Sam Steel Way

SUMMER 2002 I S S U E 1 4

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C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U LT U R E & H O M E E C O N O M I C S / N E W M E X I C O S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

NMSU graduates head to work

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Dennis Braden, left, ranch manager of El Sueño del Corazón Ranch in Abiquiú, listens as Bilo and Bill Wallace explain operations at the Santa Teresa Border Crossing. The Wallaces led a tour of the facility for members of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association.

Livestock traders beef up the border

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he fresh-faced manager of the Santa Teresa Livestock Border Crossing looks young enough to be on the high school rodeo team. But William (Bill) Wallace III has been the general manager since his graduation from NMSU in 2000. His degree in agricultural economics provided a solid background to oversee livestock trade at the crossing on the U.S.-Mexico border. Wallace started working part-time in Santa Teresa, 15 miles west of El Paso, while a student. “The job itself has been a great education,” Wallace said. “I’ve gotten to know people from both countries, their cultures and the differences in how they think and do things.” He was an understudy for the position since childhood on the famed Corralitos Ranch in Casas Grandes, Mexico, where his family has raised livestock for more than 100 years. Created to provide a better venue for Mexican ranchers to sell and buy livestock, the 43-acre border crossing facility can hold 10,000 head in Santa Teresa and 13,000 just across the border in San Geronimo. The facility opened in January 1992, a year before the North American Free Trade Agreement was ratified. Before that, ranchers transported livestock through Juárez on trucks. “The animals were loaded and unloaded for inspections on each side of the border,” Wallace said. “Here, they’re inspected on one side, and we walk them across for the other inspection. It lowers animal stress and keeps them healthier.” Wallace’s father, William, called Bilo, supported the creation of the crossing. Bilo took over the family ranch shortly after receiving a degree from NMSU in animal and range sciences in 1969. He joined the Chihuahua cattlemen’s organization, Unión Ganadera Regional de Chihuahua, which owns and operates the crossing, and serves as a

board member and representative on the binational animal health committee. “The drought has devastated the Mexican cattle industry in the last 10 years,” Bilo said. “In Chihuahua alone, the herd population has decreased by 50 percent, and the average weight is 50 to 100 pounds less.” As a result, Mexico’s cattle exports to the United States have plummeted. “Years back there would be about a million head crossing every year,” Bill said. “Today it’s about a third of that. Another 150,000 head cross to Mexico from the United States.” He expects Mexican export numbers to fall farther if the drought continues. Mexico imports mostly breeding stock and cull cattle. But its population boom and diminishing cattle numbers make it a top U.S. beef importer, second only to Japan. Mexico imports seven times more beef from the United States than it exports. “And the beef Mexico exports in one year doesn’t even meet a week’s demand in the United States,” Bilo added. Bill originally planned to help Bilo run the ranch after college. “I discouraged him because it’s too hard to make it,” Bilo said. “I’m worried big companies that can afford to conduct business on a large scale will be the only ones left.” He doesn’t see relief for the industry in the near future without government subsidies. “The only thing Mexico has that’s cheap is labor,” Bilo said. “We can’t compete in the world market because the cost of production is killing us. In Mexico, our supplies, feed, medication– it’s all expensive. Things will have to change, because a country that can’t afford to feed its people is really in bad shape.” Anna María Pérez-Wright

or many college graduates, entering the “real world” is a scary venture, but several NMSU graduates from the College of Agriculture and Home Economics will face the challenges head on as they begin work at resorts, farms, schools, environmental firms and graduate school. Recent graduate Brian Roe of Farmington will trade sunshine for snow as he heads to Colorado to work as a manager and special events planner at Baldpate Inn, a bed and breakfast in Estes Park, 30 miles north of Denver. This is Roe’s second stint in Colorado, since he previously was an intern at Keystone Ski Resort. Roe said the professors and advisers in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management were essential in helping him find the position. “I interviewed with Baldpate during the career fair put on by the HRTM department and found out two months ago I had the job,” Roe said. “All of the people in the department will break their necks to help you find a job.” Clint Hughes, an animal and range sciences graduate, will play host to more than 300 cattle on the 25,000-acre Hughes Brothers Ranch west of Carlsbad. Hughes will continue a four-generation legacy of ranching in southeastern New Mexico started by his great grandfather, Sam. “I just like the fact that I can do a lot of things myself and set my own hours at the ranch,” Hughes said. “My whole family has been ranchers, and I really enjoy it.” To pursue her dream of working with animals, wildlife science graduate Amaris Swann will pursue a doctorate in conservation biology at Rice University in Houston. A Fabian Garcia Multicultural Scholarship recipient, Swann’s studies will be paid by a $13,000 fellowship. She said strong values, support from her mother Continued on page 7

NMSU wildlife science graduate Amaris Swann won a $13,000 fellowship to pursue a doctorate in conservation biology at Rice University.

STUDENTNEWS Council hosts first awards banquet

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bout 130 people attended the Agriculture and Home Economics Council’s first awards banquet and dance May 4 at Dickerson’s Auction Barn. FarmHouse fraternity was named the outstanding club, and Merrilyn Cummings was honored as outstanding adviser. Students Julie Bostick and Desiree Poore both received the Dean’s Award of Leadership Excellence. FarmHouse members have earned the highest grade point average for three consecutive semesters. The 19-member group also received two major awards during NMSU’s spring Greek awards ceremony: the Presidential Cup Award of Excellence for overall chapter achievement and the Social Responsibility Award for continued enforcement of a no-alcohol policy. “We’re trying to promote leadership and scholarship, and that’s what fraternities are supposed to be about,” said Randall Bates, FarmHouse president. Cummings, the outstanding adviser, is a professor in Family and Consumer Sciences. She was recently named an honorary member of the Family, Career and Community Leaders Association in recognition of her support

Desiree Poore, left, a senior majoring in wildlife science, and Julie Bostick, a sophomore majoring in agricultural and extension education, both received the Dean’s Award of Excellence in Leadership. of FCCLA and Future Homemakers of America/Home Economics Related Occupations. She served as first vice president for the New

Mexico Association of Family and Consumer Sciences this year. Bostick is a college ambassador and president of the Agriculture and Home Economics Council. A sophomore majoring in agricultural and extension education, she is a Crimson Scholar and dean’s list honoree. She has served as national secretary for Alpha Tau Alpha honorary fraternity. She was secretary of the Agricultural and Extension Education Club, pledge educator for Block and Bridle, and second vice president and council representative for NMSU’s chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association. Poore, a senior wildlife science major, works in the college’s development office. She has served as a college ambassador, Speakers Bureau member, and president and secretary of the Agriculture and Home Economics Council. She has been active in Ceres women’s fraternity, the NMSU chapter of the Wildlife Society, Golden Key National Honor Society and Agricultural and Extension Education Club.

Melanie Dabovich

Six from NMSU qualify for College National Finals Rodeo

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ix members of the NMSU rodeo team qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo June 11-15 in Casper, Wyo. Calf roper Jarret Corn, a sophomore from Roswell, and bull rider Andy Lake, a senior from Waterflow, qualified May 23-26 during Grand Canyon conference finals at the Lea County Event Center in Hobbs. The top 13 finishers in each event after two long go events advanced to the short go, with the top seven in the average advancing to the finals, said adviser Chris Allison. Four other NMSU athletes had already qualified for nationals by finishing with a No. 1 or 2 conference ranking in their event. They are

breakaway roper Koell Wright, a junior from Moriarty; calf roper Bill Snure, a junior from Rodeo; and team ropers Aaron Thomas, a sophomore from La Mesa, and John Pete Etcheverry, a sophomore from Carlsbad. The Aggie men’s team, which has seven members, finished 10th among 25 teams. Snure also qualified for nationals in team roping at Hobbs. “We were a little snake bit at Hobbs,” Allison said. “Aaron Thomas and John Pete Etcheverry, who have potential to win nationals, had a bad time, and Koell fell on the second barrel. But we qualified two more for nationals with Andy Lake and Jarret Corn.”

Floral team finishes well NMSU has a growing reputation in horticultural circles, thanks to floral team members’ top national finishes at the Floral Crop Quality Evaluation and Design Competition in April at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. NMSU’s Bryna Wilson placed second for a tablescape design in the professional division. In addition to her award, she dined at a banquet table decorated with her winning topiary and floral design. Sophomore Roger Hagman also placed second nationally with a one-sided floral design, missing first place in the amateur division by a single point. “We really did well in design, which we’ve had a tendency to do in the past,” said adviser Geno Picchioni. “Beyond learning how to create lines and shapes and use colors, we’ve had a few students who just seemed to step up creatively. That says a lot about competitiveness when you consider that we’re participating against some very well-known horticultural schools.” Senior Jennifer Grimes was 12th individually in floral crop evaluation, in which contestants have three minutes to rank each class of cut flowers or potted plants. She says the eye for detail she developed in two years of competition will help after graduation. “The contest has been helpful because I plan to go into the production greenhouse business,” Grimes said. “You need to grow quality crops, whether they’re cut flowers or potted plants, because you want the consumer to buy them.” Picchioni said fund-raisers and support from university and private

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Some 350 athletes will compete for national titles and more than $200,000 in scholarships at the College National Finals Rodeo. Last year, calf roper Quentin Talbot was NMSU’s lone national finals qualifier. The team will lose three seniors, Wright, Lake and Snure. However, two strong competitors, Mandy Sproul and Matt Kiehne, both of Cochise College, have decided to transfer, Allison said. “I’ve also seen the freshman applications, and we’ve got some good ones coming in,” Allison said. “We’re about the only university of choice for rodeo kids in this region.” D’Lyn Ford

donors allowed 12 NMSU representatives to attend. Other team members include floral designers Kathy Burcham, Frances Escola and Eva Winans; judging team members Amy Newton, Will Oldrup, Ricardo Fuentes and Lena Johnson; and teaching assistant Troy Larsen. In 2003, NMSU will host the national competition in Las Cruces for the first time since 1988.

Marriott Foundation gift to equip HRTM labs A $150,000 gift from the Marriott Foundation will fund equipment for a commercial food production teaching laboratory for NMSU students in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. The donation from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation will buy a walk-in cooler and freezer, refrigerated counters, stainless steel workstations and a wide range of cooking facilities. Associate Professor Priscilla Bloomquist, who wrote the funding proposal, received word of the gift in May from Ann Gunsteens, executive director of the Marriott Foundation. The gift was the second in two months for the hospitality program. Darden Restaurants provided $40,000 for labs and $10,000 for minority scholarships in response to a proposal from Assistant Professor Keith Mandabach. Department Head J. Michael Cerletti said the two gifts, along with proceeds from capital campaign fund-raisers, brought total private funding for new laboratories to approximately $250,000.

