To Ag Econ Alumni and Friends

I want to share some very good news. Mr. Gene Rainbolt donated $500,000 to endow the Rainbolt Chair in Agricultural Finance in our department. His contribution will possibly be matched by funds from Boone Pickens' donation to OSU. Thus, the level of the funding could become $1,000,000. OSU will take this $1,000,000 to the state legislature to be matched dollar for dollar creating a $2 million Chair. Thanks to Mr. Rainbolt, Mr. Pickens, and all those who have worked so hard to help make this Chair a reality. Several friends and graduates began several years ago to plan for this Chair. Their hard work provided the foundation for this success and allowed us to be positioned to take advantage of the Boone Pickens and Oklahoma legislature opportunity. We are currently working with others in the financial community to explore additional opportunities to add to the value of this new Chair.

I am sure that you have heard about all the excitement associated with Mr. Pickens' donation. For every dollar we raise for Chairs between now and June 30, we can possibly turn that into four dollars - a great return for your investment. On July 1, we understand the state will significantly downsize commitments and any matching dollars. So - there is a scramble to let folks know about this once in a lifetime opportunity. The ''rules'' for matching include the need for the original donation to come from the private sector and to be a minimum of $250,000. We have already met that threshold through the generosity of Mr. Rainbolt. Any contribution will qualify for the four to one return if the cash, stocks, or credit cards are received by June 30.

Please consider a donation to enhance the value of this Chair in Agricultural Finance if it is appropriate for you. Additional funding will allow us to enhance internships for students, support scholarships, and invite world class speakers to campus to interact with our students. Of course, we can also use the Chair to attract and reward the best faculty so our students will benefit. We realize this is very short notice, but we felt it was important for everyone to hear about this unique opportunity. To make a donation, please contact Kathy McNally with the OSU foundation at <'XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = SKYPE />405 744-7964 or Mike Woods at 405 744-6161.

We hope you enjoy the remainder of this second issue of our Newsletter. We have had a very successful year, and our students continue to excel at the college and university level and after graduation. We hope you enjoy the news about our undergraduate and graduate students and our faculty. Thank you to all our donors and supporters. As you will see, we gave over $72,000 in scholarships to our deserving students this past spring during our annual banquet. It is indeed a great time to be a Cowboy!

top

Scholarships and Awards Banquet

Seventy-two scholarships, totaling over $72,000, were awarded to 93 students at the recent Agricultural Economics Department and Aggie-X Club Scholarships and Awards Banquet. The scholarships were announced by Ag Econ professors Dr. Damian Adams, Dr. Brian Briggeman, Dr. Shannon Ferrell, and J.C. Hobbs and presented by donors to the department and other Ag Econ faculty. Special recognitions were given by Dr. Mike Woods, Dr. Robert Whitson, Dr. Edwin Miller, Dr. James Trapp, and Dr. Clarence Watson.

In addition to the scholarships, several students received special recognition. Lindsey Kuzma (animal science-agribusiness dual major, Lodi), was recognized as the department's outstanding senior with the Scholastic Achievement Citation.

The Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award went to Patrick Stein, (agribusiness, Cherokee). Travis Jett (agribusiness, Laverne) received the James S. Plaxico Award for All-Around Senior - Campus-Wide Activities and Academic Achievement.

The Oklahoma Chapter of American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers awards went to Katie White (agribusiness, Antlers) Chris Branch, (agricultural economics, Comanche) and Tony Subketkaew (agricultural economics, Perry). Katie received the L.A. Parcher Award for Outstanding Appraiser, and Chris and Tony received the E.E. Huff Award for Outstanding Farm Manager.

