SMOOTH TRANSITION
NEW WORLDVIEWS
HELTER-SKELTER C R A Z Y A N T S T H AT D R I V E F O L K S , W EL L , C R A Z Y
the season T IP S FROM A T R A N SFER S T U D EN T
T H E P ER K S O F S T U DY I N G A B R OA D
AUBURN UNIVERSIT Y COLLEG E OF AG RICULT URE M AG A ZINE | FALL 2015
HOME TURF How Pat Dye Field stays ready for prime time
THE MAGIC OF FAIRHOPE
How a lackluster town became ‘a real-life utopia’ ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: COLLEGE NEWS ALUMNI FE ATURES CL A SS NOTES UPCOMING E VENTS
agriculture.auburn.edu
AGRICULTURE
the season AUBURN UNIVERSIT Y COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE M AGA ZINE | FALL 2015
M ANAG ING E DITOR
Josh Woods A SSIS TANT E DITORS
Jamie Creamer Mary Catherine Gaston DE SIG NE R
A word from our dean The Auburn University College of Agriculture has a distinguished heritage that many schools can only dream of. That’s why I am truly honored to serve as interim dean of your college and interim director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. I moved to Auburn from California in 1985 and in the three decades since have gained a tremendous appreciation, respect and loyalty for my College of Agriculture family. As a friend or alum of this college, you are leading the companies, the farms, the research and the communities that are improving lives across our state and around the world. It is my hope that, through our new college magazine, The Season, we can help you connect or reconnect with Auburn in a deeper way. We plan to produce this magazine twice a year. With each issue, we’ll share stories of students, alumni and faculty, as well as recent news from Ag Hill and upcoming opportunities for you to engage with your college family. But you don’t have to wait on an issue of The Season. I invite you to visit or reach out to us
any time. We’re family. Our alumni and friends groups are very active – on campus and regionally – and we would like for you to be a part. While The Season is produced for our current alumni and friends, we hope it will also help us grow the College of Agriculture with new friends and new students. If you enjoy the magazine, please share it with your friends, colleagues or prospective st udents. Encourage them to subscribe as well by emailing us at: theseason@auburn.edu. Thank you for your friendship and your loyalty to Auburn University and to the College of Agriculture. War Eagle!
Ashley Wiskirchen FE ATURE WRITE RS
Jamie Creamer Mary Catherine Gaston Nancy Mann Jackson PHOTO G R APHE RS
Jaden Brown William Cahalin Jamie Creamer Jeff Ethridge Mary Catherine Gaston Nathan Kelly David Weaver Josh Woods AUBURN UNIVE RSIT Y COLLEG E OF AG RICULTURE
Office of Communications and Marketing 3 Comer Hall Auburn, AL 36849-5401 334-844-5887 theseason@auburn.edu Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.
Arthur Appel Interim Dean and Director, College of Agriculture and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
© 2015 AUBURN UNIVE RSIT Y COLLEG E OF AG RICULTURE
In this issue 03 | NEWS CHECK OUT THE L ATEST FROM AG HILL
09 | FEATURES 09: E YES WIDE OPEN STUDY ABROAD TOURS BROADEN STUDENTS’ PERSPEC TIVE 13: JOIN THE CLUB! GE T TING INVOLVED GIVES TR ANSFER STUDENTS A SMOOTH TR ANSITION
ON THE COVER THE AUBURN TIGERS’ 2015 HOME OPENER M AY NOT BE UNTIL SEPT. 12, BUT THE TURF AT JORDAN-HARE STADIUM IS PRIMED AND RE ADY FOR SOME FOOTBALL .
17: TALK ABOUT CRA Z Y FITFUL , FRENZIED FOREIGN ANTS SPRE AD ACROSS THE SOUTH 21: KE Y PL AYER HE AD OF AUBURN’ S SPORTS TURF CREWS PL AYS PIVOTAL POSITION 2 5 : F E E L I N G T H AT FA I R H O P E M A G I C AU B U R N H O RT I CU LT U R E A LUM , N OW M AYO R , M A S T ER M I N D S C I T Y ’ S M A K EOV ER
29 | CL ASS NOTES WHER E A R E T HE Y N OW ? AU B U R N AG A LUM NI U PDAT E T HEIR S TAT US 29: ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: AG ALUM MIKE DARNELL CHRONICLES FATHER’ S W WII JOURNE Y IN FA SCINATING NEW BOOK
31 | CALENDAR OF EVENTS VISIT US SOON! JOIN US FOR ONE OF THESE UPCOMING COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE E VENTS
A MO N G T H OSE FROM T HE CO L L EG E O F AG R I CU LT U R E WH O WO R KED TO M A KE T HE CO L L EG E’ S AC A D E MI C A ND R E SE A RCH E XCH A N G E T R E AT Y WI T H CU B A A R E A L I T Y WER E, FROM L EF T, RO D R I G O RO D R I G U E Z-K A B A N A , B R ENDA O RT IZ, B E T H G U ERTA L A ND HENRY FA DA MIRO.
CO L L E G E O F AG R I C U LT U R E , C U B A S I G N AC A D E M I C E XC H A N G E T R E AT Y Less than six months after the U.S. announced plans to restore diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba, the Auburn University College of Agriculture entered a historic partnership with the Agrarian University of Havana and the Cuban National Center for Animal and Plant Health that paves the way for faculty and student exchange programs and collaborative research efforts between Auburn agriculture and the Cuban institutions. The five-year international academic interchange agreement that administrators from the three entities formally signed May 21 in Varadero, Cuba, was the culmination of a process that got underway more than five years ago, when faculty and administrators in the College of Agriculture began working to establish academic relationships with the communist island. Henry Fadamiro, College
of Agriculture assistant dean and Office of Global Programs director, signed the treaty on behalf of the college and Auburn. The treaty is one of the first such agreements between Cuba and an American university since the U.S. imposed the Cuban trade embargo in 1962. “For the Cubans, and for the College of Agriculture and Auburn University, this is monumental,” Fadamiro said. “This means that now we are in a position to take advantage of the opportunities to work with Cuba as equal partners.” Activities authorized in the agreement include faculty, staff and student exchange programs; joint research, teaching and extension projects; graduate and undergraduate coursework at both universities; special short-term courses; and cultural exchange undertakings. The agreement also provides the legal framework for expansion
of the academic collaboration with Cuba to other colleges and programs at Auburn, Fadamiro said. “Not only that, but it sets the stage for the State of Alabama and the nation of Cuba to begin a relationship that can be huge economically, here and in Cuba,” he said. Other Auburn faculty attending the signing ceremony with Fadamiro were associate professor Brenda Ortiz in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences and Cuba native Rodrigo Rodriquez-Kabana, distinguished university professor emeritus of plant pathology. Professor Beth Guertal and department head and professor emeritus Joe Touchton, both in crop, soil and environmental sciences, and agricultural economics professor Joe Molnar were also highly instrumental in the effort.
F O R M O R E R E C E N T N E W S F R O M T H E C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U LT U R E , S U B S C R I B E T O O U R M O N T H LY E - N E W S L E T T E R AT:
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S C H O O L O F F I S H E R I E S , AQ UAC U LT U R E A N D AQ UAT I C S CIE N CE S G A IN S NE W D IRE C TO R , A S S I S TA NT D IRE C TO R S Joseph R. Tomasso Jr. takes office as director of the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences in August. Tomasso was previously a professor
JOSEPH TOMASSO DIRECTOR, SFA AS
in the Department of Biology at Texas State University in San Marcos. Tomasso received his master’s degree in biology from Middle Tennessee State University in 1978 and his Ph.D. from the University of Memphis in 1981 and spent the first six years of his career in higher education of his career as a biology faculty member at Texas State. In 1987, he joined Clemson University as an associate professor and then professor of aquaculture, returning to Texas State in 2006 as professor and biology department head. He led the department until 2013. In March, two Auburn fisheries faculty were named SFAAS assistant directors.
COVA ARIAS, DENNIS DEVRIES ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, SFA AS
Cova Arias, professor of aquatic microbiology, has assumed duties as assistant director of the school’s instruction,extension and outreach programs,while professor Dennis DeVries, whose expertise is in aquatic ecology and fisheries resource management, is serving as assistant director of research programs.
WILLIAMS NAMED DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE HEAD Dave Williams was selected as head of the Department of Horticulture, taking office in February. Williams has served at Auburn University since 1991, starting as an assistant professor and Extension horticulture specialist. From 2006 to 2012, he served first as horticulture department head and then as interim associate dean for instruction in the College of Agriculture. He also serves as the Elbert A. and Barbara L. Botts Endowed Professor in the Department of Horticulture. “I am honored to have been selected for this position and believe it will be an exciting
time to lead our horticulture department,” Williams said. “This department has an excellent heritage at Auburn. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry partners to build on this heritage and to position the department for even greater success in the years ahead.” Williams is a graduate of the Department of Horticulture, earning both his B.S. and M.S. degrees at Auburn. He received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1991. DAVE WILLIAMS DEPARTMENT HEAD, HORTICULTURE
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R E S E A R C H T E A M AWA R D E D F U N D S TO D E V E L O P N E W B I O P R O D U C T S A team of Auburn University researchers is looking to create new markets and job opportunities in forestry, an industry that generates more than $21 billion in this state annually and employs more than 122,000 Alabamians. Led by Sushil Adhikari of Auburn’s Department of Biosytems Engineering, the team is hoping to use Alabama trees and grasses to create new bioproducts that will compete with traditional products totaling nearly $5 billion in annual
revenue in North America alone. Utilizing a grant of $494,336 from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the study aims to use locally grown biomass to replace petroleum-based adhesives and conductive paints. The study has been funded for three years, during which the researchers will examine different techniques to increase phenol concentration in pyrolysis oil and use pyrolysis oil to produce novalac resins, which will then be used
SUSHIL ADHIKARI ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
to make adhesives for producing bio-composites and anticorrosive paints. By doing so, the team hopes to move closer to finding sustainable and innovative ways to make new products from plant materials instead of fossil fuels. Adhikari, an associate professor of biosystems engineering and a researcher with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, says the work could help stem worldwide dependence on petroleum while creating a new market for Southeastern forest products. “If the project is successful, we will be producing adhesives similar to phenol formaldehyde, currently the main resin used in engineered wood composite products, as well as alternatives to current conductive paint products,” Adhikari said. “This would mean we would not have to rely entirely on petroleum-based products.” Funding for the project comes from NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, which was established in 2008 to fund basic and applied research, education and extension in the food and agricultural sciences.