S A M S T E E L WAY

H AT S O F F ! Congratulations to Ann Wollmann, recognized as a 2002 Outstanding Horticulture Student by the American Society for Horticultural Science. Wollmann, a graduating senior from Albuquerque, is among 50 students in the nation honored for having exceptional undergraduate careers.

tural economics and agricultural business, Hill was re-elected in April. He received 1,200 out of 1,825 total student votes in the largest voter turnout in NMSU history. Hill broke a 21-year drought for the college last year, when he was elected president of Associated Students of NMSU.

NMSU’s Alumni Association and Hispano Alumni Association honored three students from the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Eva Marie Madrid, an agricultural biology major with a minor in chemistry, was the Hispano association’s honoree from the college. The Alumni Association honored Kelly J. Jones, an animal science major from Clayton, as the college’s outstanding graduate. Ramon Molina Bravo, a horticulture major from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, was recognized as the Center for International Programs’ honoree.

Four NMSU students won endowed scholarships from New Mexico Dairy Processors and the Mesilla Valley Dairy Herd Improvement Association. A total of $4,200 was awarded for the 2002-2003 academic year. Recipients are incoming freshman Johnathon Walsh, senior Lauren Romig, and sophomores Valerie Rivas, and Tyrel (T.J.) Harrison.

Azori Dodd, a sophomore from the college, received one of NMSU’s 2002 Roberts Memorial Student Award scholarships, presented to students who enhance the university’s quality of life. Dodd, who has double majors in agricultural economics and agricultural business, and agricultural and extension education, received the second place award of $750. The Melrose native serves as a college ambassador and senator for Associated Students of NMSU.

Nine students from the college were chosen to represent NMSU in the 2002 edition of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Ruth-Ellen Hall and Lillian Jimenez are seniors in family child science from Las Cruces. The remaining seven honorees are majoring in hotel, restaurant and tourism management. They are Kalvanetta Chelf, a junior from Albuquerque; Jill Fowler, a senior from Carlsbad; Brian Roe, a senior from Farmington; Molly Travelstead, a senior from Roswell; Chrystal Bustamante, a junior from Roy; Tanja Cardenas, a junior from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Katherine Paulsen, a junior from Austin, Texas.

Students from NMSU swept the statewide awards at the New Mexico Association of Family and Consumer Sciences spring meeting in Albuquerque. Maria Laquerre, a junior majoring in family and child science, was named Preprofessional Student of the Year. Courtney Vallencourt received the Marie Gillespie Scholarship. Both Laquerre and Anita Cummings, a graduate student in family and consumer sciences education, won Preprofessional Graduate Student scholarships.

NMSU Equestrian Team member Rachel Rosencrans took third place in open reining in zone finals competition at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater on April 14. Team member Cory Hensley placed third in advanced team horsemanship at OSU. The NMSU equestrian team placed fourth overall at the competition. Team coach Deborah Rosencrans was named region stock seat coach of the year.

Making history once again, Jake Hill will become NMSU’s second student body president to serve two terms. A senior from Artesia majoring in agricul-

To submit an item for Hats Off!, contact D’Lyn Ford at [email protected] or (505) 646-6528.

Earth Day events return to campus

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embers of NMSU’s Environmental Science Student Organization (ESSO) revived Earth Day events at NMSU this spring after a sixyear hiatus. The campus celebration April 22 on the horseshoe featured close to 20 booths filled with everything from cactus and telescopes to trail mix and kites made from recycled materials. During the 10-hour celebration, participants took in live bands and educational displays. “Our goal was to focus on educating the public about Meghann Dallin, an NMSU environmental science graduate, local and national environand Colin Lee, a graduate student in wildlife science, talk in mental issues and to have fun front of an Earth Day display April 22. while doing so,” said Vanessa Sanchez, ESSO president. Society, Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Through Earth Day, we hoped to shed some New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, light on how vast environmental issues are Sierra Club and New Mexico Association of while showing that we are scientists who want Conservation Districts. to diversify perspectives about these issues.” “We wanted this celebration to be as diverse ESSO supplied participants with informaas possible,” Sanchez said. “We are very proud tion about environmental science degree of the diversity that the College of Agriculture requirements, jobs in the field and club activiand Home Economics encompasses, and we ties. Campus groups participating included hoped that Earth Day would complement our Horticulture Forum, NMSU’s Recycling supporting college. We all wanted this Earth Department and the Consortium for Day to involve both the college community as Environmental Education and Technology. well as the surrounding community.” Educational displays came from groups such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Audubon Melanie Dabovich

SUMMER 2002

Sam Steel Way ALUMNI NEWSLET TER

Sam Steel Way is a publication of the Sam Steel Society, serving the alumni and friends of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics at New Mexico State University. JERRY G. SCHICKEDANZ

Dean and Chief Administrative Officer

RON GURLEY BARBARA WISE

Development Officers

Sam Steel Way is produced by NMSU’s Agricultural Communications department. D’LYN FORD JOANNA STITH MELANIE DABOVICH NORMAN MARTIN ANNA MARÍA PÉREZ-WRIGHT VALERIE PICKERING KEVIN ROBINSON-AVILA J. VICTOR ESPINOZA

Editor Graphic Designer Contributors

Photographer

For a subscription to Sam Steel Way, address change or letter to the editor, call (505) 646-6528 or write to D’Lyn Ford, Agricultural Communications, NMSU, Box 30003, MSC 3AI, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003.

Please visit our World Wide Web site at www.samsteelonline.org New Mexico State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator. NMSU and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. The Sam Steel Society and Sam Steel Way newsletter are named for a student who would have been the first graduate of a New Mexico college. He was murdered prior to the scheduled 1893 graduation at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now NMSU. Sam Steel Way, the frontage road to Interstate 10, is named in Steel’s honor.

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ALUMNIPROFILES

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lance into Chris Zamora’s tidy backyard on the edge of Doña Ana and you’ll see a wiry apricot tree whipping in the desert wind. Planted seven years ago when it was little more than a twig by his wife of six decades, the little tree is a link to Zamora’s lifetime of service to New Mexico’s forestry industry. “I like it and the birds like it,” the 80year old said with a laugh and a glint in his eye. A 1950 NMSU range management graduate, Zamora is one of those special men that America still likes to honor. An admired and self-made Hispanic leader, he joined the Marines after Pearl Harbor, fought in the Pacific theater, raised 16 children and went on to hold some of the state’s highest administrative positions in the Santa Fe and Cibola national forests. Sitting on a shaded porch outside his home, Zamora leaned back in a green garden chair on a recent afternoon. The son of a Lincoln sharecropper and one of 10 children, he grew up roaming the cool, forested mountains of south-central New Mexico. Long days were spent taking care of livestock and learning how to take care of the land on a farm that had neither electricity nor running water. While there were plenty of chores on the farm, schoolwork was an equally important task in the Zamora household. “My father had a second-grade education, and my mother didn’t go to school to my knowledge, but they supported us in every way,” Zamora said. “We’re where we are today because of them.” Zamora, who was named after his father, Christobal, would eventually become the first in his family to graduate from grade school, high school and college. His graduation from Capitan High School in 1941 became a milestone in his life. It was the year he married his high school sweetheart, Dora. It was also the year that a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor turned American sentiment toward declaring war with Japan. One of those who stepped forward was 18-year-old Zamora, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps and spent the next four years in the south Pacific, participating in the invasion of six Japanese-held islands. “Fortunately, I wasn’t wounded, but I did get malaria,” he said. “It darn near got me, but I survived.” With the end of the war in 1945, Zamora returned to New Mexico and the small ranch his father now ran. For the next year, he left the war far behind, working in the quiet New Mexico outdoors and starting a family. But job prospects were limited, and he began searching for ways to expand his opportunities. In 1946, Zamora decided that NMSU lay in his future. Driving a $600 pickup and tiny mobile trailer, he pulled onto campus with a wife and three small children. He registered for class and immediately applied for a campus apartment. “The list, my goodness, was as long as my arm. But a

NORMAN MARTIN

1950

Zamora looks back on a forest of memories

NMSU alumni Chris Zamora, 80, fought in the World War II Pacific theater, (inset) raised 16 children and went on to hold some of the state’s highest administrative positions in the Santa Fe and Cibola national forests. week later, thank goodness, they had a three-bedroom apartment for us.” His academic interests led him to the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, where he studied range management and animal husbandry. “I did that simply because I knew more about livestock than anything else,” he said. He finished his range management degree in 1950. Zamora’s first job was with the Cooperative Extension Service as an assistant county agent in charge of 4-H in Guadalupe County. After four years, he got a job offer in Taos with the Soil Conservation Service and headed north.

“To the best of my knowledge, I was the first Hispanic forest supervisor.” But on the way to the Albuquerque personnel office, a chance encounter changed the direction of his life. Zamora mistakenly went to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service office, which coincidentally had an opening in the Taos office. After an extended discussion with a personnel officer, he was offered the job. “I quit Extension on a Friday and started with the Forest Service on Monday,” he said. “One of my first jobs, in addition to taking photographs and identifying plants, was to move the grazing area for several thousand sheep in the Taos district.” It was the first of many situations where Zamora’s Spanish-speaking abilities would come in handy. “Those sheepherders couldn’t handle any English, so I was in an ideal situation to make it work and I did. They were some fine fellows.” Zamora would spend the next 24 years

with the Forest Service. After serving as assistant forest ranger in Taos for four years, he transferred to Española as district ranger. Four years later, he was on the move again, this time to Albuquerque as head of grazing for the Cibola National Forest. He was there 10 years before being named supervisor of the Santa Fe National Forest. “To the best of my knowledge, I was the first Hispanic forest supervisor,” Zamora said. “Subsequent to that, at least another half-dozen made it up to forest supervisor, but I was the first one.” During his years directing forest operations, the greatest change was in forest management. “We started getting a lot of input from environmentalists, and that meant we had to be a lot more careful about harvesting timber and the location of roads and their distances from streams,” he said. At 55, Zamora retired from the Forest Service, but his forest work wasn’t over. Once more, he quit work on Friday and started a new job on Monday, this time as deputy of the Forestry Division for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. A year later, he became district forester at Capitan, 13 miles from his old hometown of Lincoln. “I put in 13 years with state forestry and retired again in 1991,” he said. These days his time is spent taking care of his wife, doing the occasional wood crafting project and keeping track of his widely dispersed children. “I’m not really involved in forest issues anymore. I don’t even mow the lawn,” he said with a laugh. But as the weather warms and days grow longer, Zamora admits that he does keep an eye on his little apricot tree.

