Spring 2010 - Tennessee State University

Spring 2010
Dean’s Page
A Message From The Dean,
It is a great time to be part of TSU! A recent publication from the National Academy of Sciences states the development of solutions to such societal problems as health, environment, energy, and food requires a “new biology” that integrates knowledge from many different disciplines to derive a
deeper understanding of biological systems. As an agricultural research,
teaching and training institution, we excel in the applied biology areas that are
needed to address these societal concerns. Of course the relevant question for
us here at Tennessee State University is, “are we ready to take advantage of
such a once in a lifetime opportunity?” The answer is mixed. On a positive
note, President Melvin N. Johnson and his cabinet are very conscious of these new opportunities and are
extremely supportive of the School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and my leadership. But we
have a long way to travel before we can play a leadership role in finding solutions to some of these critical problems. We are currently recruiting a number of new faculty positions that will bring new and
relevant areas of expertise to the School. In addition, we are planning and implementing new academic
programs, integrating research and extension programs with academics, expanding our outreach capacity
in Tennessee through extension programs and research and education centers, planning and building
new facilities, and most importantly, increasing our enrollment both at the undergraduate and graduate
levels! A lot is happening, all at once, which is often daunting and humbling!! However, the important
thing is we are moving forward and making up for lost time.
We are building a new culture here at the School, a culture of excellence in everything we do: student
training, research, and delivery of information to the public. We are involving undergraduate students in
research, and encouraging and evaluating faculty based on their achievements. Many of our undergraduate students and all of our graduate students receive financial support directly from the School. We have
recently initiated a new financial assistance program for undergraduate students called the Dean‟s Scholars Program (see page 7) to attract elite students into the agricultural and consumer sciences. This program, in combination with Tennessee‟s Hope Scholarship Program pays all educational expenses for
select scholars! We started a summer internship program for high school students at all of our research
and education centers: Main Campus, McMinnville, and Ashland City (Cheatham County). These and
other recruitment efforts have increased our enrollment significantly. For example, freshmen enrollment
in the Department of Agricultural Sciences went from 11 in the fall of 2007 to 48 in the fall of 2009, for
an increase of 336%. The Masters program in this department has also seen similar improvement in enrollment by increasing from 11 in the fall of 2007 to 37 in the fall of 2009, for an increase of 236%.
We have been communicating with you, our friends and family, more regularly with publications like
this newsletter and events like Homecoming, the Hall of Fame Banquet, our Alumni Breakfast, and an
Alumni Reception for incoming freshman. We are planning to establish an Advisory Committee to the
School. Please send me your ideas and nominations for this important Committee! It truly is great time
to be part of TSU!
Chandra Reddy, Ph.D.
Dean and Director of Research/Administrator of Extension
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AG F AC S LIN K
Homecoming 2009
Homecoming 2009 prompted
lots of tiger spirit in the School of
Agriculture and Consumer Sciences (SACS). Offices, doors,
walls and windows were decked
out in blue and white to welcome
alumni to the School. The Department of Agricultural Sciences
Alumni Association hosted a reception for freshman on November 5. On November 6 refreshments were provided in the lobbies of Humphries and Lawson
Hall and the Farrell-Westbrook
Complex. Friday afternoon
School alumni, faculty and staff
were treated to a delicious lunch
of freshly grilled hamburgers and
hotdogs prepared by the School
homecoming committee members. More than 150 alumni and
friends enjoyed the annual
Alumni Breakfast in Humphries
Hall on Saturday morning. Sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, grits,
biscuits, fresh fruit, fruit breads,
juice and coffee were prepared
and served by AGFACS faculty
and staff. Dean Reddy addressed
the attendees and spoke of the
accomplishments made in the
School over the past year, and
emphasized the importance of
our alumni being good ambassadors and recruiters for the School
of Agriculture and Consumer
Sciences.
Dr. Browning Featured at Maryland Goat Event
Dr. Richard
Browning, Research Associate Professor
in the School
of Agriculture
and Consumer
Sciences,
spoke about
the importance of performance
testing, at the Western Maryland
Goat Field Day on Saturday, Oct.
3, in Boonsboro, Maryland.
Browning told his audience that
when he started his research program, he noticed the absence of
breed evaluations and on-farm
testing. Producers should know
which animals make money and
which ones cost money. He focuses on three traits in his research: growth, reproduction and
carcass merit. “Reproduction is
the most important in terms of
the bottom line,” Browning said.
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Doe performance should be especially considered because they
have the largest land, feed and
labor costs. Browning‟s study
looks at doe pregnancy rate, how
many kids they deliver, kid survival from birth to weaning and
weaning weight. Results of the
research showed an advantage of
Kiko and Spanish does over the
traditional Boers. “There was a
big difference between which is
the sire and which is the dam,”
Browning said, with the Boer sire
and Kiko dam crosses doing best.
Looking at carcass merit, the
five heaviest cold carcasses had
at least one Kiko parent.
Browning stressed the importance of having scales on the
farm to weigh goats and also to
study contemporary groups,
goat kids born during the same
time period and under the same
conditions.
Presently, meat goats represent Dr. Browning‟s research focus. Genetic evaluation for performance and fitness in the
southeastern US is the general
theme of this TSU small ruminant effort. The research herd is
comprised of approximately 250
breeding does and herd sires on
70+ acres of pastureland representing diverse sets of Boer,
Kiko, Spanish and Myotonic genetics. For more information visit
http://faculty.tnstate.edu/
rbrowning/.
