Fall 2015

Volume VI - Issue 4

Dan's Observations

Dan Arp

A vote of confidence

This year, OSU’s statewide public service programs received a boost from the Oregon Legislature with $14 million additional funds. The new funding will support up to 40 new positions and stimulate new research and extension projects across the state.

We are deeply grateful for the Legislature’s support. Oregonians throughout the state will see benefits from these expanded programs. Examples include:

Urban communities:

expanded programs to support small-scale farming and community food systems;
increased research and development in fermentation sciences;
increased research on consumer demand and value-added marketing.

Willamette Valley:

increased research on honey-bee and pollinator health;
integrated pest management and slug control in commercial crops;
expanded vegetable and specialty seed crops research.

Coastal communities:

research and extension in seafood and shellfish safety;
near-shore fishery research and management;
expanded research on fertilizer transport and nutrient management.

Eastern Oregon:

rangeland ecology research and extension to support sage-grouse conservation;
horticultural crops and cropping systems;
precision irrigation and water quality.

Throughout Oregon:

increased research in food processing and safety;
increased research in fundamental plant genetics;
increased opportunities for students to experience science in real-world settings.

As you can see, the College of Agricultural Sciences is now able to address more needs in more communities across the entire state. We appreciate this vote of confidence from the state’s legislators.

Sincerely,

Dan

Daniel J. Arp
Reub Long Professor and Dean
College of Agricultural Sciences
Director
Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station

Recent News

Strand Agriculture Hall is renewed for the 21st Century

(Dan Arp, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, delivered these remarks at the Grand Re-opening of Strand Agriculture Hall event on October 27, 2015)

I speak for many when I say that it’s a thrill to see Strand Agriculture Hall restored beyond its former glory. It’s now an open, accessible space; it’s a seismically safe place; and it’s a beautiful space to invite people to explore agricultural sciences.

The college shares Strand with other programs on campus. But from the beginning, this building has always been the home of agricultural sciences. You’ll see it reflected in the artwork throughout the building, collected from our fine arts program called Art About Agriculture.

Completed in 1913, Agriculture Hall was the largest building on the campus of the Oregon Agricultural College. It was built in three parts: an Agronomy wing to the north, a Horticulture wing to the south, and a central Administrative Building that housed Animal Husbandry, Entomology, and Bacteriology.

One hundred years later, Oregon Agricultural College has grown to become Oregon State University. And the College of Agricultural Sciences has grown beyond these three original buildings to include many STEM fields where science is applied toward solving problems and creating opportunities.

When this building was new:

our food scientists were reinventing the Maraschino cherry
our fisheries scientists were investigating fish kills on the badly polluted Willamette River
and our horticulturists were planting an experimental crop of wine grapes.

When this building was 50 years old:

our toxicologists documented a link between diet and cancer
our agronomists developed improved wheat varieties that launched the Green Revolution
and that experimental crop of wine grapes was beginning to show promise.

Today, our researchers are:

examining the toxicity of chemicals that surround our everyday lives
safeguarding the world’s oceans from over-harvest and climate change
and supporting the $3.3 billion Oregon wine industry that grew from those experimental crops of wine grapes.

We welcome you to Strand Agriculture Hall. And we invite you to get to know Agricultural Sciences (VIDEO), here and across the campus, the state, and the world.

Strand Agriculture Hall photo gallery

Capital Press: OSU's Strand Hall returns to its former glory

Strand Agriculture Hall re-opens after seismic, accessibility remodel

OSU to lead $1.2 million food safety center to help farmers, processors

(by Tiffany Wood) Oregon State University will administer a new $1.2 million center that aims to help small and midsized farms and food processors in 13 western states prevent foodborne illnesses. The initiative was announced by the federal government as part of an effort to help growers and processors of fruits, vegetables and nuts comply with requirements established under the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The center, which is not an actual building, is one of four new regional hubs across the country. "It is critical that we provide relevant training and assistance to farmers, processors and wholesalers, especially to those who may struggle to meet the requirements,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which awarded the $1.2 million. “Small farms and food processors have limited technical and financial means to comply with the FSMA rules, unlike large farming operations and food manufacturers," said Robert McGorrin, the center's lead director and head of OSU's Food Science and Technology Department. “This center will provide a large number of trainers across the region with the technical assistance to help them comply with the new rules. (Read more...)