Norman Martin

S A M S T E E L WAY

1973

Olson follows links to golf superintendent career

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ooking back, golf course superintendent Karl Olson can see the personal links that have led him to advising assignments for three U.S. Opens and one of the country’s top jobs at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. At age 4, Olson watched his father, Leonard, a World War II veteran, graduate with highest honors at NMSU, where his mother, Velma, also attended. Growing up, he followed his dad on the four golf courses in Roswell, home of Nancy Lopez. “Her dad and my dad played together,” he recalled. Olson attended junior college at Roswell’s New Mexico Military Institute, making lifelong friends who reunited in Las Cruces at NMSU’s Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. An avid golfer, he aspired to play for NMSU and become a golf pro or golf course superintendent. But as a serious student, practice time was limited. “I can still remember having huevos rancheros for breakfast in the ag building before genetics at 7 a.m.,” Olson said. “I was in class until noon and then I had two labs in the afternoon.” The effort paid off. After earning his bachelor’s degree in agronomy in 1973, Olson worked briefly in California before joining Albuquerque’s Four Hills golf course. He was turf maintenance supervisor for the University of New Mexico South course from 1974 to 1979, when he met his wife, Sali. He managed Fort Douglas Hidden Valley Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, until 1982, when the U.S. Golf Association hired him as Northeast regional agronomist, based in Worchester, Mass. Nine months later he was invited to help with champi-

onship course preparation. “For the U.S. Open, you have an exacting set of criteria because you’re trying to set up a stern test of golf,” Olson said. “You begin working with the superintendent and staff two to three years in advance. You want to manage the agronomy programs so the course peaks within the 10-day period of the championship.” Olson, a certified superintendent, was an adviser for the 1984, 1985 and 1986 U.S. Opens. The toughest was Karl Olson is superintendent of National Golf Links the 1986 championship at of America on Long Island, N.Y. Shinnecock Hills on Long Island. the job is still demanding. National occu“In a meeting, I made the comment pies 254 acres, 90 of which are intensivethat the course wouldn’t be ready unless ly maintained and irrigated. somebody moved out there to get it Olson and his crew grow their own sod ready,” Olson said, chuckling. “So I and maintain 6 acres of greens and 370 moved onto the Island.” bunkers. “It’s the equivalent of two coursShinnecock borders National Golf Links es in one,” he said. “The upland farming I of America. Asked if he could help there, learned at NMSU has been very helpful.” Olson began making weekly visits and As she did with USGA, Sali manages felt at home with the experienced crew. Olson’s office. Their four daughters, ages At the Open at Shinnecock, Olson was 23, 20, 17 and 12, keep them busy. invited to apply for the superintendent’s For fun, Olson hunts and, well, golfs. job at National. Renowned architect (He has a 3 handicap.) Charles Blair McDonald created the This year, Olson scored the Taylor A. course, which replicates centuries-old Borradaile alumni award from Phi Kappa holes in Scotland and England. Tau for outstanding achievement in his To restore the course to vintage condifield. The $1,000 award went to NMSU, tions of 1917 to 1922, Olson visited the where Olson is a regular contributor. British Isles for research. National now “Every year, I try to give back to the school ranks 11th on Golf Week magazine’s 100 for what they did for me,” he said. Best Classical Courses and 21st on Golf He’s skilled at maintaining links. magazine’s Top 100 World Courses. Though major restoration is complete, D’Lyn Ford

1997

Swinney takes handmade Mexican food to the masses

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s a specialty foods supplier for hotels and restaurants, John Johns needed an operations manager with big business experience to help his Deming company expand. Hundreds of miles away in Dumas, Texas, Grant Swinney wasn’t looking for another job. Swinney, who earned an animal science degree with an industry option from NMSU in 1997, was working in quality assurance for ConAgra Foods, one of the world’s leading food companies. By 2001, he was a production manager and general foreman of the beef processing plant. However, the challenge of a growing company and the chance to raise his children in his hometown won him over. “I was one of the guys hired to get Proper Foods over the hump and up to the next level,” Swinney said. “We have serious goals for expansion.” The company supplies hotel and restaurant chains with Mexican foods such as tamales, chiles rellenos and enchiladas. They also produce stuffed jalapeños, bell peppers and cabbage rolls. “We specialize in products that are labor-intensive,” Swinney said. “Even our tamales are handmade. That’s our niche.

Operations manager Grant Swinney helps Deming-based Proper Foods expand. And as managers, we control our costs from the labor standpoint.” Swinney said Johns located the plant in Deming because of its proximity to Mexico, which supplies a good labor force. “He’s very good at finding incen-

tives to keep workers,” Swinney said. “He offers bonuses based on attendance and recently implemented a 401(k) program.” Swinney is familiar with incentives after working with ConAgra, but he and his wife, Amber, thought the opportunity to return to Deming outweighed big-company inducements. It was a chance to raise 21-monthold twin sons, Reid and Kylan, near grandparents in Deming, Las Cruces and Ruidoso. “The best part is because I supervise the night shift, I get to spend the day watching the boys while my wife teaches school,” Swinney said. Adviser Jack Thomas saw Swinney’s work ethic at NMSU. “He was selfmotivated and reliable,” he said. “Besides that, he has a great sense of humor.” Those qualities will come in handy as Proper Foods expands the storage, freezer and processing areas. “It’s a small facility now, but we’re far-reaching,” Swinney said. The company has distribution centers across the United States and in Canada. “In a small company like this, you wear a lot of different hats. But that’s what makes the job interesting and challenging.” Anna María Pérez-Wright

SUMMER 2002

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RESEARCHNEWS NMSU range scientists battle invading African weed

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n invasive rangeland weed that first appeared in North America in the 1920s has established an 11-county foothold in southern New Mexico and is looking for more space to roam. African rue, a poisonous basketball-sized plant first discovered near Deming, has drawn the attention of a team of NMSU range researchers who are determined to unravel the biology and ecology of this invading species and turn it back. “For being a relatively small plant on the surface, African rue occupies a very large volume below ground,” said Laurie Abbott, an assistant professor of range science. “I excavated a root system of this plant, and the taproot reached at least 13 feet deep, at which point I decided it was time to stop digging and come up for air.” Bright green with pretty white five-petal flowers, the half-shrub hardly looks like a dangerous invader. The perennial weed is bushy and branched, growing a foot tall when fully mature, said Richard Lee, former weed specialist with NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service. But the little plant contains at least four poisonous alkaloids, plant chemicals that are toxic to cattle, sheep and horses. African rue’s effects on livestock range from loss of appetite and listlessness to trembling and lack of coordination, said Lee, who has led several invasive weed programs in New Mexico. Acute poisoning, usually caused by eating seeds, can cause hemorrhages in an animal’s heart or liver, he said. The seeds and fruit of the plant are the most toxic. The good news is that African rue apparently tastes terrible and smells worse, Lee said. Animals generally eat it only if they’re starving or suffering from severe mineral deficiencies. If poison-

Bright green with pretty white five-petal flowers, African rue hardly looks like a dangerous invader. But NMSU researchers say the little range weed is tough to kill thanks to a taproot that reaches more than 10 feet deep. ing occurs, it’s usually in spring and summer, so one basic livestock management plan has been to simply avoid infested pastures during those times. Meanwhile, efforts to control the African invader are still a work in progress. “We believe that African rue tends to dominate in areas where it occurs, but that not much is known about either its biology or ecology,” Abbott said. To learn more, NMSU’s range science team last year began field studies, laboratory and greenhouse projects. NMSU has two field sites under evaluation. Located southeast of Deming and on Holloman

Air Force Base rangeland near Alamogordo, the experimental plots have different soil and environmental conditions, Abbott said. For the moment, NMSU’s primary research plan is gathering additional data on the plant’s biology and ecology. “It’s difficult to plan a management strategy without fully understanding how the organism works,” Abbott said. “If we can understand how this plant gets established and how it spreads into new areas, then we can make recommendations to ranchers and farmers about how to keep it from becoming a problem on their land.” Norman Martin

NORMAN MARTIN

NORMAN MARTIN

Alfalfa research updates:

NMSU agronomist Denise McWilliams says some New Mexico growers are pushing alfalfa’s production to the limit, leaving stands in the field in southern New Mexico for more than two decades. These tough, old remnants present farmers with a difficult set of business decisions as planting time nears. With planting costs and establishment, costs can escalate to $200 to $300 per acre. The result: producers push production beyond recommended limits and try to reseed as gaps periodically appear. According to NMSU research, it’s a plan that won’t work. “Once we have an established stand, it’s very, very difficult to go back and reestablish spots within a stand,” McWilliams said.

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Using a traditional sweep net, NMSU entomologist Jane Pierce hunts for alfalfa weevils in a newly emerging alfalfa field at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Artesia. The unseasonably warm weather that gripped much of New Mexico this past winter swelled the ranks of the alfalfa weevil, a notoriously damaging pest that loves to chomp on the state’s newly emerging No. 1 cash crop. Millions of dollars are at stake because alfalfa weevils are especially destructive to the season’s first cutting. NMSU research has indicated that weevils remove leaf tissue, beginning with new leaves in the top of the plant, and motor their way down the stem to other leaves. Their voracious dining habits reduce both forage quality and quantity.

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fter more than a decade of field tests, NMSU scientists have found a way to fill an early summer harvesting void with a new white onion variety that will hit the fresh market while others are still rooted in the ground. They’re also ready to release a new red onion–a first for NMSU. Named ‘NuMex Solano’ and ‘NuMex Crimson’, both are fall-seeded onion varieties planted from late September to early October and harvested from late May to early June. Having two more fall-seeded varieties allows New Mexico producers to fill a crucial market window for grocery and produce sellers. “We’ll be harvesting when there are very few places in the country that can supply onions to the U.S. market,” said Chris Cramer, an onion breeder with NMSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station in Las Cruces. Currently, New Mexico supplies about 60 percent of the U.S. onions during May and June. Cramer explained that the ‘NuMex Crimson’ release has red scales and a flat globe shape. Among its most useful characteristics is resistance to premature seed stalk formation, a process known as bolting. It’s also moderately resistant to a damaging fungal disease known as pink root. “What makes it unique is there are very few red onion cultivars that are grown in this area, and it happens to be the first red onion that has been released from our program,” Cramer said. ‘NuMex Solano’ is a white onion that matures three weeks after ‘NuMex Crimson’. ‘Solano’ matures in the third to fourth weeks in

NORMAN MARTIN

NMSU fills market niche with two new onion varieties

NMSU researchers, led by onion breeder Chris Cramer, have released two new varieties that will help New Mexico growers fill a profitable early summer niche. Seed stock will be commercially available in 2004. June, a time when very few white varieties are harvested. The variety also has a high level of bolting and pink root resistance. “‘Solano’ has a very round globe shape to it and excellent,

pure white scale color,” he said. “It tends to be a very hard, very firm onion, which makes it better for shipping.” Onion breeders with NMSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station have spent years developing varieties with different maturity dates. Growers need an array of varieties that mature at different times because each variety matures within a one- to two-week window. “Here in New Mexico, we’re harvesting onions from late May all the way to the beginning of August,” Cramer said. “You need a number of varieties for that constant window of production.” An onion grower in southern New Mexico may plant 20 to 30 different onion varieties to ensure continuous harvest in all three colors—red, white and yellow. As a biennial crop, onions have a long growing cycle, lengthening the time needed to develop new stock. A single growth cycle takes two years compared to some crops that can have three generations in a year. “When we make the initial cross, it could take 10 to 15 years before the variety is released,” he said. The first commercial seed for ‘NuMex Solano’ and ‘NuMex Crimson’ won’t be available for sale until about 2004. NMSU took bids for exclusive production of the two varieties, a change from past releases when any producer could go to the New Mexico Crop Improvement Association and request seed for new varieties.

