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NPA Center Directors, Research Leaders and Administrative Officers by State
Colorado | Kansas | Montana | Nebraska | North Dakota | South Dakota | Utah | Wyoming
Colorado
Area Office - Fort Collins
Wilbert H. Blackburn (Will) Area Director USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 300 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 Will.Blackburn@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7057 Fax: (970) 492-7065
Dr. Blackburn received his Ph.D. in hydrology from the University of Nevada in Reno in 1973. Will’s field of expertise is hydrology and erosion of range and forest lands. He pioneered and established information on how livestock grazing affects watersheds. He joined ARS in 1987 as Research Leader at the ARS Watershed Research Center in Boise, Idaho where he was instrumental in focusing research on high priority national and regional problems. Will transferred to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1992 as the Associate Area Director for the NPA and assumed the Area Director position in 1995. He has received numerous awards including Outstanding Achievement Award presented by the Society of Range Management in 1987, Outstanding Teacher, College of Agriculture, University of Nevada, Reno in 1973, and the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2004. He served on several National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences committees; Advisory Panel, Office of Technology Assessment, and Congress of the United States. He is a member of the Society of Range Management and has served as Director of this professional society.
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Laurence D Chandler (Larry) Associate Area Director USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 300 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 Larry.Chandler@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7058 Fax: (970) 492-7065
Dr. Chandler received his Ph.D. in entomology from Texas A&M University in 1986. He joined ARS in 1982 and has served in several positions including Research Entomologist in Weslaco, TX (1982 89), Research Entomologist in Tifton, GA (1989 1994), Research Leader of the Northern Grain Insects Research Laboratory in Brookings, SD (1994 99), and Director of the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, ND (1999 2004). He transferred to Ft. Collins, CO in 2004 as the Associate Director for the NPA. Throughout his career he has conducted research on IPM of vegetable and field crop insects. He has served as the ARS Technical Coordinator for the Corn Rootworm Areawide Pest Management Program and currently serves as coordinator for the National Sclerotinia Initiative. He received an ARS Technology Transfer Award in 1999 and the USDA Secretary=s Award for Superior Service in 2002.
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Michael Mcguire (Mickey) Assistant Area Director USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 300 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 Michael.McGuire@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7058 Fax: (970) 492-7065
Dr. McGuire received his B.A. degree in Biology from Kansas Wesleyan, Salina and went on to the University of Illinois where he received a M.S. degree from the Department of Ecology, Ethology and Evolution in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Entomology in 1985. He was then selected into the first class of ARS “Kinney” post docs and was stationed in Bozeman, Montana to work on pathogens of grasshoppers. In 1988, Dr. McGuire accepted a Research Entomologist position in Peoria, Illinois where he developed formulations of environmentally sensitive biological pesticides. Dr. McGuire became Research Leader of the Bioactive Agents Research Unit in 1995 where he resided until 2000 when he accepted a position as Research Leader and Location Coordinator for the ARS efforts in Shafter, California. He is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in insect pathogens with an emphasis in discovery and formulation. Among Dr. McGuire’s awards are two ARS awards for transfer of novel technology related to control of insect pests. Dr. McGuire serves on two patent committees and as an RPES panel chair. He has served in various officer roles for the Society for Invertebrate Pathology and the Entomological Society of America.
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Michael R. Wiggett (Mike) Deputy Area Director USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 300 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 michael.wiggett@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7048 Fax: (970) 492-7065
Mike is the Deputy Area Director (Business Management) for the Northern Plains Area (NPA). He has 16 years of service with ARS. He started his career in ARS back in 1979 as a Stay-in-School Student in the Area Office in Fort Collins, Colorado. He entered the Administrative Officer training program in 1989 and was trained in the Midwest Area Office in Peoria, Illinois. After completing the program, he took his first LAO position in Yakima, Washington. In 1993, he was selected as the Location Administrative Officer in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1999, Mike was detailed to the Administrator's Office to help establish the Office of Scientific Quality Review. Mike has a degree in Business Management from Bob Jones University.
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ASRU - Fort Collins
Lajpat R. Ahuja (Laj) Soil Scientist & Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center Agricultural Systems Research Unit 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 200 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 Laj.Ahuja@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7315 Fax: (970) 492-7310
Laj received his B.S.(Hons) and M.S. degrees from India, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. He joined ARS in 1979 at the National Agricultural Water Quality Laboratory, Durant OK, and transferred to the current position in 1991. His major contributions are in the areas of: (1) physics and modeling of infiltration; (2) chemical transfer to runoff from surface and subsurface sources & transport to groundwater through soil matrix and macropores; (3) simplified methods for determining soil hydraulic properties, their spatial variability, and their intrinsic scaling relations for different soil types; (4) quantifying the effects of soil management practices on soil properties & processes; and (5) synthesis of interdisciplinary knowledge to develop process-level models of agricultural systems. He is author or coauthor of 170+ refereed journal papers and 105+ other publications. He has served as Associate editor (1987-92) and Technical editor (1994-97), and is currently serving as Book Review editor, for the SSSAJ. He has organized international symposia for the ASA, SSSA, IUSS. He is Fellow of the SSSA and ASA, and received the SSSA Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award, 2004, the ASA Environmental Quality Research Award, 2006, and the ARS Team Award for Superior Efforts in Technology Transfer, 2006. He has served as an expert for IAEA and FAO, an International Advisor for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a Guest Research Professor of the China Agricultural University. He is Faculty Affiliate of the Colorado State University and serves on graduate student committees.
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NCGRP - Fort Collins
Harvey Blackburn Acting Research Leader, Animal Geneticist USDA, ARS, NPA National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation 1111 S Mason St Fort Collins, CO, 80521-4500 Harvey.Blackburn@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 495-3268 Fax: (970) 221-1427
Acting Research Leader of the Plant and Animal Genetic Resources Preservation Research Unit at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Blackburn received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 1984 and joined the staff at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in 1999. As Coordinator of the National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) he focuses upon developing germplasm collections for all major livestock and aquaculture species; this task involves quantifying genetic diversity of the collection, exploration of various cryopreservation protocols, database development, and facilitating the NAGP species committees. He participates in the U.S. delegation to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources and was recently elected as the chairperson of that group. Dr. Blackburn has authored or co-authored 74 refereed and technical publications.
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SBRU - Fort Collins
Leonard Panella (Lee) Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Crops Research Laboratory Sugarbeet Research Unit 1701 Centre Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80526-2083 Lee.Panella@ars.usda.gov Phone: 970-492-7149 Fax: 970-492-7160
Dr. Lee Panella received his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California at Davis in 1992. Lee came to the genetic improvement program of the Sugarbeet Research Unit after his graduation from U C Davis. His major research interests are sugar beet germplasm development and genetic resources, and the genetic diversity of sugar beet and its major pathogens. His research program combines traditional methods of crop improvement with the use of new molecular biology techniques. In 1998 Lee took over the Research Leader position for this Research Unit. He is chairman of the Sugarbeet Crop Germplasm Committee and has been North American representative to the World Beta Network (organized through the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute). He has served as president of the Western Society of Crop Scientists, on the board of directors of the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists, and as chairman of the sugarbeet crop registration sub-committee of the CSSA. He has received many awards including the USDA-ARS, NPA Early Career Scientist of the year, and ASAE – Outstanding Entry in the Educational Aids Competition.
