Lunch-N-Learn Series

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Session sponsors: American Seed Trade Association and American Society of Plant Biologists.

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the NSF supported Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP), the landmark research program that supports genome-scale research that addresses challenges of biological, societal, and economic importance. Building on the importance of PGRP is the 2018 Farm Bill authorized Agricultural Genome To Phenome Initiative (AG2PI), which aims to address an increasing global population and multiple environmental stressors on agricultural production through better understanding of how genotype and environment influence phenotype for the complex traits of crops and livestock that are of economic importance to agriculture. 

Speakers:

David Ertl, Iowa Corn

Dr. David Ertl is Director Production Technology with Iowa Corn. David has 39 years of experience working in agricultural research. His career began with DuPont Pioneer working as a Research Manager and corn breeder and later as a Research Director where he managed a team of scientists working in the areas of performance predictability and emerging technologies. David in an inventor on 15 patents.

In his current role with Iowa Corn, he manages contract and funded research projects in both the public and private sectors. Projects include the areas of proprietary biotechnology trait development as well as public genomics and phenomics projects.

Dr. Ertl received his B.S. degree in Agronomy from the University of Connecticut and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Breeding from Iowa State University.

Sue Rhee, Michigan State University

Seung Yon (Sue) Rhee will join MSU as a Full Professor in the departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, and Plant, Soil, and Microbes, an MSU Foundation Professor, and Director of MSU’s Plant Resilience Institute.

She has a diverse and interdisciplinary research experience ranging from plant development, plant metabolism, bioinformatics, genomics, and computational modeling. She has extensive leadership, mentoring, and research experience and has trained over 160 scientists, many of whom have achieved leadership positions in academia, government, and industry. 

Rhee received her B.A. in biology from Swarthmore College in 1992 and a Ph.D. in biology from Stanford University in 1997.

About NCFAR’s Lunch-N-Learn Series:

The National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, consensus-based, and customer-led coalition that brings together food, agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and natural resource stakeholders to serve as a forum and unified voice supporting increased federal investment in USDA Research, Education, and Economics (USDA REE). NCFAR’s popular "Lunch-N-Learn" series and webinars feature experts from institutions across the country sharing expertise on a wide range of topics to show the value of public investment in food and agricultural research. This event will be held in-person at 1302 Longworth House Office Building.

Session sponsors: Weed Science Society of America, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Extension Committee on Policy, CropLife America, and Syngenta. Collaborators: National Corn Growers Association and American Soybean Association.

How can research help strike a balance between protecting threatened and endangered species and minimizing impacts to farmers and their crop protection products that produce food, feed, and fiber for the world?

When federal agencies determine that a pesticide might adversely affect a listed species in a given county, farmers in that entire county might be excluded from using that pesticide, even though the listed species or its critical habitat might only occupy a small fraction of that county.

This seminar will reflect on how research by EPA, USDA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service can help address this challenge.

Speakers:

Bill Chism, Weed Science Society of America

Bill is the chair of the Endangered Species Committee of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA).  Bill grew up working on a vegetable farm in the Salinas Valley of California.  He worked for the University of California extension conducting weed control research on vegetable crops.  After receiving his PhD in Weed Science from Virginia Tech he worked for 10 years for a pesticide registrant.  He spent 21 years at the EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) conducting assessments on the benefits of pesticides to farmers as part of the registration review process.  During his career at the EPA, he was been involved in assessments of over 350 different pesticides.  

Bill received an BS in Entomology from the University of California Davis, a MS in Agriculture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a MS in Plant Physiology at UC Riverside and a PhD in Weed Science at Virginia Tech.  He lives in Frederick County Maryland with his wife, two cats, two dogs, and four horses.  Bill recently won the Public Service Award from the WSSA, and has received numerous awards from the State Department and EPA for his work on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia

Stanley Culpepper is a Professor in the Crop and Soil Science Department at The University of Georgia with a 98% Extension responsibility. A native of North Carolina, he grew up on a bicentennial family farm producing corn, cotton, peanut, soybean, and wheat. He received his BS in Agronomy and his MS and PhD in weed science from N. C. State University. Stanley began his professional career at The University of Georgia as a cotton, vegetable, and small grain weed scientist in 1999, and continues with those responsibilities today. Stanley’s ultimate goal is to develop and share sound science with family farms improving their sustainability.  

