Davis Magazine Summer 2015

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES AND DESIGN

ALUMNA NINA CHASE was part of a Sasaki Associates team that created The Lawn on D, an innovative and interactive outdoor space

Hello, WVU Davis College friends! Spring is finally upon us, and we recently celebrated another class of graduates commencing to many new and wonderful adventures, and promising contributions to our society, industry, landscape and more. Your Davis College is doing great.

As I write this column, contractors have begun to put up walls in our new Agricultural Sciences Building, and by this time next year we’ll be moving in and setting up shop (construction.wvu.edu/projects/agriculturalsciences). Our new College organization went into effect in January and already our academic and administrative units are making good use of the new structure — for aligning academic and research interests, and for branding when recruiting for and marketing the College. We are now able to broadcast our School names — giving us a more direct appeal to the next-generation students, and better enabling us to cross-fertilize our work over the many disciplines in the College.

We are the School of Agriculture and Food, the School of Natural Resources, and the School of Design and Community Development. If you consider for a moment that the 1862 mandate of the landgrant system was about advancing the fundamentals of life — food, clothing and shelter — then you can well see we’ve been doing that for nearly 150 years and that we’ve got to be positioning ourselves to do so for the next 150! Our reorganization and the investments and energy we’re putting into this great institution will carry us into the next century and beyond, and hopefully set the stage for all the next decades of success, just as the past has set it for us.

Across the College we have continued to pursue excellence and innovation in all that we do. Our faculty are taking the lead in developing new academic programs, pursuing important research and contributing to our service mission. This year we celebrate a number of “50s,” including the 50th anniversary of the Genetics and Developmental Biology program in the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, led now by Dan Panaccione, and still watched over by Jo Nath, the original director.

We are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Reproductive Physiology program in the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, led by Keith Inskeep, the continuing and original director, who is now in his 50th year of faculty service to the College! Our Landscape Architecture program, now in the School of Design and Community Development and coordinated by Charlie Yuill, held 50th year anniversary events this fall and spring that have helped position the program for the future. In this issue of the magazine you’ll read about the program and its anniversary events, and we expect you’ll agree this is a terrific program with much for us to be proud of, and much to look forward to. Like many of our programs it is all about understanding the relationships between people and the natural and managed worlds.

This issue of our magazine covers lots of our activities and milestones, from new faculty (nearly 30 new faculty will have joined us between January 2014 and January 2016), to new research projects, to distinguished recognitions and awards, to wonderful gifts and more. And while it is hard across a College as diverse as ours to sum things up in a few sentences or by using a single quote, I will share here two inspiring thoughts, from times not too distant past, that do guide so much of what we do and teach: “Men and nature must work hand in hand.

The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men.” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1935, message to Congress on natural resources). I read and was inspired by this quote not long ago on a walk on the National Mall through the relatively new and adjacent Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials while looking across the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. (I recommend a visit!)

And I’ll close with a quote from the MLK Memorial that also very much speaks to who we are: “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.” (Martin Luther King, 1964, Nobel Peace Prize speech, Norway.)

We agree.

My best,

M.G. ELLIS

LETTER from the Dean

Spring 2015

E. Gordon Gee President, West Virginia University Joyce McConnell Provost

NATURAL RESOURCES

DESIGN

AGRICULTURE

Find the Fingerprint

Starting Strong

The Power of Protein

Sharon L. Martin Vice President for University Relations Daniel J. Robison Dean and Publisher David Welsh Lindsay Willey Editors Michael Esposito Executive Creative Director Angela Caudill Director, UR-Design Forrest Conroy Assistant Director, UR-Design Tricia Dunn Magazine Designer Brian Persinger Christian Phillips Emily Junker Erin Irwin Jake Lambuth M.G. Ellis Niesha Shafer Raymond Thompson Scott Lituchy Photographers Kathy Deweese University Editor Laura Spitznogle Assistant Editor ADDRESS WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design Office of the Dean PO Box 6108 Morgantown, WV 26506-6108 www. davis.wvu.edu CHANGE OF ADDRESS WVU Foundation PO Box 1650 Morgantown, WV 26504-1650 Fax: 304.284.4001 Email: info@wvuf.org www.mountaineerconnection.com

Dan Robison, dean

CONTENTS

SPRING 2015

A team of West Virginia University researchers is taking “DNA fingerprints” of the Mountain State’s bobcat population to evaluate whether there should be future increases or decreases in bag limits.

The WVU Davis College is making strides with its new Energy Land Management degree program.

Landscape architect Nina Chase is using her Davis College education to make her mark on the profession, and her profession is taking notice.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 02 Power Plants 04 Our Events 06 Making the Move 16 The Lay of the Land 18 Funding Innovation

Can an invasive species provide the ingredients for a potent new protein supplement? A team of WVU food scientists is cooking up answers.

20 Growing Organic 22 Early Adopter 24 Celebrating Support 26 Saying Thanks 29 Distinguished Alumni

AFRI Nano Grant

“ Raw materials will be the abundant biomass in the region, such as wood residues and low-quality hardwoods that don’t have high-value commercial applications.”

- JINGXIN WANG

2

A team of West Virginia University researchers is trying to make green energy materials even greener by using naturally occurring nanometer-level structures. They are using plant matter to develop a more efficient and lower cost solution that remains environmentally friendly.

The team, led by Jingxin Wang, professor of wood science and technology in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, will explore the production of highly ordered mesoporous carbon (HOMC) from plants like the hybrid willow, eastern white pine and some grasses.

Wang explained that HOMC materials contain orderly arranged pores or voids that are in nanometer sizes and can be used for hydrogen storage in fuel cells, for energy storage in lithium batteries and supercapacitors. They can also be used for absorption of toxic substances for environmental remediation, in catalysis and absorption of large volumes of gases or liquids and in various other industrial processes.

Although there are numerous uses for HOMC materials, current technologies used to produce them face high production costs due to limited availability of raw materials.

“The development of a scalable and environmentally friendly technology that uses plant biomass to produce costcompetitive HOMC is the key to expanding the use of this enhanced carbon material,” Wang said.

With the support of a $496,168 grant from the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Nanotechnology for Agriculture and Food Systems award, the team will develop a new technology to convert the plant matter into the desirable nanostructures.

Their intention is to develop a process that generates the kind of HOMC materials that offer more-efficient energy storage and transport. Using biomaterials as a source would also limit the use of chemicals in the production process.

Wang also said that the focus on plant-based, renewable resources adds value to West Virginia’s substantial forest resources. “Raw materials will be the abundant biomass in the region, such as wood residues and low-quality hardwoods that don’t have high-value commercial applications,” he explained.

Led by Wang, the team also includes two scholars from the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, John Zondlo, professor of chemical engineering, and Edward Sabolsky, associate professor of mechanical engineering, along with two of Wang’s colleagues from the Wood Science and Technology program, assistant professor David DeVallance and postdoctoral fellow Xinfeng Xie. For more information, go to woodscience.wvu.edu.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Jingxin Wang seeks green energy materials from plants

Our Events

Landscape architecture alum Bill Mechnick mentors current students during the studio drop-in breakfast as part of the program’s 50th anniversary celebration.

For more information, go to nutrition.wvu.edu.

