Fall 2008
A WORD FROM THE FRONT OFFICE
Greetings to all Graduate Alumni! Over the past year there have been a few changes among faculty faces roaming Morrison Hall. We welcomed Dr. Samantha (Sam) Brooks from the University of Kentucky as Assistant Professor of Equine Biology and Management. Sam’s research is in the area of equine genetics (laminitis; coat color). She is just finishing teaching the Horses course and 65 undergrads are very appreciative of having the course back in the offerings. Dr. Quirine Ketterings, Associate Professor of Nutrient Management in Agricultural Systems, joined the faculty in June, 2008; position transferred from Crop and Soil Sciences department. She leads the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program for applied research, teaching and extension with field crops. Quirine had already been co-teacher of our course in Whole Farm Nutrient Management and it is great to have her expertise in manure utilization for crop production and livestock nutrition fully within our program. Dr. Pekka Huhtanen, Associate Professor of Ruminant Nutrition and Modeling, accepted a Scientist position in Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden and returned to the Scandinavia region in November, 2008.
Over the summer and fall, the NY State budget crisis caused its initial impact at our departmental level through a mid-year budget reduction. The situation continues to worsen raising concerns about potential staff reduction next year. Like other dairy and livestock producers, our animal unit enterprises have been tightly squeezed by higher feed and fuel costs at the same time revenue from milk and animal production has fallen. Budget deficits cast a dark cloud over our animal units that remain vital for our research program; mice simply are not adequate replacement for cattle, sheep or pigs!
Although the budget picture brings some gloom, the department continues to demonstrate strength and leadership in research, instruction and Extension/Outreach. These activities, important for the Land Grant mission, will all face future challenges and must change in response to reduced resources. Herein, lies opportunity to identify and focus on the most important elements.
>Best wishes for 2008-2009!
NEWS FROM ALUMNI AND FORMER FACULTY
Patrick Cunningham (PhD '62), who was featured in an article in the Irish journal The Scientist, began his college career as a classics scholar, but then turned to animal genetics, completing his graduate work in animal breeding at Cornell in 1962. He is now Chief Scientific Advisor in the Irish government. He spent almost 25 years at Ireland's National Institute for Agricultural Research, An Foras Taluntais. He still holds a Chair in genetics at Trinity College, Dublin (since 1974). Pat has also spent time as a visiting professor at the Economic Development Institute at the World Bank in Washington and as Director of Animal Production and Health at FAO in Rome. He is the co-founder and chair of "IdentiGen," a Dublin-based firm that built a DNA-based traceability system for the meat industry.
L.Dale Van Vleck (PhD 60) Professor Emeritus writes, “My news is that I retired from the University of Nebraska and from USDA on August 31. (2007) Now am emeritus twice so don’t know if that is 2E or E-squared. About the only benefit I have is free parking two places. Not sure how to use that in Ithaca and in Lincoln parking services is hidden so well that a guide is needed to find where to get the “free” tag. Please pass my best regards to everyone there. I do get to see John Pollak, Dick Quaas and Susan Herbert somewhat regularly. Does seem like just yesterday I could park between the judging pavilion and Morrison Hall, but is actually going on 20 years.”
Robert C. Wells (MS ‘63) retired Director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, continues his consulting work in the Republic of Moldova. For 2008 this involves a USDA-FAS project in marketing of horticultural crops.
Berl A. Koch (MS ‘51), Professor Emeritus at Kansas State University, reports, “Tina and I arrived in Ithaca in late August 1949. We left Cornell in June 1951 with a new MS degree, a new baby, and a not so new Jeep station wagon headed for the University of California at Davis. We retired from K.S.U. in June 1987. In that 36 year period, we earned a Doctoral degree at the University of California at Davis, and worked for 31 years plus at K.S.U. in the Animal Science Department. Eight of those years were spent on K.S.U. foreign agriculture contracts (Nigeria- 4 years, Philippines- 2 years, Botswana- 2 years) On September 15, 1995, Tina and I came to a cottage in Meadowlark Hills Retirement Village where we are very happy.” Berl and Tina have a son, Kim, at North Dakota State College in Fargo, a son, Kevin, in Tucson and a daughter, Kerri, in Richland, Washington.
