1 COAES Newsletter, November 2019 Good November to you all! Homecoming was special for us this year. The annual Alumni Homecoming Breakfast was a great success. We celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the class of 1969. We are so thankful that several attended the breakfast, some for the first time. Thanks to J.C. and Kim Johnson for sponsoring the breakfast in honor of J.C.’s father, Dr. Johnny M. Johnson. A brief remem- brance of Dr. J is found in this newsletter. The Grand Opening of the new Animal and Plant Science Center was a great success with several elected officials and oth- er dignitaries in attendance. We partnered with the Alumni Association for the offi- cial Alumni Homecoming Tailgate Party. And, the Texan football team won the game in great style. It was a fantastic day! Thanks to all who were in attendance. With the addition of the Animal and Plant Sciences Complex, the Agricultural Cen- ter is firmly settled as the second Tarleton campus in Stephenville. It provides a hands-on learning opportunity that may very well be unmatched by any university in the nation. Our programs continue to gain attention across the nation, evidenced by our increased number of out-of-state students. Thanks to our faculty, students, alumni, and friends for helping put Tarleton and COAES on the map with new and different constituencies. The National FFA Officer Preparatory Academy has a well -earned boast. All six of the National FFA officers just chosen were alumni of the Academy. (Note: the rest of this paragraph appeared in the Oct. newsletter, but I think it is worth repeating.) This is a phe- nomenal event that serves officer candidates from coast to coast, our students, the College, and the University. It is an incredible contribution to the personal develop- ment of these young people. However, I cannot over stress the importance of its contribution to the college. Dr. David Frazier’s brainchild is serving us by increas- ing our name recognition across the country, making participants aware of the fab- ulous programs we offer, and letting them experience Texan hospitality. Many thanks to all who gladly share the responsibilities for this event: Dr. Frazier, Dr. Ted Ford, Ms. Michelle Damerau, Tyler Sebek, Wacey Newman and the entire Ag and Consumer Sciences de- partment. We also deeply appreciate the monetary support from Mark Martin and Interbank! I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter. It is packed with news of the college and its many happenings, successes, and milestones. You can connect with us on Facebook, twitter, or Insta- gram @Tarleton COAES. WSD DEAN’S CORNER Upcoming Events Please submit articles, pictures and ideas to [email protected]●11/7 LDE FFA Contest ●11/7-8 Pathways student re- search symposium International ●11/9 Saturday Showcase at Tar- leton ●11/9 Tarleton Rodeo Auction, Dinner, & Hall of Fame Induction ●11/27 Classes dismiss at noon ●11/28-29 Thanksgiving Holiday ●12/4 Fall 2019: Last Class Day ●12/5-11 Fall 2019: Final Exams ●12/6 Holiday Showcase ●12/12 Grades due for graduat- ing students ●12/13 COGS Commencement ●12/14 COAES Commencement ●12/16 Fall 2019: All grades due ●12/23-1/2 Winter Break ●1/13 Spring 2020: First day of class ●1/15 Spring 2020: Registration ends ●1/20 University closed October 2019 Monthly Newsletter November 2019 Monthly Newsletter College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Transcript
1 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Good November to you all! Homecoming was special for us this year. The annual Alumni Homecoming Breakfast was a great success. We celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the class of 1969. We are so thankful that several attended the breakfast, some for the first time. Thanks to J.C. and Kim Johnson for sponsoring the breakfast in honor of J.C.’s father, Dr. Johnny M. Johnson. A brief remem-brance of Dr. J is found in this newsletter. The Grand Opening of the new Animal and Plant Science Center was a great success with several elected officials and oth-er dignitaries in attendance. We partnered with the Alumni Association for the offi-cial Alumni Homecoming Tailgate Party. And, the Texan football team won the game in great style. It was a fantastic day! Thanks to all who were in attendance. With the addition of the Animal and Plant Sciences Complex, the Agricultural Cen-ter is firmly settled as the second Tarleton campus in Stephenville. It provides a hands-on learning opportunity that may very well be unmatched by any university in the nation. Our programs continue to gain attention across the nation, evidenced by our increased number of out-of-state students. Thanks to our faculty, students, alumni, and friends for helping put Tarleton and COAES on the map with new and different constituencies. The National FFA Officer Preparatory Academy has a well-earned boast. All six of the National FFA officers just chosen were alumni of the Academy. (Note: the rest of
