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Soil Scientist Wins Top Honor from USDA Research
Agency By Don
Comis February 12, 2008
WASHINGTON, February 12, 2008 Soil scientist
Norman R.
Fausey has been named "Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of 2007" by
the Agricultural Research Service, the
chief scientific research agency of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Fausey heads the
ARS
Soil Drainage Unit in Columbus, Ohio.
Fausey is being recognized for his significant accomplishments
in promoting efficiency and environmental stewardship in managing agricultural
drainage waterwork that has benefitted farmers, the drainage industry and
the general public. Fausey and other ARS researchers were honored today at an
awards ceremony here.
"Over the past 47 years, Dr. Fausey has played an important role
in revolutionizing drainage technology," said ARS Administrator
Edward
B. Knipling. "His research has helped protect valuable water resources
while helping farmers better manage their precious water supplies."
Fausey led the development of a new generation of agricultural
drainage water management technology, using valves to maintain or raise, as
well as lower, the drainage outlet to control the water table. Such controlled
drainage reduces the flow of nitrates from Midwestern fields to the Gulf of
Mexico by 40 percent, reducing the likelihood and extent of seasonal dead zones
in the Gulf. |
ARS also honored seven "Area Senior Research Scientists"
today:
Richard
Beeman,
ARS
Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, Kan., for
pioneering research in insect genomics leading to the discovery of a class of
"suicide" genes that could be spread into populations of undesirable insects
such as the malaria mosquito or grain pests. He also was recognized for
leadership resulting in the first complete genome sequence of an agricultural
pest. (More)
|
Albert J.
Clemmens,
ARS Water
Management and Conservation Research Unit, Maricopa, Ariz., for leadership
and scientific contributions that have advanced the performance of irrigated
agriculture, both within the United States and worldwide. |
Paula J.
Fedorka Cray,
ARS
Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, Athens,
Ga., for outstanding leadership and contributions related to food safety
research, particularly Salmonella control, and for reducing the risks of
livestock and people developing resistance to antibiotics and other
antimicrobial drugs. (More ) |
James A.
Joseph,
Jean
Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University,
Boston, Mass., for work showing that blueberries could help prevent age-related
deficits in memory and motor function, and may be of some benefit in preventing
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. (More ) |
Russell J. Kohel,
ARS
Crop Germplasm Research Unit, College Station, Texas, for exemplary
research and leadership in cotton genetics and in the collection, preservation,
enhancement and use of cotton germplasm for improvement of the crop worldwide.
(More) |
Yakov A.
Pachepsky,
ARS
Environmental Microbial Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., for research
and international leadership in development and application of models in
agricultural hydrology to predict crop yields, assess soil and water quality,
and forecast fate and transport of manure-borne pathogens. |
Randy L.
Raper,
ARS
National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, Ala., for outstanding research
and leadership that have increased understanding of soil/plant/machine
processes, particularly their effects on soil compaction, and have increased
adoption of conservation tillage. (More) |
ARS also recognized exceptional "early career" scientists who
have been with the agency for seven years or less. The top prize, called the
Herbert L. Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Research Scientist Award, went to
Zhongli
Pan of the
ARS
Processed Foods Research Unit in Albany, Calif.
Pan was honored for developing numerous energy-efficient
processing methods that improve the value and healthfulness of a variety of
commodities. These include developing new infrared heating technologies as
alternatives to freeze-drying fruits and vegetables, as well as a nonchemical
way to disinfest rice and pasteurize almonds. |
The seven "Area Early Career Research Scientist Award"
winners for 2007 are:
Kristin D.
Bilyeu,
ARS Plant
Genetics Research Unit, Columbia, Mo., for developing germplasm and genetic
markers to help breeders develop soybeans whose oil does not need hydrogenation
and is free of trans fatty acids. |
Todd R.
Callaway,
ARS Food
and Feed Safety Research Unit, College Station, Texas, for the first
successful demonstration of using naturally occurring viruses to control E.
coli O157:H7 in livestock. |
Wade
Crow, ARS
Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., for enhancing the
value of remote sensing observations for farm applications that include water
quality monitoring, crop yield forecasting, irrigation scheduling, and
predicting droughts and floods. |
William A.
Dozier III,
ARS
Poultry Research Unit, Mississippi State, Miss., for improving production
efficiency of broiler chickens through better nutrition and increased
ventilation in summer heat, and for having a major impact on guidelines for the
humane treatment of chickens. |
Darrell R.
Kapczynski,
Southeast
Poultry Research Laboratory, Athens, Ga., for the development of improved
vaccines and other control measures to protect poultry against avian viral
diseases, including avian flu. |
Tracy C.
Leskey,
ARS
Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, W.Va., for development
of bait traps for monitoring insects such as the plum curculio, which attacks
plum, apple and other fruit trees. Leskey also was recognized for developing
lures and other compounds that disrupt the mating of dogwood borers, which
attack apple trees as well as dogwoods. |
Mark
Liebig,
ARS
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, Mandan, N.D., for improved
understanding of the impact of farming and ranching practices on soil and on
emissions of greenhouse gases. Liebig also was recognized for contributing to
the development of a carbon credit program for North Dakota and for quantifying
organic farming's beneficial effects on soil quality. |
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