Annual Reports
ACS - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Committee (ACS528)
2012 Annual Report
Summary
The Diversity in Agronomy, Crops, Soils and Environmental Sciences Committee (ACS528) moved forward with significantly achieving its objective of enhancing the participation of underrepresented students and professionals thereby strengthening and diversifying the potential workforce in agricultural and environmental sciences. This is evidenced by enhanced participation of graduate students in the Minority Student Poster Competition. The high schools students participating in the Gateway Scholars Program (previously known as Platinum Scholars Program ) of the ACS 528 showed much more interest by interacting with the graduate students presenting their posters in the Minority Student Poster Competition. This report, in addition to the minutes of the regularly held monthly meetings and the Annual Meeting, highlights various activities and achievements in the year 2012. Acknowledgment of donors and supporters, linking the activities along with other initiatives of the three societies and the Agronomic Science Foundation and suggestions for improvement are also presented.
1. Mission Statement (updated)
Diversity in Agronomy, Crops, Soils and Environmental Sciences Committee (ACS528), under the auspices of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, is committed to enhance participation of underrepresented students and professionals in the three Societies, thereby strengthening and diversifying the potential workforce in agricultural and environmental sciences. The Diversity Committee endeavors to recruit students into careers in agriculture and environmental sciences through the Gateway Scholars Program, that sponsors the participation of local high school students and teachers at the ASA/CSSA/SSSA annual meetings, where they obtain first-hand experience on agricultural and environmental issues , cutting-edge scientific knowledge, and enhanced understanding of the role of the Tri-Societies in finding solutions to national and global problems concerning production of food, fiber, fuel, and the environment.
2. Minutes of Monthly Teleconferences and Annual Business Meetings
Teleconferences:
Monthly teleconferences were regularly held this year to keep the members abreast with committee activities and to enhance their involvement in the efforts to achieve objectives of the ACS528 committee (see attachment).
Annual Business Meeting - 2012
It was held on October 23, 2012 at the Duke Energy Convention Centre, Cincinnati. It was attended by the members of the ACS528 and other members of the societies (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) representing underrepresented groups across the world. Dr. Rufina N. Ward of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Chair-2011) presented the 2011 Activities Report. Prof. Harjit Singh Rekhi, University of West Indies and Chair - 2012 presented the 2012 Committee activities report. There was a detailed discussion on long term plans and the non participation of members who volunteered to become members of ACS 528 but never attended any meeting/monthly conference call or made any contribution to achieve the objectives of the Diversity Committee. The Chair elect for 2013 was elected through voting (there were two nominations). The secretary was elected unanimously. The three winners of Diversity Graduate Student Poster Competition were declared and all the participants were awarded certificates by the Chair-2012 (see attachment).
3. Diversity Graduate Student Poster Competition, ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings, October 21-24, 2012, Cincinnati, OH
Every year, one of the major activities of the Diversity in Agronomy, Crops, Soils and Environmental Sciences Committee (ACS528) is to recognize outstanding posters presented at Annual International Meetings of the three societies (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) by graduate students from under-represented groups. The participation of ten posters, as compared to seven last year, showed an increase in response of graduate students belonging to underrepresented groups. Moreover, this year the participants were personally present at the presentation site (October 23, 2012) when the High School students participating in the Gateway Scholars Program) of the ACS 528 (please see Item-4 below) arrived for orientation. This year, the interaction between the graduate students presenting the posters and the participants of the Gateway Scholars Program was remarkable. It helped to achieve the objective of motivating the high school students towards agricultural and environmental sciences.
The winners of the Diversity Graduate Student Poster Competition were:
(I). Nikita Mullings
"Effects of Select Surfactants on Soil Enzyme Activity"
Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO, USA
(II). Allia M. Abu-Ramaileh
"Simulating and Predicting Arsenic Mineralogy Controlling Arsenic Solubilization into
Groundwater in Semi-Arid Environments"
McLean Utah State University and Utah Water Research Laboratory, Logan, Utah, USA(III). Asim Biswas
(III) Asim Biswas
"Fractal Behavior of Soil Water Storage At Multiple Depths"
CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, ACT, Australia; and Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada
4. Gateway Scholars Program, ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings, October 21-24, 2012, Cincinnati, OH
The 'Gateway Scholars program' was initiated in 2010 under the name 'Platinum Scholars Program'. The ACS 528 committee voted for change in the name of this initiative to align better with the Society's other programs. This program was designed to introduce high school students to the multitude of scientific disciplines in which members of ASA, CSSA and SSSA are engaged in by inviting students and teachers from local high schools to attend the annual conference. The goal is to introduce the next generation of scientists to these research areas and identify and motivate the future leaders in these sciences. This year students and teachers from three schools (Withrow University High School; Woodward Career Technical High School; and Aiken College & Career High School) participated on October 23, 2012 during the Annual Meetings of ASA-CSSA-SSSA at Cincinnati. Gateway scholars were guided to attend oral and poster sessions of their interest and were introduced to participants of Diversity Graduate Student Poster Competition (Special Session 176 ). It was interesting to note that there was remarkable interaction between the graduate students presenting the posters in the Diversity Poster competition and the high school Gateway Scholars. The Gateway Scholars visited College/ University booths and vendors in exhibit hall. At the end of the program, the students attended Gateway Scholars Motivational Program (Special Session 178 held at 2:30 to 5:00 pm) where leading researchers (Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Director of the Office of the Chief Scientist, USDA; and Dr. Mark Ibekwe, Microbiologist at USDA-ARS Riverside, CA) delivered motivational lectures to the students. A feedback e-mail from the teacher accompanying students from Aiken College & Career High School wrote " The students were taken by Dr. Jacobs-Young who had a similar background to them and achieved in spite of. I also appreciated Dr. Ibekwi's presentation. We are planning a science fair in January and his insight to the process was informative. I will stay in contact with the scientists in the area as we move forward in expanding our school partnerships". This opportunity was used to conduct a survey to get feedback from the students and teachers for further improvement.