British chemist and whiskey expert to head OSU's new distilled-spirits program

(by Gail Wells) Oregon State University has hired a whiskey expert from Great Britain to lead its new research and teaching program in distilled spirits. Chemist Paul Hughes, who spent the past 10 years teaching and conducting research in brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, joined OSU in October. He will develop and teach classes and conduct research on producing, aging, packaging and marketing of whisky, brandy, gin, vodka and other distilled spirits. He’ll also teach the laws and rules governing the making and selling of liquor.

Distilling is the newest option in OSU’s popular fermentation sciences undergraduate program, housed in the Food Science and Technology department. “We have well-established fermentation courses in wine, beer and cheese,” said Robert McGorrin, head of the department. “With distilled spirits, we’ve filled a key niche in our overall program.”. (Read more...)

Meet 20 of our newest faculty

The CAS Dean’s Office welcomed new faculty with a dinner with unit leaders on September 21 and an orientation session on the 22nd attended by the Dean, Associate and Assistant Deans, and several others. Each new faculty member created one slide to introduce themselves, their background and research interests. These slides represent most of the faculty who were able to participate in the session and several who were not able to attend in person. Please enjoy meeting our newer faculty; we look forward to more sharing of expertise across the college and with our alumni and friends located elsewhere. If you are interested in what else was shared with our newer faculty, you may explore the materials posted at: http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/research/research-toolbox/research-orientation-and-training. This information will update you on many aspects of our College and associated programs at OSU. The College has a high priority of mentoring our newer faculty to assist in their success. Stella Coakley (stella.coakley@oregonstate.edu) is providing support for this endeavor as part of her part-time special projects assignment following her March 2015 retirement as associate dean. (View slides)

OSU Update

2015 Annual Report of Research

Research that makes a difference

Oregon State’s $309 million in research funding in 2015 drives innovation that solves global problems. As Oregon’s leading public research university — and one of only two land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S. — Oregon State, its world-class faculty and accomplished students are making our planet more sustainable, our economy stronger and our lives healthier.

Research Office
2015 Leading Indicators - 2015 Annual Report of Research
Terra — OSU's research magazine
Oregon's Agricultural Progress — Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station magazine

Our Best

2015 College of Agricultural Sciences Faculty and Staff Awards

The College of Agricultural Sciences celebrated the accomplishments of its faculty and staff at a luncheon held in the Memorial Union Horizon Room on October 13. The list of awards and recipients may be viewed here. Criteria for each of the awards and registry of previous recipients is here. (Pictured: James and Mildred Oldfield/ER Jackman Team Award: Superfund) Congratulations to all of our 2015 honorees.

Distinguished Alumni and CAS Hall of Fame awards presented at the Deans' Dinner

Friends and alumni of the College gathered in the Memorial Union on October 22nd for the Deans' Dinner, hosted by Daniel Arp. The College of Agricultural Sciences honored its distinguished alumni and Hall of Fame recipients: CAS Distinguished Alumni Leader Award: Bill Brewer, Oregon Potato Commission;
CAS Distinguished Alumni Legacy Award: Amy Rossman, US National Fungus Collections, Agricultural Research Center, USDA; CAS Distinguished Alumni Luminary Award: Bill Levy, Pacific Ag.

CAS Hall of Fame: Dai Crisp, Lumos Winery and Temperance Hill Vineyard; Fred Postlewait, Oregon Coast Bank

Profiles of the honorees are presented here: CAS 2015 Award Winners Video

Global Experiences

Update for the College of Agricultural Sciences Global Experience Fund

We are pleased to announce that, in keeping with the College of Agricultural Sciences’ commitment to fostering global awareness and global engagement, Dr. Hiram Larew (MS 1977, PhD 1981) has provided a new gift to establish the Global Experience Endowment Fund (“the Endowment”). The Endowment will provide a source of funds in perpetuity for the College’s Global Experience Fund (“the Fund”) which Larew established in 2012.

