The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 12, No. 29  May 30, 2006

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Farewell Reception for Dr. Scot Hulbert
...Reminder
...Dr. Morgan Powell Receives Public Service Award
...Mary Sullivan Honored
...John Leslie Named Head of Kansas State University's Department of Plant Pathology
...Thank You from Dave Mengel
...Kansas Youth Leadership Forum Presenters Needed
...4-H Centennial Community Service Project, "Fighting Hunger in Kansas"
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
It's been a while since I have focused attention back to the Strategic Plan for the Extension Mission of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service  to identify progress being made against that plan and work yet to be done. I will address one item with each major area and discuss progress. If you have other things that should be highlighted, please let me know.

Organizational Structure and Staffing. Work is beginning on a process of designing a professional development system that will address both educational excellence and subject matter competence. Margaret Phillips will be pulling a task force together to provide greater opportunity for identifying and planning professional development around a series of 11 core competencies for Extension workers that was developed through a national committee under the Extension Committee on Policy. The vision is for every Extension professional to be able to review the core competencies, identify learning and development opportunities, and build a plan for acquiring those desired competencies through in-service education and training opportunities.

Additionally, increased emphases will be placed on subject matter competency and development of expertise as we ask Extension agents to identify specific program focus areas they plan to proactively pursue.  Through this process, we envision a renewed system-wide commitment to subject matter training, teamwork among agents and faculty in development of those focused program areas, and increased focus and depth of programming to the benefit of our Kansas clientele.

Resource Development. With an interest in continuing to expand our extramural funding base in natural resources and environmental management, a grant writer was hired into the Center for Agriculture Resources and Environment. Additionally, seed grant funding opportunities have been created for Extension agents working to address key environmental issues within their local communities.

Education and Information Development and Dissemination. Work is underway to completely revamp the web presence of K-State Research and Extension to improve information delivery and enhance the branding of our educational products.

Constituent Development and Marketing. The Extension Board Leadership  website continues to receive new and vital training and educational resources important to our volunteer and elected leaders for local Extension programming.

These are but a very few examples of attending to Extension's strategic plan. While I've identified a few statewide examples, I hope and trust that each of you are contributing positively to achieving the priorities of that strategic plan and keeping K-State Research and Extension on the path from good to great! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR DR. SCOT HULBERT
The Department of Plant Pathology invites you to a farewell reception for Dr. Scot Hulbert. Scot will be leaving us and moving on to a position at Washington State University. We will miss his expertise and many contributions to the department in his 16 year tenure with us.

Please join us on June 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Throckmorton 4031. Contact Diana Pavlisko at 785-532-1380, or dpavlisk@ksu.edu  if you have any questions. --Diana Pavlisko

REMINDER
For Agents involved in the Market Wheat Shows, please contact Norman Schlesener with the number of bags and entry cards needed (785-776-8519 or nesmas@ksu.edu ). Bags and entry cards for your county/district will be available for pick-up during 4-H Discovery Days in Pat Murphy's office, 123 Umberger Hall.

It would also be helpful if neighboring counties/districts could coordinate pick-up to avoid mail costs. If you don't get a count to Norman for pre-packaging, you can count out the number of bags and cards that you need in Murphy's office.

Please save any unused bags for future shows. Entry/crop data cards will be the same as last year, including light purple color. --Pat Murphy jmurphy@ksu.edu

DR. MORGAN POWELL RECEIVES PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
Dr. Morgan Powell has been selected as the 2006 recipient of the "Larry E. and Laurel Erickson Public Service Award" from Kansas State University. This is the first year of this award and we are very proud that Dr. Powell was selected as the inaugural recipient. Dr. Powell is very deserving of this award for all that he has done for the citizens of Kansas, our state agencies, and our professional society.

He will be formally recognized at the 2006 College of Engineering Fall Convocation. --Gary Clark gac@ksu.edu

MARY SULLIVAN HONORED
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has awarded a Healthy Kansas, Healthy Schools Award to the Grant County School District. There were eight of these awards given by representatives of the KDHE in the state. This award is for the collaborative efforts in writing and implementing their Wellness Policy.

One of the partners honored was Mary J. Sullivan, K-State Research and Extension Agent, for her work on the wellness policy, her nutrition education programs in the school system, and her staff wellness efforts through Walk Kansas, Community Meltdown and Strong Women programs. This community partnership with K-State Research and Extension in Grant County, Grant County Recreation Department, and the USD 214 is an example of how K-State Research and Extension is viewed as a valuable, collaborative partner in the community. --Debra Bolton dbolton@oznet.ksu.edu

JOHN LESLIE NAMED HEAD OF KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY'S DEPARTMENT OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
Leslie, who has been with K-State's Plant Pathology Department since 1984, received a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Dallas. He earned master's and doctoral degrees in genetics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Leslie's specialty is biochemical, molecular and population genetics of model and plant pathogenic fungi. At K-State, he has been an assistant professor (1984-1990), associate professor (1990-1996), and professor (1996 to present). He has co-authored four books and published over 90 journal articles.

Noting that K-State's Department of Plant Pathology has been recognized as one of the best in the nation, Leslie said his goals include maintaining that status. "My goal is to keep our department at the top," he said. --Fred Cholick fcholick@ksu.edu

THANK YOU FROM DAVE MENGEL
I wish to thank the K-State Research and Extension "family" for all the calls, e-mails, cards, notes and other expressions of sympathy on my mother's passing. Having the support of friends and colleagues like you makes these things a lot easier to cope with, especially when you are a long way from home. --Dave Mengel dmengel@ksu.edu

KANSAS YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM PRESENTERS NEEDED
It is time to recruit instructors for the 7th Annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum, to be held November 17-19, at Rock Springs 4- H Center.

This conference, designed for youth, ages 14-18, will include speakers, workshops, consulting groups and the election of the 2007 Kansas State 4-H Youth Leadership Council.  We are recruiting proposals for workshop instructors/presenters. Topics should center on leadership. Some ideas might include, but are not limited to, community service, citizenship, communication, conflict management, ethics, motivation, decision making, leading by example, time management, international citizenship, multi cultural studies, diversity, business etiquette and getting involved after high school.

The Kansas 4-H Youth Council members hope that you (or one of your volunteers) will be interested in sharing your expertise through this opportunity. All sessions will be on Saturday, November 18. You will find the letter and proposal form on the 4-H Web page,  http://4-h.k-state.edu/Events/KYLF/Default.htm .

Proposals are due to the State 4-H office by July 10. If you have questions, contact Beth Hinshaw, bhinshaw@oznet.ksu.edu . --Beth Hinshaw

4-H CENTENNIAL COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT, "FIGHTING HUNGER IN KANSAS"
As we come to the last few months of the Kansas 4-H Centennial, please remind your groups about the Centennial Community Service Project, "Fighting Hunger in Kansas." A new posting to the Centennial website, www.kansas4-h.org/Events/Centennial , is a list of ideas for food drive themes, food drive slogans, and suggestions for items to collect for food drives.

Encourage your groups to hold Centennial Community Service Project events, and report them by August 10, using the reporting form available on the website. Let's show Kansans the power of 4-Hers working together to achieve a common goal. --Beth Hinshaw bhinshaw@ksu.edu , Evelyn Neier eneier@ksu.edu

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. 

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