The College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University is Oregon's principal source of knowledge relating to agricultural and food systems, and a major source of knowledge regarding environmental quality, natural resources, life sciences, and rural economies and communities worldwide. The College provides undergraduate and graduate education leading to baccalaureate and graduate degrees, and extended education programs throughout Oregon and beyond. Its research programs create knowledge to solve problems and to build a knowledge base for the future. It is a source of information and expertise in integrating and applying knowledge with benefits that are felt in domestic and international settings.
Volume XII, Issue 1
Welcome to the first issue of The Source for 2021 — the quarterly newsletter of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University.
As I look back on the accomplishments of the past several months, I find myself filled with hope and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
We launched a new College website to better reflect who we are and where we plan to go in the future. With that came a video that details the incredible work of our statewide agricultural experiment stations. It’s a ten minute tour of incredible history, meaningful science, and partnerships with industry and communities, that makes a difference in the lives of all Oregonians.
We partnered with the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources to host the first national symposium on hemp. We continued to gain notoriety with media and our peers at other institutions for our excellent research and outreach to help this emerging industry and the many uses of this crop.
Two members of our faculty were recognized among 489 researchers across the country this year as American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows for their seminal contributions to their fields of study.
And the accomplishments of our students continue to inspire, with field research, academic accomplishments, and national leadership opportunities.
Meanwhile, our Extension work makes an impact in lives across the state — tackling issues from food security to native bees and more.
As we closed out 2020, we also finished a year of honoring the United Nations General Assembly International Year of Plant Health with stories that detail our world class research, teaching, and outreach programs in plant health.
We did all this and more set against a backdrop of continued challenges related to the pandemic, wildfires and civic unrest.
So it is with great pride that I invite you to read through this issue of The Source. Join me in embracing a future that is built upon such tremendous dedication, talent, and grit as we continue in our unwavering mission to make tomorrow better.
Alan Sams
Reub Long Professor and Dean
College of Agricultural Sciences
Director
Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station
A Ten Minute Tour of Oregon’s Agricultural Experiment Stations
As part of our land-grant mission our our agricultural research stations serve Oregonians at 14 locations across the state. Learn more about the history and impact of this critical part of our work.
The College of Agricultural Sciences Launches a New Website!
This website has been a year in the making, and aims to help more people connect with us and get excited about the work we do across all areas of our land-grant mission as we strive to make tomorrow better.
Sustainable Farm Agrivoltaic
Co-developing land for both solar photovoltaic power and agriculture could provide 20% of total electricity generation in the United States with an investment of less than 1% of the annual U.S. budget, a new paper by Chad Higgins, an associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences found. (see also Combining solar energy and agriculture to mitigate climate change, assist rural communities)
Oregon State University hosted the first national symposium on hemp
Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center and the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, a major program unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, hosted the first-ever National Hemp Symposium on Feb. 9 and 10.
OSU receives $1.58 million to support diversity and sustainability in agriculture
Oregon agriculture is a $50 billion industry and nearly 14% of Oregonians rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. As a leading economic engine for the state, with communities in every county dependent on agricultural products, the donation of $1.58 million from Northwest Farm Credit Services aims to enhance existing programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University that can have immediate impact on the diversity, innovation and sustainability of the industry.
Oregon, Washington enlist tiny ally in fight against knotweed
Oregon State University scientist Fritzi Grevstad of the College of Agricultural Sciences petitioned the USDA to use the insects and led the research that resulted in the approval.
Nematodes Vs. Slugs – To the Victor Goes the Soil
A team from OSU is pitting nematodes vs. slugs in a battle to help protect valuable crops in Oregon.
Hormone metabolites found in poop give researchers new insight into whale stress
Researchers from OSU’s Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory collected 158 fecal, commonly known as poop, samples from Eastern North Pacific gray whales off the coast of Oregon between 2016 and 2018 and used the samples to assess endocrine levels and establish hormone baselines for stress and reproduction in the animals.
Alert system shows potential for reducing deforestation, mitigating climate change
A research collaboration that included Jennifer Alix-Garcia of Oregon State University found that the Global Land Analysis and Discovery System, known as GLAD, resulted in carbon sequestration benefits worth hundreds of millions of dollars in GLAD’s first two years.
With chlorpyrifos on its way out, what's next for Oregon farmers?
Silvia Rondon, Oregon State University Extension entomology specialist, recently received a $162,794 USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant to explore chlorpyrifos alternatives.