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SPNR - Fort Collins
Ronald F. Follett (Ron) Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center Soil-Plant-Nutrient Research Unit 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 100 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 Ronald.follett@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7220 Fax: (970) 492-7213
Dr. Follett received his Ph.D. in Soil Science from Purdue University in 1966. For the past 22 years he has been with the ARS Soil-Plant-Nutrient Research Unit in Fort Collins, Colorado. He previously served 10 years as National Program Leader with ARS headquarters in Beltsville, Maryland. He has also been a Research Soil Scientist with ARS in Mandan, North Dakota and Ithaca, New York. Dr. Follett is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society and is serving as Director in SWCS. Among his numerous awards, he has received USDA’s highest award twice, the ‘USDA Distinguished Service Award’, as well as the ‘USDA Superior Service Award’. In 2004, Dr. Follett received the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, and 2005 he received the ‘ARS Senior Scientist of the Year Award’ in the Northern Plains Area. He is adjunct Professor with Colorado State University and Virginia Tech. Dr. Follett has edited 14 books and has authored/coauthored nearly 300 scientific publications on topics that include nutrient management for forage production, soil-N and C-cycling, groundwater quality protection, global climate change, agroecosytems, soil and crop management systems, soil erosion and crop productivity, plant mineral nutrition, animal nutrition, irrigation, and drainage.
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WMR - Fort Collins
Thomas J Trout Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Natural Resources Research Center Water Management Research 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg D, Ste 320 Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119 Thomas.Trout@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7419 Fax: (970) 492-7408
Dr. Trout received his Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University in 1979. His early work was in international agricultural development for CSU, USAID, and the World Bank. In 1982, he joined ARS at Kimberly, Idaho where he developed surface irrigation systems, including cablegation, soil infiltration management practices, and methods to evaluate and reduce irrigation-induced erosion. In 1995, he became research leader of the Water Management Research unit in Fresno, CA. In California, he improved irrigation water management practices for several horticultural crops including strawberries, peaches, peppers, lettuce and nurseries using drip irrigation systems and remote sensing. He also lead a team of soil chemists, plant pathologists, and nematologists to develop drip irrigation application of soil fumigants for high-value crops as an alternative to fumigation with methyl bromide. His methyl bromide alternatives team won several awards including a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award, a White House Closing the Circle Award, an EPA Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award, and an ARS Technology Transfer Award. In 2006, he transferred to Ft. Collins, CO to be research leader of the Water Management Research Unit where he is developing practices to sustain irrigated agriculture faced with declining water supplies in the Central Plains.
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CGPRS - Akron, CO
Merle F. Vigil RL / Research Soil Scientist USDA, ARS, NPA Central Great Plains Resource Management 40335 County Rd GG Akron, CO, 80720-0400 Merle.Vigil@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 345-0517 Fax: (970) 345-2088
Dr. Vigil received his Ph.D. in soil science from Kansas State University in 1989. Merle’s field of expertise is soil fertility and nutrient cycling in no-till alternative dryland cropping systems. He has made contributions in factors affecting the rate of N mineralization from organic matter and crop residues and in understanding rotation sequence effects on cropping system sustainability. He joined ARS in 1989 as a postdoctoral research associate with the Soil and Water Conservation Research unit in Lincoln Nebraska. He then joined the Central Great Plains Resources Research unit at Akron, Colorado in 1991 as a soil scientist. Since 2000 Merle has served as the Research Leader in that unit focusing research on high priority regional dryland production problems. He has served on the editorial board of the American Society of Agronomy, on the board of the Colorado Conservation Tillage association and has served on several regional advisory panels on global climate change impacts on soil resources. He is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, The Soil Science Society of America, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
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Mary McGuire Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Central Great Plains Resource Management 40335 County Rd GG Akron, CO, 80720-0400 Mary.McGuire@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 345-0506 Fax: (970) 345-2088
Mary is the new Administrative Officer at the Central Great Plains Research Station in Akron, CO. She has 8 years ARS experience as well as 8 additional years with the Forest Service. She started her career in ARS back in 1992 as the Purchasing Agent in Stillwater, OK. Mary transferred to the Forest Service in 2000 working as the Purchasing Agent for the Bighorn National Forest in Sheridan, WY. She then moved on to the Black Hills National Forest in Rapid City, SD, working as a Fire Business Management Specialist in procurement at the Central Great Plains Interagency Dispatch Center. Mary transferred back to ARS in March of 2008.
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Kansas
Manhattan, KS
Thomas Shanower (Tom) Center Director USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing & Production Research Center 1515 College Avenue, Room 269 Manhattan, KS 66502 Tom.Shanower@ars.usda.gov Phone: 785-776-2701 Fax: 785-776-2789
Center Director of the Grain Marketing & Production Research Center (GMPRC) in Manhattan, Kansas. Dr. Shanower was raised in Naperville, Illinois. He received a B.S. degree in Biology from Marietta College in Ohio, and went on to the University of Illinois, where he received a M.S. degree in Entomology in 1982. He then joined the Peace Corp where he worked for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests in the Kingdom of Tonga (South Pacific) for 2½ years. After returning to the US, he attended the University of California at Berkeley and received a Ph.D. in Entomology in 1989. Tom worked 8 years at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India and 2 years at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Cotonou, Bénin, West Africa. In 1998, he accepted a Research Entomologist position at the Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NPARL) in Sidney, Montana. He has been Research Leader for the Pest Management Research Unit at NPARL since 2000 where his personal research focused on biological control of the wheat stem sawfly, a key pest of wheat in the northern Great Plains. He has authored more than 85 scientific publications and numerous popular articles and abstracts, and has frequently been invited to present seminars and lectures. Dr. Shanower is a member of the Entomological Society of America, the Kansas Entomological Society, and the South Carolina Entomological Society. He is the Editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology. He was the recipient of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Exchange Fellowship in 1999, Rockefeller Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship for 1987-1990, Noyes Research Grant in 1985, and the von Alexander Memorial Prize in Biology in 1978.
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Robert L. Bowden Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing and Production Research Center Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit 4007 Throckmorton Hall Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506-5502 Robert.Bowden@ars.usda.gov Phone: 785-532-2368 Fax: (785) 532-6167 Dr. Bowden received his B.S. in Botany and Plant Pathology from Michigan State University (1978), M.S. in Plant Pathology from the University of Minnesota (1981), and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin (1989). He worked as an Extension Specialist in Plant Pathology at Kansas State University from 1989-2002 focusing on disease management in cereals and forage crops. In 2002, he joined the USDA-ARS as Research Leader of the Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit in Manhattan, KS. His research interests include fungal genetics, fungal population biology, and genetic resistance to diseases of wheat.
