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| Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences VISION eXtra is e-mailed weekly to faculty and staff of Bumpers College and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Division of Agriculture. This service is primarily for timely announcement of news and events for the AAES and Bumpers College. Submit items to hmedders@uark.edu. You may also wish to submit items to headline@uark.edu for posting on "UA Daily Headlines" for campus-wide distribution. |
Feb. 3, 2009 |
1. Rudy Nayga named to Food Policy Economics Chair
2. Crescent Hotel offers packages to benefit hospitality program
3. Banquet of local foods open to public
4. Templeton Lecture and Workshop set for March 10-11
5. Undergraduates invited to apply for summer research internships
6. Bumpers College Scholarship Application Deadline February 15
7. GSD student poster, oral presentations competition set for Feb. 25
8. Camp War Eagle recruiting counselors
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1. Rudy Nayga named to Food Policy Economics Chair
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Rodolfo (Rudy) M. Nayga Jr. |
Rodolfo (Rudy) M. Nayga, Jr., has joined the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness as a professor and holder of the new Tyson Endowed Chair in Food Policy Economics.
Nayga's research interests are focused on the economics of food policy and quality and on obtaining an understanding of how emerging consumer issues affect food and nutrient consumption/demand and public policies. Current and recent topics include product and program valuation related to GMOs, irradiated foods, health claims, nutritional label use and diet quality, obesity, intra-household time/resource allocation and children's dietary behavior.
Nayga received his Ph.D. degree from Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the University of Arkansas, he was a professor at Texas A&M University for 11 years. He also was a faculty member at Rutgers University for four years and at Massey University, New Zealand, for about a year. He was a visiting professor and Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Marketing and Consumer Behavior department of Wageningen University, The Netherlands, in Spring 2001 and Taiwan National Science Council Fellow at the National Taiwan University in April 2008.
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2. Crescent Hotel offers weekend packages to benefit hospitality program -- Friday & Saturday
Students in the hospitality and restaurant management program will operate the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6-7, as a fundraising event to benefit the program, which is part of the foods, nutrition and hospitality major in the School of Human Environmental Sciences.
Jack Moyer, manager of the hotel and chair of the hospitality program's advisory committee, said the students will assist hotel staff and take over all operations of the restaurant for the event, dubbed "A Class Act."
Packages include an overnight stay in the Crescent, a reception with hors d'oeuvres, dinner featuring Arkansas-inspired cuisine, wine, entertainment and a breakfast buffet, said Robert Harrington, associate professor and holder of the 21st Century Endowed Chair in Hospitality. Students have planned the menus for the reception and meals and will prepare and serve them for the event, he said.
To register for one of four packages, call Trina Holman, 479-575-2179, or Kellie Knight, 479-575-2270.
-- Corporate package, $1,400, includes the above plus four rooms at the Crescent for up to eight people;
-- Cottage package, $750, for a two-bedroom cottage for up to four people;
-- Benefactor package, $500, for two people in an upgraded room at the Crescent; and
-- Patron package, $350, for two people in a standard room in the hotel.
Harrington said proceeds will be used to provide student scholarships, professional development programs for students and faculty, and equipment and supplies for research projects promoting excellence in hospitality.
The event will conclude with a career fair for the students. Moyer said the Crescent, which provides a summer internship for the students, will hire its 2009 intern during the fair. He added that other hotels attending the career fair include the Peabody Hotel of Little Rock and the Embassy Suites of Rogers, among others.
"We can't say enough about how much we appreciate the support Marty and Elise Roenigk (owners of the Crescent) are giving us," Harrington said. "This event will not only help provide funding for the program, but also offers a tremendous learning experience for the students."
The hospitality and restaurant management program prepares students to enter management positions in the hospitality and restaurant industries. The curriculum provides training in marketing, economics, accounting and business management as well as in foods, hospitality, restaurant and hotel management.
The historic Inn at Carnall Hall and Ella's Restaurant of the U of A campus serve as teaching and learning laboratories for both students and faculty.
For more information about "A Class Act" or to register for one of the packages, call Trina Holman, 479-575-2179, or Kellie Knight, 479-575-2270.
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3. Banquet of local foods open to public - Friday
A dinner to celebrate local foods and Arkansas farmers will be held Feb. 6 at the Fayetteville Town Center. Reservations are $20 per person and the public is invited to attend.
Curt Rom, professor of horticulture, will speak on "Growing Food and Growing Culture." Chef Lou Rice, culinary program director at Northwest Arkansas Community College, and local growers will also make remarks.
Chef Rice will lead production of the dinner. The menu will feature locally grown items, including shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, greens, winter squash, sweet potatoes, apples, raspberries, turnips, honey, eggs, brown rice, lamb, chicken and trout. A vegetarian option is available for the main entrée.
Washington and Benton County growers whose products are featured include Foundation Farm, A&A Orchard, Wynn's Tomato Ranch, Wren Thicket Garden, Dickey Farm, Round Mountain Farm, Mark Hesse Farm, Melissa Late, Sweden Creek Farm, and others.
The dinner is in conjunction with the Farmers Market as a Community Collaboration Conference that will be held Feb. 6-7. But the banquet is open to anyone who would like to attend, even if they are not attending the conference, said Heather Friedrich, program specialist in the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's department of horticulture.
