CFAES Connect: January/February 2016

  1. Join CFAES in Washington, D.C. for the Big Ten Ag Alumni Reception & New CFAES Pre-Reception

    Big Ten Ag Alumni Reception

    Monday, March 7, 2016

    6 to 8 p.m.

    National Press Club

    529 14th St., NW

    Washington, D.C. 20045

    (Metro Center stop—13th Street exit)

     

    Register online: bitly.com/bigten-ag

     

    In the spirit of institutional cooperation, the Big Ten schools with agricultural programs are once again gathering our alumni and friends in the Washington, D.C. area for a special event at the National Press Club! 

    Please join college deans along with administrators, faculty and staff for a reception. Enjoy the fellowship of alumni and friends from the colleges of agricultural sciences and natural resources representing Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, The Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, University of Illinois, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, and the University of Wisconsin. Reconnect with your alma mater and learn how our colleges are working cooperatively on behalf of land-grant institutions.

    Cost is $20 per person. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. Register online by visiting bitly.com/bigten-ag. Registration deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2016.  Now in its sixth year, the reception has been a great success with alumni and friends networking across institutions and enjoying one another’s company. We look forward to seeing everyone again (and some new faces!). For directions, visit press.org/about/visit-us.

    New CFAES Pre-Reception -- Don't Miss Out!

    We cordially invite you to join The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) for a complimentary reception prior to the Big Ten Ag Alumni event.  Hear exciting updates about the college from CFAES leadership and connect with alumni and friends. Business attire.  Hor d’oeuvres will be served.
     

    Monday, March 7, 2016
    5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    Zenger Room
    National Press Club
    529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor
    Washington, DC 20045

    To RSVP for the CFAES Pre-Reception email CFAES-events@osu.edu and kindly include the name of your guest. Please see registration instructions for the Big Ten Ag Event on the postcard.  Hope to see you at both events!
    Questions? Call 614-292-0473.

     

  2. You're Invited: CFAES Alumni Awards

    The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences invites you to the CFAES Alumni Awards Luncheon

    Saturday, March 5, 2016
    The Ohio Union

    Performance Hall • First Floor
    1739 N. High Street  •  Columbus, Ohio 43210

    11:30 a.m. – Registration
    Noon – Buffet Lunch
    1 p.m. – Recognition Program

    Ticket Price: $35.00 per guest. Ticket price includes parking in the Ohio Union Parking Garages – parking vouchers available at registration. Business Attire.

    Register for this event on or before Monday, February 22, 2016, by visiting go.osu.edu/CFAESAlumniAwards or by phoning 800-762-5646 or 614-292-2281 (7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday) to speak to a Customer Service Agent for assistance. Guests who are not alumni or employees of The Ohio State University should phone Customer Service to register.

    For event-related questions, please phone the CFAES Advancement Office at 614-292-0473 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or email cfaes-events@osu.edu for assistance.

     

    2016 CFAES Alumni Awards Recipients

    Meritorious Service to the College

    Wesley Budke, Ph.D (1970) Billings, MT
    Ken Cochran, BS (1964) Wooster, OH
     

    Distinguished Alumni Award

    James Beard, BS (1957) College Station, TX
    Ian Blount, BS, MS (1994, 1996) Columbus, OH
    Steve Buckalew, MS (1977) Centerburg, OH
    John Douglass, BS (1984) Marshallville, OH
    Jack Elliot, Ph.D (1988) College Station, TX
    Richard Gast, MS, Ph.D (1984, 1987) Watkinsville, GA
    Karl Kisner, BS (1990) Pflugerville, TX
    Larry Lokai, BS, MS (1967, 1973) Urbana, OH
    John Simpson, BS (1967) Woodside, CA
    Linda Vance, BS (1971) New York, NY
     

    International Professional Award

    Godfrey Asea, Ph.D (2005) Kampala, Uganda
    Milton Gorocica-buenfil, MS, Ph.D (2003, 2006) Wayne, NJ
     

    Young Professional Award

    Carolina Azcarate Espinosa, MS (2010) Dublin, OH
    Chad Endsley, BS (2003) Pickerington, OH
    John Foltz, BS (2006) Richland, WA
    Andrea Garmyn, BS (2004) Lubbock, TX
    Ryan Saxe, ASC (2003) Charlotte, FL

     

  3. In Their Own Words, Why Students Love It Here

    Enjoy seeing and listening to our students as they describe the impact that CFAES has on their lives. Feel free to share this video with anyone considering college programs for themselves or their children.

  4. Save the Date - CFAES Spring Game Tailgate

    SAVE THE DATE!

    2016 CFAES Alumni Spring Game Tailgate

    April 16, 2016 ~ 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

    Expect many family-friendly activities at this new event on the CFAES Columbus campus, to be held prior to kickoff of The Ohio State Buckeyes Spring Football Game at Ohio Stadium. Cost to attend the tailgate is $10 per adult and $5 per child under 12.  Price includes buffet lunch, activities and a game ticket. 