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Grant Received for Building Our Future Through
Entrepreneurial Development
A multi-state and multi-disciplinary proposal tiforming prospective and existing entrepreneurs
tled “Building Our Future through Entrepreneuabout business and information technology that is
rial Development…Youth and Adults” has been
available from different public sources. Dr. Barbara
funded under the USDA 1890 Rural Economic OpCanada is the Project Director with Drs. Surendra
portunity Development Initiative. Tennessee
State University‟s School of Agriculture and
Consumer Sciences was selected among 15 historically African-American land-grant education
institutions to receive funding to provide entrepreneurship training and benefits to rural youth
and adults in Tennessee and Mississippi. The
grant is part of a $1.5 million initiative designed
for economic development and business promotion of limited resource and underserved community residents. Tennessee State University
plans to use part of its $75,000 award to develop
a comprehensive leadership and entrepreneurDr. Tyrone Miller, Dr. Surendra Singh, Dr. Barbara Canada,
ship program, for the youth, to equip them with
and Ms. Jonell Hinsey (ABD)
tools needed to develop them into successful
entrepreneurs; to facilitate appropriate training
for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to improve
Singh and Tyrone Miller and Ms. Jonelle Hinsey
their financial and management skills; and to deserving as Co-PDs. Mr. Lee Sammons and Mr. Warvelop and continuously update an informational netren Stamps are key outreach personnel.
work and outreach communication system for in-
Bullock Receives Excellence in Extension Award
The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities recently selected Tennessee State University Extension Professor Fitzroy D. Bullock to receive the 2009 Excellence in Extension Award for
the 1890 Region. This award is presented annually
to an individual who has excelled
throughout his/her career in accomplishments reflective of excellence in Extension educational
programming. Dr. Bullock received the award at the 2009 Association of Public and LandGrant Universities Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
“Receiving the Award of Excellence in Extension is very
much appreciated by both Tennessee State University and me,” he said. “However, my extension
work was not based upon the fact that I wanted to
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excel to win an award. I did a job that I was assigned to do- that I love to do. I love to work with
the people across the state of Tennessee and across
the nation.”
Other awards Dr. Bullock has received include
the TSU Presidential Distinguished Service Award
(2001), the University of Tennessee Program of Distinction Award for Small Farms (2004), the Blue
and White Gala Award for Outstanding Program in
Small Farms (2006) and the Award of Excellence
for Exceptional Programming for Southern Regional
Extension Forestry (2006).
“My future goal is to try and spend the rest of my
career trying to find a way to replenish the aging
farmer with the young vibrant farmer whether it be
through USDA programs, state programs, high
schools or whatever it takes,” he said. “I just want
to rebuild the farming population, because if farming fails, everything fails.
AG F AC S LIN K
TSU Hosts World Food Week
Tennessee State University
joined hands with organizations
and institutions across the globe
October 12th-16th and took a
stand against hunger, malnutrition and poverty by commemorating World Food Week.
According to Sandria Godwin,
TSU Professor of Family and
Consumer Sciences and
Chair of the World Food
Week Committee, activities
during the week served as an
opportunity for members of
the Nashville community to
have a timely and muchneeded dialogue about poverty and world hunger.
World Food Week supporters
were asked to bring canned
goods and nonperishable items as
part of the school's local food
drive done in collaboration with
Second Harvest Food Bank. Activities began on Wednesday, Oc-
tober 14th, with a recipe contest
to determine the TSU community‟s tastiest and most economical "recession proof" recipe. Following the contest, John E. Morrison Jr., Consultant and Adjunct
Professor of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science at the
University of Tennessee, provided a seminar on Global Food
Sustainability.
Activities continued on Friday
morning with speakers, videos
and a roundtable discussion focusing on the theme: "Achieving
Food Security in Times of Crisis." Members of the School of
Agriculture and Consumer Sciences faculty and staff provided
attendees with samples of dishes
from various regions of the world
at the International Food Market.
The market included common
dishes prepared in Jamaica,
Nigeria, Tanzania, Saint Vincent, Kenya, Mexico, Kurdistan, Taiwan, Malaysia, India,
Ethiopia, Pakistan, the United
States of America, and
Ghana.
"We have quite a diverse
group in our school," said
Godwin who has spearheaded
the World Food Day commemoration at TSU since 1982.
"World Food Day was the perfect
opportunity for us to showcase
our diversity and share some of
the everyday dishes people prepare throughout the world.
Imagine
Achieving food
security in times
of crisis
World Food
Week 2009
Tennessee State University
School of Agriculture and
Consumer Sciences
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Carlew Wins Recipe Contest
Diane Carlew, Administrative Assistant in the Department of
Internal Audit won the First Annual World Food Week
“Recession Proof” Recipe Contest with a pot luck dish she traces
back to her grandmother.
“I‟ve been preparing this dish for over twenty years.,” she
said. “My grandmother was always doing something with leftovers, and she knew how to stretch a meal in hard times, which
you have to do… My mom did it. They never called it anything, so I said pot puck.”
The contest provided an opportunity for the School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences (SACS) to share creative cooking ideas with local families and community members who are
struggling financially under the current economy.
Mary Hance, also known as Ms. Cheap because of her frugal
consumer column in The Tennessean, served as judge for the
contest. “This has been so much fun,” she said. “All of them
were great so it was really hard to decide. And they were all very
different… and to be able to try six different recipes at lunch
time—what an assignment! Ms. Cheap‟s dream.”