Landscape Reunion Alums, students and faculty gathered to celebrate 50 years of landscape architecture at WVU

100-Mile Meal WVU sources special meal at Café Evansdale

4

“The 100-Mile Meal Challenge is just a beginning that we hope will lead every school in the state of West Virginia to actively support sustainable, resilient and healthy food and water systems” said Megan Govindan, director of the Undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics and teaching associate professor of human nutrition and foods. “The participants in the challenge are educating and promoting access to fresh, local and real food throughout their school or university. In West Virginia 45 of 55 counties are serving local foods in their cafeterias.”

Kerry O’Dell, interim director of the School of Design and Community Development, enjoys the Davis College alumni tailgate on September 20.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

For a family of four, eating local is as simple as a trip to the farmer’s market. But what does it take for a family of 1,000 to eat local?

West Virginia University hosted its first 100-Mile Meal at the Cafe Evansdale dining hall last October. All of the major menu ingredients were sourced from a 100-mile radius of the Evansdale campus. The evening was the culmination of months of planning by WVU Dining Services, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, WVU Extension Service, the College of Business and Economics and dozens of local farmers.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NIESHA SHAFER

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIN IRWIN

Members of the 100-Mile Meal campaign serve up a plate of fresh, local food to Mountaineer Mascot Michael Garcia.

Last September, landscape architecture alumni returned to Morgantown to help kick off the celebration of the program’s 50th anniversary.

From tours of the West Virginia Botanic Garden to an alumni tailgate prior to the WVU vs.

Oklahoma football game, the weekend was jam-packed with events to bring alumni and current students together.

On Sat., Sept. 20, the program hosted a studio drop-in breakfast where alumni had the opportunity to network with students and see their current projects. According to George Longenecker, professor emeritus, events like this are important for students and the program as a whole. “I spent 39 years of my life working with students. Many have become close friends,” he said. “I feel that it is important to connect students with the realities of professional life by having alumni involved in special programs and lectures.”

From the student perspective, connecting with alumni helps prepare them to become part of the profession after graduation. “As a senior in the landscape architecture program, the end of my time at WVU will be here in no time,” said John Wray, a native of Finleyville, Pennsylvania. “In order to make a smooth transition from school to a position in the professional world, it’s crucial to have exposure to these types of networking opportunities early on in the year.”

5

Making the Move

Kidder KidderFund Fund

Key support fund moves to the WVU Foundation

Darin Matlick, DVM and Kidder recipient, and director of farm operations, examines a Hereford on the Animal Sciences Farm in Morgantown.

Private funds donated through the WVU Foundation go to support student scholarships, faculty development, academic programs and public services initiatives at WVU. Checks can be mailed to the WVU Foundation, One Waterfront Place, Seventh Floor, Morgantown, WV 26507.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

- PAUL LEWIS

For more information, go to giving.davis.wvu.edu.

LINDSAY WILLEY

“ The help of the Foundation will best assure the enduring viability of the Kidder Trust.”

A fund that has helped dozens of West Virginia University graduates pursue professional and graduate education is now under the stewardship of the WVU Foundation. The H.E. Kidder Endowed Scholarship Trust will now benefit from the substantial resources and sound management of WVU’s fundraising arm.

The trust, currently valued at close to $500,000, was created from the estate of H.E. “Doc” Kidder, who taught animal sciences students in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design from 19541988. In its 22 years, the trust has provided scholarships for postgraduate study for Davis College students interested in professional or graduate education, and it’s also supported travel expenses for students participating in the College’s livestock, dairy, poultry and meats judging teams.

“Over the years, the fund has experienced some significant loss in principal as a result of investment returns and an increase in student support,” said Paul Lewis, assistant director for outreach and community affairs in the Davis College and one of Kidder’s colleagues in the College’s Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences.

To maintain the trust’s viability, trustees looked at possibilities that would allow them to seek contributions for the fund. Trustees decided to move the funds into the WVU Foundation to take full advantage of development support.

“The help of the Foundation will best assure the enduring viability of the Kidder Trust,” Lewis said.

To date, the scholarship arm of the trust has supported 58 graduates in studies in human and veterinary medicine, law and graduate studies. One of those recipients is using his veterinary education at WVU. Darin Matlick is a WVU Extension Service veterinarian and serves as director of farm operations and administration for the Davis College.

“I was fortunate to receive the Kidder Scholarship as a graduate of the Animal Sciences program, and I was able to reduce my tuition cost for veterinary school,” Matlick said. “This was a huge help financially to me and my family, but it was also a great honor to receive this scholarship in Dr. Kidder’s name. Dr. Kidder was a great teacher and mentor to so many, and I’m proud to be part of that legacy.”

Contributions to the H.E. “Doc” Kidder Memorial Endowment may be made by sending checks made payable to the WVU Foundation with “H.E. “Doc” Kidder Memorial Endowment/3V959” written in the memo line.

“These funds will be placed in the endowment principal to assist us with building the fund to $1 million,” said Julie Cryser, director of development for the Davis College. “If you would like the funds to be utilized now to assist with sending students to judging contests, please also write a note saying you would like the funding to be placed in the ‘spend/cash’ portion of the endowment, and those dollars will be utilized this academic year, rather than being placed in the endowment principal.”

7

BRIAN PERSINGER

NATURAL RESOURCES

Find the

fingerprint

Wildlife researchers use DNA to understand the bobcat population Each sampled bobcat is “marked” by its own DNA fingerprint, which is examined by Thomas Rounsville and Amy Welsh.

As trapping season for furbearing animals began in West Virginia, a team of West Virginia University researchers took “DNA fingerprints” of the Mountain State’s bobcat population to evaluate whether there should be future increases or decreases in bag limits or if the season should be shortened or lengthened.

With the help of a $270,000 grant from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, the team will determine the population, productivity and health of bobcats in the state.

Bobcats are wild cats native to North America who have black-flecked tan and white coats.

“We want to establish a better bobcat population assessment so that we can evaluate whether the state should continue the current trapping limit of three bobcats annually or if management practices need to be revised to increase or reduce harvest to achieve a sustainable population and harvest,” said Jim Anderson, DavisMichael Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources in WVU’s Davis

“ In the past decade, the West Virginia harvest of bobcats has doubled from around 1,000 to close to 2,000.”

- STEPHANIE LANDRY

For more information, go to wildgenomics.forestry.wvu.edu.

Bobcats have an average of two kittens per litter with a 62 percent chance of surviving to adulthood.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

62%

College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.

“They have an average of two kittens per litter with a 62 percent adult survival rate,” said Stephanie Landry, a graduate student in wildlife and fisheries resources and a participant in the project. “In the past decade, the West Virginia harvest of bobcats has doubled from around 1,000 to close to 2,000.”

The team was challenged with finding an effective way to survey the bobcat population, its movements and its overall health.

The solution was found in DNA. “We are using ‘DNA fingerprints’ to not only estimate the population size, but to determine differences in abundance and distribution in the various regions of the state, and identify potential barriers to gene flow — the population’s ability to move throughout the state,” Anderson explained.

Bobcats are elusive, solitary hunters and difficult to observe in the wild.

To obtain DNA samples, the team will deploy dozens of hair-snare devices throughout the state — rayed steel

cables designed to attract animals and collect hair samples through contact as the animals walk by or step over the devices.

“This type of sample collection is considered non-invasive because it doesn’t cause stress to the animal,” explained Amy Welsh, assistant professor of wildlife and fisheries resources. “The genetic samples we obtain will provide valuable information.”

The DNA samples can be used to estimate the size of West Virginia’s bobcat population through a method known as “mark-recapture.” Each bobcat that has been sampled is “marked” by its own DNA fingerprint.

The next year, samples will be collected from the same areas, and bobcats that have been sampled both years will be considered “recaptures.”