Study Shows Cats May Love Their Pet Parents More Than We Thought
“In both dogs and cats, attachment to humans may represent an adaptation of the offspring-caretaker bond,” said Kristyn Vitale, a researcher in the Human-Animal Interaction Lab in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the study's lead author, in a press release.
OSU receives grant to study carrot blight
Researchers at Oregon State University have received a $3 million federal grant to study a harmful bacterial disease impacting carrots — one of the Northwest's signature seed crops sold across the U.S. and around the world.
A remarkable high-desert bird may go extinct in California. What must die to save it?
Chelsea Sink, a graduate student in Wildlife Science who studies sage grouse, walked through the charred skeletons of the sagebrush that these birds rely on for every stage of their lifecycle.
The Future of Fish
At OSU, Hillary Egna has served as both principal investigator and director for a series of USAID-funded programs with a goal of developing sustainable aquaculture that improves food security while also advancing environmental and human health. The programs have included collaborators in more than 30 countries.
Neighbors influence coastal landowners’ decisions to armor shorelines against erosion, rising seas
“Imminent risk of erosion is a driving factor, but we also found that decisions by your neighbors affect your decisions in a big way,” said Steven Dundas an environmental and resource economist at the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station in Newport, Oregon.
OSU researchers prove fish-friendly detection method to be more sensitive than electrofishing
Scientists at OSU have found that sampling stream water for evidence of the presence of various species using environmental DNA, known as eDNA, can be more accurate than electrofishing, without disrupting the fish.
Move over, murder hornets: There’s a new bug in town — and it’s coming for your lawn
Alec Kowalewski, a turf expert at Oregon State University, plans to collaborate with Murray on a survey this summer using ultraviolet light traps to lure adults and get a better idea of how widespread the beetles have become.
Dogs synchronize their behavior with children, but not as much as with adults, study finds
“The great news is that this study suggests dogs are paying a lot of attention to the kids that they live with,” said Oregon State animal behaviorist Monique Udell, the lead author of the study. “They are responsive to them and, in many cases, behaving in synchrony with them, indicators of positive affiliation and a foundation for building strong bonds.
Oregon State receives grant to spur aquaculture investment in Oregon
Researchers from several Oregon State entities – including the College of Agricultural Sciences, OSU Sea Grant, the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, the Institute for Natural Resources, and OSU Libraries and Press – will work closely with the nonprofit Oregon Aquaculture Association on the three-year grant from NOAA’s National Sea Grant Office.
Researchers ‘cautiously optimistic’ about desert bighorn sheep recovery in California’s Mojave Desert
Clint Epps, a wildlife biologist at Oregon State University, and several co-authors, found that exposure to one of the bacteria associated with the disease is more widespread among bighorn sheep populations in the Mojave, and that its presence dates further back, than scientists thought. But they also found that the overall number of infected bighorn has declined since 2013 in the populations surveyed.
OSU scientists taking deep dive into how microbiomes respond to human-caused stressors
Oregon State University scientists have received a $3 million National Science Foundation grant to study how communities of microorganisms respond to human-caused stress and how the responses relate to the health of the people, plants and animals that host the microbes.
Finding rare birds is never a picnic, contrary to popular Patagonia belief
One of birdwatching's most commonly held and colorfully named beliefs, the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect, is more a fun myth than a true phenomenon, Oregon State University research suggests.
New DNA-based technique allows researchers to determine age of living beluga whales in Alaska
“The development of this tool and the use of the epigenetic clock is a major advance in the science of aging,” said Eleanor Bors, the study’s lead author. Bors worked on the project as a post-doctoral fellow at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute. “We have the technology now to do this easily and it can become a routine part of research on beluga whales.”
3M eyes hemp for adhesives, packaging replacements — even growing new organs
But the company sees a lot of kinks to work out in the supply chain before hemp’s potential can be realized, says Don Davidson, 3M’s Global New Product Marketing Manager. Speaking at the virtual National Hemp Symposium by Oregon State University, Davidson was bullish on hemp’s potential for industrial applications.
Genetic markers show Pacific albacore intermingle across equator but remain separate stocks
“Albacore support one of the world’s largest and most valuable fisheries and one that is particularly important on the west coast of North America,” said Kathleen O’Malley, who directs the State Fisheries Genomics Lab at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center.
