OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture Volume 26 Number 1 • Winter/Spring 2024
CONSISTENT. HIGH-QUALITY. C U S TO M F E E D & F E R T I L I Z E R
PRAGUE, OK | 405-567-0047
LIONEL BENTLEY
HEATHER BUCKMASTER
GARY CLARK
ANDY COLE
EDDIE FIELDS
TERRY TIPPENS
(pictured Lou Bentley)
WIN & KAY INGERSOLL
JON NEWELL
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O O U R 2 0 2 3 H O N O R E E S D I ST I NG U I SHED ALUM NI
C HA MPI ONS
LIONEL BENTLEY (POSTHUMOUSLY), 1970
WIN (POSTHUMOUSLY) & KAY INGERSOLL
HEATHER BUCKMASTER, 1991 and 1996
JON NEWELL
GARY CLARK, 1969 and 1972 ANDY COLE, 1973 and 1975 EDDIE FIELDS, 1990 TERRY TIPPENS, 1968
Learn more about the honorees: agriculture.okstate.edu/about/honors/
COWBOY JOURNAL
Winter/Spring 2024 | Vol. 26 No. 1
EDITORS
FEATURED STORIES
66
18
ELLIE ROSE FLY ELIZABETH ANN PERDUE
MANAGING EDITOR
SHELLY PEPER LEGG, PH.D.
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS
DWAYNE CARTMELL, PH.D. AUDREY KING, PH.D. ANGEL RIGGS, PH.D. QUISTO SETTLE, PH.D.
ASSISTANT EDITOR RAEGAN LOCKHART
GRAPHIC COORDINATORS EMMA GRACE NOWOTNY ELIZABETH ROSSON
ONLINE MEDIA COORDINATORS SARA FROST EMILY LINTNER
PHOTO COORDINATOR ELIZABETH HOKIT
SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR LANDRI CHAPLIN
STAFF
AVERY CANTRELL MELANIE CARROLL SARAH CURLEY LAUREN DOSSEY MICKINZI FERGUSON JASE JARLSBERG EMILY LENCIONI HALLORY PARKS SARAH ROBERTSON MATT ROSMAN JOEY SCUDDER-BARFIELD
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48 Oklahoma State University as an equal opportunity employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Oklahoma State University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate based on race, religion, age, sex, color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or veteran status with regard to employment, educational programs and activities, and/or admissions. For more information, visit eeo.okstate.edu. This publication is printed and issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the vice president for agricultural programs and has been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma.
INSIDE Coming Home Concrete Contributions From Cockpit to Camera The Disappearing Game Destined for Significance Oklahoma’s Proven Best Rooted Generations of Cowboys Cowculating Nutrition Branching into Chemistry Making the Water Well Bees & Bytes Honoring a Cattleman Renovate to Educate Exploring an Ancient World Capitol Kids Growing the Future High-Tech Wellness A CASE for STEM A Life of Honor Breathing Easier A Century of America’s Greatest Cowboy Alumni Society News
6 10 14 18 24 28 32 36 40 45 48 52 56 60 66 70 74 78 82 86 89 96
A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS After years of dedication to our agricultural communications education, we had the honor of creating the 51st edition of the Cowboy Journal. We are humbled and honored to have worked beside staff who truly embody the Cowboy Code. We would like to express our gratitude to the people who helped bring this magazine to fruition. Thank you to Clay Burtrum, Sophia Fahleson, Alyssa Francis, Michael and Anne Frost, Mandy Gross, Kristin Knight, John Legg, Jami Mattox, Macy Shoulders, Bree Snowden, Nicole Stevens, Lyndall Stout and Kaylee Travis. Thank you also to Dwayne Cartmell, Shelly Legg, Audrey King, Angel Riggs and Quisto Settle for their hard work and dedication to OSU agricultural communications students. Thank you to our family, friends and you, our Cowboy Family, for your unending support. We take the utmost pride in upholding the Cowboy Journal legacy of authenticity and accuracy in storytelling. We sincerely hope you enjoy! Forever Loyal and True,
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ON THE COVER
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The Oklahoma Proven program began in 1999 and provides the horticultural industry with the best options for annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees. The Zinnia hybrida at The Botanic Garden at OSU is the 2024 annual plant selection. To learn more about the program, turn to page 28. Photo by Elizabeth Perdue. COWBOY JOURNAL 5
HOME COMING
J
LUSK RETURNS HOME AS VICE PRESIDENT AND DEAN OF OSU AGRICULTURE
ayson Lusk, vice president and dean of Oklahoma State University Agriculture, has returned to a place he and his family have always called home. The Lusk family spent six years away from Stillwater, and when the opportunity to come back “home” arose, they jumped on it, Lusk said. Lusk was born in Plainview, Texas, and grew up near Lubbock, Texas. His family was involved with local schools and in the communities where they lived. Both of his parents worked in education — his father, Raymond Lusk, in public schools and his mother, Martha Sue Lusk, in higher education. Lusk said he enjoyed participating in 4-H, FFA and various sports. Lusk has two sisters and one brother: Keri, Kay Lynn and Thad. His older sister, Keri, is deaf, and he would accompany her to speech lessons growing up. He said attending speech lessons is the reason he does not have as much of a Southern accent as his parents and other siblings. Lusk graduated from Wellman High School in 1993 and continued his education at Texas Tech University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in food science in 1997.
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In 2000, he earned his doctorate in agricultural economics at Kansas State University, where he met the love of his life, Christy McIlvain. “I did not know Jayson at the time, but my classmates would talk about how great of a guy he was,” Christy Lusk said. “I truthfully didn’t believe he was as great as everyone made him seem and thought I wouldn’t get along with him, but when I met him, I fell head over heels. “Other than my father, he’s truly the finest man I’ve ever met,” she added. The Lusks married in 1999 and had two children, Jackson and Harrison. Jackson Lusk is an agricultural economics junior at Purdue University, and Harrison Lusk is an OSU agricultural economics freshman. “Having two sons interested in my field of study is rewarding,” Jayson Lusk said. “Watching them follow in my footsteps and seeing my interests being reflected in them as they are finding their own unique paths is a big accomplishment.” As a family, the Lusks enjoy spending time together, especially at Table Rock Lake in Missouri, Jayson Lusk said. During their visits, they fish, go tubing, and relax on the boat.
Travel and work have taken the Lusks to Europe, as well. The Lusk family lived in Paris for the majority of 2011 while Jayson Lusk worked at the French National Institute of Agricultural Research. He also has taught summer school at the University of Bologna in Italy nearly every summer for more than a decade. Back at home, Jayson Lusk’s favorite thing to do is go grocery shopping and cook for his family while listening to Colter Wall, a country folk musician, his wife said. Christy Lusk stayed at home with the boys when they were young, which allowed Jayson Lusk to travel for work more often, she said. “We would divide and conquer,” Christy Lusk said. “Jayson’s hobby is working. He loves what he does.” Even when Jayson Lusk was on the road for work, Christy Lusk said he always put his family first. “He would get home from work, help me with the boys, put them down for bed at 7 o’clock, and work until midnight,” she said. “Jayson is a remarkable father. I always knew he’d be a great dad.” When the Lusks lived in Stillwater previously, they were involved with
Jayson Lusk, former OSU agricultural economics professor, now serves as vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. Photo by Avery Cantrell. COWBOY JOURNAL 7
Jayson and Christy Lusk met at Kansas State University in 1997. Photo by Avery Cantrell.
the community, especially in religious organizations. The couple said they appreciate the kindness of people at OSU and how they reflect their values. The couple served on the board of directors at Stillwater K-Life, an organization helping youth and families in the community. They also served as Sunday school teachers and on the financial committee at Eagle Heights Baptist Church of Stillwater. They both look forward to being engaged and involved with the community again, Christy Lusk said. Jayson Lusk’s involvement in production agriculture began in his childhood, as he spent most of his summers removing weeds in the cotton fields, he said. In addition, his mother still owns the family farm near Gail, Texas, where her great-grandparents settled in the late 1800s. 8 WINTER/SPRING 2024
“At various points while my boys were growing up, we started backyard gardens, which were failures,” Jayson Lusk said. “They provided good lessons that we shouldn’t rely on ourselves to feed ourselves and should appreciate those who do.” Scott Senseman, associate vice president of OSU Agriculture, said Jayson Lusk can connect to all aspects of agriculture because of his farm background and his expertise as an agricultural economist. “I really like his approach to the position,” Senseman said. “He is interested in learning as much as he can about the breadth and the depth of the people in OSU Agriculture and across the state as he implements his vision.” Senseman said Jayson Lusk’s highly productive research background at OSU and Purdue give him a great deal of credibility with faculty and
stakeholders as he takes the reins as dean and vice president. Senseman said OSU is fortunate to have Jayson Lusk in his role. “OSU has upheld its focus on commercial agriculture more than other institutions, and that’s something important to me,” Jayson Lusk said. His primary goals for OSU Agriculture and the state are to increase agricultural productivity, provide opportunities for agriculturalists to diversify their income, and add value to Oklahoma agricultural commodities, Jayson Lusk said. “What can we do differently to have a bigger impact on students, producers and consumers?” he said. “This is what I think about when I wake up.” Senseman said he looks forward to working with Jayson Lusk in upcoming projects, such as completing the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall and enhancing buildings at the agronomy farm to assist OSU’s wheat program. “It is great to see his excitement about being back at OSU,” Senseman said. “His commitment and dedication to our college and to OSU Agriculture are apparent.” Jayson Lusk said student outcomes are something he is proud of but would like to continue improving. “Providing good mentorship to students, offering hands-on experience, and watching them leave with a good-paying and fulfilling job is what we are here for,” he said. Throughout his career, Jayson Lusk has served as an academic adviser to approximately 100 graduate students, who he calls his “academic children.” Jayson Lusk said he looks forward to his new adventure at OSU. “It’s good to be home,” he said.
AVERY CANTRELL PRAGUE, OKLAHOMA
tradition
CONCRETE C
Students will have access to study spaces in New Frontiers Agricultural Hall. Graphic courtesy of Studio Architecture and PGAV Architects. 10 WINTER/SPRING 2024
STUDENTS HELP SHAPE CONSTRUCTION FROM THE GROUND UP
CONTRIBUTIONS B
ehind the curtain of construction barriers, Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture students have taken center stage in the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall. They may not be swinging hammers or mixing concrete, but students have played a part in constructing a vision. “Student involvement in this project has made it a place where students will succeed,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean for the Ferguson College of Agriculture. “For the students to have direct input about what helps them learn better, connect better and feel a part of their community is going to make this facility longlasting.” When the conversation about the new building for teaching, research and OSU Extension began, so did the inclusion of students. “One of the focuses early on was to try and have as much faculty and student involvement as we possibly could,” said Randy Raper, OSU Agriculture assistant vice president for facilities. “We wanted the building to fill some voids the current Agricultural Hall has,” he added. Students have played an active role in shaping this project, offering their insights and perspectives along the way, he said. Raper gave credit to the architecture team for pulling together the vision for the new build in an intentional way, and Clary agreed.
“I was so impressed with the collaborative way our architectural firms sought input from all users and were able to distill it down into something that could be implemented in the new building,” Clary said. “To see the Student Success Center be a focus of thought and creativity with the architects was really special because they paid attention to what students told them,” she added. Studio Architecture of Oklahoma City in partnership with PGAV Architects led the programming and design efforts for the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall. “Our team supported the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in developing a student survey,” said Mike Schaadt, principal at PGAV Architects. “We also facilitated listening and design review work sessions,” he added. “The sessions allowed us to better understand what students are looking for in a modern academic building.” From those sessions, the importance of the need to highlight the student-centered culture of the Ferguson College of Agriculture was clear, he added. For students like agricultural economics master’s student Tess Haddock, who spent the majority of her undergraduate time in Agricultural Hall, the lack of spaces to meet with faculty and other students was evident, she said.
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MAKING THE FINAL TOUCHES Construction Timeline December 2023 to August 2024
Framing, Drywall and Paint
Mechanical and Electrical
Finishing Touches and Equipment Installation
Cleaning and Training
Grand Opening — Fall 2024
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New Frontiers Agricultural Hall provides expanded space for the college’s more than 60 student clubs and organizations. Photo by Sara Frost.
“When they ran the initial surveys to ask us what we wanted, I think the No. 1 thing we asked for was those collaborative spaces,” Haddock said. “Now, with the building near completion, to see that be one of the highest priorities shows they trusted and valued our input.” The New Frontiers project, once completed in summer 2024, will create roughly 3,000 square feet of huddle rooms, student organization rooms and study spaces. “Instead of constructing a square building to do exactly what Agricultural Hall does, the way this building is designed to function will increase student engagement and undergraduate research opportunities,” Raper said. When the original Agricultural Hall was constructed, the approach was vastly different, he said. “Learning primarily occurred within the confines of classrooms, and students would simply go home afterward,” Raper said. “In today’s context,
much of the learning extends beyond classroom walls.” The modern design means the possibility of more community interactions, Clary said. “The huddle spaces are great, but so are those open spaces,” Clary said. “Often, as students eat lunch or grab a snack, someone from their class, a faculty member, or a teaching assistant comes by, and there’s an opportunity to sit down and visit.” When it comes to the new building, the focus is not solely on the formal utilization of space, Clary added, but also the informal aspects play an equally significant role. “The new building will become a popular destination for students, a testament to the role they have played in shaping its vision and offerings,” Raper said. Opening the door to collaboration among students, faculty and architects is something the students have taken notice of, said Eva Van Dyk, agribusiness senior.
nt
Ferguson College of Agriculture students Easton Fraser (second from right) and Ke’Shawn Solomon (right) got a glimpse behind the scenes of construction alongside Flintco personnel. Photo by Elizabeth Rosson.
“We always talk about the genuine care and commitment the faculty invest in student success,” Van Dyk said. “The Ferguson family is extending into this building by asking us the little things like what chairs we want and focusing on the collaborative spaces. It proves the student-first approach of this project.” Environmental stewardship and energy conservation also were high priorities for students during
Student involvement in this project has made it a place where students will succeed. CYNDA CLARY
early discussions of building design, Schaadt said. Four former OSU environmental science undergraduate students — Daussin Afonso, Julia Frusciante, Makenna Paniel and McKinly Dortch — provided their input and developed a plan to identify potential sustainable solutions for the new building. As a part of their senior capstone projects, they developed a proposal to recycle the original demolition debris for use as the building’s foundation, which was utilized on site, Raper said. “One of the first things the builders had to do was bring in 1,800 loads of dirt to build the site up and then bring in a layer of rock,” Raper said. “The concrete remnants of Agricultural Hall North were recycled as a recommendation from those students.” When the doors open for students in August, another dimension of their project will become reality. The eco-conscious dining materials at Larry & Kay’s Dairy Bar will be used to reduce waste, which is an effort
to decrease the carbon footprint in a practical manner, Raper added. Beyond bricks and mortar, the New Frontiers project filled voids the current Agricultural Hall could never address, Raper said. The facility is a nod to the power of student voices and the belief students are not just the beneficiaries of progress — they are the architects of it, he added. “Because of the questions the faculty, staff and architects took the time to ask, the final product will fit students’ needs,” Van Dyk said. “It is going to be evident to students who walk into those doors that the building was made for them.”