Norman Martin

and a strong academic foundation have given her the means to follow her dreams. Angela Carmi, a graduate in environmental science, will do her part to save the planet while working for URS Greiner Corp. in Sacramento, Calif., where her projects will include designing industry systems, air quality, Environmental Protection Agency regulation adherence and water systems. Carmi said in spite of recent job trends, there are many openings in her field. “Finding a job for me was not a problem. I really don’t think finding one is that much trouble if you start early,” Carmi said. For family and child science graduate Sherry Sullivan, word of mouth was her key to finding a job as a high school teacher for the El Paso Independent School District. “A friend of mine told me they were looking for home economics teachers, and I jumped at the chance,” Sullivan said. “My professors kept saying things would eventually fall into place, and now it’s all coming together.” For some graduates with families to support, the need for job security and good pay must be balanced with spending time with loved ones. Animal science graduate Lorraine West-Treadaway has found the perfect fit. West-Treadaway is the owner of the Diamond T Horse Farm in Radium Springs, a business she started last year with the help of professors in her department. She currently has 15 recreation and performance-trained horses.

SUMMER 2002

MELANIE DABOVICH

NMSU graduates head to work (continued from p. 1)

Six-year-old Steven helps his mother, Lorraine West-Treadaway, a 2002 NMSU animal science graduate, train horses at the family’s Diamond T Horse Farm in Radium Springs. “It’s not a real lucrative business, and I’m never going to get rich, but it is my passion,” West-Treadaway said. “My parents have been there, biting their nails, but business has been really good. Lately, I haven’t had enough horses to sell!” In addition to selling horses, WestTreadaway trains horses with the help of her

husband Michael and her two sons, Michael, 9, and Steven, 6. Together, the four have created a unique family business venture. “We went from a fifth-wheel trailer to two acres and land in Doña Ana. It has really worked out,” she said. Melanie Dabovich

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D’LYN FORD

TOMILEE TURNER

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To celebrate 4-H's national centennial, 250 passengers rode a historic train from Santa Fe to Lamy on April 27.

Jesse Holloway, head of the state 4-H office, slices birthday cake at an evening 4-H Showcase

New Mexico celebrates past, present and future of 4-H

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ear a train decked in green and white clovers, families huddled at the depot in Santa Fe on April 27, much as New Mexicans did 90 years ago when they first heard about a youth program now called 4-H. “Close your eyes. Savor the moment. Because 100 years from now, people will be looking back on this as a historic day in the memoirs of 4-H,” said Billy Dictson, director of NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service. 4-H, which is celebrating its national centennial this year, has 50,000 members in New Mexico and 6.4 million worldwide, making it the world’s largest youth organization. New Mexicans celebrated 4-H’s past, present and future with daylong events that featured the sounds of train whistles and young voices, the tastes of barbecue and birthday cake, and the spectacle of children releasing hundreds of green and white balloons into the sky. A historic Santa Fe Southern train carried 250 passengers on the nostalgic trip to Lamy, 18.1 miles southeast of Santa Fe. State 4-H officers, ambassadors and diplomats in green corduroy jackets stood on an open platform car in the sharp wind, waving to Santa Feans at every intersection, drawing smiles and waves. “4-H is about leadership and developing yourself,” said State 4-H President Vera Wilson from Torrance County, who delivered a confident speech to the crowd at the depot. Wilson, who joined 4-H five years ago, said the range of 150 different projects attracts new members. “You can try just about any project you want. There’s sewing, baking, rocketry, clowning and dog care.” At the Lamy depot, displays and demonstra-

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tions recalled 4-H’s beginnings in 1912, when 10 percent of the state’s population turned out to see the Extension demonstration trains. Back then, university specialists crisscrossed the state, sharing research-based information about farming and ranching, food preservation and forming youth clubs. “These days, we in Extension use whatever is appropriate technology for the times,” said Curtis Smith, a horticulture specialist who gave a demonstration at the Lamy depot of how to grow orchids using a plastic bag filled with sphagnum moss. “We’re using television. We use the Internet. We use publications and speeches to groups—all kinds of different methods.” Palemón Martinez, who worked for Extension for 30 years in northern New Mexico, recognized a number of faces in the photos on display. “I still hear from former 4-H club members who recall specific activities,” he said. “It must have meant something if they remember. Some of them credit 4-H with being very influential with the direction they took in life.” Martinez and his wife, Neoma, enjoyed the day’s events with their granddaughters, Erica, 9, already a 4-H’er, and Marissa, 3. Their daughter, Lisa Garcia, works as a home economist with the Santa Fe County Extension office. After a barbecue lunch, participants released a mass of green and white balloons. “Your balloons today represent the spirit of 4-H,” said Darlene Dickson, state 4-H specialist and chair of the centennial celebration committee. “By releasing these, we are saying that we hope 4-H will be just as strong a program 100 years from now as it is today. We’re proud of the

100-year heritage that we have of helping youth develop life skills, leadership and citizenship.” The return trip, at 20 miles per hour, rocked the youngest passengers to sleep as “Orange Blossom Special” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” played in the background. Jake Dunlap, a Hidalgo County 4-H’er who traveled all the way from Lordsburg to ride the train, enjoyed the view from the transparent top of the dome car. In the evening, 4-H members showed off their public speaking, musical and dance abilities in a 4-H Showcase at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds. To cap it off, they sang “Happy Birthday” and cut into a giant birthday cake. Then they cleared away the chairs for a familystyle dance that featured multiple generations of 4-H members. Lloyd and Valdia Buchwald from Santa Fe, 4-H leaders for 38 years, enjoyed a slice of cake as they waited for their granddaughter, 17-yearold Heather Stumpff, to arrive. Heather and her parents, Cheryl and Ralph Stumpff, 4-H volunteers for 23 years, are active with Wide Horizons 4-H Club in Santa Fe. The family’s 4-H legacy goes back to the early days of Extension and 4-H in New Mexico. “My mother, Daisie, who is 92, remembers seeing demonstrations of how to serve hot meals for schools, using a potbellied stove,” Ralph Stumpff said. As he spoke, the next generation of 4-H members scampered around older brothers and sisters on the dance floor.

D’Lyn Ford

S A M S T E E L WAY

TOMILEE TURNER

TOMILEE TURNER

Left: Three generations of Palemón Martinez's family enjoyed the 4-H Centennial Celebration event. Clockwise from left are Martinez, his wife, Neoma, daughter Lisa Garcia, who works with the Santa Fe County Extension office, and her daughters, Erica, 9, a 4-H member, and Marissa, 3, a future 4-H'er. Above: 4-H runs in the family for Lloyd and Valdia Buchwald from Santa Fe (back row), 4-H leaders for 38 years. Their daughter, Cheryl, and son-in-law, Ralph Stumpff, (left) have logged 23 years as 4-H volunteers. Granddaughter Heather Stumpff, 17, is active in 4-H.

4-H members help map future of youth program

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10-member delegation of New Mexico youngsters participated in a national conversation on youth development in Washington, D.C., to offer their ideas about the future of 4-H. They joined 1,200 youth and adults representing 600 organizations for a face to face meeting Feb. 28–March 1. The national event capped six months of local and state youth conversations around the country that included more than 50,000 young people. In New Mexico, hundreds of 4-H members and supporters participated. “It’s been great,” said Amber Carman, 17, a former state 4-H diplomat from Albuquerque who participated in county and state conversations. “It’s given us an opportunity to add our voices to the national 4-H agenda. Teens from every county in every state in America have participated in this process, and I’m glad I was a part of it.” At the national conversation, participants addressed five broad themes: youth empowerment, equitable access and opportunities for youth, education enhancement, youth mentoring and effective youth development organizations. Participants offered dozens of ideas. A top suggestion was giving young people

SUMMER 2002

direct roles in policy and decision making by creating a national office of youth and a national youth advisory board. Delegates also supported a national media campaign to publicize youth development opportunities, more cooperation between public schools and youth organizations, and diversity and cultural awareness training for youth. They recommended higher pay and better conditions for youth development workers, creation of a national congress to improve collaboration among youth organizations and establishment of a Cabinet-level youth position. “All of the participants had attended county and state conversations, so they came armed with suggestions,” said Charolette Collins, home economist with the Sandoval County Extension office and one of three chaperones for the New Mexico delegation. Delegates were Jake Dunlap from Hidalgo County, Mario Vigil from Rio Arriba County, Ruben Trujillo from Eddy County, Stephen Hardin and Adrianne Coe from Roosevelt County, Vera Wilson from Torrance County, Shelby Wooton from Chaves County, and Shannon Fitzpatrick and Raquel Garcia from Bernalillo County.

Final recommendations will be forwarded to President George W. Bush, his Cabinet and Congress. Meanwhile, the top 20 recommendations from New Mexico’s state conversation in January are already being applied. “We want all the counties to use these suggestions to improve 4-H youth programs,” said Jesse Holloway, head of the state 4-H office in Las Cruces. Recommendations for New Mexico included construction of more after-school recreational and educational facilities, youth/government partnerships to allow youngsters to share ideas with elected state officials, youth advisory committees to recruit adult and peer mentors for youth, and more outreach to draw people into 4-H. Amy Byrd, 17, a former state 4-H ambassador from Tucumcari, said she considered participating in the conversations a civic responsibility. “We have to make our voices heard,” Byrd said. “It’s like voting. You can’t complain about things if you don’t vote to make changes.”

Kevin Robinson-Avila

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GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES The original application for insurance, completed and signed by the insured, should be sent to the NMSU Foundation for signature. Thereafter, we will return the application to you to complete the process. Once the policy is issued, we would appreciate having the original policy or a copy for our files.

2. Donate an existing policy. If you have insurance policies you no longer

by Ron Gurley and Barbara Wise, development officers College of Agriculture and Home Economics

Charitable Gifts of Life Insurance Life insurance has long played an important role in charitable giving. Whether you make a gift of a new policy to fund a major project or donate an older policy that you no longer need, life insurance offers a unique way to leverage relatively modest annual payments into a sizable gift. There are four basic methods of using life insurance to benefit NMSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics:

need and would like a current income tax deduction, you can donate these contracts to NMSU Foundation/College of Agriculture and Home Economics. As long as all of the rights of ownership are completely transferred to the foundation, you receive a current income tax deduction equal to the lesser of your cost basis or the fair market value of the policy (roughly equal to the cash surrender value). Examples of policies that are often no longer needed: • Business insurance after the business has been sold • Income replacement insurance after you’ve retired • Estate insurance when your estate has been reduced below the taxable level • Mortgage insurance after the mortgage has been repaid

3. Name the NMSU Foundation/College of Agriculture and Home Economics as your primary beneficiary. If you purchased a policy several years ago but your chosen beneficiary no longer needs the protection, you can designate the college as beneficiary. Again, your estate would receive a charitable deduction and you can make a substantial gift to the college.