    Register at go.osu.edu/springtailgate.  More information and invitations will be sent via email in the coming weeks.  

    We hope you and your family can attend and please spread the word to all CFAES alumni!

  5. Adventures in Foreign Lands Arose From a CFAES Degree

    After having spent most of his life educating impoverished youth amid upheaval in South America, Brother Xavier Eshman “would do it all over again.”

    A degree from The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences led to hIs adventures in South America. 

    A native of Cincinnati, Brother Xavier Eshman, (B.S. 1959, Agricultural Education) taught in impovershed rural communities amid civil unrest, the Argentina Dirty War, and “Green Hell” in Paraguay.

    His work abroad started in Santa Fe, Argentina in 1970, where he encountered Argentina Dirty War difficulties, said Eshman, who currently semi-retired and living in the Divine Word Missionaries community in Bordentown, New Jersey.

    GlobalSecurity described the conflict as the “seven-year (1976-1983) movement of the Argentine government against suspected dissidents and subversives.

    Many people, both opponents of the government as well as innocent people, were “disappeared” in the middle of the night.  They were taken to secret government detention centers where they were tortured and eventually killed.  These people are known as “los desaparecidos” or “the disappeared,” Eshman said.

    He taught science and English as a second language to high school students in Santa Fe. “Dictatorships were hard to deal with, but after their fall it got much better,” he said. Under these circumstances, he had to be cautious of every word spoken and each action taken.

    Any mail sent to him from the United States was confiscated.  When working with his students he avoided all political discussions and focused on class curriculum.

    In 1977, he was sent to Bordentown, New Jersey where he taught biology, chemistry and physics at Divine Word Seminary High School. 

    He volunteered to work in Paraguay after a fire closed the high school.

    In 1984, St. Benedict Agricultural School became his home for 25 years. Tropical agriculture was a main source of income for the community and as a result, Divine Word Missionaries established agricultural schools in the area and acquired land for St. Benedict Agricultural School to raise livestock and crops.

    When he first arrived in Paraguay there were no telephones, no rural electricity and the roads consisted of dirt.  Every road flooded when it rained and no one traveled anywhere unless it was crucial.  “We used to call it the ‘Green Hell’ :hot, humid, and tough to live in,” he said. 

    The language barrier and Indian dialect was difficult at first, but was lessened by the interaction with community members. “They were good men, we had a common understanding. I did everything I could to get along with them and they did the same,” he said. 

    He reiterated the fact that his students were excellent. The boys he taught were exempt from the military service, therefore they wanted to do everything they could to stay in school. “They behaved very well and worked hard,” he said. In their last year of school, students were assigned a final project, and he became fluent in swine, advising those with hog projects.

    Though teaching was his primary commitment, Brother Xavier also managed the dairy and took artificial insemination classes.

    He is thankful for the 25 years he worked with the students of St. Benedict Agricultural School.  “I would do it all over again,” he said.

    While Paraguayan agriculture has many differences from American agriculture, Brother Xavier Eshman found commonalities from his upbringing and degree that allowed him to bridge the differences, deliver new concepts and practices to help the people improve their agricultural sustainability.

    Eshman first became involved in agriculture growing up and working on his family’s 170-acre farm. Valuing agriculture from an early age sparked an interest in him, which led to educating youth in Latin America upon graduation from Ohio State.  “To be able to teach the subject, you have to know the subject,” he said.

    A favorite memory of his time at Ohio State was living in the Stadium Dorms.  “I learned how to interact and live with people,” he said.  Attending football games, forming respectable friendships and having brilliant instructors were amid other treasured memories.  Among the names of his instructors were the late Dr. William Tyznik, who “never, ever forgot a student,” and Dr. Stanley B. Anderson, who “was a very human and caring instructor.”

    As an agricultural education student at Ohio State, he first had the opportunity to teach in Propect, Ohio. “It was one of the best experiences of my life, I had a wonderful director there,” he said.

    -- Sarah A. Johnson (junior, agricultural communication)

  6. Cornish named NAI Fellow

    FAES scientist Katrina Cornish recently was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

    Cornish, who holds the Endowed Chair in Bio-based Emergent Materials and is an Ohio Research Scholar, was one of two inductees — along with Vice President for Research Caroline Whitacre — from Ohio State in 2015.

    NAI Fellows are nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation.

    “We at Ohio State are extremely proud of the accomplishments of Drs. Whitacre and Cornish. Their contributions to innovation are superb examples of the positive impact that the university has on society,” said Bruce McPheron, Ohio State’s interim executive vice president and provost. Before being named to his current position, which began Dec. 2, 2015, McPheron was dean of CFAES.

    Since joining Ohio State in 2010, Cornish has submitted 26 invention disclosures, 15 with student co-inventors, and 12 of the pending patents have been licensed to private industry. She has had tremendous impact on the development of alternate natural rubber sources and applications. Her issued and pending patents span a range of fields, including transgenic enabling technologies, plant utility patents, process engineering, value-added materials, sustainable fillers, and medical products and devices.