The local foods dinner and conference are co-hosted by the Division of Agriculture and the National Center for Appropriate Technology-ATTRA and co-sponsored by the Arkansas Farmers Market Association, the Arkansas Agriculture Department and the city of Fayetteville.
Reservations are required for the dinner. Contact Shelly Walters of the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau by phone, 479-521-5776, or e-mail, swalters@experiencefayetteville.com, by Jan. 30.
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4. Templeton Lecture and Workshop set for March 10-11
The George E. Templeton Jr. Memorial Endowment and the department of plant pathology present the Templeton Lecture Series featuring W. Doug Gubler, professor and extension plant pathologist at the University of California, Davis. A lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 3:00 p.m. at the H.L. Hembree Auditorium located in the Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences Building. A reception will immediately follow in the AFLS Atrium.
A fruit disease workshop will also take place in conjunction with the lecture. The workshop, set for Wednesday, March 11 beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Whitaker Arena, will focus on fruit diseases, management and control - Gubler will serve as the guest instructor. The workshop will conclude by 1:00 p.m. with a complimentary lunch.
Everyone is invited to attend either event and there are no fees for the lecture, reception, workshop or lunch. However, space is limited. Reservations are advised and should be made by contacting Debby Monfort at (501) 438-2044 or dmonfort@uark.edu.
Gubler, a U of A and department alumnus (M.S. '74), conducts research on canker diseases of grapevine as well as diseases of other fruit crops. His work on canker disease resulted in solving a 3,000 year old disease that was described by the Greeks and Romans and made reference to in the Bible. This exciting discovery and its continued research potential will be the topic of the lecture.
The George E. Templeton Jr. Memorial Endowment established funds for lecture series events at the University, within the Bumpers College, to recognize scientists conducting cutting-edge research and providing a platform to share their research and discoveries.
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5. Undergraduates invited to apply for summer research internships
The department of plant pathology is currently accepting applications for the C. Roy Adair and K. Bollenbacher Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Programs for the 2009 term.
"These programs give undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member in the department," said Professor Craig Rothrock who coordinates the summer program. "It also allows young students to explore and experience plant pathology as well as meet new people."
Any undergraduate student, ranked in the top 25 percentile in their class, and having completed 90 credit hours, is eligible. Successful applicants will conduct their own research project, selecting from a list of projects currently available with department faculty, during a 12-week class session that will begin in mid-May. UofA course credit and a stipend will also be earned.
Interns will conduct most of their research at the Fayetteville campus, however, this year there are a couple of research projects located in Lonoke. Research project opportunities are available in plant diseases, molecular biology, viruses, nematodes, biotechnology, fungi and ecology.
Interested candidates must apply by March 15. Additional information, application form and research topics are available at http://plantpathology.uark.edu/2219.htm. For more details, contact Craig Rothrock at (479) 575-2447 or rothrock@uark.edu. Successful candidates will be notified by April 3.
C. Roy Adair was a geneticist and plant breeder whose accomplishments helped establish the preeminence of the Arkansas rice industry. The Adair program is funded by an endowment established in his honor.
Katharina Bollenbacher worked for the United States Department of Agriculture and was assigned to work with the University of Arkansas as a cooperating agent with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Her scientific contributions in investigation of diseases of cotton and in weed control contributed, significantly, to the science of agriculture and were of importance to cotton consumers and producers, as well as to other scientists. In 1993, a resolution established the Katharina Bollenbacher Memorial Scholarship in her memory from funds contributed by family, friends, and colleagues.
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6. Bumpers College Scholarship Application Deadline Feb. 15
All Bumpers College students are encouraged to apply for scholarships at http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/39.htm by February 15, 2009. By completing this online form, students will be considered for all College and departmental scholarships for the 2009-2010 academic year. Contact Laura Gamble with questions at 575-2253 or lgamble@uark.edu
Other 2009-2010 Scholarship Resources: Bumpers students are encouraged to investigate scholarship resources outside the college:
-- For need-based federal aid, complete the FAFSA anytime at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Funds are limited and awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.
-- For University scholarships, complete the application at http://scholarships.uark.edu. The deadline is March 2, 2009.
-- Several scholarships related to the agricultural and human environmental sciences fields require separate applications and are located at http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/2512.htm. Deadlines vary, but many are fast approaching.
Contact Laura Gamble at 575-2253 or lgamble@uark.edu with any questions regarding scholarships.
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7. GSD student poster, oral presentations competition set for Feb. 25
Gamma Sigma Delta will sponsor its 11th annual competition of students' posters and oral presentations on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009 at the Arkansas Union. Undergraduates, master's candidates and doctoral candidates will compete in their respective categories. Presentations should be based on students' own research. A student may submit both an oral and poster presentation (research must be separate for each presentation). Complete guidelines are online at http://gsd.uark.edu/awards.guidelines09.html.
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8. Camp War Eagle recruiting counselors
Camp War Eagle representatives will be at the Arkansas Union Food Court from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, to provide information about opportunities for summer camp counselors. Camp War Eagle is a Christian summer camp for under-served and at-risk kids ages 7-17 in NW Arkansas. Visit the Web site for more info: www.campwareagle.org.
AAES and Bumpers College Web sites:
http://aaes.uark.edu/
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/