Hop

Intro

Introduction:

May was an exciting month! There was a flurry of activity as the semester ended and field research activities went into full swing. The climax of the spring season is of course the graduation of another class of PES undergraduate and graduate students. Graduation marks the culmination of years of dedicated effort and commitment on their part to reach that goal. We really enjoyed celebrating our graduates’ accomplishments with their family and friends. There is a great photo of the students who attended our celebration inside the newsletter that I am sure you will enjoy. As in every newsletter, you will also find interesting updates of ongoing activities and

accomplishments of our faculty, students, and staff. We are pleased to share these highlights with you, and hope you will enjoy reading about them. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer! Please be so kind and continue to submit your news items or accomplishments to Esther Ramirez electronically (esramire@nmsu.edu), and let her know which category should carry the news item. Where possible, please include a pertinent photograph or visual aide.

Richard Pratt Department Head

Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences Departmental Newsletter, Spring 2013, Vol. 5: Issue 2

http://aces.nmsu.edu/academics/pes/departmental-accomplishm.html

Prepared by Jessica Phillips and John Mexal

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Graduating Students, Spring/Summer 2013: Departmental Graduation Ceremony Spring 2013 - Group picture

BS in Agriculture:

Vincent Bluth

Bachelor of Science. Major: Agronomy, Advisor – Ian Ray

Vince has plans to return to his family’s farm and possibly pursue a Master’s degree sometime in the future.

Samuel Diaz

Bachelor of Science. Major: Agronomy/Horticulture, Advisor – Mark Uchanski

Sam has plans to pursue a career in agriculture and eventually go back to the family farm. While here he won the 2011 New Mexico Chile Conference poster award.

Jorge Fernandez

Bachelor of Science. Major: Agronomy/Horticulture, Advisor – Kulbhushan Grover

Jorge would like to pursue a Master’s degree. He thoroughly enjoyed his time here.

Some of the Spring/Summer 2013 Graduates that attended our Departmental Graduation Ceremony:

Front row, left to right: Sam Diaz, Jessica Howe, Jorge Fernandez, Nazar Al-Ibraheemi, Birte

Himmeroeder, Jordan Harrison, Jenny Griffin, David Walterscheid, Rebecca Silva, Carley Czubernat,

Narinder Singh, Pradip Adhikari, Sukhbir Singh, Mohsen Mohseni, Hui Fang.

Back row, left to right: Chris Pierce, Vince Bluth, Mohammed Omer, Jon Hawthorne, Pedro Perez, Paul

Mihalyov.

(photo by J. Vasquez)

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Jessica Howe

Bachelor of Science. Major: Agronomy, Advisor – Christopher Cramer

In the future, Jessica plans to work for NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) and would like to acquire land someday. .

Birte Himmeroeder

Bachelor of Science. Major: Horticulture, Advisor – Mark Uchanski

Birte, a Crimson Scholar and an ASHS collegiate scholar, plans on getting a work-holiday visa and working with organic farms or gardens for a year and then she would like to return for a Master’s degree.

Pedro Perez

Bachelor of Science. Major: Horticulture, Advisor – Geno Picchioni

Jenny Griffin

Bachelor of Science. Major: Soil Science, Advisor – William Lindemann

Jenny was the recipient of the Academic Excellence Award for Spring 2013. Following

graduation, Jenny will be working full time for the Gila National Forest as the north zone

watershed specialist. She will be pursuing professional certification through the Soil Science

Society of America.

David Walterscheid

Bachelor of Science. Major: Soil Science, Advisor – Manoj Shukla/April Ulery

David plans on returning to the family farm in Carlsbad NM, and applying his knowledge of

soils to improve their operations and those of other farms in the area.

BS in Environmental Science:

Leah Baca

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Advisor – William Lindemann

Carley Czubernat

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Advisor – William Lindemann

Carley plans on continuing her education and pursuing a graduate program in Physician Assistant studies. Carley received the ACES Dean’s Award of Excellence Award for Spring 2013.

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Ruben Martinez

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Advisor – William Lindemann

Currently Ruben plans to continue working for Sapphire through December.

Rebecca Silva

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Advisor – William Lindemann

Rebecca expressed her appreciation for all the help she received from the outstanding PES faculty.