How pandemic altered what Oregonians eat and the way they think about food
The survey was done by Ten Rivers Food Web, an Oregon group dedicated to fighting food insecurity and supporting local food systems. The surveyors, according to Heidi Noordjik, a small farms coordinator at Oregon State University, received 624 responses.
Researchers demonstrate new method to track genetic diversity of salmon, trout
“There has been a dearth of this kind of data across the Northwest,” said Kevin Weitemier, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and lead author of the paper. “This allows us to get a quick snapshot of multiple populations and species all at once.”
Biological assessment of world’s rivers presents incomplete but bleak picture
“For the places that we have data, the situations are not really that good. There are many species that are declining, threatened or endangered,” said Bob Hughes, co-author of the paper and a courtesy associate professor in Oregon State’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. “But for most of the globe, there just is little rigorous data.”
Whisky Is Influenced by Terroir Just Like Wine, New Study Claims
“We preserved distinct flavors associated with the testing environments and observed year-to-year variations, indicating that terroir is a significant contributor to whisky flavor,” as Dr. Dustin Herb, Lead Researcher and Post-doctoral research in the Department of Crop and Soil Science, noted.
Electrical transmission lines have power to enhance habitat connectivity for wildlife
“The most common way species respond to climate change is to try to shift their range – i.e., go live somewhere else,” Oregon State University scientist Virginia Morandini said. “When landscapes become fragmented, usually because of human activity, it greatly hinders animals’ ability to move their range. That’s why it’s so important for biodiversity conservation to try to get their environments connected.”
Scientists advance understanding of hop genome, which could aid brewers, medical researchers
Oregon State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers have significantly expanded the understanding of the hop genome, a development with important implications for the brewing industry and scientists who study the potential medical benefits of hops.
Can Oregon stem the loss of complex kelp ecosystems?
Lisa Hildebrand studies gray whales. And the Oregon State University grad student is a huge fan. “They’re super acrobatic,” she says. “We see them twist around, they do headstands, they swim on their sides.” But the whales that come down to the southern Oregon Coast are part of an elaborate ecosystem, one reliant on a critical component: kelp.
OSU Foundation Names Amy Crumley New Senior Director of Development for the Division of Earth Sciences
Congratulations to Amy Crumley, MBA, CFRE, who has been selected as the Senior Director of Development II for the Division of Earth Systems Sciences effective March 1 at the OSU Foundation. Amy will oversee our advancement operations in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Forestry and will also be the lead development officer in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Amy has played a critical role in leading our advancement efforts in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, including by building lasting and collaborative relationships with our university colleagues, our alumni and other key stakeholders.
Oregon State names chief of police for its Corvallis campus
Oregon State University announced that Shanon Anderson, a career law enforcement professional with extensive background in training and leadership, has been named OSU’s associate vice president for public safety and chief of police.
OSU President F. King Alexander Reflects on 2020, Looks Forward to 2021
Universities around the country have been struggling economically as a result of the COVID pandemic, and OSU has felt its own effects of the crisis. However, Alexander said, “We don’t even know the economic toll of all this.”
OSU Ecampus Ranked No. 4 in the Nation
Oregon State University is ranked No. 4 in the nation for online bachelor’s degree programs, according to 2021 rankings published today by U.S. News & World Report. Last year, OSU was ranked No. 5. This is OSU’s seventh consecutive year in the nation’s Top 10 and reflects a university-wide collaboration of more than 1,000 faculty and staff members.
Oregon State Board of Trustees approves construction of $70 million Arts and Education Complex
The Oregon State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved construction of a new $70 million Arts and Education Complex that will serve as a center for performing arts classes, programs and performances on the Corvallis campus.
Commencement Ceremonies At OSU To Be Virtual
Oregon State University announced that June 2021 commencement ceremonies in Corvallis and at OSU-Cascades in Bend will be held virtually due to continued COVID-19 public health concerns and the anticipation that public health restrictions for large in-person events will continue into early summer.
OSU testing Oregon Exposure Notifications smartphone app for COVID-19 alerts
Oregon State University and the Oregon Health Authority are testing a smartphone-based system that notifies users about possible exposure to COVID-19.
New College of Education dean named at Oregon State
Susan Gardner, a higher education professor at the University of Maine with a strong focus on equity and inclusion in education throughout her career, has been named dean of Oregon State University’s College of Education. She will start Feb. 28.
