Volume 31, Number 1
March 2019 Newsletter
President’s Letter
Dear Friends,
The “Golden Year” for the UTIA Retirees Association has arrived. It was fifty years ago that the forerunner of this organization was formed. Where were you and what were you doing in 1969? This is a question that I hope many of you will think about and then share the answer(s) during this year, as we celebrate together. The UTIA Retirees Association provides opportunities for staying involved with the Institute and continuing friendships with our colleagues after retirement… Continue reading on the website…
Western Area Retirees Plan Lunch, Meeting, and Garden Tour
John Bradley, Western Area Vice President
UTIA Retiree Association Western Area Retirees will gather Thursday, June 6, at the home and gardens of UTIA retirees Kayo and Helen Mullins. The Mullinses are Tennessee Extension Master Gardeners whose yard features beautiful landscaped gardens of perennials and annuals. Many of these cultivars will be in full bloom at this later spring date. We will have a catered picnic style box lunch on the grounds. Lunch will served around noon. Attendees are invited to come earlier to walk and enjoy the gardens. There will be short meeting with our state officers in attendance. All the UTIA Retirees members and potential members are encouraged to attend. RSVP to Mary Kate Ridgeway or John Bradley.
Cumberland Area Retirees Set May Meeting
Linda Tinch
The Cumberland Area Retiree Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 7, at the American Bank and Trust (located in Cookeville at 1450 Neal Street). Refreshments and fellowship will begin at 9:30 a.m. central time with the meeting beginning at 10:00 a.m. central. Carol Reese will be our guest speaker. She is a research horticulturist specialist with the UTIA’s West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center. She is a nationally known speaker, blending equal parts gardening knowledge, homespun wisdom, and humor. You will not want to miss this speaker and her presentation.
The price for the lunch meal is $12 per person and must be mailed to Linda Tinch. Payment for the meal is due no later than Monday, April 22.
State and Eastern Area Spring Meeting
Steve Sutton, Eastern Area Vice President
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 10, 2019! That’s the date for the State and Eastern Area meetings of the UTIA Retirees Association. We are busy planning a great program for our members and look forward to seeing each of you there.
Registration and refreshments will be available starting at 9:30 a.m. with the program starting at 10:00 a.m. The location is the Eastern Region UT Extension office located at 1801 Downtown West Boulevard in Knoxville.
Chancellor Tim Cross will be on hand to welcome and address the group. Justin Crowe will update us on the awards the association sponsors at State 4-H Congress. The ten state winning 4-H posters will also be on display. Sue Hamilton, director of the UT Gardens, will be bringing our program.
Lunch will be provided by Knox County 4-H volunteers and is available at noon. The cost is $15 per person. The menu includes their famous 4-H barbecue chicken, tossed salad, fruit cup, rice, bread, homemade desserts, and beverage.
Lunch reservations should be made by Friday, March 22. RSVP with your check payable to UTIA Retirees Association to George Grandle.
2019 marks our fiftieth anniversary! Hope you can be there to celebrate with us on April 10!
UT Central Region Retirees to Gather at the Gathering in Milton
Warren Gill, Central Region Secretary
The Central Region Retirees spring meeting/luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 24, at the Gathering in Milton, a few miles east of Murfreesboro. Milton is a small community with a rich history, and the best part is the newly renovated historic venue (formerly country store) called the Gathering at Milton.
The caterer is Carolyn Miller, who has done many wonderful meals for retirees and other events in recent years. The seasonal home-cooked lunch will be $18 per person. Deadline for reservations is April 20, 2019.
We’ll have a short business meeting, but the highlight will be an interesting program about the story of the Gathering at Milton, presented by the Vaught family, the owners of the Gathering and an outstanding 4-H family.
Gather at 10:30—11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 24, at the Gathering at Milton. Program/Business 11:00 a.m.—noon, then lunch. Cost: $18 per person. Make reservations by sending a check to Central Region Secretary, Warren Gill. Deadline: April 20. Make checks to UTIA Retiree Association. If you have questions, call Warren or Pat Whitaker.