1. Give a new policy to the college. You can establish an endowment in your family name in a single, inexpensive way by purchasing a new insurance policy on your life or the life of your spouse and naming the NMSU Foundation/College of Agriculture and Home Economics as both the irrevocable owner and beneficiary. A modest amount each month can establish a sizable endowment. Many policies are “paid up” after a period of time. Premium payments are generally deductible by law (for those who itemize) for federal income tax purposes, if the charity is both the irrevocable owner and beneficiary of the policy. Premium payments may have a potential federal income tax deduction of up to 50 percent of the donor’s adjusted gross income, with a five-year carry forward of any excess. Favorable gift and estate tax consequences may also result from such a gift.

4. Name the NMSU Foundation/College of Agriculture and Home Economics as your contingent or successor beneficiary. For example, if you own a policy and have named your spouse as the beneficiary, you could name the foundation as contingent or successor beneficiary in the event that your spouse or other beneficiary predeceases you. There are no immediate tax benefits, but if no successor beneficiary were named, the death benefit would be included in your taxable estate. Of course, all financial decisions should be discussed with your legal and tax advisers. The staff is available to assist you in achieving your tax, estate planning and charitable giving objectives. If you would like more information on charitable gifts of life insurance, please contact college development officers Ron Gurley at (505) 646-1455 or Barbara Wise at (505) 646-4136.

Thank you, scholarship donors Because of donors' generosity, 375 students in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics received scholarships in the 2001-2002 academic year. Annual awards to students in the college have grown from $130,000 in 1995 to more than $325,000 this year. DONOR .................................................................................................... RECIPIENT Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business............................ Russell Hernandez Agronomy and Horticulture .................................................................... Eric Behrens Jim and Ann Ballard Endowed Memorial .................................................. Brian Mertz Elliott Barker Memorial ............................................................................ Anna Pierce Adrian Berryhill Family .......................................... Matthew Atencio, William Hooper, Kelly Jones, Rye Peebles Barbara Jane Biebelle Memorial ...................................................... Kristin Clemmons Willis M. “Dub” Bird Memorial ................................................................ Steven Bird Baxter Black ........................................................................ Christina Black, Erin Frye G. Paul and Kenneth Black Memorial ...................................... Azori Dodd, John Fury, Derek Romig A. D. Brownfield Sr. Memorial .......................................................... Audra Nicholson Robin M. Burden Memorial .................................................................. Heidi Johnson Pat. F. and Louise G. Campbell Memorial ............................................ Alaina Castillo, Alexis Cristo, Deborah Dictson, Kristal Kinzer Jacqueline W. Camuñez .......................................................................... Susan Wade John Allen Carter .................................................................................... Joshua Beyer Felix and Madelyn Cauhape Memorial.................................................. Rachel Wright Nazario C’de Baca Family Endowed Fund .......................................... Chris Martinez, Charlin Vasquez Emmitt Chapman Memorial ........................................ Robin Foldager, Michael Work Dell and Ray Chappell Memorial ........................................ Erin Hackey, Kimberly Ray Fred and Genevieve Widmoyer Memorial Endowment ........................ Jeremy Holden Dell and Ray Chappell Memorial.......................................................... Argen Duncan Phillip Church Memorial.................................................................... LuLu Hernandez Leslie and Betty Clayshulte........................................................................ Eva Madrid J. H. and Helen Clements Memorial FFA Award .................................... Lance Conklin J. H. and Helen Clements Memorial ........................ Mary Beth Bond, Brenda Bryant, Rita Cheng, Anita Enciñias, Joe Wade Gutierrez, Steve Hefley, Joseph Quinlan, Shiree Serna, Tiffany Turner, Jessica Williamson David and Lorna Cole Memorial.................................. Brittany Clark, Karen Gallegos, Sue Kehoe, Alison Pauk, Antonia Roybal, Aida Zaldo James F. Cole Memorial ............................................ Garrett Hyatt, Katherine Ludwig Robert L. Coppersmith Memorial .................................. Azori Dodd, Dustin Vendrely Joe Corgan Endowed Fund .................................................................. Alex Petermeir

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DONOR .................................................................................................... RECIPIENT Bernand Corley Memorial .......................................................... Stephen Hogenmiller Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Cotter Endowed.............................. Jeb Archey, Sarah Higbie, Michael Work A. B. and Florence Cox Memorial ........................ Vivienne Beachamin, Lorna Brown, Felicia Chacon, Megan Cox, Erin Hackey, Megan Henderson, Andrew Lake, Craig Lockwood, Ian Murray, Casey Roberts, Masie Siepel, Clayton Spurgeon, Denae West, Lee Widner, Ellen Marie Zwank Curry County Memorial................................................................ Martin Mackechnie Dean’s Administrative .............................................. Aaron Baldridge, Lindsey Gilbert, Candice Groom, Steve Hefley, Rachel Rosencrans, Joleen Rosson, Antonia Roybal Dean’s Account .......................................................................................... Lynda Ray Robert C. deBaca Memorial Endowed Fund .................................. Rachel Rosencrans Desert Project ........................................................................................ Tamara Davis Doña Ana County Associated Sportsmen ...................... Mark Arana, Clay Courtright, Julie Cummings, Danielle D’Auria, Brian Hurd, Desiree Poore, Richard Suarez, Ian Tator John J. Durkin Memorial ................................................................ Ellen Marie Zwank El Paso Riding and Driving Club ................................ Margaret Clark, Kelly McGinley, Kristi Gottsponer, Joshua Smith Environmental Science .............................................................................. Shali Selch J. V. “Josh” Enzie Memorial ................................................ Shanna Armenta-Sanchez Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science ................................ Irene Calderon, Jamie Cochran, E.J. Cochrum, Troy Fuller, Isela Granados, Brady Hyatt, Ryan Jaramillo, Sam Lowry, Ericka Luna, Joy Pollard, Ricardo Ramirez, Melanie Robinson, Jennifer Rogers, Joleen Rosson, Katrina Shipley, Micah White, Seth Whiteley, Aaron Williford William Esslinger .................................................................................... Fawna Leslie Lee S. and Lou C. Evans Memorial ................................ David Beltran, Miguel Castro, Destiny Davenport, Meghan Grau, Sam Gutierrez, Del Hooker, Garrett Hyatt, Audra Lyon, Darla Mayes, Amalia Montoya, Mariah Peebles, Chad Rabon, Brandon Smith, Matthew Surina, Luis Terrazas Farm Credit .......................................... Victoria Fluhman, John Fury, Matthew Surina

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DONOR .................................................................................................... RECIPIENT Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Use.................................. Marissa Clemmons, Alexis Cristo, Diana Garcia, Cindy Hill, Morgan Huber, Erica Romero, Cassandra Ross, Tiffany Turner, Sarah Vance Family and Consumer Sciences Endowed .......................................... Carla Sandoval, Susan Wade Fabian Garcia Multicultural, 1997 .................................................. Matthew Atencio, Francisco Holguin, Eva Madrid Fabian Garcia Multicultural, 1999.................................... Aaron Baldridge, Jenice Jim, Rachel Rosencrans, Joleen Rosson, Antonia Roybal, Amaris Swann Louise E. Garrett Memorial .............................................................. Stefanie Turrietta Frank E. and Dolores L. Garrett Endowed................................................ Luis Terrazas John and Irene Garrett Memorial .................................. Lindsey Gilbert, Paty O’Briant Caroline George Memorial ................................................................ Deanna Lavanty Dora Blosson Gile Memorial .................................. Vanessa Sanchez, Pamela Vasquez George Godfrey Memorial ........................................................ Randall Montgomery George and Thelma Godfrey Memorial .................. Jack Blandford, Samantha Dodd, Chandra Galindo, Maria Guerrero, Lena Hite, Brian Mertz, Michael Rubio, Renee Tsosie, Jessica Young Thelma Godfrey, Agriculture and Home Economics .................................... John Fury, Katie Goetz, Jeanne Hardin, Michelle Hopkins, Jodie Lovejoy, Adam Lujan, Charles Miller, Aaron Williford Carol Gordon Memorial ........................................................................ Eileen Everett Ladd S. Gordon Endowed Memorial ........................................................ Mark Arana Ocie Gray Memorial .......................... Clay Courtright, Desiree Poore, Richard Suarez John Lewis Greenwald Sr. Endowment ................................................ Jack Blandford, Mary Beth Bond, Heidi Johnson Vernon Hall Memorial ........................................................ Jimmy Plane, Valerie Rivas Hamilton Account ................................................................................ William Snure Lloyd O. Haun Memorial ...................................................................... Melvin Burton Marylee, Emma and Alyce Hawk ................................ Adrian Apodaca, Ann Pottenga Jack Hayes...................................................................................... Richard Waterman Carlton H. Herbel Endowed Memorial Fund for Academic Excellence ................................ Jamus Joseph Evelyn Hollen Memorial ..................................................Melissa Lujan, Erica Romero, Leanne Small Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management ....................Taralie Carter, Celina Flores, Bladimar Guerra, Joshua Moore W. A. “Bill” Humphries Memorial ................................ Jennifer Buchfeller, Paul Taylor Hurt Endowed ............................................................................ Brian Baumgaertner Paul T. and June Hutchcroft Endowed ................................................ Rebecca Kelling Mae Martha Johnson Memorial............................................ Morgan Huber, Erin Lusk Anthony Juliana Memorial .................................................................... Jennie Moyers John W. and Ruth Knorr Memorial .............................. Argen Duncan, Audra Mason, Caleb Sallee Kringle the Cat, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business ...... Amanda Reuer Kringle the Cat, Agricultural and Extension Education.............................. Julie Bostick Kringle the Cat, Agronomy and Horticulture .................................... Genieve Sanchez Kringle the Cat, Animal Science ............................................................ Janelle Duffey Edith Lantz Memorial ........................................................................ Adrian Apodaca Duke V. Layton Memorial ................................................ Tasia Davis, Alana Jacobson, Monte McNiel, James Meeks, Dina Ortiz Harry and Floyd Lee Memorial ................................................................ Donald Hay Julia S. Lee Memorial ................................................ Deanna Lavanty, Jennifer Powell Learning Excellence with Intellectual Success .................................... Melody Chavez, Eva Madrid, Ann Frances Roybal, Ron Troy Philip J. Leyendecker Memorial ............................................................ Jack Blandford Robert L. Little Memorial ................................................................Christopher Wood Bonnie Lowenstein Memorial Endowed .................... Karen Jenerette, Carolyn Taylor, Ann Wollmann The Lowenstein Lecture Series .................................. Ashley Hagen, Genieve Sanchez R. W. Ludwick Memorial ........................................................................ Bryna Wilson A. W. and Lesla Markley Memorial .......................... Candra Allison, Kari Kay Dictson, Lisa Enriquez, Kelli Karnes, Sam Lowry, Julia-Ette Richardson, Crystal Runyan, Joseph Salopek, Nicholas Sloan, Stacey Sloan, Sierra Stout, Codi Vaughan, Bryna Wilson J. Willard Marriott Minority................................................................ Vanessa Zazueta L. E. Mathers Memorial ...................................................................... Kelly Benavidez William S. May ............................................................ Christie Guinn, James Malone, Caitlin Moon, Amanda Offutt, Andy Smith Betty McGrath Memorial .................................................................... Karen Jenerette Robert E. and Evelyn McKee Foundation............................................ D’Llaynn Bruce, Richard Dunlap, Boyd Hazen, Ron Mortensen Dr. Billy Melton Endowed ...................................................................... Marcos Baca A. K. and A. J. Mitchell Memorial .............................. Brandon Smith, Kimberly Smith Linda E. Mitchell Memorial ...................................................................... Kelly Dobbs Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Mitchell Memorial .............................. Megan Cox, Meghan Grau, Boyd Hazen, Ann Frances Roybal Roy Nakayama Memorial...................................................... Jean Allen, Erin Balducci, Genieve Sanchez, Elizabeth Sullivan Celestine and P. E. Neale, Sr. Memorial ............................................ Rebecca Kelling, Cruz Martinez Morgan Nelson Endowed .............................................. Irene Calderon, Jerry Garcia, Roman Jacquez New Mexico Hay Association .................................... Jamie Schwebach, Stacey Sloan New Mexico Agricultural Aviation Association .................................. Mary Beth Bond, Sam Lowry New Mexico Association for Family and Community Education .................................... Brenda Bryant, Troy Fuller, Lindsey Gilbert, Jenna Hardin, Steve Hefley, Sam Lowry New Mexico Dairy Processors and Mesilla Valley DHIA ........................ Janelle Duffey, T.J. Harrison, Amanda Owens, Valerie Rivas, Lauren Romig James R. and Rachel Norris Memorial ...................................... T.J. Harrison, Jake Hill, Glenn Mason, Andy Smith Nutrition Service Associates ...................................................................... Dean Bruce James C. and Mary Sue Ogden Endowment ................................ Michelle Cattaneo, Gentry Kimbley, Quentin Talbot Osuna Nursery ........................................................................................ Eric Behrens John and Ruth Overpeck Memorial .................................................... Robin Foldager Joe Parker ...................................................................................... Margery Paroissien Rosina Patterson ................................................ Chrystal Bustamante, Robyn Kowice, Randy Larcher, Nohemi Martinez, Marlene Navarrette