5. Request for Endorsement from Societies’ Presidents of New Chair, Chair-elect and Member
ACS528 submits to the Societies’ presidents the following names for endorsement:
2013 Chair and new member: Dr. Eton Codling (USDA- ARS)
2013 Chair-elect and new member: Dr. Annette A. James (Prairie View A&M University)
ACS 528 new member: Mr. Dexter B. Watts (USDA- ARS, Auburn, AL)
ACS 528 Member (renewal): Dr. Rufina Ward (Alabama A&M University)
Prof. Harjit Singh Rekhi (University of West Indies)
6. Acknowledgment of Supporters, Donors and Motivational speakers
ACS 528 Committee is grateful to the Agronomic Science Foundation, LI-COR Environmental and our own societies (ACS 732 Committee of CSSA-ASA-SSSA) for the monetary support. The Committee would like to thank Noble Foundation, USDA-ARS, AMMU, U. Illinois, U. Wyoming, YSU and NOSB for providing promotional gift items and other support for the Gateway Scholars Program.
We thank student volunteers who served as guides for high school students. We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Ms. Kelly Broscheid (Career & Technical Education, Cincinnati Public Schools); Ms. Michelle Hughes (Curriculum Manager for Science, Health and Physical Education, Cincinnati Public Schools) and Dr. Kent Buckingham (Program Coordinator, Science Tutoring Program, Hughes STEM High School) for serving as the Diversity Committee’s link to the high schools in Cincinnati for the Gateway Scholars program.
We would like to thank Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Director of the Office of the Chief Scientist, USDA and Dr. Mark Ibekwe, Microbiologist at USDA-ARS Riverside, CA for their impressive motivational presentations to the Gateway Scholars. In addition, we are grateful to Dr. L. R. Ahuja, Research Leader, USDA-ARS, Agricultural Systems Research Unit, Fort Collins, CO and Ms. Linda Neuenhahn, Secretary to Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young for arranging the motivational presentation of Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young and goodies for the Gateway Scholars.
We also thank everybody in the headquarters of the three societies, for providing assistance to the Diversity Committee. We would like to specially thank Mr. Alexander Barton for facilitating funding from Agronomic Science Foundation, Ms. Emily Fuger for serving as the Committee’s liaison with the Societies, and Mr. Keith Schlesinger for his help and guidance. The Committee is deeply grateful to the ASA - CSSA - SSSA for supporting all our events.
Items Requiring Board Attention:
Committee membership and Nomination
Because the committee serves under all three Societies, larger membership, we believe, is warranted. We would like to keep the number of official members at 18 considering the many activities of the ACS528 committee.
We would like to nominate Annette A. James of Prairie View A&M University (2013 Chair-elect) as new member and the reinstatement of Rufina Ward of Alabama A&M University (2011 Chair) and Harjit Singh Rekhi of University of West Indies (2012 Chair) as committee members. We also would like to announce that Eton Codling of USDA-ARS is Committee Chair for 2013. As he volunteered to be Chair- Elect for 2012 in Annual meeting of the ACS528 at San Antonio and it was instantly approved by the committee there, he was nominated as new member of ACS 528 (2011 Annual Report of ACS 528). His name should be included in the list of members at the earliest for normal functioning of the ACS528.
Committee notification of new members
In the 2011 Annual Report of ACS 528, it was recommended that all Society Presidents must notify ACS528 Committee Chair of each new appointment . However, this has not been implemented yet. It is again recommended that a new member must be required to establish contact with the committee (and vice versa) within a month of the appointment.
Non-participation of members
In case of extended non-activity (e.g., no contact or zero participation in any form for more than six months in one year), the Committee Chair should have the option of submitting a nominee to the Societies to replace inactive member.
Members of the Committee:
Harjit Rekhi (Chair)
Rufina Ward (Chair)
Javier Gonzalez (Member)
Ernst Cebert (Member-ASA)
Regine Mankolo (Member-ASA)
Soni Pradhanang (Member-ASA)
Nithya Rajan (Member-ASA)
Kenneth Sajwan (Member-ASA)
Lingxiao Zhang (Member-ASA)
Maria Monteros (Member-CSSA)
Asheesh Singh (Member-CSSA)
Felicia Armstrong (Member-SSSA)
Karletta Chief (Member-SSSA)
Frieda Eivazi (Member-SSSA)
Dave Hernandez (Member-SSSA)
Clay Robinson (Member-SSSA)
Emily Fuger (Staff Liaison)
Attachment:
ACS 528: Minutes of Meetings - 2012 (PDF)
Prepared By:
Rekhi, Harjit Singh