Milton is about 15 minutes east of Murfreesboro on Highway 96. Follow the signs to the Gathering in Milton. Address is 12026 Milton Street. Those coming from the East on I-40 can take the Alexandria exit onto Highway 53, go south through Alexandria until Highway 53 intersects Highway 96. Turn right and proceed to Milton.
Ag Day 2019
Ruth Henderson McQueen, President
For several decades UTIA has held an Annual Ag Day in the fall on a football Saturday. The event last year was the day of the UT/Florida game and drew a very large crowd. It was an exciting day of excellent exhibits and activities and good food and bluegrass music. The best part was the opportunity to not only see and learn about UTIA programs and activities, but to also visit with fellow retirees, alumni, current staff, students and other friends and donors of the Institute.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 5, 2019 for Ag Day this year. UT will play Georgia, but many folks come and enjoy the day whether or not they have tickets to the game
UT Retirees Association Members Attend Holiday Reception
Ruth Henderson McQueen, President
UTIA Retirees were well represented on December 19, 2018, at the Annual UT Retirees Holiday Reception held in the Lauricella Center in Neyland Stadium at Knoxville. The group enjoyed good food and fellowship, and UT Retirees President Betsy Creekmore and current UT Interim Chancellor Wayne Davis provided brief remarks.
Among those representing UTIA (and there were probably others): Danny Bullington and Mrs. Bullington, Al Dorn and Mrs. Dorn, Mary Farr, Mary Gage, Charlie Goan, Ken Goddard and Mrs. Goddard, John Jared, Frank Leuthold, Ruth Henderson McQueen, Bob Pentecost, Connie Geddings Reese and Mr. Reese, and Sue Seymour.
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Information About Retirees
Kim Frady of UT Extension Bradley County, sent the following message on January 31, 2019: Today began as any other day working for Extension, but with one difference. Today is my last day of a forty-year career with Extension. On January 2, 1979, M. Lloyd Downen, Milburn Jones, Owen Hodges, Dr. Margaret Ussery and the Rutherford County staff gave a country boy from Polk County an opportunity to be a 4-H agent in the greatest program a fellow could ask for. Bradley County has been SUPER (see what I did there), close to our parents, and a terrific place to grow two amazing children in the Tennessee 4-H program. I could not have survived without my wife, Judy, who has always supported me. We will always remember the 4-H members, volunteers and farm families that made our lives enjoyable and always exciting!
Thanks to my Extension family for all your support, encouragement, good times and fellowship. I will forever cherish the memories of our times together.
Michigan State Honors Lloyd Callahan’s Legacy
Lloyd M. Callahan, professor Emeritus, died on February 13, 2019. Callahan joined the UT faculty of University of Tennessee on July 1, 1984, advancing through the ranks to full professor in the Departments of Agronomy and Plant Sciences. He retired June 30, 2000, as Professor Emeritus. At UTIA, he directed a very successful research program and was a winner of the National Science Award. The Turfgrass Information File housed in the Michigan State University Library put together a memoriam in honor of Callahan’s contribution to turfgrass science.
Pat M. Sobrero
Last title at UTIA: Extension Associate Dean, UT Extension Dean’s Office
Jose’ R. Castro
Last title at UTIA: Clinical Assistant Professor and Equine Surgeon, CVM
Virginia “Jenny” Yeary
Last title at UTIA: Extension Administrative Assistant II, UT Extension Eastern Region
Joseph A. DiPietro
Last title at UTIA: Chancellor, UTIA Administration
Jane A. Czarra
Last title at UTIA: Manager, CVM Animal Resource Lab
Kenneth E. Sutton
Last title at UTIA: Extension Leader, Roane County
This information was received after the copy deadline and will return in the next issue.
