2021.

“I enjoyed teaching wood products and timber harvesting courses and carrying out experimental research projects in the area of value-added composites,” Hiziroglu said.

Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Hiziroglu served OSU as a natural resource ecology and management

professor and a wood-products specialist. He has conducted research in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

In his career, he published nearly 300 journal articles, conference papers and OSU extension publications.

In his retirement, Hiziroglu plans to visit universities in South East Asia and Europe for research and teaching.

professor in biosystems and agricultural engineering, specializing in stored agricultural products.

In her retirement, Jones will continue with her consulting company for design and litigation of stored grain facilities. She also plans to spend her time riding horses and motorcycles and play with her granddaughters, Kate, 4, and Paige, 2.

John

Damicone

Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology

John Damicone retired from OSU on Oct. 10, 2020, following his 35-year

“I found it most rewarding to contribute to the profitability and success of the crop industries in the state,” Damicone said. “The highlight of my career was working with undergraduates, graduate students and cooperative extension colleagues to

Hailing from Massachusetts, Damicone served as a professor of plant pathology while at OSU.

During his retirement, Damicone said he plans to spend time with his growing number of grandchildren, catch up on home improvement jobs, and enjoy time outside.

‘just a job’

Ferguson College of Agriculture faculty retire after successful careers

David Henneberry Department of Agricultural Economics

After 36 years at OSU, David Henneberry retired in the fall of 2020.

“All of my years at OSU were wonderful," Henneberry said. “Spending part of my career in the academic side of the institution and part of it in administration was the right choice.”

Through his career, Henneberry served in a variety of roles, including as an associate vice president for

Shida Henneberry Master of International Agriculture Program

At the conclusion of the fall 2020 semester, Shida Henneberry retired from OSU after a 36-year career.

“I always felt I had the best job in the world,” she said. “I love teaching, doing research, travel, and making an impact through education.”

From her hometown in Tehran, Iran, to Oklahoma, Henneberry has contributed to global education

through her dedication to and leadership in the Master of International Agriculture Program. She is also a regents professor and inaugural holder of the Humphreys Endowed Chair.

In her retirement, she plans to begin her role as the branch chief of international trade and development in the USDA Economic Research Service in Kansas City.

International Studies and Outreach, visiting professor to China Agriculture University, and a Regents service professor of agricultural economics.

In his retirement, Henneberry plans to work in his family business, Henneberry Properties, and put the finishing touches on his novel. He also hopes to continue teaching internationally in Mexico and China.

Brian Adam Department of Agricultural Economics

At the end of June 2020, after his more than 30-year career, Brian Adam retired from OSU.

“The interactions I’ve had with my colleagues at OSU and the students I’ve gotten to know over the years are what I’ll remember most," Adam said. “I’ve enjoyed them very much and learned a lot from them. OSU was a great place to work and be part of.”

Adam spent his childhood on a farm in Nebraska and completed his higher education in Illinois before coming to Oklahoma. From there, Adam spent his career at OSU as a professor in agricultural economics.

After Adam’s retirement, he began the role of branch chief of the crops branch of USDA’s Economic Research Service in Kansas City.

The Ferguson College of Agriculture Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes and honors alumni who have contributed significantly to society and whose accomplishments inside or outside the agricultural profession have brought distinctive credit to the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

RICHARD CARTER

Ankeny, Iowa

B.S. Agricultural Education, 1966

M.S. Agricultural Education, 1968

Stillwater, Oklahoma

M.S. Crop Science, 1981

Ph.D. Crop Science, 1984

CHAMPION

GREG AND KRISTEN HART

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Greg - B.S. Mechanized Agriculture, 1979

Kristen - B.S. Agricultural Engineering, 1979

Flagstaff, Arizona

B.S. Entomology, 1966

Ph.D. Entomology, 1973

The OSU Agriculture Champion Award recognizes and honors individuals who are not graduates of the Ferguson College of Agriculture but who have brought distinction to OSU Agriculture and have demonstrated a continuing interest and commitment in agricultural sciences and natural resources.

Ponca City, Oklahoma

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2020 HONOREES AT AGRICULTURE.OKSTATE.EDU/ABOUT/HONORS

MICHAEL KENNA

KEN PINKSTON

PAUL SCHATTE

Photos by Todd Johnson.

ALUMNI EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture prepares its graduates to succeed at the highest levels of their chosen career paths.

In recognition of this success, the Agriculture Alumni Board annually selects alumni as recipients of the Ferguson College of Agriculture Early Career Achievement Award.

The board seeks nominations for alumni who have attained prominence through their efforts in agriculture, natural resources, life sciences or related areas of science, business, education, or government and public service early in their careers.

GET INVOLVED

Each year, the Agriculture Alumni Board of Directors coordinates and is involved with several events, including Roundup, Homecoming Celebration and the annual alumni meeting, and the Access Tour.

You can show your support of the Ferguson College of Agriculture by becoming a member of the OSU Alumni Association. A portion of all

To be eligible for this award, a nominee must possess an undergraduate or graduate degree from the Ferguson College of Agriculture and have earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 15 years.

Early Career Achievement Award recipients will be recognized during the Ferguson College of Agriculture Awards Banquet in the spring.

Nominations are due Feb. 1, 2021.

For information about the award or to nominate a deserving individual visit agriculture.okstate.edu/ alumni-friends.

dues received are returned to the college to support alumni events and student programming.

If you are interested in getting involved with these activities, consider becoming a board member.

Stay connected and support the college and OSU by becoming a member at orangeconnection.org/join.

MEMBER BENEFITS

• A utomatically a member of both the OSU Alumni Association and the college alumni group

• Subscription to STATE magazine, Cowboy Journal and other university publications

• Invitations to local alumni club activities

• Access to online alumni directory and locator as well as free e-mail service

• Discounts at merchants both locally and nationally

Agriculture Alumni Board of Directors

Kirby Smith President Oklahoma City Southwest District

Haley Nabors Vice President Enid, Oklahoma At-large Member

Rick Reimer Secretary Claremore, Oklahoma Northeast District

Melissa Mourer Executive Secretary Stillwater, Oklahoma

Brandon Chandler Stratford, Oklahoma Southeast District

Phillip Cowley Morrison, Oklahoma At-large Member

Lewis Cunningham Edmond, Oklahoma At-large Member

Raylon Earls Guymon, Oklahoma Northwest District

Mechelle Hampton Tulsa, Oklahoma Northeast District

Jon Marc Holt Woodward, Oklahoma Northwest District

Amber McNeil Elgin, Oklahoma Southwest District

Charles Rohla Ardmore, Oklahoma Southeast District

Meg Stangl Okarche, Oklahoma At-large Member

Breakfast.

The most important meal of the day.

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Agriculture has always been an investment in the future. No matter if it is planting the next crop, tending to a newborn calf or making improvements to the land that will pay dividends in decades to come, Oklahoma's family farmers and ranchers are committed to ensuring agriculture will continue to meet the needs of a growing world. Oklahoma Farm Bureau was founded by Oklahoma agriculturalists generations ago, and we are proud to support farm and ranch families for today and for generations to come.