ELIZABETH ROSSON LOUISA, VIRGINIA
COWBOY JOURNAL 13
From Cockpit to F
Camera
ARMY HELICOPTER PILOT REDISCOVERS PASSION FOR COMMUNICATIONS
or some people, a single defining moment led them to where they are. For others, maybe the many moments compare to small breadcrumbs they subconsciously follow during their lives. For Hayley Cobb Haka, the breadcrumbs were the path. The U.S. Army had always been a conversation at family gatherings and a potential career always in the back of her mind, she said. However, she talked herself out of it time and time again until one day she graced the doorsteps of the Oklahoma State University Army ROTC Battalion. “I was a junior in one of Dr. Angel Riggs’ writing classes when I had the opportunity to write about the flag placing on Edmon Low Library Lawn,” Haka said. “I did some digging and found out about the Army ROTC’s participation in the event and went to the battalion to talk to someone.” What started as an interview for a story turned into Haka connecting with her own family history within the ROTC program and would soon lead to her enrollment. Haka’s family has a rich history of involvement in the U.S. Army. Her grandfather, retired Army Col. Alvin “Bruce” Cobb, graduated from OSU 14 WINTER/SPRING 2024
and was commissioned through OSU Army ROTC in 1965. Cobb served 28 years in the aviation and infantry branches before his retirement. Her father, Bill Cobb, and uncle, retired Col. Clay Cobb, later followed their father’s footsteps, and both commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army after college. Haka was not far behind them. “I remember telling the cadre my granddad was an alumnus of the Cowboy Battalion and being asked if the Army was a career I had ever thought about,” Haka said. “I was like,
She wanted to know what she could do for the military rather than just what it could do for her. LT. COL. DAVE HOSLER
‘Well, yes, but I haven’t really told anyone that.’” Upon entering college, Haka said she believed she wanted to be an OSU Extension educator, which led to her pursuit of an agricultural communications degree. However, not long after her initial moments in ROTC, she began discussing the possibility of a future military career with her family — much to the surprise of her veteran father. “Based on the required commitment, I discouraged the idea every time we talked about it,” Bill Cobb said. “But then one day she said ‘Why won’t you support me? I want to do this.’ So, I turned to her and said, ‘Then, I’m all in with you.’” The decision to join the military is never one made lightly, but Haka immediately bought into the Army ROTC mission, she said. With the support of her family, she picked up their torch and began paving the way for her future career. Haka first walked into Thatcher Hall, the home of the Cowboy Battalion, in October 2015, and by the following March, Haka was enlisted in the Army. Just a few months later, she attended basic training as a private first class.
Hayley Haka bridges the gap between communications and the military. Photo by Sgt. Beverly Roche, U.S. Army. COWBOY JOURNAL 15
Hayley Haka learned to fly helicopters through the U.S. Army. Photo courtesy of Hayley Haka.
Like her granddad before her, Haka found significant success in the program. Her intrinsic drive and determination set her apart early in her ROTC journey, said Lt. Col. Dave Hosler, retired OSU Army ROTC professor of military science. “I took the time to get to know our military science cadets so I could select someone as the cadet battalion commander,” Hosler said. “Hayley immediately stuck out because it was obvious she wanted to know what she 16 WINTER/SPRING 2024
could do for the military rather than just what it could do for her.” One year into her time as a cadet, Haka became the cadet battalion commander, the highest-ranking cadet in the program. She would also graduate at the top of her ROTC class. “When I found out I was at the top of my ROTC class, I can remember my granddad saying, ‘Oh, you’ll get awarded a 1911 pistol like I did!’” Haka said. “I had no idea what he was talking about.”
Her granddad was referring to a 1911 pistol, historically awarded to the No. 1 cadet in the battalion. He received one of his own in 1965, and when he learned the award was no longer given, he sponsored it himself, Haka said. For her accomplishments as a cadet, Haka received the inaugural Col. Alvin B. Cobb Award, restarting the tradition for every top graduating cadet in the program. “My family still goes back each year to present the award,” Haka said. “It’s cool to see those cadets in the same shoes as I was in 2018 and my granddad in 1965.” Those around her, or even Haka herself, would say her family legacy throughout the military and within the Cowboy Battalion were large motivators in her desire to pursue a career in the Army. As a cadet, Haka was inspired to follow in her granddad’s aviation path and set her sights on earning a helicopter pilot position, which she succeeded in doing. However, Haka’s unique degree choice made for an interesting academic balance, which became more entangled as she neared her graduation and commission date, she said. “It was challenging to continue to put 100% effort into all my classes after I found out my job,” Haka said. “All I could think about was flying. If you would have told me then where I’d be today, I would have thought you were crazy.” Riggs, OSU agricultural communications associate professor, recalled her own surprise when Haka told her of her aviation aspirations. Haka was always engaged and dedicated to her courses and assignments, Riggs said, but her passion for aviation was undeniable. “I remember the day Hayley stood in the doorway of my office and told me she knew what she wanted to do,” Riggs said. “She said, ‘I’m going to fly helicopters,’ and she made it happen.” A few years into her career as a helicopter pilot, Haka was sent to Fort
Cavazos, Texas. Walking in on her first day, she noticed a flyer on the bulletin board advertising the unit’s social media pages. “I started asking around about who managed them and found out the current lieutenant just wasn’t ready to hand over the project yet,” Haka said. “So, I gave him my number for when he was, and I got a text about a year and a half later.” Haka became the battalion unit public affairs representative in April 2021, which is a voluntary position requiring no specific training. Soon after, she became a fill-in for the brigade public affairs officer. At the time, Haka was still thriving in her aviation career but what was meant to only be a few months of filling in turned into almost a yearand-a-half-long gig, she said. What she didn’t know was this uncommon opportunity would relight a passion she thought she tucked away forever when she received her pilot selection, Haka said. “I thought the opportunity to volunteer for the brigade public affairs office was a cool way to try out the public affairs world without having to commit,” Haka said. “Instead, I fell in love with Army public affairs and realized what I wanted to be doing.” However, Haka’s six-year commitment to the Army as an aviator was not yet complete. So, as her desire to transition to working in public affairs grew, she was faced with a few hoops to jump through. Public affairs is not a commissionable career in the Army. To be considered, a soldier first must be a lieutenant promotable or a captain who has completed the captain’s career course. A significant amount of time and resources are put toward training a military aviator, requiring Army pilots to commit to serving extended contracts. To discontinue her aviation service while still under contract, Haka had to be accepted through Human Resources Command to be able to apply for the transition.
When Hayley Haka (third from left) graduated from U.S. Army helicopter pilot training, she rented a helicopter to take her dad, Bill Cobb (left), and her granddad, Alvin “Bruce” Cobb (right), on a private flight before celebrating her accomplishments with family: Stewart Haka (second from left), husband; Kimber Cobb, stepmom; and Patty Cobb, grandma. Photo courtesy of Hayley Haka.
She requested an exception from HRC three times before her paperwork was finally accepted for review. Stewart Haka, Hayley Haka’s husband and an Army chief warrant officer 3, watched her prioritize and pursue her public affairs dream despite the trials, he said. “It’s challenging to watch someone go through being told ‘no’ when they want it so badly,” Stewart Haka said. “Watching her try a third time, I felt a lot of pride and respect for her. I think it’s just a testament to her character and drive.” In September 2023, Hayley Haka’s application was accepted. As quick as the flip of a light switch, her world went from flying helicopters to telling her unit’s story. She is preparing to attend specialty training for her new career in early 2024.
Though her path from the Ferguson College of Agriculture differs from many of its alumni, Hayley Haka represents the college and OSU worldwide through her roles in the U.S. Army. “Through the skill sets I was able to sharpen as an OSU agricultural communications student, I am able to tell the stories of the soldiers who make us the world’s greatest Army,” Hayley Haka said.
RAEGAN LOCKHART HAWORTH, OKLAHOMA
COWBOY JOURNAL 17
THE OSU NREM STUDENTS SEARCH FOR VALUABLE ANSWERS
S
ix hours have now passed, and still, no movement. The dew fades, and the birds sing, but no turkeys appear. Recent annual surveys from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation suggest a decline in Oklahoma turkey populations, and observations made by wildlife enthusiasts confirm these results, said Kurt Kuklinski, ODWC wildlife diversity and research supervisor. “For the last three to five years, we’ve started to see some declines in the turkey population,” Kuklinski said regarding recent annual surveys.
A wild turkey looks for food in a native grass field. Photo by Elizabeth Hokit. 18 WINTER/SPRING 2024
GAME
The results of the data were magnified when game wardens, biologists and hunters all began asking about the decline, Kuklinski said. Because this problem was observed by many, ODWC officials decided to look deeper into the turkey population issue, he added. To uncover the cause of the decline, the ODWC requested research proposals about Oklahoma’s turkey population, Kuklinski said. “ODWC initially put out the request for proposals, and Oklahoma State University jumped on it,” said Cody Griffin, doctoral student in the
OSU Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management. Faculty members created a proposal to study the turkey population in partnership with Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Griffin said. In 2021, the proposal was accepted, and the research team began working with the ODWC to complete each part, said Colter Chitwood, OSU NREM assistant professor and lead principal investigator on the grant. The wild turkey research team is comprised of faculty and students from OSU and Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
COWBOY JOURNAL 19
Between the two universities, six faculty members and four graduate students are involved in the five-year project, Griffin said. As the first student on the project, Nicolle De Filippo, OSU NREM master’s student, led the first wave of turkey captures in southeast Oklahoma, she said. “In the late winter and early spring when turkeys are flocked together in their winter groups, we put out bait, take pictures, and set up a capture site,” De Filippo said. “From the capture site, we’ll launch a rocket net and trap the turkeys underneath the net.” Backpack transmitters then are placed on each turkey to monitor its behavior and survival in the environment, De Filippo added. “Capturing turkeys is probably the hardest part of the project,” Griffin said. “We have different methods for capturing turkeys depending on the part of the state.”
In southwest Oklahoma, Griffin uses walk-in traps instead of rocket nets, he said. Although Eastern wild turkeys are hesitant to walk into traps, the Rio Grande turkey has no problem doing so, Griffin added. The bait alone is placed in the traps while the turkeys get used to them, Griffin said. Then, after they are comfortable walking into the traps, funnels are inserted so the turkeys get stuck, he continued. “Once the turkeys are caught, I do the same thing they’re doing in the southeast,” Griffin said. “I do morphometric measurements, collect blood samples, and put on the transmitters. “I enjoy the challenge of what we can do with the data we have as we really work to contribute to science,” Griffin added. This year, as De Filippo finishes her master’s program, her research will be continued by Cyrena Bedoian, OSU NREM master’s student. She will focus
on the predatory aspect of the project while continuing the research De Filippo was conducting, Bedoian said. “I’ll be putting game cameras out to look at mammalian nest predators to see what the predator composition looks like on the landscape,” she added.
It’s an important project on an important species at an important time. COLTER CHITWOOD
Nicolle De Filippo (front) and Cyrena Bedoian use an antenna to download transmitter data from a nearby turkey. Photo by Elizabeth Hokit. 20 WINTER/SPRING 2024
LET’S TALK TURKEYS
Eastern • Primarily found in the far eastern third of Oklahoma. • Larger than the Rio Grande subspecies. • Longer tail feathers present as a dark chocolate color, and the shorter tail feathers at the base are more chestnut brown.
Cyrena Bedoian uses a handheld receiver to listen for pings from nearby transmitters on turkeys. Photo by Elizabeth Hokit.
Right now, the goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the turkeys’ nesting behavior, reproductive success, and survival of different life stages to determine if a decline is occurring and, if so, what is causing it, De Filippo said. “We’re collecting some of the best data ever collected on turkeys in Oklahoma,” Chitwood said. “Even though turkey research has been done in Oklahoma before, the technology has grown by leaps and bounds, so the information we can get now is an incredible advancement for the ODWC.
“It’s an important project on an important species at an important time,” Chitwood added. During the five-year span, the project is expected to cost about $1.3 million with funds distributed annually based on projected budget needs, Chitwood said. “The funding mechanism in these grant programs is a huge asset to wildlife management and wildlife research,” Kuklinski said. With the funding provided by the ODWC, OSU can support most of the research costs, Chitwood said.
Rio Grande • Found statewide. • Smaller than the Eastern subspecies. • Longer tail feathers are a lighter brown color with the shorter tail feathers at the base being more of a yellowish color. Source: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Photos from Adobe Stock The ODWC funding can be allocated toward equipment, transportation, housing, and even salaries and tuition for the graduate students, Griffin said. Recently, the research team purchased new transmitters with grant funding. With this new technology, the team can collect better data at a fraction of the cost, he added. COWBOY JOURNAL 21
Nicolle De Filippo (bottom) and Cyrena Bedoian review the map and list of transmitters before going out to listen for transmitter signals. Photo by Elizabeth Hokit.
This grant benefits the university and students financially, Chitwood said. Two master’s students and two doctoral students are completing their graduate research requirements through this project. “We wouldn’t be able to do these projects on our own,” Kuklinski said. “To address the turkey decline, we first need to know what’s causing it, and we don’t have the manpower and capacity to go out there and figure it out ourselves.” With the funds provided by the grant, the NREM department can pay for the student training and field work to answer these questions, Chitwood said. It just makes sense for both parties involved, he added. “The research being done is really on the backs of the students,” Griffin said. “We’re the vehicles for it.” Even undergraduates have many ways to get involved in projects like this, Bedoian said. One of the best ways is to ask about opportunities or even volunteer to help with a project, she added. 22 WINTER/SPRING 2024
“The more experience you have, the easier it will be for you to figure out what you like and what you don’t,” De Filippo said. Before coming to OSU, Bedoian worked with Chitwood and other faculty members on a recent pronghorn research project, she said. When she heard about the current research opportunity, knowing she would work with the same faculty members made coming to OSU an easy decision, Bedoian added. “The opportunity to work with somebody I admired was awesome,” De Filippo said. With the academic resources, student training and coursework available at OSU, this partnership creates a great solution for the ODWC, Chitwood said. At the end of this project, the ODWC hopes the feedback from the research team will show them changes to implement in the turkey habitat, Kuklinski said. “If there is a land management practice that would directly impact and
benefit turkey nesting success, that’s like a silver bullet for us,” Kuklinski said. “That’s something we could immediately latch onto and broadly apply across a landscape for the betterment of the turkey population.” The end goal is to look at the results and come up with the best solution, whether it be changing the land management practices or implementing a specific habitat management technique, Kuklinski said. “Turkeys are such a beloved natural resource,” Bedoian said. “We want to do as much as we can to keep turkeys on the Oklahoma landscape for generations to come.”