In recent years, the Fund grew through his donations and those given by others – all with a focus on supporting our efforts to internationalize the experiences for students and faculty in the college. Expenditures from the Fund to date (over $15,000) have supported: 1) The OSU International Agriculture Student Club, 2) Participation of students in the International Association of Agriculture and related sciences (IAAS) national meeting held in Corvallis in April 2015, and 3) International internship experiences for undergraduates awarded in partnership with the ER Jackman Internship Program. (Read more...) Support the Global Experiences Fund

2015 Intern Cheesemaker, Poligny, France

“This summer, I was provided with the opportunity to do one of the coolest jobs in the world, and the CAS Global Experiences fund helped provide me with the support I needed to accept. Currently, I am working as an assistant cheese maker in Jura, France and these past two months have been some of the most incredible of my life. I have gained an invaluable life experience, not only for my new knowledge in cheesemaking, but also in the friends I have made and my strides forward in learning to speak a beautiful new language. Merci beaucoup pour votre aidez et bon journée! “
Jessica Chance, Food Science & Technology, Class of 2016.

2014 Sea Turtle Monitoring, Kyparissiakos Bay, Greece

“This internship was an incredible experience beyond compare! I continue to be impacted by it on a daily basis, and appreciate everyone involved in assisting with the financial support received.”
Rachel Patterson, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Class of 2015
https://thetraveledition.wordpress.com/

2014 Sun Bear Research, Borneo

“During this year spent working in the isolated jungles of Borneo, I have come to realize the truly unglamorous and challenging hardships that define the reality of long-term, international conservation work. Not only have I gained a deep appreciation for the dedication and sacrifice necessary to work in this field, I have also experienced exponential personal growth as I have been forced to persevere through vast cultural differences, language and communication barriers, erratically available electricity, all varieties of discomfort, technical failures, extreme bouts of loneliness and even aggressive attacks from wild primates!”
Jocelyn Stokes, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Class of 2014
http://sunbearsurvival.org/blog

2013 Mangrove Field Technician, Honduras

“During the summer of 2013 I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Honduras and study mangroves and their various ecosys-tem services. I worked as a technician for the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Project (SWAMP), a global initiative funded by a grant to the Center for International Forestry Research from the United States Agency for International Development. In addition to working for the SWAMP project, I conducted field research for my Honors thesis project concerning the role waterbirds play in mangrove nutrient cycling. My participation in this field work and research was funded by the E.R. Jackman Internship Support Program, the CAS Global Experiences Fund and the Oregon State University Honors College. I am extremely grateful to all of the above organizations for their generous support. “
Tyler McFadden, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Class of 2014

Leadership Academy

2015/2016 Leadership Academy Fellows

We're pleased to introduce the 2015/2016 cohort of Fellows in the Leadership Academy.

Front Row: Luke Coomer, Maya Giddings, Kaitlyn Cornberg, Jessica Roland, Lauren LaGrande, Amanda Santos.
Middle Row: Heather Brown, Teague Teece, Emma Miller, Elizabeth Hageman, Akira Ishii, Olivia Cameron.
Back Row: Taylin Sparks, Anne Marie Richards, Nick Schillereff, Ryan VanHousen, Gabrielle Redhead.
Not Pictured: Danica Berry, Chris Derrickson, Vaishnavi Trivedi. (See larger photo)

Introducing Christine Henderson

Christine Henderson has been named as the new Leadership Academy Coordinator, according to Dr. Jonathan Velez, of the Department of Agricultural Education/Agricultural Sciences. Christine comes from California, where she spent 10 years working with high school leadership development programs and serving as a high school agriculture teacher.

The Leadership Academy offers students an opportunity to work on leadership skills in a guided fashion by providing individual faculty mentors. The program offers a comfortable setting to self-examine and reflect on strengths and weaknesses, and to share experiences with others.

