Linking the College to its Alumni and Friends Tennessee State University College of Agriculture Magazine • www.tnstate.edu/agriculture • Spring 2022
Exclusive to TSU! New technology could clean up toxic algae ALSO IN THIS ISSUE • Meet our USDA Scholars • The Peach Truck Pros • AFA’s 1st TSU Student Board Member
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Message from the Dean Dear Alumni and Friends,
This has been a momentous week and month with a lot of great things happening all at once. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission approved the Ph.D. degree proposal in Agricultural Sciences. We will begin offering this unique and multi-disciplinary research-based doctoral program in Agricultural Sciences in the Fall of 2022. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has re-accredited Tennessee State University for the next 10 years. Gov. Bill Lee proposed in his new budget a $318 million investment in TSU, a historic commitment by the state. It’s thrilling to hear this announcement and imagine the possibilities of what our students might experience in just a few short years as these dollars transform the campus landscape!
Dr. Chandra Reddy, Dean College of Agriculture
TSU sophomore and agricultural business major Shaun Wimberly and TSU President Glenda Glover joined Fed EX Corporation and rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 1 starting Black History Month with a historic clang. Dr. De’Etra Young, the associate dean for Academics and Land-Grant Programs, was recognized by the publication, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, as an Emerging Scholar for 2022. We congratulate our undergraduate and graduate students who successfully completed their academic requirements and graduated in Fall of 2021! We were able to send 12 students to the Agriculture Future of America, a prestigious leadership program for college students majoring in agricultural fields. These students were selected on a competitive basis and one of them now serves on the Student Advisory Board, the highest position a student can earn. As detailed in this issue, several other students won awards at different professional and leadership development organizations across the country. Our graduates are making a difference in this world; read the story about Mr. Hubert Hamer, a 1980 graduate. We are proud of them all! We began the process to expand our Extension County operations to 10 more counties, which will bring our total to 60 counties. This expansion is made possible by the additional support we are receiving from the state, and we are extremely thankful to Gov. Lee and the legislators. The rebuilding effort of the Agricultural Research and Education Center research facilities destroyed by the 2020 tornado is in full swing. This is a great collaborative effort among several internal and external partners including the Tennessee Board of Regents, several state agencies, and the insurance company. Continuing the saga of COVID, Omicron, the new variant of COVID 19, is still a major problem in the country and the world. We are continuing our hybrid format of teaching and program execution. Faculty began to travel on a limited basis to attend professional conferences. On a positive note, recent trend data indicates COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are starting to decline across the United States. According to one report shared by the CDC, compared to vaccinated adults, unvaccinated adults had five times the risk of infection and more than 50 times the risk of COVID-19-associated death. Please encourage everyone to get vaccinated. Thanks for your continued support of Tennessee State University and its land-grant programs!
Chandra Reddy Dean and Director of Research Administrator of Extension
Contents 1 Message from the Dean 2 Contents 3 From the Editor 4 Meet our MANRRS winning team: TSU’s largest group of students gather awards 8 Tuition paid, Summer Internship, USDA Career on the Horizon
18 Hubert Hamer: Big Man on Campus... Still 22 Student applies for AFA and soars! 24 Soil Your Undies: Students meet good bacteria by burying Fruit of the Looms
26 Toxic Blooms Begone! 10 A Professor’s Props: We peek into Professor Jason de Koff’s New tech exclusive to TSU office to spot his drones, awards, and children’s art to treat harmful algal 15 The Peach Truck Professionals: Two TSU students transformed by interning with the company
30 Collecting data on toxic algal blooms still novel enterprise 33 TSU students amass awards at Tennessee Academy of Science 35 Food security project seeks to develop Extension educators 40 Bloom Where You Are Planted
Testing waters Graduate students Faith Perry (left) and Champagne Cunningham collect water samples in the wetland at the Agricultural Research and Education Center. Perry is working on a thesis regarding a new technology that employs bacteria to curtail harmful algae blooms in the wetland. Her advisor, TSU Professor Tom Byl, a research biologist with the United States Geological Survey, has written this month’s cover story to explain how that technology works. See story on p. 26. Photo by Joan Kite
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Editor’s Correction: In the Summer/ Fall 2021 issue of AgLINK, we mistakenly reported that Dr. Ramasamy Ravi helped Essence Williams ensure the safety of a sports drink she is creating. He helped optimize the flavor of the drink. Contributors include: Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel, Dr. Tom Byl, Dalen Cozart, Bhawana Ghimire, Skye Green, Hubert Hamer, Jr. , Phoebe Jones, Emery Minor, Jessica Rose of The Peach Truck, Anita Scales, Aisha Williams, Anarra Williams, Dr. De’Etra Young.
From the Editor
W
elcome to 2022!
Considering the past two years with the pall of the pandemic and Nashville’s 2020 tornado, which completely destroyed our Agricultural Research and Education Center, 2022 seems like a brighter new year already. This issue clearly reflects that. Great news weaves throughout it.
Joan Kite Editor
Our newly hired grant writer Phoebe Jones helped proofread this issue (thank you, Phoebe) and one of the things she commented upon was how wonderfully our students excelled in their scholarship and their extracurricular activities. Especially with the pandemic driving people into isolation, we rarely get to gather in groups to celebrate their accomplishments. Let this issue of AgLINK be a testament to their dedication. You can read about the largest group of students to collect honors at TSU in this year’s MANRRS regional competition with the mentoring of Dr. De’Etra Young, the associate dean of Academics and Land-grant Programs for the College of Agriculture and the MANRRS advisor, as well as their professors who served as their mentors on their various research projects. See page 4. The College of Agriculture also formed a partnership with the local business The Peach Truck, who hired two ag students for summer internships, which allowed them to travel through four states for two months learning the business and transforming their lives. This opportunity will be offered again this upcoming summer. To find out more, turn to page 15. Meet our USDA/1890 National Scholars for 2021 on page 8. Scholars receive full tuition, employee benefits, fees, books, room and board, each year for up to four years. This year, the application deadline is Feb. 15, 2022. The deadline is typically the end of January. Visit http://www.usda.gov/partnerships/1890NationalScholars for details. This issue features — for the first time — a cover story written by a professor. Our story’s author, Dr Tom Byl, encountered some truly innovative and exciting research. As an assistant professor in civil and architectural engineering and a research biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, Dr. Byl has teamed up with Canadian-based company EnBiorganic Technologies to employ a sustainable method to control and destroy toxic algal blooms harmful to plants and animals. He is conducting this research in the TSU wetland and is serving as an advisor for graduate student Faith Perry, who is dedicating her thesis to this project. Learn more on page 26. Our alumni graduates enter the world and do tremendous things. This issue features many of them. Some have been in the “real world.” Some are freshly graduated. Mr. Hubert Hamer, who graduated in 1980, has visited these pages before. Always a joy to speak with, this time he returns to our pages as a USDA veteran who has reached the highest position he can on his career path. His new title is ExOfficio Acting Chief Scientist and Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Research, Education, and Economics for the USDA. He talks about the hows and whys he got there but, perhaps, more importantly, what he wants to do next. One of those things on his “To Do” list is to come talk to College of Ag students here. Read more about this man and his journey to success on page 18. You can learn more about recent graduates and the advanced degrees they are earning and the jobs and the promotions they are getting in our regular section, “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” on page 46. We look forward to a wonderful Spring Semester and a fantastic 2022 and wish you the same. Happy New Year!