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Floyd E. Dowell Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing and Production Research Center Engineering Research Unit 1515 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502 Floyd.Dowell@ars.usda.gov Phone: (785) 776-2753 Fax: (785) 537-5550
Dr. Dowell received his M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1985, and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1988. Floyd’s field of expertise is in developing instrumentation to measure grain quality. He joined ARS in 1988 as an Agricultural Engineer at the National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Georgia where he developed instrumentation for measuring peanut quality. Floyd transferred to the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in 1995 where he developed automated near-infrared instrumentation to measure single-kernel grain quality. Floyd became the Research Leader of the Engineering Research Unit in 1999 and leads research to measure grain quality and to develop improved storage and handling techniques. He has received numerous awards including the ARS South Atlantic Area Young Scientist of the Year in 1994, the ARS and Federal Engineer of the Year in 2000, the ARS NPA Senior Scientist of the Year in 2002, the Harald Perten Prize in 2005, and the ARS Technology Transfer Award in 2005. He is a member of American Association of Cereal Chemists, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, and the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology.
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Thomas Herald Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing and Production Research Center Grain Quality and Structure Research 1515 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502 Thomas.Herald@ars.usda.gov Phone: (785) 776-2757 Fax: (785) 537-5534
Research Leader of the Grain Quality & Structure Research Unit at the Grain Marketing & Production Research Center in Manhattan, Kansas. Dr. Herald was raised in Michigan. He earned his B.S. degree in Food Science from Michigan State University, East Lansing MI in 1980. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1980-1983 in Swaziland, Southern Africa. Dr. Herald completed his MS and PhD degrees in Food Science at Michigan State University in the area of food chemistry. Dr. Herald worked in the food industrial sector with Yoplait USA and Kellogg’s. He recently completed a 16 + year career at Kansas State University holding the rank of professor in the Food Science Program. Dr. Herald’s research focus was on the chemical and physical properties of food and food ingredients. He has 58 peer-reviewed publications and numerous invited presentations at national and international meetings. As Research Leader for the GQSRU, Dr. Herald will integrate his technical background into the identification and utilization of wheat cultivars and sorghum hybrids for use in value-added systems that will include both food and non-food application.
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Janette Jensen Location Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing and Production Research Center 1515 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502 Janette.Jensen@ars.usda.gov Phone: (785) 776-2737 Fax: (785) 776-2789
Janette is the Administrative Officer for the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, Kansas. She started her federal career with the Department of Army as a Personnel Administrative Specialist in 1980. She started work for the Department of Defense in 1983 and then transferred to the Department of Energy in 1997. In 2002 she joined ARS.
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James E. Throne (Jim) Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing and Production Research Center Biological Research Unit 1515 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502 James.Throne@ars.usda.gov Phone: (785) 776-2796 Fax: (785) 537-5584
Dr. Throne received his Ph.D. in entomology from Cornell University in 1983. Jim’s field of expertise is ecology and management of stored-product insect pests. Recent areas of research are simulation modeling of stored-product insect pests, entomological applications of near-infrared spectroscopy, and studies on psocids as emerging pests of stored products. He joined ARS in 1985 as a Research Entomologist at the Stored-Product Insects Research and Development Laboratory in Savannah, Georgia, and he was transferred to Manhattan, Kansas, in 1994; he was selected as Research Leader in 1997. Awards received include the USDA-ARS South Atlantic Area Early Career Scientist of the Year Award in 1989, and the USDA-ARS Edminster Award in 1999. He was an editor of the Journal of Economic Entomology from 1997-2002 and currently serves on that journal’s Editorial Board, and he serves as President odf the Permanent Committee of the International Working Conferences on Stored-Product Protection. He has been an adjunct professor of entomology at Kansas State University since 1995.
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Larry Wagner Acting RL, Agricultural Engineer USDA, ARS, NPA Grain Marketing and Production Research Center Wind Erosion Research Unit 1515 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502 Larry.Wagner@ars.usda.gov Phone: (785) 537-5544 Fax: (785) 537-5507
Acting Research Leader of the Wind Erosion Research Unit at the Grain Marketing & Production Research Center (GMPRC) in Manhattan, Kansas. Dr. Wagner received his Ph.D. in Engineering from Kansas State University in 1988 and then joined the staff at the Wind Erosion Research Unit as an Agricultural Engineer in Manhattan, KS. His research has focused on the operational effects of tillage and harvesting on soil surface and residue conditions with respect to wind erosion susceptibility. He has authored or co-authored over 70 scientific publications and is an adjunct faculty member in both Agronomy and the Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University. Results of his research have been instrumental in the development and validation of the Management submodel component of the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS), which he led. Since 1999, Dr. Wagner has served as the WEPS core team leader, guiding the development of the process-based wind erosion model, leading to the recent release (Dec. 2007) to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) for nationwide implementation within their 2200 field offices. Dr. Wagner is also an active member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and currently serves as vice-chairman of the SW-223 Soil Erosion Research committee.
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Montana
Miles City, MT
Tom Geary Acting Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Fort Keogh - Livestock and Range Research Laboratory 243 Fort Keogh Rd Miles City, MT, 59301-4016 Tom.Geary@ars.usda.gov Phone: (406) 874-8215 Fax: (406) 874-8289
Acting Research Leader of the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Montana. Dr. Geary received his Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Washington State University in 1994. He served as a faculty member in the Department of Animal Science at Colorado State University until joining the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory as a reproductive physiologist in 1999. His research focuses on reproductive efficiency in beef cattle by evaluating mechanisms involved in early embryonic mortality and developing strategies to improve pregnancy establishment and maintenance. He has authored or co-authored 36 refereed journal articles that cover a variety of beef production topics. Tom is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Animal Science at Colorado, Montana, and Washington State University and the University of Missouri.
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Maribeth Wuertz Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Fort Keogh - Livestock and Range Research Laboratory 243 Fort Keogh Rd Miles City, MT, 59301-4016 Maribeth.Wuertz@ars.usda.gov Phone: (406) 874-8239 Fax: (406) 874-8268
Maribeth Wuertz is the Administrative Officer for the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory. She began working for USDA/ARS in November, 2007, transferring from Department of Interior, National Park Service, where she served as the Human Resources Officer in Yellowstone National Park since 1991. All of her federal career was with the National Park Service in Yellowstone National Park, prior to accepting the Administrative Officer in Miles City.
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Sidney, MT
Robert G. Evans Research Leader, Supervisory Agricultural Engineer, and Facilities Coordinator USDA, ARS, NPA Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory Agricultural Systems Research Unit 1500 N. Central Avenue Sidney, MT 59270 Robert.Evans@ars.usda.gov Phone: 406-433-9496 Fax: 406-433-5038
Dr. Evans graduated with a BS in Agricultural Engineering and an MS in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University (CSU) in 1970 and 1971, respectively. He worked for a consulting engineering firm for a time, and, returned to CSU in 1974 to finish a PhD which was completed in 1981. In 1976, Bob was appointed as the Colorado state extension irrigation specialist located in Ft. Collins, CO where he worked on statewide water management issues including on farm water management, scientific irrigation scheduling, ground water pollution and agricultural salinity problems. In October 1980, he accepted a position at the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Washington State University-Prosser as an assistant professor/research agricultural engineer. By 1993, he was a tenured professor in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at Washington State University with a 100% research appointment although about 25% of his efforts were in extension and teaching activities. In January 2001, Dr. Evans assumed the position of Supervisory Agricultural Engineer, Research Leader and Facilities Coordinator of the Agricultural Systems Research Unit at the Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Sidney, MT.