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DONOR .................................................................................................... RECIPIENT Phelps Dodge Pacific Western Land ........................................................ Beau Jackson Byron Pinkley Memorial .................................... Manda Cattaneo, Randall Kirkpatrick, Erin McHale, Jarren Ray Pioneer Hi-Bred International/4-H Scholarship .................................... Brenda Bryant, Melanie Robinson Paul W. Price Memorial .................................................................... Ashley Davidson, T.J. Harrison, Donald Hay, Steven Langley Noel and Carrie Rankin Memorial .......................................... Haley Allen, Ashley Ball, Jullian Benavidez, Mary Beth Bond, Amanda Boyles, Jason Crawford, Christopher Daugherty, Linda Davis, Kathryn Davis-Hill, Jared Decker, Joseph Gruben, Simon Haynes, Natasha Hedglin, David Mahaffey, Sarah McLaughlin, Kendra Miller, Nicole Shevokas, Masie Siepel, Bethany Singer, Sierra Stout, Katherine Willard Rust Tractor ........................................................................................ Lindsey Hansen David and Paulina Salopek .............................................. Karla Harper, Jeremy Kohler, Desiree Maddox Shannon Family Endowed Internship Fund............................................ Ashley Hagen Irma Shockley Memorial ...................................................................... Sarah Mitchell Ruth Sneed Memorial ............................................................................ Kimberly Ray Randy Stahmann Endowed Memorial .................................................... Luis Terrazas Hafford P. Stetson Memorial ............................................ Haley Allen,Tracy Armenta, Melissa Ayres, Christopher Braden, Karla Diaz, David Dunlap, Dolores Duran, Wyatt Harwell, Katherine Hobbs, Del Hooker, Jennifer Munkelwitz, Laura Sanchez Herbert R. and Alice Stewart Memorial................................ Erin Lusk, Cassandra Ross D’Shawn West,Terra Whetten, Darrell Sullivan .......................................................................... Stephen Hogenmiller T-4 Cattle Company .................................................. Meghan Grau, Brandon Smith, Kimberly Smith Claude and Avelene Tharp Memorial................................................ Camille Graham, Russell Hernandez Johnny R. and Helen Hazer Thomas Endowment .................................. Anita Enciñias Alfred E. Triviz Memorial .............................................. Melissa Booky, Jesusito Giron, James McMahon, Jimmy Plane Harold Truby Memorial .................................................................. Jennifer Stevenson Kenneth A. Valentine ........................................................................ Audra Nicholson Claude Waner Memorial............................................................................ Ian Murray Watson-Williams Memorial .................................................................... Angela Carmi J. Gordon and Nanalie Watts Memorial ........................................ Vanessa Valdespino Fred and Genevieve Widmoyer Memorial Endowment .......................... James Grider, Stephanie Hooper, Beau Jackson, Robin Kuebler, Katrina Smejkal Wildlife Science FFA Scholarship .......................................................... Justin Armenta Marvin Wilson Memorial Student Travel ................................................ Sheri Chavez Roy S. and Mable P. Winsler Memorial .............................................. Dana Buchman, Destiny Davenport, Martha De Hoyos, Diana Garcia, Russell Hernandez, Shelby Krebs, Brian Mertz, Amanda Owens, Anna Pierce, Sherry Sullivan John Wood Memorial .................................................................................. Colin Lee

Noble T. Jones Memorial Ninety students in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics benefited from Noble T. Jones Memorial scholarships in 2001-2002. Jones, who died in 1997 at age 88, established the college's largest endowment dedicated solely for scholarships. The Clayton native was a World War II veteran and NMSU alumnus. He worked as a vocational agriculture teacher and director for the GI training program, first for the Veterans Administration and later for the state of New Mexico. He contributed cash and a property remainder trust, one of the most valuable endowments ever received at NMSU. Heather Adragna, Tara Alderete, Shanna Armenta-Sanchez, Noel Angel, Aaron Baldridge, Eric Behrens, Kelly Benavidez, Jorge Benitez, Melissa Booky, Timothy Browne, Darcy Buchman, Manda Cattaneo, Michelle Cattaneo, Sam Caton, Shannon Cavanagh, Janina Chives, Ashley Cline, Tamara Davis, Tammie De Vargas, Azori Dodd, Charlene Fiumara, Victoria Fluhman, Brandon Gallagher, Amarilis Garcia, Shayne Gipson, Jesusito Giron, David Goetz, Laurie Gonzales, James Grider, Patricia Guerra, Christie Guinn, Karla Harper, LuLu Hernandez, Jeremy Holden, Stephanie Hooper, Beau Jackson, Lorene James, Jenice Jim, Lillian Jimenez, Jeremy Kohler, Robin Kuebler, Jesse Lack, Yafa Lamm, Maria Laquerre, Attelia Lewis, Christine Lewis, Adriana Leyvas, Estrellita Martinez, Christopher Martinez, Cruz Martinez, Jessie Martinez, James McMahon, Monte McNiel, Alice Mirabal, Tricia Montenegro, Amparo Moreno, Israel Parker, Jennifer Parson, Stacy Peters, Tracy Pieper, Jimmy Plane, Melinda Quirk, Heather Ratzlaff, Kimberly Ray, Brian Roe, Rachel Rosencrans, Ann Frances Roybal, Melissa Russell, Nathaniel Saiz, Jeffrey Sanchez, Sonia Sanchez, Joshua Smith, Kimberly Smith, Lorakate Snyder, Laura Solberg, Tamila Stott, Elizabeth Sullivan, Amaris Swann, Carolyn Taylor, Vonda Teel, Wesley Thompson, Lisa Tolman, Natalie Turner, Vanessa Valdespino, Reina Vallejo, Amanda VanDyke, Christina Vega, Dustin Vendrely, Anna Walden, Barbara Winn

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ALUMNINEWS Lowenstein Lecture Series brings new voices to NMSU

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physician’s gift is bringing nationally known agricultural scientists to the NMSU campus for an ongoing lecture series. Last year, Dr. Bernard Lowenstein of Albuquerque expanded intellectual boundaries with a new forum for scientists to come and share their ideas and research at the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Among the topics already addressed are remote sensing using small-scale aircraft and desert plant physiology. The biannual Lowenstein Lecture Series promotes interest and understanding of floriculture and recreational horticulture. Two years ago, Lowenstein asked college officials about additional programs beyond the Bonnie Lowenstein Endowed Scholarship for undergraduates that he created in 1993 in honor of his wife, who had a lifelong interest in gardening and flowers. “He was intrigued by the idea of a lecture series, and he gave us some money to start it,” said John Mexal, NMSU professor of agronomy and horticulture. The lecture series program was developed and organized in 2001. Remote-sensing expert Judy Curry of the University of ColoradoBoulder was first in line last October. Curry’s presentation focused on developing low-cost, remote-sensing capabilities using modified robotic aircraft. “One of the problems we have with precision agriculture is getting real-time information on what the status of the crop is,” Mexal said. “Her area of interest is really on the cutting edge of where we are going to see precision resource management in

Let your friends know where you are. Register at www.samsteelonline.org, and we'll send you a free college lapel pin and print your information in our next edition of Sam Steel Way. Questions? Contact D'Lyn Ford at (505) 646-6528 or [email protected].

1959 Betty Sims Solt, animal husbandry. A member of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Solt recently attended opening ceremonies for the new museum headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. She rode a horse-drawn wagon in the parade and attended a reception with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was inducted this year. As a member of the Aggie rodeo team, she won National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) barrel racing titles in 1957 and 1958. She won the allaround cowgirl title in 1957 and was a rodeo queen attendant. A retired teacher, Solt is an active cowboy poet and member of the NIRA Alumni Association.

1967 Luis Eduardo Miranda, animal science. Hometown: Victoria, Mexico. Miranda lives in Villa de Antiago, Nuevo León, México.

1974 Darryl V. Sullivan, animal science. Hometown: Monticello, NM. As an NMSU student, Sullivan served

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NMSU advocate Dr. Bernard Lowenstein promotes interest and understanding of floriculture and recreational horticulture through an ongoing lecture series. the future.” Curry’s two seminars were designed for different audiences. The first talk was a technical presentation for faculty, staff and students. The second, an evening program, was geared for the general pubic.