ELIZABETH HOKIT CHOUTEAU, OKLAHOMA
BUILDER OF MEN
okstatefh.com
DESTINED FOR G
SIGNIFICANCE USDA HONORS STEIN FOR DEDICATION TO STUDENTS
rowing up on his family’s farm and ranch in Cherokee, Oklahoma, Dan Stein was immersed in production agriculture. He developed a passion for the livestock industry and a desire to one day operate the family farm, he said. Today, Stein shares his firsthand experiences with students in the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture. Stein’s father, Leroy Stein, shared wise words with his son, and now Dan Stein passes the same wisdom to his students: “An education is something no one can take away from you.” Dan Stein’s parents, who recognized the importance of a college education, strongly encouraged him to get a degree before he began working full time on the farm. As a result, Dan Stein began his undergraduate studies at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in the fall of 1974. “Like many first-year students, I struggled to adjust to college life,” Dan Stein said. By fall break, he had decided college was not for him, he said, so he loaded his pickup and headed home. However, his father’s unwavering wisdom prevailed, Dan Stein said. Leroy Stein reminded his son: “Finish what you start. You started the semester. You need to finish the semester.” Following this firm motivation, Dan Stein resumed his undergraduate
24 WINTER/SPRING 2024
education and completed his time at NWOSU in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural ecology. He returned home to the farm, and in the early 1980s, four Steins — Leroy, his brother Don, and his sons Dan and Sam — joined forces to establish the Stein Angus Farm partnership. “I had the privilege to work with my dad half my life,” Dan Stein said. “I got to learn from him and share this partnership with him.” The operation eventually grew to more than 2,800 acres of leased and owned farm ground to produce wheat and alfalfa as well as more than 1,500 leased and owned acres of native and tame pasture. The Steins also had a stocker operation and more than 380 head of registered cows and cows used for embryo transfers. “I cherished the privilege of working alongside my father,” he said, “learning invaluable life lessons that textbooks could never provide.”
You just got to keep rattling doors and see if they open. DAN STEIN
Dan Stein poured everything he had into the family operation, he said. He and Sam Stein, who earned his bachelor’s degree at OSU and became an attorney, made breeding decisions, Dan Stein added, and the genetics of the Angus herd evolved, eventually becoming one of Oklahoma’s highest-performing herds. During the last decade of the Stein Angus Farm partnership, its accomplishments included having the first- and third-highest gaining and overall indexing bulls among 215 bulls on test at Oklahoma Beef Inc. The farm also exhibited the reserve intermediate champion Angus bull at the Houston Livestock Exposition and leased one of its herd sires to a national semen service company. As Stein Angus Farm grew, the Steins transitioned from private treaty sales to hosting an annual production sale. In 2001, after the sale, Don and Leroy Stein visited with Dan and Sam Stein to tell them they were ready to retire from the cattle operation, Dan Stein said. As he considered the best option for everyone involved, Dan Stein faced a pivotal time in his life, he said. In the end, the best choice was a herd dispersal, he said. “It was the most difficult decision I have made,” Dan Stein said. The dispersal sale in the spring of 2002 brought the end of the Stein Angus Farm partnership and marked
Dan Stein serves as an academic adviser for AFS undergraduate and graduate students. Photo by Ellie Fly. COWBOY JOURNAL 25
Dan and Jana Stein met in Cherokee, Oklahoma, in the early 1980s. Photo by Ellie Fly.
a turning point in Dan Stein’s life and future, he said. He decided to return to school to pursue graduate degrees and a potential teaching career. “Dan had filled all the boxes of what he wanted to do in production agriculture,” said Jana Stein, his wife of 27 years. “He’s always been someone who has taught. Even on the farm, he always had high school boys he would teach and mentor.” In the summer of 2002, Dan Stein completed classes at Texas A&M University to show commitment to furthering his education before applying to OSU, he said. Dan Stein remembers the day he visited OSU to inquire about graduate school, he said. Application in hand, he visited two professors’ offices. The first professor did not have an assistantship available. 26 WINTER/SPRING 2024
The second professor, applications spread across his desk, said he would not have anything available in five minutes as he was making his final decision from the applicant pool. “That means I haven’t missed the deadline,” Dan Stein said while handing the professor his application. The professor asked when Dan Stein could start, who replied, “Tomorrow, if needed.” The professor told him Monday would be fine. Thus began the next challenge for Dan Stein. At OSU, Dan Stein earned his master’s degree working with Leon Spicer and his doctoral degree mentored by Rodney Geisert, both of whom were animal science professors. “You just got to keep rattling doors and see if they open,” Dan Stein said. “I had to believe that this is what I was supposed to do when I started because
there were some trials, but that helps me relate to my students.” Dan Stein sought every opportunity to teach during his time in graduate school, Geisert said. “Even then, it was clear that he really liked teaching,” Geisert said. “Sometimes you can read people early, and when I met him, I knew he really wanted to teach. “I would let him sometimes go in and give lectures,” Geisert said. “It was very obvious teaching was really more his forte and what he wanted to do.” Dan Stein was hired in the animal and food sciences department in fall 2009. Today, he resides in Animal Science 114e, the first office he was given and Geisert’s former office. Dan Stein has taught the Animal Reproduction course at OSU since 2006. He also taught the Introduction to Animal Science course for 11 years and livestock handling for two years. “His background made him a unique professor with his real-world
Dan Stein spends his free time training his oxen Burt (above) and Spock. Photo by Ellie Fly.
experience,” said Dr. Corbit Bayliff, a physician and Dan Stein’s former advisee and student. “He shows students what they really need to know.” Dan Stein maintains his involvement with agriculture through his OSU Extension efforts to serve producers across the state as well as through the oxen he trains at his home on the outskirts of Stillwater, Oklahoma. During his time teaching, Dan Stein has impacted hundreds of students — his kids — and did not waste that special opportunity, Bayliff said. “His kids keep him up at night,” Bayliff said. “He wants them to succeed. He wants what’s best for them.” Though there were many unseen trials and errors, Dan Stein always stood by the belief every individual deserves a chance, he said. “Dan has always gone above and beyond to give each kid a chance,” Jana Stein said. “Nobody is going to outwork Dan. He teaches the same way he farmed — 24/7.”
For his outstanding dedication to students, Dan Stein received national recognition in November 2023. He has been awarded the U.S. Department of Agriculture Teaching and Student Engagement Award for excellence in college and university teaching in the food and agricultural sciences. “The awards I have received are great validation, but they are not the reason I came back to school,” Dan Stein said. “I came back because I wanted to make a difference in students’ lives.” Dan Stein’s dedication and genuine care for his students leaves a legacy of significance, Bayliff said. “On the day I met Dan Stein, he took me under his wing, as he does for all of his students,” Bayliff said. “He is no doubt the most devoted teacher I have ever known.” Dan Stein is set apart by his passion to constantly update his lecture material and teaching style to engage younger generations, Jana Stein said.
“Although he does everything in his power to equip his students to be successful, he is never content with the status quo and constantly strives to come up with an improved approach to his teaching,” Bayliff said. Dan Stein has grown in significant ways during his years at OSU, Geisert said, and he deserves recognition for this accomplishment. “Learning and growing is your whole life,” Dan Stein said, “and that has taken place here. It’s been a great ride. I want it to continue as long as I think I am making a difference in students’ lives.”
ELLIE ROSE FLY DALHART, TEXAS
COWBOY JOURNAL 27
Cape Plumago, a flower with sky-blue clusters, is an Oklahoma Proven annual plant. Photo by Elizabeth Perdue. 28 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Oklahoma’s Proven
Best B
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THE OKLAHOMA PROVEN PROGRAM
eautiful, luscious and vibrant. Strong, steady and vigorous. From the Oklahoma Panhandle to the Ouachita Mountains in southeast Oklahoma, a plethora of plant species cover the countryside. However, some varieties are “proven” to be the best through the Oklahoma Proven program. Oklahoma Proven is an Oklahoma State University Extension program coordinated through the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. What started as a plant introduction program has transformed into what Oklahomans now recognize as an education and marketing platform for plant species across the state, said Lou Anella, horticulture and landscape architecture professor and director of The Botanic Garden at OSU. Anella started the program in 1999. Now, Oklahoma Proven has developed into a consumer education program.
“We are trying to recommend plants that are ‘proven’ to do well in Oklahoma,” Anella said. “The idea is that we are recommending plants we have already grown, we are already familiar with, and we feel have a proven track record.” Throughout the course of 25 years, the program has grown into a life of its own, Anella said. He has seen OSU Extension educators, nurseries and homeowners’ associations share the knowledge of the program through news articles and posters, promoting the Oklahoma Proven plants and the program throughout the state. David Hillock, OSU Extension specialist for the Consumer Horticulture and Master Gardener program, acts as a marketing coordinator for the Oklahoma Proven program. “We have trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials we try to introduce each year and occasionally add to the collector’s choice category,” Hillock said.
COWBOY JOURNAL 29
Zinnia hybrida is the Oklahoma Proven annual plant selection for 2024. Photo by Elizabeth Perdue.
Hillock directs a committee of members who decide if a plant should be Oklahoma Proven. The committee consists of horticulture educators, professionals and those in the green industry, which includes retailer and commercial businesses as well as consumers, Hillock said. Mike Schnelle, professor and OSU Extension ornamental/floriculture specialist, works as a liaison between OSU and people in the green industry. “My role is to be out in the industry working with growers and retailers, talking with them about what plants they would like to see being promoted through the program,” Schnelle said. When thinking of people in the industry, Schnelle said he receives input from a diverse group of allied professionals in Oklahoma to bring different perspectives to the committee. “The idea is to get information from all the plant people from across the state,” Hillock said, “asking ‘What do you think is great?’ and ‘What is a good plant for Oklahoma?’” Part of the committee’s goal is to help give the public greater choices of 30 WINTER/SPRING 2024
their plant materials by introducing underutilized species that do well in Oklahoma, Hillock said. “The criteria to become Oklahoma Proven is the plants have to do well in Oklahoma with very few problems, be relatively pest free, and should not be invasive,” Hillock said. The committee members try their best to ensure the plants selected can be grown statewide, Hillock said. However, with Oklahoma being vastly different in all four corners, that can be difficult, he said. “We always go out of our way to promote Oklahoma natives as often as
If you put the right plant in the right place, you will have success. LOU ANELLA
we can,” Schnelle said. “When we do promote adapted non-natives, we are prepared to defend why they are still very important.” The committee announces the plants for the upcoming year each fall season, Hillock said. The plants chosen for 2024 were announced at green industry conferences throughout the state and then published to the Oklahoma Proven website for the public to view. Schnelle said he reminds consumers at conferences and workshops why the plants are worthy to be considered Oklahoma Proven and why a plant should be used more than it already is. “For the people who are in the industry, the bottom line is profit and environmental stewardship,” Schnelle said. “For the people outside of the industry, it is not just the beauty that we are looking at. I can tell them the benefits of the proven plants.” Since the beginning of the program, Anella, Hillock and Schnelle have educated people inside and outside the classroom about which plant varieties are right for them.
OKLAHOMA PROVEN PLANTS 2024 Collector’s Choice Asimina triloba “Pawpaw”
Tree
Cercis canadensis “Redbud”
“If you put the right plant in the right place, you will have success,” Anella said. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma Proven program, Justin Quetone Moss, professor and department head for horticulture and landscape architecture, and the program coordinators curated an idea to modernize and improve the program. They developed an online fact sheet titled “Oklahoma Proven: Plant Selections for Oklahoma,” highlighting some of the best plants for Oklahoma. The program is only advancing from here, Moss said. Moss, Hillock, Schnelle and other program coordinators are working together to create a mobile application for the Oklahoma Proven program called “Plant-It OK.” “The application will be easier for consumers to see the list of Oklahoma Proven plants and overall will be more user-friendly,” Moss said. Hillock said the mobile app can be used as a landscape platform for users to see what plants will look best in their gardens.
“The impetus behind Oklahoma Proven is to help the growers be competitive and even more profitable by selling the plants,” Schnelle said. “But, also the program gives the consumers the best of the best, not only for the beauty and aesthetics, but also for all of the aforementioned of the plants.” The next time you cruise down a highway in Oklahoma, walk on OSU’s campus, or visit your local plant nursery, keep your eye out for what might be considered Oklahoma’s best — an Oklahoma Proven plant.
Shrub
Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ “Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick”
Perennial
Vernonia lettermannii “Narrowleaf Ironweed”
Annual
Zinnia hybrida “Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor”
For more information regarding the Oklahoma Proven program, visit extension.okstate.edu/programs/ oklahoma-proven/.
ELIZABETH PERDUE KINGFISHER, OKLAHOMA
Source: extension.okstate.edu/programs/ oklahoma-proven/ COWBOY JOURNAL 31
Larry and Carroll Null from Null Seed Farms maintain a lasting bond with Oklahoma State University and the world of agriculture. Photo by Emily Lencioni. 32 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Rooted Generations of
J
NULLS MAINTAIN ENDURING CONNECTION WITH OSU AND AGRICULTURE
ust outside of Hobart, Oklahoma, a peaceful two-story farmhouse stands surrounded by barns, grain bins and farmland. The residents of that home are as loyal and true to their crops as they are to their alma mater. “It is mind-boggling how far the seed and wheat business has come over the years compared to when my dad first started the business,” said Larry Null, whose father started Null Seed Farms in 1950. Null Seed Farms raises and sells registered and certified seed wheat. What sets the business apart is its focus on offering certified seed sourced exclusively from Oklahoma Genetics Inc., which is renowned for its exceptional Oklahoma State University wheat varieties, Null said. To access foundation seed for OGI varieties, producers must become members of OGI. Null took over the family business in 1960. He said he always wanted to farm and continue building what his dad started. To prepare for that future, he attended college to get an education in agriculture, he said. Graduating in 1958, Null was among the first class of students known as the OSU Cowboys. Before graduation that same year, he married Carroll Noske, who was a member of the last class of Oklahoma A&M Aggies. She graduated in 1957
with a degree in elementary education, and he earned his degree in agricultural economics. While Noske grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Null grew up in Hobart. Her trips to Hobart to visit relatives led her to her future husband. He was even her date to the 1953 senior prom for Stillwater High School. The couple’s wedding was planned around wheat harvest and took place at the First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater. Larry Null was anxious to get the harvest done because he was not sure when he was going to be drafted into the U.S. Military, he said. While he was a student, he was deferred, but he knew when he graduated he would be called to serve. In 1958, he was drafted to the U.S. Air Force but was stationed stateside, so his wife followed him. “The goal was always to return to the farm,” Null said. So, after declining an appointment to West Point, he returned to
Perseverance is your greatest ally on the journey. SCOTT NULL
Oklahoma to pursue his passion for the agricultural industry, he said. “Hobart is so well-centralized in southwest Oklahoma in the wheat country,” said Null, who settled back in Hobart when he was honorably discharged from the Air Force. “Our location has been fantastic,” he said. “We do a lot of seed business in Texas. People will travel to get quality seed.” With Larry Null taking over the seed business his father started, Carroll Null found her career success as a teacher. She taught for 18 years with 10 spent teaching music, which she loved. When she retired, she transitioned to working at the farm, she said. While growing up, Carroll Null was around agriculture her whole life, she said, but it was never part of her plan for her future. “When Larry and I got married, I was not a farm girl,” Carroll Null said. “I didn’t know one end of the cow from the other or that peanuts grew in the ground.” The family’s close ties with OSU formed when the Nulls attended college and have continued to thrive along with their business in Hobart. Larry Null has served on several boards at OSU throughout the years, and the couple has remained connected to the university through the OSU Alumni Association. COWBOY JOURNAL 33
Larry Null, a member of the inaugural class of Cowboys, and Carroll Null, who is among the final class of Oklahoma A&M Aggies, are both proud Oklahoma State University alumni. Photo by Emily Lencioni.