this paragraph appeared in the Oct. newsletter, but I think it is worth repeating.) This is a phe-nomenal event that serves officer candidates from coast to coast, our students, the College, and the University. It is an incredible contribution to the personal develop-ment of these young people. However, I cannot over stress the importance of its contribution to the college. Dr. David Frazier’s brainchild is serving us by increas-ing our name recognition across the country, making participants aware of the fab-ulous programs we offer, and letting them experience Texan hospitality. Many thanks to all who gladly share the responsibilities for this event: Dr. Frazier, Dr. Ted Ford, Ms. Michelle Damerau, Tyler Sebek, Wacey Newman and the entire Ag and Consumer Sciences de-partment. We also deeply appreciate the monetary support from Mark Martin and Interbank! I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter. It is packed with news of the college and its many happenings, successes, and milestones. You can connect with us on Facebook, twitter, or Insta-gram @Tarleton COAES. WSD
Grand Opening of the Animal and Plant Sciences Center
3 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
COAES Annual Homecoming Alumni Breakfast
Thank you to all COAES alumni, faculty, staff, students and administra-tion that were able to attend the annual homecoming breakfast! It was great to see everyone. Congratulations to our class of 1969 graduates! The College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences alumni breakfast is held annually the Saturday morning of homecoming (before the pa-rade). We hope your able to join us next year! Thank you to the COAES Student Leadership Council and Ambassadors for assisting with a day full of homecoming events!
4 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Honoring the memory
5 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Shop The Purple Tractor
The Purple Tractor is now open to the public!
The Purple Tractor is a merchandising teaching laboratory at Tarleton State University. It was created
for students within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to learn how to market
agricultural products including fresh and frozen meats, vegetables, and nursery plants. All products
are produced by Tarleton students in Tarleton classrooms, barns, and fields. Proceeds from sales at
The Purple Tractor help recoup the teaching expenses at our Agricultural Center. It all goes back to
The Livestock Management class, taught by Dr. David Roper, utilized the new Animal & Plant Sciences Center to pro-cess sheep & goats, conducting female breeding soundness exams in preparation for fall breeding. ANSC 3301 is the application of animal handling and management techniques for livestock.
Hands On Curriculum
Introduction to Horse Management, taught by Dr. Trinette Jones, received hands-on experience and knowledge from eq-uine dentist Nick Abbott. ANSC 1310 students observed a routine dental check, viewed the before and after oral appear-ance, and discussed the importance of equine dental health care. ANSC 1310 is an introduction to fundamental aspects of horse management, including the status of the equine industry. Other topics include functional anatomy, locomotion, identification, equine behavior in relation to modification to training, health care management and stable management.
9 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Fitbits for cows: A&M researcher milks new
technology for higher yields, happier cows
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — More than half of Americans now track their daily activities with some kind of wearable device in an ef-fort to stay healthy.
In the future, so will most dairy cows.
Researchers at Tarleton State University’s Southwest Regional Dairy Center in Stephenville say that digitally tracking diary cows’ eating, sleeping and other movements helps them take better care of the herd they milk three times a day.
Click here for video.
“We have two fitbits on every cow,” said Dr. Barbara Jones, di-rector of the largest university the dairy operation in the South-west. “They help us to monitor their health, and to keep them content. And that matters to us because we truly do care about
cows, as all producers do.”
One of the wearable devices monitors how long the cows eat, how long they lay down or how many steps they take. The other is networked with the milk parlor, allowing researchers to track precisely how much milk each of the cows give.