A comparison is made between the numbers of new bobcats that provided samples only in the second year versus those that were “recaptured” from the first year. This measure can then be used to estimate the overall size of the bobcat population throughout the state.

“The genetic fingerprints constructed for population measure can also provide information on bobcat movements,” said Thomas Rounsville, another wildlife graduate student involved in the research. “These DNA fingerprints may have types unique to a particular region of West Virginia. A bobcat from Morgantown may look genetically different than one from Huntington.

If the bobcats in Weston have DNA fingerprints that look like a combination of the two, then there have to be bobcats moving between the two areas.”

The DNA analysis will be used in combination with harvest data on age, reproductive rates and diet to develop a population assessment and survey of overall health.

In addition to DNA fingerprinting, the team is working in cooperation with the state’s trapping and hunting community.

“Hunters’ main interest is in bobcat pelts, but we want to gather information from those existing carcasses to help us determine the age, reproductive rates and diets (from stomach contents),” Anderson explained.

“This can provide us with valuable information about the population that we cannot obtain from a DNA sample.”

9

The Lawn on D is a flexible-use, temporary outdoor space designed as an experimental ground for programming public space in Boston.

DESIGN

10

If there were a list of rising stars for the landscape architecture profession, Nina Chase would almost certainly be included. In fact, she was recently named as a “Landscape Architect to Watch� by Green Building and Design magazine.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Nina Chase is designing a one-of-a-kind career

CHRISTIAN PHILLIPS

Since graduating from WVU in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture, the young professional has been on the fast track.

Raised in Morgantown by a family that appreciated quality architecture, Chase arrived at WVU with her sights set on being an architect — perhaps focusing her efforts

Sasaki’s most recent research initiative, Sea Change: Boston, which demonstrates urban design opportunities responding to sea level rise in Boston.

Most recently, Chase and her colleagues designed “The Lawn on D,” a $1.5 million undertaking for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority in Boston.

“The Lawn on D is putting design ideas to the test,” she said. “The flexible-use, temporary outdoor space, adjacent to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, is designed as an experimental ground for programming public space. Movable furniture, ping-pong tables, innovative lighting and food trucks populate the Lawn on D day and night. Successful ideas and events will be incorporated into the final design of a permanent event plaza, slated to be constructed in the next few years.”

She currently serves as an adjunct instructor in the Boston Architectural College’s School of Landscape Architecture, a role she finds particularly engaging because “teaching keeps fresh ideas flowing.”

“Being not far removed from classes and studios myself, I can identify with my students well and I recognize their immediate challenges: balancing other classes outside of studio, learning new software, hunting for a job,” she said. “But even being only a few years out of school, there is so much to

“ I fell in love with the science, art and urban design components of landscape architecture.”

12

keep learning; technology, theories, construction techniques.

The students are often teaching me!”

While Chase believes practicing landscape architecture in an office setting is very rewarding, she finds teaching to be invigorating in a completely different way.

“I love the academic, conceptual, lab-like atmosphere; ideas are always being tested, beyond the confines of client budgets,” she said. “My teaching focuses on incorporating natural systems into urban settings and on graphic representation and storytelling; how through design and graphics you can tell the story of a compelling project.”

As if her days weren’t busy enough, Chase is also the chair of the Emerging Professionals Committee for the Boston Society of Landscape Architects where she has been helping to build a strong community of professionals early in their careers.

In many ways in her career, Chase is carrying on the core mission of her alma mater — teaching, research and service.

Sea Change: Boston, a research initiative co-led by Sasaki Associate’s Nina Chase, demonstrates urban design opportunities responding to sea level rise in Boston.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

“ My teaching focuses on incorporating natural systems into urban settings and on graphic representation and storytelling; how through design and graphics you can tell the story of a compelling project.” - NINA CHASE

EMILY JUNKER

on restoration and preservation — but ultimately found her passion for landscape architecture.

“I fell in love with the science, art and urban design components of landscape architecture,” she said.

While at WVU, Chase developed a particular interest in hydrology and water in land use planning.

During her senior year, Chase collaborated with two classmates to create a vibrant master plan for an undeveloped area of riverfront property in the Charles River Basin of Massachusetts. The proposed Interchange Park, connecting existing spaces in Boston, Charlestown and Cambridge, was a multifunctional green infrastructure using sustainable planting schemes, innovative energy solutions and creative storm water management.

After earning numerous academic accolades, including being recognized by the Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholars program and being named to WVU’s Order of Augusta, Chase said farewell to Morgantown and hello to Cambridge, Massachusetts, as she pursued her master’s degree in landscape architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

For her final studio project, Chase was tasked with repurposing one of the abandoned industrial areas along the south branch of the Chicago River.

“I chose the Pilsen industrial corridor and designed a water research center where people could come and study fresh-water resource management,” she said. “The defunct shipping slips were redesigned to capture storm water, and each slip became an example of a different storm-water filtration system.”

Chase and the project received recognition within the landscape architecture profession including an analysis and planning honor award from the American Society of Landscape Architecture, and an honor award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.

After graduating from Harvard she was hired as a landscape architect by Sasaki Associates, a design firm that takes a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach.

Working for the firm has allowed Chase to continue the water research near and dear to her heart as well as teach and mentor new crops of budding landscape architects. She co-led

15

For more information, go to davis.wvu.edu/research.

LINDSAY WILLEY

AGRICULTURE

14

“ I like the idea of turning an invasive species into a functional food.” - KRISTEN MATAK

What do an invasive species and the booming supplement market have in common? Quite a bit, if a team of West Virginia University food scientists has its way.

Kristen Matak and Janet Tou, associate professors of human nutrition and foods in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, have received a $435,353 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to explore the potential of repurposing protein from underutilized fish. In the process, they hope to create an innovative protein source for the world’s growing population.

“The need for better management of natural fish resources and waste management is a pressing issue,” said Matak. “Fish are a major component to the global food supply, most of which arrives in the form of fillets, fish meal or fish oil. Unfortunately, only 30 to 40 percent of initial fish weight is recovered for human consumption at the fish processing plants.

“The rest, making up to 60 to 70 percent of the initial weight, are typically discarded or rendered into non-food products due to difficulty of recovering the protein that is attached to the head, bones or skin.”

Matak and Tou will explore ways to recover a valuable nutrient known as sarcoplasmic protein.

“Sarcoplasmic protein is soluble

also be an animal feeding component to in water and low ionic solutions,” the research.

Matak explained. “It can be effectively “Animal feeding will help us test the recovered from fish processing byproducts fairly simply, and a high-protein protein’s quality,” Tou said. “High protein solution that would otherwise have been quality is more desirable, and low quality means that the proteins won’t synthesize thrown away would be repurposed as a protein powder with properties similar to into muscle mass.”

It also confirms the product’s safety whey protein concentrate.” for human consumption, Tou said.

The overall goal of this project is to “These things need to be tested create a marketable protein powder fit before we can add new products into the for human consumption. The recovered protein powder would have high storage food supply, particularly if the protein is going to be used in products consumed stability and be easy to transport, by infants and children,” she added. increasing the variety of ways the As for the fish that provides this product can be used. protein, Matak has an idea that would “For example, it could be mixed in increase the research’s environmental drinking water or fortified with vitamin A for use in the developing world,” Matak angle even further.

