Inside IFAS January 2007

Welcome to the January 2007 issue of the “INSIDE IFAS” online faculty and staff newsletter.

Happy New Year! With UF boasting the national champion NCAA football and basketball teams there’s never been a better time for IFAS to celebrate its own stellar accomplishments.

As always, we need your help to keep “INSIDE IFAS” going strong as the voice of faculty and staff. Please send brief news items to insideifas@ifas.ufl.edu, including all the essential information – who, what, when, where, why and how.

Produced by UF/IFAS External and Media Relations in cooperation with IFAS Communication Services, the online “INSIDE IFAS” is a work in progress, so please let us know if you have any suggestions for improvements. We look forward to hearing from you.

Below, you’ll find a table of contents with links that will take you to different sections of the issue.

ONLINE STORIES

12.12.2006 Genetic modification turns plant virus into delivery vehicle for green-friendly insecticide, say UF researchers http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/story.aspx?id=1184

FEATURES

Spring Solutions Leadership Seminar offers CALS students practical advice

CALS students interested in making the most of their college experience have a great opportunity to learn life skills and career-boosting strategies at the Spring Solutions Leadership Seminar.

Presented by the college, the daylong event will take place Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center Gainesville, located at the intersection of Hull Road and S.W. 34th Street. The event is free and open to all CALS undergraduates and graduate students.

“It’s a wonderful development opportunity,” said Chris Vitelli, CALS director of student development and one of the seminar’s organizers. “It will help them (participants) become more society-ready graduates.”

The seminar will include presentations on decision-making and problem-solving, stress management, team leadership, effective communication and more, made by speakers including Kirby Barrick, dean of the college, and representatives of UF’s Counseling Center and Office of Sorority & Fraternity Affairs. There also will be a panel discussion on preparing for graduate or professional school.

A previous seminar proved so successful that the event will likely be held every spring and fall semester from now on, Vitelli said.

Vitelli is available to make brief presentations in CALS classes to promote the seminar. Faculty interested in a presentation can contact him at 392-1963 or cvitelli@ifas.ufl.edu.

For more information, visit the event Web site at http://www.cals.ufl.edu/solutions.

Gorbet named fellow by Crop Science Society of America

Peanut breeder Dan Gorbet, a professor at the North Florida REC in Marianna, has been named a fellow by the Crop Science Society of America.

The award, which is the highest honor presented by CSSA, was presented at the society’s annual meeting, held Nov. 12-16 in Indianapolis.

Gorbet was one of 10 members of the society inducted as fellows this year. They were chosen on the basis of achievements in education, research, service and leadership. Only three-tenths of one percent of the society’s membership base of 4,500 may be elected fellows each year.

A member of the Department of Agronomy faculty since 1970, Gorbet has provided sole or co-leadership to UF’s peanut breeding program throughout his career. Begun in 1920, UF’s peanut breeding program is the nation’s oldest and is known worldwide for its discoveries and accomplishments.

Gorbet is the primary or co-developer of 19 peanut cultivars in the United States, four in Australia and one in Bolivia. One of his successes with the program was Southern Runner, the first peanut cultivar resistant to late leafspot, released in 1986.

In 1995 UF released the SunOleic 95R, the world’s first peanut cultivar with high oleic fatty acid oil content, which gives it greater shelf life and can help reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

Gorbet earned a doctoral degree in plant breeding and genetics from Oklahoma State University in 1970, a master of science degree in crop science from OSU in 1968 and a bachelor of science degree in agricultural education in 1965 from Texas A&I University.

He plans to retire in early 2007 but has been working with his successor, Barry Tillman, for more than two years to ensure a smooth transition in the peanut breeding program’s leadership.

INFORM

The IFAS News Team Can Help Publicize Your Work

Publicity is one of the keys to helping UF raise its profile and prestige nationwide.

The challenge for IFAS is to identify stories that meet the needs of the media and bring those stories to reporters and editors in a timely fashion. That’s where the IFAS news team can help. The team’s writers, videographers and photographers can help you evaluate story ideas and get them to appropriate media outlets.

The news team welcomes tips from faculty and staff. Here are some guidelines to what reporters are looking for.

Stories are carried in newspapers, radio and television broadcasts only after editors and reporters decide the story ideas have enough news value to justify spending time and effort to pursue them. They want to focus on stories that will interest the most readers, listeners or viewers.

News-value decisions are subjective, and sometimes the reasoning behind them is complex. But for our purposes, there are three aspects most important to understand: significance, unusualness and timeliness.

Significance. Simply put, the number of people affected by a story. That’s why the biggest media outlets focus so much on topics such as wars, natural disasters and the activities of world leaders. At IFAS, we’re likely to get the best response to stories about projects and programs that affect thousands or even millions of people.

Unusualness. You’ve probably heard the old saying that it’s not news when a dog bites a man, but when a man bites a dog – that’s news. Sometimes the basic details of an IFAS project – such as a low-carb potato, or an allergy-free peanut – are enough to grab a news editor’s attention.