Bob's research directly addresses three broad, overlapping areas: 1) water conservation and improved on-farm water management; 2) assessing environmental impacts of various water management strategies (with an emphasis on development of precision agriculture technologies); and, 3) multiple uses of irrigation systems and management alternatives to reduce agrochemical use. The research focus has been on soil/water conservation and improved water quality while enhancing the economic viability of agricultural enterprises. This internationally recognized research is directed toward long-term, multi-disciplinary team research on irrigated farming systems. It emphasizes an integrated systems approach to solving present and future problems facing irrigated agriculture. Most of the research projects are long-term, in-depth interdisciplinary team research efforts from 3 to 10 years in duration.
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Dr. John Gaskin Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory Pest Management Research Unit 1500 N. Central Avenue Sidney, MT 59270 John.Gaskin@ars.usda.gov Phone: 406-433-9405 Fax: 406-433-5038
Dr. Gaskin was raised in Northern California and spent 13 years as a long-haul truck driver in the USA and Canada before turning to a career in science. John received a B.A. degree in Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz in 1996. He then went on to a combined program at Washington University in St. Louis and Missouri Botanical Garden to earn a Ph.D. in Evolution and Population Biology in 2002. John joined ARS in 2002 as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NPARL), working on population genetics of invasive plants and molecular systematics of taxonomic groups containing important weeds. He then accepted a Research Botanist position at NPARL where his personal research has focused on invasive plants such as saltcedar, whitetop, and rush skeletonweed; investigating how population structure and hybridization in plant invasions interact with biological control efforts. John has authored/co-authored more than 40 scientific publications and has frequently been invited to present seminars and lectures. He conducts fieldwork throughout the USA and in South America, Eurasia, and Australia. John is a member of the Weed Science Society of America, California Botanical Society, and the Montana Native Plant Society. He was the recipient of an EPA-STAR Fellowship in 1999 and has received grants from USDA-CSREES-NRI and the National Geographic Society.
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Barbara L. Flammond Location Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory 1500 N. Central Avenue Sidney, MT 59270 Barbara.Flammond@ars.usda.gov Phone: (406) 433-9485 Fax: (406) 433-9455 Barbara acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Great Falls, Great Falls, MT. She began her career with ARS in May 2004 in Sidney as the accounting technician gaining experience in federal government budgets and funding, time and attendance, property, and travel. She was promoted to the LAO position in July 2006. Prior to entering federal service, Barbara managed a Boys & Girls Club, spent 2 years as a business manager for a state hospital, designed an audit program for a locally owned bank, managed the regional business office for Cenex/Harvest States Cooperative for 4 years and managed a chain of Oilfield Supply Stores in Northwestern Montana for 9 years.
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Nebraska
Clay Center, NE
John A Nienaber (Jack) Acting Center Director USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE, 68933-0166 Jack.Nienaber@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4109 Fax: (402) 762-4111
Dr. Nienaber received his MS in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1971. He began his career with ARS in Lincoln as a member of the Waste Management Research Unit following graduation. His early work was with characterization and control of feedlot runoff and utilization of liquid runoff by grass. In 1976 he transferred to the USMARC where he initiated an animal stress program and developed the environmental laboratory including an indirect calorimetry system and the environmental chambers for livestock research. He received his PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 1981. His research in livestock energetics, especially with regards to thermal stress, has provided the basis for numerous livestock models. In 1992 he became the project leader for the new USMARC Beef Cattle Waste Management program and in 1996 he was appointed as the Research Leader of the Biological Engineering Research Unit, now the Environmental Management Research Unit. His current work includes emphasis on heat stress of feedlot cattle and management of manure from the feedlot, including crop utilization. He has served as editor of the Structures and Environment Division of ASAE as well as member/leader of numerous technical committees of that Society. He received the Henry Giese Award, a major ASAE award, in 1995 for his efforts in both livestock stress and manure management. In 2006, Dr. Nienaber received the rank of Fellow from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
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Glen L Becker Program Analyst USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Breeding and Genetics Unit P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Glen.Becker@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4107 Fax: (402) 762-4111
Mr. Becker is the Program Analyst at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. He joined the US Meat Animal Research Center in December, 1970, after graduating with a BS in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska – Kearney. In addition to providing a wide range of support to USMARC, he is active in a variety of local and regional civic and governmental roles.
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Gary L Bennett Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Breeding and Genetics Unit P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Gary.Bennett@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4254 Fax: (402) 762-4155
Dr. Bennett received his Ph.D. in Animal Science from The Ohio State University in 1977. His fields of expertise are genetics, linkage analysis, selection, and computer modeling of livestock. He has modeled components of litter size in pigs to better understand how litter size can be increased, collaborated internationally to more than double the number of genetic markers on the cattle linkage map, and established that selection for heifer calving ease while maintaining yearling weights can reduce calving difficulty and increase calf survival. Following a post-doctoral position at the University of Nebraska and a scientist position in New Zealand, he joined ARS in 1985 as a Research Geneticist in the Production Systems Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and became Research Leader in 1988. He subsequently became Research Leader for the Molecular Genetics Research Unit in 2004 and then the Genetics and Breeding Research Unit in 2006. He received the Rockefeller Prentice Memorial Animal Breeding Award from the American Society of Animal Science in 2001 and was Animal Genetics Division Editor for the Journal of Animal Science from 2001-2005.
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Tami Brown-Brandl Acting Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Environmental Management Research P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 tami.brownbrandl@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4279 Fax: (402) 762-4273
Acting Research Leader of the Environmental Management Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. A native of Nebraska, she received an AS in Mathematics and Biology from McCook Community College, BS in Biological Systems Engineering and a MS in Biological systems Engineering and Animal Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She continued her education at the University of Kentucky, where she received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering. She joined the team at USMARC in 1998 as an Agricultural Engineer. Her research has focused on the impacts of environment on the physiological responses of cattle and swine. The goal of her program is to develop tools to assist livestock producers in making management decisions to improve animal-well being and performance. Results of this program have impacted livestock agriculture nationally and internationally through scientific and technical publications. She is a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
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Harvey Freetly Acting Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Nutrition Research P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Harvey.Freetly@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4200 Fax: (402) 762-4209
Acting Research Leader of the Nutrition Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. Dr. Freetly obtained his Ph.D. in Nutrition from the University of California-Davis in 1990 and joined the NRU that same year. Dr. Freetly has conducted a research program defining dynamic responses in energy metabolism associated with changes in nutritional status, aging, pregnancy, and lactation. He has used these findings to develop management strategies that either reduce feed inputs or improve the flexibility to select the time that feed resources are used in the production cycle.