BS in Genetics:

Amelia Clayshulte

Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Advisor – Christopher Cramer

Amelia was a Howard Hughes Research Scholar. The Howard Hughes Inst. Program and Bioinformatics summer camp sparked her interest in the Genetics major. Amelia now plans to pursue a PhD in Genetics in Biomedical and Biological Sciences at the University of North

Carolina Chapel Hill.

Jordan Harrison

Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Advisor – Champa Gopalan /Christopher Cramer

Jordan was the recipient of the Outstanding Student in PES award and plans on pursuing a graduate education in genetics at Stanford University.

Paul Mihalyov

Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Advisor – Ian Ray

Paul will be headed to Washington St. University, where he will be working towards a PhD in Molecular Plant Sciences. Not only was Paul selected as the recipient of the Deans Award of Excellence for Spring 2013, he has also been on the Dean’s List since 2009.

Master of Science:

Nazar Al-Ibraheemi

Master of Science in Horticulture, Committee – Kulbhushan Grover (Co-Advisor), John Idowu (Co-Advisor), Soum Sanogo and Brian Schutte Thesis title: “Evaluate Cover Crops in NM.”

Nazar will be returning to Iraq where he is an employee of the Iraqi Department of Agriculture.

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Mohammed Omer

Master of Science in Horticulture, Committee– Kulbhushan Grover (Co-Advisor), John Idowu (Co-Advisor), Soum Sanogo and Brian Schutte Thesis title: “Green Manure Legumes Suitable for the Southwest.”

Mohammed will be pursuing a Ph.D. degree with the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. After that he plans on teaching at the University of Sirte in Libya.

Israel Calsoyas

Master of Science in PES, Committee– Stephanie Walker (Advisor), Robert Steiner, Zohrab Samani, Mark Uchanski Thesis title: “Comparative Effects of Deficit Irrigation in Landrace and Commercial Chile (Capsicum annuum) Cultivars.”

Israel will be pursuing a Ph.D. degree with the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

Jon Hawthorne

Master of Science in PES, Committee– April Ulery (Advisor), John Mexal, Dawn VanLeeuwen. Thesis title: “Nurse Rocks Increase Emergence and Survival of New Mexico Locust”"

Jon enjoyed working as a Teaching Assistant. He now plans on joining the workforce.

Christopher Pierce

Master of Science in PES, Committee– Ian Ray (Advisor), Paul Bosland, Robert Steiner, Chris Cramer Thesis title: “Forage Yield Potential Among Sixty-Eight Semidormant Accessions of the Perennial Alfalfa (Medicago sativa l.) Core Collection.”

Chris is a current NMSU employee and we are pleased to know that he plans on continuing his work here.

Nicholas Santantonio

Master of Science in PES, Committee– Ian Ray (Advisor), Robert Steiner, Jinfa Zhang, Champa Sengupta-Gopalan Thesis title: “Genetic Mapping of Carbon Isotope Discrimination in Tetraploid Alfalfa.”

Nicholas will be pursuing a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University in the Plant Breeding and Genetics Department starting August 2013.In the future he would like to

find a job as a plant breeder either in industry or in a faculty position.

Narinder Singh

Master of Science in PES, Committee– Christopher Cramer (Advisor), Ian Ray, Paul Bosland, Mary Staffeldt, Robert Steiner Thesis title: “Selection Progress for Reduced Iris Yellow Spot Symptom Expression in Onion.”

Narinder will be pursuing a Ph.D. degree in plant breeding and genetics at Kansas State.

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Sukhbir Singh

Master of Science in PES, Committee– Sangamesh Angadi (Co-Advisor), Kulbhushan Grover (Co-Advisor), Manoj Shukla, Robert Steiner Thesis title: “Response of Spring Safflower Genotypes to Drought and Salinity Stress.”

Sukhbir will remain at NMSU and pursue his Ph.D. He greatly enjoyed serving as a Teaching Assistant for several different instructors.

Amanda Trujillo

Master of Science in PES, Committee– William Lindemann (Advisor), Robert Steiner, Adrian Unc Thesis title: Non-Thesis

Amanda plans to continue working for Yates Petroleum as an environmental scientist.