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TSU College of AG’s winning By JOAN KITE Tennessee State University boasted the largest number of winners for Region III in the 2021 MANRRS Regional Cluster Contests sending one doctoral candidate and two graduate candidates to compete in the Three Minute Thesis Contest for their divisions respectively at nationals in April of 2022. Bhawana Ghimire, 29, won first place in the doctoral division for the Three Minute
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“It is the largest number of winners we have had.” Dr. De’Etra Young Associate Dean of Academics and Land-grant Programs
Thesis Contest by simplifying her thesis titled, “Real time and visual detection of Phytopythium vexans using loop-mediated isothermal amplification,” so the laymen could understand it. “The competition involved taking the technical and distilling it into the layman’s terms,” Ghimire said, a task she admitted was more complicated than she initially expected it to be. Graduate candidates Kabirat Nasiru, 27 27,,
From left to right are MANRRS winners Kabirat Nasiru, Krishna Neupane, Anita Scales, Bhawana Ghimire, and Ryanna Copeland. Photo by Joan Kite. In the lower right corner is MANRRS winner Emery Minor. Photo courtesy of Emery Minor
g team for MANRRS and Krishna Neupane, 28, both placed first in the Three Minute Thesis Contest for simplifying their master’s theses. Nasiru’s thesis was titled, “Sustainable Utilization of Biomass Sorghum and Energy Cane for Biofuel Production in Southeastern U.S. Region.” Neupane’s thesis was titled, “Management of Phytophthora root rot of flowering dogwoods in drought conditions.” Nasiru arrived at TSU from Nigeria in January or February of 2021. She spoke
with her Advisor Dr. Prabodh Illukpitiya. “I have always been interested in green energy,” Nasiru said. “When I first got here, Dr. Prabodh talked to me about various topics and sorghum and bioenergy seemed like a perfect fit.” Nasiru admits that being born in Nigeria, which was colonized by the British, gave her an advantage in language. “English is our first language,” she
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Top right, the MANRRS winners take a lighthearted moment to enjoy their spoils. From left, Ryanna Copeland, Kabirat Nasiru, Krishna Neupane, Anita Scales, and Bhawana Ghimire. Not seen is Emery Minor. Photo by Joan Kite Bottom left, Anita Scales, who is working in Dr. Chyer Kim’s Microbiology Lab at Virginia University, prepares to put bacteria on different media types to analyze their growth. Photo courtesy of Anita Scales.
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From left to right are Bhawana Ghimire, Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel, interim dean for research, and Krishna Neupane. Dr. Baysal-Gurel advises both Neupane and Ghimire and said both won first in the competition because they are smart and hard workers. Photo courtesy of Bhawana Ghimire
said. “We learn how to speak the Queen’s English.” Anita Scales, 29, won second place in the Doctoral Division for the Three Minute Thesis Contest, Ryanna Copeland, 18, won second place for the Industry Interview, and Emery Minor, 18, won second place for the Elevator Pitch competition. “It is the largest number of winners we have had,” said MANRRS Advisor Dr. De’Etra Young, who helped the entrants prepare for the competition. The students also had academic advisors to thank as well.
“I want to thank Dr. Wendelyn Inman, interim program director for Masters of Public Health,” Scales said. “I had a slide. It was too much. She helped me scale it down. Sometimes, it’s harder to simplify. It made me see my own project in a different light.” Both Ghimire and Neupane have Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel, as their academic advisor. “I’m really happy to be in her lab,” Ghimire said about her advisor. “I practiced with Fulya. She gave me the idea on applicability. Dr. Young briefed us about the rules and expectations on delivery.” Ghimire wants to become a researcher
like Baysal-Gurel. After all, she admits that she likes working in a lab to “de-stress.” She likes reading journal papers, too. Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel said they won because both Ghimire and Neupane are smart and hard workers. Emery Minor, who is a Farm Bill Scholar, ultimately wants to acquire all the skills necessary to become a sports agent for professional basketball players. She is currently studying to be a registered dietitian, but she said upon graduating TSU, she wants to move onward to the Emory University School of Law or the Nashville School of Law.
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Aisha Williams is sponsored by USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service where she will be interning during the summer.
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Tuition Paid, Summer Internship, USDA Career on the Horizon Meet the four USDA/National Scholars who earned this path this year Each year, Eston Williams, TSU’s official USDA/ 1890 Program Liaison, has the opportunity to welcome students to TSU’s College of Agriculture. These students who have successfully been accepted into the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program are exceptional. They have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to community.
Williams is proud to introduce the four TSU students who are USDA/ 1890 National Scholars for Aisha Williams 2021. They USDA/1890 National Scholar are Aisha Williams, 19, of Tuskegee, working for the USDA full-time. Alabama; Colby Taylor, 22, of Lexington, Tennessee; Though Williams was not a USDA/1890 Dalen Cozart, 18, of Lexington, Kentucky; National Scholar (the program started and Skye Green, 20, of Brownsville, long after he started working for the Tennessee. USDA), he understands what it’s like to hold a position with the USDA and be a Aisha Williams who came to campus graduate of TSU. initially as a Suntrust Now Truist scholar
“I want to thank Eston and the USDA for granting me this opportunity. Branch out. That’s what college is all about.”
The USDA/ 1890 National Scholars Program has the potential to change a student’s life because the student scholar not only receives full tuition, employment, employment benefits, fees, books, and room and board for up to four years, but also upon graduation, they find themselves
“I have worked 39 years with the feds. You weren’t all born yet,” Williams told a young group of TSU College of Agriculture honors students in December.
applied for the USDA/ 1890 National Scholars Program and was accepted in her junior year. “I want to thank Eston and the USDA
USDA, Continued on page 36
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Professor Dr. Jason de Koff puts together one of the many drones that he stores in his office for his DRONE program. Dr. de Koff teaches farmers how to use drones on their farms.
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Jason de Koff’s office is an excursion into drones, bohemian art, and countless awards that demand more wall space.
A Professor’s Props Story and Photos by JOAN KITE
Extension Associate Professor and Program Leader Jason de Koff is known on campus for a variety of things. He is an excellent communicator having won a slew of awards in that area. His research in bioenergy crop production working with switchgrass and canola has helped determine those cultivars that perform best in Tennessee. Most recently, his attention and energy has been focused on establishing the College’s aptly named DRONE program
(Developing Relevant Opportunities for Novel Experiences). Since his work has begun in the area, his office has become “drone headquarters.” But it is also a haven for his daughters’ artwork, and though the girls have no knowledge of the heyday of hippiedom, their work reflects a natural bent toward bohemian influences. Their scientist dad is all right with that.
Dr. de Koff’s desk is decorated with numerous selections of artwork created by his two daughters Tegan and Maize.
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Dr. de Koff has been given gifts (below) by his students that provide an Asian flair and calming essence to his always busy office. The metal farmers (bottom right) were made in Punjab India and were a gift from one of his award-winning Master’s Student.
The pandemic compelled me.
Dr. Jason de Koff Communicator of the Year
Dr. de Koff, who earned Communicator of the Year in 2020 for the second time from the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and Specialists, has flourished in his communication skills creating videos, fact sheets, website pages, flyers, brochures and other tools to share information about all of the research that he is working on.
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“The pandemic compelled me,” he said. “We were not doing a lot of traveling.” He worked on training sessions about drones for farmers and one project led to the next and soon Dr. de Koff was recognized for his work on a computer-generated presentation, a feature story, and he became a national finalist for the creation of a fact sheet.
Above is just one of Dr. de Koff’s office walls filled with honors and awards earned over the years. Space is limited, however, and so many of his plaques are stacked in piles on his desk, file cabinets, and book cases. Bottom right are just some of the many drones in cases stored in Dr. de Koff’s office that he uses for his DRONE program.