Twenty-four graduating seniors with a GPA of 3.50 or higher were given Outstanding Academic Achievement recognition: Rigoberto Aranda (agribusiness, Buffalo); Chris Branch; Lindsey Cheek (agribusiness, Norman); Tucker Collins (agribusiness, Sapulpa); Andrea Curry (agricultural economics, Lawton); Matt Dvorak (agricultural economics, Perry); Terry Ehler (agribusiness, Fairfax); Randis Gallaway (agricultural economics, Marlow); Amber Houser (agricultural economics, S. Coffeyville); Jeff Jaronek (agribusiness, Cordell); Travis Jett; Lindsey Kuzma; Mindy McMahan (agribusiness, Binger); LeeAnna McNally (agribusiness, Guthrie); Heath Miller (agricultural economics, McAlester); Lindsey Price (agribusiness, Burwell, NE); Taylor Reed (agricultural economics, Pawhuska); Danny Ripley (agribusiness, Pawnee); Melinda Shults (agricultural economics, Fairland); Cassandra Staves (agricultural economics, Collinsville); Patrick Stein; Tony Subketkaew; Kayla Wilson (agricultural economics, McAlester); and Mary Wilson (agribusiness, Nipomo, California).

Much appreciation and many thanks go to all of the donors who have given so generously to the Ag Econ scholarship program.

Next year’s scholarship banquet will be held April 18, 2009 in the Wes Watkins Center for International Development at 5:00 p.m.

Top Seniors

Several Ag Econ Seniors were recognized as top seniors at both the department and the university level. Lindsey Kuzma was named the 2008 Paul and Mary Hummer Outstanding Senior in CASNR by the Ag College.

Lindsey, plus four other seniors are included in the Top Ten Seniors in the College of Agriculture. They are Chris Branch, Matt Dvorak, Randis Gallaway, and Travis Jett.

At the university level, 13 Ag Econ students received the Seniors of Significance award. This award recognizes students who have excelled in scholarship, leadership and service to campus and community, and have brought distinction to OSU. These students are Tyler Castonguay, Andrea Curry, Matt Dvorak, Randis Gallaway, Amber Houser, Travis Jett, Lindsey Kuzma, Patrick Stein, and Tony Subketkaew, Also at the university level, the OSU Alumni Association 2007-2008 Outstanding Senior list includes two Ag Econ seniors Travis Jett and Patrick Stein.

Aggie-X Awards

The Aggie-X Club, the Ag Econ Departmental Undergraduate Club, also presented scholarships and awards at the Economics Department and Aggie-X Club Scholarships and Awards Banquet.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bailey Norwood, and Professor Dr. Derrell Peel presented awards to the following outstanding club members:

Outstanding New Member - Jordan Slagell

Outstanding Current Member - Emily Stoppelmoor

Outstanding Senior Members:

• Kate Chambers
• Alisha Giblet
• Shea Griffin
• Jeff Jaronek
• Cody Thomas

Drs. Norwood and Peel then presented the 2008-2009 Aggie-X Scholarships to the following recipients:

• Jamie Doyal
• Noah Evans
• Courtney Pinkerton
• Gavin Rey
• Jordan Slagell
• Paula Smithhiesler

Lindsey Cheek, current Aggie-X President presented the Aggie-X Club outstanding teacher award to Dr. Brian Briggeman, Assistant Professor; and the outstanding advisor award to Associate Professor Dr. Bailey Norwood.

Aggie-X 2008-2009 President's Statement

John M. Richardson, a legendary Missouri politician, once said, ''When it comes to the future, there are three different kinds of people: Those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened. I feel that students in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University fall into these three categories.

There are those students who take life as it comes at them. They believe their classes, activities, and future careers will all fall into place on its own; they simply let life happen. Then there are the students who, as if they had not expected it, look back on their college careers on graduation day and wonder where the time went as they try to plan what their next step in life might be; these students wonder what happened.

However, the members of Aggie-X fall into the third kind of people that Richardson refers to - they make things happen! Whether it is making the grade they want in a class, an activity they want to compete or participate in, or planning how to shape their future resume to be the most marketable job candidate possible, Aggie-X members make things happen. This is why I am proud to serve as the 2008-2009 Aggie-X President.

The club is finishing up a great year full of extracurricular activities, community service projects, and campus involvement. Our year was recently documented by Paula Smithheisler, one of our 31 initiated new members this year, in the SS-AAEA National Outstanding Chapter Application which will be judged and presented at the annual AAEA meetings in Orlando, FL, in July. I am quite anxious to see how our club compares to other Ag Econ clubs around the nation.