Students

OSU Academic Quadrathlon Team wins Western Region, represents Beaver Nation at National Contest

Matt Cugley, Sidney Horton, Alec Pacheco and Rebecca Walker represented OSU at Western Section American Society of Animal Science (WSASAS) AQ contest and meeting held in Raton, New Mexico on June 21-24. A total of 5 teams participated in the contest: Montana State University, Chico State University, New Mexico State University, and Oregon State University. Teams completed the written exam and oral presentation on Monday June 22nd at then the next day competed in the lab practicum and quiz bowl. OSU’s team placed 2nd in the written exam, 3^rd in the oral presentation, tied for 3rd in the lab practicum, and 1st in quiz bowl. After it was all said and done, OSU was the overall winner and won the chance to represent the Western Section at the national competition to be held at the JAM meeting in Orlando, Florida. After the competition, the team attended the WSASAS graduate student competition and supported fellow Beaver and PhD candidate Rodrigo Marques in the oral presentation competition The team also took the time to enjoy the sites at the Albuquerque Zoo before flying out on Wednesday June 24^th. (Read more...)

Meet the 2015/2016 Ambassadors for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources

Ambassadors for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources have the opportunity to develop and enhance their public speaking, time management skills, individual and group dynamics, prepare for student and pre-professional success and engage in activities that promote the College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Forestry. Ambassadors attend on and off-campus recruiting events; travel to high schools throughout the state and make presentations; attend professional conferences, industry and alumni events; engage in the marketing and promotion efforts of both colleges; and host students and parents visiting campus.

(Read the bios of our current Ambassador Team)

Oregon Beef Council Graduate Fellowship Endowment Fund created in 2015

The Oregon Beef Council Graduate Fellowship Endowment Fund is now up and running. The first funding from the Oregon Beef Council for the endowment was forwarded to the OSU Foundation earlier this year.

The first recipient of the endowment, Jaycee Ann Leonard (pictured), was announced at an Oregon Beef Council meeting held on campus this fall.

Jaycee Ann Leonard is a graduate student in the Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences working with Dr. Carlos Ochoa on a project funded by the OBC entitled “Research on Stream Water Temperature and Sediment Load in Riparian Systems”. Jaycee is from Roy, Washington and in 2010, she earned a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Jaycee has worked for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, and is working towards her Master of Science degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management.

“We are fortunate to have Jaycee on board working on sound science with Dr. Ochoa to help develop research of value to Oregon agriculture” said Oregon Beef Council chairman Jason Chamberlain. “This is the start of a new chapter in working together with Oregon State University and we are very excited about the future of these programs” he concluded.

This endowment will provide benefits to OSU research faculty, graduate students, and Oregon beef producers across the state for years to come.

Learn more about the endowment and Oregon Beef Council research efforts at OSU

The Oregon Beef Council (OBC) is one of 23 agricultural commodity commissions in Oregon. It was created by state statute in 1959 and has assessments of $1.50 per head that are collected by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The Oregon Beef Council created new funding for research at OSU through the Oregon Legislature in 2005. This new funding started in 2006 and is for two areas: Animal Science Research and Rangeland Science Research. Committees made up of Oregon ranchers and beef industry representatives review proposals each year and recommend projects that receive funding through the Oregon Beef Council.

Each year the Oregon Beef Council has made about $80,000 available to each of these two line items; or about $160,000 total per year. That means that over the past ten years, Oregon’s ranchers and beef producers have contributed more than $1.5 million towards high-quality research at Oregon State. (Read more...) Give online to the Oregon Beef Council Graduate Fellowship Endowment

New Fields

Fall Term 2015 Recap

The Agricultural Executive Council had quite an eventful Fall Term to start out the new school year. The officer team began the term with a one-day retreat at Peavy Arboretum and worked to plan events for the year and to revise the Constitution while bonding as a team. We shared individual goals and came up with team ones, as well. Only a few days later, the College of Agricultural Sciences Fall Kick-Off Gelato Social took place at the newly renovated Strand Agriculture Hall’s front plaza. New and returning students were able to learn about all of the clubs in the College. It was the perfect sunny weather to enjoy some gelato from a local business! (Read more...)