Oregon State University receives $2 million Packard Foundation grant to expand TRACE-COVID-19 nationally
Oregon State University researchers have received a $2 million grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to create a national TRACE Center that will expand the OSU’s COVID-19 public health project to other states.
Three from Oregon State University honored as AAAS fellows
OSU’s Patrick Hayes and David Myrold were chosen in the category of agriculture, food and renewable resources,
Hayes, professor of crop and soil science in the College of Agricultural Sciences, received the distinction of fellow for his work in the field of plant breeding, “with particular reference to barley in the areas of low-temperature physiology, disease resistance, malting quality and variety development,” according to the AAAS’s announcement of this year’s fellows.
Myrold, also a professor of crop and soil sciences, was chosen for “distinguished contributions to the field of soil science, particularly for advancing the understanding of soil nitrogen cycling and the functioning of soil microbial communities.”
Myrold and Hayes bring to 10 the number of College of Agricultural Sciences researchers to become AAAS fellows.
2020 Alberta B. Johnson Award for Excellence in Extension Leadership
Gail Langellotto, professor of horticulture and statewide coordinator of the Master Gardener Program.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Alberta B. Johnston awards. These awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the OSU Extension Service through creative and effective administrative and/or educational program leadership.
Gail was honored for her innovative work that has had a significant impact in communities across Oregon. For the past 13 years, Extension has benefited from her commitment and exemplary leadership of the statewide Master Gardener Program, and the advancement of programming related to urban and community horticulture. She has taken a leadership role in prioritizing the need for diversity, equity and inclusion in the Master Gardener Program on a state and national level. Thank you, Gail.
2020 Alberta B. Johnson Award for Excellence in Extension Education
Dustin Johnson, rangeland outreach coordinator
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Alberta B. Johnston awards. These awards recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the OSU Extension Service through creative and effective administrative and/or educational program leadership.
During his 13 years in Extension, Dustin has delivered programs in response to needs identified by land and natural resource managers. Specifically, his work responds to opportunities and challenges that face livestock producers and agency resource specialists. Thank you, Dustin.
CAS Hero: Melissa Haendel
Dr. Melissa Haendel has been a long-standing visionary, advocate, and practitioner of open science. This year she has put these incredible attributes to work on COVID-19. She co-founded the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) in July, which not only represents the largest cohort of COVID-19 patients in the U.S., it is the largest openly-available limited dataset in US history.
CAS Hero: Kyle Christopher Harrison
Kyle joined CBARC in 2018 and has demonstrated in that time that he can do it all: he is a highly skilled farmer, welder, rancher, and mechanic. He is meticulous, brilliant, and is always willing to lend a hand – even if he is in the middle of another critical task. Kyle starts his day at CBARC well before dawn and measures his days in acres, not hours. Kyle responds to after hours and weekend issues that arise at CBARC, and gracefully handles any challenge thrown his way.
Industry Partner Award: OWRI
Congrats to the Oregon Wine Research Institute (OWRI) on receiving the industry partner award from the Oregon Wine Board for their work in response to the wildfires of 2020. This award underscores our deep commitment as a land-grant institution to solve pressing challenges in real time. Congrats to all the members of OWRI and thank you to Oregon Wine for this honor!
2020-21 CAS Award Recipients
On February 24, we took some time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff at the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony. Visit the awards page to see this year’s winners and please send those you know a hearty congrats.
ARF awards research grants
The Agricultural Research Foundation (ARF) has completed its review of proposals for the 2021-2023 round of funding. Each year, ARF puts out a call for proposals in the fall and makes award decisions in late January. Proposal budgets are limited to $15,000 and are invited for research in all aspects of agriculture, food sciences and natural resources. The funds for this funding program come from earnings on the investment portfolio managed by the Board of Directors for ARF. This year, ARF made awards in the amount of $620,060, including $12,000 for Continuing Researcher awards for undergraduates. Seventy-seven proposals were received from seven colleges, including 39 proposals from investigators new to OSU (first five years). Proposals are reviewed by 16 members of the Board of Directors of ARF. Of the proposals received, 41 were selected for funded including 22 from new investigators. Five extension offices, seven branch experiment stations and 11 departments in a total of five colleges received awards. The average award amount was $14,855. Examples of the diversity of work funded include revolutionizing plant disease diagnostics, orchard bee survey, cannabinoids in fat from livestock, control of vibriosis on oyster aquaculture, prototype robot for sorting seed, and genomic breeding in western white pine. ARF is delighted to be able to assist OSU researchers with these awards.
