FOCUS ON FACULTY:
Congratulations to Barbara Hutchinson (Assistant to the Director, Experiment Station) who was recently awarded the Service to the Profession Award, which is "designated for USAIN members who have demonstrated leadership in advancing the field of agricultural information and who have established new directions or visions for the field." We also appreciate her continuing work in Extension - specifically on Rangeland West.
FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:
The Arizona Crop Protection Association's 2008 Desert Agriculture Conference was held in Casa Grande on May 7 & 8. Over 160 people from Arizona and beyond participated, including growers, pest control advisors, researchers, Cooperative Extension professionals, and agriculture industry professionals. The program included presentations by several faculty members including John Palumbo , Paul Brown , Al Fournier , Mike Matheron , Bill McCloskey , Peter Ellsworth , Kurt Nolte and Barry Tickes . Several faculty members participated in a breakout session that solicited clientele input on cross-commodity insect management and insecticide resistance issues. Congratulations to Al Fournier who received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Arizona Crop Protection Association for his work coordinating the revision of the Pest Control Advisor's Study Manual.
2008 FACULTY CONFERENCE:
Planning for the 2008 Faculty Conference , August 19-21 , continues and the committee met recently to work specifically on the agenda. During the meeting our keynote speaker was confirmed , the new Provost, Dr. Meredith Hay. On August 19, Dr. Hay will speak on “Strategic Planning for a Land-Grant System” at the Omni Tucson National Resort ( 2727 West Club Drive , Tucson ). Registration and other information will be announced in June.
EXTENSIONIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS – DEADLINE EXTENSION:
I am extending the deadline for receiving Extensionist of the Year award nomination packets for 2007 and 2008 to Friday, May 30 . The Extensionist of the Year awards will be presented at an appropriate college-wide event to recognize volunteers who have contributed time and talent, through Cooperative Extension, to citizens of their community and state. Letters of nomination from faculty and staff in Extension should state the nature and extent of the service that the individual has performed and how it has benefited the community, the state and its citizens. The nomination form is located at http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/download/2007-08_Nomination_Form.pdf. If you have any questions, contact my office (520.621.7205).
NEW PUBLICATION:
Healthy Fats -- Guide for Improving the Quality of Fat Intake by Nobuko Hongu , Jamie M. Wise & Karalee A. Poschman .