“I would like to work with silver carp, said. “It could also be used to enhance since that’s an invasive species in the the nutritional profile of otherwise lowUnited States,” Matak said. “I like the protein or incomplete protein products.” idea of turning an invasive species into a Matak, Tou and their graduate functional food.” students will assess the purity and nutritional quality of the resulting protein powder.

They’ll compare the Only 30 to 40 percent 60 to 70 percent of the initial weight functionality of the of initial fish weight is is typically discarded or rendered into powder to whey recovered for human non-food products due to difficulty protein in typical food consumption at fish of recovering the protein. systems like protein processing plants. shakes. They’ll also have a panel of tasters evaluate sensory attributes like color, texture, odor and acceptability. There will

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Food scientists fish around for new sources

15

PHOTOGRAPHS BY M.G. ELLIS

ELM Program

The Lay of the Land

New major covers ground in energy land management As part of his 55 County Tour of West Virginia in 2014, WVU President E. Gordon Gee, along with faculty, staff and students, toured the Dominion Blue Racer gas plant in Natrium and a Noble Energy gas well in Marshall County.

West Virginia University is responding to the booming Marcellus Shale growth in West Virginia and the corresponding increasing demand for energy professionals by offering a new degree program focused specifically on preparing students for careers in energy land management.

The energy land management major achieved a crucial milestone last fall when WVU’s Board of Governors officially approved a Bachelor of Science degree in Energy Land Management. The milestone follows the WVU Faculty Senate’s approval in June and is the result of a year of hard work from the WVU Davis College

16

of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design that made the program a reality.

“The ELM program was formed to give students interested in the focused area of land management the knowledge necessary to succeed in the energy sector,” said Shawn Grushecky, coordinator of the ELM program.

It is one of only 10 programs in North America accredited by the American Association of Professional Landmen.

Professionals in this discipline determine the ownership of surface and subsurface rights, negotiate contracts and leases, coordinate field exploration activities, serve as a liaison between lease owners and exploration and production companies and ensure community and environmental quality during energy development.

Energy companies with large footprints in West Virginia and the Marcellus Shale have supported the ELM program through its development and are pleased to see it has achieved Board of Governors approval.

Mark Acree, senior land manager in the Marcellus Business Unit at Noble Energy Inc. said this academic initiative that will prepare students for careers in energy land management.

“Noble Energy is proud to financially support West Virginia University’s Energy Land Management program and serve on the ELM Advisory Board,” Acree said.

“We look forward to watching the program grow and are actively involved in contributing to the success of the program through our advisory board

The Energy Land Management program is one of only

10 PROGRAMS in North America accredited by the American Association of Professional Landmen.

membership and by providing guest lecturers for classes. We anticipate this program will generate very qualified students that will be prime candidates for internships and ultimately be recruited to work with top energy companies around the country, Noble Energy included.”

The advisory board also includes representatives from firms like Cabot Oil and Gas, Dominion, EnerVest, Ally Land & Energy, Range Resources, Antero Resources and Steptoe & Johnson. Board members are active in organizations like the Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia, the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, the Michael Late Benedum Chapter of the AAPL and the Northern Appalachian Landman’s Association.

“The energy companies on the advisory board formed a partnership to support the program, providing $500,000 to support the curriculum development and faculty,” said Grushecky. “This is the first time the Davis College has worked with industry to develop a new major from the ground up and had this kind of private support for creating a program.”

The Energy Land Management program joins WVU’s Environmental and Energy Resource Management program in providing industry-ready graduates for the region’s booming energy sector, training skilled employees for important roles in public and private enterprise.

For more information, go to energy.davis.wvu.edu.

17

Young Innovators

“ Enhancing and sustaining the rural economy of West Virginia is vitally important to the state, and there’s a clear need for innovation and entrepreneurship to support that.”

FUNDING

The West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design will build on its foundation as an innovation hub with the support of a $157,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and $100,000 from Farm Credit.

The combination of private and public funds will enable the creation of the WVU Davis College Young Innovators Fellowship program, which will provide students motivated to bring innovation and entrepreneurship to rural environments and communities the skills to do so. The program will accept students from any of the College’s academic programs, from agriculture to housing and all forms of business and technology development.

Advancing the ways and means for WVU graduates to more quickly and successfully contribute to the region’s economic development is the goal. Measuring the success of graduates this way is a new approach.

“Enhancing and sustaining the rural economy of West Virginia is vitally important to the state, and there’s a clear need for innovation and entrepreneurship to support that,” said Dan Robison, dean of the Davis College. “Through the Young Innovators Fellowship program, we’ll be able to build an even more fertile entrepreneurial environment among students, faculty, farmers, rural business and technology developers and others who have a stake in these critical issues.”

The program will also provide a think-tank atmosphere, allowing students to interact with many organizations and governmental agencies that are focused on sustainable agriculture and rural development in the state, as well as potential funders for future entrepreneurial activities.

The program will include internships, provide service opportunities for undergraduate students to give back to the state and develop networking and mentoring opportunities.

As a first step, the WVU Davis College will assemble a Young Innovators Resource Team composed of faculty, practitioners, managers of working capital, business support and training organizations, and networking groups. The team will select ten sophomores annually as Fellows, who will be active in the program during their junior and senior years.

Each fellow will receive an annual scholarship, so long as they continue to meet program requirements and show good progress in moving toward developing their entrepreneurial and innovation skills. Each Fellow and a faculty adviser together develop a Young Entrepreneur Success (YES) Plan as a guide to their specific participation in the program. Matt Wilson, a professor and assistant director of the College’s experiment station, will serve as program coordinator.

“West Virginians spend more than $7 billion on food every year, but less than 10 percent of that is from in-state production. The markets exist for agribusiness growth, as well

as all the other kinds of commercial activity that make rural communities vital,” Wilson said. “The Davis College intends to train students to tap into those markets and build West Virginia’s economy.”

Students in the Young Innovators program will take their experiences in cutting-edge spaces like the Evansdale Greenhouse and incorporate them into powerful entrepreneurial concepts with the help of professional mentors.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN PERSINGER

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Innovation

- DAN ROBISON

19

Butler Organic Gift

For more information, go to organic.wvu.edu.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAKE LAMBUTH

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Gift from emerita nurtures organic opportunities

20

West Virginia University is one of a small number of schools with a well-established organic agriculture initiative, and its research activities filter into academics and outreach.

A retired WVU faculty member has enhanced the project’s capacities. Dr. Linda Butler, professor emeritus of entomology, has endowed the Butler Organics Discretionary Fund to support WVU’s Organic Research Project in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.

During her tenure at WVU, Dr. Butler was part of the multidisciplinary group of researchers who launched the initiative in 1998 and began transitioning the traditional horticulture farm into a certified organic facility.

“Personally, I have always been very committed to environmentally friendly means of food production, having grown my own organic fruits and vegetables for many years,” Dr. Butler said. “Additionally, I wanted to support the Organic Research Project because it is now a long-lived project that has a strong past and, with help, can continue successfully into the future.”

The Organic Research Project encompasses many disciplines, including entomology, animal science, horticulture, soil science, crops agronomy and weed management.

“This interdisciplinary approach to research and problem-solving encourages us to ‘see the big picture’ while focusing on the small details and building blocks for the big picture,” Dr. Butler explained.

One use of the Butler Organics Discretionary Fund will be to support summer internships for students at the project farm.

“Classroom learning is critical in higher education, but it falls short if not coupled with practical, handson experience,” Dr. Butler said. “Few approaches can provide this as well as internships. This is especially true with a broad, multidisciplinary field such as organic research where the students interact with faculty and students from many disciplines and apply classroom theory to the real world.”

