Another year has gone by and its time again for HOMECOMING! This years’ event, set for November 5th and 6th, promises to be a huge extravaganza for the whole campus, as everyone is working to ring in the millennium with real Wildcat style. This year’s Homecoming theme is “It’s been a Wildcat Century,” and we will honor the reunion classes of the past ten decades, 1909 through 1999. Homecoming festivities will begin with the AG CAT Open Golf Tournament at Starr Pass Golf Club on Friday, November 5th. Each year, this tournament gets better and better, so you’ll want to make your reservations early. Later on Friday, the FCR Council will host their annual Homecoming Luncheon on the FCR patio at 11:30 AM. Food, friends and special speakers await you at this traditional homecoming event. Dr. Shirley Jo Taylor is in charge of reservations, so give her a call at 520-621-1063 and let her know you’ll be there. Things really heat up on the Forbes Patio, Saturday, November 6, at 8:00 A.M. with our world famous Burrito Breakfast, courtesy of Dean Gene Sander. Each year, this traditional Homecoming event attracts over 400 alumni. At about 9:00 AM, the AG AUCTION will begin. The auction committee has promised to make this year’s auction one for the record books. Make sure you get there early to bid on the best items we’ve ever offered! After the
breakfast and the auction, please plan on attending the Fall Ag Alumni
Council Board of Director’s meeting. You won’t want to miss this
short, but very important, meeting where we will vote in new officers
and conduct other business. After the meeting, reward yourself by
attending the Homecoming Parade followed by the football game where we
will watch Arizona beat the Washington Huskies! For additional
information, contact Margie Puerta Edson at 520-621-7883.
|
|
In keeping with the spirit of millennium celebrations, the College of Agriculture has decided to organize a Millennium Time Capsule, to be sealed in November 2000 at next year’s Homecoming celebration. At this time, we are asking for suggestions from alumni, students and friends of the College on what items might be interesting to place in a time capsule that would be opened up 100 years from now. Stop by the Millennium Time Capsule booth at the Burrito Breakfast and let us know what items, memorabilia, or artifacts you would like to see represent today’s College of Agriculture to students and alumni in 2100! You can also e-mail us at alumni@ag.arizona.edu Scholar Hired for Cardon Chair Dr. Matt Holt, a nationally acclaimed Agribusiness Economics and Econometrics expert has been hired to fill the newly created Bartley P. Cardon Chair in Agribusiness, Economics and Policy. The Cardon Chair campaign successfully reached its $1.5 million goal earlier this year. The selection committee conducted a national search before settling on Dr. Holt, who has authored more than 85 journal articles, book chapters, abstracts, reports, and invited lectures. He has taught at the University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, Iowa State, and Vincennes University. |
Please join us for the Ag-Cat Open Golf Tournament sponsored by Touchstone EnergySM Friday, November 5, 1999 at 7:00 AM during this year's Homecoming weekend. Proceeds benefit the Ag Alumni Student Support Endowment, which provides financial assistance for students by recognizing academic accomplishments, supporting student activities, recruiting, and supporting student work programs. Your involvement helps the College continue a tradition of student support that goes back over 100 years. Co-chairs Tom Jones and Rob Leonard want you to be one of more than 140 alumni and friends to tee off at Starr Pass Golf Club and compete for great prizes, including a hole-in-one shot at a new car. Registration is set at $90. Please make checks payable to UA/COA. This covers your greens fees, golf cart, lunch, prizes and plenty of fun at the tournament. If playing an early morning round of golf on a world class course is not for you, we are also looking for individuals and businesses to sponsor student golfers in the tournament ($80), sponsor a Tee-Box ($250) or a Hole on the course ($500). Sponsorships are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and will be appropriately recognized at the tournament. To become a sponsor or to register call Beth E. Carter at (520) 621-7190 or via e-mail at bcarter@ag.arizona.edu. Special
Thanks To Our Sponsors!