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Above is a photo of Dr. de Koff’s daughters. Tegan (left) is 12 and Maize 8. Dr. de Koff also has comic book covers like the one to the left hanging on his wall. We won’t mention his Star Wars lunch box that he carries. The light-heartedness lends a bit of frivolity to a man who is known for his industriousness.
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The Peach Truck Professionals by Joan Kite
“People were so excited about getting their peaches. I loved seeing their energy. This has really changed my perception.” Ashlynn Freeman Peach Truck Intern From left to right, meet College of Agriculture students Janai Bryant and Ashlynn Freeman and The Peach Truck owner Jessica Rose, who offered the young ladies two internships. The jobs took the young women on the road through at least four different states. Bryant and Freeman said they loved the experience.
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On this page, Janai Bryant (left) and Ashlynn Freeman (right) pose in front of The Peach Truck in Kentucky. Photo courtesy of The Peach Truck On the right page, the two ladies reunite at WeWork in East Nashville. Both say they are interested in interning with The Peach Truck again. Photo by Joan Kite
Perhaps Ag majors Ashlynn Freeman and Janai Bryant didn’t have a true understanding of what they were getting involved with when they signed up to become summer interns for The Peach Truck in June of 2021, but by the time the summer was over, they had become confident and convinced where their futures might lie. “I was taking notes, for real,” said Janai Bryant, whose concentration is in Agribusiness. Bryant ultimately aspires to go into the medical marijuana business in a state where it is legal. “It took me three days to memorize the price lists.” Ashlynn Freeman, whose concentration is also in Agribusiness, ultimately wants to pursue a career in international agricultural law. She has a broad streak of humanities in her as well, which helped her on her road travels and enabled her to engage with customers so quickly that she wants to work for The Peach Truck again this upcoming summer.
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“People were so excited about getting their peaches,” Freeman said. “I loved seeing their energy. This has really changed my perception.” The Peach Truck owner Jessica Rose was thrilled to have both girls on her payroll and would be pleased to see them both return this summer. For Rose, it was her first summer hiring interns from Tennessee State University. The three met last month to catch up and exchange social media handles at WeWork in East Nashville. “I loved hearing that they loved the experience,” Rose said. “We loved having them as part as well.” The Peach Truck, owned by Stephen and Jessica Rose, began with a ’64 Gladiator Jeep, a love of home-grown Georgia peaches, and a move to Nashville, but the Roses decided a move wouldn’t keep them from delivering the peaches that they themselves loved so much.
Now, they sell the peaches at 60-plus booths across Nashville and deliver them on 25 state tours. Last summer, they hired college interns to help with the deliveries. For Freeman and Bryant, that meant hitting the roads like rock stars for two months from June through August. The pair, along with 14 others on their team, would hit hotel after hotel (the longest stay was two days) traveling state to state including Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Indiana to deliver peaches to waiting customers who had previously ordered them. “We would sell them by the box, 55 to 75 peaches per box,” Bryant said. They sold pecans as well. And the girls ate plenty of peaches on the side coming up with a new summer favorite: grilled peaches over ice cream. “I worked with so many different people from so many different places,” Bryant said. “It was eye-opening. People had
so many different mindsets. Our leader was from Maryland, but there were people from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.” Freeman said working on the road taught her to be ready for anything. “The job prepared me to work with people who I didn’t know and to work with people as a team,” Freeman said. “You have to be ready to accept anything. Every day was surprising. People were so sweet. I got tipped. I made so many connections.” Both Freeman and Bryant found favorite places along the way and enjoyed their one-day adventures in different cities and exploratory meals on and along the road. For more information about interning at The Peach Truck this summer, contact Dr. De’Etra Young at dyoung23@tnstate. edu.
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“I have a deep, strong love for TSU.” Hubert Hamer Big Man on Campus Class of ‘80 Administrator, USDA NASS 18 AgLINK | Spring 2022
Big Man on Campus...
STILL
By JOAN KITE Hubert Hamer, Jr. is a man born with an innate work ethic, a wired understanding of how to get along with everyone, and a piercing streak of competitiveness. He used all those talents and skills to travel from a small livestock and row crop farm in Benton County, Mississippi, to earn a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from the College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University in Nashville. “When I graduated, jobs were very tight. There was a government freeze,” Hamer, Jr. said. “And there were no minorities in upper management.” Not only did Hamer, Jr. make his way to the USDA, and then climbed up a myriad of ladders to make it to where he is now — Administrator of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Information (NASS) — but he also now carries the title Ex-Officio Acting Chief Scientist and Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Research, Education, and Economics for the USDA.
Hamer, Jr. has served in the top position as the NASS Administrator since 2016. The NASS is the agency that provides the most official U.S. government statistics on agriculture and food. Hamer, Jr. made it to TSU because he had two aunts and two uncles living in Nashville and two relatives living on campus. “One was a manager in the cafeteria and one was working in the bookstore,” Hamer, Jr. recalled. Hamer, Jr. was going to become a First-Generation student in his own family, the Trailblazer that would not only earn a college degree, but also climb to the highest professional responsibilities that he could. While at TSU, Professor Rex Butler, a statistic professor, was looking to recruit minority students. He offered Hamer, Jr. an internship for a couple of summers with the USDA.
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Hubert Hamer, Jr. front and center, in the park across the street from the College of Agriculture at TSU demonstrating his leadership abilities early on easily becoming the center of the group and clearly the decision maker. Photo contributed by Hubert Hamer, Jr.
“I understood what we were doing. I had the right background. Some people said it. I have been continually challenged. I felt like I have been continually given the opportunity to work hard,” Hamer, Jr. said. So he did. Hamer, Jr. completed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Executive Potential Program in 1994. As part of that program, he served as a fellow with the Senate Budget Committee and worked on the staff of the Secretary of Agriculture. Hamer, Jr. continued the climb serving in a number of
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positions in Washington, D.C. as well as Louisiana, Illinois, and Missouri field offices. Hamer, Jr. pursued his training in management and finished the program for Senior Managers in Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2004. With each completed program and each new position, Hamer, Jr. has amassed more respect and genuine cooperation from his colleagues. TSU returned the honors. In 2016, TSU inducted him into the 2016 College Hall of Fame. And he has brought that charisma and desire to help
TSU President Glenda Glover (left) helps Hubert Hamer, Jr. hold his honors after his induction into TSU’s College of Agriculture Hall of Fame in October of 2016 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. The College Dean Dr. Chandra Reddy (right) also assists. Photo by Joan Kite
back to TSU. Pre-pandemic, pre-tornado, pre-2020, Hamer, Jr. and fellow alumni including William Hayslett and Dr. Carter Catlin were seriously interested in reviving a funding source for scholarships, and re-energizing the alumni breakfast traditionally held for College of Ag alumni on the college grounds. “I am very supportive of us staying connected,” Hamer, Jr. said. “We just want to give back.” Hamer, Jr. was able to return to campus for Homecoming, but this year’s College of Agriculture Homecoming was virtual.
Now, Hamer, Jr. is at the point where he is considering options beyond working for the USDA. He currently lives in Manassas, Virginia. He has three adult children and a 12-year-old grandson. He has used the “R” word meaning retirement, though he’s not there yet. One thing has not changed after all the professional positions he has held, after all the different states he has traveled to or lived in, after all the changes — period. He still loves his alma mater. Big Man on Campus indeed. “I love TSU,” Hamer, Jr. said.