Name links to obituary.
Sympathy is expressed to the family of Carroll J. Southards, who passed away Wednesday, January 2, 2019, at the age of 86. Southards retired from UTIA in 1997 with thirty-three years of service. He was a professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, where he also served as department head. Family received friends from noon until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 11, 2019, at Smith Trinity Chapel, Maryville, with funeral service following at 2:00 p.m. Interment was Friday, January 11, at Grandview Cemetery.
Janet Lynn Bunch, 64, of Georgetown, passed away January 7. She was employed by UT and TSU Extension Bradley County, where she was known as the “4-H Lady.” She served alongside her husband for many years during M&M Mars events, which included getting the Yellow M&M into character. Visitation was held January 10, followed by interment at Eastanalle Baptist church Cemetery in Riceville January 11. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Bradley County 4-H and sent to the Janet Bunch Memorial Fund c/o UT Extension Bradley County, 95 Church Street, Cleveland, TN 37311. (Make checks out to UT Extension Bradley County.)
Benny Bell, former professor in the Department of Animal Science, passed away January 10. Memorials may be made to the V foundation for Cancer Research at JimmyV.org or at 14600 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513.
Paul Walker Elliott Sr., who retired in 1999 as an ag research supervisor in what was then called the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering with more than forty-two years of service, passed away Thursday, January 17, 2019. A celebration of life was held Sunday, January 27, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Rose-Mann Heritage Chapel. Private interment was held at the East Tennessee State Veterans’ Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Disabled American Veterans, 2600 Holbrook Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918.
Sympathy is expressed to the family of Shirley Irwin who passed away on January 31, 2019, at age 69. Shirley retired in June 2011 as administrative specialist, information technology with forty-two years of service. She worked in several departments during her tenure at UTIA including the Department of Animal Science, Marketing and Communications, and Information Technology. A memorial service was held Wednesday, February 6, at 6:30 pm at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 544 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917.
Jean Stone Hooper “Toni” Smith, age 90, died on February 3, 2019. Smith was an Extension agent in Dyer County. A memorial service was held Saturday, February 9, 2019, at Harris Grove United Methodist Church near Humboldt, Tennessee.
We express sincere comfort and/or speedy healing to the following UTIA employees or retirees:
Sympathy is expressed to Lynne Knight in the death of her mother, Barbara Jean Hill McAlister, 82, of Franklin, who passed away on Thursday, January 3, 2019. A celebration of life for Ms. Barbara McAlister was held Saturday, January 12, at the Oak Valley Baptist Church in Franklin, Tennessee. The full obituary is available online.
Sympathy is expressed to former UT Extension Monroe County agent Bob Sliger in the death of his wife, Faye, who passed away Friday, February 1. A receiving of friends was held at Kyker’s Funeral Home in Sweetwater, on Monday, February 4, with the service following. The full obituary is available online.
Sympathy is expressed to Rose McGee, former principal secretary in the District III Extension Office, in the death of her husband, Larry, who passed away on December 16, 2018, after a short battle with cancer. He was 83 years old, and Larry and Rose enjoyed 51-plus years of a very happy marriage. The full obituary is available oneline.
Sympathy is expressed to Francis Houser in the death of her husband, Bruce Houser, who passed away February 23, 2019. The family received friends on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, at Bridges Funeral Home with a service following. Francis worked for UTIA as administrative assistant in the Extension Service Dean’s office and in other administrative offices at UT.
Mark Your Calendar for UTIA Field Days
Farmers, gardeners and anyone interested in Tennessee agriculture can mark their calendars; University of Tennessee AgResearch has released the 2019 field day schedule, with seventeen events across the state.