Melvin M. Mathias (PhD ‘67) writes that after retirement in 2003, he and his wife, Pat, settled down to a life of camping in their motor home, visiting grandkids, and alternating between their Rio Grande Valley, TX and Myrtle Beach, SC residences, both of which afford ideal temperate weather conditions. Mel’s hobbies are snow skiing, biking, walking beaches, canoeing, cruises, scuba diving, dancing and bridge. Last year he started playing water volleyball and pickle ball for over 65s. He volunteers as a federal tax counselor for AARP. After obtaining his PhD, Mel received advanced training at the Army Nutrition Laboratory Fitzsimmons Hospital in Denver (now decommissioned). He then joined the faculty in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University where he rose through the ranks to Professor of Nutrition. His scientific interests included linoleic acid and antioxidant vitamins. Over a period of 20 years he published over 60 articles and reviews on metabolic aspects of dietary fats and micronutrients. He teamed up with animal physiologists, research physicians and industrial research groups to enhance our fundamental understanding of how these nutrients alter eicosanoid metabolism in the normal and several disease states. While at USDA, he developed scientific interests in the biotechnological improvement of foods to support health, and cost/benefit assessment of research. While there he directed two competitive grants programs in the area of functional foods, lead workshops, served as spokesperson for the relevance of nutrition to the food and agriculture and military communities, and played an influential role in showcasing the Land Grant University’s nutrition programs to CSREES.
David B. Wilson (PhD ’84), who lives in Palo Alto, California, is currently Vice President of Operations, CARIS/MPI, Molecular Profiling Institute, 445 North Fifth Avenue, Third Floor, in Phoenix, AZ 85004.
William Hansel (PhD ‘49), Cornell Professor Emeritus, and currently Professor at the William Hansel Laboratory of Cancer Prevention at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, writes, “I continue to work every day, but I no longer work at night as I did as a graduate student and assistant professor in Morrison Hall. The cancer research continues to go well. A company, Esperance, has acquired the rights to the new cancer drugs, and is developing them for testing in humans withy breast cancer, ovarian and testicular cancers. A former graduate student at Cornell, Dr. Hector Alila, has been appointed CEO for the company. My daughters, Barbara and Kay and grandson, Meyer, live in Portland, OR, and granddaughter Natasha resides in Redondo Beach, CA.” Bill’s telephone number is 223-763-3198 and his e-mail address is: William.Hansel@pbrc.edu
GRADUATE DEGREES GRANTED SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER
The following graduate students received degrees, as indicated. Name and degree are followed by the name of the major professor and the title of the thesis.
Deborah J. Grusenmeyer MPS, Overton, Effects of shortening the dry period from 60 to 40 days on subsequent lactational performance and colostrum production of dairy cows.
Kevin J. Harvatine PhD, Bauman, Regulation of milk fat synthesis by sterol response element binding protein 1 and thyroid hormone responsive spot 14.
Marcos A. Munoz Domon PhD, Schukken, Epidemiology of Klebsiella intramammary infections in dairy herds.
Jose M. Ramos-Nieves MS, Overton, Effects of anionic supplementation to low potassium diets on macromineral status and performance of periparturient dairy cows.
Erin B. Recktenwald MS, Van Amburgh, Effects of feeding corn silage based diets predicted to be deficient in either ruminal nitrogen or metabolizable protein on nitrogen utilization and efficiency of use in lactating cows.
Kelly Lynn Smith PhD, Overton, Homeorhetic regulation in periparturient dairy cows: Potential for modulation of insulin resistance.
Fernando Soberon MS, Galton, Effect of increased milking frequency during early lactation on performance, metabolism, and mammary cell proliferation of dairy cows.
Melanie A. Soberon MS, Thonney, Effect of level of fermentable neutral detergent fiber on feed intake and production of lactating ewes.
Cynthia Tyburczy MS, Bauman, Bioactivity of trans octadecenoic acids: Uptake and utilization for milk fat synthesis in dairy cows and effects on biomarkers of coronary heart disease risk in the Golden Hamster.
Takashi Yasui MS, Overton, Effect of trace mineral amount and sources on immune function and oxidative stress in dairy cows.
Koji Yasuda MS, Lei, Effects of inulin on iron utilization by young anemic pigs and implications for human nutrition.
DEATHS
The following alumni deaths have been reported to us:
Dale R. Waldo (PhD ‘57) long-time employee of the US Department of Agriculture at Beltsville, MD, on December 4, 2007 in Chambersburg, PA.
Donald Grieve (PhD ‘71), retired professor at the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, on April 8, 2008
Robert H. Foote (PhD ’50), Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus, on October 27, 2008. Read more...
Deaths of other department-related people:
Ronald W. Space, Cornell graduate, well-known local dairy farmer, active contributor to his community and retired director of operations at Cornell’s Teaching and Research Center, at his home in Dryden, NY on March 28, 2008.