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Student applies for AFA and soars Earns seat on AFA’s highest student board By JOAN KITE One might argue that TSU senior Anarra Williams does not play games, waste time, or entertain daydreams. This young woman is 6-feet of walking proof that she knows how to get the job done. She arrived at TSU as a transfer student from Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio, where she earned an Associate of Arts degree in Science. At Clark State, she was on a full athletic scholarship playing for the women’s basketball team, but she needed to find a way to pay for the rest of her education. She applied for the Farm Bill Scholarship, which would help finance her way through TSU, and met Dr. De’Etra Young, associate dean of Academics and Land-grant
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“It’s one of the biggest opportunities you can get in the AFA.” Anarra Williams Member Student Advisory Team Agriculture Future of America Programs, over Zoom. She got it. “Dr. Young saw my drive and motivation. I told her I would not let her down,” Williams said. Williams opted to major in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Food and Nutritional Sciences/Dietetics. She is minoring in English. Because of
her love for athletics she is intent on eventually advising professional athletes while handing them smoothies that she has developed. “In the future, I would like to own a dietetic facility,” Williams said. What Williams didn’t know when she first started at TSU was that Dr. Young, in 2017, had worked on a University Growth Initiative Grant provided by Bayer and Cargill to finance TSU’s involvement with Agriculture Future of America (AFA). Monies were used to enter top student leaders in student leadership development programs for one year. “We funded three TSU students, but more than three students came,” said AFA President and CEO Mark Stewart. TSU quickly formed an ideal relationship with AFA without AFA, Continued on page 52
Anarra Williams, 21, a Farm Bill Scholar, has been selected to serve on the Student Advisory Board for Agriculture Future of America, a position she will hold through the next year. Photo courtesy of Anarra Williams
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Undies under dirt teach students about soil health By JOAN KITE Environmental Science students learned a valuable lesson about soil health when they buried several pairs of Fruit of Loom men’s underwear in the campus lawn in an innovative class titled, “Soil Your Undies.” “Everybody had a chuckle,” said Professor on Loan Dr. Tom Byl, who conducted the experiment with the
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On this page, Environmental Science Juniors Tyrese Stanford and Trenton Jones dig a hole to bury the brand new cotton briefs in the campus soil. Photo courtesy of Tom Byl. On the next page, Aria McElroy holds up a pair of briefs that were dug up six weeks later from the campus soil to demonstrate the amount of decomposition created by the bacteria in the soil. Photo by Joan Kite
help of Vanderbilt Director of Research Initiatives Dr. Chris Vanags and TSU Associate Professor Dr. Bill Sutton. Six weeks later, the students dug up the underwear they had buried only to discover them in different stages of decomposition. The less cotton existed, the healthier the soils.
In healthy soil, where bacteria and fungi are diverse, the sugars in the cotton are quickly eaten and destroyed. It’s a simple experiment and can easily be duplicated at home to determine the health of one’s own soil. The class is part of the Earth Horizons Grant, a partnership between Tennessee State University and
Vanderbilt University designed to attract minority students to the geosciences. “That’s my absolute favorite program,” Dr. Vanags said. “I love working with the students who come from different backgrounds, have different skills sets, and there is no formalized geology program at TSU.” UNDIES, Continued on page 33
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Toxic Blooms, begone! TSU, EnBiorganics boast singular research on safe, sustainable method to control, destroy toxic algae blooms in wetlands By DR. TOM BYL The wetland located at TSU’s Agricultural Research and Education Center has been a research and educational resource for students in environmental science, biology, engineering, and chemistry for 20 years.
out of control and take over a lake, river, or wetland. This excessive algae growth is called a bloom.
Unfortunately, several of the cyanobacteria produce different toxins. These toxins can range from skin rashes, liver toxins, and even neurological
The wetland is a vital urban oasis for wildlife and helps clean storm water runoff. Unfortunately, over the past five years the wetland has been plagued by harmful algal blooms called HABs that can produce toxins harmful to people and animals. The HABs evolve due to excessive nutrients, warm shallow waters, and long residence times. This increase in HABs is not unusual. Every state in the U.S. has reported an increase in HABs and it is thought climate change and human activity play a role in this increase. The HABs are caused by algae, primarily cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae), that grow
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Professor Dr. Tom Byl speaks with a class about the ecology of the wetland during a fall morning. Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Byl
Excessive algae growth on the wetland. This growth can be toxic to mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and humans. The close proximity of the algae cells make it easy for Baccillus bacteria to consume them. Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Byl
toxins. Reports of cattle or dogs dying due to drinking waters with algal toxins become common. Thus it has become a top priority in water-quality research. Tennessee is a water-rich state with many rivers, reservoirs and farm ponds vulnerable to HABs. The State of Tennessee organized a HAB working group made up of scientists and water quality experts to address this issue. The group is led by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), with members coming from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tennessee State University (TSU), Tennessee Technical University (TTU), Middle Tennessee BLOOMS, Continued on page 31
EnBiorganic engineer Bob Dumur sets the parameters on the pumps and incubators as TSU master’s student Faith Perry watches. Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Byl
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EnBiorganic Engineer Bob Dumur (left) shows Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture, how the pumps, incubators, and monitoring system work to control harmful algal blooms in the wetland at the Agricultural Research and Education Center. Photo by Joan Kite
National testing, data collecting on toxic algae blooms still novel enterprise By JOAN KITE
Both the United States and Tennessee have just recently started gathering data about HABs, or Harmful Algal Blooms, and are posting public records to the general public through the Tennessee Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control websites. Currently, Tennessee is just getting started in participating with the CDC One Health Harmful Algal Bloom reporting system. The collected data from the research project designed by Tennessee State University and EnBiorganic Technologies will be part of that data collection. In 2019, 14 states voluntarily reported 242 harmful algal bloom events, 63 human cases of illnesses, and 367 animal cases of illness to the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS).
TSU graduate student Faith Perry runs tests on nutrients in the wetlands in a TSU laboratory. Photo by Dr. Tom Byl
HAB events occurred predominantly from June through October. For both human and animal illnesses, the most common complaint was gastrointestinal. People who frequent canals, lakes, and other bodies of water during the summertime may have encountered these algal blooms though not all of them are harmful. The blooms turn the water green, blue-green, or reddish-green, and may cause a foul smell. Should one encounter water in this condition, it is simply better to avoid it.
