December 2021 Chancellor's Report

DECEMBER 2021

ORLANDO F. MCMEANS | RENITA MARSHALL | DE’SHOIN YORK | JOSE TOLEDO Chancellor-Dean

Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Services /Associate Dean

Vice Chancellor for Extension & Outreach

Vice-Chancellor for Research and Technology Development

The SU Ag Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences enter a partnership with the McBride Sisters Collection.

The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences were afforded the opportunity to be a recipient of the YES SHE CAN fund in the amount of $50,000.

The McBride Sisters Collection SHE CAN Fund invests in the professional advancement and career growth of high-potential, professional women, with a particular focus on women of color. The mission is to close the gender and race gap in leadership positions in wine & spirits, hospitality, and finance industries by providing professional development scholarships to emerging women leaders.

The funds provided by SHE CAN will be utilized for students and faculty within the Ag Center and College to gain invaluable experiential learning experiences and professional development in the fields of viticulture, (which is the cultivation of grapevines grown for producing wine) and enology (which is the study of wine and wine-making). All of this is in support of increasing the workforce pipeline of minority professionals entering the wine-producing industry.

The Plant and Soil Sciences team inclusive of Drs. LaShunda Hodges, Jacqueline McComb, Crystal Vance, and Devaiah Kambiranda along with some of our student research assistants came together and made this possible.

The fun, fab and eco-friendly SHE CAN collection and its related SHE CAN Professional Development Fund, are inspired by the endless pursuit of all women who are making their dreams a reality and breaking barriers daily. And the Black Girl Magic collection, Robin and Andrea’s personal ode to their culture and story, is inspired by the magic and resilience of Black women, to be enjoyed by all.

This is the first partnership between the McBride Sisters Collection Wines and an HBCU.

said Agnes Uboma, Chief Impact Officer for the McBride Sisters Collection Wines.

Dr. Yadong Qi Receives “President’s Award of Appreciation” from the Society of Municipal Arborists Dr. Yadong Qi, Professor and Master’s Program Leader in the Department of Urban Forestry, Environment, and Natural Resources, received the prestigious “President’s Award of Appreciation” from the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) at the 57th Annual International Urban Forestry Conference and Trade Show in Louisville, KY on Nov. 16, 2021.

“This award is presented to Dr. Yadong Qi in gratitude for her invaluable support of the goals and programs of the Society, her support of the Municipal Forestry Institute, and her career-long dedication to growing leaders while promoting professionalism and diversity throughout our profession,” said Scott Altenhoff, President of SMA. “Congratulations, Dr. Qi! Well-deserved, you have been a

tremendous partner and counsel to SMA as they continue their journey to build a more inclusive leadership program. The Diversity Municipal Forester Initiative Scholarship has been a game-changer,” commended Beattra Wilson, MPA, Assistant Director for Urban & Community Forestry at the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this prestigious professional recognition from SMA,” expressed Dr. Qi. “I would like to dedicate this award to the successful partnerships and teamwork among Southern University, the Society of Municipal Arborists, and the USDA Forest Service in carrying out the Diversity in Municipal Forestry Institute (Diversity-in-MFI) for the past three years, which has made significant contributions to enhancing the national minority leadership training in urban and community forestry,” she added.

State and National Recognition of Urban Forestry Students: Keep Reaching High

State and National Recognition of Urban Forestry Students: Keep Reaching High As we come to the end of another academic year, we would like to highlight the many achievements of our students at the Department of Urban Forestry, Environment, and Natural Resources. We strive to reach high through hard work and dedication so students can attain their full potential and become outstanding professionals. We are honored to announce the latest awards and recognitions received by undergraduate and graduate students during the past semester. Congratulations to all awards recipients, you make us proud!

The Louisiana Forestry Foundation (LFF) has awarded scholarships to 10 Southern University students majoring in Urban Forestry for the 2021-2022 academic year.

“I want to congratulate all the LFF scholarship recipients because this is not only a great academic honor, but also a professional recognition by the forestry community and professional organizations in Louisiana,” said Dr. Yadong Qi, Professor of Urban Forestry and LFF Scholarship Coordinator.

The students are: Calvonta Ard (Lyndon Erroll Dawson Jr. Scholarship), Tess Brown (Lyndon Erroll Dawson Jr. Scholarship), Kyla Bryant (George M. Houston Scholarship), Ricker Carter (Henry Hardtner Scholarship), Omari Phillips (George M. Houston Scholarship), Nicholaus Pryor (Commander Bertrand Dean Scholarship), Rodney Purdy Jr. (Rudolph E Krause Scholarship), Aaliyah Royston (Lyndon Erroll Dawson, Jr. Scholarship), Valeria Smart (Lyndon Erroll Dawson Scholarship), and Jada Walden (Commander Bertrand Dean Scholarship) (Fig. 1).

A special mention to undergraduate student, Aaliyah Royston, who was awarded the “Outstanding Student Award” by the Louisiana Society of American Foresters in October 2021 (Fig. 2). Aaliyah, who is from Opelousas, LA, is currently a graduating senior majoring in Urban Forestry. She is a well-rounded student leader, having served as the SAF-SU Chapter President (2020-2021), Vice President (2019-2020), Secretary (2018-2029), and the MANRRS-SU Chapter Parliamentarian (2019 – 2020).