Because of Stanley’s efforts, he is a frequent speaker at events across the country. Stanley has been honored to win over thirty awards including the EPA’s Montreal Protocol International Award for assisting in the preservation of the ozone layer. Stanley has also served three terms on the U.S. EPA Agricultural Science Committee Advisory Board and is currently the Past President of the Weed Science Society of America.

About NCFAR’s Lunch-N-Learn Series:

The National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, consensus-based, and customer-led coalition that brings together food, agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and natural resource stakeholders to serve as a forum and unified voice supporting increased federal investment in USDA Research, Education, and Economics (USDA REE). NCFAR’s popular "Lunch-N-Learn" series and webinars feature experts from institutions across the country sharing expertise on a wide range of topics to show the value of public investment in food and agricultural research. This event will be held in-person at 1302 Longworth House Office Building.

Series sponsors: Eversole Associates, Extension Committee on Organization & Policy (ECOP), and SoAR Foundation

Investment in scientific and economic research are critical to U.S. agricultural trade and competitiveness in the global marketplace. As a net producer of many agricultural products, the United States helps feed the world.  Likewise, robust trade strengthens America’s agriculture economy as a whole and the many communities that contribute their bounty and talents to it. The U.S. agriculture community, from research institutions to producers to policy makers, are deeply invested in and support a science-based approach to trade and food import policies. Join us to learn more about how USDA research contributes to America’s agriculture leadership and our nation’s ability to navigate the international trade challenges that lie ahead.

Speakers:

Jeanne F. Bailey
Deputy Administrator, Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

Mark Slupek
Deputy Administrator, Global Programs
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

Keith Fuglie
Senior Economist
USDA Economic Research Service

Michael Anderson
Vice President, Trade & Industry Relations
Corn Refiners Association

Series sponsors: Eversole Associates, Extension Committee on Organization & Policy (ECOP), and SoAR Foundation

Over the past several decades, wildfire activity in the western United States has increased dramatically. At the same time, many rural communities in the region have become increasingly dependent on outdoor recreation to drive their local economies. This research project investigates relationships between wildfire, outdoor recreation, and rural economic activity in the western U.S. Using ten years of daily data on recreation on federal lands, we analyze the effects of wildfires and wildfire smoke on recreation site use. We then use data on employment in individual business establishments to estimate the effects of wildfires on local economies. The research provides new information on how wildfires and wildfire smoke are driving impacts to recreation-dependent rural communities.

Speaker Biography:

Margaret Walls, Ph.D, is a Senior Fellow with Resources for the Future. Walls’ current research focuses on issues related to resilience and adaptation to extreme events, ecosystem services, and conservation, parks and public lands. Walls’s work on resilience assesses the factors that affect household location decisions in coastal areas, how individuals perceive flood risks, and how risk perceptions affect adaptation decisions. She has estimated the value of natural lands—such as wetlands—in providing protection from hurricanes and flooding, and is assessing the extent to which hurricanes affect U.S. migration patterns.

For more information, visit the RFF website to view the video archive from "Sparking Solutions," a three-part webinar series focused on finding equitable, effective, and workable policies to address the growing threat of wildfires in the United States. 

This Latte-N-Learn webinar was held on September 15 at 10 a.m. eastern and featured USDA Under Secretary Chavonda Jacobs-Young and the leadership at ARS, ERS, NASS, and NIFA . Watch the video archive to learn how USDA's research community is working to advance climate-smart agriculture and nutrition security.

Series sponsors: Eversole Associates, Extension Committee on Organization & Policy (ECOP), and SoAR Foundation

For more than 40 years, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) have provided science-based guidance for healthy eating, yet the quality of American diets has shown limited improvement. In 2021 a diverse group of thought leaders in health, nutrition and food science convened at a workshop hosted by IFT and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, supported by USDA/NIFA, to discuss opportunities to help consumers meet dietary guidelines. Key opportunities identified included advancing food science and technology research and broadening public-private collaborations to develop safe, affordable, and accessible, nutrient dense foods. This webinar will discuss these key recommendations in greater detail and what steps can be taken to advance innovations and empower consumers to make positive shifts towards healthier diets.

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Noel E. Anderson is managing partner of Mosaic Food Advisors LLC which helps start-up companies in the food and beverage arena succeed in the marketplace. Previously, Noel spent 19 years in Research & Development at PepsiCo and 18 years at General Foods/Kraft. 