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Gregory Harhay Acting RL / Computational Biologist USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Animal Health Systems Research P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Gregory.Harhay@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4177 Fax: (402) 762-4375
Acting Research Leader of the Animal Health Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. Dr. Harhay received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Oregon in 1991. He used ultraviolet lasers to study protein folding, the electronic structure of the peptide bond, and the interactions of peptides with solvent water molecules. His results led to the development of a new model for protein:water interactions. Dr. Harhay accepted a post-doctoral position in 1993 at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) where he developed optoelectronic systems, a data processing pipeline, and a classified spectral database of proliferation effluents for BNL’s remote sensing efforts. He left BNL in 1995 to invent and patent a laser-chemical method for identifying and quantifying biomolecules in heterogenous matrices. He joined the USMARC in 2001 as a research associate where he developed a database schema and a computational pipeline that facilitated positional candidate gene selection by annotating raw sequence data with Gene Ontology terms. In 2003, he accepted a scientist position at USMARC as a Computational Biologist. Dr. Harhay joined the Animal Health Research Unit in 2006. His current research addresses livestock genomic biology questions by developing algorithms and automated computational pipelines that integrate heterogenous data into a unified biological context.
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Bucky R Herman Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Bucky.Herman@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4141 Fax: (402) 762-4148
Bucky is the Administrative Officer at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. He joined the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in August of 2002. Prior to becoming the Administrative Officer, Bucky was an Information Technology Specialist (Systems Analysis and Applications Software) at the research center working in the areas of remote data collection and database design. Bucky was raised on a diversified farming operation in central Nebraska and graduated from Hastings College with degrees in Computer Science and Religion. Away from work, Bucky enjoys spending time with his wife and children as well as working outside in the garden.
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Jeffrey L Vallet (Jeff) Research Leader, Supervisory Research Physiologist USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Reproduction Research P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Jeff.Vallet@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4187 Fax: (402) 762-4382
Dr. Vallet received his Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. He joined the Reproduction Research Unit of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in 1991, and became Research Leader of that Unit in 2005. His work has focused on factors affecting litter size in swine. These include the contribution of uterine secretions and conceptus development during early pregnancy on later placental development and litter size, and the interactions between fetal red blood cell development and litter size. Dr. Vallet is a member of the American Society of Animal Science and the Society for the Study of Reproduction. He has served on the editorial board for Biology of Reproduction.
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Tommy Lee Wheeler Research Leader, Supervisory Research Food Technologist USDA, ARS, NPA Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Meat Safety & Quality Research P.O. Box 166, State Spur 18D Clay Center, NE 68933-0166 Tommy.Wheeler@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 762-4221 Fax: (402) 762-4149
Dr. Wheeler received his Ph.D. in Meat Science and Muscle Biology from Texas A&M University in 1989 and then joined the staff at USMARC as a Research Food Technologist in the Meats Research Unit, which was reorganized into the Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit in 2006. His research has emphasized the development of genetic and postmortem strategies to optimize carcass yield and meat quality, improving meat tenderness, instrument grading for beef carcasses, and eliminating pathogen contamination of red meat products. He has authored or co-authored 99 refereed journal publications, 79 abstracts, 59 technical reports, 2 patents, and one book chapter. Dr. Wheeler has been recognized by the American Meat Science Association with the Achievement Award (1996), by the American Society of Animal Science with the Meats Research Award (2002), and by USDA-ARS (2004) and the Federal Laboratory Consortium (2005) with Technology Transfer Awards.
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Lincoln, NE
Kenneth P. Vogel (Ken) Research Leader, Supervisory Research Geneticist USDA, ARS, NPA Grain, Forage & Bioenergy Research 314 Biochemistry Hall, East Campus University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68583-0934 Ken.Vogel@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 472-1564 Fax: (402) 472-4020
Ken Vogel received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Colorado State University. Following service as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Nebraska in 1974. He began his ARS research career in the September of 1974. His primary area of research has been on breeding and genetics of introduced and native grasses for use in the Midwest and central Great Plains and associated management research. He has developed improved cultivars of switchgrass, big bluestem, intermediate and crested wheatgrass, prairie sandreed, and Canada wildrye and several germplasms. He has developed improved research tools including quantitative genetics, breeding, and statistical procedures and field and laboratory procedures for breeding forage grasses. He has emphasized grazing evaluation in his research and has validated the economic value of improved grasses in grazing trials. Since 1990 he has been conducting research to develop switchgrass into a biomass energy crop which has been critical to the development of biomass energy crops. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition research assignment, he serves as Research Leader of USDA-ARS Grain, Forage, and Bioenergy Research Unit, Lincoln, NE. Unit consists of 3 plant geneticists, 3 plant pathologists, two molecular biologists, and a forage and biomass agronomist. As Location Coordinator for USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE, he coordinates the activities of the two USDA-ARS research units located at Lincoln, NE and supervises the Location Administrative Staff.
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Brian J. Wienhold Research Leader, Soil Scientist USDA, ARS, NPA Agroecosystem Management Research Unit University of Nebraska - Lincoln - East Campus Lincoln, NE 68583-0938 Brian.Wienhold@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 472-1484 Fax: (402) 472-0516
Research Leader of the Agroecosystem Management Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr. Wienhold was raised in western Minnesota. He received a B.A. in Biology from Minnesota State University – Moorhead (formerly Moorhead State University) in 1982, a M.S. in Botany from North Dakota State University in 1985, and a Ph.D. from the School of Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Arizona in 1989. Brian began his career with ARS as a Research Associate with the Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville in 1989 working on formulation effects on herbicide fate and transport. In 1994 he moved to the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory in Mandan, ND, where he worked as a Soil Scientist on management effects on soil properties in irrigated and dryland cropping systems. Brian joined the Agroecosystem Management Research Unit (formerly the Soil and Water Conservation Research Unit) in 1997 as a Soil Scientist where he continues his work on management effects on soil properties in spatially variable landscapes. Brian has authored/coauthored over 60 scientific publications and has made presentations at regional, national, and international venues. He is a member of the Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Soil and Water Conservation Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Brian was selected as the ARS Early Career Scientist for the Northern Great Plains in 1996 and was the recipient of an OECD fellowship in 2003.
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Donna A Martin Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Biochemistry Hall, East Campus, Room 314 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68583-0737 Donna.Martin@ars.usda.gov Phone: (402) 472-1490 Fax: (402) 472-4020
Donna is the Administrative Officer for USDA, ARS, NPA, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has 20 years of service with ARS. She started her career with ARS back in 1979 as a Volunteer Student at the Roman L. Hruska U. S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, NE. She attended college at Kearney State College, Kearney, NE while continuing part-time employment at MARC through appointment on a Research Support Agreement with the University of Nebraska. In 1982 she became a permanent employee at MARC as the Switchboard Operator. In 1983 – 1988, Donna worked as the Procurement Clerk at MARC and then from 1988 – 2002 served as the Secretary to the Administrative Officer in Clay Center, NE. Donna was employed at Lincoln, NE in 2006 as the Program Support Assistant for the Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research Unit.
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North Dakota
Fargo, ND
William P. Kemp (Bill) Center Director USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center Northern Crop Science Laboratory 1307 18th Street North Fargo, North Dakota 58105-5677 William.Kemp@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1370 Fax: (701) 239-1395
W. P. Kemp currently serves as the Center Director of the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, ND. He joined ARS in 1984 and through 1996 was involved with research on the population dynamics and management of grasshoppers and locusts at the Rangeland Insect Laboratory in Bozeman and Sidney, MT. From 1997 to mid 2005, Bill served as Research Leader of the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory in Logan, UT, where he conducted research on pollination problems and alternative pollinator management in alfalfa seed and orchard production systems.