In the coming year, I would like to see Aggie-X not only match the outstanding previous year, but exceed it in the following ways: 1.) Getting the word out to all students that Aggie-X is a great way to meet and network with other students.
2.) Recognizing the hard work of our faculty and staff in the department through acts of service and appreciation. 3.) Reviving some traditional aspects of Aggie-X, which include the Spring Break Alumni Tour and other social events documented in previous National Outstanding Chapter applications, through the help of former members and experienced professors in the department. 4.) Bringing in alumni to educate and network with members at each meeting throughout the year.

Because Aggie-X is full of students who make things happen, I believe we will accomplish and surpass all of these goals. If you have any advice or suggestions of what you would like to see happen with Aggie-X in the 2008-2009 school year, please e-mail it to carol.cook@okstate.edu. We would love to hear it! After all, we are here to serve the department and its faculty, staff, students and alumni. Have a fantastic summer!

Sincerely,
Carol Cook

Honors College

Oklahoma State University's Honors College is marking a milestone with an Ag Econ student - the 1,000th name on the list of honors degrees is Andrea Curry, Agricultural Economics major from Sterling, who also was 2007 Homecoming Queen at OSU. The Honors College reached the 1,000th mark with the 61 honors college degrees awarded in May, 2008. The total dating back to the first honors degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences in May 1969 now stands at 1,044.

Commencement

Governor Brad Henry advised students to dream big and not fear failure at the undergraduate commencement ceremonies on May 3, which included 45 Agricultural Economics graduates. Delivering the undergraduate commencement addresses to the degree recipients and their families and friends, Governor Henry told the graduates, ''Your new degree is not a lid on a jar full of lectures and examinations. Your degree is evidence that your mind has been opened and is prepared for further learning and advancement.''

''Excuses are too often employed to mask the fear of failure,'' he said. ''But I urge you: Do not be afraid of failure. Failure, in fact, is the inevitable and unfailing companion of success. So dream, and do not be discouraged from pursuing the most ambitious of your dreams. Reach for everything you can imagine, and more than you will ever grasp.''

Activities

During Ag Week, March 31 through April 4, Ag Econ undergraduates participated in CASNR activities, which included the CASNR Awards Banquet, a blood drive, a faculty/student cookout, and the Red Dirt Ball at the Payne County Expo Center, where three of Stillwater's most popular and up-and-coming Red Dirt County Bands performed.

top

Hooding Ceremony

Four PhD candidates and six Master's candidates received their hoods at a special hooding ceremony held in Ag Hall prior to commencement.

Graduate	Hooded By
Tong (Amy) Zhang	Dr. Brorsen
Rachel Johnson, MS	Dr. Doye
JonAnn Decker, MS	Dr. Epplin
Rupak Lohani, MS	Dr. Epplin
Zhihao Zheng, PhD	Dr. Henneberry
Sierra Howry, PhD	Dr. Stoecker
Tee-Jay San Diego, MS	Dr. Stoecker
Ross Pruitt, PhD	Dr. Tilley
Emmanuel Tumusiime, MS	Dr. Vitale
Lara Brooks, MS	Dr. Woods

Graduate Students, Past, Present, and Future

Graduated in December 2007

Jason Frantz, MS; Karina Gallardo, PhD; Garret Long, MS; and Justin McConaghy, MS

Graduated in May 2008

JonAnn Decker, MS; Lara Brooks, MS; Rachel Johnson, MS; Bharath Arunachalam, PhD; and Holly Ragan Bunt, MS

Graduating in Summer 2008

Sierra Howry, PhD; Ross Pruitt, PhD; Tong (Amy) Zhang, PhD; Chris Fryer, MS; HyunSeok Kim, PhD; Rupak Lohani, MS; Oluyemisi Olukoya, PhD; Seongcheol Park, PhD; Zhihao Zheng, PhD; Emmanuel Tumusiime, MS; and Tee-Jay San Diego, MS, (Environmental Science)

New Students in Summer 2008

Brenna Ellison, MS

New Students in Fall 2008

Cindi Browne, MS; Chris Boyer, PhD, Darren Holt, MS; John Mann, PhD; Emmanuel Tumusiime, PhD; and Mary Wilson, MS.