Doctor of Philosophy:

Hui Fang

Doctor of Philosophy in PES, Committee– Jinfa Zhang (Co-Advisor), Soum Sanogo (Co-Advisor), Champa Sengupta-Gopalan, Paul Bosland, Ian Ray, Robert Flynn Dissertation title: “Development of Molecular Markers and Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci for Resistance to Verticillium Wilt Disease Using Two Inbred Line Populations in Tetraploid Cotton.”

Mohsen Mohseni-Moghadam

Doctor of Philosophy in PES, Committee– Jamshid Ashigh (Advisor), Mary O’Connell, Champa Sengupta-Gopalan, Jill Schroeder Dissertation title: “Resistance to Glyphosate in Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Populations from New Mexico Pecan Orchards.”

Mohsen is ready to join the workforce and would like to thank everyone that has helped him throughout his studies.

Pradip Adhikari

Doctor of Philosophy in PES, Committee– Manoj Shukla (Advisor), John Mexal, David Daniel, Curtis Monger Dissertation title: “Impact of Nonuniform Treated Wastewater Application on Spatial and Temporal Variability of Soil Properties.”

Pradip is the Ph.D. level recipient of the Best Paper Awards for Graduate Students Spring 2013. He has already started a Post Doctoral position with the Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Marco Schiavon

Doctor of Philosophy in PES, Committee– Bernhard Leinauer (Advisor), Paul Bosland, Richard Heerema, Rossana Sallenave Dissertation title: “Turfgrass Establishment and Maintenance under Deficit Irrigation and Saline Soil Condition.” Marco is now a Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of California –Riverside.

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Research: Estimating Economic Value of Applied Research Projects http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/economics/RR781.pdf For more information: Mick O’Neill, 505-852-4241, moneill@nmsu.edu

Authors: Ted Sammis, Mick O’Neill, and Junming Wang. Universities manage research projects through both internal funding and support systems for the generation of external grant funds. The management of a research project is full of uncertainty and complexity. An economic evaluation of university research projects can determine the economic impact on society and can generate a return on the investment from federal and state funds. This paper presents a simple method that uses an Excel spreadsheet to estimate the economic value of research at the project level. Three sample calculations were conducted for agricultural research projects (on pecan irrigation, a new variety of bigtooth maple tree, and evaluation of new alfalfa varieties) to demonstrate the methodology. The research on new alfalfa varieties obtained the highest benefit:cost ratio (123:244). This supports the concept that variety trials have one of the highest potential paybacks of any agricultural research. An economic analysis of the benefit:cost ratio and a net present value for most applied research are easy to compute with the presented Excel calculator. When the economic analysis includes a large number of environmental values, more time and effort are needed to conduct the analysis, but an economic analysis remains possible. If used as part of research proposal submission, the economic analysis could give reviewers another method to rank research proposals and select those proposals that not only propose good science but also have a potential reasonable return on taxpayers’ investments. The publication came with a spreadsheet for implementation and involved:

1. The cost of the research and the change in production due to the new technology, as a proportion of total production.

2. Adoption costs of the new technology, as a proportion of the product price. 3. Net change in production costs, as a proportion of the product price. 4. Change in the equilibrium quantity produced due to the new technology. 5. Economic benefits from the adoption of research results. 6. Net economic benefits after subtracting the costs of research and Extension.

The objective of this paper is to describe a simple methodology that can be used by researchers who are not economists to calculate the net present value and cost-benefit analysis of their research projects using a simple, readily available economic spreadsheet. The second objective is to describe how this information can be used to justify research proposals to federal funding agencies, university administrators, and state legislatures

Excerpt from NMSU Studies Strawberries as Potential Alternative Crop for Northern New Mexico Written by: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu

For more information: Shengrui Yao, 505-852-4241, yaos@nmsu.edu

Late freezes in Northern New Mexico impacts the fruit tree crops regularly. In 2011, the state's peach crop was lost to a late freeze. Growers are determining what impact the hard mid-April frost will have on this year's crop. To provide research-based recommendations to fruit growers, New Mexico State University continues to test potential alternate fruit crops for Northern New Mexico. Shengrui Yao, Cooperative Extension Service fruit specialist and researcher stationed at NMSU's Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde, is studying strawberries to see if this popular sweet red fruit could be a cash crop for the growers.

