Seeking applications for ARC Internship hosted by NCBA

NEW PRAGUE, Minn. — The Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) is pleased to announce the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc. (NCBA) will host the ARC intern for the second year in a row.

The internship is unique in ag communications in that it is a collaboration of two organizations. The ARC portion of the funding ($3,000) comes from a grant from Gardner & Gardner Communications. ARC and NCBA (contributing $2,000) will coordinate the internship program and selection. The internship also includes attendance at the ARC annual meeting.

ARC also announced the internship program funding is going to be increased through an endowment created for the next 10 years. Student applications are due March 15. Find more information online at www.agrelationscouncil.org/arc-internship

USDA awarding fellowships to reach Hispanic-serving institutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The USDA announced fellowship applications to connect USDA resources with faculty and staff at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). The 2019 Class of the E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program is available through the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE).

The E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program offers faculty and staff from HSIs the opportunity to work collaboratively with USDA to gain insight and understanding of the federal government. Through the fellowship, participants learn about opportunities at USDA and other federal agencies that are available to their institutions and students.

Eligible applicants are faculty or staff at an HSI or Hispanic-Serving School District. HSIs are public colleges and universities with at least 25 percent Hispanic students enrolled. The application deadline is March 20. See the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program application at https://bit.ly/2EpbiJM for details.

Shoults crowned 2019 Miss Indiana State Fair Queen

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Halle Shoults, Miss Benton County, was crowned the 61st Indiana State Fair Queen last month at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. She is the second representative from Benton County to be crowned Miss Indiana State Fair in 50 years, following Terilyn Krill in 1969.

Miss Indiana State Fair 2019 was selected over 84 other contestants after three days of judging. The Indiana State Fair Queen plays a key role in promoting the Aug. 2-18 fair by traveling nearly 8,000 miles during June and July to approximately 45 counties.

The Top 10 Finalists included: First Runner-Up Maci French, Miss Boone County; Second Runner-Up Emily Yoder, Miss Elkhart County; Third Runner-Up Adrienne Rudolph, Miss Warrick County; Fourth Runner-Up Jesse Mays, Miss Scott County; Raegan Bowling, Miss Putnam County; Janelle Mitzner, Miss LaPorte County; Lauren Ziliak, Miss Vanderburgh County; Sylvia Harris, Miss Tipton County; and Emily Kilmer, Miss Jasper County.

Emily Scott, Miss Gibson County, was named Miss Congeniality.

Shoults, of Oxford, Ind., is a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in speech language and hearing sciences, with a minor in critical disabilities. She is an active member of Ann Tweedale Cooperative at Purdue, Gear Up! Benton County (event founder and coordinator), 4-H and the Purdue Lilly Scholars Network.

She enjoys a variety of activities, including coaching young people in showmanship and horsemanship at the state and local 4-H Horse & Pony Club levels. She is planning a career in a hospital or rehabilitation facility specializing in pediatric trauma patients and children with disabilities.

Japan Prize honors Ohio State University scientist

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TOKYO — Central to its deep commitment to honor the most innovative and meaningful advances worldwide, The Japan Prize Foundation announced laureates of the 2019 Japan Prize, who have pushed the envelope in their respective fields of “Materials and Production” and “Biological Production, Ecology.”

Dr. Rattan Lal, distinguished professor of soil science at The Ohio State University in Columbus, was honored for his work in identifying technological options adapted to various ecosystems through his intensive basic and applied research on processes and factors of soil degradation caused by inappropriate biological production.

He also evaluates recommended agricultural practices that reduce risks of soil degradation and of anthropogenic climate change, while improving the environmental quality and addressing the critical issues of feeding the Earth's population, which is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050.

The Japan Prize Foundation will host an award ceremony on April 8 in Tokyo. Each laureate will receive a certificate of recognition and a commemorative gold medal. A cash award of 50 million Japanese yen (approximately $450,000) will also be given to each prize field.