S O I L J U D G I N G T E A M AC E S CO M P E T I T I O N , W I N S 2015 N AT I O N A L T I T L E The Auburn University Soil Judging Team is No. 1 in the country after besting 21 other teams from universities across the country during the American Society of Agronomy’s 2015 National Collegiate Soils Contest at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in April. In addition to claiming the national title, Auburn’s six-member team of Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences students also won the group-judging
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portion of the contest. And, in individual competition, team member Kristen Pegues— who, at the time of the competition, was a senior in agronomy and soils—finished with the highest score among the 86 contestants, while Auburn sophomore Abigail Johnston finished 10th. Other members of Auburn’s titlewinning team were Jenna Platt and Joe Taylor, both seniors in agronomy and soils, and environmental science
juniors Danielle Tadych and Bryan Trammell. Joey Shaw, professor in the crop, soil and environmental sciences department, coached the team, assisted by graduate students Alex James and Cassi Savage. Pegues, as top national scorer, and Shaw, as the No. 1 team’s head coach, will travel to Hungary in September as member and head coach, respectively, of Team USA in the international competition.
ARTHUR APPEL INTERIM DEAN, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, AND INTERIM DIRECTOR, AL ABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
A PPE L N AMED INTER IM D EAN/DI RE CTOR OF COLLEG E, AAE S Arthur Appel, a veteran urban entomology professor and researcher in Auburn University’s College of Agriculture and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, is entering his second month as interim dean of the college and interim director of the AAES. Appel, who most recently had served as the college’s interim associate dean for research and the experiment station’s interim assistant director, assumed his new position July 6 following an internal search. In announcing Appel’s appointment, Auburn Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy Boosinger said Appel’s administrative experience and research success have prepared him for his new responsibilities. “His leadership will ensure that the good work of the AAES and College of Agriculture will continue uninterrupted as the university conducts a national search for a new dean and AAES
director,” Boosinger said. Appel came to Auburn in 1985 as an assistant professor of entomology and an AAES researcher. He was promoted to associate professor in 1990 and to full professor seven years later. In 2005, he became chair of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and held that role until Jan. 1, 2014, when he began serving in his previous interim position. “I’m pleased to have this opportunity to work with the faculty and stakeholders of the College of Agriculture and AAES to advance our great missions,” Appel said. “I’m particularly excited about building bridges on campus and throughout the state for the good of the college and experiment station.” A Los Angeles native, Appel holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California at Los Angeles and master’s and doctorate degrees in urban entomology from
the University of California at Riverside. His research program focuses on urban insect control, insect biology, insect physiology and insect ecology. Appel (rhymes with lapel) succeeds Bill Batchelor, who resigned after five years as dean and director in May to return to the Department of Biosystems Engineering full time as a professor. Paul Patterson, associate dean for instruction in the College of Agriculture, served as acting dean from late May until Appel’s appointment began. In addition to a national dean/ director search, an internal search will be conducted to fill the interim associate dean for research/AAES assistant director position Appel previously held.
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AU B U R N , T U S K E G E E S C I E N T I S T S G E T $ 500K G R A N T TO S T U DY L A N D L O S S A M O N G A F R I C A N -A M E R I C A N S The USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Institute has awarded a team of researchers from Auburn and Tuskegee universities a $500,000 grant to study heir property and its impact on land loss in rural African-American communities in the South. Conner Bailey, rural sociology professor and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station scientist at Auburn, and agricultural resource economist Robert Zabawa with the George Washington Carver Agricultural Experiment Station at Tuskegee, will co-direct the project, the central aim of which is to understand how heir property—land that has been passed down for generations to multiple descendants of an original property owner who died without a will—hampers asset building, community development and economic growth. In the newly funded project,
the researchers will examine the phenomenon of heir property by comparing four communities that were established by the federal Resettlement Administration in the 1930s to create communities of African-American farmers who owned the land they worked to four similar communities that began without government support. Because heir property is owned collectively by a number of family members, there is no clear title to the land, which means the property cannot be used as collateral for loans and is not eligible for federal farm programs or government housingimprovement assistance. Heir property also is highly vulnerable to loss, most often because of partition sales initiated either by an heir who has no physical or emotional ties to the land or someone who has gained control over the share owned by an heir. Partition sales typically result in the
CONNOR BAILEY PROFESSOR, RURAL SOCIOLOGY
land being sold to the highest bidder. In addition to gaining insight on heir property and its impact on wealth creation, the research team also will identify strategies that address vulnerabilities associated with heir property and develop Extension publications and programs to serve the needs of heir property owners.
CO L E M A N AWA R D E D N I H G R A N T TO I D E N T I F Y K E Y G E N E S I N D I S E A S E - C AU S I N G F U N G I S P E C I E S Jeff Coleman, a mycologist in Auburn University’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, has been awarded a $268,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify and study the genes within two species of fungi that can cause potentially deadly infections in humans. Mycology is the branch of biology dealing with fungi, and in his new two-year NIH study, Coleman is focusing on members of the genus Fusarium. Though a common culprit in plant diseases, this group of fungi also can impact people. In healthy individuals, these species—Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum—may manifest as localized skin infections, but in people with weakened immune systems, they can lead to fusariosis,
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a life-threatening infection that can spread through the body and bloodstream. Recent research has indicated that these fungi may have extra chromosomes not found in other, closely related Fusarium species. Coleman’s key objective is to identify the genes, including those on the supernumerary chromosomes, that could play a role in the development and severity of fusariosis. He also will explore the genetic mechanisms that give the species a high level of resistance to clinically used antifungal agents. In the immunocompromised who contract fusariosis, the mortality rate is extremely high. Coleman’s discoveries could lead to the development of new prevention and
JEFF COLEMAN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, PL ANT PATHOLOGY
treatment strategies. Before joining the Auburn faculty in August 2014 as an assistant professor, Coleman had a joint appointment as a research scientist at Rhode Island Hospital and assistant professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
CO L L E G E O F AG R I C U LT U R E A D D S 23 TO FAC U LT Y R O S T E R The College of Agriculture has welcomed 23 new members to its faculty since August 2014 – the highest number of new hires the college has seen in a 12-month period in recent years. “With these hires, our initial need was to address core positions in programs and to maintain a critical mass for our teaching programs,” says Paul Patterson, associate dean for instruction. “As we’ve done that, we’ve made hires to enhance our ability to support agriculture in Alabama and beyond through our teaching, research and extension programs.” ALANA JACOBSON
LOKA ASHWOOD
JOYCE DUCAR
Assistant Professor
Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences
Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
FERNANDO BIASE Assistant Professor Animal Sciences
JEFFREY COLEMAN Assistant Professor Entomology and Plant Pathology
JEREMIAH DAVIS Associate Professor and Director, NPTC Biosystems Engineering
PAUL DYCE Assistant Professor Animal Sciences
COURTENEY HOLLAND Extension Specialist Animal Sciences
CAROLYN HUNTINGTON Lecturer Animal Sciences
Assistant Professor Entomology and Plant Pathology
THORSTEN KNAPPENBERGER
Assistant Professor Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences
JASMEET L AMBA
Assistant Professor Biosystems Engineering
XIAO (STEVE) LI
Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences
DERRICK MATHIAS
GREY PARKS
Assistant Professor Entomology and Plant Pathology
Assistant Professor Animal Sciences
EMEFA MONU
Assistant Professor Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
Assistant Professor Poultry Science
AMIT MOREY
Assistant Professor Poultry Science
WILMER PACHECO
Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor Poultry Science
SANG WOOK PARK
Assistant Professor Entomology and Plant Pathology
MIAO RUIQING
JESSICA STARKEY
Assistant Professor Poultry Science
JOSEPH TOMASSO JR.
Director School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences
YI WANG
Assistant Professor Biosystems Engineering
F I S H E R I E S ’ B O Y D , W W F A Q U A C U LT U R E D I R E C T O R C O - A U T H O R N E W B O O K When veteran School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences professor Claude Boyd started teaching a graduate course on aquaculture and the environment a few years ago, he had one small problem: He couldn’t find an unbiased textbook for the class. “They were either [written by] aquaculture people defending everything about aquaculture or environmentalists treating aquaculture like it was the only thing out there harming the environment,” Boyd says. “There wasn’t one out there that wasn’t real slanted in one direction or the other.” Now there is, with the publication earlier this year of “Aquaculture, Resource Use and the Environment,” co-authored by Boyd and Aaron McNevin. McNevin, an Auburn alumnus who obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees under Boyd’s mentorship in ’02 and ’05,
is now the top aquaculture staffer for the World Wildlife Fund, an international environmental non-governmental organization that, among its causes, labels aquaculture and agriculture as the leading cause of habitat and biodiversity loss in the world. The result of the collaborative effort between the aquatic scientist and the environmentalist is a book that provides a balanced and realistic review of the positive and negative impacts of aquaculture production within the larger context of global population, increased food demand and responsible use of resources. “Our number one thing was, we didn’t want to write a book that was full of opinions,” Boyd says. “While we were working on it, there were a lot of issues one of us felt strongly about one way or the other, but we tried to talk all those things through and come to some kind of agreement
on them. What wound up in the book are legitimate issues, covered objectively.” For more information, contact Boyd at boydce1@auburn.edu or call 334-844-4075.
CL AUDE BOYD PROFESSOR, AQUACULTURE
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EYES WIDE
open
BY NANCY M ANN JACKSON
G LOBA L IMPAC T
S TU DY A B ROA D TO U R S B ROA D E N S TU D E NT S ’ PE R S PE C TI V E “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” -Mark Twain Abigail Johnston has always loved to travel. “My goal is to see the world, especially places most tourists don’t go,” says the Tuscaloosa native who is a junior majoring in agronomy and soils. “I want to see a place for what it really is, to experience life like the locals: to eat what they eat, to shop where they shop, to live where they live.” So when she heard about an Auburn University College of Agriculture study abroad program in rural China, Johnston knew she wanted to go. Led by David Weaver, professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, the annual trip includes a plant genetics and crop improvement course, along with Chinese language classes, weekend trips to sites around China and constant interaction with Chinese people and local agriculture. “It was super affordable, in the type of place I wanted to visit, for long enough to experience the culture, and gave credit for a required class for my major,” Johnston says of her decision to participate. She applied for the College of Agriculture study abroad scholarship, which made the program possible for her, and participated in the trip during
May 2015. “I am so happy I did,” Johnston says. “I would not trade this experience for anything.” While it’s long been obvious that students come back from study abroad enthused and reengaged, not only about their trip but about their education in general, the positive benefits of such programs have recently begun to be quantified, says Henry Fadamiro, assistant dean and director of global programs for the College of Agriculture. “Researchers have recently begun studying the benefits of study abroad, and their findings are really impressive,” he says. “Students who participate in a study abroad report that, even years later, they still consider their study abroad a defining moment in their life. And employers are often impressed by students who have participated in study abroad experiences; it shows that the candidate has key job skills such as adaptability, global understanding and tolerance, leadership and independence.”