|
The 9th Annual Ag Alumni Auction is set for Saturday, November 6, 1999 at 9:00 AM and is shaping up to be the best one ever. The auction will benefit alumni programs that strengthen our College. In addition to sporting events, weekend getaways, and gift certificates, attend the auction to find out what other marvels will be uncovered. It's a great time to do your holiday shopping while supporting your College. If you cannot attend Homecoming, you can still participate by donating items or sending in a proxy bid form. Don't miss out on the opportunity to bid on some great items for yourself or as gifts for friends and family, and most of all support YOUR college. To obtain your auction booklet, proxy bid forms, or to donate an item, contact Beth E. Carter at (520)621-7190 or via e-mail at bcarter@ag.arizona.edu. |
|
Please help us thank these special sponsors, who have made this evening possible: Kelly & Cheryl Keithly and Keithly Seeds; COA Academic Programs; Brett MacNeil; Handwerker Windburne; Paul Rovey and Rovey Dairy; Eduardo Luera and Stockman’s Bank; John Visic and Chickasha; Tom Jones and Touchstone Energy; Larry Rovey and Larry Rovey Farms; J.C. Bogle and Bogle Farms; Wilbur Wuertz; Linda Vensel; Fred & Janis Amator; Cheryl Goar and Arizona Nursery Association; Linda Loomis; Polly Elson, Bill Brake; Judy Mellor; Shirley & Ralph Taylor; Mari Wilhelm/ICYF; Ellen Goldsberry; Walmart; J.C. Penney; Target; Basha’s; and Nick Pierson. |
The Student Union Senior Ballroom was the setting March 12, for the 1999 Annual Spring Awards Reception and Banquet. Friends, colleagues and family gathered to honor a large number of awardees. The Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to “... individuals or organizations who have significantly supported the College of Agriculture and/or Arizona agriculture or any of its programs in a superior and sustained manner over thirty-year period.” Selected to receive the awards were: the Arizona National Stock Show, Forrest C.”Frosty” Braden, Don Butler, Amy Jean Knorr, Milton D. “Bud” Webb, and posthumously, Roy Rauschkolb. Joan Rauschkolb accepted the award for her late husband. The Young Achiever Award is “for individuals who have been out of college less than 15 years and who have demonstrated superior performance in agricultural activities following completion of their formal education.” William R. Kapfer, Jr., a graduate of the School of Family and Consumer Resources was presented with his Young Achiever Award. In January 1999, during the New Faculty tour in Phoenix, Kevin Lewis and Michael Anable were also presented with their Young Achiever Awards. Presidents Club citations were presented to Mamie Kai and John Kai, Jr.; John E. and Mary Lou Smith; and Jim and Linda Knight. Each year, Cooperative Extension honors a volunteer Extensionist of the Year. Lenora Boner, from the Maricopa County Master Gardener program was selected to receive the award this year. If you would like more information about the College’s award program please call Carol Knowles, 520-621-7873 or check our web site at http://ag.arizona.edu/alumni/awards.html |
A Retirees Reception hosted by Vice Provost and Dean Gene Sander was held on May 12, in the Forbes Lobby to honor the twenty-six employees of the College who retired this fiscal year. Dean Sander congratulated the retirees who attended the event and presented each with a special momento of appreciation from the College. Approximately 150 colleagues, family, and friends also attended.