Roast Chicken Pot Luck
(Roast Beef or Pork Roast)
Left over meat - roast chicken, roast beef or pork
4- 5 potatoes
2- 3 celery sticks
1 medium size onion
2 cans chicken broth (substitute beef broth if you
have roast beef)
1 can water
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
Instructions:
Take left over chicken, roast beef or pork roast
and cut into small to medium size pieces
Cut up potatoes (cube-like medium size)
Dice celery and onion
Place all ingredients in a 2 quart cooking pan
Add chicken broth and water
Season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder
Cook at medium high until potatoes are done (stir
occasionally)
Prepare in a small bowl corn starch and a little
water to make a past
Add paste to ingredients on the stove and stir
well (this should thicken the sauce). Allow to
simmer for about five minutes and then remove
from the stove. Serve hot with corn bread.
TSU Scientist Speaks at National Conference on
New Insect and Disease Threat to Black Walnut
Dr. Jason Oliver was invited by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to speak on ambrosia beetle
management at the Thousand Cankers Black Walnut
National Conference in St. Louis on November 3-4,
2009. The Conference brought federal and state
university speakers from all parts of the U.S. to exchange information and develop strategies to manage a new insect / disease complex that is emerging
in the Western U.S. Thousand cankers disease is
carried by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus
juglandis) and is essentially eliminating black walnut (Juglans nigra) in many western states. There
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was extreme concern at the conference that this
emerging pest / disease complex will enter the native range of black walnut in the eastern U.S. and
eliminate this important timber and nut-crop species
from our native forests. There
was evidence presented at the
conference that the walnut twig
beetle has been in some of the
western states for several decades,
but for reasons yet unknown, the
fungus it carries is now killing
walnut trees.
AG F AC S LIN K
Graduate Students Welcomed with Reception
Graduate students
were welcomed to the
fall semester in the
School of Agriculture
and Consumer Sciences
with a reception on September 30, 2009. Dean
Chandra Reddy, Department Head Constantine
Fenderson, and Graduate
Coordinator Surrenda
Singh welcomed over
forty new graduate students to TSU and the
School of Agriculture
and Consumer Sciences and congratulated them on
their acceptance to the School of Agriculture and
Consumer Sciences graduate program. The students
were informed of the expanded opportunities for
education and research training available to them as
a result of the incorporation of research and extension faculty into the academic departments in the
School. Dr. Reddy also congratulated the students
on the assistantships they have received; these assis-
tantships will permit the students to concentrate
fully on their coursework and research training
without the distraction of outside employment. Interim Dean of the Graduate School Dr. Alex Sekwat
and Dr. Karim Muhammad, Interim Assistant Dean
of the Graduate School also attended the reception
and presented welcoming remarks. Ms. Ramona
Whitworth, Graduate Analyst from the Graduate
School reminded students of the Graduate School
requirements as they progress into the program.
Following the remarks, students and faculty enjoyed
informal discussions and hors d‟oeuvres.
Dean’s Scholars Financial Assistance Program
Announced
To encourage high caliber high school students
to enroll in the food, agriculture, environmental, and
other related sciences at Tennessee State University,
the School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences
has initiated a financial assistance opportunity called
the ‘Dean’s Scholars Program’. The Dean‟s
Scholars Program works in conjunction with the
Tennessee Hope Scholarship Program to pay for
student college expenses with a unique research internship/work-aid program for all four years of a
student‟s eligibility. This program is highly selective and recruits only ten students annually. Expenses for tuition, fees, and on-campus room/board
that are in excess of the Hope Scholarship are paid
by Dean‟s Scholars Program. Students participating
in the Dean‟s Scholars Program are allowed to defer
the remaining fees and expenses, which are paid
through monthly deductions from proceeds earned
through the Student Work-Aid program.
The award also provides the student with opporVO LUM E 2 , I S SUE 2
tunities to gain valuable experience by working with
the School‟s senior faculty. Each student will work
closely with a senior faculty mentor to conduct research, publish and present the research, and participate in summer internships or externships with local, regional or national research laboratories.
To be eligible for the program, students must be
a Tennessee Hope Scholarship recipient and be admitted to Tennessee State University seeking a degree in Agricultural Sciences or Family and Consumer Sciences. Students are eligible to continue in
the program by maintaining the Tennessee Hope
Scholarship. Application materials must be postmarked no later than February 28 of the year applying and should be submitted to the School‟s Scholarship Committee. Graduating high school students
and transfer students are eligible to apply. For more
information contact William Hayslett at: 615-9635438 or [email protected].
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Hall of Fame Banquet Honors New Inductees
Sandria Godwin, Ph.D., R.D., L.D/N, is Professor and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences,
Tennessee State University. A native of Kansas
City, Kansas, she received her B.S. degree in Dietetics and Institutional Management (1971), and her
M.S. degree (1973) and Ph.D. degree (1981) in
Foods and Nutrition, all from Kansas State University.