“Dr. Butler’s gift reveals a lot about her commitment to the educational programs she has been a part of in the Division of Plant and Soil Science at WVU,” said Dr. Matthew Jenks, director of the division.

“Her support for the organic farm intern program will help us take our programs to the next level, and will provide for what promises to be a wonderful learning experience for our students.”

Each student intern will have the

opportunity to see beyond her or his immediate project into the complexity of living plants, animals, soil and weather.

Dr. Sven Verlinden, associate professor of horticulture, is currently recruiting the first cohort of summer organic interns.

“Students enrolled in this program will be exposed to all facets of managing an organic farm, from developing a farm plan to maintaining organic certification and dealing with problems and opportunities inherent to organic production of plants and animals,” Verlinden said.

For more information on the internship application process, please contact Dr. Verlinden at Sven.Verlinden@mail.wvu.edu.

During her tenure at WVU, Butler was named a 2001 Benedum Distinguished Scholar and became the first Davis-Michael Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences in 2002. Her work has contributed greatly to a better understanding of the relationships among species and the ecology of the whole forest rather than an isolated insect or tree, and she incorporated that understanding into her teaching.

Dr. Butler’s gift was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $1 billion comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2017.

“ I wanted to support the Organic Research Project because it is now a long-lived project that has a strong past and, with help, can continue successfully into the future.”

- DR. LINDA BUTLER

All images were taken during our annual Organic Farm Field Day. Going clockwise from top: Lewis Jett, Extension horticulture specialist; Jim Kotcon, associate professor of plant pathology; Eugenia Pena-Yewtukhiw, associate professor of soil science.

Outstanding Alumni

Featured here are images from several master planned communities Haden designed as director of land planning at Stewart, Inc.

Early Adopter

“ Having a project to assist with in West Virginia had long been a dream of mine.

For it to become reality has been very special.”

22

When Jim Haden was a student at West Virginia University, the Landscape Architecture program was in its infancy. Although the program was home to only four, albeit young and enthusiastic, faculty members, approximately 24 undergraduate students and many classes being taught for the first or second time, Haden is proud of what that close-knit group accomplished. Almost 40 years later, Haden credits a large portion of his success as a landscape architect to the foundation laid at WVU. “We got every bit as good of an education — maybe even better — at that time as students in more established programs,” he said. Haden began his career with Bircher-Bonnell in North Canton, Ohio, where he worked on projects like those he was first exposed to at WVU — schools, parks, medical facilities, industrial sites and multifamily housing.

In 1972, however, Haden joined Edward D. Stone Jr. and Associates (EDSA), an international planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm that focused primarily on resort properties.

His work ethic helped him rise through the ranks and, ultimately, become a company principal. His first project was adding resort units to a project in Jamaica, but the projects quickly escalated to largescale master planning of second-home and retirement communities throughout Florida. Most of the projects, he notes, included golf courses, man-made lakes and lagoons, and extensive clubhouses and pool complexes.

As a junior member of the team, Haden had to adapt quickly to the needs of the senior staff.

- JIM HADEN

“It was baptism by fire,” he said. “I made plenty of mistakes and worked lots of hours on my time fixing them, but learned quickly. I was rewarded with more projects and more responsibility.

At that time, and I think the same is true today, EDSA will allow you to advance and grow at your own pace, but you have to grow.”

Haden became the go-to person for major land planning projects in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, two highgrowth areas north of Fort Lauderdale.

He helped guide more than 12 planned unit developments — projects that covered more than 15,000 acres and more than 25,000 dwelling units in total — through the rezoning process.

“Many were developments of regional impact that had a state mandated review process over and above the basic rezoning,” he said.

He also has an interesting claim to fame. “I’ve never had a project denied

for rezoning. A streak I still have going,” he said.

In 1995, Haden and George Stanziale, colleagues at EDSA since 1976, came together to purchase EDSA’s North Carolina offices and open Haden Stanziale.

At the time Haden was managing the firm’s Charlotte office while Stanziale was overseeing the office in Durham.

“It was a really easy decision for my future partner, George Stanziale, and I to make regarding buying the North Carolina offices of EDSA,” he said. “EDSA was benefiting from the global expansion of the tourism and resort industries and was capitalizing on the reputation they had built in the Caribbean area.

They were focusing on off-shore work and being highly successful at it. Their business model allowed them to have a much higher billing structure than we could achieve in the Carolinas. We were struggling to compete. When we left, we significantly lowered our rates, and the

marketplace responded positively.”

From highways to greenways, hotels to mixed-use planned communities, Haden and his firm managed and oversaw the design and production of a number of large tract land projects in the North Carolina area.

Between 1999 and 2008, Haden was the principal-in-charge for six awardwinning projects as recognized by the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Among those were the Mecklenburg County Greenway Master Plan, Gorges State Park and Concord Center City Plan.

Although the recession of the late 2000s saw fewer people utilizing landscape architectural firms, Haden Stanziale continued to produce highquality work and remained dedicated to helping grow the landscape architecture profession.

These efforts helped it earn 2011 Firm of the Year by the NCASLA. “Receiving

the NCASLA Firm of the Year Award for 2011 was a highlight of my partners and my career, as well as all our staff members,” Haden said. “It recognizes many things, but most importantly, a consistently high standard of quality over an extended period of time, as well as a positive contribution to raising the stature of the profession of landscape architecture within the state. It is always great to be acknowledged by your peers for doing a good job.”

Although Haden Stanziale was initially formed out of a desire to take on more local projects, Haden returned to his roots in 2004 when he took on the role of principal-in-charge for the planning of Charles Point, a 1,600 acre mixed-use planned community in Bridgeport, West Virginia, that includes 2.76 million square feet of commercial and office space, 2,233 residential units, integrated parks, open space and pedestrian and bicycle trails.

“Having a project to assist with in

West Virginia had long been a dream of mine,” he said. “For it to become reality has been very special.”

With the project still progressing, Haden and his staff have built a more than 10-year relationship with the developers.

“It has been a fun and challenging assignment for our entire staff, but especially for me,” he said.

Most recently, Haden’s company merged with Raleigh-based Stewart Engineering to become one of the largest engineering and landscape architecture firms in North Carolina.

Although the shape of his business has changed over the years, the scope has always remained the same — emphasize quality, creativity and stewardship of the land while paying close attention to clients’ needs.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Jim Haden has seen the landscape architecture profession evolve

23

Donor Recognition

Individuals and organizations honored were: PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR James Kinsey, of Taylor County, West Virginia, was recognized for his creation of the Oak Front Farm Scholarship. While building the Kinsey’s Oak Front Farm herd, Kinsey has emerged as one of the more influential leaders of the beef industry in the state and nation. He has provided valuable leadership and service as an officer and board member for the West Virginia Cattleman’s Association and West Virginia Beef Industry Council, as well as representing West Virginia on boards and committees for the National Beef Cattle Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Southern States Board of Directors and Farm Credit organizations.

S U P P O RT

CORPORATE PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Davis College honors friends and philanthropists

LINDSAY WILLEY

CoBank was recognized for its commitment to the Agricultural Sciences Building Construction. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America.

The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy.

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AWARD George Weaver III, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was recognized for his commitment to assisting and investing in the Davis College’s recruitment efforts. He has been proactive with Davis College development and recruitment personnel in organizing local recruitment events and investing in those activities. A graduate of the Davis College, Weaver has worked in soil conservation services and sales, but his career eventually led him to financial consulting where he continues to provide individual and institutional clients with investment counsel and portfolio management.