The data alerts dairy producers when a cow may not be feeling well, before she shows it, allowing them to segregate the ill cow for treatment.
It also frees up time for the dairy producer who can tend to other business instead of monitoring their herd visually.
Only about 10 percent of dairy farmers use wearable technology now. But as labor costs rise, you can ex-pect more dairy producers to take the technological leap, Jones said.
“The research we do here helps to make sure the cows stay content and happy,” Jones said. “That not only benefits the animal, it makes life easier for the producer, and allows them to make better decisions on the farm.”
Texas A&M Press Release Dallas Morning News The Statesman
Faculty & Student Research Undergraduate Research: In my own words
Predator movement relative to Northern Bobwhite nest sites and mortality locations
By Brandon Consalus
My name is Brandon Consalus and I am a senior at Tarleton State University. I changed my major to Fisheries Management in the Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences department my sophomore year. A late entry into the depart-ment left me looking for opportunities to make up the lost time.
After joining the TSU Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society in the Fall of 2018, I was elected an officer for the 2019-2020 school year. Since then, I have become extremely active through the university as a member of both The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society.
As a junior, I was hired on as a field technician on a project evaluating transloca-tion as a means of restoring northern bobwhite populations in Erath County. While working as a field technician, an opportunity for me to begin my own undergradu-ate research project arose.
In my research, I exam meso-predator occur-rences in relation to Northern bobwhite nesting sites and areas of high mortality lo-cations. I hypothesized that meso-predator detections would be higher in areas where bobwhites nested and where we found bobwhite carcasses. I placed 30 cameras across our study site using a random grid design and ran cameras to capture images for 28 days.
Contrary to my hypothesis, I discovered that in early summer 2019 the camera sites that detected the most predator detections were actually located away from areas of high mortality density or areas with nest locations. We will continue this study for one more year.
I recently presented my research at the Statewide Quail Symposium in Abilene, Tex-as as well as the joint American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society annual conference in Reno, Nevada. In two short years, I have grown exponentially in my abilities to conduct field research, present research, and speak to professionals in the field.
Dr. Heather Mathewson is the advisor for this research in collaboration with Dr. Dale Rollins, Rolling Plain Quail Re-search Foundation, and John Palarski is the MS student advisor and researcher.
Brandon Consalus conducting research on a Northern bobwhite
translocation.
Bobcat captured from game cam-era on private property in Erath
County (Consalus, Palarski, Mathewson).
WSES Students Assist Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch with Surveys By Elizabeth Brogan Wildlife biologists use fall covey counts to measure bobwhite quail abundance. These counts are conducted by listening for “covey calls” at dawn, and recording the number of coveys heard at a par-ticular site. Covey counts were conducted at the Erath county trans-location release site in mid-October, with the help of several WSES undergraduates, as a way to monitor the bobwhite population post-translocation. In preparation for these official counts, a training ses-sion was held at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. While at RPQRR, students learned the proper protocol for conducting covey counts as well as got the opportunity to see some beautiful country! Left to Right, back row: Dillon McAullife, Daniel Andrews, Ja-mileth Gonzales, Josef Leachman, Darian Livanec; (L-R) Front: Elizabeth Brogan, John Palarski, Molly Koeck.
11 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Southwest Regional Dairy Center Research Showcase
The first Southwest Regional Dairy Center Research Showcase was held on Friday, Oc-
tober 18th. This showcase was to highlight the recent research efforts that have oc-curred through the dairy center. We had a total of 46 attendees, which represented a total of 50,000 cows. Texas A&M AgriLife extension was on sight to provide continu-
ing education credits to dairy producers. Dr. Barbara Jones (Tarleton State University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research) and Dr. Brandon Smith (Tarleton State Universi-ty) provided 14 total undergraduate student posters with students on hand to answer
questions about their research. Dr. Sonja Swiger (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension), Dr. Maria King and student (Texas A&M), Dr. Eunsung Kan (Tarleton State University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research), and Dr. Zong Liu and students (Texas A&M and
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension) provided research updates about their work with flies, air quality, sustainable dairy farms, and new manure technologies, respectively. Merck and Zoetis graciously provided a free lunch for all attendees. This event was equally
important to students to highlight their great research efforts and for the dairy to highlight the recent research work that has been conducted. As more research continues to be conducted at the dairy center, more events like this will occur in the future!