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Gerald L. Larsen Research Chemist/ Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center Biosciences Research Laboratory Animal Metabolism – Agricultural Chemicals Research Unit 1605 Albrecht Boulevard PO Box 5674 Fargo, ND 58105-5674 Gerald.Larsen@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1231 Fax: (710) 239-1430
Dr. Larsen received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota in 1980. His field of expertise is fate, transport, and excretion of agrochemicals and other foreign compounds in animals, soil, or animal waste management systems. He joined ARS in 1971 as a Chemist at the ARS Metabolism and Radiation Research Laboratory (name was later changed to Biosciences Research Laboratory) in Fargo. He became a Research Chemist in 1980 where he conducted research on the metabolism of agrochemicals and other foreign chemicals to which animals in production agriculture may be exposed and the physiological mechanisms involved in the metabolism of these chemicals. Dr. Larsen assumed the Research Leader position in 1993 and was instrumental in focusing research on biologically active compounds (hormones or endocrine disrupting compounds) in water, food, or other matrices and their fate and transport in soil and modern waste management systems used in production agriculture.
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Michael E Foley Supervisory Plant Physiologist - RL USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center Biosciences Research Laboratory Plant Science Research 1605 Albrecht Blvd Fargo, ND 58105 Michael.Foley@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1251 Fax: (701) 239-1252
Dr. Michael E. Foley earned his Ph.D. in agronomy/weed science from the University of Illinois in 1982. Mike’s field of expertise is dormancy in weed seeds and vegetative propagules. He has post-doctoral experience in molecular biology from the University of Oklahoma and been a faculty member at Montana State University and Purdue University. In 1998, he joined USDA-ARS as Research Leader for the Plant Science Research unit in Fargo, ND. He is an adjunct Professor in Plant Science at North Dakota State University, a Fellow in the Weed Science Society of America, and serves as a Director for this professional society. Mike was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm in southern Minnesota.
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James S. Buckner (Jim) Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Center Biosciences Research Laboratory Insect Genetics and Biochemistry Research Unit 1605 Albrecht Blvd Fargo, ND 58105-5674 James.Buckner@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1280 Fax: (701) 239-1348
Dr. Buckner received his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID in 1964 and M.S. (1969) and Ph.D. (1971) in chemistry from North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. In 1971 he joined the Agricultural Chemistry Department at Washington State University, Pullman as an Assistant Professor conducting lipid metabolism research in plants and animals. He joined ARS in 1976 as a Research Chemist in the Insect Genetics and Biochemistry Unit, Fargo and assumed the Research Leader position in 2004. Dr. Buckner has authored or co-authored more than 80 scientific journal articles and conference proceedings, two chapters of a monograph and a book chapter. Dr. Buckner has gained national/international recognition for his contributions in the areas of lipid identification, and elucidation of the biosynthetic and metabolic pathways of surface lipid components for plants, animals and insects, and of insect uric acid excretion and storage mechanisms. His current research involves pest insect interactions with host plants and natural enemies, characterization of surface (lipid) components involved in prey recognition, and characterization and function of lipids of pest and beneficial insects. Dr. Buckner was elected as a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and is a current member of the Entomological Society of America.
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Brady A. Vick Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Center Northern Crop Science Laboratory Sunflower Research Unit 1307 18th Street N Fargo, ND 58105-5677 Brady.Vick@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1322 Fax: (701) 239-1346
Dr. Vick is a native North Dakotan and received his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1968 from North Dakota State University. After service in the U.S. Army, he earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1975, also from North Dakota State University. Most of Dr. Vick’s research career has focused on plant lipid metabolism. He conducted his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Santa Cruz, under Harry Beevers, studying the subcellular location of fatty acid and phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes. He joined the ARS Sunflower Research Unit in Fargo, ND, in 1977 and conducted research that outlined many of the reactions of the lipoxygenase pathway in plants, including the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid, later shown to be a stress signal in the defense mechanisms of plants. Dr. Vick became the Research Leader of the Sunflower Research Unit in 1989. He is a member of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the International Sunflower Association.
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Michael C. Edwards (Mike) Research Leader / Research Plant Pathologist USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center Northern Crop Science Laboratory Cereal Crops Research Unit 1307 18th Street North Fargo, North Dakota 58105-5677 Michael.Edwards@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1341 Fax: (701) 239-1369
Dr. Edwards earned his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Cornell University. He has served as Research Leader of the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Fargo since 2001. He has been a Research Plant Pathologist with ARS since 1985, and holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Plant Pathology at North Dakota State University. His current research focuses on the study of the molecular genetics of viruses and host-virus interactions, with emphasis on mechanisms of virus pathogenicity and host resistance. Dr. Edwards also serves as the coordinator for the Mississippi Valley Uniform Regional Barley Nursery, a program essential to the development of new malting barley varieties adapted to the upper midwest. Dr. Edwards has served as both Associate Editor and Senior Editor of Phytopathology, the top-ranked international journal of fundamental plant disease research. He is a member of the American Phytopathological Society and has served as both member and Chair of the APS Virology Committee. He is also a member of the Plant Virus Subcommittee of the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses and is Chair of the Marafivirus Study Group.
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Jeffrey C. Suttle (Jeff) Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center Northern Crop Science Laboratory Sugarbeet & Potato Research Unit 1307 North 18th St Fargo, ND 58105-5677 Jeff.Suttle@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1257 Fax: (701) 239-1349
Dr. Suttle received his Ph.D. in plant physiology from Michigan State University in 1979. His area of research expertise is the hormonal regulation of plant growth and development. His current research assignment concerns the identification of the internal processes controlling potato tuber dormancy and early sprout growth. He joined ARS in 1979 working on the interactions between agricultural chemicals and endogenous plant growth regulators. In 1991, his research assignment was changed to potato postharvest physiology. He became Research Leader in 1998. He is a member of the American Society of Plant Physiologists, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Potato Association of America.
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Jamie J. Wadzink Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center Biosciences Research Laboratory 1605 Albrecht Blvd Fargo, ND 58105 Jamie.Wadzink@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 239-1203 Fax: (701) 239-1202
Jamie is the Administrative Officer for the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center. She joined ARS in 2004. She started her career with the Department of Justice in 1997 as a legal clerk with the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in Fargo, ND. After college, she moved to Minneapolis, MN and worked for the USAO as a Legal Secretary in 1999. In 2001, she worked for U.S. Trustee Program as the Paralegal Specialist/Administrative Officer in Minneapolis, MN. Jamie has a B.S. degree in the Paralegal Program from Minnesota State University, Moorhead, MN.