24

As West Virginia University continues its march to a $1 billion goal in A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design honored some of its most ardent supporters and partners at a recent banquet.

“Last year, we began a new tradition of honoring some of the people and organizations that truly make a difference here in the Davis College, providing us with a margin of excellence through donations of their time, energy, ideas and financial support,” said Daniel J. Robison, dean of the Davis College.

“The kinds of investments these people make set us apart, enable us and inspire us to work all the harder,” Robison said.

Robison noted that private giving and donations of time and energy make all the more difference in uncertain budgetary times and, through endowments, “sustain the good works of students and faculty for years to come.”

• Joel and Suellen Newman, of Fairfax, Virginia, for creation of the Joel and Suellen Newman Dean’s Opportunity Fund.

• Jim “Apples” McClelland, of Washington, Pennsylvania, for support of the Evansdale Greenhouse.

•E lizabeth Rice, of Statesville, North Carolina, for support of the West Virginia Natural History Museum.

• The West Virginia Farm Bureau for establishment of an undergraduate agriculture scholarship.

• VI-COR for the establishment of the VI-COR Unrestricted Research Fund.

•W illiam F. and Lynn D. Gauss Foundation for their support of the service dog training program.

For more information, go to giving.davis.wvu.edu.

VOLUNTEER LEADER Joginder Nath, emeritus professor of genetics and developmental biology, was recognized for his commitment to assisting with the College’s comprehensive campaign by identifying and cultivating donors.

He has been a donor himself, giving back to the Davis College and other WVU initiatives, and he encourages his students, friends and colleagues to do the same. He has spent many hours working with the College’s Development Office as an ambassador for giving back to the College.

LEGACY LEADERS Kaye C. and R. Michael Daniel, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were recognized for their legacy gift to the Kaye C. Daniel Faculty Development Fund. Kaye Daniel earned her master’s degree from the Davis College. Prior to retirement, she was president of a company that marketed products to the military. She also co-authored and published a guide to antique shops in the Pittsburgh area. Michael is an estates and trusts attorney in Pittsburgh. He is a retired colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He is an Eagle Scout and is a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America.

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

James Kinsey (center), pictured with his wife Beverly (left) and Dean Dan Robison, was recognized as the 2014 Philanthropist of the Year.

The Davis College also recognized several other supporters for major gifts:

25

Donor Recognition

Saying Thanks

26

$1 to $499 Mr. Matthew J. Antosiak Mr. Jude A. Basso Mr. Dennis D. Dutzman Mr. and Mrs. Dennis M. Powell Ms. Martha A. Wyatt Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Wynne Mr. and Mrs. James F. Ali Mr. James J. August Mrs. Ellen G. Campbell Mr. John D. Cook Mr. David A. Dendler Mr. John D. Konkle II Mr. and Mrs. Porter W. Lewis Mrs. Dortha B. Loofboro Mrs. Marilyn A. Noah Mr. Ronald E. Paugh Mrs. Krista K. S. Reed Ms. Jeanette L. Shahan Ms. Jessica G. Strother Mr. Richard M. Teck Mrs. Martha E. D. Warring Mrs. Ruth N. Whiteman Hunt Lumber Company Ms. Jerri A. Brooks Mr. Clarence B. Brown and Mrs. Mary Brown Mrs. Pameal J. Buckalew Mr. and Mrs. David D. Christian Mr. and Mrs. Douglas W. Cleveland John and Gloria Cox Prof. and Mrs. David B. Davis Prof. and Mrs. Lloyd M. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Fisher Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Fleming Mrs. Kristin R. Friend Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Gambill Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Gasper Mr. and Mrs. James A. Gelston Mr. Fran Gough, Jr. Mr. Francis Gough Thomas and Barbara Greer Mr. Gerard T. Hewitt Mrs. Mary F. Holt Mrs. Josette Hudek Mr. Victor L. Kuhl Dr. Marie C. La Regina Ms. Deborah Layton Miss Jennifer Levine Mr. and Mrs. Michael Levine Mr. Murray Levy Mrs. Celeste London Mrs. Kristin E. Lovingood Mr. Edward L. Manzer Capt. Kathryn W. Marko USN (Ret) Mr. H. Lamar Merck Mr. and Mrs. Philip R. Mohler Mr. Benjamin W. Morey Mrs. Leslie J. Picinich Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pinnell Mr. William D. Poole Mr. Matthew S. Randles Mr. William Reagor Mr. George C. Rinehart William and Jo Ellen Rouse Mr. and Mrs. George H. Shoemaker Mr. and Mrs. John B. Sims Mr. and Mrs. Philip R. Stehman Mr. Eric J. Sturm Ms. Robin Thompson Mr. Harry L. Walker Mr. & Mrs. Alfred H. Wassynger Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Weimer Mr. and Mrs. Mark D. Whetzel Mrs. Heather L. Wilson-Richey

Mrs. Michelle K. Wolfe Mrs. Kathy C. Yost Mr. and Mrs. W. Scott Hall Capt. and Mrs. Richard H. Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Douglas K. Watson Page Valley Veterinary Clinic Dr. and Mrs. G. Richard Childs PhD Mr. and Mrs. John M. Cole III Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hager Mrs. Lindsay E. Willey Miss Anna M. Harris H. Lynwood and Irene McBride Mr. Paul R. Stern Dr. and Mrs. James H. Tepperberg Mr. Jerry A. Thomas Mr. John J. West Laboratory Corporation of America TM Holdings Mr. Leif E. Anderson Mr. Russell C. McKittrick Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood E. Anderson Mrs. Elizabeth L. Arlou Surgeon Mrs. Linda R. Bagby Dr. and Mrs. R. Brent Bailey Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Baldwin Mr. and Mrs. Bruce P. Beerbower Mr. and Mrs. James W. Bell III Ms. Linda K. Bennett Dr. Gary K. Bissonnette Ms. Amanda B. Bostic DVM Mr. Charles E. Brown Mr. G. Gregory Butts Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert J. Closkey Mrs. Elaine S. Coleman Ms. Susan L. Collins Dr. Robert A. Dailey and Mrs. Jean E. Dailey Mr. Gerald Demuro Paul and Diane Dumont Mr. Gregory M. Duritsa Dr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Dziubek Mr. Charles W. Francis Mr. Brian M. Gillespie Dr. Michael B. Griffith and Ms. Julie K. Stark Gary and Carol Gwinn Mrs. Carol S. Hall Mr. Daniel R. Hamel Mr. Paul J. Harris Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Hlusko Dr. and Mrs. John H. Hunter Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Huss Dr. E. Keith Inskeep and Mrs. Ansusan Inskeep Mrs. Lena F. Iredell Mr. and Mrs. Kevin L. Irvine Mrs. Pamela M. Irvine Mr. Lawrence K. Jorishie Mr. Craig R. Kaderavek Ms. Dorothy L. Kengla Ms. Jayne C. Kight Mrs. Sue H. Langmyer MA Mr. Christopher Lea Mr. David D. Lewis Mrs. Clare E. Linfield Mr. Robert E. Lockhart Mr. and Mrs. David E. Marsh Mr. Timothy W. Maupin Dr. and Mrs. Michael G. Mawhinney Mrs. Pamela M. Mays Mr. Joe Mechem Beth and Donald Mercer Mr. and Mrs. James A. Millar Dr. Richard J. Miraglia Mr. Richard S. Monson