Gold CASE Awards for CAS Communications Team
The College of Agricultural Sciences Marketing and Communications team secured two gold awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The first was for the redesign and renaming of its biannual print magazine, PROGRESS. The second for the virtual pop-up dinner in a box event organized with the OSU Foundation and the Food Innovation Center.
The new magazine name and design came after a year of reader research and aimed to better reflect the totality of work within the College of Agricultural Sciences.
The pop-up dinner in a box gave participants from across the country the opportunity to cook a meal developed by the Food Innovation Center in their own homes and then virtually join together with 100 others to celebrate Oregon’s bounty.
2021 WSASAS Extension Award
Dr. David Bohnert has been selected to receive the 2021 WSASAS Extension Award from the Western Section, American Society of Animal Science (WSASAS). The award will be presented at the 2021 WSASAS Annual Meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado in June of 2021.
SRM recipients
Congratulations to our OSU/SRM-PNW section colleagues Pat Shaver and Tony Svejcar for the well-deserved SRM recognition of their Rangeland Science and Management's excellent contributions to the profession! Both Pat and Tony are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in Range education and research. Pat is the SRM recipient of the Frederic G. Renner Award, and Tony is the SRM recipient of the W.R. Chapline Research Award.
The Speed of Life
Reuben Oliver Garnett | Agricultural Science
In five years, I hope to have earned another degree in crop and soil science and taken a larger role in operating my family’s farm. I would like to be working in a public agency like the NRCS, a soil and water conservation district, or university Extension.
Improving Insights for Recreational Fishery at the Mouth of the Columbia River
A Department of Fisheries and Wildlife PhD student, Alex Jensen’s research is featured in the Wildlife Management Institute’s November Bulletin. This is important research for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife that will benefit the economies of communities in Northwest Oregon. This research is a collaboration with Fisheries and Wildlife and Applied Economics.
Follow the Leadership
Kourtney Lehman | Agricultural Business Management
I spent the first years of my early childhood on our family's dairy in Parma, Idaho, and loved every moment of it. My parents always said that I was obsessed with the cows and tried to name every single one. My first word was even "moo".
Hemp on the Horizon
Le'Waski Watkins | Horticulture and Crop & Soil Science
I chose my field of study because it changed my life: hemp and cannabis. I beat sarcoma in 2018! I'm currently doing research on CBD hemp to see how it adapts to different climates in the U.S. as well as paving the way for innovative research to help provide a safer, more efficient product for consumers.
Color of Happiness
Jamie Rand | Fisheries and Wildlife
I chose Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences because I want to help manage our precious wildlife resources in Oregon and advance the agricultural industry through integrated pest management. I am passionate about helping others and conserving the beautiful outdoors that we enjoy here in Oregon.
Veterans explore farming as possible career in OSU Extension Small Farms online programs
Two Oregon State University Extension Service programs were available online this fall to give farming information and skills to veterans who may be looking for a career after their stint in the military.
Garden box project helps increase food security for Warm Springs families
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, stay-at-home orders and restrictions on school, travel and businesses created uncertainty for tribal members’ access to fresh food.
New OSU volunteer program tackles statewide native bee inventory
Oregon is the first state in the nation to form a Master Melittologists program of trained community scientists dedicated to preserving and cataloguing bees that are native to the state.
Western Innovator: Passion for bees helps agriculture
Melathopoulos leads Oregon State University Extension’s statewide pollinator health program and is an assistant professor. Agricultural experts say he’s one of the nation’s most remarkable innovators in the world of bees.
Extension’s experimental cider orchard to boost budding Oregon industry
An experimental cider orchard, established at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center – 23 miles south of downtown Portland – is the brainchild of Nik Wiman, OSU Extension orchard crops specialist.
Free virtual Master Gardener education series open to the public
As more and more people discover the joys of gardening during the pandemic, the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program has introduced a new series of free virtual monthly classes.
Innovative harvesting system could be a game-changer for the blueberry industry
New harvesting technology developed by Wei Qiang Yang, associate professor and berry Extension agent for Oregon State University Extension Service, could reduce the average cost of harvesting fresh blueberries from more than $12,000 to $3,000 an acre.
Oregon Flora launches revamped Oregon plant species website
OregonFlora, an Oregon State University-based organization devoted to the state’s plants, has launched a revamped website that makes its database of over 4,700 plant species that grow in the wild in Oregon more broadly accessible.