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Professor Tom Byl speaks to county and state official’s about TSU’s innovative research program to contain, and possibly eliminate, harmful algae blooms. Photo by Joan Kite
BLOOMS, From page 27
State University (MTSU), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), and Metro Water. Tom Byl, Ph.D., a professor in TSU’s College of Agriculture and a research scientist with the USGS, is a member on the working group. Dr. Byl and his students conduct research on harmful algae in surface waters including the TSU wetland. Dr. Byl was approached by the HAB working group to partner with a Canadian company called EnBiorganic Technologies that advertised a safe, sustainable, and natural way to reduce HABs in waste lagoons. Preliminary tests done by EnBiorganic Technologies indicate there will not be any side effects on the aquatic wildlife, but everyone in the HAB working group desired a third-party evaluation, which TSU is able to provide. The College of Agriculture also provided a demonstration site accessible to state agencies that incorporated agriculture, offered urban runoff, and had experience to set up a monitoring system. The technology involves the application of environmental science and engineering. EnBiorganic developed a method that exploits common soil bacteria Bacillus to transform and reduce animal wastes in farm lagoons. EnBiorganic scientists found they could train the bacteria to eat almost any organic waste, including the blue-green algae that blossoms in the wetland and threatens water quality and wildlife. The system involves an elaborate set of pumps, incubators and monitoring systems. Housed in a simple trailer, the system pumps raw water containing algae from the wetland into a heated chamber. The heats kills the algae and
TSU graduate students Champagne Cunningham and Faith Perry measure turbidity with a Secchi tube and monitor water chemistry with a field meter. Photo by Dr. Tom Byl
the pasteurized water is transferred to an incubator with Bacillus. The Bacillus culture learns to metabolize the dead algae and toxins as they grow exponentially. Once the culture is adequately enriched, they are released into the wetland to feed on the harmful algae. The Bacillus feast on a thick population of harmful algae. As the algae and toxins are consumed, the bacteria numbers diminish and by the time the algae population is back to normal, the Bacillus population will have also dropped back to normal. The TSU demonstration is the first large scale application of this technology, Dr. Byl said. It has been successfully used in smaller bodies of water, but this is a 28-acre wetland that poses many challenges. TSU faculty and students will evaluate the effectiveness of the technology. They are using instruments to monitor water quality parameters such as oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, and
turbidity every hour, 24-hours a day. Additionally, students collect water samples to measure algae pigments, toxin levels, and nutrients. This information, derived from the study, will reveal if the technology is working and how far the zone of influence reaches from the injection point. Wetland wildlife such as turtles, fish, and waterfowl will be monitored to make sure they are healthy, especially during the hot summer months when the wetland can get stagnant and stressed due to flash droughts. The data will be used to determine how effective the approach is and if it has any secondary effects on the wildlife. A bigger concern is that the zone of influence on HAB remediation might not extend very far from the injection point. If the zone of influence is small, then the information gained from the study can be used to modify the delivery system and expand that influence.
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Above, students lay out what’s left of the Fruit of the Loom underwear to compare decomposition and loosely measure soil health. Vanderbilt Professor Dr. Chris Vanags (left) examines what’s left of the underwear with student Naomi von Bose. The underwear iwas buried six weeks ago. Photos by Joan Kite
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TSU students traveled to Tennessee Tech University to participate in the 131st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. There, the students competed in oral and poster presentations and came home with a bevy of awards. Photo courtesy of Dr. Fulya Baysal Gurel
TSU wins big at 131st Meeting of Tennessee Academy of Science By JOAN KITE TSU participates every year and this year’s 131st Meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science was on Nov. 6, 2021, at Tennessee Tech University. TSU students competed and fared well winning five first place, five second place and two third place awards. First Place Winners were Krishna Neupane in the Agriculture 1 Oral
Presentation, Aaron Felts in the Botany and Cell & Molecular Biology Oral Presentation, Sabrina Wadood in the Health & Medical Sciences Oral Presentation, Madhav Parajuli in the Agriculture Poster Presentation, and Aria McElroy in the Geology & Geography Poster Presentation. Professor Dr. Tom Byl was McElroy’s advisor for her project. “Pretty amazing for a sophomore
UNDIES, From page 25
As it turns out, the soil behind the Farrell Westbrook Complex, also known as “The Barn,” proved to be healthy, replete with the bacteria bacillus, which loves to feast on cotton underwear. When the students located the underwear they had buried six weeks before, they dug up strips of elastic and cotton, former memories or their comfortable cotton selves. The less the cotton, the healthier the soil. “I was pretty impressed with the degradation,” Dr. Sutton said. “I was surprised that the soil was that healthy.”
considering the competition,” Professor Dr. Byl said about McElroy and her entry. Second place winners were Sandhya Neupane for the Agriculture 1 Oral Presentation, Tobenna Aniume for the Agriculture 2 Oral Presentation, Sadiya Aras, for the Health & Medical Sciences Oral Presentation, Anju Pandey for the Microbiology Oral Presentation, and Grayson DeLay for the Agriculture Poster TAS, Continued on page 44
“In the experiment, I was really surprised that it was decomposed as much as it was,” said environmental student Aria McElroy. “I had learned about what soil does in class, but to see it up close from beginning to end was really interesting.” Some of the students learned other invaluable lessons such as taking detailed and accurate notes. One pair of underwear was lost on the campus grounds. “Dr. Vanags takes incredible field notes,” Dr. Byl said. The students learned that if you are going to lose a pair of underwear, you may not want to do it so close to the President’s House.
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Food security project to send students to Senegal in Africa By JOAN KITE
In an effort to attract more students to become Extension educators, Virginia Tech has joined forces with TSU to train undergraduate students to deliver food safety programs to rural Southeastern America and then travel to Senegal, Africa with similar programs. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is funding the project for almost half a million dollars. Dr. Rick Rudd, a professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech and principal investigator for the project, is working closely with TSU Professor Dr. John Ricketts, co-principal-investigator, as the duo and their colleagues select students to participate in the program for the next five years.
“Each cohort will receive some training in food safety and food preservation from me and (Extension) agents in both states,” said Dr. Ricketts. “My students and agents will work with Extension agents in Appalachia and the underserved communities in Dickson and Lebanon, mostly rural communities who need knowledge in food safety and preservation.”
“The idea is to attract more students to Extension education. We are reaching out to the larger university community.” Dr. John Ricketts TSU Professor
“The education piece is huge,” Dr. Rudd said.” The project is designed to educate people on having enough food to eat and ensuring a safe food supply.” Both in Appalachia and parts of Tennessee and in Senegal, Africa, poverty is common. Teaching them how to grow their own food, harvest it, and store it safely is vital to preventing foodborne illnesses. The project titled, “Illuminating Agricultural
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Extension and Education Career Opportunities for STEM and Liberal Arts Undergraduate Students,” will establish four cohorts of 10 students from both Virginia Tech and TSU.
Once the first 10 have experience working with participants in rural America, they will then travel to Senegal, where they will work with families there. Most of the residents of Senegal work in agriculture or other food industry.
Overall, the project hopes to expose 36 undergraduate participants, 400 household adults responsible for making meals at home, and 200 youngsters interested in preparing food. Rudd said he is currently having grad students design and develop materials in French and Wolof, the EXTENSION, Turn to page 44
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Colby Taylor (left) is a First-Generation Student. The trailblazer in the family is the first to seek a college degree. As a USDA scholar, he is sponsored by the Natural Resources and Conservation Services.
USDA, From page 8
for granting me this opportunity,” Aisha Williams said also encouraging other students to apply for all the scholarships they can. “Branch out. That’s what college is all about.” Aisha Williams is sponsored by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, where she will be interning during the summers. Colby Taylor, who is sponsored by the Natural Resources and Conservation Services, has an interest in agricultural engineering. He is working hard
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to maintain his 3.8 GPA while also participating in the MANRRS program. Taylor is a First-Generation student, meaning his parents did not earn a college degree, so he is the example in his family of how to go to college and earn a degree. TSU offers a fine You First Project that provides extra support for students like Taylor who help him and others like him become the trailblazer that he is becoming. Taylor said that Eston Williams is there for him as well, supporting him on his journey to become a TSU alumni and a
USDA employee. Skye Green, 20, who is focusing on her concentration in Agribusiness at TSU, has been assigned to the Natural Resources and Conservation Services as part of her participation in the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program 2021. Green’s mother is a 1999 Spring alumna but Green, practicing a little daughter’s rebelliousness, was stuck on going to Middle Tennessee State University.