Hired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Home Economics in 1982, Dr. Godwin proceeded through the ranks to Professor, specializing
in community and child nutrition. While teaching is
her major appointment, Dr. Godwin also has an exemplary research program and has obtained internal
and external research funding in excess of four million dollars. The results of Dr. Godwin‟s research
are broadly distributed. She has publications in
scholarly journals and popular magazines. Most recently her work was featured in the prestigious
ADA Times. She has also been interviewed on National Public Radio and the food safety research
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conducted by Dr. Godwin and her team was part of
a monologue on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Dr. Godwin is widely recognized as a leader in
her field: she received the American Association for
Family and Consumer Sciences‟ Leader Award in
2009, the 2002 Tennessee Association of Family
and Consumer Sciences Honor Award, and the Kansas State University Distinguished Research Award
in 2003. Godwin‟s community service has been
recognized many times, including being named
Community Health Hero by the Davidson County
Health Department, 2002 and Community Action
Hero in 2003 and 2004 by the Nashville Community
Action Commission.
Dr. Godwin was born and raised in Kansas City,
KS. and is married to Francisco Vazquez. She has
one son, Bruce Godwin, and three grandchildren.
She is a long time member of Walker Baptist
Church where she is Missions Coordinator, sings in
the choir and plays handbells. Sandy has five states
to go in her quest to visit all fifty of the United
States.
AG F AC S LIN K
Hall of Fame Banquet Honors New Inductees
Dr. Frederick S. Humphries is President Emeritus and former President of Tennessee State University, a former President and Regent Professor of
Florida A&M University, and former President and
CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity. He is a renowned scholar with a BS degree
in physical chemistry from Florida A&M University
and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Humphries was born in Apalachicola, Florida.
While President of Tennessee State University,
Dr. Humphries‟ administration led to improved and
expanded academic programs, enhanced faculty,
increased enrollment, higher quality students, and
expanded scholarships and support activities. He
also oversaw the merger of the Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee-Nashville. Dr.
Humphries‟ respect for the School of Agriculture
and Consumer Sciences led him to personally establishe a scholarship for students in the School. The
building housing the Department of Family and
Consumer Sciences was renamed Frederick S.
Humphries Hall in his honor.
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He has been a leader and advocate for the agriculture agenda in this country as chair and member
of the of the 1890 Council of President and also in
the prestigious position of Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
Many of the programs and resources gained in the
1890 community have been a result of the public
policy advocacy of Dr. Humphries in his tenure with
NASULGC. The relationship (especially agricultural research, teaching and Cooperative Extension)
with the United States Department of Agriculture
was strengthened because of the leadership of Dr.
Humphries.
Dr. Humphries has been honored with many
awards, including the 1991 Thurgood Marshall
Award for Higher Education, the 1993 Drum Major
for Justice Award for Higher Education, 1997 Floridian of the Year, 2001 Trumpet Award for Education, 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to African Americans in Engineering and
numerous honorary doctorate degrees.
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2009 Small Farm Expo
The 2009 Tennessee Small
Farm Expo and Small Farmer of
the Year Recognition Program
was held on July 31, 2009 at the
Tennessee State University Agricultural Research and Education
Center in Cheatham County. Approximately 300 guests were
treated to a great day of education, fellowship and informative
workshops.
In the Innovative Marketing
workshop, the 2008 Tennessee
Small Farmer of the Year winners Jim and Gayle Tanner from
Bonnie Blue Farms talked about
how they market and advertise
their goat cheese. Ty and Trace
Owen from Owen Farms, talked
about marketing an agritourism
business in these tough economic
times.
Farm Funding and Cost Share
Resources had excellent speakers
from various US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and Tennessee Department of Agriculture
agencies speaking about different
cost share and loan programs that
are available to small farmers in
Tennessee.
Conserving on Your Farm and
Around Your Home had another
excellent panel of guest speakers
from USDA and UT/TSU Cooperative Extension giving people
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tips, ideas and ways to save every
penny they can to increase their
profits and lower that bottom line
in their business or just around
their home.
The Alternative
Agriculture Production Ideas workshop
featured techniques of
alternative livestock
production and herb
and ornamental grass
production.
Following lunchtime greetings from
Tennessee State University Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kathleen
McEnerney, Dean
Chandra Reddy, and
other dignitaries, the
Small Farmer of the
Year recipients were
announced.
There
were category winners in four categories (listed below)
and one overall Tennessee Small Farmer
of the year selected
from the category
winners.
Category Winners were:
Best Management
Practices (farm income
size $50,000- $250,000):
Mr. David Shores,
Cheatham County.
Best Management
Practices (farm income
size less than $50,000):
Mr. Brian Neal McLerran, Clay County.
Alternative Agricultural Enterprises (farm income
size less than $50,000): Mr.
Johnny W. Wall, Montgomery
County.
Alternative Agricultural Enter-
prises (farm income size $50,000
- $250,000): Mr. Chang Suhn
Lee, Grundy County.
Mr. Lee was also selected as
the Tennessee Small Farmer of
the Year.
Each winner was recognized
with a plaque and an all-expense
paid trip for two to the Southern
Agriculture Working Group Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee Jan 21-23, 2010. The overall
winner also received a trip for
two to the National Small Farms
Conference held in Springfield
Illinois on September 15-17,
2009.
Mark your calendar for the
2010 Tennessee Small Farms
Expo. It will be held on the Ten-
nessee State University Main
Campus Agricultural Research
and Education Center on July 15,
2010.