$3 million USDA grant seeds future of an industry
Dr. Jeremiah Dung, Associate Professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently secured a $3M grant from the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative to develop a systems approach for managing bacterial blight of carrots.
OSU engages in collaborative international research project to help advance the sustainable use of water resources in Europe
Dr. Guillermo R. Giannico, in the Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences Department of Fisheries and Wildlife was tapped as one of four global expert advisors, and the only one from a U.S. University, to oversee an important international research project that found Europe’s rivers have at least 1.2 million instream barriers.
The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. With this global spotlight on plant health, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to raise awareness on the ways that protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development. Here in the College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU, we have world class research, teaching, and outreach programs in plant health to feature. In honor of that work, we have launched a spotlight series on our plant health work that will run throughout 2020.
Central Oregon Plant Pathology
The central Oregon region is a major producer of seed and specialty crops. My lab, located at the Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center (COAREC), is focused on the epidemiology and management of diseases affecting agricultural crops in central Oregon. Carrot seed, Kentucky bluegrass seed, peppermint, and garlic are just a few of the crops that are of interest, and the fact that these crops are grown throughout the Pacific Northwest allows me to work with growers and stakeholders throughout Oregon.
Landscape Plants
We evaluate shrubs for drought tolerance, cold hardiness and overall suitability for western Oregon landscapes. The overall goal is to provide drought-tolerant, low maintenance flowering shrubs for gardeners, nurseries and landscapers west of the Cascade Mountains.
Plant Disease Control
As a plant doctor, I help growers and gardeners discover what is wrong with their plants and what they can do about it. Many fungal and bacterial diseases are a constant problem for fruit and ornamental/nursery production in Oregon.
2021 Competition and Touring Exhibition
The 38th annual Art About Agriculture Competition and Touring Exhibition invites all visual artists from the Pacific Northwest to consider the influence of food, fibers, and natural resources. Whether inspiration is found in a seedling, a bouquet of flowers, salmon, working together on a community garden, bringing a meal to a friend, climate data, wool, or pollinators, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences encourages all fine artists to apply.
As a world-class leader in agricultural, environmental, and life sciences at Oregon’s Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant, and Sun Grant institution, the College of Agricultural Sciences encourages diverse points of view and for nearly 40 years has invested in visual arts as an important part of its mission.
April 4, 2021 (Sunday): Application Deadline
June 4, 2021 (TENTATIVE): Opening reception for the Art About Agriculture Annual Competition and Touring Exhibition 2021 with an artist’s reception and awards presentation at Giustina Gallery, The LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University.
July 30, 2021 (TENTATIVE): Closing of the exhibition at Giustina Gallery, Oregon State University.
August 3 – September 30, 2021: Touring exhibition at Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, OR.
Martin Davis "Marty" Myers (1952-2020)
Marty had been a contributing member of the agriculture industry for over 20 years and was frequently brought into difficult policy conversations for both his farming expertise and keen diplomacy skills.
Marty Myers remembered as a pioneer of sustainable agriculture (Capital Press)
Dwight Edgar Macy
Dwight Edgar "Ed" Macy passed on the afternoon of January 17, 2021, at the age of 77. Ed was born November 23, 1943, to parents, Dwight O. and Marie (Rhoads) Macy, of Homedale, Idaho. Ed was the second of five children. When Ed was four years old, the family moved to Culver, Oregon, where they began farming with the initial delivery of water from North Unit Irrigation District.
David Noakes (1942-2020)
written by Scott Heppell
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of one of our great voices in fisheries, Dr. David Noakes. David passed away in early December while in hospice. While David’s professional legacy will endure, most important to the many of us who were touched by him, his legacy will live in who he was as a person. It is easy to do David by the numbers and be awed by his incredible career -internationally acclaimed scientist, Professor at Oregon State University, Director of the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, visiting professor at a dozen different international universities, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Biology of Fishes, Fellow of The American Fisheries Society, recipient of the AFS Award of Excellence, author on over 200 publications, etc., etc. But those incredible professional accolades pale in comparison to the David Noakes we knew as person -the dry-witted, kind, compassionate person who would just as easily stop by your office to give you the original vinyl of How to Roast a Pig (it’s still in my office, David) as to share the latest wisdom on the ecology and evolution of fishes.