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"Originally, I thought strawberries would be a wonderful crop because most of the time, late frosts won't kill all of the flowers or buds in a cluster, so growers would always have some form of a crop," Yao said. Yao decided to conduct variety trails to see if strawberries could survive the late freeze issue and to determine which variety would adapt to the high pH soil and produce the best yield for the Northern New Mexico region. With support from USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant and the Agricultural Development and Promotion Fund from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, she began the study in 2011. "One reason we do a study over several years is to evaluate the crop in the different weather conditions that may occur," she said. "While our early buds were lost to the freeze this year, we will continue to see what type of yield does occur to let growers know what might be the results of a worst-case situation." After two years, the three most productive cultivars were ‘Mesabi,’ ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Kent,’ while the three least productive ones were ‘Earliglow,’ ‘Wendy’ and ‘Chandler.’ The ‘Mesabi’ cultivar is leading the study after the first two years.

Students and Alumni: NMSU Extension Soil Scientist Joins RAIPAP Team at Alcalde Written by: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu

New Mexico State University's Rural Agricultural Improvement and Public Affairs Project has a new tool to help underserved farmers be better agricultural producers. Cooperative Extension Service agricultural agent Charlene Carr (M.S. 2012) brings her expertise in soil science to the RAIPAP team. She will be working with agricultural producers in the eight northern pueblos to improve the soil nutrients of their land. "I want to help the pueblo members to have the best yield possible from their land," said Carr, who is a member of the Laguna Pueblo. "The first step of accomplishing that goal is to analyze the soil to see what nutrients are needed for better crop production." Carr received her Bachelor of Science degree in soil science and her Master of Science degree in Plant and Environmental Sciences from New Mexico State University.

"This position with RAIPAP will give me the opportunity to apply all of the knowledge that I have gained," she said. As part of the RAIPAP team, Carr will also be working with the Southern Pueblos Beginning Farmer and Rancher program, which is a model for similar programs at other American Indian farming regions. "We are utilizing her specialty wherever she is needed in the various programs offered by RAIPAP," said Edmund Gomez, project director for the program. RAIPAP is stationed at NMSU's Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde. "She is looking at the soil tests of all of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program participants. Once we receive the analysis, she will work with the farmers one-on-one and through producer workshops to help them improve their land's productivity." This is the first time RAIPAP has had a soil specialist, as well as a pueblo member, on its team. "There are many traditions associated with the pueblos that we honor when working with the agricultural producers," Gomez said. "Charlene understands those cultural traditions firsthand.” "It is a challenge to help Native American producers bring their soil up to a productive level within the framework of the pueblos traditions," Carr said. "Farming in the traditional ways requires us to not rely on synthetic supplements to replenish the nutrients. It may take a few years of raising crops to naturally build the soil back up to a healthy level."

Ms. Charlene Carr, New

Mexico State University

Extension soil scientist

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PES Students Receive Spring 2013 ACES Awards

Outstanding Student in PES

Deans Award for Excellence – Undergraduate

Academic Excellence Award

Graduate Student Wins Outstanding Graduate Student Poster Presentation

Sukhbir Singh, Master of Science candidate received the outstanding graduate student poster presentation award at the 2nd Annual Student Water conference held at Stillwater, OK from April 4-5, 2013. The title of the presentation was: “Water Use Efficiency and Yield Formation of Spring Safflower Under Different Water Management Practices in Semi-Arid Eastern New Mexico.” Sukhbir’s Advisor: is Dr. Sangamesh Angadi

Jordan Aaron

Harrison

Paul Mihalyov Carley Czubernat

Jenny Marie Griffin

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International Ag Day Spring 2013 ACES Award Reception for PES Students, Spring 2013

PES Outstanding Teaching Assistant for 2012-2013 The Graduate Student Committee selected Mr. Sayed Gebril Mohamed for the Outstanding TA Award for the 2012-2013 academic year. Congratulations!

Best Paper Awards for Graduate Students Spring 2013 The Graduate Studies Committee in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PES) is pleased to announce that Gregory Reeves and Pradip Adhikari are the winners of the Best Paper Awards for graduate students. Here is the information on their advisors, co-authors and the titles of papers.