AG F AC S LIN K
SACS Loses Valuable Employees
Nathaniel A. Adefope
The School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences lost long-time employee Nathaniel Adefope
on September 7, 2009. Mr. Adefope, who had been
employed by the university since 1982, was also an
alumnus of TSU, having obtained both his bachelor's and master's degrees in agriculture, with concentrations in animal science. He was an invaluable
member of the Animal and Alternative Livestock
Ruth Almira E. McDowell
Ms. Ruth A. McDowell, Associate Professor,
Director of the Early Learning Center, and Coordinator of Child Development and Family Relations in
the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences,
Tennessee State University passed away on August
22, 2009. She served the university as a long-time
professor in various roles.
Professor McDowell received her Bachelor‟s
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Research Team. He also authored and co-authored
many publications in poultry nutrition and management. He had great passion for the guinea fowl and
spent many years researching this avian specie. Mr.
Adefope touched the lives of many TSU students,
staff and faculty and is dearly missed. TSU president Melvin Johnson led a memorial march for Mr.
Adefope immediately following the university-wide
Opening Convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
President Johnson leads the university in a
remembrance of Mr. Adefope.
Degree from Maryland State College (now University of Maryland, Eastern Shore) and Master‟s Degree from Pennsylvania State University. Professor
McDowell was an active member of the university
community with her service on a variety of committees. In the 1970's she provided leadership to the
Women‟s Faculty Group. She is best known for her
development of the early education/pre-kindergarten
program in Tennessee.
Ms. McDowell was a member of various religious and social organizations; she was former
board member with the Wesley Foundation and an
active member of Clark Memorial Methodist
Church where she provided leadership to a variety
of activities. Her most ardent efforts included chairman of a Multi-Ethnic Textbook Workshop Committee during the crucial desegregation period of
Metro Public Schools. She also worked tirelessly
on the Youth Activities Committee, which planned
and coordinated monthly activities for a group of
thirty girls from their eighth grade year until their
graduation from high school.
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The D.R.E.A.M. Project:
TSU Extension Mentors Young Men
Recognizing that black males
often do not reach their full potential while moving through the
K-12 and higher education sys-
tem, Dr. Tyrone Miller, TSU Cooperative Extension, initiated a
project to address the issue. The
purpose of the “Developing Renewing Embracing Aspiring
Men” (DREAM) Project was to
mentor and train young men with
the potential to achieve greatness.
A series of workshops focusing
on 10 topics were held for over
an eight week period during the
2009 spring semester. Topics of
the workshops ranged from Personal Mission and Vision to SerP AGE 1 2
vice and Advocacy.
In addition to the workshops,
the DREAM Project participants
took a cultural enrichment trip to
Atlanta that included visits to the
Leadership Center at Morehouse
College, the Carter Presidential
Library, and a service project
with the Covenant House of
Georgia. In all, a total of 22 participants completed the DREAM
Project program. Attendance averaged 90% for each workshop
session. All participants have
returned to college this fall and
are themselves training and mentoring more than 30 male freshmen and sophomores.
A modified version of the program was also presented to 13
male 8th- 11th grade students from
Nashville inner-city schools over
the course of four days during
June. Workshops were held on
the TSU campus and provided
the students with an opportunity
to learn about achieving greatness and become familiar with
the Tennessee State University
main campus and the Research
and Education Center in
Cheatham County.
The DREAM Project was the
result of the vision of a group of
male students at TSU and collaboration between the TSU
School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, The TSU Honors Program, Backfield in Mot i o n , La W a n d a G i r t o n
(consultant), The Covenant
House (Georgia), and TSU Multimedia Services. A video about
the projects can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bfaUNUrIOIc .
AG F AC S LIN K
TSU Nursery Research Center Hosts
2009 Tennessee Green Industry Field Day
The 2009 Tennessee Green Industry Field Day
was held on August 4th, 2009 at the Tennessee State
University Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center
in McMinnville, Tennessee.
This event was co-sponsored by the TSU School
of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. Over
300 nursery professionals attended the day-long
event that featured educational seminars presented
by TSU School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences faculty and nursery industry professionals,
facility tours, and commercial exhibits.
Educational sessions included a standing room
only presentation about quarantine treatments for
imported fire ants in field nurseries by Drs. Jason
Oliver and Samuel Ochieng (TSU). Other talks featured new developments in plant
regulatory issues
by Mr. Gray
Haun, Tennessee
Department
of
Agriculture, reduction of nitrogen leaching in
container plant
production
by
Dr. Dharma Pitchay (TSU), an
examination of
customer satisfaction issues in
landscape professions by Dr. Zena Clardy (TSU)
and turf management items for customer appeal and
reduced insects and diseases by Mr. Anthony Tuggle (TSU). The event also featured a presentation
on bamboo pest problems and their solutions by Mr.
Adam Turtle, of Earth Advocates Research Farm.
Of special interest to the nursery producers was a
demonstration area exhibiting the correct application methods for imported fire ant quarantine treatments.
Attendees also toured the Nursery Research Center laboratories and field research areas and visited
with 30 commercial vendors featuring products and
equipment of interest to the nursery and landscape
industry.
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Retirements
Dr. Emmanuel Nnodu retired
from the School of Agriculture
and Consumer Sciences on August 31, 2009. Dr. Nnodu was
hired at the TSU Nursery Research Center in April, 2002 and
worked as an Associate Investi-
gator in the area of plant pathology, primarily in the
area of seed-borne diseases. This is Dr. Nnodu‟s
second retirement, his first was from the National
Root Crop Research Institute in Abia, Nigeria,
where he served as Assistant Director for 20 years.