Timeliness. The news media is event-driven, so reporters are most likely to cover a topic when a milestone occurs: the publication of a research paper, launch of a new program or debut of a product.

Some stories are best sent to national and international media. Or a story might be sent to industry publications, local reporters or IFAS personnel. And sometimes the best course of action is to wait and let a project develop further before publicizing it.

Projects with a strong visual aspect can be good subjects for video news releases and news photos. These often accompany print stories but can be issued by themselves.

If there’s an event coming up that you’d like the news team to know about, please let us know – the earlier, the better.

IFAS News Contacts:

Photographs – Thomas Wright, tsw@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, 352-392-1773, ext. 283

Print – Mickie Anderson, mickiea@ufl.edu, 352-392-0400

Video – Rebecca Clapp, rmclapp@ufl.edu, 352-392-3893

NEW ARRIVALS AT UF/IFAS

Donald Behringer named research assistant professor with Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Donald Behringer has been named a research assistant professor with the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. His appointment became effective Nov. 20.

He will collaborate with Thomas Frazer, an associate professor in the department specializing in marine ecology. Behringer will research a wide variety of ecological issues in Florida’s freshwater, estuarine and coastal marine environments. He also will continue his work on a lethal virus he and colleagues at Old Dominion University and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science discovered infecting spiny lobsters in the Florida Keys.

Before being appointed by UF, Behringer was a natural resource specialist with the Broward County Environmental Protection Department and a research associate with Old Dominion. Previously, he held postdoctoral associate and adjunct assistant professor appointments with Old Dominion.

He holds a doctoral degree in ecology from Old Dominion and a bachelor of science degree in zoology from UF.

Brooke Burn named urban horticulture agent in Sumter County

Brooke Burn has been named urban horticulture agent for the Sumter County Extension Service. Her appointment became effective Oct. 20.

Burn’s responsibilities include coordinating the county’s Master Gardener program, answering questions for residents and professional landscapers, developing educational programs and maintaining demonstration gardens that show residents locally suitable plants and landscaping options.

Before being appointed, Burn was an entomologist with Walt Disney World, where she was responsible for pest management, educational activities, promotional activities and intern supervision for entomology operations at Epcot’s Land Pavilion. Previously, she worked as an intern at Disney World and several horticultural operations in Georgia and Tennessee.

Burn holds a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Tennessee Technological University and an associate of science degree from Chattanooga State Technical Community College. She also holds a Florida commercial pesticide applicator license.

Patrick Minogue named assistant professor with North Florida REC in Quincy

Forestry expert Patrick Minogue has been named an assistant professor with the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. His appointment became effective Nov. 13.

Minogue also will hold an assistant professor position with the School of Forest Resources and Conservation.

His responsibilities include both extension and research assignments.

In extension, his duties include providing leadership and assistance to county extension faculty, developing in-service training programs for extension faculty, carrying out demonstration trials and authoring educational documents.

In research, he will conduct studies addressing the needs of government agencies and private landowners in North Florida, focusing on issues important to forest management. He will participate in graduate education, chair graduate committees and supervise graduate research.

Before being appointed by UF, Minogue was president of Allied Environmental and Forestry Consultants, a business serving industry and government agencies in regulatory compliance, environmental testing and applied vegetation management research.

He also was a market development manager with the agricultural products division of BASF and American Cyanamid. Previously, he was a research associate with Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

He holds a doctoral degree in tree physiology from Auburn, a master of science degree in forest soils and silviculture from North Carolina State University and a bachelor of science degree in general agriculture from the University of Maryland. He is a registered forester and licensed pesticide crop adviser.

Yoana Newman appointed assistant professor with Department of Agronomy

Yoana Newman has been named an assistant professor with the Department of Agronomy. The appointment became effective Nov. 9.

A forage specialist, Newman will devote 70 percent of her efforts to extension. She will work closely with county extension and forage research faculty and be responsible for programming and information dissemination on forage production and management. She will focus on topics such as forage production and management for traditional and new landowners, with emphasis on cost-effective methods and environmentally sound practices.

Newman’s position also includes 30 percent research; she will investigate issues such as forage systems, nutrient management and new uses for forages.

Before being appointed, Newman was an assistant professor and extension forage specialist with Texas A&M University’s soil and crop sciences department, serving the state’s north-central region. Previously, she was a postdoctoral research associate with UF’s agronomy department and worked on forage production and nutritive value aspects of bahiagrass, perennial peanut and limpograss. Earlier in Florida and in Texas she worked with remediation and management of grasslands with elevated soil phosphorus.

She has co-authored numerous abstracts, peer-reviewed papers and textbook chapters. As an agronomy student at UF, she won awards for the department’s best master’s thesis of 1999 and best doctoral dissertation of 2001; she has also won several awards and distinctions for leadership.

Newman holds doctoral and master of science degrees in agronomy from UF, a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from the University of Zulia, Venezuela, and a social science degree in psychology, also from Venezuela.

Carolyn Saft named Suwannee River Partnership extension agent

Carolyn Saft has been named Suwannee River Partnership education coordinator and horticultural extension agent with the Suwannee County Extension Service. Her appointment became effective Nov. 3.