In 2005, the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences presented Larry Null with the Master Agronomist Award. The award recognized his dedication to agronomic education programs and public service in the areas of soil conservation and crop production. Of all the awards and honors Larry Null received, this one holds a special significance, he said. His father received the same award in 1956. Also an alumnus of OSU, Larry’s father planted the seeds of agriculture, education and partnership that strengthened and endured for decades and into the next generations of OSU Cowboys and farmers. Farming can be tough and agriculture is always changing, Larry Null 34 WINTER/SPRING 2024
said. The relationship the Nulls built with OSU allowed them to learn and grow with the industry along with the young agriculturalists coming out of the university. Four generations of the Null family have graduated from OSU and all remain actively involved in the family business, Larry Null said. Their son Tom graduated from OSU in 1986 followed by their younger son, Scott, in 1988. Scott Null’s wife, Janice, who graduated from the university in 1988, helps with the daily activities at the farm and has been the office administrator for 19 years. “Never give up even when the going gets tough,” Scott Null said. “Perseverance is your greatest ally on the journey.”
As any farmer knows, each year brings new challenges, but the Nulls are always ready to face them and continue building a strong future for the family business, Scott Null said. “Both grandsons, Brian and Colvin, are partners at Null Seed Farms,” Carroll Null said. “When they went to OSU, they went down the agricultural path for their education, as well.” Scott Null’s older son, Brian, graduated with an agribusiness degree in 2014, and his younger son, Colvin, received degrees in plant and soil sciences and in animal science in 2019. Times have evolved since Larry and Carroll Null attended college in Stillwater, Carroll Null said. However, the agricultural industry, like OSU, remains rooted despite extensive changes, she added. “It is important that people in agriculture support each other,” Larry Null said. “We need to support our neighbors and pass on the knowledge we have.” Larry Null said he has helped others for so many years through agriculture and education, side by side, with OSU. Larry and Carroll Null are proud of their family and the business started by Larry’s father so long ago. They are also proud to be part of the Cowboy family and hope future generations will continue those traditions, Larry Null said. As the agricultural industry continues to evolve, the Nulls remain steadfast in their support for each other and their university, fostering a legacy of knowledge and tradition they hope future generations will carry forward with pride.
EMILY LENCIONI BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
2 02 3 TERRY STUART FORST ’ 76
LIEU SMITH ’5 4, ’57
KEN STARKS ’76, ’78
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COWBOY JOURNAL 35
owculating
The Cowculator software is easily accessible at home or in the field. Photo by Emily Lintner.
36 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Nutrition
OSU EXTENSION PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO MANY IN BEEF CATTLE INDUSTRY
O
klahoma is one of the top five states for beef cattle production and has the second largest beef cow inventory in the country. With Oklahoma weather and conditions always changing, these producers must be confident in what they feed their livestock. Feed and pasture costs in beef production account for up to 55% of total costs, said David Lalman, Oklahoma State University Extension specialist for beef cattle. To help producers, OSU Extension designed a downloadable software with that in mind, Lalman added. Known as the Cowculator, the software allows producers to make sound nutrition management decisions based on science.
Dr. Richard Prather, a veterinarian at Ellis County Animal Hospital, said he uses the Cowculator for his cattle operation and also recommends it to his clients. Because annual feed and forage costs are some of the greatest expenses in a cow-calf operation, Prather said balancing winter rations is one of the more critical areas to focus management resources to reduce costs and improve profitability. The program provides a way for producers to develop a specific diet, including nutrient supplements to feed their cattle. The program also does this in the most cost-efficient way, said Paul Beck, OSU Extension specialist for beef nutrition.
COWBOY JOURNAL 37
The 2016 National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle book was used by the team to update the Cowculator. Photo by Emily Lintner.
“Through the 2022 drought, the OSU Extension Cowculator was quite useful,” Prather said. “Different hays were costing different prices. “Depending on the status of the post-weaning or post-calving, the cows have different protein and energy needs,” he added. “The software program helps producers use data-driven decisions to maintain cow condition and optimize production with balanced feed costs.” The program allows producers to adjust their feeding and supplementation based on the time of year, the forage quality and the requirements of the livestock. “I use the Cowculator to balance diets for my calves at weaning,” Beck said. “I want to make sure I’m using the appropriate nutrition to get them to gain weight but also to not spend too much money on that gain.” Many advantages come with using the Cowculator software program, but 38 WINTER/SPRING 2024
having a quick, efficient way to balance rations is beneficial, Beck said. “If a producer needs to know an answer quickly,” Beck said, “it’s much easier to use this software than try to
Cowculator can give people the confidence in their nutritional management decisions in 10 to 15 minutes. DAVID LALMAN
develop your own formulas. It is possible, but this is much handier.” Lalman created the original Cowculator program around 2001 to assist in beef cattle diet evaluation, he said. “Of all the things I have done in OSU Extension, this has been one of the most impactful,” Lalman said. Lalman used the 1996 and previous versions of the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle book to create the first version of the Cowculator, he said. The Cowculator software was updated in 2018 by Lalman, Beck and Megan Gross, who was a master’s student at the time of the research and is now a territory sales manager for Ralco Nutrition. They used the 2016 National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle book, along with years of research and previous versions of the book, Lalman said. The software behind the Cowculator has been totally rebuilt, Lalman said. “The software was essentially updated to give producers one software program for all their beef cattle needs, not just one cow model,” Beck said. Cowculator was not always this user friendly, Gross said. “Cattle have changed within the last 20 years,” Gross said. “They have evolved, and they are a lot bigger, meaning their nutrient requirements have also changed.” The updated version will find the nutrient value for cow-calf operations, growing cattle operations and finishing cattle operations, unlike the previous version, which just let you compose a diet for cows, Lalman said. “With the update, producers can customize the program to fit any breed of cattle or any weight,” Beck said. “There are different criteria the user can customize that have to do with the breed, their milk production or their expected calf birth weight.” The updated version of Cowculator allows users to enter a current body condition score and a desired score. The software then gives a projection
on how long it will take to get to the desired condition, Gross said. “There are even extra equations built into the software just because those growing cattle have higher nutrient requirements,” Gross said. This program is not only used by producers, but also several universities use it in the classroom to teach students about balancing rations and feeding cattle, Gross said. “The old version of Cowculator was fairly popular,” Lalman said. “The new version is far more popular.” The updated version allows Lalman and his team to get limited information about the users and where they are accessing the system from. The software asks for the users’ zip codes, role in the cattle industry and the class of cattle they intend to use the program for. This information allows Lalman and his team to collect statistics on the Cowculator’s use. Data show where the software was downloaded and what people are most
interested in — cow-calf, growing cattle or finishing cattle, Lalman said. “We also collect email addresses so we have a way to communicate program updates to users,” Lalman said. The numbers show the updated version of Cowculator was downloaded more than 2,000 times in 40-plus states and 53 different countries. Lalman also collected data through an impact survey, which indicated the financial benefit in users’ operations was an average of $1,500 per year, for a total estimated annual impact of $3.2 million in 2022. “Cowculator can give people the confidence in their nutritional management decisions in 10 to 15 minutes,” Lalman said. Unlike many other nutrient supplement programs, the OSU Cowculator is free. “I would rather people use it to have an impact on their lives than monetize it,” Lalman said. Tutorials and information online can help users, Beck said.
“All OSU Extension educators receive training on how to use the Cowculator,” Lalman said. “When people have questions, we have them send us their file. We personally look at it to figure out what is wrong.” Beck wants cattlemen to know this resource is available, he said, and OSU offers several ways to receive help with getting started using the Cowculator. “We’re always available — either a county office educator, an area specialist or even a state specialist,” Beck said. “We are here to help.” For more information, visit extension. okstate.edu/programs/cowculator.
EMILY LINTNER MOORELAND, OKLAHOMA
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COWBOY JOURNAL 39
Goldwater Scholar Georgia Eastham plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and a career in academia. Photo by Lauren Dossey. 40 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Branching
Chemistry into
W
OSU SENIOR FINDS COMMUNITY AND SUCCESS IN SCIENCE
hen Georgia Eastham began her classes in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, she discovered a science connection beyond her expectations. A triple major in plant and soil sciences, biochemistry and chemistry, the senior credits her introductory classes with helping her find her place. Eastham, originally from Davis, California, got involved in agriculture before her freshman year of high school after suffering too many concussions to continue playing sports, she said. “I needed a new set of activities,” Eastham said. “I joined a local 4-H club. The year after, I joined FFA.” Because of her involvement in FFA, Eastham began to consider a career in agriculture, she said. “In FFA, the focus was on getting kids into fields of agriculture, so that’s really what I was considering,” Eastham said. When the time came to choose a college major, Eastham was never interested in pre-med or animal science, she said. “I liked science, chemistry and biology a lot in high school,” Eastham said. “I knew I wanted to study science. I just didn’t know what type of science.” With California’s vast crop production industry, Eastham felt led to a plant and soil sciences major, she said.
“I was really intrigued with the idea of being a plant breeder,” Eastham said. “I thought that would be a really cool way to have an impact and be very involved in science and agriculture.” After Eastham’s freshman year in the plant and soil sciences program, she decided to shift her focus, she said. “I was really interested in how plants worked and the chemistry of it, and so I would read stuff on my own,” Eastham said. “I realized quickly that what I wanted to do was more in the area of biochemistry and physiology.” Eastham added a biochemistry major after looking at degree sheets and meeting with her academic advisers: Beatrix Haggard, plant and soil sciences associate professor, and Sheri Orr, OSU College of Arts and Sciences academic adviser.
I knew I wanted to study science. I just didn’t know what type of science. GEORGIA EASTHAM
The summer after her freshman year, Eastham interned for Corteva as a field research intern, and although it was a good experience, Eastham said it still was not what she wanted to do in the future. “I started to really realize more of what I want to do is still not even biochemistry or physiology of plants,” Eastham said. “I really want to study the chemistry of plants.” During her sophomore year of college, Eastham decided to add a third major in chemistry. “I was really interested in organic chemistry and how molecules interact with each other and how the reactions happen,” Eastham said, “and even how the reactions happen in plants.” Although adding chemistry late in her college career was a challenge, Eastham’s drive and interest in her classes make it worthwhile, she said. “I really enjoy my chemistry classes, and so that makes it really doable,” Eastham said. “This is what I want to do, and it’s very motivating to feel like you’re learning in a space where you belong and where you want to be. It’s pretty exciting.” While at OSU, Eastham has worked on a wide range of research since her freshman year. “I received the Freshman Research scholarship, which was actually a very big deal to me because it guaranteed COWBOY JOURNAL 41
that I would be able to get involved in research during my freshman year,” Eastham said. Even though Eastham had no prior experience, being able to do research was a huge part of her decision to go to OSU, she said. “I knew I wanted to do research,” Eastham said. “I just knew I was going to like it.” During her freshman year, Eastham began working on a purple wheat project under Brett Carver, plant and soil sciences professor, through the Freshman Research Scholars program. “That was really cool because I was working on a genetics project, but I got to be in a lab doing more analytical chemistry,” Eastham said. The purple wheat project has been an ongoing research project focusing on a specific chemical compound that provides more antioxidants than traditional wheat, Carver said. “There are no academic walls for her,” Carver said. “If she hit a dead end, say in the methodology, she has a way of finding ways around those dead ends, and that’s what has impressed me the most.” Because of Eastham’s familiarity with biochemistry and other complicated literature, she can confidently work and analyze in a research setting, he added. “I can just turn her loose, and she’s just not going to accept no for an answer,” Carver said. While working on research, Eastham has presented her work at multiple conferences, as well. “She’s even gone to a meeting of millers and bakers in the industry and spoken on behalf of me about this project and generated a lot of interest,” Carver said. Eastham also spent much of her time working on research in the chemistry department with Jimmie Weaver, associate professor. Because of Eastham’s unique background and skills, she brings a new perspective to the chemistry department, said Weaver, who serves as Eastham’s research adviser. 42 WINTER/SPRING 2024
“I love having students who come in with their own interests,” Weaver said. “I don’t typically think about the agricultural problems, but when you have students who have that background, and they know those skills, it draws attention to those problems.” Since she added her chemistry major, Eastham has worked with Weaver to help develop new tools for chemical biology programs, which can be applied to a variety of biological applications, she said. “Georgia is really an amazing student who understands really conceptually difficult problems that most people can’t wrap their minds around,” Weaver said. “She gets it very quickly, and there’s really very little we can throw at her that she won’t master.” As challenges arise in agriculture, new ways to solve problems also must be developed, Eastham said. “That’s why chemistry is so important,” Eastham said. “Chemistry is involved in everything.”
While most of what Eastham is working on is considered basic research, it can be applied to many different areas, including agriculture, she said. “That’s where basic research and math, physics, and chemistry really fit into things like agriculture,” Eastham said. “We need a mix of people who really know what’s already going on and people who are working on figuring out potential new things.” Since her freshman year, Eastham also has been a part of the McKnight Scholars Leadership Program for rural out-of-state students. The McKnight Scholars program provides students with an out-of-state tuition waiver, a short-term studyabroad program, and exclusive access to leadership classes and other student development opportunities. “It’s a great opportunity to meet a lot of people,” Eastham said. “I have made some close friends through the McKnight program.”
Georgia Eastham presents her research and discusses her undergraduate experience at the 2022 Wentz Symposium. Photo by Phil Shockley, OSU Brand Management.
Georgia Eastham uses a rotary evaporator to remove a solvent by evaporating the solvent with heat and a pulling vacuum in the organic chemistry lab. Photo by Lauren Dossey.
During her junior year at OSU, Eastham served as a McKnight Scholars Leadership Program mentor to a group of the program’s freshmen. “It was so different,” she added. “I really had to push myself, but it was good. I mentored some cool people.” Eastham’s hard work in and outside of the lab has not gone unnoticed. “I have faith that in the future she’s going to be a real mover and shaker in the world,” Weaver said. “We see a lot of potential in her. “The world will be better because she is in it,” he added. In 2023, Eastham received the Barry M. Goldwater scholarship, a highly sought-after national scholarship awarded to those pursuing research careers in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. “It’s a very prestigious award,” Weaver said. “They do a good job of identifying students who will have futures in academia.”