Dr. Nnodu plans on spending some quality time
with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Mrs. Carol Wade, Fiscal Analyst for the School of Agriculture
and Consumer Sciences retired
August 31, 2009, after serving
Tennessee State University for
40 years. (Yes, 40!)
Carol began her career at
TSU as a student, entering what
was then known as Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State University in 1964, and graduating in
1968 with a B.S. in Business Administration. In
1969 Carol joined the university as an employee,
serving first as Assistant Director of Personnel and
then as Director of Personnel until 1985. Though
very busy with her job and family, Carol had a hard
time staying out of the classroom, and earned a
Master‟s Degree in Public Administration in 1981.
In 1985, Carol joined the Cooperative Agricultural
Research Program, and spent the next 24 years
keeping up with the accounting, grants and contracts
in agricultural research. As a dedicated employee
with a history of knowing how to get things done,
Carol will be missed in the School of Agriculture
and Consumer Sciences.
Although Carol has retired from active duties,
happily she has not retreated from our midst. As a
presence on the campus, Mrs. Wade will continue
her commitment to the Alumni Association, the Big
Blue Club, and the Agricultural and Home Economics Hall of Fame Committee, lending advice, inspiration and support.
Winston Appointed Special Assistant to the Dean for The
Cooperative Extension Program
Mr. Richard J. Winston was appointed as Special
Assistant to the Dean for the Cooperative Extension
Program effective August 17, 2009. In his capacity
as Special Assistant, Mr. Winston will assist the
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School in the recruitment of an Associate Dean for
Extension and help run the Cooperative Extension
Program during the transition period. He will also
objectively review and streamline collaborative efforts with the University of Tennessee as well as
closely monitor and assist in improving the communications between the Specialists and the County
Agents. Another of Mr. Winston‟s goals is to help
the Dean seamlessly integrate TSU‟s extension programs and personnel with the teaching and research
personnel and programs. The TSU Cooperative Extension Program is currently located in 20 counties
across the state; we look forward to Mr. Winston‟s
efforts in promoting Extension activities and exploring new funding opportunities to increase TSU‟s
presence in additional counties. Mr. Winston‟s office is located in Suite 213 in the James Farrell-Fred
Westbrook Building and he can be reached at 615963-1594.
AG F AC S LIN K
Students Learn by Exploring Virtual worlds
Students enrolled in the Basic Nutrition class in
Family and Consumer Sciences traveled to the virtual world of Second Life last semester to explore
some of the unique learning opportunities offered.
Second Life is an online 3-dimensional virtual real
time world that enables users to interact with each
other through the use of avatars (a computer user's
representation of himself/herself). Students used
Second Life to travel to the Cooperative Extension
Island of Morrill to explore learning modules related to their class and interacted virtually with
Extension Specialists and Second Life Designers.
In addition, students were encouraged to create
interactive content or concepts they believed could
be used on the island to help educate other visitors,
extension professors, specialists and agents in the
area of basic nutrients.
Students were teleported to Morrill Island with
the aid of Ms. Jonell Hinsey (Assistant Professor,
Instructional Designer/Technology); there they
discussed components related to food groups in the
MyPyramid area. One student, Cierra M.
Kimbrough, thought the inclusion of the breakdown of “how food labels work” could help assist
visitors on the island and potentially raise their
level of understanding of food nutrition, leading to
the possibility of consumers making healthier
choices while purchasing food. The student exploration of learning modules in Second Life continued throughout the semester. This collaborative
project was designed by Ms. Hinsey and Dr. Veronica Oates, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences.
Food Safety Booklet/Program for Older Adults Available
Adults aged 60 and over are considered at high risk for getting a foodborne illness, not just from foods eaten outside of the home but also from
those prepared in the home. As part of a grant funded through the National
Integrated Food Safety Initiative, USDA, TSU faculty have developed a
comprehensive guide for adults aged 60 and over entitled “Take Control of
Food Safety”. The publication incorporates information to help prevent
older adults from getting sick from eating high-risk foods, and recommends preparation and cleaning practices to help them avoid lifethreatening foodborne illnesses. Group presentations incorporating the materials covered in the brochure can be scheduled through Leslie SpellerHenderson at 615-254-7277 or [email protected]. For a printed copy,
please contact Dr. Sandria Godwin at [email protected] or 615-9635619.
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Education Opportunities
Agribusiness
The Agribusiness concentration is designed for students who wish to pursue agricultural business and related careers with business and government. Over the last
several decades, the combination of agriculture, business, and science and technology has given rise to the emergence of the Agribusiness Industry. Today's agribusiness industry is a global, fast-paced, high technology industry that is one of the most
effective adapters of scientific innovation.
Professionals and managers in this industry must not only be well-grounded in
the science and technical aspects of food and fiber production, but also in the environment and the principles of business management. The curriculum in our Agribusiness concentration expands the whole-person concept of education, including
development of entrepreneurship, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
A student majoring in Agricultural Sciences and pursuing a concentration in Agribusiness has a number of career opportunities including, but not limited to: Agribusiness Management; Agricultural Finance and Credit; Sales Representatives; Marketing and Merchandising Managers; Cooperatives and Banks; Agricultural Production; Economic Analysis; Education and/or Research; International Development.
Foods and Nutrition
The foods and nutrition programs at Tennessee State University, prepares students
for careers as nutrition educators and registered dietitians* who will provide leadership
in the delivery of foodservice management and nutrition services for the people of Tennessee and around the world.
