CFAES Connect: December 2016

  1. 2017 CFAES Alumni Award Recipients Revealed

    Alumni awards trophies from past years

    Congratulations to these 14 outstanding alumni and friends of the college who will be recognized at the 2017 Alumni Awards Lunch on March 4.

    Meritorious Service Award
    John C. “Jack” Fisher (’67 & ’69, Animal Sciences) 
    Dan Wampler (’80 & ’83 Food Technology, Horticulture)
    Jill Pfister (’76 & ’83, Agricultural Education)
     
    International Alumni Award
    Albert T. Modi (’99, Ph.D., Horticulture)
     
    Young Professional Award
    Katy Endsley (’04, BS, Agricultural Communications)
    Chanun Mo Somboonvechakarn (’09, MS & ’07, BS, Food Science and Nutrition)
     
    Distinguished Alumni
    William Hildebolt (’66, ’67 & ’69 Food Science and Technology, Horticulture)
    The Honorable Brian Hill (’84, AAS, Agricultural/Industrial Power Equipment Technology & 
    ’86, BS, Animal Sciences)
    Lewis Jones (’65, Agricultural Economics)
    Isaac “Ike” Kershaw IV (’93, Agricultural Education) 
    Kurt Loudenback (’83, Agricultural Economics)
    John O’Meara (’78 & `83, MS, Environment and Natural Resources) 
    Ron Overmyer (’66 & ’72, Agricultural Education)
    Lawrence “Larry” Piergallini (’77, Animal Sciences)
  2. Hrubes Memorial Buckeye Tree Planted on ISU Campus

    Mike Gaul (Director of Career Services in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University, brothers Brandon and Nathan Hrubes, and Joni Erwin (Inaugural Scholarship Recipient)) plant a Buckeye tree on the campus of Iowa State University.

    The Iowa State University campus has a Buckeye tree planted to remember the late husband of a CFAES alum, thanks to our college Ambassadors.

    To honor Ryan Hrubes, late husband of Emily (Chappie) Hrubes, the CFAES Ambassadors donated tree that was planted at ISU in October.

    Here is an excerpt from the tree’s memorial:
     
    “Ryan served both The Ohio State University and Iowa State University during his time as a student through Agriculture Future of America by providing mentorship, leadership workshops and inspiration to land-grant students involved in the organization. Ryan's wife, Emily (Chappie) Hrubes, is an alumnae of The Ohio State University and consummate leader who continues to inspire and lead the future of agriculture in many ways…This tree is a memorial gift between two colleges of agriculture in recognition and thanks for the impact our students make on each other. May this tree be a reminder to all that this life is about serving others.”
     
    “Consider the tree a sign of friendship and support in the loss of a shared friend and leader," said Kelly Newlon, the college's Study Abroad specialist and former ambassadors advisor. "Life is far more fragile than we are able to comprehend, especially during our college days. Ryan was full of potential and made a great impact during his short time here with us. He will be greatly missed. Emily will undoubtedly carry his energy forward.”

    Below is a passage from a story written by Melea Reicks Licht for an upcoming issue of Iowa State's STORIES Magazine.

    Emily and Ryan’s story also touched colleagues at Emily’s alma mater.
     
    Jill Arnett, program manager of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Office of Prospective Student Services, says the college’s ambassador team wanted to support Emily and “pay it forward” in offering a living memorial for Ryan – a tree planting at Iowa State.
     
    “By planting a buckeye tree we hope it provides a positive impact for all who see it, even if they don't know why it is planted. Emily focused on impacting as many people as possible at Ohio State. We hope this tree continues to grow and mature throughout the seasons while extending strong roots as both Emily and Ryan portrayed,” Arnett says. “We hope his loved ones know by planting this tree we celebrate his life.”
     
    The buckeye was grafted from a parent tree on the Iowa State campus. Planted in October, between Ross and Curtiss Halls, the tree grounds Ryan’s memory to Iowa State for generations.
     
  3. Spirit of '76!

    Alumni
    On the 40th anniversary of its national championship, the college’s 1976 General Livestock Judging Team was recognized at the recent North American International Livestock Exposition in Kentucky.
     
    The Ohio State team has claimed the national title nine times, in 1904, 1921, 1932, 1933, 1939, 1946, 1964, 1976 and 1984.
     