After receiving his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Food Science and Nutrition Noel stayed actively engaged with the Food Science Department. Noel served on its Industrial Advisory Board for more than 20 years, with 16 years as its Chairperson. During this time the department raised over $12 million, and its Graduate Program achieved the #1 ranking in the US. He received the UMass Amherst Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award in 2011. 

Noel is also very active in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). He currently serves as the 2020-2021 Past President of the 13,000-member association and was elected as an IFT Fellow in 2010. Previously Noel served   as a trustee and then chair of the Board of Trustees for Feeding Tomorrow, IFT’s foundation. 

Noel divides his time between Stamford, Connecticut and Westerly, Rhode Island.

Series sponsors: Eversole Associates, Extension Committee on Organization & Policy (ECOP), and SoAR Foundation

Process food waste is generated by large-scale food producers and is generally comprised of inedible portions of organic matter like fruit and vegetable trimmings, skins and peels, and brewing and wine waste. Diversion of these wastes from the landfill to higher value products can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and give additional value to a once discarded source. Process food waste is rich in carbon and often contain various nutraceuticals or bioactive compounds that can be recovered. Alternatively, the process food waste can be upgraded to methane via anaerobic digestion.           

Speaker Biography:
Dr. Abigail Engelberth is an Assistant Professor in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and in Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. She earned a B.S. and M.E. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Engelberth was a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Maine and built a process model to emulate the conversion of hemicellulose into liquid fuels via anaerobic digestion. Dr. Engelberth’s research focuses on three sections:  identifying new bioproducts or new sources from which to obtain existing bioproducts; developing methods to recover bioproducts; and modeling the recovery and purification steps in order to effectively scale-up the process.

Series sponsors: Eversole Associates, Extension Committee on Organization & Policy (ECOP), and SoAR Foundation

Climate change is impacting rural America from the arid west to the humid east. America’s agricultural producers are living with intensifying droughts, wildfires, temperature extremes, floods, hail, hurricanes, and reduced winter snowpack all of which increase production risks. Of significance, aquifer levels in arid and semi-arid production regions are no longer meeting crop water demands, and in many cases no longer a viable water source for rural communities. The presentation will address Climate Smart practices that are being investigated in the Texas High Plains and emphasize the impacts of reduced agricultural production on America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.        

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Jourdan Bell is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University in Amarillo, Texas. Dr. Bell’s extension and research efforts focus on agronomic management to improve crop production and profitability on the Texas High Plains. Her extension activities include assisting county extension agents with demonstration trials as well as compiling and presenting results for regional producers through trial reports and county programs. Her research portfolio focuses on crop selection and agronomic practices in sorghum, wheat, cotton, and corn systems on the Texas High Plains in the face of declining regional groundwater levels. Dr. Bell earned her PhD in soil science from Texas A&M University and a M.S. in plant, soil, and environmental science form West Texas A&M University. Dr. Bell is actively involved with the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America as well as Women in Science Endeavors (WISE).

NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer and ERS Administrator Spiro Stefanou 

NIFA Director Carrie Castille & Senior Leadership Team

USDA ARS Associate Administrator Steve Kappes

Ken Olson, FASS
Keith Belk, Professor and Head, Department of Animal Science and Adjunct Professor in the Colorado School of Public Health

Charlie Messina, Corteva Agriscience
Lisa Ainsworth, Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, USDA, ARS

David Baltensperger, Texas A&M University
Zhengxia Dou, University of Pennsylvania
Marty Matlock, University of Arkansas
Debbie Reed, Ecosystem Services
Alex Thomasson, Mississippi State University
Juan Tricarico, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy

Spiro Sterfanou, USDA, ERS Administrator, Washington, D.C.
Herbert Hamer, USDA, NASS Administrator, Washington, D.C.
Barb Glenn, NASDA CEO, Arlington, Virginia

Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA, ARS, Washington, D.C.
Alice H. Lichtenstein, USDA, ARS, Washington, D.C.
Russell W. Jessup, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

Carrie Castille, USDA, NIFA, Washington, D.C.
Bret Hess, Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, Reno, Nevada
Susan Ballabina, Texas A&M AgriLife, Stephenville, Texas
Jason Henderson, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Vonda Richardson, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida
Alton Thompson, Executive Director, Association of 1890s Research Directors, Tuskegee, Alabama
Brian Kowalkowski, College of Menominee Nation, Keshena, Wisconsin

David Stern, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Samantha Shoaf Miller, Beck's Hybrids, Atlanta, Indiana