‘I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new.’
BUILDING CAREERS Having a college degree is no longer the differentiator that it once was. Study abroad programs can serve to customize each student’s
degree program and provide a unique experience and insight that can make him or her stand out among the competition for scholarships, graduate studies and jobs. “Now, more than ever, agriculture is truly a global field and the world’s largest industry,” Fadamiro says. “Agriculture graduates are very likely to work for a multinational company or in an emerging international market after graduation. Study abroad gives students an opportunity to meet and work with people from different backgrounds and to experience other cultures first hand.” For instance, Ellen Rankins, a junior animal sciences major from Cusseta, spent her summer interning at a therapeutic riding center in Singapore. She says her experience there will influence her academic career, helping her determine whether to pursue graduate school and, if so, in what field. While she doesn’t expect to end up living in a foreign country, Rankins believes the experience of having lived and worked with people from another country will help her to better understand and work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout her life. “I think this experience will give me a new perspective on how people from cultures other than my own think and what they hold to be important,” Rankins says. “I know
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STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD IN CHINA WITH CROP, SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES PROFESSOR DAVID WE AVER INCLUDED, FROM LEF T, ABIGAIL JOHNSTON, ANDRE J “ANDY ” SV YANTEK , MEKENZIE HARGADEN, ELBA M ALDONADO, ALEXIS HRUBY AND W YKLE GREENE. M ALDONADO IS A TEX A S A&M STUDENT WHO JOINED WE AVER AND THE AUBURN COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE STUDENTS ON THE TOUR.
that for the rest of my life, I will be able to look back and say, ‘I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new, and I do not regret that.’” Learning to navigate the challenges associated with international travel and interacting with people from diverse cultures provides valuable skills that participants can use in furthering their studies and launching their careers. “Professionally speaking, this trip has forced me to adapt to a different way of life and has forced me to communicate in ways that I would not have to normally,” says Wykle Greene, a Dothan native and agronomy and soils senior who participated in the
China study this spring. Study abroad experiences extend the education that happens in the classroom, as students are able to see theoretical concepts in action around the world. “In the College of Ag, we always talk about how it is our responsibility to help feed the growing world population,” Johnston says. “This experience [in China] has brought that reality to life. The Chinese use every piece of arable land to produce food; they are working hard to feed their already large population. Seeing their ingenuity helps me understand that we will have to make major strides to feed an ever
M AGG IE FERGUSON S TA NDS ON THE S TEP S OF THE BA SILIC A OF THE S ACRED HE A RT ON MONTM A RTRE’ S SUM MIT IN PA RIS . THE AG RICULT UR A L COM MUNIC ATIONS SENIOR SPENT HER SUM MER VAC ATION S T UDY ING AB ROAD IN FR ANCE.
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increasing population. “I think that this experience will shape my future career and the aspects of food security where I focus my efforts.” For some participants, a study abroad experience can define their careers or their life’s work. For instance, during her study abroad trip to France this summer, Maggie Ferguson, a senior from Mobile majoring in agricultural communications, was inspired to pursue a career that will improve others’ lives. Her group visited Le Jardin de Cocagne, a nonprofit organization that teaches unemployed residents to grow produce and start small produce businesses. “Visiting that organization has inspired me to give back to others by using agriculture in an effective way,” Ferguson says. Andrej Syvantek, an Auburn native in the first year of a master’s program in horticulture, participated in the China study abroad program in May 2015. His first time to set foot on soil outside the United States, the experience
opened Syvantek’s eyes to a new world of possibilities. “Previously, I had only considered domestic career opportunities, but now I long for the chance to explore life abroad,” Syvantek says. “In Shaanxi, the amount of commitment to agriculture has shown me a world I did not know existed. “No resource is wasted, and no soil is left unplanted,” he says. “Between golden kiwis, there is corn. On the edge of plateaus, where no machine could possibly harvest, wheat has been planted. It is a mindset that I aim to take home with me, one that I hope may propel me towards a successful and useful life.”
BUILDING PEOPLE In addition to the academic and career benefits of study abroad experiences, these programs also offer the intangible value of broadening a student’s horizons and helping him or her formulate a worldview that is informed by global experience. This change in perspective is as important as any of the professional benefits of study abroad programs, Weaver says.
“Study abroad programs make students aware that there are people and places that are different from them, and that that is not a bad thing,” he says. “They make them aware that life goes on outside of north or south Alabama and give them a broader perspective on the world.” China tour participant Greene agrees. “Visiting China has opened my eyes up to so many new things,” Greene says. “It’s easy to get so caught up in your own little world back home in Alabama that you forget that there is so much more to see in the world, so many new experiences and memories to be made.” In Singapore, Rankins found it fascinating to see and experience a different culture through new foods, different clothing and architecture and diverse languages. “It’s more than just passing through and seeing all of this at a glance, however,” she says. “I am building personal relationships that I will carry forward with me wherever life takes me.” For Johnston, the experience of
relationship-building during her time spent abroad this summer will be put to use immediately upon returning to Auburn in the fall. As a new resident assistant in the international dorm, she looks forward to using her newfound skills of building relationships with diverse people to befriend and assist the students in her dorm. Like many of life’s memorable experiences, the relationships built are the most valuable results of a study abroad program, Johnston says. “I have had the opportunity to make many Chinese friends, to share experiences with them,” she says. “I have gotten to ask them questions about their lives and culture and answer questions about mine. I have helped them practice their English, and they have helped me get around in their city. I have fallen in love with the people of Yangling, and that, to me, is the most beautiful part of my study abroad.”
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BY NANCY M ANN JACKSON
S T UDENT L IFE
G E T T I N G I N V O LV E D G I V E S T R A N S F E R S T U D E N T S A S M O O T H T R A N S I T I O N When Cullman native Kayla Fromhold couldn’t decide between Auburn University’s food science major or the University of North Alabama’s hotel and restaurant management program, she chose to complete her freshman year at the local community college. After a campus visit to Auburn, she knew it was the place for her—but she didn’t expect to have the same experience as a transfer student that she would have had as an incoming freshman. “At first, my mentality was just, I’ll finish up and graduate,” Fromhold says. “But once I got here, I realized that the campus is so connected in ways you don’t see at first. The same people who are leaders in the College of Ag are leaders in other ways across campus. “At community college, everyone stayed in their own buildings with others in their same major. Here, it’s almost impossible not to come in contact with others who aren’t in your major. We all come together on campus.” Fromhold, now a senior, transferred to Auburn fall semester 2013 and soon found herself involved in a number
of clubs, organizations and programs, including the Food Science Club and the Poultry Science Club in the College of Agriculture. Before beginning her first semester at Auburn, she had attended Successfully Orienting Students, the transfer orientation program, and had loved it. “My SOS counselor was also from the College of Ag and I really connected with her and her desire for sharing knowledge with people,” Fromhold says. So when she heard about an opportunity to become an SOS counselor, Fromhold interviewed for the position and was chosen as a 2014-2015 SOS orientation leader. Fromhold also pledged a sorority and joined a campus ministry group. She says her willingness to push herself to get involved has paid off socially, academically and in other ways, and she now works to help other transfer students transition successfully to Auburn. For instance, as an SOS counselor, Fromhold gave her phone number to incoming transfer students, and a year later, she still receives texts from those students, with questions
about professors and campus organizations. “I just said, ‘I want you to know you have somebody here that has your back,’” she says. “That was so helpful for me when I was new to have people who would give me good answers about anything, even if it’s where to get my car fixed.” While Fromhold admits it was scary to put herself out there at first, she believes her willingness to step out of her comfort zone has led to a fuller, richer college experience. As a new ag peer mentor for the college’s student services office, Fromhold hopes to continue helping other students who need information or encouragement. FACING CHALLENGES Students who consider transferring to Auburn from another college may worry about finding their place in campus life, but those perceived challenges don’t have to become reality. “Some transfer students can sometimes be concerned that they are behind on getting involved or developing relationships because they did not start out on campus as a freshman,” says Amanda Martin, student
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SERVING AS AN SOS COUNSELOR AND JOINING CLUBS AND A SORORIT Y HELPED FOOD SCIENCE SENIOR K AYL A FROMHOLD ADJUST QUICKLY AT AUBURN. ALL INCOMING TRANSFERS AT TEND SOS, OR SUCCESSFULLY ORIENTING STUDENTS, TO FA MILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH C A MPUS AND TO REGISTER FOR CL ASSES.
recruitment and alumni relations coordinator for the College of Agriculture. “This is definitely not the case, and our college does a phenomenal job at making sure all students have opportunities to get involved and make lasting friendships. “The majority of transfer students I work with are ready to make the transition to Auburn and eager to make the most of the opportunities available,” she says. “The family atmosphere within the college and our departments helps students feel right at home.” For Fromhold, simply being available to go to meeting and events was a big part of the solution. “Yes, there are so many shows that you could be watching on Netflix,” she says, “but will that
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make you friends that would be willing to pick you up on the other side of campus when it is pouring rain? No. So go out there and do.” While students who take advantage of the available resources can quickly get plugged into life on campus, the academic structure sometimes presents additional challenges. “Many students underestimate the academic rigor they will face at Auburn, especially if they start in the fall with the great distraction of football,” says Codi Plaster, student services coordinator in the Department of Poultry Science, where the food science program is based. To help students keep up with rigorous academics, Auburn provides various academic
services at no charge. The Miller Writing Center offers editing and proofreading services, Study Partners has peer tutoring for all core classes and Supplemental Instruction offers small group peer instruction for science courses. In addition to attending class regularly, new students can overcome any academic challenges by taking time to get to know their professors, department heads and the staff that are available to help them, Martin says. That starts when transfer students meet with their departmental advisors during SOS. “The more relationships students can build, the more successful they will be,” Martin says. “We pride ourselves on open-door policies and strongly encourage our students to reach
out and seek guidance or extra help when they need it.” FINDING SUCCESS Transfer students who enjoy the fullest, richest Auburn experience are those willing to brave a new situation, get out of their comfort zones and try getting involved in a variety of groups. They are the ones who are committed to having a full college experience, not just getting a degree. For starters, newcomers in the poultry science department are strongly encouraged to join the Poultry Science Club or the Food Science Club to meet people and get involved with the department as soon as they arrive, Plaster says. Fromhold, for example, was able to attend some departmental events before she even enrolled at Auburn. “That gave her the advantage of understanding what she was get ting into and a level of familiarity with the department,” Plaster says. Beyond Ag Hill, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved on campus. Auburn’s First Year Experience Office runs SOS, the transfer orientation program, and can be a good resource for transfer students.