|
After surviving delayed flights, missed shuttles and airplane food, the NAADA ‘99 sign was a blessing. Never was anyone more excited to be at Cornell University attending the 24th Annual National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association conference, as was I. Before the conference started, I was having doubts about just what I was going to get out of this conference. Looking back now I can say that the conference was an experience I will always remember and cherish. The University of Arizona College of Agriculture was represented by Judy Mellor, President-Elect of the Ag Alumni Council. Students who attended were Rebecca Robledo and Christa DalMolin and staff included Margie Puerta Edson, John Engen, and Carol Knowles from the Development and Alumni Office, and Paul Kohn, Acting Assistant Dean for Academic Programs These people helped make the conference successful and it was fun getting to know each of them. Rebecca and I had the opportunity to meet, network, and get to know students from all over the United States, from New York to Georgia to Florida to California to Oregon; in all, over forty Land Grant Universities sent delegations. There was an instant bonding between all of the students after the first night of midnight ice skating. What a special experience for two native Arizonans! The conference was divided into professional tracks, with students participating in a track designed just for us. The first day included a Challenge Ropes Course that helped teach us the importance of helping others and working in groups. We were able to assess both our strengths and weaknesses. (I also learned that I am deathly afraid of walking on a rope suspended more than a foot off the ground!) The conference included many excellent programs and dynamic speakers, but the one who had the biggest impact on me was keynote speaker, Ken Blanchard. He helped me learn what kind of leader I want to be, how to lead positively, in a manner where others want to follow you. Blanchard spoke about the importance of getting your life in order and being prepared for unexpected opportunities. The conference format allowed for the steady exchange of ideas. There were educational classes like ‘The Power of Presentations’ where we learned successful ways to present our ideas and how to keep an audiences’ attention. We also had fun and stress relieving classes like ‘Yoga, Relaxation, and Meditation’. The last day of the conference was reserved for agricultural tours and the grand finale, Alumni Event. Conference participants toured dairies, wineries, fruit orchards, aqua culture, turkey farms, and nurseries in central New York State. I went on the Cows to Crops tour where we visited a dairy that raises registered Holsteins and sells their milk to the Kraft company. We also saw a 110 acre farm that is one of the biggest around the Ithaca area. They grow corn, peas, snap beans, and wheat. The tours were interesting and we were able to see some of the beautiful countryside around Ithaca and Cornell University. We even saw a herd of albino deer! The Alumni Event Barbeque was held at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva where alumni from all of the Universities met with one another. We were joined by U of A College of Agriculture alumni Michael Wills, a 1975 graduate in Nutrition and Dietetics, his wife, Svetlana, and their daughter, Kseniya; Robert Gould, a 1967 Horticulture graduate and his son Matt; and Lou Mills, a 1997 graduate in Renewable Natural Resources, and his wife Monica. The NAADA ‘99 conference at Cornell University taught both Rebecca and I ways to improve student and alumni programs at the U of A. We also each learned a lot about ourselves. But, most of all, we were able to make friendships that will last for a very long time. In fact, we met one student from Georgia who is now thinking about coming to Arizona for graduate school and Matt Gould, who we met at the Alumni Event, is also considering attending his father’s alma mater. Now, as I look back smiling, I am able to remember the conference as great learning and growing experiences. Rebecca and I would like to thank Carl Cameron and Pete Dewhirst for establishing endowmnets that made it possible for us to attend this conference and gain these wonderful experiences. |
Faculty and staff from several units on campus are beginning efforts to have the grounds of the University of Arizona designated as an arboretum. The University has a unique collection of plants from dry climates of Mexico, Central America, Africa, and Australia that have been collected by Professors Emeriti from various disciplines in the Colleges of Agriculture, Architecture, and Science. The plants’ diversity, rarity, age, histories, and potential for instructional or research use merit an effort to map, label, document, and conserve them. Designating the campus as an arboretum would benefit visitors to the University of Arizona, the local community, and newcomers to the Sonoran Desert, many who would need information on trees and shrubs that are appropriate for local landscaping. Focal point displays, teaching gardens and shady, peaceful retreats, and pathways are some of the ideas being considered. The fact that our university, a land-grant institution, is situated in such a unique ecosystem as the Sonoran Desert is an equally compelling reason to showcase the local plant material as well as the plants from other arid regions with landscape or research potential. As this arboretum effort project progresses, we will need the help and support of interested individuals in many areas, including volunteers, docents, unusual plant collections, old photos of the campus vegetation, and other supporting materials. The possibilities are practically unlimited. Although this project is still in the infant stages, the need for such an endeavor is great. The arboretum would showcase the existing plant material, teach about arid land ecology, illustrate desert landscape design, make stronger connections with— and serve —the community, and emphasize our botanical/horticultural research efforts at the University of Arizona. Look for more information in the Spring Issue of Agri-News. 