The Japan Prize is highly competitive; every year the Foundation considers the nominations of 15,000 prominent scientists and researchers from around the world.

SHI selects scientists to begin soil health sampling phase

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The nonprofit Soil Health Institute (SHI) has selected six project scientists and a statistician/database manager to oversee evaluation of soil health indicators at more than 120 long-term agricultural experiment sites across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The diverse team will help conduct and manage SHI’s initiative to identify and develop widely acceptable soil health measurements and standards, as well as launch a comprehensive evaluation program that relates soil health to quantified productivity, economic and environmental outcomes.

The scientists will also be in charge of regional engagement and project coordination with long-term agricultural site leaders.

Of these, G. Mac Bean, Ph.D. will serve as SHI’s project scientist for Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. He also will lead the team for soil pedology and genesis.

Bean focused on improving nitrogen fertilizer management as a graduate student at the University of Missouri. He received his B.S. in agricultural science, systems and technology from Brigham Young University-Idaho, his M.S. in plant science and his Ph.D. in soil science from MU.

Elizabeth “Liz” Rieke, Ph.D. will serve as project scientist for the northern Midwest and Northeast. She will also lead SHI’s assessment of microbial population dynamics using genomic tools as soil health indicators.

She served as a postdoctoral research associate in the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. She received her B.S. in biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech, her M.S. in agricultural and biosystems engineering and her Ph.D. in agricultural and biosystems engineering from ISU.

UT associate dean appointed to Presidential Advisory Council

WASHINGTON, D.C. — David White, associate dean for University of Tennessee AgResearch and a professor of food science in the UT Institute of Agriculture, has been appointed as one of four new voting members to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB).

Originally established in September 2014 by executive order, PACCARB’s mission is to provide advice, information and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services related to federal programs and policies intended to prevent and control illness and death related to antibiotic-resistant infections. The council also consults with the secretaries of Defense and Agriculture.

“There is an urgent need for implementation of global strategies to stem the rise of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, and I am looking forward to participating in the PACCARB to ensure these approaches are collaborative and coordinated among industry, academia, the federal government and the many stakeholders who have a vested interest in preserving the effectiveness of these therapeutics,” White said.

He holds a Ph.D. in veterinary science from Pennsylvania State University as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in animal sciences from the universities of Kentucky and Vermont, respectively. He is currently serving as an associate dean for UT AgResearch and associate director of the ten UT AgResearch and Education centers.

White has been appointed to serve a four-year term. Information about additional voting members of the council is available at hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/paccarb/index.html

Muhammad, Velandia comprise editorial team for Journal

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two faculty members from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have been selected as the 2019-21 editorial team for the Journal of Food Distribution Research.

Andrew Muhammad and Margarita Velandia, both with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, were tapped for their considerable experience and vision for the journal. Both share an editorial philosophy that the journal should serve as a primary outlet for business-focused research, a source of quality applied economic, agribusiness, and food industry research.

The newly appointed team proposed plans that include dedicating segments to invited papers focused on relevant and current issues specific to key food and agribusiness sectors. Additional plans include strengthening the journal’s reputation as a platform for publishing executive reports and case studies; establishing an editorial advisory council to include academic, government and industry representation; developing special issues focused on timely topics; and more.

Muhammad and Velandia will review submitted research manuscripts to determine suitability for inclusion in the refereed journal. The journal, established in 1969, is under the auspice of the Food Distribution Research Society.

Students pursuing beef careers earn NCF, CME scholarships

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Ten $1,500 scholarships for the next school year have been awarded by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry. The scholarships are sponsored by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME).

Also receiving a trip to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans as the overall winner of the scholarship was Olivia Willrett of Illinois, a student at Colorado State University. Willrett wrote an essay for her scholarship entry titled Tracing Beef from Farm to Fork.

Other area students, each earning $1,500 CME scholarships from NCF, included Lauren Mosher of Iowa State University, Shelby Souva of Lansing Community College, and Nolan Newman of The Ohio State University.