Silvana Martini Awarded College of Ag Faculty Researcher of the Year

Silvana has amassed a most impressive record of research productivity and achievement during her four and a half years at USU.

The central focus of Silvana's research program is to understand mechanisms involved with lipid crystallization and how these processes can be controlled to improve food quality and nutrition. This unique area of research has great potential al1d importance to the food industry. For example, Silvana is looking at how ultrasonic processing effects crystallization of unsaturated fats so to mimic characteristics observed with saturated fats. This is an unexplored area that will be key to developing alternative processing strategies for production of healthy food products with good physiochemical and sensory characteristics.

As a doctoral student and post doctoral associate she published frequently before coming to USU including 18 refereed papers, one book chapter and 21 presentations at scientific meetings. She has built on that record since arriving at USU. Her remarkable intellectual and research productivity at USU includes 15 refereed articles in very good journals, four invited book chapters (plus two other submitted), a provisional patent, and 27 presentations.

Silvana has received over $1.8 million in research funding since becoming a faculty member. Most of that funding was through nationally competitive mechanisms and this confirms her ability to compete for extramural funding on a national scale. On those grants where Silvana was co-PI, she had well defined roles that were key to the success of the overall projects. On those grants where Silvana was PI, she both contributed her individual scientific expertise and demonstrated an ability to motivate, organize and coordinate interdisciplinary teams of researchers.

The College of Ag Welcomes Earl Creech

The College of Agriculture at Utah State University welcomes Earl Creech as assistant professor and extension agronomist in the plants, soils and climate department. Creech’s scientific background is in corn and soybean production, weed science and agronomy.

Creech comes back to his roots in Cache Valley where he was born and raised. He attended USU receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in agronomy (2001) and a master’s degree in weed science (2003). He headed to West Layfette, Ind. to attend Purdue University graduating with a doctorate in weed science specializing in soybean production (2007).

Creech spent the last two years working for the University of Nevada, Reno as an Extension weed specialist. He worked on a variety of projects helping agriculture professionals increase production output while lowering production costs.

He is excited to be back in Cache Valley and to start working with farmers around the state to improve agricultural production.

“This is my dream job,” he said. “Since I was little I always wanted to have this job. It’s wild that it has actually happened.”

Some of the challenges that Creech for sees for Utah farmers are finding ways for them to make a living. With the rising costs of fertilizers, seed and equipment farmers are forced to find new and improved ways to produce more at a lower cost.

“I will be spending a lot of time on the road,” he said. “I need to see first hand the problems that Utah farmers are facing.”

Creech will be reaching out to agriculture community through workshops, meetings, field tours, publications and Web based communications.

Crook Awarded College of Ag Undergraduate Researcher of the Year

Jeremy began to learn about plants by working in landscaping and collecting house plants. At one point he had over 250 house plants which he cared for and studied. Utah State University was a logical place where he could continue developing this passion for plants. During his time at USU, he has worked as a landscape manager, an aquatic plant propagator, a nursery manager, and a chokecherry researcher. In 2008 and 2009 Jeremy was awarded an Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) grant to research chokecherries with Dr. Brent Black. There have been many opportunities to present this research at a national level. His research has been presented at the National Controlled Environment NCERA – 101 meeting in Park City, the USU Undergraduate Research Symposium, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) national conference in St. Louis, MO, and Research on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City.

Jeremy has been actively engaged with several national horticulture groups including the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS), where he is a Bruce Briggs Scholar; the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), where he is the National President for the undergraduate Association of Collegiate Branches (ACB); and is a member of the floriculture, propagation, and graduate working groups. He is also involved with the OFA, an Association of Horticulture Professionals whose focus is in floriculture, and he hopes to be an OFA Scholar in Ohio this summer. His leadership experiences on campus at USU include being voted as president of the National Honors Society in Floriculture, Phi Alpha Xi, Alpha Nu chapter and also working as the President of the Plant Science Club. Jeremy has shared his passion with those around him and helped others involved in horticulture see the many opportunities that exist in this field.

This summer Jeremy will begin a PhD in Plant and Environmental Science at Clemson University in South Carolina. At Clemson he will be working on water conservation in propagation of floriculture crops and studying the fluxes of water through propagules during the propagation rooting stages. His goal is to become a professor, educator and mentor to students all over the world. He looks forward to continued learning and research on plants and sharing that passion and knowledge with those around him.

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture to Speak at USU Extension Annual Conference

Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary of agriculture, is coming to Utah State University to speak at the Extension Annual Conference. Her presentation “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” is Thursday, March 4, from 3-4 p.m., in the Eccles Conference Center auditorium. She will address combating childhood obesity and hunger problems by explaining the benefits of making healthier food choices while supporting local farmers. All students, faculty, staff and members of the community are invited to attend the free presentation.

Merrigan served as an assistant professor and director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Programs at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston. In 2008, she was an expert consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome. She holds a doctorate in environmental planning and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s of public affairs from the University of Texas and a bachelor’s from Williams College.

“Its an exciting opportunity for USU to have Kathleen here,” explained Noelle Cockett, vice president for Extension and agriculture. “Our students are receiving experience that will make them leaders in tomorrow’s world and it’s important for them to be exposed to the perspective roles of leaders today.”

For more information about the USU Extension annual conference visit the Web site (http://extension.usu.edu).