I can just turn her loose, and she’s just not going to accept no for an answer. BRETT CARVER After OSU graduation, Eastham plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry, she said. “I would like to be a principal investigator, so I would really like to lead my own lab and mentor students,” Eastham said. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is being able to really dive into research questions more than I have as an undergraduate.”
Since switching her focus to chemistry, Eastham has truly found her spot, she said. “I ended up really finding community in kind of an unexpected place,” Eastham said. “It’s a sense of purpose and identity. “It felt really good to find these places where I was really excelling and also being challenged,” she added. “I think I was always going to end up here,” Eastham said. “It was just figuring out what the field meant more and more.”
LAUREN DOSSEY FORT WORTH, TEXAS
COWBOY JOURNAL 43
WHAT ENSURES FUTURE AND CURRENT DIETITIANS LEARN ABOUT BEEF NUTRITION AND PRODUCTION? Your Dollar Does Oklahoma Beef Council hosts farm tours and nutrition seminars for registered dietetic interns each year. Tours show the interns beef production up close, and seminars inform them on the nutritional package of beef. These interns will then be informed and prepared to recommend beef to their clients. YourDollarDoes.com
Kaylin Hall tests the pH level of a water sample collected in Osage County. Photo by Landri Chaplin.
Making the
T
OSU EXTENSION OFFERS WELL WATER SCREENINGS
Water Well
he average depth of a water well in Oklahoma is 175 feet deep, according to Oklahoma State University Extension. However, not all wells are equal. OSU Extension in conjunction with the Oklahoma Water Resources Center provides free well water screenings to counties across Oklahoma. Kevin Wagner, director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Center, began this project in 2018. The idea came to Wagner when he collected data from Oklahomans about water issues, he said, and their most common concern was access to safe drinking water. “Helping people understand their water safety is the goal of this project,” Wagner said. To create the water well screening project, Wagner worked with Karen Hickman, environmental science professor, and Tyson Ochsner, plant and soil sciences professor. Anyone can bring well water samples for free screenings to collection
events, which occur at fairgrounds, OSU Extension offices and libraries. The only thing required of residents is to complete a contact sheet with their personal information and bring water samples in a new plastic water bottle with their names, location of where the water was drawn, and the time of collection clearly labeled on the outside of the bottle.
Everyone should have access to clean, safe drinking water. It’s a basic human need. TYSON OCHSNER
The samples are taken to the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering lab on OSU’s Stillwater campus to be tested for E. coli, hardness levels, nitrate levels, total dissolved solids, arsenic and pH levels. In the lab, James Lee, biosystems engineering junior, and Kaylin Hall, civil engineering sophomore, test the collected water and record the data. After the data has been recorded, Jeff Sadler, water resources specialist for OSU Extension, reviews the test results and notifies well owners of their results via email. Participants can expect results from the screening to be in their inbox within seven days of collection, he said. Sadler also provides participants and OSU Extension educators with educational materials after they have received their results. Sadler and his undergraduate students have conducted in-person meetings where residents can ask questions and learn firsthand how to keep their drinking water safe, Sadler said. COWBOY JOURNAL 45
Kaylin Hall (left) and James Lee conduct a hardness level test on a water sample from Osage County. Photo by Landri Chaplin.
“We provide well owners with guidance and resources,” Wagner said. The Rural Renewal Initiative at OSU has provided additional help by assigning student scholars to the project. Rayna Ellison, environmental science alumna, worked in southwest Oklahoma and collected water samples when the program was in the beginning stages. “Through Rayna’s data, we found the nitrate levels were relatively normal in the samples submitted,” Ochsner said. “What surprised me to some extent was the total coliform and E. coli levels. They were concerning and unexpected.” These results provided even more of an increased need for the program, Ochsner added. Since the initial pilot phase, well water screenings have taken place in many areas of Oklahoma. One of the more popular collections took place in Alfalfa County in the spring of 2022. “We collected over 100 samples in Cherokee, Oklahoma,” Wagner said. 46 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Citizens specifically asked to have the sulfate levels tested, Wagner said. At the time, the lab had no ability to measure sulfate, so they worked to locate a test. As suspected, the water collected in Alfalfa County was high in sulfate, Wagner continued. Water screenings have taken place in about a dozen counties across Oklahoma, and 24 water well testing events are planned for 2024. Each event will include drinking water quality education programs and regional water quality health assessments. “We find a lot of samples have bacteria,” Wagner said. “We recommend the owners get a sample retested by a certified lab and find another source of drinking water.” For some issues, owners can implement ways to improve their water quality, he said. For example, if a water sample has high amounts of nitrates, the owner can install specific filters. “Everyone should have access to clean, safe drinking water,” Ochsner said. “It’s a basic human need.”
Well owners should have their water tested once a year for bacteria and once every three years for other elements, Wagner said. Ochsner said he appreciates the work Wagner is doing to ensure Oklahomans know their drinking water is safe. “My goal is to reach every county, informing them about water quality potential,” Wagner said. For information about well water screenings, contact the OSU Extension office in your county or visit the OWRC at water.okstate.edu/.
LANDRI CHAPLIN WEATHERFORD, OKLAHOMA
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BEES & BYTES
OSU BEEKEEPING PROGRAM AIMS TO CREATE INTEREST
O
klahomans are buzzing about beekeeping and seeking knowledge through Oklahoma State University Extension resources. Oklahomans’ interest in beekeeping picked up speed in January 2019, said Courtney Bir, OSU agricultural economics assistant professor and OSU Extension state specialist. As Bir gathered information to provide resources for Oklahomans on beekeeping, she said she found a lack of consistency and financial budgeting tools. Bir felt the need to get a better handle on how beekeeping works to speak knowledgeably about the subject and teach about the economics, she said. The duty of an OSU Extension educator is to serve the public, Bir said. “Being an OSU Extension state specialist and an economist, it was important to understand the components of beekeeping to have a more encompassing educational platform for Oklahomans,” she said. As Bir pondered how to better educate the public on beekeeping, she committed to the unlikely — she became a beekeeper.
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After personally investing in and learning from her own beehives, Bir created the OSU Beekeeping Program. The project was made possible through the investment of a Southern Risk Management grant of $11,957. “The entomology department does not have a pollinator specialist,” Bir said, “and because bees are livestock, we took a farm management approach to the OSU Beekeeping Program.” Bir’s approach was to treat bees like any other livestock species where a budget and best practices are necessary in terms of farm management and economic analysis, she said. The mission of this program was to assist in minimizing production, financial and legal risks for beekeepers, she said. This was accomplished through providing information to individuals on the correct way to label honey and having budgets available to increase financial awareness, Bir said. “It was a spur-of-the-moment, pandemic decision to bring my work home, become a beekeeper in spring 2020, and order a 3-pound package of honeybees from Texas,” she said.
Courtney Bir studies her bees to educate others about beekeeping. Photo by Emma Grace Nowotny. COWBOY JOURNAL 49
The true force behind being a beekeeper is Bir’s passion for education, she said. Additionally, Bir worked to better understand the economic importance of beekeeping as a livestock enterprise, she said. “The principal intention was to appeal to beginning and small-scale farmers and ranchers because many individuals who live on smaller acreages are always looking for different enterprises but don’t realize honeybees qualify as livestock for U.S. Department of Agriculture programs,” Bir said. The economics behind the educational aspect of the OSU Beekeeping Program is built upon firsthand experience and further research, she said. “Compared to other agricultural enterprises, beekeeping isn’t the cheapest,” Bir said. “Startup costs range from $600 to $1,000.
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“It’s important to understand the costs fluctuate depending on how an operation works — if it is the Cadillac version or if everything is built from scratch,” she added. Not everyone should have bees because available pollen or nectar is the primary limiting factor, Bir said. This is comparatively true for other livestock enterprises, as well, she said. “This resource availability should be considered when deciding to enter into beekeeping for both honey production and pollination purposes,” Bir said. Individuals working with bees should be mindful of pesticide usage in garden environments to not accidentally impair honeybees and native pollinators, she said. “With growing interest in beekeeping, lack of consistent economic information was a driving force for
the program and the reason behind hosting public workshops,” Bir said. The beekeeping workshops give nontraditional agriculturalists the opportunity to learn more about raising honeybees, said JJ Jones, southeast area agricultural economics specialist and agricultural program leader for OSU Extension. “The beekeeping workshops are offered in Tulsa, in Oklahoma City, and at the county level,” Jones said. “Individuals learn the basics of Beekeeping 101, such as equipment, suits, three-year plans, regulations, bee biology, breed overview, and diseases, like deformed wing virus.” All age groups interested in beekeeping are encouraged to attend the OSU Beekeeping Program workshops, he said. “The OSU Beekeeping Program has opened the OSU Extension education
door for those more familiar with plows, cows and sows,” Jones said. This program educates prospective beekeepers from trial and error built on Bir’s personal experiences, research, and a beekeeping budget, Jones said. “Many individuals think beekeeping is a simple a task,” Jones said. “However, beekeeping is not an ordinary livestock enterprise. “Courtney Bir has showcased her experiences in every educational aspect of the program,” he said. Bailey Norwood, agricultural economics professor, helped gather educational footage and observed the correct way to harvest honey at the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center. “I have an admiration for the OSU Beekeeping Program,” Norwood said, “Courtney Bir went the extra mile to raise bees, become well versed in the
subject, better educate the public, and incorporate livestock economics.” Having prior experience with Bir on a professional level and from a friendship standpoint, Norwood said Bir never does anything halfway and this transfers to her beekeeping efforts, as well. “It’s amazing to see how far the OSU Beekeeping Program has come,” Norwood said. “Courtney Bir has put her passion for OSU Extension education at the forefront of becoming a beekeeper.”
INTRODUCING AN ONLINE COURSE Expanding your knowledge about beekeeping is more accessible now because of a new Introduction to Beekeeping online course. The course is designed for any age range and knowledge level when it comes to the diverse basics of beekeeping. If you are interested in the beekeeping course, visit learn. extension.okstate.edu/courses/ introduction-to-beekeeping or scan this QR code.
EMMA GRACE NOWOTNY NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS
Courtney Bir demonstrates the various steps of daily beehive care. When starting a beekeeping project, one must understand the importance of maintaining bees’ health from daily care to honey harvest. Beekeepers never know the exact number of bees within their hive because bees are sold by weight. Bees can identify their beekeepers from pheromones and facial recognition. Photos by Emma Grace Nowotny.
COWBOY JOURNAL 51
Honoring a J
Cattleman
OSU AFS ALUMNUS CONTINUES LEGACY IN CATTLE PRODUCTION
arold Callahan is a man of few words, but his actions speak for him. As a lifelong cattleman, this native Oklahoman casts a long and broad shadow in the cattle industry, especially in his home state. Callahan’s journey as a cattleman began on his family farm and cattle operation in northeastern Oklahoma near Welch. The Callahan family always had cattle growing up, Callahan said, and his father would buy calves every fall to raise on grass at their ranch. “My favorite chore was working cattle,” Callahan said. “We would usually work calves every Saturday. I looked forward to it.” Working calves included processing, giving vaccines, branding, and more depending on the situation, Callahan said. From a young age, Callahan knew he wanted to stay in the agricultural industry, he said. “I always knew I loved production agriculture,” Callahan said. “I liked watching the calves grow, the grass grow, and even the crops. It is rewarding for me to be in this industry.” Growing up on a ranch did not just mean working calves. In Callahan’s case, it also meant showing them. Showing cattle and swine had a large
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impact on Callahan’s life, he said, and it instilled in him a strong work ethic, as he believes you cannot be successful without working hard. “Cattle need to be taken care of 365 days a year,” Callahan said. “Livestock animals are depending on you to make sure they have adequate feed and water and are kept in good health. To be a good caretaker requires a lot of diligence and self-discipline. You learn that you must take care of something other than yourself.”
I liked watching the calves grow, the grass grow, and even the crops. It is rewarding for me to be in this industry. JAROLD CALLAHAN
From the beginning, Callahan understood it takes hard work and luck to be a successful cattleman — lessons he carried into his life and his future careers, he said. After graduating high school, Callahan attended Oklahoma State University and was on the 1975 livestock judging team. There, he found additional success as the overall high individual at multiple contests. After graduating from OSU in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in animal science, Callahan became the livestock judging coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M where he also taught courses ranging from animal science to agronomy. Callahan returned to OSU in 1982 and became the livestock judging coach and an assistant professor of animal science. “I had a lot of great young men and women who went out for the team,” Callahan said. “The contests were great, but what I really got the most satisfaction out of was going to a farm or ranch and having a good workout with the teams.” Richard Coffey, department head of the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences, met Callahan when Coffey was a student working in the
Throughout his life, Jarold Callahan has been committed to the betterment of livestock through genetics and performance. Photo by Sara Frost. COWBOY JOURNAL 53
Jarold Callahan is the 378th Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Collection inductee. He has personally owned and fed as many as 20,000 head of cattle every year and is invested in every aspect of the beef production chain. Photo by Lexie Ratterman, Kentucky Exposition Center.
swine unit. Coffey was one of many who recognized Callahan’s gift for teaching and helping develop people’s talents, he said. “OSU benefited in innumerable ways by having him here,” Coffey said. “His ability to teach is second to none. That comes through with why his teams were so successful. “He has a way of helping students learn and understand,” Coffey continued. “He knows how to encourage different personalities.” Mark Johnson, animal and food sciences professor, was advised and mentored as a student by Callahan. 54 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Johnson worked with Callahan as a livestock judge and co-coach while the pair were at OSU. Although Callahan’s time coaching and teaching at OSU ended in 1991, he left a large impact, Johnson said. “Jarold was a product of this program,” Johnson said. “When he came, he added his own skill set and unique way of doing things, building a bond and history within this department.” After leaving OSU, Callahan became the executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association where he served from 1991 to 1996.
Now, Callahan is entering his 27th year as president of Express Ranches, which is owned by Bob Funk and located in Yukon, Oklahoma. In Callahan’s early years at Express Ranches, he and Funk negotiated the purchase of the B&L Ranch near Shawnee and the B&L Angus cow herd from the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association to begin the journey of adding Angus cattle to the operation. Express Ranches is now one of the largest purebred cattle operations in North America. The operation encompasses several counties such as Oklahoma, Blaine and Craig.