Saft coordinates educational outreach activities for the partnership’s best management practices; she organizes workshops, field days, meetings and a newsletter. She also publicizes the partnership to the community by attending festivals, events and educational programs.

She also coordinates horticulture activities including workshops, volunteer development, presentations, newsletter articles and plant hotline questions.

Before being appointed, Saft was an environmental specialist with the Florida Department of Health in Gilchrist County. Previously she was an environmental horticulture extension agent and horticulturalist in Palm Beach County, and held several service, supervisory and grower positions with commercial horticulture operations in Florida.

Saft holds a bachelor of science degree in horticulture from the University of Florida and is a graduate fellow of the Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute. She also is an instructor with the Florida Master Naturalist Program and a state-certified pest control operator.

Clyde Smith named regional specialized agriculture/IPM agent in Jackson County

Clyde Smith has been named regional specialized agriculture/ integrated pest management (IPM) agent for the Jackson County Extension Service. His appointment became effective Jan. 8th.

As the regional IPM agent, Smith’s responsibilities extend to Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties. While his main focus is on row crops, such as cotton, he also will conduct pesticide training for growers and workers in vegetable management and timber production.

Before this appointment, Smith was with BASF, where his territory as a vegetation management product specialist covered North Florida from Ocala to Pensacola. Prior to his time with BASF, Smith was with the Jackson County Extension Service.

He holds a master’s degree in weed science and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural extension education, both from Mississippi State University.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mini-grants available for projects benefiting campus conservation areas

IFAS faculty, staff and students interested in pursuing environmental projects that benefit conservation areas on the UF campus are invited to apply for mini-grants offered by the Lakes and Natural Areas Subcommittee of UF’s Lakes, Vegetation and Landscaping Committee.

Grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded by the Environmental Stewardship CITF Grant Program to complete projects that will enhance or restore one or more of the almost two dozen conservation areas, said Erik Lewis, senior planner with the Division of Facilities Planning and Construction.

Possible topics include management of exotic invasive plants, research on water quality enhancement, development of educational brochures or kiosks, and construction or maintenance of nature trails.

Applications must be submitted by March 1. Application forms and additional information are available at www.facilities.ufl.edu/cp/grant/index.htm.

Funding for the grants, which totals $200,000, was provided by UF Student Government. The Division of Facilities Planning and Construction is responsible for major construction projects at UF, as well as management of its space and physical resources.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS

Wilkie honored for contributions to Florida’s sustainability

Ann Wilkie, an associate professor with the Department of Soil and Water Science, has been honored by Gov. Jeb Bush and The Council for Sustainable Florida for her contribution and commitment to sustainable practices in Florida.

In June, Wilkie and IFAS were awarded the 2006 Sustainable Florida Non-Profit Award to recognize Wilkie’s work developing an innovative fixed-film anaerobic digester that treats livestock waste, producing renewable energy and compost while simultaneously protecting the environment and reducing objectionable odors.

At the Florida Cabinet meeting in Tallahassee Aug. 15, Gov. Bush presented Wilkie with a formal state resolution honoring her efforts to promote sustainability in Florida and recognizing the award from the council.

Wilkie said, “anaerobic digestion of organic waste provides practical environmental and economic benefits that contribute to long-term sustainability. Using anaerobic digestion, we can generate biogas energy from animal manures, crop residues, and industrial and municipal wastewaters, as well as from purpose-grown energy crops like grasses.”

The Council for Sustainable Florida is the premier statewide organization committed to the balancing of economic interests with the need to be socially and environmentally responsible.

Four receive IFAS annual awards for international work

Four IFAS researchers were recognized for their work in international education at a Jan. 11 meeting.

Nicholas Comerford and Lawrence Datnoff were given the International Fellow Award and Edward “Gilly” Evans and Karen Kainer received the International Achievement Award for non-tenured faculty.

Jimmy Cheek, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, presented the awards.

Comerford, professor and graduate coordinator for the Department of Soil and Water Science, has been involved in international research since the mid-1980s and has taught soil science courses at three Brazilian universities.

Datnoff, a plant pathology professor, focuses on silicon’s role in controlling plant disease. He has worked in Brazil, Zambia, Mexico, Colombia, Spain and Canada, among other places, and has set up collaborative research programs in many of those places.

Evans, an assistant professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics, has helped lead the effort to safeguard the Greater Caribbean Region – including Florida – from harmful invasive species.

And Kainer, an assistant professor of tropical forestry who holds a dual appointment with the School of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Center for Latin American Studies, focuses on the Amazonian rainforest. Her collaborations with institutions and scientists abroad have helped raise UF’s international profile.

David Sammons, IFAS’ director of international programs, said an institution like UF must keep its focus global.

“We should not be granting degrees to students who don’t have a sense of what’s going on in their field in a global context,” he said. “And we should not be promoting researchers if they’re not connected with their peers around the world.”

Thanks, and we’ll see you next time!