The complete schedule of field days:
Organic Crops Field Tour, April 25
East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, Organic Crops Unit
Fruits of the Backyard, June 11
Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Green Industry Day, June 25
UT Gardens, Knoxville
Tobacco, Beef and More, June 27
Highland Rim AgResearch and Education Center
Summer Celebration, July 11
West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
UT Arboretum Butterfly Festival, August 3
Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, UT Arboretum
Steak and Potatoes, August 6
Plateau AgResearch and Education Center
Fall Gardeners’ Festival, August 27
Plateau AgResearch and Education Center
Turf & Ornamental Field Day, August 29
East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, Plant Sciences Unit
Cotton Tour, September 4
West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Horse Management Field Day, September 12
UT Ag Campus
Horse Management Field Day, September 17
Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Horse Management Field Day, September 19
AgResearch and Education Center at Ames Plantation
Ag in the Foothills, October 3
East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, Little River Unit
Northeast Tennessee Beef Expo, October 10
AgResearch and Education Center at Greeneville
Woods and Wildlife, October 16
Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center
Beef Heifer Development School, October 18
Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Lewisburg
Herbert College of Agriculture Celebrates Commencement
The spring 2019 Herbert College of Agriculture Commencement Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 9, at 12:30 p.m. in the Thompson-Boling Assembly Center and Arena.
Cagle Leads Lone Oaks Farm
Following a national search for the Lone Oaks Farm director, Scott Cagle accepted the position effective March 1, 2019. Cagle received his associate of applied science in civil engineering technology from Itawamba Community College, his BS degree in animal science, his MS degree in agriculture and extension education, and his PhD in agriculture and extension education with a minor in agronomy from Mississippi State University.
Cagle has broad experience that includes working with Springer Engineering and Prichard Engineering as an Engineering Technician and as a farm manager of a Prestage Farms swine farrowing operation. He spent more than nineteen years at Mississippi State University Extension, where he served as a county Extension agent in Montgomery and Chickasaw Counties as well as Extension county coordinator in Chickasaw County. Cagle is also a certified 4-H Shooting Sports instructor in the disciplines of archery, rifle and shotgun.
These 10 Plants Shaped Tennessee
UT Plant Scientists Reveal List of Influential Florae
Whether walking through fields of high cotton or “sangin’ in the hills,” Tennesseans know plants are the state’s lifeblood. Two experts with UTIA recently led a project choosing the ten plants that most shaped the state: American chestnut, beans (several varieties), corn, cotton, dogwood, ginseng, grasses (prairie and turf), tobacco, white oak, and, of course, kudzu.
The order of the list is incidental. While monetary value or cost came into play, the project weighed other factors as well, including each selection’s historical influence on the state. Here are a few of the reasons each plant was chosen:
Natalie Bumgarner and Andy Pulte of the Department of Plant Sciences spent much of 2018 developing the list. More than 600 nominations were submitted, and submissions were open to the public. Each nomination was evaluated within the context of its contributions to the state’s history and economy, and its value to society spiritually or culturally, or its uses in the landscape or as a food. The pair intend to use the project to influence future curricula for elementary schools and other initiatives. You can find photos and detailed descriptions of the ten plants online.
Food Science Updates
There are several changes taking place in the Department of Food Science. These changes present a great opportunity for us to continue to grow our teaching, research, and outreach programs in this department.
On February 1, Mark Morgan joined the faculty as professor, where he will focus on building a statewide, county-based Extension program to provide technical and regulatory compliance expertise in food processing, providing support to agricultural entrepreneurial efforts, and working closely with onsite food processing operations. He will also be developing a research program to support the food industry. Morgan has served for the past five years as department head and will be stepping down from that role to assume his new position.
Associate dean and professor in AgResearch, Dave White, will serve as the interim head for the Department of Food Science. White brings a wealth of knowledge in food research and safety to this appointment, having previously served as chief science officer and research director with the Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine for the US Food and Drug Administration. We anticipate launching a formal search for a permanent department head in the spring.