In addition, graduate students in Urban Forestry are making a difference through their top-of-the-line research in several areas including entomology and pest management, tree canopy as it relates to UV light reduction and photosynthesis, urban forest planning and management, GIS, and climate change among others. More recently, two students received awards for their poster presentations at the Louisiana Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting in Alexandria, LA on Oct. 27th, 2021 (Fig. 3). Master student, Abigail Yeboah, won 1st place at the graduate student competition. Her poster was entitled “Comparing thermal limits of Lilioceris cheni biotypes: Implications for biological control of air potato in Louisiana” under the advisement of Dr. Veronica Manrique. Ph.D. student, Obiageli Okwusi, also won 3rd place at the in the competition. Her poster was entitled “Quantifying the effects of Live oak tree canopy on photosynthetic active radiation distribution during clear-sky days and cloudy days,” under the advisement of Dr. Yadong Qi.

Lidya Chala, a Ph.D. student, under the advisement of Dr. Veronica Manrique, was selected as one of three recipients of the ‘Alate Award’ by the Entomological Society of America (ESA). This is a new award that honors students conducting research in entomology at minority serving institutions and covers all travel expenses to the ESA National Annual Conference which was held in Denver, Colorado from Oct. 31st to Nov. 3rd, 2021. She presented an oral presentation during the student competition entitled, ‘Establishment and dispersal of two biocontrol agents in Ethiopia: Management of Parthenium hysterophorus.’ Lidya was recognized at the Student Awards Ceremony with more than 1,000 attendees and received a Plaque for the Alate Award (Fig. 4).

“It was a great experience to attend the ESA National Meeting,” said Lidya. “Presenting in front of my peers gave me a lot of exposure and confidence. Also, I learned a lot from attending several talks on diverse topics that helped in my career development and growth. I am grateful for this experience; it restored power and provided me with hope for the future” she added.

This article was provided by Drs. Veronica Manrique, Yadong Qi and Zhu Ning

Figure 1: Urban Forestry undergraduate students recipients of LFF awards

Figure 2: Undergraduate student, Aaliyah Royston, receiving Outstanding Student Award by LA SAF in October 2021

Figure 3: Graduate students receiving awards from LA SAF in Oct 2021, Alexandria, Louisiana: First place for Abigail Yeboah (left), Award Chair Buddy Van Hoof (middle), and third place for Obiageli Okwusi (right)

Figure 4: Graduate student receiving Alate Award at ESA National Conference in Nov 2021, Denver, Colorado: Student Lidya Chala (left) and advisor Dr. Veronica Manrique (right)

Fast Track: Connecting Youth to Agricultural Opportunities Staff members from the SU Ag Center presented the students at AMI Kids with certificates of completion in the Fast Track Horticulture Program during the facility’s second graduation ceremony held on October 29, 2021.

AMI Kids is located at 5555 Beechwood St. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The facility is for non-traditional students ages 17-23 who are seeking a GED or vocational training. The SU Ag Center has teamed up with AMI Kids through our Using Agriculture as a Fast Track Vehicle for Change through Experiential Learning NIFA/ USDA Grant.

This horticultural initiative is led by grant PI, and garden instructor, Stephanie M. Elwood. Every Friday from 9 a.m. - noon horticultural, cooking, and life skills classes are taught, both in the classroom and in the garden by Elwood and Kiyana Kelly, SU Ag Center Associate Agent for Family and Consumer Science (FCS) and Youth Development.

The students have transformed a 2,500 square foot area outside of the building from grass into a functioning campus garden. The students plant, maintain and harvest from the garden with excitement every Friday. Thus far, 21 students have completed the 10–week Horticulture program that covers, seasonal planting, soil testing, raised bed implementation, proper planting techniques, plant propagation and fertilization, and reproduction methods.

Through this most recent round of graduates, 30% of the students were successful in utilizing their SU Ag Center Fast Track Horticulture Program certificate of completion to gain employment at local plant nurseries. The students that participate in this program are exceptional, and because of their life experiences and their motivated drive outside of the traditional high school environment, they will go far in life and the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center is here to assist.

For

questions

about the SU Ag Center’s Fast Track Horticulture Program contact Stephanie Stephanie_elwood@suagcenter.com or Kiyana Kelly Kiyana_Kelly@suagcenter.com.

Elwood

SU Ag Center held a virtual discussion on Diabetes during its November Ask the Expert Session The Southern University Ag Center held a virtual discussion on diabetes during its Ask the Expert Session on Nov. 16, 2021.

Dr. Chandler D. Schexnayder, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator and Home-Based Primary Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was the featured panelist for the virtual event.

Schexnayder is a residency-trained specialist who is board-certified in pharmacotherapy, ambulatory care, and diabetes care and education. He also serves as the Director of the Ambassador Community for Pharmacy Initiative Leaders, Inc. (PILs), which is a non-profit organization with a vision to exponentially increase the diversity, inclusion, and equity of healthcare and elevate minoritized communities. In this role, Chandler leads over 80 Ambassadors to guide professional students, curate educational content for the masses, and impact one another.