1. At the M.S. level, Gregory Reeves. Advisor: Dr. Paul Bosland. Reeves, G, A.Monroy-Barbosa, and P. W. Bosland. 2013. A novel Capsicum gene inhibits host-specific disease resistance to Phytophthora capsici. Phytopathology 103:472-478.

Students, faculty and staff celebrate student award

recipients on May 1, 2013.

Back left to right: Kelly Laje (ASHS Senior), Birte

Himmeroeder (ASHS Senior), Champa Gopalan, Mark

Uchanski, Paul Mihalyov (Deans Award of Excellence),

Jordan Harrison (Outstanding Student in PES), Jenny

Griffin (Academic Excellence), Bill Lindemann, Linda

Meyer, Richard Pratt

Front left to right: Sharon Martinez (ASHS Senior),

Ryan Goss.

OASIS members presenting club actions at the

International Ag Day.

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2. At the Ph.D. level, Pradip Adhikari. Advisor: Dr. Manoj Shukla. Adhikari P., M. K. Shukla, J. G. Mexal. 2012. Spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity and sodium content of desert soils: implications for management of irrigation using treated wastewater. Transactions of the ASABE. 55:1711-1721.

The department will provide $500 in travel support to present their research at a scientific meeting for each winner. In addition, their names, and the advisors names will be presented on a plaque. Congratulations to them, their advisors and co-authors!

Faculty & Staff NMSU Faculty Honored at New Mexico Organic Farming Conference Written by: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu

A team of three New Mexico State University faculty members were collectively named Organic Educators of the Year during the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference in February in Albuquerque. Kulbhushan Grover and Mark Uchanski, assistant professors in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences' Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, and John Idowu, Cooperative Extension Service agronomist, were honored for the work they have done with organic farmers. "They have done an awesome job" said Joanie Quinn, organic commodity adviser with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. "Among the many projects they are involved in, this trio was at the heart of a team that won an Organic Research and

Extension Initiative grant to assist organic peanut producers on the east side of the state. Mark Uchanski is currently working on a proposal to establish a sustainable organic study program on the NMSU main campus." Grover juggles Extension duties, applied research and teaching courses in crop production with his main areas of interest including cover crop, crop rotation, soil quality and alternative crops with emphasis on small- scale and organic crop production systems. Idowu's focus is on soil health for optimal crop production and conservation agriculture. His current research and Extension work is concentrated on improving field crop production in New Mexico through sustainable cultural practices during drought conditions. Uchanski, an assistant professor of horticulture and vegetable physiology in the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, divides his time between research and teaching with research projects including vegetable season extension through the use of hoop houses, winter production and mustard biofumigants. "We honor them all for their work and their understanding that information from their research needs to get to producers hot off the press," Quinn said. "We thank them for that dedication that leads them to work impossibly long hours to serve our community, and we recognize them for their deep understanding that two-way interaction between researchers and farmers is the way to move organic agriculture forward."

Kulbhushan Grover, John Idowu and Mark

Uchanski (left to right) were named Organic

Educators of the Year during the New Mexico

Organic Farming Conference in Albuquerque in

February. (NMSU photo by Josephine Vasquez)

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Dr. K. Grover Receives the 2013 NMSU Teaching Academy Innovation Award

Dr. Grover received the 2013 Teaching Academy Innovation Award. This award is based on innovation in teaching that has positively impacted student learning at NMSU. The Teaching Academy Board selected Dr. Grover’s application from a very competitive pool. Dr. Grover received the award based on his project on experiential learning and its assessment that he introduced in his Principles of Crop Production, AGRO/HORT 365. In the past, this award has mostly been won by senior faculty from colleges other than ACES. The award was presented to Dr. Grover by the interim-president Dr. Manuel Pacheco at the Teaching Academy Gala held on May 1, 2013.

(1) Dr. Grover talking about his innovation with Interim-president Dr. Pacheco listening in the background (left). (2) Dr. Grover with his family posing for a group picture with Interim-president Pacheco, ACES Dean Lowell Catlett, ACES Associate Dean James Libbin, PES Department Head Richard Pratt, Teaching Academy Director, Dr. Tara Gray, Teaching Academy Associate Director, Dr. Jean Conway, Director of Assessment, Dr. Shelly Stovall, Deputy Provost, Dr. Gregory Fant, and PES graduate students Nazar Al-Ibraheemi and Mohammed Omer (right). (3) Dr. Grover with his award trophy (far right).