Ron Sweet, retired field crew worker at the Teaching and Research Center, in late December, 2007.
RETIREMENTS
Robert W. Everett, Professor of dairy cattle breeding and sire evaluation; retired effective January 1, 2008.
PROMOTIONS, AWARDS AND HONORS
Professor Emeritus Ari van Tienhoven's paper "The effect of sulfamethazine feeding on the thyroids, combs and testes of Single Comb White Leghorn Cockerels. (1956)" was selected by the Poultry Science Association as one of the top five landmark papers in poultry science over the last century.
Professor Emeritus Robert McDowell was named Honorary member of the American Jersey Cattle Association.
Mike Van Amburgh was selected by the senior class to receive the 2008 CALS Professor of Merit Award.
Frank Dunshea,Postdoc with Dale Bauman 1987-1989, was named a fellow by the Nutrition Society of Australia. He is only the third animal nutritionist to be recognized by the Society and the first in sixteen years.
Terry Kinsman received the George Peter Award for Dedicated Service.
2008 ASAS award winners:
James Russell, USDA and former member of the Dept. of Animal Science, Morrison Award
George Seidel Jr (PhD 1970) Animal Physiology and Endocrinology Award
Harold Hafs (PhD 1959) Retiree Sevice Award Max Rothschild (PhD 1978) Buoffault International Animal Agriculture Award
Kevin Harvatine (PhD 2008) received the 2008 National Milk Producers Federation Richard M. Hoyt Award from ADSA
Adam Lock (Former Postdoc) received the Northeast Young Scientist (research) Award from ADSA-ASAS
Anne M. O'Donnell received the 2nd Place Award in the Graduate Student Paper Competition (Production Division) from ADSA. She also received the 2008 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Jeremy D. Weaver received the 2008 Maynard Award from the Department of Animal Science, Cornell University.
Katie Schoenberg was awarded the National Milk Producers Leadership Scholarship
Dale E. Bauman received the National Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor Award at the 2008 World Dairy Expo and the 2008 Dannon Institute Mentorship Award from the American Society for Nutrition
Dr. Dale Porter BS '95. PhD '01 received the Young Alumni Achievement Award from The CALS Alumni Association and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on Nov 14, 2008. Dale currently heads a laboratory at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Oncology Drug Discovery, Cambridge, MA
Quirine Ketterings won the 2008 Research Award. Northeastern Branch of Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America (NBCSA).
Mike Thonney was elected to Chair the NCERA-190 Coordinating Committee on "Increased Efficiency of Sheep Production" for 2008-2009.
ASDELL LECTURE
The spring, 2008 Sydney A. Asdell Lecture entitled, “Vitamin A and meiosis: Role of the somatic cells” was given by Professor Michael Griswold, Dean of the School of Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University, on April 2, 2008.
E-MAIL ADDRESS
In an attempt to reduce costs and expedite delivery, we are now sending this newsletter to quite a few of you by e-mail. If any of the rest of you would be kind enough to send us a message via Donna Bamforth (dlb8@cornell.edu) we will see that future issues reach you in that way.
MISSING! …. Do you have an email or regular address for the following individuals? We are trying to catch-up with those individuals whose newsletters have been returned to us and add them back to our mailing list. If you have recent address information, please let us know. Thank you!
Khaliq Ahmad
Wilson Brady Anthony
Friday Anugwa
Andrew M. Arnold
Robert L. Blackwell
Mark Boggess
Warren F. Brannon
Weider Chang
JoMay Chow
Jacqualine (Wright) Grant
Paul Greenwood
Robert J. Harrell
H. Harricharran
Richard L. Hintz
Giuseppe Licitra
Edward Lister
Michael I. McBurney
Mariona F. do Nascimenti
Bragi Olafsson
Paul E. Johnson
Young O. Koh
Matthew Madron
Alfred F. McFee
Stanley D. Musgrave
Matti Ojala
Joel Pankowski
Byung Chul Park
Paul A. Porter
J.W. Pou
Ann Predgen
Felipe J. Ruiz
Anne I. Saeman
Kathryn (Blaydon) Saunders
Gordon Smith
Wesley I. Snyd
Jeffrey N. Tikofsky
Paul W. Townsend
Mollie H. Ullman-Cullere
Janice Waugh-Arion
Raymond E. Williams
Yshen Zhao
ALUMNI UPDATE
You may also send this information by USPS to:
W. Ronald Butler, Chairman
Dept of Animal Science
149 Morrison Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853-4801