The College of Agriculture also hosts Welcome Week, an entire week of activities for new students, which includes a club and organization fair to familiarize students with various opportunities. “All students should try to find something they’re passionate about, whether or not it pertains to their course of study, and find out how to get involved with that club or organization,” Plaster says. Auburn offers student organizations for everyone, and sometimes the options can be overwhelming. However, because transfer students have had some time to consider what they want and don’t want from their higher education experience, it’s sometimes easier for them to select the activities that are a fit, Plaster says. Getting involved is essential for transfer students who want to make the most of their experience. “They must really embrace everything Auburn has to offer, from sporting events to concerts, and, of course, all of the academic services,” Plaster says. “There’s no reason not to succeed when you are here.”
F I V E T I P S FO R NEW STUDENTS Enjoying a full Auburn experience is well within reach for transfer students. To make it happen, new arrivals can follow this advice from Amanda Martin, student recruitment and alumni relations coordinator for the College of Agriculture: 1 . A S K FO R H E LP. FACULT Y AND STAFF WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED, SO DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT. 2 . F I N D A M E NTO R . DE VELOP REL ATIONSHIPS WITH UPPERCLASSMEN, FACULTY MEMBERS AND STAFF, AND SEEK OUT ONE WHO CAN BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, OFFER ADVICE AND MENTOR YOU. 3 . G E T I N VO LV E D. JOIN CLUBS AND ORGANIZ ATIONS AND AT TEND THE MEETINGS AND EVENTS. “THIS IS A GRE AT WAY TO NET WORK AND BUILD FRIENDSHIPS,” M ARTIN SAYS. 4 . G O TO CL A S S . REMEMBER, IT’S WHY YOU’RE HERE. 5 . CH E CK YO U R E M A I L . DO THIS REGUL ARLY. “THERE ARE A M A ZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNSHIPS, JOBS AND SPECIAL E VENTS THAT ARE SENT OUT E VERY DAY,” M ARTIN SAYS.
TA L K A B O U T
crazy BY JA MIE CRE A MER
PHOTO BY BL AKE L AY TON, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSIT Y EXTENSION SERVICE URBAN ENTOMOLOGIST
SCIENTIFIC RESE A RCH
FITFUL , FRENZIED FOREIGN ANTS SPRE AD ACROSS THE SOUTH
Lawrence Graham apparently has never really looked like a Lawrence. Early on in his life, folks in his native Pickens County took to calling him Little Elmer, after an uncle of his. Before long, the lad was answering to Fudd. As in the wabbit-hunting Elmer J. That latter nickname stuck, not only through Graham’s junior high, high school and college days, but on into his professional career as well. While a few family members still call him Lawrence, to the rest of the world, he’s Fudd. In recent months, though, the Auburn University entomologist has acquired yet another moniker. He’s now Fudd, the crazy ant guy. The “crazy” isn’t an adjective describing Graham. It modifies ant: Crazy ant—or, more accurately, tawny crazy ants, plural. Crazy ants by the billions, especially in Texas, where the highly prolific invasive insects are driving people bonkers. “They don’t sting like fire ants, but it’s their incredible population density that’s the thing,” Graham says. “They’re opportunistic nesters, so you’ll find them everywhere, especially anywhere that’s damp. Wherever you have crazy ants, there’s so many of them, they outcompete other species of ants and insects for food, and basically displace
all of them. That includes fire ants.” How the tiny ants could survive fire ant venom was a scientific mystery until last year, when a Texas researcher made the amazing discovery that, when attacked by fire ants, crazy ants produce a formic acid that they rub all over their bodies to neutralize the venom. They are seemingly invincible. “You’d think it would be great that there’s something that can get rid of fire ants, but these are a whole lot worse,” Graham says. “Out in Texas, people are wishing they had their fire ants back.” These tiny nonnative insects are called crazy ants for a reason: They run around like a bunch of flea-sized chickens with their heads cut off. It’s helter-skelter to
the nth degree. “They walk fast and funny,” Graham says. “They literally take over a place.” WRE AKING HAVOC Their terrorizing tactics don’t stop at monopolizing food sources in the insect world. Crazy ants also pose a threat to livestock, birds, nursery stock and turf, and they’re especially drawn to electrical wiring and systems. In 2012, electrical damages caused by crazy ants reportedly hit $146.5 million. And that was just in Texas. Native to Argentina and Brazil, tawny crazy ants—the official common name for the species that was formally identified in 2012 as Nylanderia
MALE TAWNY CRAZY ANTS CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THEIR WELL-DEVELOPED WIN G S , A S SEEN IN T HI S PH OTO BY J O E A . M ACG OWN , M I S SIS SIPPI EN TOMO LO G I C A L MUSEUM .
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fulva—became a problem in the U.S. 13 years ago after they were discovered in a Houston suburb by exterminator Tom Rasberry. In fact, despite the sanctioned “tawny,” most people still call the pests Rasberry crazy ants. While much remains unknown about the species, researchers have determined that single crazy ant colonies have, not just one queen, but multiple queens. Graham cites one study that found right at 100 queens in one bale of hay. No wonder the populations are massive. Crazy ants appear to stay more localized than fire ants. Left on their own, they only spread about a tenth of a mile a year. Today, however, thanks to transportation assistance provided by unsuspecting humans, crazy ants have been confirmed in dozens of counties in Texas and in the states of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and, unfortunately, Alabama. But don’t panic, Graham says, because as of now, there’s only one known infestation in the state. That’s of little comfort to Mobile County property owner Grace Talbert, whose heavily wooded six-acre spread, located between the Theodore shipping channel on Mobile Bay and an industrial park, is home to the state’s lone crazy ant colony. Talbert and her 90-year-old father, Paul Thomson, have been engaged in major warfare with the disgusting little bugs for going on three years. In that time, Talbert’s gone through umpteen dozen gallons of malathion, trying to put a dent in the throngs
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of erratic ants. But it seems like the more she kills, the more ants appear. “Amdro® doesn’t faze the things,”—no existing pesticides do—“so I spray ’em and then sweep up 5-gallon bucketfuls of dead ones, but they just keep coming, more of them than ever, all summer long,” Talbert says. “If we want to use our pool, I have to spray all around it and then spend 30 minutes scooping out the dead ants. It’s disgusting.” Last summer, at wit’s end, she turned to her local Extension office, which called in Graham and Jeremy Pickens, research associate at Auburn’s Ornamental Horticulture Research Center in Mobile. “You can hear about crazy ant populations, but you really have to see them to comprehend how many there are,” Graham says. “And there’s no eliminating them. You just have to do what you can to manage them.” On Ta lber t’s place, a combination of pesticides and cultural practices, such as ridding the lawn of antattracting leaves, limbs, mulch and debris, appears to be helping, Graham says. CHECKING THE SPRE AD Because Mobile and Baldwin are the top two counties in the state in greenhouse and nursery production, the presence of crazy ants in that neck of the woods has producers more than a little concerned. Funded by a gift from the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association, Graham and Pickens currently are setting out bait well beyond Talbert’s
FU D D G R A H A M RESEARCH FELLOW, ENTOMOLOGY A N D P L A N T PAT H O LO G Y
property to verify that the species hasn’t nested elsewhere in the coastal counties. Graham also is working with a group of other university entomologists across the South to determine crazy ant research priorities should federal grant dollars become available. But crazy ants haven’t spread to Washington, D.C., yet, so that may take a while. In other crazy ant–plagued states, the freaky pests are invading people’s homes and making their lives beyond miserable. To date, Talbert hasn’t seen any in her house, and she’s dead set on keeping it that way. “Look, I’ve got a beautiful place here, and I’m not going anywhere,” she says. “I will prevail. These ants better just get that through their heads.”
This is how you master your course. Discover your future in the
M A S T E R O F T U R FG R A S S M A N AG E M E N T online degree program at Auburn University. AU B U R N . E D U/AG D I S TA N C E
Student Services Office 105 COMER HALL | 334-844-3201 AG D I S TA N CE @AU B U R N . E D U
AUBURN ALSO OFFERS THE FOLLOWING GRADUATE DEGREES ONLINE: Master of Science/Master of Agriculture in Agronomy & Soils Master of Science/Master of Agriculture in Soil, Water & Environmental Sciences
AGRICULTURE
KEY
player BY M ARY CATHERINE GASTON
ON C A MPUS
A S D I R E C T O R O F AT H L E T I C T U R F A N D G R O U N D S F O R T H E A U B U R N U N I V E R S I T Y AT H L E T I C D E PA R T M E N T, T W O -T I M E C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U LT U R E G R A D U AT E E R I C K L E Y PA S P L AY S A C R I T I C A L R O L E I N T H E S U C C E S S O F S E V E R A L T I G E R T E A M S .
