Inside Ag | May 2023
In This Issue
- A Message from the Dean
- News from the College of Ag
- Announcements and Awards
- Upcoming Events
- Recent Publications
- Contact Us
A Message from the Dean
Dear Colleagues,
Let me start by congratulating all our graduates and everyone who helped them get to the finish line. As faculty and staff members of the college, you play a crucial and unique role in helping our students achieve their goals and become successful graduates. Thank you for the many ways in which you shape the next generation of professionals.
Deep thanks are also in order the many community members, alumni and donors who support our college and its students. You are instrumental to all we do, and your commitment to and appreciation for Bobcat agriculture is critical to the success of our brand-new graduates.
In legislative news, HB 5 (Long Range Building Plan) has been transmitted to the governor for approval, while HB 2 (budget) is making its way.
This summer, whether you are traveling for field research or to enjoy the summer, take some time to enjoy all that our beautiful state has to offer. Attending a field day and stopping on the way to experience something unique is a great way to get started! I plan to go to the Red Ants Pants festival this year. This summer, I also have two books on my reading list: “First, Break All Rules” by Don Clifton and “Wooden on Leadership” by John Wooden and Steve Jamison. I am looking forward to learning some new lessons that I can bring back to our MSU community.
Wishing you an enjoyable and productive summer,
Sreekala Bajwa
News from the College of Ag
Sophomore Andrea Storer received a prestigious national Udall Scholarship earlier this month. Andrea's ultimate goal is to return to her home state of Alaska to practice pediatrics. You can read more about Andrea and her Udall Scholarship here.
Bruce Maxwell and alumnus Paul Hegedus published research in the journal "Agriculture" on a new predictive technology designed to generate seeding and management recommendations for growers. You can read about their project and its potential for Montana agriculture here.
Announcements and Awards
Commencement 2023
Congratulations to the MSU class of 2023, and to all our students for completing another academic year! We celebrated our 2023 graduates with department celebrations on Thursday and Friday, May 11 and 12. We know they are well prepared to make a difference in our world.
2023 COA Awards of Excellence
Congratulations to our winners of the 2022-23 COA Awards of Excellence! You can read more about our awardees on the MSU website.
- Dr. Jennifer Lachoweic received the NACTA Teaching Award of Merit for Faculty
- Dr. Ryan Thum received the Transformative Teaching Award
- Ileana Yates-Johnson received the Meritorious Service Award
- Dr. Hayes Goosey received the Impactful Outreach and Community Engagement Award
- Dr. Chaofu Lu received the Excellence in Research and Discovery Award
New Faces in the COA
The COA is thrilled to welcome a number of new faculty and staff!
- Entomologist Dr. Jessica Kansman in Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology
- Entomologist Dr. Tiziana Oppedisano at Western Triangle Ag Research Center
- Entomologist Dr. Will Wetzel in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
- Watershed Analyst and Associate Professor Tim Covino in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
- Ecosystem ecologist and Assistant Professor Andrew Felton in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
- Research Associate Daniel Chichinsky in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
Further Announcements
Dr. Bruce Maxwell and recent doctoral graduate Hannah Duff have been invited to attend the national Agroecology Summit in Kansas City to create a research agenda for the discipline of agroecology. Congratulations Bruce and Hannah on this work and engagement, which will have significant impacts of the future of agricultural research!
Congratulations are in order to COA students Andee Baker and Sheridan Johnson! They have been selected as two of Montana's delegates to the Western Governors’ Leadership Institute, a program designed to recognize leadership by young adults across the West. Andee and Sheridan will travel to Boulder, Colorado later this month to attend a leadership forum at the Western Governor's Association annual meeting.
The College of Agriculture mourns the passing of longtime professor Ron Johnson, who spent 20 years with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics from 1981 to 2001. You can find Dr. Johnson's obituary here.
Upcoming Events
2023 Research Center Field Days
It's time for summer field days! Our 2023 Field Day season will kick off on June 14. The full schedule is below.
- Wednesday, June 14, 11:30 a.m. Southern Agriculture Research Center, Huntley
- Wednesday, June 28, 8:15 a.m. Central Agricultural Research Center, Moccasin
- Thursday, June 29, 3:00 p.m. Northern Agricultural Research Center, Havre
- Thursday, July 6, 10:00 a.m. Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center, Conrad
- Tuesday, July 11, 8:00 a.m. Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Sidney
- Thursday, July 13, 11:00 a.m. Northwestern Agricultural Research Center, Creston
- Wednesday, July 19, 8:00 a.m. Post Farm, Bozeman
- Thursday, July 27, 20234:30 p.m. Western Agricultural Research Center, Corvallis
More Events
The Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics will host its second annual Applied Economics Summer Conference in June 20-21. Economists from more than a dozen institutions will present their research on topics such as land use policies, development density, air quality, industrial water pollution and agricultural production, as well labor and health economics topics such as opioid use and employment outcomes, school closures and youth suicide, gender and racial disparities, and entrepreneurship. Contact Kate Koller (kate.koller@montana.edu) for registration information.
Recent Publications
You can find a full list of recent publications from MSU's Library and Office of Sponsored Programs here. Recent highlights from the COA include:
- "Neutrophil Immunomodulatory Activity of Nerolidol, a Major Component of Essential Oils from Populus balsamifera Buds and Propolis," Schepetkin, I.A., Özek, G., Özek, T., Kirpotina, L.N., Kokorina, P.I., Khlebnikov, A.I., and Quinn, M.T.
- "Cardioprotective Effects of a Selective c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Inhibitor in a Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction," Plotnikov, M.B, Chernysheva, G.A., Smol'yakova, V.I., Aliev, O.I., Fomina, T.I., Sandrikina, L.A., Suhodolo, I.V., Ivanova, V.V., Osipenko, A.N., Anfinogenova, N.J., Khlebnikov, A.I., Atochin, D.N., Schepetkin, I.A., and Quinn, M.T. (2023)
- "Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase by Novel Lupinine Derivatives," Schepetkin, I.A., Nurmaganbetov, Z.S., Fazylov, S.D., Nurkenov, O.A., Khlebnikov, A.I., Seilkhanov, T.M., Kishkentaeva, A.S., Shults, E.E., and Quinn, M.T.
Questions about the Inside Ag newsletter can be directed to Communications Director Reagan Colyer at reagan.colyer@montana.edu.