Curry was followed in January by Park Nobel, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, nationally-known expert in desert plant physiology and consultant to the makers of Jose Cuervo tequila. His seminar centered on environmental responses and productivity of agaves and cacti. “Park has worked extensively with cacti and is an expert on plant-water relationships,” said Rolston St. Hilaire, NMSU assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture. “His research has immediate applications for New Mexico.” In addition, Nobel has contributed to several physiology textbooks, including those used at NMSU. The program’s third speaker, Irwin Goldman, an associate professor of horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is scheduled to appear next September. His discussion will address the beneficial properties of plants. His research has covered vegetable breeding and genetics, as well as health attributes of vegetable crops. Lowenstein has been a generous supporter and college benefactor for years. In 1997, he was inducted into the Sam Steel Society in recognition of his many contributions. Before retiring in 1982, Lowenstein practiced medicine with the U.S. Indian Service, U.S. Army and the U.S. Veterans Administration. “The creation of the lecture series is a tribute to Dr. Lowenstein’s continued generosity and interest in NMSU’s scientific community,” Mexal said.

Norman Martin

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as president of the Aggie Rodeo Association, member of the ROTC Horse Mounted Color Guard and highpoint individual in meats judging team competition in Fort Worth, Texas. He lives in Las Cruces and has run a successful business for the past 30 years. He is happily married to D’Anna Marie Benavidez-Sullivan and takes pride in his two sons. Russell, 25, married Shacey Hatch and is still active in roping. Brian, 23, earned a degree in agricultural economics and agricultural business in May and plans to continue roping as well.

1981, 1984 Edith Isidoro-Mills, horticulture. Hometown: Albuquerque. Isidoro-Mills lives in Fallon, Nev., and owns a licensed native plant nursery and 15-acre farm.

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Pakistan. He misses the beautiful city of Las Cruces, his classmates and respected professors.

1999 Vickie Lake, agricultural and extension education. Hometown: Waterflow. Lake worked as a program assistant for the San Juan Extension office before moving to Hobbs to teach shop classes at Heizer Junior High School. In March, she started work in Socorro as the county Extension 4-H agent, which allows her to be closer to her family. She says that she now sees how dreams come true.

2001 Adam M. Kusmak, agricultural economics. Hometown: Tularosa. Adam works as a research specialist for the Range Improvement Task Force at NMSU. He lives in Tularosa.

Javed Iqbal, agricultural economics and agricultural business. Iqbal works as an executive district officer in the planning and finance department of the Government of North-Western Frontier Province in

S A M S T E E L WAY

NMSU recognizes agricultural leaders

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wo New Mexicans were honored for their leadership and contributions to the state’s agricultural industry during an annual spring awards ceremony April 26 at NMSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Larry Hobson, a longtime university supporter and co-owner of Hobson Gardens in Roswell, received the New Mexico Outstanding Leadership Award. Hobson is completing his third year as president of the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service’s Support Council. He was recognized for his leadership in educating the public about the scope of the Extension program, as well as keeping public officials informed of Extension’s program and budget needs. Hobson led vital discussions on legislative initiatives and state and national Extension programs, as well as supporting NMSU research and teaching activities. Hobson has served as president of the Chaves County Fair and Eastern New Mexico State Fair. He’s also been a member of the board of directors for the New Mexico Farm

Larry Hobson

Paulina Salopek

and Ranch Heritage Museum and Chaves County Farm Bureau. Paulina Salopek, Las Cruces pecan grower and business leader, received the college’s Philip J. Leyendecker Agriculturist of Distinction Award. The Leyendecker award is named for a leader and former dean who invested more than 30 years in improving NMSU and New Mexico agriculture. A 1955 NMSU business graduate, Salopek has been an active supporter of agricultural research, Extension work and student scholar-

ships. In 1992, she established the David and Paulina Salopek Scholarship for juniors or seniors majoring in agricultural economics at NMSU. For the past 20 years, she has run Roadrunner Pecans, a 1,000-acre orchard of primarily ‘Western Schley’ pecans, five miles south of Las Cruces. Salopek was named first female president of both the national Pecan Growers Association and the Western Pecan Growers Association. She remains active in both today. She has chaired the agriculture and land use committee for the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and serves as a member and secretary of Memorial Medical Center’s Board of Directors. Salopek has been chair of the Doña Ana Planning and Zoning Commission since 1989, and is secretary of the Las Cruces Public Schools’ Foundation Board. NMSU President Jay Gogue and Jerry Schickedanz, the college’s dean and chief administrative officer, presented the awards. Norman Martin

Six honorary members inducted into Sam Steel Society

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ix alumni and supporters have been named honorary members of NMSU’s Sam Steel Society. They are Bruce Carpenter, alumnus and livestock researcher; Bill Gorman, NMSU professor and author; Jennifer Hopper, director of New Mexico’s Agriculture in the Classroom program; Mary Liesner, assistant to the associate dean and director in the Academic Programs office for the College of Agriculture and Home Economics; Rose Nakayama, supporter and scholarship donor; and Tom Simpson, Mesilla Valley farmer and NMSU research cooperator. Dean Jerry G. Schickedanz presented the honorary memberships May 10. The society honors the memory of Sam Steel, who would have been the university’s first graduate had he not been killed just months before his graduation in 1893. Carpenter, a 1983 NMSU graduate, is an associate professor and Extension livestock specialist with Texas A&M University. He has written 44 Extension publications and conducted numerous artificial insemination and pregnancy determination schools. In 1991, he received the Texas Agricultural Extension Superior Service Award and was awarded the Texas A&M Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. Gorman has served as a professor in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business for more than 30 years. He co-founded the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association in 1991 and coauthored a textbook, Introduction to Food and Agribusiness Managment, published this year. He also advises the NMSU chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association. Hopper works to promote agricultural literacy as director of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom program. After earning her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences and master’s degree in agricultural and extension education

SUMMER 2002

from NMSU, Hopper worked briefly as an Extension home economist in Valencia County before taking her current job. In 2000, she received a Professional Recognition Award for her work with NMSU, Farm Bureau and the public schools. Liesner serves as assistant to the associate dean and director of the Academic Programs office for the college. She oversees the college’s tutoring program, serves as college athletic adviser and manages scholarships. She was the Outstanding 4-H Leader for New Mexico in 1989. She received the Fabian Garcia Founders’ Award of Excellence in 1996 and an Honorary State FFA Degree in 1999. Before joining NMSU, she worked as a public school teacher in New Mexico for 20 years and headed the Business Education Department in Carlsbad for six years. Nakayama is a continuing supporter of her late husband Roy Nakayama’s chile pioneering endeavors. Known as “Mr. Chile,” Roy developed chile varieties that greatly advanced the industry and helped make chile a commercial crop. She is the primary supporter of the Roy Nakayama scholarship for NMSU agronomy and horticulture students. She also supports the Branigan Public Library, Humane Society, NMSU Choir and Las Cruces Symphony Ensemble. Simpson, a 1964 graduate of NMSU, has continued a three-generation legacy of farming in the Mesilla Valley. As an agricultural producer for nearly 40 years, he conducts cotton and alfalfa field trials at his farm to aid researchers in improving farm practices. Simpson serves as chairman for the Southwest Irrigated Cotton Growers and Mesilla Valley Hospice. He is a member of the Doña Ana County Farm Bureau, Cotton Incorporated, National Cotton Board and the Las Cruces Rotary Club.

Bruce Carpenter

Bill Gorman

Jennifer Hopper

Mary Liesner

Rose Nakayama

Tom Simpson

Melanie Dabovich

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COLLEGENEWS Gorman gives students global business exposure

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n more than 30 years at NMSU, Bill Gorman has focused on giving NMSU’s agricultural economics and agricultural business students real-world experience and exposure to the global food industry. Gorman co-founded the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IAMA) in 1991, an organization that now boasts 1,100 members in more than 70 countries. Through IAMA’s scholarship program, NMSU students have traveled to its annual conferences around the globe. “We provide about 35 travel scholarships every year to students from many different countries to attend conferences in places like Indonesia, Venezuela, Mexico and Italy,” Gorman said. “It’s a golden opportunity for them. They learn firsthand about the global food chain during the conferences, and they meet CEOs from multinational food companies and top policy makers.” Gorman and the late Vernon Schneider from Texas A&M formed IAMA to unite private sector executives from every stage of food production and distribution with agricultural academics, researchers and policymakers. “Given the food chain’s increasingly global nature, we needed an organization that cuts across industry sectors, academic disciplines and geographic boundaries to provide a holistic look at the entire food industry,” Gorman said. Since IAMA’s creation, its presidents have included Clayton Yeutter, former secretary of agriculture and U.S. trade ambassador under the first Bush administration. Gorman was IAMA’s executive director from 1994 to January 2002, when he stepped down in preparation for retirement. He joined NMSU in 1969, teaching courses in agricultural economics, livestock marketing, commodity futures and international trade.

Adviser Bill Gorman, top left, and members of NMSU's National Agri-Marketing Association chapter attended the 2002 national conference in Nashville, Tenn. NMSU's marketing team, which won the national competition in 2001, reached the semifinals this year. Gorman earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois and a doctorate from Oregon State. He worked at Purdue for five years and then for Stanford. While on assignment in South America, his wife, Gail, who was ready for a stateside home, saw the NMSU job announcement, said “That’s it,” and put in his application. They raised five children, four of whom graduated from NMSU. Though he will retire in 2002, Gorman will keep up his NMSU ties by coaching students in the National Agri-Marketing Association, an assignment he began last year. NAMA students compete in a national marketing competition by preparing and presenting marketing plans for agricultural products and services. The NMSU team won the 2001 national competi-

tion in Denver with a marketing plan for pecans. This year, NMSU reached the semifinals at Nashville with a marketing plan for wines. NAMA also awards scholarships. NMSU sophomore Katy Goetz won a $500 national scholarship this year. Gorman said the local NAMA club plans to award four $250 scholarships to NMSU students. Off campus, Gorman will reach thousands of students as co-author of a new textbook, Introduction to Food and Agribusiness Management, published this year by Prentice-Hall, in a fitting capstone to his teaching career.

