Here's a sampling of accomplishments, awards, publications, media mention and the like featuring students, staff and faculty of the University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during the past year.
Animal Science
Trevor Alexander arrived in September from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada where he was a research fellow. A specialist in researching the microbial ecology of ruminants’ digestive and respiratory tracts as they respond to alterations in feed, he joined UVM as an assistant professor. Alexander received his Ph.D. in nutrition and metabolism from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
John Barlow and UVM CREAM students received the Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s 2010 Dairy of Distinction award in September.
Lyndon Carew’s friends and colleagues feted him on Dec. 10 at the campus Davis Center, as he retired after 41 years as professor.
Steve Davis went to Lexington, KY in February to pick up the American Morgan Horse Association Professional Horseman Award.
Betsy Greene was this year’s winner of the Joseph E. Carrigan Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching presented during the College’s Honors Day ceremonies in April. She also received the 2010 National Institute of Food and Agriculture Partnership Award.
Jana Kraft joined the department as a research assistant professor after doing post doctoral work here and at the University of Jena-Germany, where she received her B.S. and Ph.D. Her research is at the interface between animal and human nutrition, particularly the role of lipids and fatty acids.
Susan Marston is a new lecturer teaching physiology of reproduction and animal welfare. In January she will advise the CREAM program. Her B.S. and Ph.D. are from the University of New Hampshire. Her research expertise is in nutrition aimed at increasing small dairy farm profitability.
Community Development and Applied Economics
The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) joined with the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District to launch the Local Growers Guide web site that links consumers with food, farms and sales outlets in central Vermont www.vermontgrowersguide.com. Also: in its role as the Vermont State Data Center, CRS was a key player in conducting the 2010 U.S. Census in Vermont.
David Conner returned to his alma mater in August as assistant professor specializing in food systems from “farm to fork.” He is expanding research he brought from Michigan State University’s C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems. Conner received his master’s in Extension Education from UVM and Ph.D. from Cornell University.
Chris Koliba and Asim Zia’s book “Governance Networks in Public Administration and Public Policy” was published in July.
Jane Kolodinsky traveled to Germany to present research on “time use and obesity” at a conference on food economics.
Kathleen Liang’s "Dollar Enterprise – From Theory to Reality, An Experiential Learning Exercise Applying Community Entrepreneurship to Plan and Operate a Small Venture on Campus," was published by Kendall Hunt Publishing. Proceeds of the book sales are being donated to the UVM Entrepreneurship Education Fund. Liang and co-author Paul Dunn won the annual Outstanding Paper Award for the fourth time from the Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. And she is an invited speaker at Yale University’s international global health conference on April 16.
Anna Masozera was honored by students, faculty, staff and friends at the public communication capstone social in May, for her work as the department’s communications coordinator and lecturer. Masozera and her family returned to Kigali, Rwanda.
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Sylvie Doublié, Gregory Gilmartin and grad. student Qin Yang published recent work in the May 17 Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Markus Thali was an invited speaker and session chair at the EMBO World Lecturer Conference entitled “Virus-Host: Partners in Pathogenicity” in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Gary Ward became chair of the Pub Med Central National Advisory Board for the National Library of Medicine.
Seventy-seven members of the department representing 21 labs gathered in August for a day-long retreat in Grand Isle. Presentations and 27 posters updated everyone on ongoing work.
Nutrition and Food Sciences
Rachel Johnson’s expertise was tapped for the Aug. 23 “Los Angeles Times” in a debate on nutritional benefits versus excess sugar in flavored milk as part of school lunches. Johnson’s research and work with the American Heart Association has also been widely published in international media this summer and fall including in “The New York Times” on Oct. 26.
Jean Harvey-Berino’s recent National Institute of Health-funded research concluding that dieters tracking their weigh loss via the Internet maintain their weight loss better, was widely published in the media including the September issue of “Science News.” And in a Nov. 6 “New York Times” article on a USDA’s simultaneous promotion of cheese and warnings about saturated fat, Harvey-Berino spoke against research claiming that people who ate three servings of dairy foods lost more weight than those who just cut calories. Also, her courses were featured in a September issue of the “Chronicle for Higher Education.”
Plant and Soil Science
Scott Costa received an award from UVM Chapter of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars for "Commitment to the Ideals of Scholarship, Leadership and Service," after being nominated by students in his course, A Bug's Life.
Jae Su Kim, post doctoral research associate in the entomology lab, with his mentors Leonard Perry led a tour of Montreal Botanical Garden and its Chinese lanterns exhibit in September in collaboration with Greenworks Vermont, the King's Garden at Fort Ticonderoga, and UVM Extension. Perry again judged communities nationwide for the America in Bloom program. Winners were announced at an annual symposium in September in St. Louis, MO.
Margaret Skinner and Bruce Parker, published data on increasing the thermo-tolerance of insect-killing fungi for biological control – research that speaks to managing insects in light of climate change. Publications include “Biocontrol Science & Technology” and “Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology.” Parker and Skinner also began a $196,000 SARE-funded investigation of the feasibility of using thermal curtains and tiny soap bubbles to insulate greenhouses in Northern New England.
“Dr. Mark Starrett Day,” July 20, was proclaimed by Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss in recognition of Starrett’s decade of garden design and creation, first at the Burlington Police Station and now in around City Hall, with assistance from the Extension Master Gardeners. Organized by the Burlington Garden Club, the day included a proclamation signing and wine and cheese reception.
Plant Biology
Laura Hill Bermingham, lecturer, received a three-year USDA Forest Service grant to study habitat in the of the rare Appalachian Jacob’s ladder in the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests.
Sarah Goodrich, communications coordinator, was the sixth annual recipient of CALS Outstanding Staff Award at the April 16 Honors Day.
Abby van den Berg, research associate at UVM’s Proctor Maple Research Center, was awarded a Northeastern States Research Cooperative grant to develop modern, sustainable tapping guidelines for maple syrup production.
College-Wide Kudos
Jennifer Armen-Bolen, Jonathan Rooney, and Robert Willey were named Outstanding Alumni, while Kevin Kouri and Helen Labun Jordan received New Achiever Awards at the College’s annual Alumni and Friends Dinner on May 8 on campus. Henry Atherton, Leonard Mercia received the Sinclair Cup for career achievements. Simmone Fuge received the annual Lawrence K. Forcier Outstanding Senior Award.
Jim Lampman ’72, of Charlotte and Thelma Wayler ’45, of Canton Mass., are CALS alums who were among those who received University-wide Alumni Achievement Awards June 5.
Shelley Jurkiewicz, a senior academic services professional in biochemistry became CALS’ representative on the Staff Council on July 1. She is serving a one-year term.
Kathleen Liang and Lorraine Berkett are working Vermont Grape and Wine Council on new research studying promotion strategies for wine tourism.
Liang and Alexandra Drizo received a $157,000 grant from USDA Rural development Solid Waste Management Program for a year-long study of Vermont landfill waste management issues.
At graduation, May 28, several CALS students earned UVM-wide acclaim. Jared Alvord won the F.T. Kidder Medal and the Wasson Athletic Prize. Danielle Fontaine and Yacouba Mulu Lubula of South Burlington became McNair Scholars. Courtnay Pilypaitis received the Edward Donnelly Award.