It’s a safe bet that Eric Kleypas was the only Texas A&M fan in his class when his family moved to Guin, Alabama, from the Lone Star State nearly three decades ago. Feeling the pressure every Alabama resident feels to choose between the Tigers and the Tide, Kleypas chose the former after a neighbor assured him Auburn was the Texas A&M of this state. When he made his first trip to Jordan-Hare to see the Tigers play later that year, the deal was sealed, and he’s been an Auburn fan ever since. This episode in elementary school made it easy for Kleypas to choose where he wanted to go to college. After graduating from Marion County High School and completing his first two years of school at a local junior college, he headed for the Plains to finish a degree in chemical engineering. But just as the suggestion of a friend had changed his athletic allegiance years before, so another’s input would alter his choice of college majors and career path. “My dad was an engineer, so I went that route,” Kleypas admits. But conversations with a friend who was majoring in turf
management made him wonder if that path might suit him better. “I switched to turf management and worked a summer internship at Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville,” Kleypas recalls. “After that summer, I was sure that switching majors was the correct choice.” Back on campus, he got a job with the AU Turf Crew, helping with pesticide and fertilizer applications on Auburn’s various athletic fields. After being part of the crew as an undergrad and then as a master’s student in agricultural science, Kleypas landed the job of his dreams, serving as the university’s director of athletic turf and grounds. FIRM FOUNDATION Who knows where a career in engineering might have taken Kleypas, but one thing is pretty certain: His handiwork probably would not have been the backdrop to ESPN’s most viewed broadcast ever, the 2014 Iron Bowl. As director of athletic turf and grounds, his job is to be sure that every grassy sports venue on campus is ready for primetime year-round. While that charge
may seem fairly straightforward, Kleypas has two degrees for a reason: There’s quite a bit of science behind that bright green field of dreams. To prepare graduates to excel under the pressure of jobs like Kleypas’, Auburn’s undergraduate turfgrass management program puts them through the paces. According to Beth Guertal, a professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences and a leader of the turfgrass academic program, Auburn’s degree is set apart from those at other universities by its academic rigor. “There are a lot of good turfgrass programs out there, but academically, the Auburn program is one of the strongest you’ll find,” Guertal says, pointing specifically to the number of chemistry and mathematics credits required for graduation. The program is also designed to integrate the everyday application of basic science into coursework, according to another faculty member, weed scientist Scott McElroy, who teaches sports grass management to upper-level undergraduates.
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And while the untrained observer might think Kleypas’ job is just a matter of watering, mowing and painting, he and his crew know better. On any given day, they make good use of the complex science his degrees taught him. For example, because the SEC’s goliath linebackers tend to take equally enormous divots out of the field, Kleypas must know that Auburn’s home turf has enough growing points per square inch to fill those divots by the time the next team (and television crews) roll into town—often only a few days after the last ones left. TE A M EFFORT For that and countless other reasons, Kleypas counts on his former professors to help make decisions. “Depending on what the question is, I’ll work with Dr. [Beth] Guertal, Dr. [David] Han or Dr. [Scott] McElroy, just to help me make sure I’m not slipping up anywhere,” he says. He also relies on a team of 10 to 12 College of Agriculture
students to carry out the various directives he and the professors decide upon. Students assist with and gain invaluable experience from aerifying, top-dressing with sand, overseeding with perennial rye (to keep the turf green as the temperatures drop) and applying fertilizers. Students apply their on-thejob-training at some pretty cool venues. Recently, Auburn turfgrass undergrads have put their skills and knowledge to the test during internships with the Boston Red Sox, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Houston Astros and at Augusta National Golf Club, just to name a few. NE VER-ENDING JOB Keeping Auburn’s athletes running on solid ground in Jordan-Hare is a 365-day-a-year job, and, all things considered, the College of Agriculture plays a larger role in the success of Auburn Athletics than one might think. Healthy grass doesn’t just need to look good when, say, a player runs a missed field
ERIC KLEYPAS DIRECTOR, AUBURN ATHLETIC TURF AND GROUNDS
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goal 100 yards for a last-second, game-winning touchdown. Auburn’s flawless field could be the hook that snares a top recruit in the first place, Kleypas says. “Football is a year-round process, because there’s never a time when someone’s not walking out on the field. Even after football season, we get into recruiting.” As soon as the A-Day game is over and fans have left the field, the AU turf crew gets to work prepping for summer football camps and unofficial recruiting visits. This year, that process even included removing the playing surface altogether and replacing it with brand new sod, a process that is becoming more common in the sports world due to the role the grass plays in recruiting. “We never want there to be a time when a recruit could come out and see something that’s sub-par,” Kleypas says. Football isn’t the only season in Kleypas’ year, either, so his hard work doesn’t stop at the gates of Jordan-Hare. He also cares for the turf at the university’s baseball, softball, soccer, track and field and golf facilities. In fact, he says, keeping Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare looking good is, figuratively speaking, a walk in the park compared to the attention required by Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park, home of Auburn baseball. “Baseball is the most challenging, because the competition field is also the playing field, so it sees very little down time,” he says. Add to that the management of the
PAT DY E F I EL D AT J O R DA N-H A R E S ER V E S A S A N E XC EL L EN T T R A I N I N G G R O U N D F O R M A N Y S T U D EN T S WO R K I N G TOWA R D A D EG R EE I N T U R F G R A S S M A N AG E M EN T AT AU B U R N .
clay infield, which he says can be more difficult to maintain than the grass itself, and you have a demanding duo that must be perfect not just for the three-month season, but also for a summer packed with baseball camps. PRIVILEGES AND PERKS While pressure is an everyday part of his job, the position is not without its perks. Kleypas has been on the sidelines during just about every home football game since 1998, and those experiences have afforded him some of his fondest memories. Being on the sidelines the first time was one of them. “The crowd noise was hard to believe,” he says. “You think it’s loud when you’re up in the stands, but when you’re at field level, it’s pretty hard to believe how loud
the fans can get, especially when the team’s on a big third-down defensive play.” The top spot belongs to the final two regular-season games of the 2013 season, though. “I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever see anything again like the [2013] Georgia and Alabama games.” He didn’t even mind when thousands of fans poured out of the stands and onto the field. The badly damaged—but recovering—hedges at the base of the students section stand as a reminder of that celebration. “After seeing the damage to the hedges, we thought it was kind of cool just to let them grow back instead of replacing them, so that during the next season, people could reflect on what had happened the year before, kind of as a neat reminder.”
S P O R T S T U R F S TAT S -93,654-
SQUARE FEET OF SOD BET WEEN THE HEDGES ON PAT DYE FIELD (THAT’S EX ACTLY 2.15 ACRES)
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THE VARIET Y OF TIFWAY BERMUDA GRASS THAT M AKES UP THE JORDAN-HARE SOD
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HOURS IT TA KES TO MOW PAT DY E FIELD BEFORE E ACH HOME G A ME
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S LO P E I N I N CH E S FR OM M I D -FI EL D TO T H E S I D EL I N E
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Y E A R KL E Y PA S B EG A N H I S J O B A S D I R EC TO R O F AT H L E T I C T U R F A N D G R O U N D S FO R AU AT H L E T I C S
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N UM B ER O F F U L L-T I M E T U R F CR E W M E M B ER S (S E V EN AT H L E T I C T ECH N I CI A N S , O N E T U R F M A N AG ER A N D KL E Y PA S)
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D I M EN S I O N S I N FEE T O F T H E I N T ER LO CKI N G AU PA I N T ED AT M I D FI EL D
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F E E L I N G T H AT
Fairhope magic BY JA MIE CRE A MER
A ROUND A L A BA M A
A U B U R N H O R T I C U LT U R E A L U M , N O W M AY O R , M A S T E R M I N D S C I T Y ’ S M A K E O V E R It was kind of like when a friend shaves his beard, and you ask him if he got a haircut. You know something’s different, but you just can’t put your finger on it. That’s how residents of Fairhope may have felt one morning a couple of years ago as they drove along a stretch of Fairhope Avenue. Obviously, something had changed, and seemingly overnight, but what? Ah, yes, it was the trees, and no “seemingly” about it: It had been an overnight transformation. The 40 mangled, lopsided Bradford pears that as recently as yesterday at closing time had lined the thoroughfare were gone, and in their place, as many lovely Chinese elms. How was that even possible? “It’s what we call ‘Fairhope magic,’ ” Mayor Tim Kant says. In cities across the nation, downtowns were dying, and Fairhope, Alabama, was no exception. By the dawn of the ’80s, despite its pleasant name and its prime location on Mobile Bay’s Eastern Shore, Fairhope was far from fair. Strip malls, shopping centers and residential developments that had sprung outside the central business district’s perimeter were luring downtown businesses and shoppers to the burbs. Some may have called such sprawl progress, but then-mayor
Jim Nix wasn’t among them. Let other cities watch their downtowns shrivel up and die if they wanted to, but that wasn’t going to happen in Fairhope. Not on Nix’s watch. So as he started his third of what would be seven terms as mayor, transforming the heart of the city into a vibrant destination of choice became priority No. 1. As one who traveled the world on occasion, Nix had always been especially drawn to quaint European villages, and he was convinced that Fairhope had
FAIRHOPE MAYOR TIM K ANT WORKED WONDERS AS CIT Y HORTICULTURIST, TRANSFORMING THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT INTO A LOVELY, WELCOMING AND WALK ABLE VILL AGE.
the potential to be even more beautiful and charming than those hamlets, despite the existing unsightliness. “I knew it could be done, but I also knew I couldn’t do it myself,” Nix says. “We needed somebody that knew what they were doing to get this thing going.” Fortunately for Fairhope, a friend tipped Nix off to Tim Kant. Kant, a 1977 Auburn University horticulture alumnus, was in the midst of a career change that would take him from Fairhope and the nursery he’d worked at part time in high school and full time since earning his degree six years earlier to Louisville, Kentucky, for a managerial position at a growing nursery operation. Nix acted fast. “I called him and asked him to come by and talk to me before he went anywhere,” Nix says. Kant did, and next thing you know, Nix had persuaded him to stay in Fairhope to take on the monumental downtown
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FA I R H O P E ’ S B AY F R O N T R O S E G A R D EN B OA S T S 850 B U S H E S A N D M O R E T H A N T H R EE D OZ EN D I F F ER EN T R O S E VA R I E T I E S . T H E G A R D EN , W H I C H A L S O F E AT U R E S A L I G H T ED F O U N TA I N , I S T H E M O S T L A B O R-I N T EN S I V E O F A L L T H E C I T Y ’ S H O R T I C U LT U R A L P R O J EC T S .