    The 1976 team, coached by Jim Kinder, former director of Ohio State ATI, were represented by ten of the original 12 members and assistant coach Dave Higbea. In the picture, team members are: back row, left to right: Larry Piergallini, Dillonvale, Ohio; John Day, Georgetown, Kentucky; Dave Faulkner, St. Paris, Ohio; Farabee McCarthy, Sycamore, Ohio; Joy McCarthy, Sycamore, Ohio; and assistant coach Dave Higbea, Clay Center, Nebraska. In the front row, left to right: Lacy Boney, Lore City, Ohio; Mike Taylor, Springfield, Ohio; Tim Subler, Versailles, Ohio; Don Verhoff, Ottawa, Ohio; and George Clayton, Quincy, Ohio. The two team members that did not attend the recognition event are: Jeff Harding, Gallion, Ohio; and Steve Stitzlen, Grove City, Ohio.
  4. Spend New Year's Eve with Urban!

    Put on your best Buckeye hat!

    The Ohio State University Buckeyes have New Year’s Eve plans and - for the second time in three years - a berth in the College Football Playoff!

     

    The Buckeyes face the Tigers of Clemson University in a semifinal at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

     

    ESPN is televising the game, which follows the 3 p.m. semifinal matchup between the University of Alabama and the University of Washington.

     

    Planning on attending? Find ticket and tour information at https://www.osu.edu/alumni/activities-and-events/tours/2016/football-post-season-bowl-game.html.

     

    Let’s go Bucks!

     

     
  5. Past Meets Future

    Tracy Kitchell
    For Tracy Kitchel, an act of giving has come full circle from scholar to alum to department chair.
     
    Kitchel, who became chair of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) in August, was an undergraduate recipient of The Hazen and Anna Jane Hildebolt Preble County Scholarship (Fund #603185).
     
    Now, even as he prepares for ACEL's Centennial next year, he reflects on past and future.
     
    "The Hazen and Anna Jane Hildebolt Scholarship was one of the first scholarships I earned.  It was even more special because its roots were based where I grew up in Preble County," Kitchel said. "Because of the generosity of Bill Hildebolt, I was able to build a solid foundation and take full advantage of the opportunities presented to me as an undergraduate at Ohio State.
     
    "From that foundation, I established a successful career that allowed me to return as professor and chair of the department where it all began for me. That full circle now extends even further with Bill Hildebolt as he provides generous funding for the student organization Citation Needed," Kitchel (left) said.
     
    Kitchel is planning for the future of his department even as it gets ready to celebrate its first 100 years.  
     
    “As we reflect on the legacy the department built over the last 100 years, we’re also looking forward,” Kitchel said. With assistance from an about-finished strategic plan, Kitchel sees the department focusing on:
    • Engaging with other departments and partners for research, scholarship and grants, allowing for an even broader impact on society.
    • Providing more time for outreach. “We have expertise to share with agriculture and the community,” Kitchel said. “We need to find ways for our busy faculty to do more of it.”
    • The enhancement of individuals, communities and teams when it comes to communication, leadership and development.
    • Building upon our reputation for effective teaching. One of the strategies for that would include reviewing changes made at the switch to semesters, to ensure graduates are meeting the needs of employers.
    “I feel fortunate to come back to Ohio when the department is ready to take the next step, to move the next level,” Kitchel said.
     
    He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the department, and his doctorate in agricultural education from the University of Missouri.
     
    He recently served as assistant vice provost for the Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Missouri. He also was an associate professor for the Department of Agricultural Education and Leadership in the Coll
    ege of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. He was a faculty member for the Center for the Collaboration and Development of Educational Innovations and the Center for Human Dimensions in Natural Resources.
     
    Among his awards and honors: the U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in Teaching Award for New Faculty, the Gold Chalk Award for excellence in graduate teaching from the University of Missouri Graduate Profe
    ssional Council, Distinguished Teaching and Researcher Awards from the North Central region of the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE), and the Provost’s Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Kentucky.
  6. Thank You, Donors 2016

    Students scrawling signatures in chalk on a sidewalk mural to college supporters

    At a time of giving, gratitude and good cheer, view this thank you video from CFAES to our friends.

    Enjoy the holidays.

     

     

  7. End of Year Giving

    Brutus is holding a present. Please make an end-of-year gift to CFAES.
    As 2016 comes to an end, please consider including The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in your giving plans.
     
    Your end-of-year gifts have a far-reaching impact that lasts well into the future, said Andy Gurd, Chief Advancement Officer for the college.
     