Dissertation Topics

• Joao Mutondo, Spring, 2007, Reworking of the U.S. Meat Demand
• Fitryanti Pakiding, Spring, 2007, Improved Inventory Control Strategies for Farm Supply Cooperatives
• Karen Taylor, Spring, 2007, Dual-Purpose Winter Wheat and Stocker Production
• Seong-Huyk Hwang, Summer, 2007, Days Available for Harvesting Switchgrass and the Cost to Deliver Switchgrass to a Biorefinery
• Davis Marumo, Summer, 2007, Stochastic Optimization of Non-Point Source Pollution Abatement for the Eucha-Spavinaw Watershed
• Karina Gallardo, Fall, 2007, Demand for Quality Characteristics of Hard Red Winter Wheat

Commencement

Eight Ag Econ graduate students attended OSU graduate commencement in Gallager-Iba arena. They heard Dr. Kenneth Darrell Berlin, Regents Professor in Chemistry offer congratulations and some insights about moving into the working society, plus a few helpful hints. He emphasized that problem-solving abilities, good people skills, flexibility, a willingness to learn new concepts, and cooperation, motivation, and forgiveness are vital tools for a successful career. Dr. Berlin also passed on some wisdom given to him at one time, ''Do more than is asked of you, and you will always have a job.'' In closing, he directed the graduates to ''make a difference in your personal life and your professional life,'' and ''Remember you are still a Cowboy or Cowgirl wherever your pursuits direct you.''
Six PhD candidates received their hoods at the ceremony.

Activities

The Ag Econ graduate students hosted an End of Semester Picnic at Couch Park in April for all Ag Econ faculty, staff and students. The Graduate Student Association provided BBQ from Bad Brad's and supplied drinks. Students brought side dishes or their favorite dishes.

top

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Brian Briggeman received the Outstanding Teacher Award at the Agricultural Economics Department and Aggie-X Club Scholarships and Awards Banquet.

Dr. Bailey Norwood received the Outstanding Advisor Award at the Agricultural Economics Department and Aggie-X Club Scholarships and Awards Banquet.

NACTA Journal Publication and 2008 Jack Everly Award
Three Agricultural Economics faculty members recently published a journal article in the NACTA Journal, which was recognized by the NACTA Journal Award Committee with the 2008 Jack Everly Award. This award recognizes outstanding journalism and is in honor of the former NACTA Journal editor Jack Everly. The citation of the article is printed below.

Briggeman, Brian C., Shida R. Henneberry, and F. Bailey Norwood, ''How Do Employers Assess Job Candidate Attributes''' NACTA Journal, September 2007: 15-21.

Gamma Sigma Delta Awards (National Agriculture Honor Society)
Dr. Brian Briggeman received the Gamma Sigma Delta ''New Teacher Award of Merit'' Dr. Kim Anderson received the Gamma Sigma Delta ''Experienced Teacher Award of Merit''.

The Southern Agricultural Economics Association Meetings Awards
(Held in Dallas, Texas February 2-5, 2008)
Dr. Phil Kenkel and Dr. Rodney Holcomb - Distinguished Extension Program Award Winners
Dr. Kellie Raper - Outstanding Poster Second Place Award Winner
Dr. Damona Doye - Past President of SAEA
Dr. Raper, Dr. Francis Epplin, Dr. Norwood, Dr. Derrell Peel and Dr. Doye - SAEA Committee Service

Dr. Dan Badger

Over 500 people attended a memorial service and reception to honor Dr. Dan Badger in April at the ConocoPhillips Alumni Center at OSU. A celebration of life service was held followed by a reception featuring a birthday cake for what would have been Dr. Badger's 75th birthday.

A man who left a legacy of helping others, Dr. Badger had a positive influence on many lives. During his tenure at OSU from 1964 until 1990, he served as academic advisor to more than 1,000 undergraduates and chaired committees for over 60 Ag Econ MS and PhD students, including students from over 20 countries. He also published over 100 articles. In addition, he served as faculty advisor to Farm House fraternity for 16 years.

Dr. Badger's top priority while at OSU was helping students achieve success from advising them on classes, helping them find part-time jobs, recruiting sponsors to build a scholarship program, teaching classes, to serving on graduate committees. As Dr. Mike Woods states, ''Dan was working for them in the capacity of teacher, counselor, and friend.''