makeover mission. Kant’s title was municipal horticulturist—a position that no other city in Alabama had in 1983 and, therefore, a position that was bound to raise a few eyebrows. UNDER THE RADAR “One of the first things he told me when he hired me,” Kant says, “was to keep a low profile. He knew there’d be some folks who wouldn’t understand what was going on and would be pretty outspoken about the city spending tax dollars on that kind of thing instead of using the money to pave streets and fill potholes.” Kant took the under-the-radar advice to heart and started simply, focusing first on keeping the rights-of-way on all major routes leading to downtown Fairhope mowed, edged and litter-free. Then he grew so bold as to plant a flower bed—the city’s first—on South Mobile
27 | FE ATURES
Street/Scenic U.S. Highway 98, and, bolder still, he landscaped an entire downtown corner—the Fairhope Avenue–North Section Street corner that’s home to the oft-photographed Fairhope clock. The city’s residents, who today total 16,000-plus, sat up, took notice, got excited and started claiming ownership of their increasingly attractive downtown. Garden clubs and other civic groups around the city contributed $15,000 for the construction of a beautiful fountain at the Fairhope Pier—a quarter-mile-long asset that’s known as “town square”—and ot her don a t ion s m a de a magnificent rose garden at the pier a reality. “The more people could see what was happening, the more steam we picked up,” Kant says. “It was a source of pride for the people of the city.” ENTER THE M AGIC Early on in his days as city horticulturist, Kant convinced
Nix to send him to Disney World to learn from the landscaping masters who put a major chunk of the magic into the Magic Kingdom. “I went twice, the first time for just a behind-the-scenes horticulture tour,” Kant says. “But the second time, I was there a week. I’d go out with a landscaping team in the wee hours of the morning, and by the time the gates opened, we’d be out of sight. “That’s because, at Disney, it’s all about the show,” Kant says. Ditto in now-picturesque and -flourishing downtown Fairhope. “It’s all about the magic here, too, and that’s why our horticulture crews start at 4 o’clock every morning, so they can be out of the way by 9 a.m.,” Kant says. “But if we have a major change-out, we work all night and call in just about everybody that works for the city to help.” As the city began to blossom in the latter half of the ’80s
and into the ’90s, so did Kant’s career. After a few years as city horticulturist, he was promoted to director of Fairhope’s Department of Public Works, which encompasses horticulture and landscape as well as waste management and streets. He also was chief of the city’s volunteer fire department. Life was good. But in April 2000, things changed when Nix unexpectedly announced he would not seek an eighth term as mayor. “I was just tired of being mayor,” the former cit y leader says now. Nix’s announcement took ever ybody by surprise, including Kant. “It caught me totally off guard, and, of course, I was concerned about the future,” Kant says. “Mayor Nix and I had always been on the same page with the beautification, but there was always the chance that the next mayor might see things differently and might not see a need for continuing what we’d started, and that was disturbing.” Exactly, Nix told him, which is why you have to run for mayor. But Kant had his doubts. “I was hesitant for several reasons, one being that I’d be running against a city councilman who was widely known,” Kant says. “Plus, I ran a poll that showed I had very little name recognition. People around town knew the work I’d done, but they didn’t know who I was.” ‘K ANT CAN’ Even so, he decided to give it a go and threw his hat in the ring. Campaigning with the slogan— you guessed it—“Kant Can,” he won 56 percent of the vote. “I had to get out and shake a lot of hands,” he says. “But it was clear that the people of Fairhope
were proud of what the city had become and wanted to preserve the high quality of life here. “The main question I got asked as I talked to people was, ‘But if you’re mayor, who’s going to do downtown?’” They needn’t have worried, because as soon as the votes were all counted and his victory was confirmed, Kant had 1992 Auburn Department of Horticulture alumna Jennifer Fidler on the phone. Fidler was working as Eufaula’s city horticulturist at the time, but Baldwin County was her home, and Fairhope was paradise, so when Kant offered her the job as Fairhope’s Public Works director, she accepted. She’s been carrying on the magic that is Fairhope ever since. That magic has transformed a lackluster south Alabama town into a walkable storybook village filled with Southern charm and amazing beauty. Perhaps a USA Today travel writer described the city best: “Shangri-La may be a fantasy, but you can find a real-life utopia on the Eastern Shore of Alabama’s Mobile Bay—the city of Fairhope.”
FA I R H O P E BY T H E N U M B E R S -10-
N UM B ER O F CI T Y-OWN ED A N D -O P ER AT ED G R EEN H O U S E S
-25,000-
NUMBER OF 6-INCH CONTAINERS OF G R EEN H O U S E-G R OWN A N N UA L S T R A N S P L A N T ED TO D OWN TOWN FLOWER B ED S D U R I N G E ACH O F S IX A N N UA L “ CH A N G E-O U T S”
-$60,000-80,000S P EN T A N N UA L LY O N
A D D I T I O N A L P L A N T M AT ER I A L S
-$140.000-
TOTA L A N N UA L B U D G E T, E XCLU D I N G L A B O R , FO R P U B L I C WO R K S’ H O R T I CU LT U R E A N D L ANDSCAPE DIVISION
-70,000-
T U L I P B U L B S I M P O R T ED A N N UA L LY FR OM H O L L A N D
-100-
H A N G I N G B A S KE T S T H AT A R E CH A N G ED O U T T H R EE TIMES A YEAR
-850-
ROSE BUSHES IN THE ROSE G A R D EN AT FA I R H O P E P I ER
-30 FEE T-
D I A M E T ER O F A WO R KI N G FLO R A L CLO CK T H AT WA S COM P L E T ED L A S T Y E A R AT A M A J O R I N T ER S EC T I O N
-160-
N UM B ER O F T R EE S I N D OWN TOWN FA I R H O P E
-120-
N UM B ER O F D OWN TOWN T R EE S D ECO R AT ED WI T H L I G H T S E ACH CH R I S TM A S . T H E P R O CE S S TA KE S T WO MO N T H S TO COM P L E T E . SU R E , T H E Y CO U L D L E AV E T H E LIGHTS ON ALL YEAR, “BUT T H EN WE CO U L D N ’ T H AV E O U R
IN FAIRHOPE, IT ’ S ALL ABOUT THE SHOW.
A N N UA L L I G H T I N G CER E MO N Y,” K A N T S AY S . “ ” T H AT ’ S A B I G D E A L”
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S O, WH AT ’ S B E E N H A PPE NIN G? NEW JOB? NEW BABY? MOVED TO A NEW CIT Y? SHARE YOUR L ATEST NEWS WITH YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI IN THE NEX T ISSUE OF THE SE A SON AT:
agriculture.auburn.edu/update IF YOU 'D LIKE TO INCLUDE A PHOTO, EM AIL US AT COAGDE V@AUBURN.EDU
1940 S W YNDOL MURRAH (BS ’47, agricultural science) enrolled at Auburn in 1941, then served in the U.S. Army 1942-45. He received a medical discharge due to frostbite and severe trench foot in Germany in 1944. He married Betty Brown Sept. 30, 1945. They were married 65 years – until her death in 2010. They had a son, who is now deceased, and three daughters. He was inducted into the Alabama Agricultural Hall of Honor in 1999.
1950 S JOHN LEE JR. (BS ’57, agriculture; MS ’58, agricultural business and economics) recently published “Born Rich … in a Time That Is Gone Forever!” The book is Lee’s personal story of growing up in rural Alabama during the Great Depression, World War II and the post-war years of the 1940s. “Born Rich” is available as an iBook or eBook or by contacting Lee at jeljr1706@gmail.com. HOWARD RE YNOLDS (BS ’57, MA ’59, agricultural education) is now retired after a successful career in research and development with Rhone-Poulenc
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Ag Company. “My degrees from Auburn University have served me well throughout my career, and I have been blessed for having had this opportunity.”
serving as an associate pastor and plan on re-retiring at the end of 2015. My husband, Don, and I love being grandparents to our grandson, Ace, who is 8 years old.”
BILL BAUGHM AN (BS ’58, MS ’61, horticulture) celebrated his 50th anniversary with his wife, Connie, in June. He is active in the Kappa Sigma alumni homecoming reunion.
LOUIE MCDONALD JR. (BS ’66, agricultural business and economics) is now retired with his wife, Orpha, and living in his old home place in Eva. “My dad, my son Kevan and I are all Auburn ag majors.”
JIM BANNON (BS ’59, agricultural education; MS ’72, agronomy and soils) is retired as director emeritus for the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. He is enjoying retirement through participation in OLLI, the Auburn Lions Club, teaching Sunday school, chapter advising for the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, gardening and numerous other activities.
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CLIF TON M ANN (BS ’64, animal sciences) currently has three grandchildren attending Auburn University. MARY DELCHAMPS MAGNUSSON (’65, horticulture) became an ordained minister after working in the field of horticulture for many years. She entered ministry in 1981 and retired in 2008. “I am again
BILL BARRICK (BS ’68, botany; MS ’70, horticulture) recently received the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in Horticulture and the 2015 Liberty Hyde Bailey Award from the American Horticultural Society. GERALD COLLE Y (BS ’68, agricultural business and economics) is retired from the U.S. military and civil service and is a hobby sheep farmer. BARRY GILBRE ATH (BS ’69, agricultural business and economics; MS ’73, agricultural economics) retired from USDA’s Risk Management Agency in 2006 and now spends most of his time with his children and grandchildren. He, wife Judy and grandson Garrett Long recently sold their house in
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Raleigh, North Carolina, and moved to their new home near Albertville. “Garrett is a home-schooled student. For many months and much time to come, we have been or are being consumed by house selling, house buying, moving and getting the new place arranged.”