ACES 2013 Distinguished Service and Research Awards Geno Picchioni – Mobley Family Endowed Distinguished Research Award Ian Ray – Kringle the Cat Distinguished Teaching Award Chris Cramer – National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Teaching Award Sabine Green – Charles Tharp Farms Distinguished Service Award Mark Marsalis – Distinguished Extension Award Valerie Pipkin – Malone Farms Endowed Distinguished Staff Award, Off Campus—Clovis ASC Margaret West – Distinguished Professional Staff Award, Off Campus—Farmington ASC PES faculty and staff were prominent recipients of ACES awards for outstanding research, teaching and service contributors. We extend congratulations to all award winners and we extend our appreciation to April Ulery and the members of the Awards Committee as well as the letter writers for their efforts.

New Superintendent for the Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari In April, Leonard Lauriault became the superintendent of the Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, where he has served as interim superintendent since July 2012. Mr. Lauriault received his M.S. in Crop Science from the University of Kentucky. He has expertise with general agronomy, irrigated hay and pastures, alfalfa and other forages, and grazing management, with cooperative research projects across New Mexico.

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Mark Marsalis to Move to Los Lunas Science Center Beginning July 1, 2013, Dr. Mark Marsalis will be relocating from the Clovis Agricultural Science Center to the Los Lunas station to assume Superintendent duties along with Extension Forage Specialist responsibilities. For the past 8 years, Mark has been Extension Agronomist at Clovis working on annual forage crop research and programming for the dairy industry in the eastern part of the state. Mark’s new interests and applied research program will focus more on alfalfa and perennial grasses that are commonly used for hay and pasture systems in New Mexico. “The biggest challenge”, Mark says, “will be shifting from large farms of hundreds of acres irrigated with center pivots to small-acre farms that are flood

irrigated, and learning all the ins and outs of those systems”. The other, obvious challenge will be helping producers remain profitable and sustainable during these difficult drought years. “One of the major focuses of my research and Extension efforts will be to address the ongoing drought and how we can manage better the limited supplies of water we do have”, he says. Mark contends that improving water use efficiency has always been of utmost importance to New Mexico crops and will only become more and more critical as water supplies dwindle throughout much of the state. Focus areas of his program will include: alfalfa yield increase and stand longevity, pest management, and hay quality uniformity. As Superintendent, Mark plans to continue to foster the working relationship between NMSU and the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center and bring broad recognition to the Los Lunas station, which is uniquely situated to address a large diversity of agricultural and horticultural issues of the Middle Rio Grande Valley and surrounding areas.

Outreach: ACES Announces New Sustainable Ag Scholarship For more information: Mark Uchanski (uchanski@nmsu.edu), or John Mexal (jmexal@nmsu.edu).

We are pleased to announce the establishment of the “Constance L. Falk Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship” at New Mexico State University. Once endowed, the fund will support a graduate or undergraduate student with an annual scholarship to support their studies or travel to educational and/or professional conferences with a sustainability theme. The newly established endowment fund is named for Professor Connie Falk in the department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, and it is fitting that the scholarship in her name will support NMSU students well into the future. Falk has been at NMSU for nearly 25 years and plans to retire on September 1, 2013. She helped develop and teach the well-known OASIS class and CSA

with colleagues in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences from 2002-2006. Shortly thereafter, former students from the class asked to borrow the acronym to form a sustainability club named the Organization of Aggie Students Inspiring Sustainability (OASIS), which formed in 2008. Falk has served as a faculty co-advisor to the group since that time and has been active in climate change education as the M. Eugene Sundt Honors Professorship through the Honors College. After retirement, Connie will move to Farmington, NM to pursue some of her many artistic and agricultural hobbies. If you are interested in contributing to the Constance L. Falk Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship, please contact Terra V. Winter with the ACES Development Office: tvwinter@nmsu.edu or 575-646-5787.

Left to right: John Mexal, Connie Falk and

Mark Uchanski.

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NMSU Health and Wellness Expo

Janeth Sanchez represented Dr. O'Connell's Community Health Educator program at the NMSU Health and Wellness Expo on May 3, 2013. The event was open to the NMSU community.