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Grand Forks, ND
![Dr Gerald F. Combs](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105172055im_/http://ars.usda.gov/sp2userfiles/Place/54000000/images/PortraitGrandForksJerryCombs.jpg)
Gerald F. Combs, Jr. Center Director Acting RL - Micronutrient Absorption & Metabolism Unit Acting RL - Nutitional Determinants of Health Unit USDA, ARS, NPA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center 2420 2 Ave N, Stop 9034 Grand Forks, ND 58202-9034 Gerald.Combs@ars.usda.gov Phone: 701-795-8456 Fax: 701-795-8230
Dr Combs received his Ph.D.in Nutritional Biochemistry from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1974. He joined ARS in 2000 as Center Director of the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center. Before that, he was a Professor of Nutrition at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York for 30 years. Dr. Combs' has a wide interest and expertise in Nutrition and Health. His research concerns the nutritional biochemistry of minerals and vitamins (especially selenium, vitamin E and factors affecting their metabolic functions), ranging from basic biochemical studies to human metabolic and clinical investigations. He has conducted research in the US, China and South Asia which has sensitized him to the needs to find better ways of utilizing the inherent power of food systems to enhance human health and well-being.
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Henry C. Lukaski Assistant Center Director USDA, ARS, NPA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center 2420 2 Ave N, Stop 9034 Grand Forks, ND 58202-9034 Henry.Lukaski@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 795-8429 Fax: 701-795-8230
Dr. Lukaski received his Ph.D. in physiology and nutrition from the Pennsylvania State University, and was a Visiting Scientist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Dr. Lukaski is the Assistant Center Director and Supervisory Research Physiologist at the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science and a member of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and Research Council at the University of North Dakota. His research focuses on the interaction of physical activity and mineral nutrient intakes in humans with an emphasis on iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and chromium to promote health and optimal physiological function and performance throughout the life cycle.
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Susan M. Sorum Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center 2420 2nd Avenue Grand Forks, ND, 58202 Susan.Sorum@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 795-8358 Fax: (701) 795-8395
Susan is the Administrative Officer at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center (GFHNRC) in Grand Forks, ND. She started her career with ARS in 1975 at the GFHNRC working as a Clerk Stenographer. In 1979 she transferred to the USDA-ARS Potato Research Laboratory where she worked as an Administrative Technician until 1996. When that laboratory was targeted for closure, she was given an opportunity to return to the GFHNRC where her work focus was on public relations. In 2001, Susan had an opportunity to come back to administrative work at the GFHNRC, where she also manages the operational support units of the Center.
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Mandan, ND
Jonathan D Hanson (Jon) Supervisory Rangeland Scientist / RL USDA, ARS, NPA Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory Room 201, Highway 6 South, PO Box 459 Mandan, ND 58554-0459 Jon.Hanson@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 667-3010 Fax: (701) 667-3054
Dr. Jon Hanson is the Research Leader and a Supervisory Rangeland Scientist of the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory in Mandan, North Dakota. He received his Ph.D. in Range Science from Texas A&M University in 1979. Jon began his career with ARS at the High Plains Grassland Research Station in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1979. In 1984, he was transferred to the range research group in Fort Collins, Colorado. A subsequent reorganization resulted in the formation of the Great Plains Systems Research Unit in 1986. As part of this unit, Jon began to work in both range and crop land systems. Jon's life-long goal is to contribute toward the development and implementation of sustainable and adaptive management systems for agriculture and natural resources by (1) synthesizing and enhancing knowledge of biological and physical processes, (2) developing, validating, and enhancing integrated models of agricultural and natural resource systems, and (3) developing methodologies for transferring technology to managers, action agencies, and scientists. His work has led to the development and implementation of simulation models and decision support tools including SPUR, SPUR2, RZWQM, RZWQM98, GPFARM, and the Crop Sequence Calculator. He is a member of the Society for Range Management, the Agronomy Society of America, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.
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![Bruce Rittel](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105172055im_/http://ars.usda.gov/sp2userfiles/Place/54000000/images/PortraitMandanRittel.jpg)
Bruce Rittel Location Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Northern Great Plains Research Lab P.O. Box 459 1701 10th Ave SW Mandan, ND 58554 Bruce.Rittel@ars.usda.gov Phone: (701) 667-3012 Fax: (701) 667-3054
Bruce is the location Administrative Officer for the Northern Great Plains Research Lab (NGPRL) with 18 years of service with ARS. After receiving a degree in Education from the University of North Dakota, Bruce started his career as a teacher and then worked for the Social Security Administration. In 1988, he came to ARS as the Administrative Officer at Mandan, ND. Bruce has already received numerous awards, such as the Super Supervisor Award from the Association for Persons with Disabilities in Agriculture and the Silver Award of Excellence from ARS. He was the President of the Bismarck-Mandan Federal Association and received the Federal Employee of the Year Award in 2002. Bruce has also served on many national and local committees for both ARS and the Federal Government.
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South Dakota
Brookings, SD
Dr. Kenton Dashiell Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory 2923 Medary Avenue Brookings, SD 57006-9803 Kenton.Dashiell@ars.usda.gov Phone: 605-693-5201 Fax: 605-693-5240 Dr. Dashiell received his B.S. in Agronomy in 1976, and then spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Vegetable Agronomist in Antigua, West Indies. In 1979 he received his M.S. in Agronomy from Oklahoma State University, and in 1983 he earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy with a specialization in Plant Breeding from the University of Florida. He then worked for 18 years at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria. He lead a team of scientists that developed several soybean varieties that are now being grown in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Uganda, and D.R. Congo. While at IITA he held various management positions including Leader of the Grain Legume Improvement Program and Director of the Crop Improvement Division. In 2001 he returned to the United States to serve on the faculty of Oklahoma State University where he was the peanut breeder and taught crop breeding and grain crop production. In 2004 he joined ARS as the Research Leader at the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Brookings, South Dakota. Here he is leading a diverse group of researchers that are developing IPM and Agronomic practices for producers of food, feed and energy crops in the North Central US and also developing value-added products made from the by-products of the bio-ethanol fuel industry.
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Sharon Telkamp Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory 2923 Medary Avenue Brookings, SD 57006 Sharon.Telkamp@ars.usda.gov Phone: (605) 693-5203 Fax: (605) 693-5240
Sharon is the Location Administrative Officer for the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory. She has twenty years of service with ARS and the Brookings location. She began her career with ARS in 1986 as a Purchasing Agent and accepted the Administrative Officer position in 2000.
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Utah
Logan, UT
Jack E. Staub Research Leader and Location Coordinator USDA, ARS, NPA Forage and Range Research Laboratory 690 N. 1100 E. Logan, UT 84322-6300 Jack.Staub@ars.usda.gov Phone: (435) 797-2249 Fax: (435) 797-3075
Dr. Staub received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Botany from Utah State University in 1971 and 1973, respectively. He then received a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA in Horticulture with an emphasis in Plant Breeding in 1980. Between 1973 and 1976 he worked as a research technician for Sandoz Ltd. (Switzerland) and the Medical College of Virginia (Richmond) in cancer research. From 1980-2007 Jack was a Research Horticulturist with ARS at the Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Madison, WI where his research focused on cucumber, melon, and squash (cucurbits). Research areas in cucurbits included the identification, description, and application of unique germplasm, investigations of their genetic, biochemical, and physiological nature, and the modification of cultural practices which exploit their genetic potential. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (2001), a member of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has served on the academic advisory board of several technical colleges, has advised the completion of work of 25 graduate students (19 Ph.Ds), has been an associate editor of 4 international journals, made 12 germplasm releases, and has published extensively in scientific and technical journals. He became Research Leader of the Forage and Range Research Laboratory in 2007 where he now conducts genetic and physiological experiments related to forage and range grass species.