1970 S GEORGE HOPSON (BS ’70, MS ’77, horticulture) is semi-retired after teaching horticulture for 29 years at Trenholm State Technical College in Montgomery. JIM HARRIS (BS ’70, agricultural business and economics) retired in 2007 after a 37-year career with USDA Rural Development in Alabama. He worked with the Alabama Rural Water Association from 2009 to 2011 and also served for more than 24 years in the U.S. Army Reserve. MIKE KILGORE (BS ’70, agricultural business and economics) retired from the Alabama Farmers Federation in 2010. He and his wife, Linda, have since enjoyed spending more time with their family and the Auburn family. They have moved to Lake Martin, where they have built a new home, and they travel to all Auburn games in their motorhome. “Being only 25 minutes from Auburn enables us to stay involved in various activities at Auburn. A priority has been to spend as much time as possible with our four grandsons.” JOHN OWEN (BS ’72, agronomy and soils) retired from Auburn’s Department of Agronomy and Soils in July 2013. He is now in his fifth year of a gardening program for adjudicated adolescent males at the Alabama Department
of Youth Services. The program, administered through Auburn’s Department of Psychology, “is positively changing the lives of most that become a part of the program. Students respond positively to learning and working in the garden.” John and wife Deb are enjoying retired life on Lake Martin. MICHAEL GARRISON (BS ’73, horticulture) is now retired. “My wife and I are rearing our granddaughter, Faith, and she is the light of our life!” RANDELL GOODM AN (MS ’73, fisheries and allied aquacultures) retired as director of Auburn’s E.W. Shell Fisheries Center
in 2011 and bought a second home in Monteagle, Tennessee, “near where we grew up. Spending most of my time teaching Bible and mowing grass! Back and forth between Auburn and Monteagle a lot.” TOM CRAWLE Y (BS ’74, agricultural business and economics) is now retired from agricultural industry consulting management. “My degree in agriculture from Auburn University has been very good to me through the years. I have had a successful career and am now enjoying retirement on my family heritage farm established in 1875 in Goshen. War Eagle!” CONTINUED ON P. 32
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. PRE-VET/PRE-PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRA MS As Auburn University’s leading pre-veterinary program, we offer pre-vet, pre-med and other pre-professional medical options through these three academic departments. ANIM AL SCIENCES P O U LT R Y S C I E N C E F I S H E R I E S , A Q U A C U LT U R E A N D A Q U AT I C S C I E N C E S
For More Information: Student Services College of Agriculture agstusv@auburn.edu | 334-844-4768 AG R I C U LT U R E . AU B U R N . E D U/P R E
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Alumni Spotlight: Mike Darnell Class of ’79 ‘A Hero’s Walk’ A G A L U M C H R O N I C L E S FAT H E R ’ S W W I I J O U R N E Y I N FA S C I N AT I N G N E W B O O K By Jamie Creamer Funny how you can live with someone your whole life and never really know the person. For Auburn College of Agriculture alum Mike Darnell (’79, agricultural business and economics), it was his dad, B.B. Sure, Mike had grown up knowing that his father—a 1942 Auburn agriculture alumnus and a highly respected Lee County farmer and agribusinessman—was a U.S. Army veteran who had served in Italy in World War II. But B.B. never talked about his time in the service, and Mike never asked. It wasn’t until the elder Darnell was in his 80s, frail and suffering from dementia, that the war stories came, bits and pieces of painful memories of bloody battles, brutal attacks and counterattacks, and so much carnage. “There were times when his mind was really clear, and he’d start talking about things that happened during the war,” says Mike, a Glasgow, Kentucky, business owner and the youngest of B.B. and wife Mildred’s four children. “Things would come out about how bad it was, and you could tell it had bothered him all these years.” B.B. passed away in 2011 at the age of 89, but these glimpses into his wartime experiences had so fascinated Mike that
he made it his mission to find out more. In April 2015, after more than three years of research that included poring through military files, immersing himself in WWII history, conducting interviews, accessing actual field operations reports from his father’s unit and traveling to Italy to retrace his father’s route, Mike published “A Hero’s Walk: The World War II Journey of Lt. B.B. Darnell.” It is a 209-page historically based “journal’ that recounts the young soldier’s trek across North Africa and through Italy as a member of the 328th Field Artillery Battalion, 85th Infantry Division. From a Christmas Eve, 1943, departure from U.S. soil to a Nov. 3, 1945, return, journal entries chronicle the hardships and sacrifices that Darnell and the young men fighting alongside him endured in service to their country. “Originally, it was going to be his letters to and from home, but I couldn’t find many,” Mike says. “I decided on a journal approach, constructing it as he would have written it. “After my brother read the book, he said, ‘It sounds just like Daddy.’ That was the biggest compliment I could ever receive.”
B.B. Darnell, who had graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in ’42 with an agriculture degree and a commission as second lieutenant in the Army, had one of the most perilous assignments a soldier could have. As forward observer, he spent days on end on the front lines of battle, serving as the eyes and ears for his battalion and directing artillery fire. The average life expectancy for forward observers in WWII was two weeks. But the lieutenant beat the odds and returned to his home in Notasulga a decorated warrior, having been awarded the Bronze Star for heroism, both a Silver Star and an Oak Leaf Cluster for gallantry in action and a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle. But, in true B.B. Darnell form, he never talked about them. Mike can’t help but wonder how his father would react to the book. “I hope he’d like it,” he says. “But he was a very modest, humble man, so I know he’d mainly be embarrassed.” “A Hero’s Walk” is available on Amazon.com. Portions of the proceeds benef it USA Ca res, a nonprof it organization providing emergency f inancia l assistance to militar y families.
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JACQUE JOHNSTON (BS ’75, horticulture) spent two years in landscape maintenance in Dallas, then went to work leasing one of the properties she landscaped. She has worked in real estate since 1981 and owned her own company since 1986. Her oldest daughter attended Auburn University and graduated in 2009, “so we have made it back to Auburn many times from Texas.” ROGER TURK (BS ’77, horticulture) recently completed 25 years of service as the grounds superintendent at Western Carolina University. BILL WOOD (BS ’77, animal sciences) is owner of Double Oak Veterinary Medical Center in Double Oak, Texas, an exclusive small-animal American Animal Hospital Association practice. He lives in the north part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and enjoys driving to northern New Mexico to relax. “Still a fanatic Auburn fan. It only takes a second to bring unimaginable joy.” J.E. AVRARD (BS ’78, horticulture) recently retired from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama after 33 years. He and his wife, Judy, have moved to Auburn and are “looking forward to living on the Plains once again. Our youngest son, Jared, just graduated with a BS from the College of Agriculture.” LEONARD KUYKENDALL (BS ’78, agronomy and soils) retired from the Alabama Agricultural Extension System in 2010. His daughter Sarah graduated from Auburn University in May with a BS in nutrition. LOUIS L ANDESM AN (MS ’78, fisheries and allied aquacultures) is an aquaculturist at Virginia State University. Follow his blog at www.duckweed49.com.
JOHN BE ASLE Y (BS ’79, agronomy and soils) went on to earn his MS in agronomy from Oklahoma State University in 1981 and his PhD in crop science from Louisiana State University in 1985. He was on the faculty at the University of Georgia as professor and extension peanut agronomist from 1985 until his retirement in 2014. He joined the Auburn University faculty as professor and head of the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in January 2014.
assistant for United Way of AthensLimestone County. “Most recently, I was a store manager for Tractor Supply Co. for five years, following years as a department manager at McDonald Garden Center in Virginia. I made the career change to get out of the retail world.” HAL M ANLY (BS ’79, agricultural business and economics) is a current member of the Foundation Board of Directors for 4-H Clubs of Alabama.
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DIANNE CRAIG (BS ’79, horticulture) recently began her current job as an administrative
TOM BELL (MS ’80, fisheries and allied aquacultures) worked 12 years CONTINUED ON P. 33
AGRICULTURE
Your tailgate spot is waiting. SUPERB SITE. EXCEPTIONAL EXTR AS. UNBEATABLE GAME-DAY FUN.
Reserve your TAILGATE SPOT at ag.auburn.edu/tailgate or call 334-740-2766. • Visit us on Facebook •
CL A SS NOTES | 32
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for the University of Arizona’s Department of Veterinary Sciences and seven years for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. He retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Programs after 14 years. LYNN HAGOOD (BS ’81, animal sciences) is a veterinarian for North Florida Animal Hospital. Her daughter, Hannah, married Justin Miller. Her son L.T. will soon graduate from the College of Agriculture, and son Hank will soon graduate from high school and has plans to attend Auburn.. BOBBY SMITH (BS ’82, MAg ’95, animal sciences) was promoted to senior public service professional at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in 2014. He lives in Madison, Georgia., with his wife, Laura, but still makes regular visits to the Plains to see his two grandsons and soon-to-be granddaughter. BILL CHRISTENBERRY (BS ’83, animal sciences) is celebrating 25 years as partner at Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic. M ALCOMB PEGUES (BS ’83, MS ’85, agronomy and soils) has a daughter, Kristen, who graduated magna cum laude from Auburn in May with a degree in agronomy and soils. She was also the College of Agriculture’s Claude Hardee Award winner. ART GL ASGOW (BS ’84, agricultural business and economics; MS ’85, agricultural economics) has two daughters currently attending Auburn University.
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DAN STORY (BS ’84, horticulture) has been grounds superintendent for Darton College in Albany, Georgia, for 25 years. He is also a minister, serving as pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Sylvester, Georgia. Dan is active in shooting. His team won first place in the Ruth’s Cottage Annual Sporting Clays Tournament this spring. He is still active in weight lifting, winning several bench-press competitions at Darton College in the last few years. He is “usually competing against much young men, as these competitions are open to all faculty, staff and students.” LEE RIVENBARK JR. (BS ’85, agricultural business and economics) was promoted to vice president of Seeds North America for Bayer CropScience in December 2014. He had previously led the company’s global cotton business. ED SNODDY (BS ’87, MS ’07, PhD ’12, entomology) continues to publish peer-reviewed articles with his major professor. He also continues to assist with graduate-level field trips. RAY ROOD (BS ’89, animal sciences) has been an associate veterinarian in Ocala, Florida, the past 20 years. TONY TRAYLOR (BS ’89, horticulture) started a new job in May as territory manager for Bigham Ag, which manufactures and markets a wide range of agricultural tillage, cultivating and harvest equipment. As territory manager, he travels Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
1990 S PHIL HUGHES (BS ’90, fisheries and allied aquacultures) owns P.R. Hughes LLC and also holds a degree in building science.
JAYNE L ACOGNATA (MS ’94, poultry science) is a clinical dietician for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Great to see updates with the poultry science department! My master’s degree is of great value to me. Even in working as a clinical dietician, the knowledge and experience I received gives me an advantage in understanding the food industry and how it relates to nutrition. Thank you, Auburn poultry science and College of Agriculture! May you continue to develop those who go and change the world.” LISA BLOTSK Y (BS ’99, animal sciences) and her husband, Ben, welcomed a baby boy, Carter Felix, in July 2014. She is currently the environmental, health and safety manager for Tyson in Cumming, Georgia., and celebrated her 16th anniversary with the company in early August.
2000 S JENNIFER M ATHERLY (BS ’03, animal sciences) and her husband, Jason, welcomed a daughter, Massey Caroline Matherly, April 9. A M ANDA WAT TS (’03, animal sciences) completed a master’s degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham following her graduation from Auburn. She worked for several years in a research lab studying noninvasive imaging techniques and was then recruited to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, where she currently serves as associate director. “I am so happy to be using the amazing knowledge and experience I gained in the AU animal sciences program to help further medical and veterinary CONTINUED ON P. 35
In the College of Agriculture
YOUR GIFT HAS REAL IMPACT To propel our university forward through a renewed commitment to our students, a continued promise to our state, and a shared responsibility to the world. As a part of the overall campaign, the College of Agriculture is committed to raising $51.4 million. With your support, this will increase scholarship assistance for students while building new academic facilities and investing in academic and research excellence.