Faculty & Student Research
Soil Science Society of America
Dr. Donald G. McGahan, in his role as a Division Chair for the Soil Science Society of America has been work-ing to excavate and sample soils for laboratory character-ization in support of the Texas Soils Landscapes Tour for the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of Ameri-ca. On November 7 the tour will look at Blackland soils and then transition westward through Palo Pinto County. On Friday November 8, the tour will work southward toward Llano Texas inspecting soils along the way. On Saturday November 9, the tour will visit a site where a Meteorite crater exists.
12 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
On October 8th, Agricultural Awareness Day is celebrated at the State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas, Texas. For Texas FFA, 4H and FCCLA members, this is a learning opportunity about agriculture. The John Tarleton Agriculture Advo-cates spoke to over 600 students about the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and what it has to offer.
Dr. Ted Ford and Mrs. Michelle Damerau were superintendents for the State Fair of Texas Junior Agriculture Mechan-ic show. Dr. Curtis Langley served as a judge. Ten Ag Mechanics Club members assisted with the show. Dr. Brant Poe served as the Beef Cattle Superintendent of the Pan-American and Youth Cattle Shows. Dr. David Frazier served as the Superintendent of the youth Agricultural Science Fair. Drs. Jolena Waddell, Chandra Andrew, Brandon Smith, Jacob Manlove, Chris Haynes and Wayne Atchley, along with Graduate Assistants Mckenna Skidmore, Morgan Knight, Wacey Newman and Peyton Thomas served as judges.
Community Outreach
TREAT Riding hosted their annual special kids rodeo October 29th at the Tarleton Equine Center. TREAT Riding is an equine assisted therapeutic riding program at Tarleton State University that uses horseback riding as a form of therapy. TREAT provides physical, mental, and emotional therapy in a fun environment that encourages clients to participate. Ani-mal assisted activities improve self-confidence, self-awareness, and discipline. To learn more, follow TREAT on Facebook.
The Student Academic Mentors, better known as the SAMs, hosted an event for the WSES department first-year students at the Stephenville City Park that in-cluded a pumpkin carving contest, complete with prizes, and other recreational activities such as frisbee and football. The mentors used this as an opportunity to connect with the first-year students and re-mind them to take time for their own well-being. During the event, students also got the chance to mingle with the students out-side of class. It is important to the WSES department and the SAMs that the students start working on their networking skills as early as their first year. The students had a blast hanging out in the outdoors and mingling with each other and their SAMs. The SAMs plan to host many more exciting and educational events for the
students of the WSES department. For more information about the Student Academic Mentor program, please contact Dr. Mathewson, [email protected]. SAMs Molly Koeck
and Jamileth Gonzales
From left to right: Jamileth Gonzales (SAM), Nina Michel, Eli Marjonen, Alexis Thompson, Jennifer Tellez,
The Livestock Judging Team hosted the inaugural Texan 2 Step Lamb and Goat Jackpot show on October 12th. This event served as a fundraiser for the team and allowed youth an opportunity to gain additional show ring experi-ence. Approximately 100 head were shown while a large number of youth and parents were exposed to Tarleton & the College of Agricultural & Envi-ronmental Sciences. Photos courtesy of Bailey Hooten (ANSC Graduate Student), Who’s Hoo Photography.
