Alumni Update

Homecoming Weekend Yielded
Fun and Funds

Shawn Askew, assistant professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science, (far left) discusses turfgrass selection and weed management with tailgate attendees. Askew’s display consisted of more than 40 weed species, eight turfgrass species, and two experimental lawn mowers; one that applies chemicals through the cutting blade (large mower in background) and one that mows the lawn autonomously (small mower in foreground).

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Organization (CALSAO) has been busy the last few months with several activities. On July 16, we helped host a picnic for parents and students attending the Governor’s School for Agriculture. A regional event was held at the Northern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Orange on July 26. A crowd of more than 50 alumni dined on barbecue prepared by Mill Valley Barbeque, which is owned and operated by one of our alumni, Rodney Lillard. We heard a campus update from Dean Sharron Quisenberry and were introduced to the new director of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Mark McCann. On September 13, Mary Marchant, associate dean and director of Academic Programs, greeted alumni attending the field day dinner at the Tidewater AREC.

To kickoff this year’s homecoming activities, 59 golfers participated the Second Annual “Scramble for Scholars” Golf Tournament at the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech held on Friday, September 22. The tournament sponsored by Farm Credit Country Mortgages raised more than $7,000 for student scholarships. The funds will be distributed evenly among multiple undergraduate recipients in the college next fall rather than being added to existing endowment funds. We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their generosity and all of the volunteers for their hard work in making this a very successful and enjoyable event.

Alumni and friends were invited to tour Latham Hall and attend its dedication ceremony Friday afternoon. Student ambassadors and graduate students led tours through the new building. Researchers representing the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Natural Resources opened their laboratories and gave brief overviews of their current projects.

Seventy-five alumni, students, and friends of the college attended the alumni dinner on Friday evening at the Alphin-Stuart Livestock Teaching Arena. Alumni and their families enjoyed a meal prepared by the Virginia Tech Poultry Club. Dynamic Sounds provided music – some alumni even took part in the Hokie Pokie! And a silent auction raised $1,047 to help send College Ambassadors to the National Agriculture Ambassadors Conference in Tucson, Ariz., in January.

Saturday morning featured a joint tailgate with the College of Natural Resources at the Litton-Reaves Hall entrance. Nearly 350 alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the college enjoyed the pre-game meal, music, a visit from the Hokie Bird, and 17 department and college displays.

Thanks goes out to Smithfield Foods for providing the hotdogs and pork chops for the meal and to the caterers, American Harvest, the Virginia Tech Poultry Club, and Joe Marcy, interim head of the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise.

Following Virginia Tech’s victory over Cincinnati, the CALS Alumni Organization Board of Directors met and elected the 2006-2007 officers: John “Buster” Beier, President; Marilyn Adams-Jarvis, Vice President; and Eric Frazier, Secretary/Treasurer. The board also passed a resolution recognizing John Hess, professor emeritus, in appreciation of his many contributions to the organization. We also offered a special thanks to Bob Pitman for his leadership this past year.

Our alumni awards were not presented during this year’s Homecoming activities, instead they will be presented on April 20, 2007 at the College Alumni Awards Banquet at The Inn at Virginia Tech. The awards program was moved to the spring to coordinate with the college’s overall recognition program. Please make plans to attend. More information will be sent to alumni this spring.

Please feel free to contact Buster Beier, president at (540) 832-3463 or e-mail bbeier@cfcfarmhome.com or contact Jamie Lucero, director of alumni relations, at (540) 231-9666 or e-mail jlucero@vt.edu with your suggestions and comments.