Miranda Dudzik
Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) lost Miranda Dudzik on Friday January 22nd. She died suddenly and unexpectedly with a blood clot, we think. Many of you knew her, and we are very sorry for our loss.
Miranda Dudzik (1977 - 2021) was a wife, a farm girl, a gamer, and a teacher. She studied Biology, Chemistry, and Toxicology at OSU before teaching at LBCC for over 10 years. She specialized in online education and curriculum design. Miranda developed online courses for pesticide applicators, taught webinars, and began a new pre-licensing program. She was passionate about creating inclusive and accessible education for people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
Miranda is survived by her parents, her brother, and her husband of 13 years James Dudzik, who works in the central IT Department here at OSU.
Artwork by Diane Wilbon Parks for Poetry X Hunger
Using Poetry to Speak Back to Hunger
From Hiram Larew (MS Botany, 1977; PhD Entomology, 1981);
Courtesy Professor in Botany and Plant Pathology
The pandemic of 2020 has greatly accentuated the number of families, including large numbers of children, that are going hungry in the United States and around the world. With job losses continuing, the need to draw attention to hunger amongst us is even greater than when we first shared our work with you in early 2020, before COVID-19 circled the globe.
We are continuing our efforts to use non-traditional ways to reach hearts and minds in the fight against hunger. The arts, for example, often grab the public’s attention in surprising and potent ways. In Fall term 2020, we (Hiram Larew, Lynda Ciuffetti and Stella Coakley) again offered the poetry of hunger colloquium “Poetry of Hunger” in collaboration with the OSU Honors College.
Students study local, regional and international hunger alongside historical and contemporary poems about it. They analyze some of the fundamentals of hunger including production and consumption, and also historical and current accounts of hunger, famine and starvation. At the same time, they consider the many ways that poetry can speak up against hunger, and how poetry’s form and the way it is presented (written, spoken, performed) can impact the reader/listener differently. A virtual field trip to the OSU Food Pantry gave students the chance to reflect on hunger as it occurs locally—and to write reflectively about it. From that offering has come efforts from the students to offer a variety of outreach that calls attention to hunger amongst college students.
In the next volume of The Source, we will be sharing a social media effort from one of our 2019 students that continues her work to address student food insufficiency. That effort is drawing on the National effort for using poetry to address hunger: Check out the Poetry X Hunger website https://www.poetryxhunger.com/ to see how awareness can be raised. Poets from around the world are Speaking Back to Hunger with their poems. We ask that you consider writing a poem and submitting it to PoetryXHunger@gmail.com for possible posting on that website.
E.R Jackman Friends and Alumni
As a new member of the E.R. Jackman Friends and Alumni board of directors, I’ve come to greatly appreciate all of the important work the organization accomplishes on behalf of students. I must admit, before joining the board, other than knowing ERJFA existed, I didn’t understand all that it did.
By way of background, I graduated from OSU in 1973 with a degree in agricultural economics. My career included management of agricultural organizations and commodity commissions, all of which frequently interconnected with students and faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences, and, in hindsight, with the programs of ERJFA.
The whole idea of experiential learning is not new to me. I saw first–hand the value of an education beyond the classroom both as an FFA member and later through involvement in the Oregon FFA Foundation. Now I see how the student support provided by E.R. Jackman Friends and Alumni adds a critical dimension to “learning by doing. “
Students want experiences that enhance their educational career. Agricultural (and dare I say all) employers benefit immensely when their future employees have delved into more than just books. ERJFA addresses both those outcomes.
I’ll never forget my first ERJFA board duty – evaluating student research projects that received funding from the organization. Wow! I was blown away by the complexity and practical value of the research and by the enthusiasm of the students.
Then it was interviews with those students seeking internships funded by ERJFA. Another Wow! All the applicants clearly sought experiences that would fit with their career goals and articulated the value of what they wanted to do. I remember thinking, “Man, there are some fortunate employers out there.”
Underlying all of this is an administration and faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences that comprehends full well the role they play in adding value to their “product” – highly skilled graduates, well–prepared to meet 21st century challenges.
From beginning researcher grants to financial support for student organizations to supplementing internships to academic scholarships, The E.R. Jackman Friends and Alumni board relishes its ability to provide the dollars that make transformational student experiences a reality. And we are ready to do more.
For those alumni and friends who would like to give a boost to CAS students, please join us in our mission.
John McCulley
ERJFA Board Member