“I saw that people really do go to class, people like me. This is excellence for real.” Skye Green Sponsored by the Natural Resources & Conservation Services
“We are a very Godbased family. God works in mysterious ways.” Dalen Cozart Sponsored by the Foreign Agricultural Service
“I came to tour on Halloween,” she said. “I was going in the building and seeing the signs, “Welcome the Green Family.” I saw that people really do go to class, people like me. This is excellence for real.” In 2019, she participated in TSU’s Summer Apprenticeship Program. At TSU, her GPA climbed to 3.7. She became vice-president of MANRRS. She is now president of MANRRS. She is part of the Alpha Psi chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She is a Student Government wellness center
representative at large. She is well on her way to success. Dalen Cozart, 18, was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, and is committed to educating younger people of color teaching them there are agricultural opportunities that have nothing to do with being in the fields. Cozart attended Carter G. Woodson Preparatory Academy in Lexington, Kentucky, and is loyal to his high school. It was his ag teacher at the high school
who introduced him to the USDA/ 1890 National Scholars Program. He is now assigned to the Foreign Agricultural Service with the USDA and says he loves to travel though COVID has limited his opportunity to do so. “We are a very God-based family,” Cozart said. TSU can only submit 12 applicants each year to the USDA Scholars program. This year four students received awards. “God works in mysterious ways.”
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CONGRATULATIONS!
College of Agriculture Graduates Fall 2021 Department of Agricultural Sciences Ph.D. in Biological Sciences Shreya Hamal Sharath Julakanti Brent Newman Akaeze Onyekachukwu
Master of Science in Agricultural Sciences Adeyinka Adekunle Blessing Ajumobi Haona Bao Latrice Cooper Tyrell Doss Taqdeer Gill Reginald Holland
Anjali Kurup Sarah Plumb Jesse Potts Matthew Purucker Pranav Vashisht Sabrina Wadood Milan Winrow
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences Jonathan Alford Tamia Bass LaRishionia Conway Zoe Grosskreutz Chalesia Honor Deanthony Jamerson
Kristian Marshall Alanis Onwu Christian Smith Evelyn Taylor Clenique Walker Cody Wordlaw
Department of Human Sciences Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences Karalynn Barnett — Food and Nutritional Sciences Derricka Becton —Fashion Merchandising & Product Development Breana Butler —Food and Nutritional Sciences Destinee Garrision — Child Development and Family Studies Shailyn Lee-Moore — Child Development and Family Studies Latrece Vestal — Child Development and Family Studies
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TSU F a l l Gradua tion 20 21
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CONGRATULATIONS! Dean’s List Fall 2021 Agricultural Sciences Deja Adams Jonathon Alford Niarra Anthony Khalia Armstead Myles Bolton Diego Britt-Alvarez Trinity Brown Janai Bryant Gabrielle Cameron Lyric Carter Martina Coe Cherish Coleman Kennedy Ciooper Austin Cruse Mallory Douglas Jahnari Edwards Chervenia Fields Ashlynn Freeman Sofia Garcia Trinity Gourdin Skye Green Zoe Grosskreutz Jaden Hall Aayliah Hampton Alaizia Hayes Baron Hill Jade Holmes Chalesia Honer Kerrington Howard
Kaylin Hughes Jourdan Huntley Genoa James Gabrielle Johnson Desirai Jones Lauryn Jones Macarius Jones John King Rachel Lawson Amari LeFlore Savannah Lewis Aidan Lewis-Dunn LeAnn Lopez Zhaierra Love Joy Lowe Logan May Andrew McClarty Aria McElroy Tanya McNeal Ashely Mitchell Nakira Morris Nyla Neal Jazmine Norwood Janani Oates Alanis Onwu Angel Pantoja Stinson Parks Tiffani Patterson Christian Payne Chelsea Randle
Dacia Ringo Ryan Rucker Aspen Sanders Jonathon Simmons Laila Spencer Gavin Spicer Anyia Stanton Meyah Stephenson Bronwen Swann Azia Tanks Colby Taylor Zachary Taylor Janae Terrell Kaylee Thompson Ayanna Tucker Terrell Turner Jewell Vickers Rodney Vines Naomi Von Bose Justin Walker Danielle Western Amari White Deion Williams Sydni Williams Shaun Wimberly Cierra Woods Blake Wright Gerriah Young
Family & Consumer Sciences Zoe Aguilera Miracle Alford Auriel Amos Hala Baabdulla Karalynn Barnett Tori Boggs Jessica Bolden April Chukwu Tymerria Duncan Kadence Ewing Jamya Fanney Destinee Garrison Amahria Hall Alexis Harrod
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Kailyn Hart Nakiyah Harvey La’Dejah Jackson Tayah Jones Sharyce Joy Jalynn Keith Jacquinta Kyles Chanteneigha Lawson Jailyn Lee-Moore Dionee Mcfarland Emery Minor Bernard Nichols Mariah Nicholson Essence Rose
Dewayne Rosse Robyn Smith Tiara Taylor Trinidee Thomas Kinley Troutt Taylin Watkins Jewel White Jada Wilder Anarra Williams Faith Willias Michael Wilson Jayla Woods
Don’t Stop Now. Become the Master.
M.S. in Agricultural Science
Concentrations: Agribusiness Management & Analysis Agricultural Education Biotechnology Food Marketing & Supply Chain Management
M.S. in Food & Animal Sciences M.S. in Environmental Sciences Contact Graduate Coordinator Dr. Bharat Pokharel at bpokhare@tnstate.edu.
TAS, From page 33
Presentation. Bhawana Ghimire won third place for her entry in the Agriculture 1 Oral Presentation. “TAS is a great platform for students,” said Ph.D. student Madhav Parajuli. “Personally, I was really excited because I was presenting my research work among researchers, educators, and fellow students from wider disciplines. When the announcer announced “first place in the poster competition goes to Madhav Parajuli” that moment made me feel happy and proud.” Krishna Neupane had similar thoughts and feelings. “I am extremely happy and thankful to TSU, the Nursery Research Center, my advisor Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel, my colleagues and the TAS organizing committee,” Neupane said. “This achievement has definitely motivated me, but I also believe that it has come with the responsibility to keep better representing the big blue tiger family in various platforms,” Neupane said.
From left to right, Research Assistant Christina Jennings, Ph.D. student Madhav Parajuli, Master’s student Krishna Neupane, Associate Dean for Research Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel, Ph.D. student Sandhya Neupane, and Ph.D. student Bhawana Ghimire. These were some of the TSU students who attended the Tennessee Academy of Science last November. TSU will be hosting the Tennessee Academy of Science next year. Photo courtesy of Dr. Fulya BaysalGurel
EXTENSION, From page 35
national language of Senegal. Students here will undergo safety training and “survival cultural French training.” Virginia Tech and Tennessee State University said they hope the five-year program attracts students to careers in Extension education. Various sources including Bayer, Iowa State University, and Michigan State University forecast a shortage of agricultural education teachers and a fearful prediction that high school agricultural programs may disappear. “The idea is to attract more students to Extension education,” Dr. Ricketts said. “We are reaching out to the larger university community.” Virginia Tech is recruiting students through its liberal arts programs while TSU is recruiting through the MANRRS program. Initial training will begin in January of 2022. The first trip to Senegal will happen this summer. A family in Senegal tends to their home. Students from TSU and VT will travel there to teach families about food preservation and food safety. Adobe Stock
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Aria McElroy stands next to her poster presentation encompassing her research titled “To Reuse or Not to Reuse: A Comparison of Wastewater Systems,” by McElroy, A Jantrania, T. Gentry, J. Moore, A. Hillburgh, T. Guevera, P. Fields, and T. Byl. Her entry won first place and was her first time as a sophomore entering the TAS competition. Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Byl
In the front row from left to right are Research Assistant Christina Jennings Ph.D. student Madhav Parajuli, Master’s student Krishna Neupane, Associate Dean for Research Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel, Ph.D. student Bhawana Ghimire, Ph.D. student Sandhya Neupane, and Master’s student Grayson DeLay. In the scond row, from left to right are Associate Professor Dr. Anthony Witcher and Post-doctoral Researcher Dr. Cynthia Perkovich.