Kevin Robinson-Avila

NEW FACULTY Starley D. Anderson, county agent/home economics, Cooperative Extension Service, Eddy County Robin C. Baker, (1995, 2002), Extension agent/home economics, Lea County LaDonna Carlisle, (1998), Extension 4-H agent, Taos County Paul Defoor, superintendent, Clayton Livestock Research Center A. Manuel Enciñias, (1996, 1998), Extension natural resource specialist, Agricultural Science Center at Alcalde George M. Fernandez, (1970, 1973), Extension 4-H agent, San Miguel and Mora counties Brian J. Hurd, (2002), specialist, Extension Animal Resources Vickie Lake, (1999), Extension 4-H agent, Socorro County Ursula A. Rosauer, Extension natural resource agent, Northern New Mexico Stockmen’s Association office, Taos Timothy A. Tapia, (1987), Extension agriculture and small business development agent, Albuquerque Bureau of Indian Affairs office Janice Tomko, Extension 4-H agent, San Juan County Amy Zemler, (2001), activities specialist, State 4-H Office

RETIREMENTS Reldon Beck, professor, Animal and Range Sciences Anita Blanton, program director, Bernalillo County office, Cooperative Extension Service Dinus Briggs, administrative specialist, Agricultural Experiment Station Concepcion Calderon, nutrition educator, Doña Ana County Extension office Billy D. Dictson, (1965, 1972), associate dean and director, Cooperative Extension Service Jim Fowler, superintendent, Leyendecker Plant Science Center and Fabian Garcia Research Center

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Bernice L. Garrett, reports layout typist, Agricultural and Extension Education Charles Glover, (1963, 1967), professor, Agronomy and Horticulture Ramon Gomez, mail clerk, Agricultural Communications Bill Gorman, professor, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business Esteban Herrera, (1974), horticulture specialist, Extension Plant Sciences Jean Langevin, administrative secretary, State 4-H Office Mary Liesner, (1996), assistant to the associate dean and director, Academic Programs Bob Marrufo, mail services supervisor, Agricultural Communications Rose Mary Martinez, nutrition educator, Doña Ana County Extension office Betty T. McCreight, (1987), program director, Lincoln County Extension office Genevieve McKinney, administrative secretary, Extension Plant Sciences Beverly Molo, administrative secretary, Albuquerque Extension specialists office Rita Montoya, records technician, Agricultural Communications Norma Morgan, nutrition educator, Bernalillo County Extension office William Neish, (1975), program director, Torrance County Extension office Eugene Parker, (1962, 1963) associate professor, Corona Range and Livestock Research Center Gregorio Polanco, printing and duplicating services supervisor, Agricultural Communications Rachel Rominger, administrative secretary, Lincoln County Extension office Ken Sabo, professor, Agricultural and Extension Education Lana Rae Schulte, (1984), program director, Los Alamos County Extension office Paul Turner, assistant professor, Fishery and Wildlife Sciences Ramona Warren, administrative secretary, Extension Animal Resources

S A M S T E E L WAY

DEPARTMENTSPOTLIGHT Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science The Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science offers students an opportunity to study in these three specialized disciplines. The department is small and personal with 15 faculty members to mentor and guide about 65 undergraduate and graduate students.

Soumaila Sanogo, assistant professor of plant pathology, will lead research on verticillium wilt in chile. Prior to coming to NMSU in April, he worked on a biological pest control project at the Wye Research and Education Center of the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md. He conducted research on soybean pathology on a postdoctoral appointment at Iowa State University. He also studied apple scab disease at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

The department awards a number of scholarships specifically for agricultural biology majors, in addition to those available by filling out a single application through the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Agricultural biology graduates find jobs waiting in private industry or consulting. Some pursue graduate or professional degrees in pharmacy, medicine or veterinary medicine. Major: Agricultural Biology Minors: Entomology, Pest Management, Plant Pathology, Weed Science Options: Applied Biology, Pest Management, Entomology, Environmental Biology, Agricultural Chemical Sales

New Faces Scott Bundy, assistant professor of entomology, studies beneficial insects and pests in New Mexico’s cotton and alfalfa crops. Bundy earned a doctorate in entomology at the University of Georgia and worked on a post-doctoral assignment there, studying a pest called leaf-footed bug and how cover crops affect the abundance and dynamics of beneficial insects in cotton and peppers. Bundy joined NMSU in fall 2000. He teaches an introduction to pest management class and a seminar for undergraduate and graduate students in entomology, plant pathology and weed science. He has taught aquatic and economic entomology as well as zoology courses. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a master’s degree in zoology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a member of the Entomological Society of America and three honor societies.

Sanogo was a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and Fulbright Fellowship recipient. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences from Ensa, Ivory Coast, and master’s and doctoral degrees in plant pathology from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the American Phytopathological Society and Gamma Sigma Delta.

Student Activities Members of NMSU’s Linnaean team qualified for national competition in an insect-based knowledge bowl with a second-place finish at the Entomological Society of America (ESA) Southwestern branch meeting in February in Guanajuato, Mexico. The team will compete next at the national ESA meeting in November in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

What’s New Professor Joe Ellington, who is nationally known for his biological control research, is raising beneficial insects in a Knox Street insectary. The lacewings and trichograma wasps are used to control pests in pecans, alfalfa and cotton. Ellington has helped develop biological controls for pink bollworm in cotton and has led major research projects for cotton pests in China and Egypt.

IN MEMORIAM McElyea Veterinarian Ulysses (Doc) McElyea, NMSU alumnus and benefactor, died May 12 in Las Cruces. Born in 1913 in Wetumka, Okla., McElyea moved with his family to Yuma, Ariz., and then a homestead in Fairacres. After graduating from Las Cruces Union High School in 1929, he rode the rails as a hobo while he looked for work during the Great Depression. When he married Hazel Hall in 1933, he had only $5 in his pocket–less than the required fee. The judge performed the ceremony anyway, marking the beginning of their 69-year marriage. When McElyea enrolled at New Mexico A & M (now NMSU), the couple lived in a small cabin at the corner of present-day Valley Drive and Picacho. McElyea earned a chemical engineering degree in 1936. He was a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship, but could not accept as a married student. He was unable to take a post-graduate fellowship at California Tech because of his limited funds. Unable to find work as an engineer, he taught high school in Hondo and Las Cruces.

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He enrolled in veterinary medical school at Colorado State University in 1939. After graduating in 1942, he served as a captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps until 1946. Afterward, he returned home to open a large and small animal practice on North Main Street in Las Cruces and to farm with his father in Fairacres. In the 1950s and 1960s, he farmed 250 acres of cotton and alfalfa, fed about 200 head of beef cattle and ran his full-time veterinary practice. After selling much of the acreage, he planted the remainder of the McElyea and Hall farms in pecans. In 1976, he and his son, Ulysses McElyea Jr., formed a joint veterinary practice that became the oldest continuous veterinary practice in Las Cruces. He was the founder and president of the Aggie Sports Association (then called the Aggie Booster Club). In 1970s, he and his wife established the Aggie Scholarship Association McElyea Family Endowment, the second largest endowment benefiting Aggie athletics. In 1977, they were inducted into the Aggie Sports Association Hall of Fame.

In 1999, the McElyeas established the $1 million Hazel and Ulysses McElyea Endowment for the Sustainability of Water Resources to fund research through the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. That year, they received the Branding Iron Award, the NMSU Foundation’s highest honor, for continuing loyalty, service and support. McElyea’s community involvement included serving as president of the state Veterinary Medical Association, member of the Doña Ana County school board and board of directors member for Mesilla Co-op Gin, the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, and Farmers and Merchants Bank. He received local and state FFA degrees, induction into NMSU’s honorary engineering society and an honorary New Mexico rancher award from the college. McElyea is survived by a son, Ulysses Jr., a daughter, Eula Fern Thompson, and a stepmother, Josephine McElyea.

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Albuquerque, NM Permit No. 132

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

Sam Steel Way C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U LT U R E & H O M E E C O N O M I C S / N E W M E X I C O S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

BRINGING

SCIENCE TO YOUR New Mexico State University College of Agriculture and Home Economics Box 30003, MSC 3AG Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003

LIFE

UPCOMINGEVENTS June 24-28–4-H Livestock Schools–4-H members can bring steers, sheep, swine, goats and dairy heifers to the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque June 24-28 for livestock schools. Participants receive hands-on training in animal nutrition and exercise, equipment preparation and care, basic clipping and hoof care, and animal training for shows. Registration costs $90 to $100, depending on the school. For more information, contact Frank Hodnett at (505) 646-3026.

June 27-29–New Mexico Cattle Growers' Meeting–Ranchers and cattle producers will brush up on current issues affecting livestock at the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Mid-Year Meeting June 2729 at the Tucumcari Convention Center. The event will feature discussions of marketing, management, research, animal health and grant writing. A state land commissioner forum is scheduled June 28. The meeting will also feature a "Mayhem in the Mountains" golf tournament, the T-4 Ranch 100th anniversary celebration and sessions for CowBelles and junior cattlemen. For more information, contact Caren Cowan at (505) 247-0584.

July 15-19–State 4-H Conference–More than 600 4-H members from across the state are expected to compete in contests ranging from shooting sports to fashion revue at the State 4-H Conference July 15-19 at NMSU. Many first-place finishers will have a chance to compete at the national level. Participants can also attend a variety of workshops. Each evening will feature a program by the State 4-H Leadership Team and a theme dance. Registration cost varies depending on meal plan. For more information, contact Amy Zemler at (505) 646-5204.

July 19-20–New Mexico Dairy Field Day–Dairy producers can see the latest technology at a trade show during Dairy Field Day July 19-20 at the Ruidoso Convention Center. The trade show will feature more than 100 booths. Registered visitors can attend a dinner and dance Friday evening at the Hubbard Museum of the American West. Participants can also enter a golf tournament at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Saturday. The field day is free, but registration fees will be charged for the dinner and tournament. For more information, contact Sharon Lombardi at (800) 217-2697. Aug. 1–Tucumcari Field Day–Producers and area residents can view developments in irrigated pasture and crop research during the annual field day at NMSU's Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari. The evening open house is free and open to the public. Events begin at 5 p.m. For more information, contact Rex Kirksey at (505) 461-1620.

Aug. 20–Artesia Biennial Field Day–NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Artesia will showcase local research during evening field day events Aug. 20. Registration begins at 4 p.m. Dinner is at 5 p.m., followed by tours of the center at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Martina Murray at (505) 748-1228. Aug. 31-Nov. 23–Aggie Football–NMSU’s 2002 football season will feature five home games, including visits from traditional rivals New Mexico and Texas-El Paso. Sept. 21 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Nov. 2

University of New Mexico Texas-El Paso Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe Middle Tennessee

6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 3 p.m.

Sept. 17-20–National Small Farm Conference– Sustainable agriculture tours and exhibits of new technology and equipment will be featured at the third National Small Farm Conference Sept. 17-20 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Participants can take part in full- and half-day tours of New Mexico farms, including Red Doc Farms, farms featuring specialty crop production in the Estancia Valley and other locations throughout Albuquerque, Santa Fe and northern New Mexico. Registration is $125 before Aug. 16 and $175 afterward. Registration forms are available online at http://cahe.nmsu.edu/smallfarm. For more information, contact Edmund Gomez at (505) 852-4241.

Oct. 10-12–NMSU Homecoming–“Decades of Transition” is the theme for NMSU homecoming events Oct. 10-12. The NMSU Alumni Association will host socials in Corbett Center for each decade of graduates. The homecoming parade will start at 10 a.m. Saturday and will be followed by tailgating and the Aggie football game against University of Louisiana-Lafayette at 6 p.m. George Strait will perform in concert at the Pan American Center that evening. For more information, contact the Alumni Association at (505) 646-3617.

Oct. 11–Donor/Scholars Breakfast, Distinguished Alumni Reception–Scholarship supporters and recipients from the College of Agriculture and Home Economics will be recognized during a 7:30 a.m. breakfast in the Livestock Pavilion. Distinguished alumni will be recognized at a 3:30 p.m. reception on the Skeen Hall patio. For more information, call (505) 646-3748.