David Golden, former professor in the department, has rejoined UTIA as a professor and faculty fellow. Golden will concentrate his efforts on teaching, student engagement and recruitment, and curriculum enhancement. In addition, he will hold a partial appointment as a faculty fellow in the chancellor’s office assisting in the implementation of UTIA strategic plan initiatives, and coordinating promotion and tenure, mid-cycle, and post-tenure reviews processes.
Toni Wang will join the Department of Food Science May 16 as a member of the faculty. Her research interests include processing and value-added utilization of soybeans, corn, egg, and other agricultural products and byproducts, primarily for their lipid components. Her postdoc, Tao Fei, will also join as a research assistant professor.
Clark Retires
Richard Clark, former head of 4-H Youth Development and the Department of Agriculture, Leadership, Education and Communications, was honored with a retirement reception Monday, December 17, 2018, in Morgan Hall.
Gibson Is New UTIA CIO
Angela Gibson has been named as the chief information officer for UTIA. She stepped into her position with UTIA on January 28, 2019. For the past fourteen years, Gibson has served as the IT team leader for the Division of Enrollment Management at UT Knoxville, providing leadership, vision, and direction for information technology systems and services to five departments within Enrollment Management, including One Stop Student Services. Previously she served as a systems analyst in the Bursar’s Office and as a research associate at ORNL. Gibson has been a resident of Knoxville for over thirty years and holds a BS and MBA from the Haslam College of Business.
Raper Is Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year
Tyson Raper, assistant professor of cotton and small grain production in the Department of Plant Sciences, is the 2019 Beltwide Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year. The award was presented by fellow cotton specialists at the annual Beltwide Cotton Conference in New Orleans. It is voted on annually by specialists who represent every cotton-producing state in the US. Award criteria includes exceptional leadership and outstanding industry service. The award is sponsored by BASF.
Since joining the UTIA faculty in 2014, Raper has led the university’s education and research efforts involving cotton production. In this role, he works closely with producers and agricultural industry groups. This includes heading up Tennessee’s cotton variety trial program and managing the university’s cotton microgin.
Hodges Elected to Global Forestry Leadership Board
Hodges Will Serve with the International Union of Forest Research Organizations Donald Hodges, James R. Cox professor of forest economics and management in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, has been elected to a five-year term (2019–2024) to the Board of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the world’s largest forestry research organization. His term will begin at the organizations’ World Congress, scheduled for September 29–October 5 in Curitiba, Brazil.
IUFRO was established in 1892 in Germany and has grown into an international organization of some 15,000 scientists from more than 110 countries. IUFRO’s many participants promote global collaboration of forestry research and enhance understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees.
Hodges will also serve as Coordinator of IUFRO Division 4, which specializes in resource inventory and informatics, forest management planning and economics, and monitoring technology. With representatives around the globe, Division 4 further supports collaborative research efforts and maintains communication between working groups and the IURFO board.
Hodges was named a Fulbright Teaching and Research Scholar to Slovenia in 2011 and continues to work with scientists from the University of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Forestry Institute.
Membership in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Retirees Association is for anyone who has worked five or more years for The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The organization’s membership includes former employees from the Herbert College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension.
It doesn’t matter if you were one of the support staff, a teacher, research scientist, Extension educator, a farm worker, custodian, laboratory technician or an administrator. If you worked at UTIA, we welcome you to join.
A major objective of UTIA Retirees Association is to unite all former University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture workers and to provide channels for communication and friendship after employees leave the Institute. Our newsletter and web pages are communication links with the Institute and current and retired employees.
When employees retire or terminate employment at UTIA, their names are added to our mailing list to receive a complimentary issue of the quarterly newsletter and an invitation to the next area meeting scheduled in the area where they reside. During this period, retirees have the opportunity to decide whether or not they want to continue their contact with former co-workers by joining the UTIA Retirees Association. The cost is $30 for a lifetime membership.
The UTIA Retirees Association newsletter is published quarterly by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.
UTIA Retirees Association
2621 Morgan Circle Drive || Knoxville, TN 37996
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