Tyrese Stanford (left) speaks to a TAS participant about his poster presentation regarding his research titled “Water Quality and Eutrophication in Tennessee State University’s Wetland” by Tyrese Stanford, Jonathan Alford, Dr. De’Etra Young and Dr. Tom Byl. Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Byl
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Bloom where you are planted
Success stories from the College of Agriculture
TSU to host the 2022 Tennessee Academy of Science meeting Tennessee State University will host the 132nd meeting of the 2022 annual symposium of the Tennessee Academy of Sciences in November of 2022. The Tennessee Academy of Science, founded in 1912, seeks to promote scientific research and the diffusion of knowledge concerning science and is affiliated with two national societies and seven Tennessee societies. The Academy organizes the symposium, manages on-going programs in many STEM disciplines, communicates with the national scientific culture, and actively promotes professional development. TSU’s College of Agriculture has been very active in the Academy for years and TSU students have won many awards in a variety of disciplines, including agriculture, environmental science, geoscience, microbiology, and engineering. The annual meeting moves around each year to different TSU College of Agriculture participants at the 2016 Academy meeting held at Austin Peay college hosts. University. Photo by Tom Byl
TSU to host 20th Annual AgCareers.com Roundtable in August TSU is hosting for the first time the 20th Annual AgCareers.com Ag and Food HR Roundtable on Aug. 3 and 4, 2020. The annual workshop is geared for human resource professionals and recruiters who gather to listen to professional speakers who discuss the latest topics and trends in the agricultural job market. It is also a time to network with other industry professionals. According to AgCareers.com Digital Marketing Coordinator Clara Boles, this year’s conference will cover such topics as student recruitment, diversity in the
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workplace, retention, and rural recruiting. Registration before June 15 is $799 for HR professionals and hiring managers and $499 for university and education staff. After June 15, the registration fee is $875 for HR professionals and hiring managers, and $550 for university and education staff. Discount hotel reservations can be made at the Renaissance Hotel, located at 611 Commerce St., on Music Row. For more information, call (800) 9298975 or visit AgCareers.com.
Bloom Where You Are Planted
Extension Professor Dr. Dilip Nandwani (left) and Associate Professors Dr. Jason de Koff (right) , and Dr. Aliyar Fouladkhah (not pictured) and M. Shea Austin Cantu (not pictured), director of the Community Nutrition Education Program, have been recognized by Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of the Agriculture, for their hard work through the pandemic. Photo by Joan Kite
Extension professors recognized for their work Four Extension faculty have been recognized by the Dean of the College for their exceptional work during the difficult pandemic year. Professor Dilip Nandwani, known for his expertise in organic farming, worked tirelessly with a doctoral student who thought her experiment went the way of the winds when the March 2020 tornado destroyed a greenhouse where her plants were growing. Nandwani and the student were able to salvage enough to save her experiment, and her thesis, and she went on to earn her degree. Associate Professor Jason de Koff
earned honors for developing the DRONE (Developing Relevant Opportunities for Novel Experiences) that taught farmers how to use drones on their land. Dr. de Koff provided farmers hands-on experiences flying the devices, showing them how to use agricultural applications on their farms, and explaining laws and federal regulations for drone use. A drone certification program was established that enabled farmers to apply for remote pilot certification. Associate Professor Dr. Aliyar Fouladkhah’s research specializes in food safety. His most recent research focuses on “the elimination and decontamination of
microbial pathogens during various stages of manufacturing and production.” Dr. Fouladkhah is also interested in how climate change affects foodborne diseases and food safety. M. Shea Austin Cantu, director of the Community Nutrition Education Program, has also been recognized for her work through the year of the pandemic. Cantu found herself filling the position suddenly, but she stepped in and expanded the program, established new collaborations. “She did an excellent job,” said Dr. Latif Lighari, associate dean of Extension.
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Bloom where you are planted
Success stories from the College of Agriculture
Master’s Graduate lands job with Idaho Milk Products Pranav Vashisht, of Karnal, India, earned a Master’s of Science in Food and Animal Sciences last November from the College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University. Within two weeks of graduating, he accepted a Management Trainee position at Idaho Milk Products where he will be working on numerous projects with Research and Development, Continuous Improvement, Quality Assurance, and the Operations Teams. Vashisht explained that his hometown in India had a dairy research institute where his parents placed him to begin his undergraduate education. “After completing my under graduation, I landed in Nashville, Tennessee with big dreams and many expectations. Tennessee State University provided me with everything,” Vashisht said. “My professor Dr. Ankit
Patras supported me each step of my M.S. program and motivated me to continue my interest in the dairy field by assigning me a research project on UV pasteurization of milk.” Despite the pandemic, Vashisht found himself researching different aspects of UV processing, publishing research articles, presenting his work on national and international platforms, interning with Schreiber Foods, and holding executive positions for food science associations. “I found myself a good presenter and an excellent leader,” Vashisht said. “I am now starting a new journey in the place of my interest. My opportunity is dedicated to my parents. my major advisor, my food biosciences lab members, and all the facilities of TSU’s College of Agriculture who shaped into the skilled person I am today and filled me with the confidence to face challenges in life.”
Doctoral degree in sight for Robinson From TSU Agriculture Education Master’s graduate, Quintin Robinson is now looking at earning his doctorate degree from Virginia Tech this May. Upon graduating from TSU with his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Sciences concentrating in Agribusiness and a Master’s of Science degree in Agricultural Education, Robinson followed the footsteps of his advisor, Dr. John Ricketts, moving to Blacksburg, Virginia, to study under Dr. Rick Rudd at Virginia Tech. Dr. Rudd was Dr. Ricketts’ advisor. Robinson, who has been involved with
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4H and FFA, said aspires to one day work at TSU, he said. Dr. Ricketts believes one day he will. “I have nothing but nice things to say about him,” Dr. Ricketts said of Robinson. “All the TSU students looked up to him. He’s brilliant. Probably more important, he’s an incredible leader.” While a graduate student at TSU, Robinson wrote his thesis paper titled, “Leadership Behaviors and Experiences of Agricultural and Environmental Science Undergraduates at Tennessee State University.”
Bloom Where You Are Planted
Alexius Dingle works in her lab overseen by Dr. Zachary Adelman at Texas A&M University. The TSU alumna plans to head into corporate or government offices once she earns the title “Doctor.” Photo courtesy of Alexius Dingle
From USDA 1890 scholar to doctoral candidate TSU graduate Alexius Dingle is a woman who knows what she wants and she works with diligent confidence to achieve it. Five years ago while at TSU, the then first-generation undergraduate calmly said her ultimate goal was to obtain her Ph.D. Dingle, 25, is now a third-year Ph.D. candidate in genetics at Texas A&M University. Her research involves developing a transgenic strain of mosquito that will die when infected with viruses such as dengue or Zika thereby preventing the illnesses spread. Her thesis title, which is part of her dissertation, is “Virus-Induced Death of the Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti.” “Currently, similar systems are effective
against individual viruses only,” Dingle said regarding her work and others. “We seek to develop a single technology that is effective against multiple arthropod-
“Your quality of life outside of work matters.” Alexius Dingle borne viruses.” When Dingle is not in Dr. Zachary Adelman’s lab, where she does her research, she is involved with the Black Graduate Students’ Association and the Genetics
Graduate Student Association. For recreation, she plays video games and is learning how to play the ukulele. “I used to play the flute while I was in high school,” said Dingle who has a musical background. She admits that Bryan, Texas, is not the ideal place to settle. “Academically, Texas A&M is an amazing institution,” Dingle said. “In my next transition (from college to work) I will pay more attention to the areas outside of work. Your quality of life outside of work matters.” Dingle hopes to find employment in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia area once she graduates. She said she would like to come to TSU’s homecoming next year.
