2015 CASNR E-NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 10, ISSUE 8
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Texas Tech ACT Chapter
takes stage at Ag Media
Summit in
Scottsdale
Led by its public
relations students,
Texas Tech’s
Agricultural
Communicators of Tomorrow
chapter had a strong showing last
month at the national ‘Ag Media
Summit’ in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Program officials said more than
600 participants attended the
summit, one of the largest
gatherings of crop and livestock
publications professionals in the
United States.
CAMPUS VIEW
GALLERY: CASNR Advisory
Board line up for chuckwagon cuisine
at museum
Prior to this year’s
CASNR Advisory
Board Meeting, a
‘Chuck Wagon
Breakfast’ was held Aug. 21 at the
Bayer Museum of Agriculture.
Among the luminaries on hand for
the early morning event were
Chancellor Robert Duncan,
Provost Lawrence Schovanec; and
Dean Michael Galyean, along with
CASNR’s Administrative Council
and advisory board member from
across the region. more »
Fueled by the interest of scientific research, Tech’s Department of Plant and Soil Science’s Chair of
Pedology David Weindorf is helping produce a documentary on the effects of climate change in Alaska.
Making a yearly trip to Alaska to help teach a course with University of Alaska’s Professor Chien-Lu
Ping, Weindorf created the idea of professionally documenting the research of the two schools. Called
the ‘Arctic Soils Field Tour,’ both instructors bring students, along with soil science professionals, to
tour Alaska to analyze different features of the Alaskan soil. But with the imminent retirement of Ping,
Weindorf realized the research and information that Ping had done would potentially go unrecognized,
even forgotten. more »
CASNR faculty provide academic content for visiting Chinese HS
students
Eleven high-school students from China were on Texas Tech’s campus for a special
iSTEM agricultural science education program last month, said university officials, who
assisted with the 16-day academic event. The focus was on providing an interactive
educational experience to enhance the Chinese student’s knowledge of the relevance
of agriculture, food, and natural resources subject matter. more »
Graduate School honors student theses, dissertations from CASNR
programs
Texas Tech University’s Graduate School has announced the recipients of this year’s
awards, which recognize the quality of work shown in graduate students’ theses and
dissertations. This year those honored from CASNR included for master’s theses NRM’s
Aakriti Sharma and AFS’s Cody Sultenfuss, and doctoral dissertations PSS’s Sanaz
Shafian and NRM’s Matthew Van Landeghem. more »
Department of Plant & Soil Science hosts Moroccan Fulbright Scholar
Salghi
Texas Tech’s Department of Plant and Soil Science is hosting a Fulbright Scholar from
DID YOU KNOW?

Make a Gift: Your gifts to
CASNR help support
scholarships
CASNR’s leaders believe that Texas
Tech is a campus of opportunity.
Students who become Red Raiders
have the opportunity to grow,
learn and develop leadership skills,
and CASNR graduates continue to
be a testimony to CASNR’s success
UPCOMING
Area organizers gearing up
for ‘Celebrate Cotton’ game
on Sept. 12
Texas Tech and
the ‘Celebrate
Cotton’ campaign
is set to host its
fourth annual
event in recognition of the cotton
industry on Sept. 12 when Red
Raiders take on the University of
Texas-El Paso Miners at Jones
AT&T Stadium in Lubbock. The
game is a partnership between
Texas Tech Athletics, Plains Cotton
Growers and several area
agribusinesses. more »
 Homecoming Breakfast
Oct. 10, 2015 at Student
Union Building
 Houston Livestock Show
& Rodeo Scholarship
Luncheon
October 28, 2015 at
McKenzie-Merket Alumni
Center

88th
Annual Pig Roast
Nov. 10, 2015 at Lubbock
Memorial Civic Center
Morocco this summer. Rachid Salghi, a professor from the University Ibn Zohr Agadir-Morocco, is
focusing his research here at Tech on preparation of bio-based materials from biopolymers. Salghi is
working closely with Noureddine Abidi, associate director of Tech’s Fiber and Biopolymer Research
Institute. more »
Academic Success: CASNR students honored at summer
commencement
More than 1,490 students, including 37 from CASNR received diplomas at the
university’s summer commencement ceremonies on Aug. 8 at United Supermarkets
Arena. During the event, outstanding students carried banners representing their
respective colleges. Darby O’Shea Sullivan an agricultural communications major from
Canyon represented CASNR. more »
Gibson joins Department of Agricultural Education and
Communications
Courtney Gibson has been named an assistant professor in Texas Tech’s Department of
Agricultural Education and Communications. She stepped into her new teaching and
research post on Sept. 1. The Lubbock native indicated that she is interested in
continuing her research efforts in examining the implementation and impact of social
media during agriculturally-related crises. more »
Chance O’Neal saddles up as Texas Tech’s new ranch horse team coach
Chance O’Neal, a world-champion horseman and internationally-experienced trainer,
has been named Texas Tech’s new ranch horse team coach. He steps into his new post
on Aug. 1. In terms of professional accomplishments, O’Neal has a trophy case of wins
under his belt including the 2008 Inaugural American Quarter Horse Association Ranch
Versatility World Championship. more »
CASNR Water Center promotes water quality research through
collaboration
The CASNR Water Center acts as a research clearinghouse on water management in all
aspects of agricultural and urban landscape use and conservation. Thornton
Distinguished Chair of Plant and Soil Science Charles West said, “The CASNR Water
Center makes sure the right people know each other and can get together in a
collaborative effort to promote water quality and conservation.” more »
McGlone tapped for Federation of Animal Science Societies Service
Award
John McGlone, a professor and institutional official with Tech’s Department of Animal
and Food Sciences, has been awarded the Federation of Animal Science Societies
Service Award. The national honor was presented last month at the annual meeting of
the American Society of Animal Sciences in Orlando. McGlone has been active in FASS
activities for years. more »
Cat pheromones may cause increased scratching; focus on scratching
devices
Cats have long been some of the most unpredictable animals on the planet. Now, a
CASNR researcher may have unlocked the answer to at least part of what a cat is
thinking when it comes to what that cat prefers to scratch. A new study suggests that
cats are attracted by pheromones, chemicals excreted or secreted by animals that
trigger a social response in members of the same species. more »
Administrative Council
DR. MICHAEL GALYEAN
Dean
michael.galyean@ttu.edu
DR. CINDY AKERS
Associate Dean for Academic
& Student Programs
cindy.akers@ttu.edu
DR. MICHAEL BALLOU
Associate Dean for Research
michael.ballou@ttu.edu
DR. DAVID WEINDORF
Associate Dean for Research
david.weindorf@ttu.edu
DR. MICHAEL ORTH
Animal & Food Sciences
michael.orth@ttu.edu
DR. ERIC HEQUET
Plant & Soil Science
eric.hequet@ttu.edu
DR. STEVE FRAZE
Agricultural Education
& Communications
steven.fraze@ttu.edu
NORMAN MARTIN
Marketing & Communications
norman.martin@ttu.edu
DR. CHARLES KLEIN
Landscape Architecture
charles.klein@ttu.edu
JANE PIERCY
Development &
Alumni Relations
jane.piercy@ttu.edu
DR. MARK WALLACE
Natural Resources Management
mark.wallace@ttu.edu
ANN ULMER
Grants Administrator
ann.ulmer@ttu.edu
DR. PHILLIP JOHNSON
Agricultural & Applied Economics
phil.johnson@ttu.edu
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
PO Box 42123
Lubbock, Texas 79409-2123
(806) 742-2808 phone
(806) 742-2836 fax