UA Mall, looking East, circa 1931 |
The Fall season is upon us and along with cooler temperatures and students on campus comes exciting news from the Archives Program. We are assisting faculty and staff from several units on campus with efforts to launch a university arboretum. Our contribution comes as a video interview and walking campus tour with Dr. Warren Jones, professor emeritus, landscape design. Dr. Jones was instrumental in propagating and planting many unique trees and shrubs around the campus. This interview is the first of a planned multi-phase attempt to catalogue and describe many of the plants he personally brought to the campus. See the accompanying article for more information on the arboretum project. In concert with our ongoing efforts to recruit and train new volunteers for the Archive Project, the Arizona Historical Society is offering a free training session for those interested in learning how to conduct an oral interview. This workshop entitled Oral History: An Introduction To Its Practice will be conducted by the Arizona Historical Society. We are looking for volunteers and hope to train several people to help with our oral interviewing projects this year. The Archives Program has a new virtual home on the world wide web. A web site has been created to acquaint individuals with our current projects, latest interviews and other interesting news. The first and current exhibit centers around the Brazilian Project. There is an informative article complete with photographs on display. We intend to regularly update this web site with other exhibits and photos as they become available. Hopefully this will increase awareness and interest in the projects we find so valuable. The address is http://ag.arizona.edu/alumni/archives/html. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 2-3 p.m. during the academic year at the Allen Road facility. Please join us! We are always looking for people with ideas, energy, and a sense of purpose who can help us continue to improve the Archives Program. For more information, please contact Margie Puerta Edson in the Development & Alumni Office, 520-621-7883.
|
Shirley McChesney, 66, of Tucson, passed away on September 18, 1999. Shirley retired last October after serving the College of Agriculture for nineteen years, thirteen years in the Office of Academic Programs. Shirley’s colleagues will remember her for her able assistance to students, her rapport with faculty and administrators, and her extensive knowledge of the history of the college. All who knew “Dean” Shirley, as she was affectionately known, will remember her for her warm personality and kind and generous nature. Her life had a positive and loving impact and she was an inspiration and dear friend to many. Memorial donations may be made to the Shirley McChesney Memorial Scholarship Fund, the College of Agriculture, Forbes 325, Tucson , AZ 85721-0036. J. S. “Jack” Francis, Jr. , 71, of Phoenix, passed away on September 15, 1999. Jack was well known in Arizona and nationally for his extensive leadership positions with numerous cotton industry organizations. He helped organize and was president of the Supima Association of America and served on the boards of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association, National Cotton Council of America, Cotton International, the Agricultural Council of America, and the National Cotton Ginner’s Association. Jack was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including Man of the Year from both Progressive Farmer magazine in 1976 and from the Supima Association in 1983. He received the University of Arizona Distinguished Citizen Award and in 1994 he received the College of Agriculture’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of The Valley, Phoenix, AZ 85014 or to the Arizona Humane Society, 9226 North 13th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021. Martha Grinder, 31, Ph.D. School of Renewable Natural Resources Wildlife & Fisheries Resources passed away July 16, 1999, from injuries sustained during a hit and run accident. Martha had spent the last three years studying the distribution and movement of urban coyotes around the Tucson area and her research analyzed the DNA of coyotes to determine their diet. She had completed her dissertation, titled “Coyotes in Tucson, Arizona.” and was scheduled to defend it when the accident occurred. The