Research

Oregon Wheat: From Farm to Tables Worldwide

(Oregon Wheat Commission, Port of Portland) VIDEO This is the story of Oregon wheat, typically soft white wheat grown in the vast expanses of Eastern Oregon, and in lush Willamette River Valleys. Wheat from these diverse regions has a common trait. It helps feed a hungry world. Which means it must travel from farm to river to terminals at the Port of Portland…and on to the world. Several faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences speak about their wheat research.

OSU-led team lands $2.5 million grant to probe how diseases become epidemics

(By Gail Wells) An Oregon State University scientist is heading a multinational team studying how to anticipate and curb the next disease outbreak before it blows up into a global epidemic.

Funded by a new $2.5 million grant, OSU plant pathologist Christopher Mundt and his team are probing infectious diseases of humans, animals and plants that have a distinctive trait in common: the capability of the pathogen – whether virus, fungus or bacterium – to transmit itself over long distances. This pattern, he said, characterizes diseases like avian flu, which have produced continental-scale epidemics.

“Our goal is to develop rules of thumb for identifying and controlling diseases that have this long-distance dispersal capability,” said Mundt. “We don’t have the scientific manpower to create detailed models of every potential epidemic. So a generalized set of control strategies would be vital in policy planning during the early stages of an outbreak.”. (Read more...)

Multimedia Connections

Facebook Pages

Reaching Out

Oregon Small Farm News

Down on the Farm: A Quarterly Newsletter for Friends of North Willamette Research and Extension Center -- FALL 2015/WINTER 2016.

Fisheries & Wildlife 2015 Newsletter

Check out the Fisheries & Wildlife 2015 Newsletter here and read about the new department head, new faculty hires, the Fisheries & Wildlife Undergraduate Mentorship Program, and more. (Read it!)

Alumni and Friends

CAS Alumni and Friends reception held in DC

On October 6, 2015, the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) held a reception for friends and alumni who live in the Washington, D.C. (WDC) area. Wade Foster, ’09 Environmental Economics and Policy, hosted our event at The Fertilizer Institute Capitol View Penthouse. The participants enjoyed an opportunity to meet other alumni and friends and expressed interest in having more opportunities to engage with current students and faculty at Oregon State University. We are building an electronic network for our Washington based group and plan to expand that opportunity to additional alumni and friends. If you are interested in being on that network, please send an e-mail to Stella Coakley (Stella.Coakley@oregonstate.edu) and she will be sure that you also get an invitation to the next Washington, D.C. reception which will be held in late March or early April 2016. We envision the network allowing easy communication back to Corvallis and for providing quick links to send opportunities for students or other visitors planning to visit Washington, D.C. Due to a daughter and two grandchildren in the WDC area, Stella is frequently in the area and welcomes an opportunity to meet our alumni and friends at other times as well. The College values the strength of experience and friendship from our alumni and friends located the WDC area so please let Stella know if you’d like to join our CAS WDC Network. (Read more...)

Create your legacy at OSU forever!
Receive income for life by supporting your passion at OSU.

Through a “life-income gift,” you can make a gift to the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences while guaranteeing an income stream for life. Additional benefits may include:

Increase your income (a portion may even be tax-free)
Receive an immediate charitable deduction
Reduce capital gains taxes if the gift is funded with appreciated property or securities
Reduce estate tax

Life-income gifts are simple and flexible. You transfer cash, stocks, real estate such as a farm or home, or other property to fund the life-income gift. You (or whomever you designate) receives the income stream for life or for a set number of years. Payments may begin immediately or are deferred to a future date, such as retirement.

Ultimately, your life-income gift will benefit a program in the college that is important to you, such as scholarships, research, facilities, and faculty. Many life-income donors direct their gift to establish an endowed fund in their name, creating their legacy at OSU forever.

To learn more about gifts that pay income or to receive a personalized illustration, please contact us:

Julie Irmer
OSU Foundation – Office of Gift Planning
800-336-8217 | gift.planning@oregonstate.edu
osufoundation.org/giftplanning