Mrs. Nancy J. Moody Richard and Laura Moore Dr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Morgan Mrs. Mary A. Morgan Mr. and Mrs. Scott J. Morgan Mr. and Mrs. Craig V. O’Leary Dr. Matthew A. Oliverio Mr. James P. Owens Dr. and Mrs. William G. Paull, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Perez Mrs. Robin S. Poling Mr. and Mrs. Daniel E. Pollock Mrs. Sandra A. Price Mr. Michael B. Pugh Mr. and Mrs. Kurt E. Ring Mr. Scott M. Sachs Mr. Don P. Schultehenrich Mrs. Dorothy B. Sellers Mr. Eric D. Shafer Mr. and Mrs. Scott H. Shirer Mr. and Mrs. Clinton E. Shurtliffe Mr. and Mr. Brandon S. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Stevens Dr. Raymond L. Swadley Mr. J. Benton Swiger Ms. Alice C. Tuckwiller Dr. and Mrs. Steven P. Washburn PhD Mr. and Mrs. Merlin A. Wentworth Mr. William C. West Mr. and Mrs. R. Kevin Whipkey Mr. Juergen A. Wildman Circle H Livestock Farm Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program Suder’s Miss Amber D. Hines Mr. and Mrs. Norman G. Conrad Mr. and Mrs. D. Kenneth Darnell Dr. Jean M. Woloshuk Mrs. Ann L. Bowser Mr. and Mrs. David M. Knupp Mr. Timothy L. Ashley Mr. and Mrs. Carroll D. Bailey Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Balasko Dr. and Mrs. John F. Bargeloh Dr. and Mrs. John E. Baumgras Mrs. Winona P. Beneke Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Bird Mr. Robert C. Boyd and Mrs. Norma Cryer Boyd Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Bragg Mr. Gary L. Brown Mr. and Mrs. James H. Canterberry Mr. and Mrs. David M. Champe Mrs. Terri L. Chiriboga Dr. and Mrs. Dale A. Coleman Mrs. Lynn P. Comerci Mrs. Loreen J. Conlon Mrs. Cynthia J. Copeland Mr. and Mrs. Gary R. Cowell Mr. Michael A. Cupo Mr. and Mrs. Douglas K. Davis Dr. Charlotte D. Dietz Dr. Rex D. Lasure and Ms. Nancy A. Endrizzi Mr. William A. Fiske, Sr. Ms. Bernadette M. Fitzgerald Dr. Shirley D. Fortney Mr. and Mrs. Albert E. Freeman PhD Mrs. Dorothy T. Fulton Dr. Andrew J. Gentilin and Dr. Kasey B. Gentilin Mr. Ralph P. Glover, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. R. Thomas Griffey Mr. William B. Hall Mr. and Mrs. Terry D. Hamilton

Matching Gift Program Glenmark Holding Limited Liability Company Harris Foundation Northern Trust Company Charitable Trust Phillips Pharmacy Thomas W Leslie DDS Windy Heights Farms Mr. Hao Ma Dr. and Mrs. Kerry S. Odell Ms. Elizabeth J. Wright Dr. Scott A. Bowdridge Mr. Albert C. Olshinsky, Jr. Mr. David P. Belesky Mr. John R. Alexander Mr. Clifford P. Carpenter, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. James S. Clarke Mr. Gus R. Douglass Dr. Jerald J. Fletcher and Mrs. Marsha C. Fletcher Mrs. Ann R. Hutchison Ms. Joyce A. Kimble Dr. Timothy B. King and Dr. Janice M. King Mr. and Mrs. Ray W. Knotts

Mrs. Nicole S. O’Hara Mr. and Mrs. Curtis S. Read Dr. and Mrs. Peter V. Schaeffer-Dresler Mrs. Rosa Stolzenberg Mr. Wayne T. Thrush, Jr. Mr. Gerald W. Waybright Cain Farms Morrow Hill Farm Mr. Daniel J. Robison Mr. and Mrs. John R. Welte Ms. Clarissa J. Balbalian Dr. and Mrs. Alfred L. Barr Mr. W. Sherman Beard Mrs. Betty H. Cook and Dr. Robert E. Cook Mrs. Barbara H. Cowell Mr. and Mrs. Denny J. Cruise Mr. and Mrs. Rodney M. Horst Dr. and Mrs. Jerry N. Judy Mr. and Mrs. James N. Kochenderfer Mr. Charles T. Lipscomb Dr. Feipeng P. Liu Mr. Timothy C. Lynch Mrs. Betty M. Maxwell Ms. Monica L. Maxwell Mr. and Mrs. Perry D. McDaniel Mr. Ronald J. Pierce Mr. and Mrs. Caird E. Rexroad, Jr. Dr. Patricia M. Rings Mrs. Carol A. Savage Mr. and Mrs. Glenn E. Smith Mr. Homer B. Smith Mr. and Mrs. William E. Timko Mr. and Mrs. John R. Tschiderer Dr. Philip D. Whanger Mr. David E. White Dr. and Mrs. James E. Williams Lt. Gen. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Wykle William Yagle Trust Dr. Carole J. Adams Dr. and Mrs. John F. Bargeloh Mr. Steven M. Beattie Mr. William H. Coombs, Sr. Mr. Frederick S. Hazlett Dr. and Mrs. William M. Healy PhD Mr. and Mrs. Lance D. Kauf Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. Kirkham Mr. and Mrs. Marc S. Kudla Dr. and Mrs. Rocky M. Mason Mr. and Mrs. John R. Myers Mr. and Mrs. Howard R. Page Mrs. Tricia L. Petty and Mr. Jeffrey T. Petty Dr. Timothy T. Phipps Mr. Thomas F. Pue Mr. Kent Puffenbarger Dr. Amy H. Smythe Genevieve G. Taylor Irrevocable Trust OBS Landscape Architects State Farm Companies Foundation Maj. and Mrs. William S. Biddle Ms. Julie R. Cryser Ms. Deena M. Kent Mr. and Mrs. John Merinar, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest E. Moore Dr. and Mrs. John E. Warren, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. James L. Comerci Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O. Harper Dr. Gary E. Oates, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Bill B. Reynolds DVM Gamma Sigma Delta Mr. Larry J. Davis Mr. Joe Looman Mr. Paul S. Stull Mr. David P. Welsh and Mr. William J. Winsor Dr. and Mrs. E. Keith Inskeep $500 to $999 Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan A. Bedway Mr. and Mrs. Rodney P. Carr Mrs. Traci L. Eden Mr. and Mrs. Howard M. Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Knab Mr. David P. Lowry Dr. Mason E. Marvel Mr. and Mrs. Gary B. Moran Drs. Joginder and Charlotte L. Nath Mr. and Mrs. Owen M. Strickler III Mr. Charles Taylor Dr. W. Christopher Taylor Anthony J. Viti, MD, PLLC