Seventeen Students from WSES attend the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society Joint Annual Conference 2019 in Reno, Nevada. By: C. Jennifer Matthews, Historian for Tarleton State University Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society In late September, members of the Tarleton Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society and Student Chapter of The American Fisheries Society attended the first ever joint conference of American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. Dr. Heather Mathewson and Dr. T. Wayne Schwertner accompanied 17 undergraduate and graduate students to the historic meeting in Reno, Nevada. The two international organizations hold their annual meetings to provide a place for professionals, students, and enthusiasts to collaborate with others in their field. Students who attended the conference met with professionals from all around North Ameri-can and other countries, as well as other students earning a de-gree in wildlife, fisheries, or environmental sciences. Students also attended a number of symposiums, working group meet-ings, and networking events. Students participated in the Student Development Working Group, providing comments about how to provide future opportunities for students, and weighing in on issues that the group presented to the Execu-tive Board. Students also attended the Council meetings, to learn more about how professional societies function. Tarleton Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society participated in Wildlife Quiz Bowl. The team won one of their first rounds but did not advance to the next rounds. They enjoyed the competition and cheered on Stephen F. Austin State Uni-versity’s Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society, close friends with Tarleton’s Student Chapter. Six students presented undergraduate or graduate research at the conference. ● John Palarski, MS research: Translocation of Northern Bobwhite in Central Texas coauthors: H. Mathewson, B Ku-
becka, T. Schwertner, and D. Rollins ● Marissa Pensirikul, MS research, Predictive Mapping of Potentially Listed Rare Plants in Texas, co-authors: H.
Kafley, D. Murray, H. Mathewson, and K. Taylor ● Kathryn Burton, undergraduate research, Detection capabilities of bioacoustics monitors, coauthors: S. L. Webb, M.
Proctor, C. Sledge, and H. Mathewson. ● Elizabeth Brogan, undergraduate research, Short-term Movements of Translocated Northern Bobwhite in Central
Texas, Co-authors: J. Palarski, H. Mathewson, B. Kubecka, and D. Rollins. ● Cody Carter, undergraduate research, Recreationist effect on predator movement through a state park, co-authors: D.
Wilcox, and H. Mathewson. ● Brandon Consalus, undergraduate research, Mesopredator Occurrence in Relation to Northern Bobwhite Nests and
Adult Mortality Locations, co-authors: J. Palarksi, and H. Mathewson During the conference, Tarleton students and professors promoted Recovering Americas Wildlife Act (RAWA). To do so, they handed out RAWA buttons and business cards informing and encouraging professionals and students to support the act that would provide funding to species of greatest concern. Dr. Mathewson spoke at the Student Chapter Advisor’s meeting and at the Student Leader’s lunch to encourage other student chapters to become actively involved. Perhaps most noteworthy of these efforts was seen during the first plenary session when the president of The Wildlife Society boasted his button while introducing speakers. For more information about the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act or the Tarleton Student Chapter of The Wildlife Soci-ety contact Dr. Mathewson, [email protected], or follow us on Facebook or Instagram @tsuwildlife. Tarleton students and professors visited the Sierra Nevada meadows, forests, and Lake Tahoe on two days of excursions.
Dr. Donald G. McGahan and Ms. Lauren Selph coached and accompanied Parker McCoy, Saman-tha Pfaff, Josef Leachman, and Austin Wildman who participated in the Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) Regional Soil Judging Competition held October 7—11, 2019 at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. Participants in the Region IV event included Tarleton State University, University of Arkansas, Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas Tech, Texas A&M College Station, Oklahoma State University, and an International team. The Monday through Wednesday involved practicing morphology and classification and culmi-nated with judging on Thursday. It rained on Sunday as the team transited and the excavations were wet. Pumps kept the water down and the weather remained clear and warm as the team practiced. As the judging started it was punctuated with rain showers: real deal experience.
Student Organizations
Soils Judging Team
17 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Celebrating the Holidays
18 COAES Newsletter, November 2019
Follow The College of Agricultural Environmental Sciences