Dr. Badger was buried with military honors on February 20 in Jacksonville, Florida following a funeral service in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Badger family awards two scholarships to Ag Econ students:

• The Betty Jo and Daniel D. Badger Scholarship is an endowed scholarship contributed to by friends and former students of Dan Badger, which is awarded to students demonstrating academic excellence and leadership ability. This year's recipient was Aaron Coffey.
• The Loris and Agnes Parcher Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Amanda Quaney.

top

Conversation with Dr. Leo Blakley

Faculty members, staff, and students gathered at Ag Hall recently for a conversation with Dr. Leo Blakley. After recognizing two other retired faculty present, Dr. Mike Hardin and Dr. Jim Plaxico, Dr. Francis Epplin introduced Dr. Blakley, stating that he is the only person Dr. Epplin knows who had two Noble Laureates on his dissertation committee.

Dr. Blakley began his conversation with a trip down memory lane as he talked about his childhood, his military service, and his educational experiences.

Dr. Blakley was born in 1920, and his early education occurred in a one-room school, which he said ''was open for a bit in the summer and closed up in cotton-picking time.'' His family then moved to Kendrick.

His father at that time was in the banking business, but decided he wanted to run a grocery store, so he bought into the Kelly Mercantile in 1929. ''And,'' Dr Blakley commented, ''You can guess what happened after that because the depression was in full swing.'' That store went bankrupt, and later another store was opened, the B&G Store. Dr. Blakley says he grew up in that store, ''through bank holidays, the depression, and droughts, from 6 am to 11 at night. ''It was not quite a 7/11, but almost,'' he commented. His primary job was at the cream station, testing cream. He also candled eggs with a Studebaker lamp in a cardboard partition. On Saturdays, he packaged potatoes, sugar, and beans into consumer-sized packages. Dr. Blakley said, ''It was a full service store. ''It was about like a Wal-Mart, but we weren't able to make as much money.''

In high school in 1934, the new school superintendent asked all of the students to check in attics for old band instruments, and Dr. Blakley found a baritone in his grandfather's attic, and joined the high school band. This skill came in handy later. When he arrived at OSU in 1938, ROTC was compulsory. He said, ''When they passed out the rifles, I decided there had to be a better way. So I went to the band director, and they had an opening for a sousaphone player. I told him, well I can play that. He says ‘Let me hear you.' So, I made it.'' And that was how, he said that ''he got a different kind of marching order.'' He also worked ''in the department'' for 15 cents an hour doing hand record keeping ''That's when I taught myself to use a 10-key manual adding machine.'' This also proved to be a ''worthwhile endeavor,'' he said.

While at OSU, he lived for two years ''up on the hill. We had a place called Aggie Halls, which was an old CCC camp.'' Six barracks had been converted into student housing. Room and board was $15.00 a month. His third year he decided to batch it with another friend in a rooming board house on Hester Street.

He was a senior in December of 1941, ready to enroll in his second semester when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He volunteered for the Navy and was eventually assigned to the amphibious force. He was an officer in charge of 24 men. He left the United States on an LST and traveled to Casablanca. The trip took 30 days. His first invasion was in Sicily. He showed photos of an LST, a flat-bottomed ship designed to carry trucks and tanks, and other heavy equipment.

After the war, he returned to OSU to get a master's degree and go into banking. ''But,'' he said, ''Jeff Collins talked me into staying to teach,'' and in 1947 he joined the Ag Econ faculty. His first classes were in Marketing. At that point he said he realized ''that if I was going to stay in this area, I would need to get a PhD.''

He had that opportunity in 1961 when he received a fellowship to the University of Chicago, one of five awarded in the southern states. He was one of two out of that group of five who completed their degrees. He said, ''An interesting thing at the University of Chicago, at least to me, was that most students audited the classes, at least one or two times before taking for credit. I was there for first in and that's what it was going to be. I was only there for a limited time. But, I survived,'' he commented.

When asked about what accomplishments meant the most to him in his life, Dr Blakley stated, ''I feel strongly about the success of my students in their careers. Students have always been the high point of my career.'' Giving some examples, he continued, ''The accomplishments of my students are the kinds of things that make me feel good.''

top

Yumiao Sun, Web Developer
Judy Rudin, Communications Specialist
Anna Whitney, Student Services Specialist