B+C Studio Cellular Tracking Technologies Ernst & Young Foundation Parkersburg Area Community Foundation (PACF) Tetra Tech EM, Inc. The Forestland Group, LLC Mountain General, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Paul E. Lewis WVU Alumni Association College of Ag & Forestry Ms. Karen K. Johnson Stephen D. Carr Estate Planning Trust Mr. and Mrs. Don H. Peterson Mr. Edward G. Dawson Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Haught Sabatelli Precision Grinding Services, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Baker, Jr. Enviro Con Ltd Mr. and Mrs. Glenn A. Harman $1,000 to $9,999 Mr. and Mrs. Ron Thompson Dr. Diane K. Gross Dr. Robert and Mrs. Pamela Buck Mann Mrs. F. Adele McComas-White The Conservation Agency Mr. and Dr. Emil R. Liddell The American Chestnut Foundation Dr. James T. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Conley Mr. James A. Kinsey FirstEnergy Foundation Mr. James G. Lusk Dr. and Mrs. David A. Zuberer WV Wine & Jazz Fest Bartlett Tree Foundation EnerVest Operating, LLC Merck Partnership for Giving Reproductive Management US Charitable Gift Trust George & Ann Weaver Mrs. Nancy G. Torries Cargill Incorporated Mr. James Bialek Mr. John T. Rotruck Mr. Aaron W. Schemeck EDSA Northern Appalachian Landman’s Association The Pittsburgh Foundation WV Oil & Natural Gas Association Kathryn K. Thorniley Trust Mr. and Mrs. Joel G. Newman Prim Law Firm, PLLC Mr. Jerry R. Brooks PhD Marsyt Inc. American Floral Endowment $10,000 to $24,999 Mrs. Kaye C. Daniel Ally Land & Energy, LLC Communique, Inc Myles Family Foundation NuTech BioSciences, Inc. Panda, LLC Steptoe & Johnson Meadwestvaco Foundation American Eagle Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John C. Allen Noble Energy $25,000 or more Dr. Linda Butler Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation Brig. Gen. (Ret) Robert G. Jenkins Cooperative Research Farms Burket-Plack Fdn Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association Penn Line Corporation DSM Nutritional Products, Inc. Scott Equipment Company Morgan Tangson LLC Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Tatterson, Sr. Southwestern Energy Corporation Mr. William J. McClelland Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation The H. E. “Doc” Kidder Memorial Trust Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust

DAVIS .W VU. E DU

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Donors make an enormous difference to our ability to provide unique experiences to our students and important services to our communities.

Mrs. Anita M. Hardesty Dr. George W. Harrison PhD Prof. and Mrs. James M. Hileman Ms. Joanna C. Hoopes Dr. Marilyn F. Horacek and Mr. Louis C. Horacek Drs. Christopher and Donna Horvath Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert Johnson Mr. David C. Keith Mr. and Mrs. Roy L. Kirkpatrick Mr. Craig J. Klingensmith Mr. and Mrs. W. David Kolb Mr. Richard S. Kuykendall and Mrs. Kathy L. Kuykendall Mr. and Mrs. Neil A. Lapp Mr. Richard H. Lemmon Mr. and Mrs. Lynn M. McCauley Mr. and Mrs. S. Fenton McDonald Mr. and Mrs. Clark E. McKee Mrs. Constance C. Merandi Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Neal Mr. and Mrs. James J. Newman Dr. and Mr. Kristin D. Novinger Mrs. Nancy L. Oddleifson Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Oliver Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Olsen Mr. and Mrs. Roger D. Perdue Mr. James L. Pitt Mr. and Mrs. Eldon T. Plaugher Mr. Robert R. Pratt Mr. and Mrs. Emery L. Prunty Miss Cheryl V. Reeves Mrs. Sylvia J. Rhodes Mr. John Rice and Mrs. Anna W. Rice Mr. and Mrs. Douglas J. Richards Charles and Jillian Russell Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Schauer Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Schenkel Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Schoonmaker Mr. and Mrs. Gene F. Sentz Lt. Col. (Ret) and Mrs. William R. Seymour Mrs. June F. Shaffer Mrs. Mary A. Shamburg Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Sheets Mr. Donald R. Shultz Mr. and Mrs. Glenn J. Snyder, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel K. Southern Dr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Spelsberg PhD Mr. Leonard L. Tennant Mr. Frank M. Toney, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Townsend Mr. Peter Tumbas Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Vanderwoude Mr. John R. Wall Mr. Milford D. Welch Mr. Barry P. Whalen Mr. and Mrs. Brian W. Wickline Dr. Ruth A. Wilson-Doherty Mr. Lewis D. Wissinger, Jr. Dr. Shifu Zhao Mr. and Mrs. W. Harris Zinn A.M. Ward Stock Farm Bowers & Bowers, PLLC Denny’s Service Center Dominion Foundation

27

Distinguished Alumni

28

The West Virginia Alumni Association recently selected who, after being rescued after Hurricane Katrina, was its 2015 honorees. Among them is Dr. Rustin Moore, attacked by a dog, requiring the lower half of her leg to associate executive dean, executive director of the be amputated. Molly was fitted with a prosthetic limb Veterinary Medical Center and renowned equine and continues to do well nine years later, serving as researcher at The Ohio State University. a therapeutic friend to children and adults who have Moore dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, an physical or mental challenges.

Appalachian James Herriot if you will, as far back as he Moore served as chair of the Department of can remember, and today that dream is a reality. He Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Ohio State from 2006 is a world-renowned equine surgeon and researcher; -14 and was named the Bud and Marilyn Jenne dedicated veterinary educator, role model and mentor; Endowed Professor in 2008, a position he still holds. He and highly-regarded academic administrator. served Ohio State in numerous leadership positions, and A native of currently serves as Spencer, West associate executive Virginia, Moore dean of the College, received executive director of a bachelor’s degree the Veterinary Medical in Animal and Center and director of Veterinary Science the Alice Lloyd Finley from the WVU Memorial Veterinary Davis College of Research Farm.

Agriculture, Natural His research and Resources and clinical interests are Design in 1986, and extensive, and he his D.V.M. and Ph.D. has been a principal degrees from The or co-investigator on Ohio State University approximately 120 in 1989 and 1994, funded grants totaling respectively. He more than $4 million. achieved boardHe has received 2015 Academy of Distinguished Alumni — (left-right) James Valenti, Rustin certification numerous awards Moore, Thomas Menighan and Judith Hayes. and became a for his work, including Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, the WVU Davis in 1994.

College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design’s Moore began his faculty career in 1994 at Louisiana Young Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Lifetime State University and quickly rose through the ranks, Achievement Award for his work and support of becoming a professor in 2001. He served as service laminitis research. chief of equine medicine and surgery and director of the Moore is a member of numerous professional Equine Health Studies program and was appointed the organizations, including the American Association of Equine Paula and Milton Wyman Endowed Professor in 2004.

Practitioners and the American College of Veterinary While at LSU, Moore led a large-scale rescue effort Surgeons where he served on the board of directors and for nearly 500 horses along with many other animals board of regents, respectively. He currently serves as the coduring the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He director of the International Laminitis Conference. also is well known for his work with Molly the pony,

While at LSU, Rustin Moore led a large-scale rescue effort for nearly 500 horses along with many other animals during the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

RAYMOND THOMPSON

S PR I N G 2 0 1 5

Davis Graduate Selected for WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design PO Box 6108 Morgantown, WV 26506-6108

Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Morgantown, WV Permit No. 34

WVUDavis @WVUDavis davis.wvu.edu

DAVIS is produced twice each year for the alumni, friends and other supporters of the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.

Copyright Š2015 by the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.

Brief excerpts of articles in this publication may be reprinted without a request for permission if DAVIS is acknowledged in print as the source. Contact the Editors for permission to reprint entire articles.

The WVU Board of Governors is the governing body of WVU. The Higher Education Policy Commission in West Virginia is responsible for developing, establishing and overseeing the implementation of a public policy agenda for the state’s four-year colleges and universities.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

SCOTT LITUCHY

Late Breaking Wildlife and fisheries resources junior Hannah Clipp is the first WVU student to win both the Udall and Goldwater scholarships. go.wvu.edu/HannahClipp