    Cornish holds appointments in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

    Read more…

  7. Balasubramaniam co-edits new book on high-pressure food processing

    V.M. “Bala” Balasubramaniam of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) recently co-edited a new Springer book called High Pressure Processing of Food: Principles, Technology and Applications with Gustavo V. Barbosa-Cánovas of Washington State University and Huub L.M. Lelieveld, formerly of Unilever R&D.

    Through 31 chapters grouped into seven relevant sections, the new book summarizes various aspects of high-pressure processing, from process engineering, packaging, industrial scale equipment, consumer acceptance and regulations to application of high pressure in food pasteurization, sterilization, extraction, homogenization, and freezing and thawing. 

    A network of 83 international authors, including faculty and students from FABE and the Department of Food Science and Technology, worked as a team for more than four years and made this effort possible.

    See details in the book’s Amazon UK listing. Pre-order it here.

     

  8. Hendrick Headed for His Alma Mater as Dean

    Congratulations and best wishes to Ronald Hendrick on his appointment as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, effective July 1.

    Returning to his alma mater as dean is an exciting opportunity for Dr. Hendrick, who currently serves as acting dean and vice president for agricultural administration for The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

    Ron will continue in his Ohio State role until June 30 as CFAES moves forward to fulfill its mission, with an emphasis on these important initiatives:

    With its far-reaching scope, award-winning faculty and many partnership successes, CFAES has a prominent leadership position among Ohio State’s academic departments and in communities across the state.

    Learn more about ways to contribute to the college’s progress. Questions can be directed to the CFAES Advancement Office, 614-292-0472. 

  9. The IRA Rollover Benefit: What You Need To Know

    Do you know the tax benefits of the IRA rollover? 

    The IRA charitable rollover law allows you to transfer up to $100,000 tax-free directly from an individual retirement account (IRA) to The Ohio State University Foundation without undesirable tax effects.

    Learn more about how you can make a difference and receive tax benefits here

     

  10. Improvement Projects Prioritized at Waterman, Don Scott and Wooster

    With 785 locations statewide for instruction, discovery and community outreach, CFAES is making headway on a comprehensive facilities improvements strategy.

    The college is working with Erdy McHenry Architecture on several projects, based on some of the recommendations from a recently-completed facility master plan led by Sasaki Associates that involved faculty, staff, students and outside stakeholders. Four major projects have emerged from Erdy McHenry’s work with college faculty and staff:

    • An extensive re-envisioning of Waterman Farms, west of the Columbus campus, to include a new multi-species arena, stalls for temporary housing of livestock for teaching purposes, an undergraduate research lab, a greenhouse for CFAES to partner with Ohio State Dining Services, a Franklin County Extension office, and an institute to study urban agriculture and food security
    • A new beef center that consolidates livestock and resources at Don Scott Field in northwest Columbus
    • A new swine research center that unifies swine livestock and resources on the Wooster campus
    • Enhanced equine facilities in partnership with the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine 

    Because of Waterman’s mission to achieve global food security by leading research in aquaculture, hydroponics and urbanized farming, the architects are proud to play a role in the project, among others, Erdy McHenry principal Scott Erdy said.

    “Taking these initiatives now is imperative if we are to ensure a sustainable planet for the future,” Erdy said.

    In addition, various animal species will be relocated statewide in an effort to minimize herd redundancies.

    “We want to have the most impact and bring the greatest benefit to the college,” said Brian Hanna, CFAES director of facilities and capital planning.

    In Wooster, a planned ag-bio sciences building will encourage collaborative research and will add undergraduate classrooms and wet labs for Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute.

    This facility is expected to serve graduate and undergraduate researchers, encourage partnerships with private organizations, and provide more teaching opportunities.

    Also, visitors to the Wooster campus will see new lights, landscaping and road improvements.

    Throughout the state, many research labs, classrooms and barns need renovation, replacement or infrastructure upgrades, Hanna said.

    “Our buildings are our tools that we use to serve our customers and meet their needs. We can’t just let them fade away, or fall into disrepair and be unsafe,” Hanna said. “Students, faculty, staff, any animals who comes into our facilities -- those are our customers.”

    The college has also launched an aggressive fund raising campaign around its facility plans.  Two key gifts have kicked off this initiative: Lee Smith, a friend of the college, has provided a creative real-estate donation in support of the equine facilities.

    Also, the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association made the first gift towards the beef center at Don Scott.

    In an ongoing dialog with the college, the association has been advocating improvements necessary  to bring the beef facilities on par with what should be expected from The Ohio State University as it educates the next generation of industry leaders, Executive Director Elizabeth Harsh said.

    “Hopefully it signals beyond the monetary gift that the association wants to be a leader to help with the broader fund raising effort to encourage others to step forward, as more resources are needed,” Harsh said.

     “A strong animal science department that is equipped with up-to-date facilities to serve its students, faculty and staff contributes to a strong beef industry in the state of Ohio,” she said.  

    Alumni and friends wishing to support the projects can give here or contact the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Advancement Office at 614-292-0473.