eCALS

“What is the best way to encourage science in Africa? Some African scientists come to the United States to train and then return to their home countries to teach and perform research,” writes science writer Daniel Gorelick in a recent post at America.Gov. “James Ntambi took a different approach - after receiving his Ph.D. he remained in the United States and now leads a lab at the University of Wisconsin, where he trains African scientists and teaches Americans what life is like in Uganda.”

Thomas Heberlein, Professor Emeritus of Rural Sociology, received the Rural Sociological Society’s Award for Excellence in Research during the society’s annual meeting, held July 30–August 2 in Madison.

Michael Carter has been named a Fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association. Carter served on the faculty in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics from 1984 until July of this year, when he accepted a position at the University of California-Davis. His work here has focused on the nature of growth and transformation in low income economies, giving particular attention to how inequality in the distribution of land and other assets shape, and are shaped by, economic growth. The following citation was read when the fellowship was conferred:

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Andrew Bent, professor of plant pathology, is the 20009 of the Noel Keen Award for Molecular Plant Pathology from the American Phytopathological Society. This award recognizes APS members who have made outstanding contributions and demonstrated sustained excellence and leadership in research that significantly advances the understanding of molecular aspects of host–pathogen interactions, plant pathogens or plant-associated microbes, or molecular biology of disease development or defense mechanisms. Bent’s research team work studies plant disease resistance and the molecular basis of plant resistance to infection by microbial pathogens.

CALS engineers- and ag-marketers-to-be learned how a piece of machinery goes from concept to product during a Farm Technology Days tour.

“If you come in here with a question and these folks can’t answer it, there is no answer.” That comment was made to CALS associate dean John Shutske by one of the thousands of visitors who passed through the UW-Extension pavilion at Farm Technology Days, where 40-some CALS faculty and staff members helped answer questions on topics ranging from weed identification to genomics to bioenergy to managing family stress caused by depressed dairy prices. Farm Technology Days, held July 21–23 at the Crave Brothers Farm near Waterloo, drew more than 75,000 attendees. (more…)

News about or interest to CALS faculty and staff…

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The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has named Scott Sanford winner of the 2009 Rural Electricity Resource Council Electric Technology Award.  Sanford, a senior outreach specialist in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, was recognized for his contributions to the development and implementation of energy-efficient technologies for agriculture.

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Cameron Currie is one of the country’s brightest young scientific minds, according to the White House. Currie, a CALS associate professor of bacteriology, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor for researchers beginning their independent careers. (more…)

Jo Handelsman, bacteriology and plant pathology, is among seven Wisconsin artists, writers, and scientists named a 2009 Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences. (more…)