November was national diabetes month. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 34 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States. In 2017, the national cost of diabetes in the U.S. was more than $327 billion.

For additional information about this Ask the Expert session, contact Jasmin Plowe at jasmine_plowe@suagcenter.com

GARDEN WORKSHOP SARDI holds its 2021 Fall Garden Workshop The Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development Institute (SARDI) held a fall gardening workshop for a small group of seniors from the St. Landry Parish community on November 12, 2021.

The workshop included a presentation on raised box gardening as well as growing under hoop/high tunnel greenhouses.

At the end of the presentation, participants joined the SARDI staff for a small harvest of collard greens, herbs, hibiscus, mustard greens, kale, lettuce, and spinach. All of the vegetables that were harvested were sent home with the participants along with plants for their home gardens.

The staff looks forward to hosting another workshop in the spring of 2022. The Sustainable Agricultural & Rural Development Institute is a satellite campus of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center located in Opelousas, LA. Staff members pictured are Antonio Harris, Director of SARDI; Chasity Johnson, Outreach Program Assistant; Kayla Fontenot, Assistant Area Agent Youth-Development; Landon Auzenne, Assistant Area Agent-Agriculture, and Teresa Burns, Regional Public Health Coordinator.

SU Ag Center holds a successful Fall Garden Workshop Nearly 90 participants attended the Southern University Ag Center’s Annual Fall Garden Workshop on Tuesday, November 23, 2021. The event themed, “Fall Back into the Joy of Gardening with Native Plants,” was held at the Southern University Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena, Multipurpose Building.

Topics covered during the workshop included: · Growing and Picking Muscadines · PECAN a Hidden Treasure: The Legacy Tree · Seed Saving: We All Can Do It! · USDA Programs: Pollinators and Specialty Crops For ten years, the SU Ag Center has held a Fall Garden Workshop to provide teachers, community garden coordinators, backyard gardens, and individuals interested in gardening with information on how to prepare their gardens for the Fall season.

For additional information about the Southern University Ag Center's Fall Garden Workshop, email Mila Berhane at milagro_berhane@suagcenter.com, Stephanie Elwood at stephanie_elwood@suagcenter.com, or Zanetta Augustine at zanetta_augustine@suagcenter.com.

Coming Together for Racial Understanding receives national award Coming Together for Racial Understanding received the 2021 National Diversity in Extension Award at the annual Food and Agriculture Excellence Awards, hosted by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities on November 9, 2021. The award, sponsored by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Cooperative Extension, recognizes significant contributions and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism.

The Coming Together for Racial Understanding Team, coordinated by the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) at Mississippi State University, is comprised of Extension specialists and administrators from 22 Land-Grant Universities from 17 states, and other national representatives. The team developed a process to train Extension professionals to help facilitate community dialogues across the country around issues of race and discrimination. To date, 29 states have sent teams to a national train-the-trainer workshop to help launch efforts within their own states.

SU Ag Center staff members Dr. Tiffany Franklin, Associate Youth Specialist and Program Leader for 4-H and Youth Development and Kayla Fontenot, Assistant Area Agent for Youth Development are the trained facilitators for the Southern University Ag Center. The two completed the 2019 CTRU Cohort 2 in Minneapolis, MN. Franklin and Fontenot believe, “In this valuable work lies an opportunity to both learn from and educate others through civilized dialogue. These conversations will break down barriers and construct positive change in

Rachel Welborn, Associate Director of the SRDC, who has coordinated the effort, recognized the value of bringing people together across the lines that often divide us, stating, “Investing ourselves in the important task of trust-building through dialogues is essential for meaningful change.”

“Each year, these awards showcase the fundamental, transformative difference Cooperative Extension continues to make in our society,” said NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille.

“This important partnership and excellent programs like these are a testament to the true value of Cooperative Extension capacity funds more than a century after the Smith-Lever Act created this unparalleled system of outreach and education that enriches every community across the nation.”

Reference links: Coming Together for Racial U n d e r s t a n d i n g : http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogu e/index.html Presentation video: http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogu e/Coming-Together-for-Racial-Und erstanding-2021-Review-Video.mp4 Awards Program: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ie7xujc v1zz08uw/APLU%20Awards%2020 21%20Fnl.pdf?dl=0 Team Members: https://www.aplu.org/members/co mmissions/food-environment-and-r enewable-resources/board-on-agric ulture-assembly/cooperative-extensi on-section/ecop-members/ecop-doc uments/2021_diversity_award.pdf

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Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences is an entity of Southern University System, Orlando F. McMeans, Chancellor-Dean, Ray L. Belton, System President, Domoine D. Rutledge, Esq., Chairman, Board of Supervisors. It is issued in furtherance of the Cooperative Extension Work Act of December 1971, in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Agriculture. All educational programs conducted by the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences are provided to people of all ages regardless of race, national origin, or disability. © 2021 Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension and the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences.

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