Callahan’s long and successful career in the livestock industry earned him the honor of being added to the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery as the 378th inductee. His portrait went on display Nov. 14 during the 2023 North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. “I know some past recipients and hold them in high regard,” Callahan said. “To be included in that group is surprising and humbling.” Callahan was appointed in 2016 to the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents and continues to serve on the board today. Rick Davis, a member of the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents alongside Callahan, has known Callahan for more than 45 years. Davis said Callahan embodies the essence of the type of influential beef industry ambassador the Saddle & Sirloin Club Portrait Gallery was designed to recognize. “From his early days as a highly successful instructor and livestock judging coach at NEO through his time as a professor and judging team coach at OSU, the common denominator to his successes were his competitive drive coupled with his expectation of excellence from both himself and his students,” Davis said. “This same expectation of excellence then served the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association well as he transitioned to the role as the face and lead ambassador for the OCA,” Davis added. Callahan has multiple accomplishments under his belt, but more important from any of those accolades is his family, he said. During his time coaching and teaching at OSU, Callahan met his wife Jennifer. She and the Callahan children provide the constant support he relies on, he said. “Jarold’s greatest quality is perseverance, and he is very loyal,” Jennifer Callahan said. “He likes challenges and is always setting goals. When he faces challenges or obstacles, he always perseveres.”
Callahan has three adult children — Brian, Tracie and Ryan, all of whom graduated from OSU. Ryan Callahan, the youngest, said he took an interest in the cattle industry and found his interests aligned closely with his father’s. “Growing up with my dad, he was tough, but he would go out of his way to do anything for you,” Ryan Callahan said. “He has always done his best to be there.” Jarold Callahan said although he had to be gone often because of his career, he hopes he was a fair and tough father and knows he has instilled in his children the same life lessons he learned in terms of discipline and hard work. Ryan Callahan said his dad is always there for his family. “He always has put his family first,” Ryan Callahan said. “He may have been away for work, but he would drive through the night to make a sports event or cattle show.” Ryan Callahan is excited and proud of his father for being honored in the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery, he said. As a livestock judge in 2020, Ryan Callahan had the opportunity to visit the gallery at NAILE, where he first learned how prestigious and honorable it is. “It is a very special award for my dad,” Ryan Callahan said. “He holds so much respect for the craft of livestock judging, and that respect extends over to all of the different agricultural sectors. “My dad approaches everything he does with respect, hard work and passion,” Ryan Callahan added. “He is a loyal person, and he is everything I could ask for in a parent.”
OSU PORTRAIT HONOREES The Saddle & Sirloin Club’s Portrait Gallery — dubbed as the livestock industry’s Hall of Fame— began in 1903. The collection honors those who have made great contributions to the industry. They are nominated and chosen by their peers. The following Oklahoma State University alumni have been honored with portraits: Warren Lale Blizzard 1939 Albert Edward Darlow 1958 Hilton Marshall Briggs 1978 Frank H. Baker 1986 James Calvin Hillier 1993 Robert Totusek 1997 Orville K. Sweet 1998 Lowell Eugene Walters 2000 O’dell G. Daniel 2001 Richard L. Willham 2004 Minnie Lou Bradley 2014 Jarold Callahan 2023
SARA FROST
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Foundation
DENAIR, CALIFORNIA
COWBOY JOURNAL 55
Inside the walls of the BAE Laboratory, renovation has begun to improve hands-on student engagement. Photo by Mickinzi Ferguson. 56 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Educate
Renovate to
BIOSYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT RENOVATES LAB FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
O
n the corner of Cleveland and Hall of Fame sits a small brick building holding a mystery of what goes on inside its four walls. These walls create the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Laboratory — home to the students focusing on agricultural technology, science and engineering. The lab provides a space for students to not only begin developing their skill sets in their respective fields but also to create cutting-edge technology for businesses and other university departments. These students will complete degrees in biosystems engineering and agricultural systems technology. They can choose options in biosystems engineering ranging from machine systems and agricultural engineering to environmental and natural resources. For their entire college careers, BAE students work inside the laboratory, gaining hands-on experience with large machinery, sensors and instrumentation, biomaterials, and other related equipment. “That parallels other classes they take in soil science and in engineering in material science,” said Paul Weckler, BAE professor. However, no class is as hands-on as the senior year capstone class: Senior Engineering Design Project I and II, Weckler said.
“We start in August and work until May,” Weckler said. Seniors have created projects ranging from robotic pigs to coffee roasters. “We have a great shop with highly skilled and experienced technicians,” Weckler said. “We can build about one of anything.” The laboratory is vital for conducting classes and research within BAE and for surrounding departments, Weckler said. For more than 50 years, the lab has supported a range of projects as well as various teaching, OSU Extension and research activities, he added. The laboratory has been used mainly for research within the department with only a small teaching space, said John Long, BAE associate professor. Now, the lab is being remodeled to support the new advances in technology and improve teaching abilities within the lab. “There were no formal teaching areas,” Long said. “Everything was mainly a research space that would get used sometimes for labs.” One of the main renovations being made is the relocation and modernization of the welding lab. “The welding lab hasn’t been upgraded since the 1960s,” Weckler said. The welding area on the north end of the lab shares space with the large equipment machinery area. COWBOY JOURNAL 57
Instructor Nathan Smith helps Kristian Thralls inside the renovated lab space. Photo by Mickinzi Ferguson.
“The welding lab is good for teaching basic welding skills, but it’s not flexible and takes up a lot of usable floor space,” Weckler said. The new welding laboratory will be located on the south end of the building. This new space will provide students with updated welding and ventilation equipment on wheels, allowing it to be portable.
The building renovations are really going to be a breath of fresh air for the students and for me. NATHAN SMITH 58 WINTER/SPRING 2024
The BAE laboratory is also a vital source for conducting classes for agricultural education students, who take four classes taught in the BAE research laboratory. “Every one of these classes has a very hands-on lab experience,” said Nathan Smith, agricultural education instructor and coordinator of student teacher placement. Along with conducting classes within BAE, Smith serves as an instructor in the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership, working closely with the BAE faculty and staff. “Having that new welding space is going to be really neat for our students because they’re going to be able to use some cutting-edge technology and just have a new, updated and fresh space,” Smith said. The lecture space is also being upgraded, giving students in agricultural education a cleaner, more accessible learning environment, he said. The renovations will include new multimedia assets needed for
classroom support, like TVs, video cameras and computers, Long said. This upgraded lecture space will allow for an easier transition from the lecture portion of classes to the handson lab portion, Long added. “It’s nice for the students to come out and have the beginning of lab session if we need to discuss what will be going on, complete any type of paperwork or set up for lab,” Smith added. With the renovations and improvements of multiple locations in the building, the possibilities for students are endless, Smith said. “The building renovations are really going to be a breath of fresh air for the students and for me,” Smith said.
MICKINZI FERGUSON WALKERSVILLE, MARYLAND
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Exploring an Ancient World
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FERGUSON STUDENTS STUDY IN ISRAEL
hile a typical college course is offered within four walls on campus, study-abroad courses open learning opportunities to experience the world. In May 2023, 17 students traveled with the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture to Israel for the adventure of a lifetime. The trip was led by agricultural economics professors Eric DeVuyst and Cheryl DeVuyst, who is also head of the agricultural economics department. The pair has been to Israel a handful of times. “The professors who go on the course with you are so excited to go, and that makes it all the better when they’re excited to share that experience with us,” said Jill Pruitt, plant and soil sciences senior who completed the course. Before students left for the two week study-abroad
course, they attended meetings with the faculty and other students enrolled in the course. In these meetings, they received assignments and information about the locations they would visit as well as the culture and course expectations. The assignments helped prepare them for their international studies, Eric DeVuyst said. “Dr. Eric DeVuyst gave us a list of history and scriptural readings that was optional,” said Katie Dillon, agribusiness junior. “I read those in preparation, which was helpful because during study-abroad courses you are seeing something new every day.” Sometimes students might feel anxious or underprepared when they start to consider a study-abroad course. Studying abroad is a great way for students to travel if they feel hesitant to leave the country for the first time on their own, Eric DeVuyst said. “Going to Israel had always been a dream of mine,” Dillon said. “Since I was able to take this course with people who have traveled a lot before, specifically the DeVuysts, it helped me COWBOY JOURNAL 61
to calm my nerves and helped to give me the confidence to travel on my own in the future.” OSU Global Studies has a team of faculty that stays up to date on news happening in the country, Eric DeVuyst said. The Ferguson College of Agriculture offers several study-abroad courses for students to choose from. The cost of a course is a big factor students have to consider, Eric DeVuyst said. OSU and the Ferguson College of Agriculture provide $850,000 in scholarships annually to students who take study-abroad courses. “Israel is such an important location to my faith,” Dillon said. “It was really cool it happened to be a study-abroad course that the agricultural economics department was offering.” The Israel study-abroad course allowed students to merge their passion for agriculture with their religious beliefs, Dillon added. “We were able to see several religious sites and also see how agriculture operates in a different part of the world,” Pruitt said. “It was like the best of both worlds.” Studying abroad can provide students with unique opportunities they would not get otherwise. “It’s an amazing experience to get out of America and see the history of other cultures because where you grow up is so small compared to the rest of the world,” said Boston Hundley, animal science junior, who competed the Israel study-abroad course. When students study abroad, they get to have a hands-on learning experience, which can be more beneficial than the traditional lecture hall learning environment, Hundley said. As part of the course, students interacted with their learning environment by visiting a number of places, including the Sea of Galilee, ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, and local farms in Israel. Israel uses advanced irrigation but also practices some of the oldest known agricultural production methods, Eric DeVuyst said. 62 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Alex Bader (left) joins Liliana Dietrich and Kayli Vavricek in Jerusalem at a sifting project where they discoved a Roman-era coin. Photo courtesy of Eric DeVuyst.
Israel has small farm communities called kibbutzim, where residents in the area communally tend to the land together, something like what Americans would typically see as a ranch homestead, Dillon said. “It was really cool to go on the farm tours to see how different agriculture is there because some of the kibbutzim there are organic, which we don’t typically see in Oklahoma,” Dillon said. “I was able to learn about agriculture outside of what we would call conventional agriculture. It was
interesting to see how their agriculture is self-sustaining.” Students also visited another kibbutz facility called BioBee. They talked to employees at the company and learned about their company’s values and why they raise beneficial bees. “They breed beneficial insects and bees and sell them to people who need those insects to help with the production of their crops,” Pruitt said. While learning about the rich history of the agricultural industries across Israel, many of the students who went
Newlin Humphrey (front left), Boston Hundley, Lilian Dietrich, Alexa Bader, Kennedy Schwartz, Cheryl DeVuyst (middle left), Katie Dillon, Jill Pruitt, Victoria Waits, Arakssi Arshakian, Allie Mixon, Grace Baldwin, Abigail Hester (back left), Kayli Varvicek, Eric DeVuyst, Thomas Hilton, Kourtney Bear, Sidney Farr and Ryan Wagnon visiting the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount. Photo courtesy of Eric DeVuyst.
on the study abroad enjoyed the opportunity to “connect the dots with the stories they’ve learned from the Bible,” Dillon said. “We went to some biblical sites, and our tour guide would walk us through the historical significance and some of the religious significance at each site we visited,” Hundley said. Students are likely going to become close friends in the course by sharing unique experiences, Dillon said. “Everyone on the trip got along so well,” Dillon said. “I made a couple of
really close friends during the course that I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. “It was sweet to bond over our shared beliefs,” she added. Students who have been in a studyabroad course highly recommend the opportunity, Hundley said. Participants have the chance to leave their comfort zones and learn from different cultures, Pruitt said. “The biggest takeaway I learned was that there really is a world outside of the United States, which is obvious,
but it was cool to be able to quantify and see that in real life,” Dillon said. “It really made me fall in love with humankind again.”
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Capitol
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OKLAHOMA STUDENTS GAIN MOCK LEGISLATURE EXPERIENCE
F
FA and 4-H members from across Oklahoma embarked on a two-day journey in June 2023 to learn about and experience the state legislative process. At Oklahoma Farm Bureau Capitol Camp, students had the opportunity to develop mock legislation. The camp is a project started by Rodd Moesel, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president, and Joe Dorman, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy president. “This is a dream I’ve had for a long time,” Moesel said. Moesel and Dorman have known each other and worked on projects together for many years. Together, they developed the idea for Capitol Camp. Staff members in Oklahoma Farm Bureau, OICA, 4-H and FFA worked together in 2022 to create a camp for both 4-H and FFA members to gain
I am excited for the future when I see all of these sharp young people. RODD MOESEL 66 WINTER/SPRING 2024
firsthand experience of the legislative process, Moesel said. “This event has been several years in the making,” said Katie Wilkinson, Oklahoma Farm Bureau south central field representative. The capacity for the camp is 101 students because the house chamber has that many seats, Wilkinson said. “We want the students to have investment in the camp,” Moesel said. Oklahoma Farm Bureau pays for the two-day camp. However, the organizers have each participant pay a $50 fee to attend. “We have already started planning for next year’s camp,” Wilkinson said. “In February, we will really start to dive into the planning and promotion.” The applications for 2024 will open in early spring and will be due in late spring, Wilkinson said. “This was the first time Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members were working together outside the livestock arena,” said Cathleen Taylor, OSU Extension assistant 4-H specialist. The camp is open to all high school 4-H and FFA members from Oklahoma, Taylor said. “I’m excited all organizations cooperated for this camp,” Moesel said. Ryne Crosthwait, a senior at Stillwater High School, attended Oklahoma Capitol Camp in 2022 and 2023. The first year he attended the
Ryne Crosthwait speaks to members at OFB Capitol Camp about his mock legislature topics. Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Farm Bureau. COWBOY JOURNAL 67
Caleb Ames (left) and Berklee Gossen work on a bill before testifying in committee. Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Farm Bureau.
camp as a 4-H member, and the second year he attended as an FFA member. “The camp has really helped me find a passion for something I used to have no interest in,” Crosthwait said. “We learned how legislation works.” The students who applied for the camp participated in two virtual meetings prior to attending the camp to develop legislation, Wilkinson said. Students submitted bills based on the issues they are most passionate about, she added, and they learned about policy development through hands-on experiences. “The biggest impact this has is teaching youth the legislative process,” Taylor said. The students gain experience with the processes of different kinds of bills, Moesel said. Some Oklahoma state representatives even come and 68 WINTER/SPRING 2024
spend time with the participating students, he added. “We get to sit in the actual chairs the representatives sit in,” Crosthwait said. “This is not an opportunity you could usually experience.” Throughout the camp, students were assigned to committees to vote on the bills. If they were passed in committee, the bills were voted on by all participants, Wilkinson said. As students gained more confidence, they started lobbying to other students during their social times, she added. “When we look back in 20 years or so, some of these kids will be sitting in those chairs as representatives and senators,” Moesel said. “It’s really exciting to watch the students gain confidence and get to better understand the legislative process,” Moesel added.
After the camp, some students worked with their local and state representatives to get their bills voted on in the state legislature, Wilkinson said. This camp makes an impact on the students, state legislators and the general public, she added. “I am excited for the future when I see all of these sharp young people,” Moesel said.
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Growing the T
OSU ANIMAL SCIENTISTS RESEARCH DECLINE OF CATTLE IMMUNE RESPONSES AND ROBUSTNESS TRAITS
echnological advances and breeding for higher growth and carcass traits have allowed producers to raise their cattle to higher weights at faster rates. Every event of life stems from a mother, said Janeen Salak-Johnson, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal and Food Sciences. “Everything that mom experiences her progeny experience, too,” SalakJohnson added. Now, animal and food sciences faculty are investigating the impact on beef cattle immune responses and robustness traits when these cattle are bred for high growth and carcass yielding traits.