    “I believe that you win with people, and this college is about people – the staff, faculty and students serve people, support people and make the world a better place,” Gurd said. “And the alumni and friends who support our college allow that great work to happen." 
     
    Gifts to CFAES and all of Ohio State will qualify for a tax deduction in this calendar year, meaning any donation before December 31 is deductible for 2016. 
     
    As long as their gifts are made or postmarked by that date, donors who itemize their income tax returns will receive charitable tax deductions.

    Donate on the web.

    Donate by check mailed to CFAES Office of Advancement, Suite B100, 364 West Lane Ave., Columbus, OH 43201.

    Did you know that qualifying gifts in kind and new pledges are also tax deductible?

    Anyone with questions is asked to call the CFAES Advancement Office at 614-292-0473.

    Per IRS guidelines, a contribution made by credit card in December is deductible in the year it is paid. This is true even if payment to the credit card company is not made until January or the rest of the next year.

    Gifts-in-kind such as equipment, vehicles and property are also tax-deductible in the same year given.
     
    New pledges are deductible if signed in December as well.
     
    “Coach Woody Hayes used to say ‘You can’t pay backwards but you can always pay forward,’ so please consider paying forward this time of year by supporting CFAES,” Gurd said.
     

  8. Watch this "Most Interesting" video

    OSU CFAES pitcher and a cup of egg nog by a fire

    He is the World's Most Interesting Professor, and he drinks Ohio egg nog!

    Rafael Jimenez-Flores, the J.T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods, raises a glass and describes how a holiday tradition meets technology. 

     

     

  9. Remembering Archie Max Lennon

    Archie Max Lennon
    We regretfully announce the death of Max Lennon, former CFAES Vice President of Agricultural Administration and Dean, who died Nov. 29 at the age of 76.
     
    A native North Carolinian, Archie Max Lennon was born in Columbus County on Sept. 27, 1940, to Denver H. and Mary Kelly Lennon. Lennon attended Mars Hill College graduating with an associate degree in agriculture in 1960. He received a bachelor of science degree in Animal Science from North Carolina State University in 1962 and proceeded to operate a diversified crop and livestock farm in Evergreen North Carolina. In 1966, he returned to North Carolina State and focused upon studying swine nutrition, his 1970 dissertation being “Soy Flour as a Protein Source for Early-Weaned Pigs.”
     
    Lennon was appointed an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Texas Tech in 1970. Two years later he left Tech and went to work for Central Soya Company on research for swine feeds but returned to Texas Tech in 1974 as Professor and Chair of the Department of Animal Science. In 1980, he accepted the position of Chair of the Animal Husbandry Department at the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus and then within six months was promoted to Dean of the College and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Three years later, Lennon moved to Ohio State as Vice President of Agricultural Administration and Executive Dean for Agriculture, Home Economics, and Natural Resources.
     
    In early 1986 Lennon accepted the presidency of Clemson University and began work on March 1, 1986. Max Lennon resigned on February 26, 1994, and left Clemson during July of 1994. After working briefly with Eastern Foods, he accepted the presidency of Mars Hill in December 1995. After leaving Mars Hill in 2002, Lennon became president of the Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas.
  10. Two CFAES Research Teams Creating Startups

    Rubber gloves
    Two teams led by CFAES faculty decided to create startup companies based on research they have developed at The Ohio State University.
     
    The Ohio State teams were among 23 selected from 12 universities and other institutions in the state to participate in the second round of the 2016 I-Corps@Ohio program.
     
    The seven-week program aims to help selected faculty and student teams determine if their intellectual property – such as a new technology – could be the basis of a startup company.
     
    Both CFAES teams were in the IME(information technology, materials and energy and environment) cohort:
    • EnergyEne, led by Katrina Cornish, Endowed Chair and Ohio Research Scholar, Bioemergent Materials, in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Cornish’s team is producing a non-allergenic, high-performance natural rubber alternative.
    • Bio-Pioneers, led by Thaddeus Ezeji, associate professor of animal sciences, and Victor Ujor, assistant professor in the Renewable Energy Program at the Agricultural Technical Institute. They are producing industrial compounds from renewable resources.
    A third OSU team to go startup is from another college. 
     
    Live Focus, led by Yi Zhao, associate professor of biomedical engineering. This team is developing a technology that will allow the use of smartphones to acquire microscopic images with quality comparable to mid-class commercial microscopes.

    Read the full story.