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Bloom where you are planted
Success stories from the College of Agriculture
Ag Ed graduate lands “dream” job For those who knew Micah Blake-Smith, none were surprised when he pursued a degree in Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Agricultural and Extension Education Services. He was a natural. A charmer always bearing a smile. Kind, warm, and friendly. While at TSU, he was involved in MANRRS, TSLAMP, SGA, the Dean’s Scholar program, and the National Society for Leadership and Success. He went on to become a classroom assistant at Just Us Kids Early Learning Center in West Lafayette, Indiana, and after that became a part-time Black Cultural Center Student Representative at Purdue University where he gave tours to those interested in the history of African Americans.
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“This is a job I can settle and grow in. Getting to do what I love while also working for the zoo is truly a dream.” Micah Blake-Smith Education Specialist Belle Island Nature Center Blake-Smith is a native of Detroit, Michigan. Despite the pandemic, Blake-Smith finally landed his dream job. He is now the education specialist at the Belle Isle Nature Center, which is part of the Detroit Zoological Society, in Detroit, Michigan. Currently, indoor spaces are closed at the Nature Center, but on days that he works Blake-Smith walks over a pedestrian bridge to an isle that is occupied with the American toad, the mud puppy, tiger salamanders, Longnose gar, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, honey bees, reptiles including the nonvenomous black rat snake, and eight different kinds of turtles. Blake-Smith is elated with this position. “This is a job I can settle and grow in,” he said. “Getting to do what I love while also working for the zoo is truly a dream.”
Say hello to our newest faculty members. Dr. Pramir Maharjan Asst. Professor, Poultry Science Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Yujuan Chen Associate Professor, Urban Forestry Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Kofi Britwum Asst. Professor, Agribusiness Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Pramir Maharjan earned his undergraduate degree in Veterinary Science from Nepal. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas. Most recently, Dr. Maharjan worked as a research scholar at North Carolina State University. His research and extension roles at TSU will cover broader areas of poultry production including poultry drinking water, quality management, and feed nutrient management for both commercial and backyard poultry operations. In his free time, Dr. Maharjan said he likes to be out in nature or do “outdoorsy stuff.”
Dr. Yujuan Chen holds a B.S. degree in horticulture from Beijing Forestry University, an M.S. degree in urban forestry from the Chinese Academy of Forestry, and a Ph.D. in urban forestry from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining TSU, Dr. Chen held a range of positions with University of Southern California, TreePeople, Virginia Tech, FAO of the United Nations, and New Jersey State Forestry Services. Most recently, Dr. Chen initiated and led the “Healthy Soils for Healthy Communities Initiative” to study the potential of healthy soils in building climate resilience and healthy communities in Los Angeles.
Dr. Kofi Britwum graduated with a doctoral degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of NebraskaLincoln in August 2017. Dr. Britwum’s teaching and research interests include food economics and marketing, novel food adoption, consumer behavior, and food choice. He has previously examined attitudes and preferences for new food safety interventions for beef, products from cloned animals, and genetically engineered nutraceuticals. Most recently, he has been collaborating with other economists to examine consumer preferences for improved local rice in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Latasha Williams Asst. Professor & Didactic Program Director Department of Human Sciences
Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani Asst. Professor, Agribusiness Dept. of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Dr. Latasha Williams, Ph.D., RDN, LDN, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with experience in clinical nutrition, food service, and community nutrition. She holds a B.S. degree in Textile Chemistry from N.C. State University and in food and nutrition from N.C. Central University. After becoming a (RDN), Dr. Williams obtained her M.S. degree in food and nutrition from Meredith College and her Ph.D. in food science with a concentration in community nutrition from N.C. State University. Her research focuses RDN practices working with mothers who experience food insecurity.
Fulbright Scholar and Norman Borlaug Fellow, Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky. Previously, he completed a Master’s degree in Economics at North Carolina State University and is originally from Benin where he received a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology and a Bachelor in Agronomy. Dr. Lawani’s research and extension roles at TSU focus on agribusiness management and entrepreneurship.
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AFA, From page 22
wanting or demanding anything and ensured TSU students attended leadership events while learning along the way. By 2019, AFA was courting Dr. Chandra Reddy, the dean of the College of Agriculture at TSU to serve on its Board and by February of 2020, Dr. Reddy officially joined the Board. “He has been wonderful,” Stewart said. “We love that we have developed a great relationship with TSU.” “AFA is the best program in the country to develop and train agricultural leaders,” Dr. Reddy said. “We are thrilled to have Anarra represent us on the AFA Student
“We are thrilled to have Anarra represent us on the AFA Student Advisory Team. I am confident that Anarra will do a great job in this role.” Dean Dr. Chandra Reddy TSU College of Agriculture
Anarra Williams, far left in top row, is seen with other members of the 10-member AFA Student Advisory Team for 2021-22. Photo courtesy of AFA.
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“We love that we have developed a great relationship with TSU.” Mark Stewart CEO and President Agriculture Future of America job in this role.” Williams started participating with AFA during her first year at TSU. Advisory Team. Student leaders are a big part of the design and execution of the leadership development programs at AFA. I am confident that Anarra will do a great
“Last year, I got accepted into the Food Institute, which was very fun and engaging. They liked some of my ideas,”
Williams said. “When I got back, I started my LinkedIn page.” Williams’ next activity was to apply for the Food Advisory Team, and she kept answering emails, and entering next rounds, moving up the ladder, until she was told to stop. She had reached the highest goal. Now, she is an official member of the 10-member AFA Student Advisory Team, and their role is assist the AFA staff in organizing the AFA Leaders Conference and AFA Leaders Institutes. “It is one of the biggest opportunities you can get,” she said. “Next year’s conference is in November of 2023.” Williams will have played a huge role in organizing it. By then, she will have claimed a few more skills and talents that she can use in future endeavors.
Calendar of Events February 2022 February 28 Mid-term Exam Week
March 2022
April 2022
March 7 -11
April 2-5
Association of Research Directors Research Symposium
April 29
Last Day of Classes
Spring Break
March 13 Daylight Saving Time Begins March 22
May 2022 May 2-5 Final Examinations May 6 Graduate Commencement 5 p.m. Gentry Complex May 7 Undergraduate Commencement 8 a.m. Hale Stadium
June 2022
National Ag Day
July 2022 July 4
Happy Fourth of July!
July 5
Summer Apprenticeship Program begins
May 18-19 Walk Across 1890s Challenge May 30 Memorial Day
Spring 2022 | AgLINK 53
AgLINK Vol. 10, Issue 1 SPRING 2022
Tennessee State University College of Agriculture 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209
Tennessee State University College of Agriculture (615) 963-7561 www.tnstate.edu/agriculture Dr. Chandra Reddy Dean & Director of Research Administrator of Extension Joan Kite AgLINK Editor TSU -22-83(B)-12c-13500 - Tennessee State University does not discriminate against students, employees, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs and activities sponsored by Tennessee State University. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Office of Equity and Inclusion, 3500 John Merritt Blvd., General Services Building, Second Floor, Nashville, TN 37209, 615-963-7435. The Tennessee State University policy on nondiscrimination can be found at www.tnstate.edu/nondiscrimination.
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