Nutrition professionals translate the science of food and nutrition to enhance the well
being of individuals and groups. Career opportunities also exist in diverse areas such as
journalism, sports medicine, wellness programs for business and industry, and sales for
food, foodservice equipment, or pharmaceutical companies. Nutritionists and dietitians
work for food companies in research and development, as public information specialists
for food commodity groups or as consultants in private practice serving rural hospitals
and nursing homes.
Opportunities are provided for students to gain experience in their profession before
graduation, which enables students to learn about cultures, and take on leadership roles
before they enter the workforce.
With a strong emphasis in community service, our students excel in providing services to the limited resource individual and family. Graduates may develop community
programs to promote nutrition and good health; appear on television to educate people
about the relationship between diet and health; conduct research on the psychological,
cultural, social, economic and environmental issues related to nutrition and health; or
work with special groups who are at risk for nutrition-related or health problems, such
as pregnant women, infants and the elderly.
* This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association. 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 200,
Chicago, IL.
Please call the following numbers for information about our academic programs:
Department of Agricultural Sciences - 615.963.5435
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences - 615.963.5617
School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences - 615.963.7561
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AG F AC S LIN K
Projects Funded
Oliver, J.B., S. Ochieng, and C. Ranger. 2009. Tree injection and other methods to improve trapping
of buprestid, cerambycid, and scolytid borers. USDA-APHIS. $100,000. This unrestricted research gift
is funding the evaluation of a new systemic insecticide (Kontos) for insect control in nursery crops. Kontos
is being evaluated as a soil- or foliar-applied treatment for control of potato leafhopper and maple tip moth
using field-grown red maples at a commercial nursery.
Potato leafhopper feeding causes
„hopperburn‟ (stunted and deformed leaves and shoots, necrotic leaf margins, leaf cupping, and apical tissue
death), which reduces plant growth, increases production time and pruning requirements, and lowers aesthetic quality and market value. Maple tip moth larvae bore into maple branch tips, which can result in a
low-quality forked trunk if the apical leader is attacked.
Oliver, J.B., N. Youssef, and M. Halcomb. 2009. Evaluation of Kontos (spirotetramat) for potato leafhopper and nursery insect control. Bayer Environmental Science. Unrestricted gift. 19 June 2009.
$5,550. The purpose of this project is to develop new methods for trapping invasive wood-boring beetles. Exotic wood-boring insects continue to be introduced and established in North America, where they
cause extensive economic and environmental damage. Our project will emphasize the development of new
traps and methods that can capture beetle groups categorized by USDA as high risk for invasive introduction
Samuel, Javiette. 2009. SET in Our Community – A Digital Storytelling Project. National 4-H Council. This project is designed to engage youth in the creation of short films that explore science, engineering
and technology in their urban community. Selected sites sent a project leadership team to a kickoff/training,
October 14-16, at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD. The Tennessee delegation included Michael
Shirley, Rutherford County Agent, a community partner/collaborator, and two youth. National 4-H Council
covered the cost of travel, lodging, and meals. Additionally, Rutherford County will receive funds to implement the project, purchase equipment and marketing items, and pay stipends to teen leaders.
Hosted by:
Michael McLendon and Leslie Speller-Henderson
12 noon on Wednesdays
1600 AM WTST The Blaze
www.tsuradio.com
Topics Geared for the University Community.
Discussions on Food and Health Issues, Plus Much More.
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Alumni Updates:
Cleola Morrow. Home Economics. Retired teacher, Fayette County School System.
Melvin Wright (58) Biochemistry. Dentist, General Practice. Jackson, TN. Hall of Fame Inductee 2007.
Serves on State Board of Education, and the Trustee Board of Lane College and a member of American and
National Dental Associations.
Shirley Carr Clowney (60) Vocational Home Economics. Retired Teacher. Researcher of Black History in
Blount County. Leadership Blount 03, Miss Bronze Woman 06, YWCA Tribute to Women Finalist 08.
Leroy Shaw, Jr. (64) Agriculture Education. Assistant Principal in the Memphis City School System. Founder and organizer of two nonprofit organizations in Fayette and Tipton counties. He also has a Masters of Divinity degree and is a minister.
George Hadley (72) Agricultural Economics. (74) Agricultural Sciences. Retired from University of Georgia,
College of Agricultural Sciences, as Department Head of Cooperative Extension, Atlanta.
James Brown, Jr. (75) Rural Development. District Conservationist with USDA/NRNCS in Springfield, TN.
J.W. McGuire (78) Rural Development. County Director for the UT Extension Service.
Christopher Westbrook (80) Plant Science. Area Director, USDA Rural Development, Nashville, TN. Manages loan and grant programs for housing, business and community programs.
Maria Thompson (82) Clothing and Textiles. Vice-President for Research and Sponsored Programs, TSU.
Sernetta Bufford (86) Rural Development. Works at Vanderbilt University in Patient Accounting.
Renita Perkins (89) Early Childhood Education. Elementary School Principal, Metro Nashville Public
Schools, Cumberland Elementary. Oversees about 380 students and 42 faculty and staff.
Terron Hillsman (95) Ag Business; Masters Organizational Business, Tusculum College; Ph.D. Business Administration, UT Knoxville. Employed as District Conservationist with USDA-NRCS, Knoxville, TN.