70 WINTER/SPRING 2024
“Within the beef industry, we’ve had decades of selections for growth and economics with really intensive selection for carcass quality in the last 10 to 20 years,” said Paul Beck, OSU Extension specialist for beef nutrition in animal and food sciences and primary investigator on this research. “With that, we have had increases in technology to really impact growth rates and carcass weights. “We are getting calves to heavier weights at younger ages,” Beck added. “Even though we have cattle that are preconditioned and they have all their shots, they are getting sick, but it is not in the first two to three weeks of the receiving period. It is later on into the finishing period.”
Future Salak-Johnson, Beck and their team of graduate students have monitored four herds of crossbred Angus cattle at the OSU north and south cattle research ranges. By taking tissue, blood and serum samples, they can study the immune phenotype of the calves. “It all starts at branding at 3 to 4 months of age,” said Alexis Main, doctoral student in animal and food sciences. “Then, we test them again at weaning at 6 to 7 months of age and then 14 days post-weaning. Finally, we test 60 days post-wean when they move into the feedlot and then 28 days post-feedlot.” Raising these cattle from birth and testing them periodically throughout their lives allows Beck’s team to create
a real-world experience and track the genetic material behind these calves’ responses to stress. Beck’s team is learning how natural stressors throughout a calf ’s life affect its growth and resilience abilities. “In putting this project together, we decided we would never have enough animals nor enough data coming from our select crossings to look just at bovine respiratory diseases or response to disease, morbidity, or mortality,” Beck said. “We wanted to dig into the immunology and define some robustness traits to see what we can change. “If these growth performance traits are associated with reduced
Alexis Main (left) and Chris Johnson inspect the herd as they feed. Photo by Matt Rosman. COWBOY JOURNAL 71
A glimpse into the morning routine from the OSU ranch as Alexis Main feeds morning rations to the herd. Photo by Matt Rosman.
robustness or resiliency or if they’re not, then we can select growth, carcass and immune response,” he added. The team uses genomic testing to obtain the research data from the calves. With one single genomic test, the team can have data that normally requires 10 progenies to test from a sire, said Chris Johnson, doctoral student in animal and food sciences. “Genomic testing is essentially comparing the genes of that specific animal back to a big database,” Johnson said. “We use that data to figure out the optimal animal to use.” As the beef industry continues to expand and move toward more efficient cattle, Salak-Johnson said she believes cattle will continue to be less resilient and more prone to various immunity challenges. “When we started selecting for high growth or fast growth, the initial tradeoff is these animals become more susceptible to stress and have a 72 WINTER/SPRING 2024
dampened immune response,” SalakJohnson said. “When you select for a specific genotype, you are altering robustness traits, which are the traits needed for wellness.” Environmental factors and manmade factors, such as weaning, handling or vaccinating cattle, can cause a stress response and an immune response, Main said. The combination can lead to reduced protection. “An immune response takes a lot of energy,” Main said. “If you have animals selected for high growth, they could be diverting their energy toward an immune response.” As a result, they will not have as robust of an immune response, she said. “If we can motivate cow-calf producers to focus on the longevity of the calf and how they will perform in the feedlot, whether it be a high growth bull or another trait they select for, we need to look at how we can improve the industry as a whole,” Johnson said.
“We are striving to connect genes back to the immune competency of these calves since we know the dams, the sires and the history of those calves,” Johnson added. “We are working to figure out gene expressions during a stressor in response to a viral or bacterial infection.” In the future, the team will be able to trace health response back through calves’ lineage, showing which cattle in a pedigree had similar immune responses and which traits are connected with a diminished immune response, Johnson said.
MATT ROSMAN CRESTON, WASHINGTON
We really support agriculture and OSU. The New Frontiers campaign seemed like a good place to donate money. I was really impressed with Larry and Kay Ferguson’s vision to feed the world. When you are impressed with someone, it makes you want to donate to their cause.” Kristen Hart, OSU Agricultural Engineering, ‘79 Greg Hart, OSU Mechanized Agriculture, ‘79 New Frontiers Major Gift Donors
HIGH-TECH WELLNESS GRANT BRINGS TELEHEALTH BOOTHS TO RURAL OKLAHOMA
T
o serve people in Oklahoma communities who do not have access to adequate health care, Oklahoma State University is bringing telehealth booths to nearby libraries. “The idea of this program came from collaborating with librarians, educators and people in rural communities who have trouble seeking health care when they need it,” said Brian Whitacre, OSU Extension specialist for rural economic development. Whitacre led the effort to seek funding for the telehealth booths. The project’s funding came from $120,000 in grants from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The grant budgets half toward the booths, and the rest toward equipment needed inside the booths and the library employees who can help people use it, Whitacre said. “It can be difficult for rural residents to connect with health care services they need,” Whitacre said. The program’s first telehealth booth opened Aug. 3, 2023, in the Benson Family Media Center within the 112-year-old Okemah Public Library in Okemah, Oklahoma.
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Cliff Peters, the library’s media center and telehealth technician, said in the two months since the telehealth program began, the booth has had 15 medical appointments. “Word is spreading, though,” he said, “and I expect an uptick in appointments very soon due to more people knowing about the booths.” Each booth is stocked with equipment to measure patients’ vital signs as well as a digital otoscope with a camera to check for ear infections and a digital hand dynamometer, which measures grip strength, he said.
It can be difficult for rural residents to connect with health care services they need. BRIAN WHITACRE
Cliff Peters (left) assists Gerald Wilson in the telehealth booth in Okemah, Oklahoma. Photo by Melanie Carroll. COWBOY JOURNAL 75
Additionally, some of the medical instruments are Bluetooth-enabled, allowing doctors to receive quick results. Use of the telehealth booth is free; however, patients pay for the appointment as if they were in person, Whitacre said. After each patient appointment, the entire booth and equipment are sterilized through UV-light. The soundproof telehealth booths allow private, one-on-one connections between the doctors and the patients, Whitacre said. “Our small community of Okemah is an hour’s drive to Tulsa or Oklahoma City,” Peters said. “We only have one practicing physician and two advanced registered nurse practitioners to provide medical services to our residents who are not Native Americans. Having the option of a telehealth doctor’s appointment is beneficial to our residents countywide.” The project’s focus is to improve the quality of life for people who live in rural communities, Whitacre said.
Digital literacy is a major barrier to using virtual care. DOUG OLIVO A second booth opened in Tulsa in 2023, and three other booths opened in late November in libraries in Hinton, Atoka, and Broken Arrow. Oklahoma Complete Health, an Oklahoma City-based health care insurance organization with a focus on rural communities, supported the project and helped with selecting and equipping the booths. The organization has remained on board to advise on scheduling with medical providers. “Digital literacy is a major barrier to using virtual care,” said Doug Olivo, Oklahoma Complete Health community engagement director.
To improve accessibility, the grant provides funding for digital navigators, or people trained to help patients use the booths’ technology. The digital navigator is key for virtual visits, he said, not only for the patients but also the libraries hosting the booths. Library budgets are tight, Olivio added, and library directors already perform multiple duties. “These telehealth booths are going to create much-needed access to health care in historically underserved areas,” Olivo continued, “resulting in better health outcomes for potentially thousands of Oklahomans.”
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78 WINTER/SPRING 2024
A CASE for STEM
B
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROVIDES TRAINING FOR NEW CURRICULUM
ig changes are happening for the students in the agricultural education program at Oklahoma State University. In the Spring 2023 semester, the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education was introduced to the program and was implemented in courses for undergraduates pursuing a degree in agricultural education. The first course had 23 students, and the curriculum’s use has grown to three courses this year. Much of this expansion has come through the contributions of Natalea Watkins, who provided an opportunity for pre-service and in-service teachers to access CASE and all it encompasses. Her late husband, Larry Watkins, was a beloved agricultural education teacher and constant believer in the good the agricultural education, communications and leadership department does, she said. Part of Larry Watkins’ estate was donated to the OSU agricultural education program to fund CASE classes.
This funding helps purchase materials, curriculum and other necessities to deliver the classes each year. “Larry was a vocational agriculture teacher at heart, even when he stopped teaching,” Watkins said. “Our second date was to the yearly Agricultural Education Awards Banquet. It was my duty to use his estate to give back to the agricultural education program. “He was the world’s biggest believer in agricultural education because he believed it prepares you for anything you want to do in life,” Watkins added. “His dream was that his estate would go to encouraging the very best agricultural education teachers to stick with it for at least five years, and that was how we got started with this.” Watkins said her husband did not see agricultural education as just farming, but he saw it and FFA as science, relationships, business development, leadership and more. “He would be absolutely thrilled with this STEM program,” Watkins said. “That’s kind of the dream.”
Chris Eck, assistant professor in the agricultural education program and contact for CASE at OSU, said the agricultural education faculty and students are grateful for the support given by Larry and Natalea Watkins over the years. “They have helped our agricultural education program immensely, and they are helping us grow our program piece by piece,” Eck said. “CASE’s Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources program teaches Introduction to Agriculture content. “Undergraduates, or pre-service teachers, will receive a completion certification for this program to allow them to teach eighth- and ninth-grade students,” Eck added. “This first course is offered as a standard part of the agricultural education coursework and counts toward the student’s credits to graduate.” These courses, which focus on science, technology, engineering and math, are vital for undergraduate students, Eck said.
Jazmin Ocampo completes a worksheet as an example to take to her future classroom. Photo by Quisto Settle. COWBOY JOURNAL 79
Chris Eck (standing) helps AgXplore attendees think creatively while completing example curriculum worksheets. Photo by Quisto Settle.
Marty Jones pours a contaminated water sample into a homemade filtration system. Photo by Quisto Settle.
“Since I started in June 2022, I’ve aimed to increase STEM knowledge,” Eck said. “Now, we are the only agricultural education program in the U.S. that offers multiple certifications, and I am proud of that,” Eck added. “We have taken many steps to further knowledge in STEM. OSU agricultural education 80 WINTER/SPRING 2024
students can become certified in CASE AFNR, AgXplore and small gas engines prior to graduation.” The AgXplore BriefCASE, a two-day course curriculum, was offered in June 2023 for teachers in the U.S. and was presented to Oklahoma teachers and OSU agricultural education students in November 2023. This course equips
teachers with curriculum and activities for middle school students. Kane Kinion, agricultural education and agricultural communications alumnus serves as the agricultural education instructor at Carnegie Public Schools. He gained his certification in December 2022, facilitated the OSU AgXplore BriefCASE, and has hit the ground running in his classroom with these activities ever since, he said. “This past year, my students did a deep dive into the Journey 2050 website, which teaches them all about sustainability and how we farm sustainably,” Kinion said. “There was even a video game attached that the students loved, and it has helped keep them engaged.” After Journey 2050, Kinion’s students grew cucumbers in class. They referred to the produce as “pickles” and were active in the growing process, he said. At the end of the class, Kinion brought in extra cucumbers for students to make pickles and demonstrated the farm to table concept. OSU brings CASE to current teachers through CASE Institutes. These workshops are for in-service teachers. OSU hosted a five-day CASE AFNR Institute in July 2023 for 24 teachers from California to New Jersey.
The CASE Institutes provide teachers with two essential components. The first part is curriculum-based and demonstrates how to implement the curriculum into the classroom. With the completion of the institute, teachers receive lifelong access to CASE curriculum, activity books and other materials to use in their classrooms. The second piece to the institute is professional development. These courses help in-service teachers continue to learn and improve in the classroom. During this time, teachers also are encouraged to create professional connections with other teachers and facilitators, Kinion said. “At the end of the day, Oklahoma is doing a better job of giving professional development to new and in-service teachers,” Kinion said. “The more we learn, the more we benefit students.” A few details set the CASE Institute at OSU apart from other universities, Eck said. Unlike other programs, OSU undergraduate students take CASE courses at no cost to them. This means
OSU agricultural education students can graduate with multiple CASE certifications for no extra cost other than normal tuition and fees. Through CASE, undergraduate students are equipped with a lifetime of curriculum they can take into their future classrooms. CASE courses are designed to be taken before students enter their teaching internships so they can use what they learn. Students entering the workforce will now be equipped with curriculum that is updating constantly, Eck said. These programs mean big changes for agricultural education programs all across Oklahoma, he added.
HALLORY PARKS
FUTURE CASE PROGRAMS Faculty members in the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership plan to host a variety of programs for in-service teachers and pre-service teachers. OSU undergraduate students enroll for the fall or spring CASE courses through their my.okstate. edu portal. In-service teachers enroll for BriefCASE or CASE Institute at www.agriculture.okstate.edu/ departments-programs/aecl/ ageducation/case. For information on CASE programs and materials, please visit case4learning.org or contact Chris Eck at chris.eck@okstate.edu.
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COWBOY JOURNAL 81
Now Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Gentner F. Drummond grew up in a family of Cowboys. His younger brothers, David and Jonathan Drummond, graduated from OSU in 1986 and 1988 respectively. Photo by Jase Jarlsberg. 82 WINTER/SPRING 2024
A Life of Honor
A
ALUMNUS SERVES OKLAHOMA AS ATTORNEY GENERAL
s a young man from a small town finding his way in the world, Gentner Drummond was unaware of the impact his life would have on his home state. From graduating in a class of 47 peers to serving as an elected state official, Drummond has one message: “Anyone can do this. You just have to be diligent.” At a young age, Drummond had a passion for hard work, backed by a business-oriented mindset, he said. “As a young teen, I assisted an elderly widow with odd jobs and checking on her,” Drummond said. “When I was 14, she assisted me in hiring an attorney, becoming legally emancipated, and purchasing her ranch with my two younger brothers, David and Jonathan. She also carried the note and mortgage for us.” Drummond used the purchase of this property as a basis to invest in surrounding properties and grow the operation, he said. Heavy involvement in extracurricular activities combined with a drive for personal and professional growth, Drummond laid the foundation for his future, he said. “While finishing my last semester at Hominy High School, my English teacher warned me that I would probably never make an A at Oklahoma State University,” Drummond said. “With that encouragement, I was determined to never make anything but an A.” As Drummond finished his degree in agricultural economics, he received recognition on the departmental, college and university levels as a Top 10 Freshman and Outstanding Senior.