TOTAL GOAL FOR THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE:
$51.4 million WE WILL CREATE:
50 3 13 %
INCREASE IN THE NUMBER
NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS TO
OF STUDENTS RECEIVING
ACADEMIC FACILITIES
ATTRACT THE BEST FACULTY IN THEIR
SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE
RESPECTIVE FIELDS OF STUDY
There is tremendous power in every gift. GIVE TO THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AT agriculture.auburn.edu/because
SUCCESSFUL WOMEN IN AGR ICULTUR E Guiding, mentoring and providing financial support to young ladies as they prepare to work in a traditionally male-dominated field is the mission of Successful Women in Agriculture, a donor society composed of women who are thriving professionally in agriculture, agribusiness and related industries. The society’s chief purpose is to create scholarships for deserving women majoring in agriculture-related fields at Auburn. J O I N T O DAY AT A G R I C U LT U R E . A U B U R N . E D U/ S WA
F O R MO R E I N F O R M AT IO N : Amanda L. Martin Student Recruitment & Alumni Relations Coordinator Auburn University College of Agriculture amanda.martin@auburn.edu
CONTINUED FROM P. 33
research. Outside of work, you can usually find me experimenting in the kitchen or on the local trail or footpath as I train for my first marathon.” SCOT T PIT TS (BS ’04, agricultural business and economics) was promoted in February to regional account manager with Monsanto for the Southeast region. He and his wife, Stacy, had a baby, Sloane Elizabeth, in September 2014. DESIRE A STEWART (BS ’04, agricultural business and economics) and her husband, Brad, welcomed Jackson Glen into their family in February 2014. “He has truly been the best thing that has happened to Brad and me!”
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Amanda Nims Development Coordinator Auburn University College of Agriculture freinal@auburn.edu
CA MERON DAVIS (BS ’05, agronomy and soils) relocated to Indianapolis for a new job in September 2014. He and his wife, Natalie, had a baby in November 2014. “It’s been a crazy year.” TRACY COOK (BS ’06, horticulture) is starting her MS in plant and soil science at Alabama A&M University this fall. WHITLE Y MILLER (BS ’09, horticulture) started her own business in backyard farming, utilizing planters and available space. “Today the business has exceeded my expectation. Presently I am starting to cultivate 2.76 acres to expand the production. I grow sprouts, microgreens, leafy greens and a variety of seasonal tropical fruits.”
2010 S L AUREN CLINE (BS ’10, agricultural business and economics) and her husband, Chad, were married in March 2014 after meeting in graduate school at Texas A&M University. They returned to Auburn in November 2014 with Lauren’s new role as academic advisor in the College of Agriculture. “We are expecting our first child in December 2015, and I’m secretly hoping its first words will be War Eagle.” EMILY SOTO (BS ’11, animal sciences) graduated from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2015. She and her husband, Javier, have
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moved to St. Augustine, Florida, where she has accepted a job as a mixed-animal veterinarian. CURTIS FRY (BS ’12, agricultural business and economics) is a commercial account executive for Brown & Brown Insurance, specializing in the agribusiness sector. ANDREW THOMPSON (BS ’13, poultry science) and his wife, Maggie, recently celebrated their first anniversary. “Maggie is part of the 2018 Veterinary Medicine Class at Auburn. She will begin her second year in August.” JUSTIN BOX (BS ’14, animal science) and his wife, Hannah, were married in May 2014, the same month he graduated. “Let’s just say, it was a busy month. Currently, we reside in Auburn, but have plans to pursue Christian Camp Ministry opportunities once Hannah graduates. Auburn has always been home to us, but we feel called to move on to something new.”
E I G HT V E TE R A N FACU LT Y R E TIR E WALT PRE VAT T, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology professor, retired April 2 from 24 years on the faculty. YOL ANDA BRADY in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, retired May 15 after 30 years.
SA M FOWLER retired May 31 from 33 years of service to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology and the Auburn University Water Resources Institute. June 30 brought the retirements of professors SACIT “SARGE” BILGILI, Department of Poultry Science, 30 years; ROBERT NELSON, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, 26 years; and FRANK OWSLEY, Department of Animal Sciences, 24 years. Retiring Aug. 31 from the agricultural economics and rural sociology department will be rural sociology professor CONNER BAILE Y, 30 years, and agricultural economics professor and Alfa Eminent Scholar C. ROBERT TAYLOR, 27 years.
IN ME MO R I A M ROBERT N. “BOB” BREWER, a College of Agriculture alumnus and poultry science professor and department head emeritus, died May 10. The Auburn resident was 81. He served as a professor and researcher in the Department of Poultry Science from 1969 to 2000, the last 15 years as department head. In that role, he was a key player in making the Poultry Science Building a reality.
Longtime Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station communicator ROY EUGENE “GENE” STEVENSON, 86, of Auburn, died April 30. The Auburn agriculture alum joined the AAES’s Department of Research Information, now the Office of Agricultural Communications and Marketing, in 1955 as assistant editor and in 1981 was named editor and department head. Following his 1991 retirement, he co-wrote the book “Inside Ag Hill: The People and Events That Shaped Auburn’s Agricultural History from 1872 to 1999.” RALPH ROGERS HARRIS, 86, of Auburn, passed away April 16. An alumnus of Alabama Polytechnic Institute, he joined the faculty in what is now the Department of Animal Sciences in 1958 and was especially supportive of students and student organizations through the years, serving stints as faculty adviser to the Block and Bridle Club and the Ag Ambassadors. He retired in 1994.
R E A D TH E O F F I C I A L A LUM N I E- N E W S LE T TE R O F TH E CO LLE G E O F AG R I CU LT U R E TO H E LP YO U S TAY CO N N E C TE D WITH YO U R CO LLE G E FA M I LY:
agriculture.auburn.edu/connections
CL A SS NOTES | 36
UP COMING E V ENT S
SEPTEMBER
09/03 A LU M N I B OA R D M EE T I N G
09/08 E AT S T: H U N T S V I L L E
09/15 E AT S T: B I R M I N G H A M
The Agricultural Alumni Association’s fall board meeting will be held at the CASIC building.
Join us at the Huntsville Botanical Garden for EAT ST, Exploring Agriculture Through Science and Technology.
Join us at the Birmingham Botanical Garden for EAT ST, Exploring Agriculture Through Science and Technology.
OCTOBER 10/09 T R A N S F ER S T U D EN T DAY
10/10 AG DISCOVERY DAY
Spend a day meeting our students and faculty, touring our facilities and learning more about scholarship opportunities and the transfer process.
Bring the whole family for a day of entertaining hands-on learning about technology, science and how agriculture impacts every aspect of our lives.
10/13 D. I .G . L E A D ER S H I P CO N F ER EN C E High school students, develop your leadership and professional skills through training with professors, alumni, industry professionals and students.
10/23 P O R K & CO R K
Tickets to this alumni social are $50 to benefit scholarships for students in the Department of Animal Sciences.
AG ROUNDUP
HOMECOMING WEEKEND | OC T. 3, 2015 | AUBURN TIGERS VS. SAN JOSE STATE Admission to Ag Roundup is $5 per person. Football tickets plus admission to Ag Roundup are $40 per person. Visit agriculture.auburn.edu/agroundup for more information.
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
11/06 SUCCESSFUL WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE
Join this women’s professional society for its Fall 2015 Professional Development Conference.
12/02 AG EL I T E
This campus luncheon celebrates the achievements of minorities in food, agricultural and natural resource fields and awards a scholarship to one student.
A N D YO U D O N ’ T WA N T TO M I S S TIGER FRIDAYS
Each Friday before a home football game, we welcome prospective students to visit us on Ag Hill, tour our academic and research facilities, meet our college family and experience firsthand how easy it is to call this place home. For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit us at AG R I C U LT U R E . AU B U R N . ED U/E V EN T S .
37 | E VENTS
AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY WE STAND TOGETHER
CONSIDER INVESTING IN A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
of the college of agriculture
Have you ever wondered if a charitable gift annuity was right or you? Not only does it provide income for your life, a portion of which is tax free, but it will also fund future scholarships. We encourage you to learn more about this option and consider if it is right for you. Just one example to consider – a donor sets up a $25,000 charitable gift annuity funded with cash – benefits listed below:
A N N UA L PAYOU T
CH A R I TA BL E DE DUCT ION
TA X-F R E E PORT ION
OR DI N A RY I NCOM E
$1,600
$11,713
$1,265.60
$334
(F I X E D)
for 10 . 5* ye a r s
*After 10.5 year the entire annuity payment will become taxed at ordinary income rates Payment schedule is annual, annuity rate is from ACGA 2012 table
TO L E A R N MOR E: AUBURN UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF GIFT PLANNING
334-844-7375 | plannedgiving@auburn.edu www.auburn.edu/plannedgiving
AGRICULTURAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION agriculture.auburn.edu/alumni FIND US ON FACEBOOK: AUBURN AGRICULTURE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
The Auburn University Agricultural Alumni Association was founded in 1981 by alumni and friends of the College of Agriculture, Auburn Agriscience Education, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. We’re here to PROMOTE unity for support of Auburn University, its agricultural programs and the agricultural industry; PROVIDE an organization through which alumni and friends can participate in Auburn’s agricultural programs; FOSTER communications and associations among alumni, faculty and students; and ENCOURAGE younger generations to pursue careers in agriculture.
MEMBERSHIP TYPES LIFE MEMBERSHIP Life membership dues are a one-time payment or $150 or three installments of $60 each. Spouse life memberships are an additional $25.
AGRICULTURE
NEW-GRADUATE LIFE MEMBERSHIP Graduating seniors can take advantage of a special reduced rate of $120 as a one-time payment or in three installments of $40 each.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Annual membership dues are $15 and are payable each January for the calendar year.
DONOR MEMBERSHIP Donors to the association are classified as contributing, supporting, sponsoring or benefactor members, based on their levels of support.
WANT TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR AUBURN AG FAMILY AND SUPPORT YOUR COLLEGE HOME? MEMBERSHIP IS JUST A CLICK AWAY: AGRICULTURE.AUBURN.EDU/WELCOMEHOME.
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS
OCT. 23, 2015 6:30 PM | AL ABA M A FARMERS PAVILION AGRICULTURE HERITAGE PARK 601 S DONAHUE DRIVE AUBURN, AL
Hosted by Auburn University Agricultural Alumni Association, this social scholarship fundraiser supports the Department of Animal Sciences.
SUPPORT SCHOL A RSHIPS
TICKETS: $50 EACH Enjoy delicious pork-based small plates prepared by top local chefs, outstanding beverages from local wineries, breweries and distilleries, and music by Auburn native Ben Sutton. F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T P O R K A N D C O R K S O C I A L .W E E B LY.C O M .