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Kip Panter Research Animal Scientist USDA, ARS, NPA Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory 1150 East, 1400 North Logan, UT, 84341-0000 Kip.Panter@ars.usda.gov Phone: (435) 752-2941 ext. 1123 Fax: (435) 753-5681
Dr. Kip Panter is the Research Leader of the Poisonous Plant Research Unit in Logan, Utah. He earned his BS degree in Animal Science at Utah State University in 1975, MS degree in Reproductive Physiology, Utah State University in 1978 and PhD in Toxicology from the Dept. of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois in 1983. Dr. Panter accepted a position at the Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory as a Research Animal Scientist in 1984. Dr. Panters’ research interests include the toxicology of natural toxins on reproduction in livestock, abnormal embryonic and fetal development and general reproductive dysfunction. Dr. Panter has authored or coauthored over 100 refereed journal articles and served a detail with NPS in Beltsville, Maryland, in 1997 and prepared the annual Food Safety Report. Dr. Panter received the Senior Scientist of the Year Award from the Northern Plains Area in 2002 and the James LeGrande Shupe Achievement Award from the Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State University in 2003.
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Rosalind James Supervisory Research Entomologist USDA, ARS, NPA Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management and Systematics Research 5310 Old Main Hill, Room 253 Logan, UT, 84322-5310 Rosalind.James@ars.usda.gov Phone: (435) 797-0530 Fax: (435) 797-0461
Dr. Rosalind James is Research Leader of the Pollinating-Insect Biology, Management, and Systematics Research Unit in Logan, UT. The mission of the laboratory, also known as the Bee Biology and Systematics Lab, is to develop bees as sustainable pollinators of agricultural crops, focusing on domesticating new bee species, that is, bees other than honey bees. Additional research is directed in areas of bee biosystematics and pollination biology. Dr. James obtained a PhD in Entomology from Oregon State University and worked as a Senior Scientist at the EPA Environmental Research Laboratory in Corvallis, OR, before joining ARS as an expert in microbial control of insect pests. Dr. James's expertise is in insect pathology, and she now works on developing novel control options and delivery systems for the management of chalkbrood and other diseases, parasites, and predators in bees, especially the alfalfa leafcutting bee. Her research contributes to our basic understanding of host-pathogen interactions and the improvement of methods for controlling bee diseases in agricultural production systems. Dr. James is currently active in the Society for Invertebrate Pathology, serving as Secretary/Treasurer (2004-2006) and Chair Elect (2006-2008) of the Fungus Division, and has published on a variety of subjects including bee diseases, biological control, genetic engineering, and risk assessment.
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John Watterson Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Forage & Range Research Lab 690 North 1100 East, Room 101 Logan, UT, 84322-6300 John.Watterson@ars.usda.gov Phone: (435) 797-3071 Fax: (435) 797-3075
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Wyoming
Cheyenne, WY
Jack A Morgan Supervisory Plant Physiologist & Research Leader USDA, ARS, NPA Crops Research Laboratory RRRU (Cheyenne, WY / Fort Collins, CO) 1701 Centre Ave Fort Collins, CO, 80526-2083 Jack.Morgan@ars.usda.gov Phone: (970) 492-7121 Fax: (970) 492-7310
Dr. Morgan received graduate degrees in Agronomy/Plant Physiology from the University of Georgia. In addition to his responsibilities as a Research Leader, Dr. Morgan is also a co-PI on the National Science Foundation funded Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research Project, headquartered at Colorado State University, and is an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Wyoming and the Crops and Soils Department at Colorado State University. His research interests are in photosynthesis, plant/soil water relations, and physiological plant ecology of native grasslands. His two major areas of research are understanding the effects of global climate change on western rangelands, and evaluating the impacts of management practices on the health of rangelands, particularly in regards to C cycling. He is a Fellow of the American society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America, and has received several awards, including Outstanding Achievement Award from the Society for Range Management, the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation Award, and the USDA-ARS Colorado-Wyoming Teamwork Award. He has served on editorial boards of six international journals, participated as a contributing author in the 3rd assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and has applied his experience to international research efforts through service on a US AID evaluation team to Morocco and an FAO book chapter on global change implications for world grazinglands.
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![Kathie Peterson](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081105172055im_/http://ars.usda.gov/sp2userfiles/Place/54000000/images/PortraitCheyenneKathiePeterson.jpg)
Kathleen S. Peterson (Kathie) Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA High Plains Grasslands Research Station 8408 Hildreth Rd Cheyenne, WY 82009 Kathie.Peterson@ars.usda.gov Phone: (307) 772-2433 x 105 Fax: (307) 637-6124
Kathie is the Administrative Officer for the Rangeland Resources Research Unit in Cheyenne, WY, the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, CO, the RRRU at Crops Research Lab, Fort Collins, CO, and also ABADRL in Laramie, WY. She started her career with the Veterans Administration as a ward clerk/manager. She has 22 years with ARS. She started her ARS career as a Research Leader Secretary then moved on to become the Administrative Technician, and finally the Administrative Officer for the 4 locations. Kathie has a degree in Business Administration from Laramie County Community College.
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Laramie, WY
Barbara Drolet Acting RL / Research Microbiologist USDA, ARS, NPA Agricultural Building, Room 5031, Dept 3354 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie, WY 82071-2000 Barbara.Drolet@ars.usda.gov Phone: (307) 766-3651 Fax: (307) 766-3500
Acting Research Leader of the Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Laboratory in Laramie, Wyoming. Dr. Drolet earned her Ph.D. in Genetics from Oregon State University in 1994 and then went on to do a post doctoral appointment in herpes simplex virus latency and reactivation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA until 1998. She joined the Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Laboratory (ABADRL) in 1999 as a research associate and became a Microbiologist for the ABADRL in 2001. Her research focuses on virus-vector-host molecular interactions of insect transmitted livestock diseases. Dr. Drolet serves as lead scientist on one of two National Program 103 CRIS project plans and has authored or co-authored 26 publications.
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Kathleen S. Peterson (Kathie) Administrative Officer USDA, ARS, NPA Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Laboratory Agricultural Bldg, Rm 5031, Dept 3354 1000 E University Ave Laramie, WY 82071-2000 Kathie.Peterson@ars.usda.gov Phone: (307) 772-2433 x 105 Fax: (307) 637-6124
Kathie is the Administrative Officer for the Rangeland Resources Research Unit in Cheyenne, WY, the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, CO, the RRRU at Crops Research Lab, Fort Collins, CO, and also ABADRL in Laramie, WY. She started her career with the Veterans Administration as a ward clerk/manager. She has 22 years with ARS. She started her ARS career as a Research Leader Secretary then moved on to become the Administrative Technician, and finally the Administrative Officer for the 4 locations. Kathie has a degree in Business Administration from Laramie County Community College.
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