University of Arizona will posthumously confer Martha’s doctorate in wildlife science. Martha Grinder was an inspiration to all who knew her. An endowment and one-year Graduate College fellowship in her memory has been established. Please send contributions to the UAF/Martha Grinder Endowment Fund, College of Agriculture, Forbes 325, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036. Annette Firth, a Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development agent in Cochise County, passed away May 4, 1999 at age 45. She was known for her dedication to educating both children and adults, and for her efforts in teen leadership in particular. Annette joined The UA Cochise County Cooperative Extension as a 4-H youth development agent in March 1985. During her 14 years there she developed and delivered programs in 4-H youth development and adult home economics. A native of Tucson, Annette earned a B.S. degree in family and consumer sciences- secondary education at the University of Arizona in 1976. In 1981 she completed an M. A. in secondary guidance and counseling at Western New Mexico University. As an extension agent in 4-H and adult programs, Annette received numerous honors and awards, including the Beryl Bert Outstanding Educator Award in 1994. Donations may be made in her memory to provide scholarships for Cochise County young people attending the annual 4-H JOLT Camp. Please make checks payable to the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation, Annette Firth Memorial, Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation, PO Box 210036, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036. Dennis Fredrick Gumz, 56, of Phoenix, passed away on May 10, 1999. He graduated from the University with a B.S. in Agriculture, majoring in Entomology and Plant Pathology and he was a member of the Aggie House. He farmed in Winamac, IN for several years growing alfalfa, wheat, barley, corn, and soybeans. He also worked for USDA, APHIS as a Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer in Kendall, FL and Brownsville, TX. Dennis was a Certified Crop Advisor for the State of Texas. He discovered four insects that are part of the Smithsonian collection. Memorial contributions may be made to : Aggie House, 819 E. Euclid, Tucson, AZ 85719. |
40's Wilbur
Wuertz,BS Agriculture ‘49 50's Nancy G.
Filiatrault, BS Animal Science ‘58 60's Philip A.
Tilt, BS Agronomy ‘60 70's James Raviola, BS Food Service & Dietetics ‘70 Carol D. Kiley, BS Home Economics Education ‘71 P. Andrew Groseta, BS/MS Agricultural Education/Animal Science ’72
& ‘78 Gail Merriman Brooks, BS Home Ecomomics Education ‘74 William Horak, MS Watershed Management ‘74 Susan Nelson Clancey, BS Child Development and Family Relations ‘77 Howard C. Barrett Jr., BS Animal Science ‘77 Brian Lauber, BS Forest-Watershed Management ‘78 Dr. Eddie Taylor, BS Animal Science ‘79 80's Turki
Faisal Rasheed, BS Agricultural Engineering ‘81 Peggy O’Neill McClain, BS/Horticulture ‘83 Dr. Ahmed A. Almasoum, MS/PhD Horticulture ’83 & ‘86 Roberto Gonzales BS Horticulture/Plant Sciences ‘83 Karen M. Novak, BA/MA Landscape Architecture ’84 & ‘97 Jaber M. Alshehry, MS Horticulture ‘85 Ignacio Sanchez Cohen, BS ’89, PhD Arid Lands ‘94 Ken Coppala, BS Horticulture/Ag Business Management ‘89 90's Taylor Lyn
Morrow, BS Child Development/Family Relations ‘90 Judy Weiss, BS Child Development and Family Studies ‘91 Sam (Green) Giles, BS FCR ‘91 James J. Wojcik, BS Agricultural Education ‘91 Josephine T. Gin, BS Family Studies ‘91
Jill Emilee Palmenberg, BS Plant Science ‘93 Kristin (Burge) Hatfield, BS Animal Science ‘94 Renee Angela (Craveiro) Watson, BS Family Studies ‘94 Steven L. Patterson, BS Environmental Science ‘94 Charlotte K. McCullough (formerly Albertson), BS Animal Science ‘95 Keri Buff, BS Family Studies ‘95 Jeannie Weidenbener-Culbert, BS Animal Sciences ‘95 Amy Krpata Nye, BS Merchandising and Consumer Studies ‘95 Mariolga Mercado, BS Nutrition Science ‘96 Cristin Cairns, BS Family Studies ‘96 Raquel S. Gomes, MS Agricultural Economics ‘96 Brian Hanson, BS Family and Consumer Resources ’96 Adora Redd, BS Retail and Consumer Studies ‘97 Kristopher R. Scott, BS Animal Science ‘97 April Mahay, BSA Veterinary Medicine and Microbiology ‘97 Andrea Estrada Stickland, BS Veterinary Science ‘97 Theresa A Suomi, BS Agricultural Economics ‘97 Patricia Tiller, BS Family Studies ‘98 |