While at OSU, Drummond was a Truman Scholar alternate and a Rhodes Scholar finalist. He served as Beta Theta Pi president, was Blue Key Honor Society president and selected as Air Force ROTC Detachment 670 cadet wing commander. “OSU opened the door to a robust experience,” Drummond said. “These leadership opportunities honed my skills as an organizational leader that served me well as an active duty fighter pilot and continue to serve me today as attorney general.” After graduating from OSU in 1985, Drummond pursued a career in the U.S. Air Force where he piloted F-15 Eagle fighter jets during the first Gulf War and was promoted to the rank of captain. He received a Distinguished Flying Cross for superb situational awareness after directly disobeying orders to destroy an aircraft later determined to be a U.S. ally. After his eight years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Drummond
I owe much of my success to OSU as the training ground for my future career decisions. GENTNER DRUMMOND
attended law school, earning his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. “After the Gulf War and law school, there were few people who fought in the war and distinguished themselves in law school,” Drummond said. “I had the opportunity to choose my firm, so I picked the one that reminded me most of a fighter squadron. “After practicing law with a large law firm in Tulsa for two years, I realized I was originating more clients than the senior attorneys,” Drummond added. “This was the moment that I founded my own firm and began diversifying my investments.” In addition to the Drummond Law firm, he is the principal owner of Blue Sky Bank. He also owns a cattle operation, wireless retail stores in eight states and Postoak Lodge near Tulsa. “As the beneficiary of OSU’s Presidential Scholarship, I owe much of my success to OSU as the training ground for my future career decisions,” Drummond said. Drummond and his wife of 13 years, Wendy, express their gratitude to OSU for the opportunities the university created for their family by sponsoring scholarships for students attending OSU Center for Health Sciences campus and in the OSU Department of Agricultural Economics. Additionally, the Drummonds have contributed to the Ferguson College of Agriculture’s New Frontiers campaign. Heidi Williams, associate vice president of constituent development for the OSU Foundation, said Gentner Drummond has recognized the value of his OSU education. COWBOY JOURNAL 83
“Through the numerous scholarships and campaigns the Drummond family supports, they have paid it forward to the future generations following in his footsteps and showing a similar mindset to make Oklahoma better,” she said. In 2022, Gentner Drummond was elected to serve as attorney general for the State of Oklahoma. “I always knew that I needed to serve at the state level,” he said. “The attorney general seemed to be the position that I was most qualified for.” Gentner Drummond knows his time as attorney general is limited, he said, so he counts down his remaining time in office by weeks because he covets each moment. “My objective is to set a new bar for transparency, accountability, and the rule of law that is not swayed by politics, partisanship, or power,” he said. After Gentner Drummond’s election to Oklahoma Attorney General, his
wife assumed control of the family’s business interests, he said, and has been vital in maintaining their family’s business legacy. “Gentner has always wanted to serve the state,” Wendy Drummond said. “This really is his dream. It’s been exciting for me to see how passionate he is about the job and how much he loves it.” In his personal life, Gentner Drummond wears many hats. He is the oldest of 65 great-grandchildren on the Drummond side and has four children, two stepchildren, five grandchildren, and more on the way, he said. “Our grandchildren call us Gummy and Gigi,” Gentner Drummond said. “Sometimes they just combine our names to GumGi. “We prioritize setting aside time for our grandchildren, but we could always have more time,” he added. “They are a bright and creative seventh generation of Oklahoma Drummonds, and we
could not be more proud of them, their parents, and their aunts and uncles. When I draw my last breath, I will be most pleased by my time spent with Wendy and our family.” For many people, state officials seem larger than life. Gentner Drummond said he is just an average man trying to do his best for his home state and the people of Oklahoma. “Anybody can do this,” Gentner Drummond said. “You just have to be diligent. I’m just your typical kid from Hominy. I’m nothing special. I just worked hard.”
JASE JARLSBERG NORMAN, OKLAHOMA
Attorney General Gentner F. Drummond was elected in 2022. He said he plans to visit every county in Oklahoma to better understand the needs of Oklahomans. Photo by Jase Jarlsberg. 84 WINTER/SPRING 2024
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RESEARCH EFFORTS SEEK TO HELP CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS
ystic fibrosis. Two words that alter a person’s life from the moment of diagnosis. Joy Hendrix, a 2019 alumna of the Oklahoma State University agricultural communications program, has lived with CF her entire life. “I’m not a stranger to the hospital,” Hendrix said. “I’ve gone when I need to get regular tune-ups.” These “tune-ups” consist of routine trips every year for regimens of testing, intravenous fluids, and treatments lasting two to four weeks at a time, Hendrix said, and potentially longer if her condition did not improve. “My parents were incredibly diligent with my treatments and medications,” Hendrix said. “I had a very well managed case of CF up until my senior year at OSU.” That year, a simple infection made her studies more difficult. The infection became a severe case of pneumonia, Hendrix said. However, recent breakthroughs in CF treatments in the past five years have helped some CF patients through the use of modulator drug therapies to correct malfunctioning proteins in the body, she said. “My life is 100% different than it was before I started taking modulators,” Hendrix said. Some patients with cystic fibrosis can have a buildup of thick, dehydrated mucus in the airway, said Yong Cheng, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at OSU, and
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mycobacteria survive easily in that environment. In a person with healthy lungs, mucus is easily expelled, he said. “From here, the bacteria can dysregulate immune cells,” Cheng said. “These dysregulated immune cells further make a favorable environment for bacterial infections in CF patients.” Cheng works with graduate and undergraduate students to study new treatments for people with CF. “We want to know why the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients are susceptible to infection,” Cheng said, “and what causes an attenuated protective immune response in a CF patient.” Cheng’s team is studying Mycobacterium abscessus, a bacterial species that normally does not cause disease in humans. These bacteria are found in soil, dust and water. “Mycobacterium abscessus is basically an environmental bacterium,” Cheng said. “In general, they are non-pathogenic.” Cheng’s research team conducts different concurrent projects with regard to mycobacteria and CF patients. Audrey Dagnell, doctoral graduate student in the OSU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, began working with Cheng in her undergraduate studies to discover new drugs to potentially treat mycobacterium infections. “I found a list of top chemicals and began looking at one of them pretty in depth,” Dagnell said.
Charlie Vermeire (left), Audrey Dagnell, Yong Cheng and Carlyn Guthrie review mycobacteria specimens. Photo by Joey Scudder-Barfield. COWBOY JOURNAL 87
Yong Cheng (back left) and student researchers Krish Kasiraja, Stephen Kotey, Carlyn Guthrie, Charlie Vermeire (front left) and Audrey Dagnell form a research team to find ways to help those with cystic fibrosis. Photo by Joey Scudder-Barfield.
While Dagnell has moved to another research project for her doctoral thesis, she still oversees undergraduate students continuing to study these chemical compounds. Eli Brown, biochemistry junior, uses the same research methods as Dagnell to study another compound for its potential use in CF patients with pulmonary infections.
We want to know why the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients are susceptible to infection. YONG CHENG 88 WINTER/SPRING 2024
“I wanted to be involved with undergraduate research,” Brown said. “I was drawn to the mycobacterial project because of my interest in pharmaceutical development.” Charlie Vermeire, a Goldwater scholar and Purdie research scholar majoring in microbiology/cell and molecular biology, assisted Cheng with a project focusing on the immunomodulatory effect of exosomes. Exosomes are nanoscale particles smaller than bacteria, she said. “These are membrane-enclosed vesicles released by immune cells,” Vermeire said. “They contain bacterial and host proteins, lipids, and ribonucleic acids.” The research is geared toward the effect of these exosomes on the ability of immune cells to respond to infection. In immunocompromised patients like those with CF, these mycobacterial infections are difficult to treat, Vermeire added. “Mycobacteria are antibiotic-tolerant, slow-growing, and can survive
within the alveolar macrophages that are meant to kill them,” Vermeire said. “We study the molecular mechanisms that cause this to happen.” Cheng’s CF research is funded by a $600,000 portion of multiple grants for the lab totaling $4 million from the National Institute of Health, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, and the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases. Through these grants, the students in Cheng’s lab continue to work toward new treatments for pulmonary infections to help Hendrix and others with CF breathe a little easier.
JOEY SCUDDER-BARFIELD TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma State University Rodeo Team member Blake Blanchard represents the Cowboys at the 10th Annual Cowboy Stampede. Photo by Elizabeth Hokit.
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Pistol Pete (Caden Schaufele) cheers on the OSU Rodeo Team Cowboys and Cowgirls at the 10th Annual Cowboy Stampede. Kirsten Hampton assists in maintaining a safe environment for the riders during saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding events. Lily Householder shows how all the hard work put in practicing for the Cowboy Stampede pays off during the goat-tying event. Harli Gomes kicks off the last night of the Cowboy Stampede opening ceremonies representing the OSU Rodeo Team. Blake Blanchard (left) and Ryan Collins enjoy conversation to relieve tension between competing in Cowboy Stampede events. Rusty Bartling (left), Cheyenne Bartling and Charlcie Gatewood elevate the opening ceremony’s excitement. Dylan Sinclair gets in the zone to dismount in her Saturday night run in the Cowboy Stampede goat tie-down roping. Alexa Davis (left), Shyanne Marcotte and Sydney Hollingsworth get the Cowgirls’ goats ready for the goat tying event. Photos by Cowboy Journal staff. COWBOY JOURNAL 91
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Brock Conklin (left) and Ellie Fly attend the Sea of Orange parade as Homecoming royalty candidates. Reagan Conrad is all smiles in preparation for the Homecoming Chili Cook-off. Niki Collier (left) and Brooke Grindinger accompany BB, Bullet’s miniature sidekick, during the Sea of Orange parade festivities. Peyton Arnold (left) and Vail Cargo take pride in their Homecoming float. Audrey Wooten makes her mark outlining the Block & Bridle window design before starting to paint. Pistol Pete (Caden Schaufele) interacts with attendees at the Cowboy Stampede. Charlcie Gatewood (left), Jada Trosper and Carli Hawkins bring their passion of rodeo to the Harvest Carnival. Garrett Wiswall focuses throughout the Homecoming marathon of all-night pomp. Photos by Cowboy Journal staff. COWBOY JOURNAL 93
2024 Oklahoma State University
Seniors of Significance The OSU Seniors of Significance Award recognizes students who have excelled in scholarship, leadership and service to campus and community and have brought distinction to OSU. The 59 students represent the top one percent of the Class of 2024, including all five OSU undergraduate academic colleges. Congratulations to the 11 students who represent the Ferguson College of Agriculture for receiving this prestigious award.
Paige (Anderson) Beadles Louisburg, Kansas
Kate Buckmaster Porter, Oklahoma
Elizabeth Carlson Haslet, Texas
Georgia Eastham Davis, California
Kyra Elliott
Braden Heisler
Elizabeth Ann Perdue
Calumet, Oklahoma
Waukomis, Oklahoma
Kingfisher, Oklahoma
Stephen Pulliam Canadian, Texas 94 WINTER/SPRING 2024
Erin Slagell Hydro, Oklahoma
Kailen Urban Mountain View, Oklahoma
Sydney Vieira Ripon, California
Fall 2023 Ferguson College of Agriculture
Fall Semester Awards Charles & Madga Browning Outstanding Freshman Audrey Bishop
Freshman Excellence Award Winners Cade Harris, Rylee Smith, Tatumn Kennedy & Abigail Steelhammer
Outstanding Transfer Student Alexis Lake
Transfer Excellence Award Winners Jayson Lusk (left), vice president and dean, and Cynda Clary, associate dean (right), present transfer student awards to Keona Mason (second from left), Alexis Lake and Jentry Squires. Photo by Genesee Photo Systems.
Jentry Squires & Keona Mason
Fall 2023 Orange Gown Recipient André Abit
OSU Top 20 Freshman Men & Women
Jayson Lusk (left), vice president and dean, and Cynda Clary, associate dean (right), present freshmen student awards to Cade Harris (second from left), Rylee Smith, Audrey Bishop, Tatumn Kennedy and Abigail Steelhammer. Photo by Genesee Photo Systems.
tHE TRUSTED VOICE of the
*Audrey Bishop — Van Alstyne, Texas *Katie Dillon — Louisburg, Kansas *Tatumn Kennedy — Meeker, Colorado Macy Koch — Perry, Oklahoma Taylor McConnell — Wellston, Oklahoma Presley Pullen — Stratford, Oklahoma Rylee Smith — Oologah, Oklahoma *Regan Smithwick — Miles, Texas Sophie Varner — Bristow, Oklahoma Caleb Blackwell — Amarillo, Texas *Eli Greenlee — Prague, Oklahoma *Cade Harris — Brock, Texas Adam Hartman — Paris, Texas *Caleb Horne — Morrison, Oklahhoma *Top 10 Freshman
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FERGUSON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS
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Board members Marcus Washington (left), Will Chaney, Charles Rohla, Becky Walker Chandler and Travis Jones share a laugh at the 2023 Ferguson College of Agriculture Homecoming Celebration. 2 Larry Long (left), Becky Chaney and Lee Chaney enjoy each other’s company at the homecoming event. 3 Matt Gard (left) and Keith Kisling reflect on their best memories in Stillwater. 4 Grace and Bob Wettemann tell stories about their time at OSU. 5 Rick Reimer (left), Jayson Lusk, Richard Burling and Cynda Clary capture the moment as Burling receives a gift for being recognized as a 50-year alumnus. Photos by Kristin Knight and Alyssa Hardaway. 96 WINTER/SPRING 2024
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Justin Anderson
President Stillwater, Oklahoma At-large Member
Becky Walker Chandler Vice President Stratford, Oklahoma Southeast District
Travis Jones
Secretary/Treasurer Roff, Oklahoma At-large Member
Herb Lengel
Executive Secretary Stillwater, Oklahoma
Barry Bessinger
Stillwater, Oklahoma Northeast District
Will Chaney
Roff, Oklahoma Southeast District Rick Reimer gives fellow alumni and friends his best “Go Pokes” at the 2023 Ferguson College of Agriculture Homecoming Celebration. Photo by Alyssa Hardaway.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
You can stay connected with and show your support of the college by becoming a member of the OSU Alumni Association and the Ferguson College of Agriculture Alumni Society. A portion of all OSU Alumni Association membership dues received are returned to the college to support alumni-sponsored events, scholarships and student programming. Each year, the Ferguson College of Agriculture Alumni Society Board of
Directors coordinates and is involved with several events, including the Ferguson College Roundup, the annual Homecoming Reception and Alumni Meeting, the Ferguson Week cookout and more. If you are interested in getting involved with these activities, consider becoming a board member. Visit agriculture.okstate.edu/alumni-friends to learn more.
Tucker Dotson
Enid, Oklahoma Northwest District
Matt Gard
Fairview, Oklahoma Northwest District
Danielle Metz
Binger, Oklahoma Southwest District
Meg Stangl
Okarche, Oklahoma At-large Member
Marcus Washington
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Southwest District
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Giving never tasted so good.
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A heart of service
in the heart of Oklahoma Oklahoma Farm Bureau members understand the importance of plugging in and serving. Whether it is their local fair, area 4-H and FFA programs, or community organizations, our state’s farmers and ranchers are proud to be the hands and the voice of both our agriculture industry and our rural communities. Farm Bureau members tirelessly share their time, talents and efforts to ensure all Oklahomans have a brighter future.
www.okfarmbureau.org/join
We are rural Oklahoma.® Featured: The Anderson family, Ottawa County Farm Bureau members
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