Natasha Wellington Hillsman (98) Animal Science, Ag. Science; MBA Tusculum College. Associate Relations/Diversity & Corporate Compliance Advanced Specialist with DENSO Manufacturing TN Inc.
Michelle Ashley (08) Food Service Management. Extension Agent, UT Cooperative Extension Program,
Marshall County, Lewisburg, TN.
Martha Lois Dale (09) Family Consumer Science/African Studies. Administrative Assistant at Vanderbilt
University.
Leon Tillman (09) Agricultural Sciences. Employed as a soil scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Obion County.
Nick Amica (09) Early Childhood Education. Teacher of 4th grade students at College Park Elementary
School in Atlanta.
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AG F AC S LIN K
New Publications
Aziz , A. , F. Naseer, F. Tegegne, and R. Wiemers. Benefits of Hands-On Biotechnology Training
Workshops for Secondary School Educators and College Students. Journal of Biotech Research. (in press).
2009.
Chesney, C. E., J. Samuel, and S. Fuller. 2009. Outreach and Engagement at Tennessee State University .
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Volume 13, Issue 3.
Kilonzo-Nthenge, A., E. Rotich, S. Godwin, and T. Huang. 2009. Consumer storage period and temperature
for peanut butter and their effects on survival of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Food Protection
Trends. 29(11):787-792.
Li, Younghao, Margaret Mmbaga, Alan Windham, Mark Windham and Robert Trigiano. 2009. Powdery
mildew of Dogwoods: Current status and future prospects. Plant Disease 93(11) 1084-1092
Oliver, J. B., D. C Fare, N. Youssef, S. S. Scholl, M. E. Reding, C. M. Ranger, J. J. Moyseenko, and M. A.
Halcomb. 2009. Evaluation of a Single Application of Neonicotinoid and Multi-Application Contact
Insecticides for Flatheaded Borer Management in Field Grown Red Maple Cultivars. J. Environ. Hort. In
press.
Oliver, J., S. Ochieng, N. Youssef, W. Haun, S. Powell, and M. Halcomb. 2009. Container or balled and
burlapped root ball drenches for certifying nursery plants in the Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine. TSU
extension publication.
Tegegne F., A. Naseer Aziz, and R. Wiemers. Impact of Biotechnology Training and Delivery of Biotech
Kits on School Curriculum and Students in Tennessee. Journal of Interdisciplinary Education. 8(1): 192-209.
2008.
Youssef, Nadeer, Jason Oliver, Chris Ranger, Michael Reding, James Moyseenko, Michael Klein, and
Robert Pappas. 2009. Field evaluation of essential oils for reducing attraction by the Japanese beetle
(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidai. J. Economic Entomology 102: 1551-1558.
Presentations
Aziz, A.N., S. Kebe, C. K. Dumenyo and M. Jabar-Muhammad. In Vitro and In Vivo responses of Atlantic
and Norchip Potatoes to Simultaneous Exposure to Various Heat Stress Regimes and Erwinia carotovora Mutants. 93rd Annual Meeting of The Potato Association of America, Fredericton, NB, Canada. August 9-13,
2009.
Kommireddy, L. V. Sahithi and A. Naseer Aziz. DNA Fingerprinting of Heirloom Vegetables using Dual
Fluorescent Dye Labeled AFLP Primers. 2009 Molecular Markers in Horticulture Symposium, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, OR, USA. July 29-August 1, 2009.
Oliver, J.B. 2009. Recognizing and managing borers. Tennessee State University Cooperative Extension Program, Ornamental and Turfgrass Pest Management Workshop. 9 September 2009. Nashville, TN.
Oliver, Jason, Sam Ochieng and Nick Gawel. Development of imported fire ant quarantine treatments for field
-grown nursery . 3rd USDA-ARS Floral and Nursery Crops Researcher‟s Workshop. Cleveland OH October
14-15, 2009.
Oliver, J.B., S. Ochieng, M. Halcomb, N. Youssef, F. Mrema, K. Vail, G. Haun, and S. Powell. 2009. Update
on the development of new quarantine treatments to manage imported fire ants in commercial nurseries. Tennessee Green Industry Field Day, McMinnville, TN Aug. 4, 2009.
Singh, Surendra P. and Sammy Comer. Promoting university-private sector interactions and engagement: why
and how? International conference “Capacity Building for Global Competitiveness in Developing Economies:
The Nexus of Technology Development and Transfer, Education, and Culture” October 14-16, 2009, Accra,
Ghana.
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Agribusiness
Agricultural Biotechnology
AGFACS LINK
Agricultural Education
Vol. 2, Issue 2 (Spring 2010)
Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Applied Geospatial Information Systems
Tennessee State University
Child Development & Family Relations
School of Agriculture and
Consumer Sciences
Design
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Early Childhood Education
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
Family and Consumer Sciences Education
(615) 963-7561
Fashion Merchandising
http://agfacs.tnstate.edu/
Food Service Management
Food Technology
Foods & Nutrition
Plant and Soil Science
Dr. Chandra Reddy, Dean
AGFACS LINK
Editors:
Dr. Nick Gawel
Richard W. Stone
Thanks to all contributors.
Tennessee State University
School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
Tennessee State University: A Tennessee Board of Regents Institution. TSU is an equal
opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to education a non-racially identifiable
student body. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons who need
assistance with this material may contact Dr. Chandra Reddy at 615.963.7561.