News Release

MADISON, WI, October 1, 2009–The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) will present the following 2009 Awards during their Annual Meetings on Nov. 1-5 in Pittsburgh, PA, www.acsmeetings.org.

• James G. Bockheim, University of Wisconsin-Madison –  America/New Zealand Soil Science Professional Exchange Award. Jim Bockheim is a professor in the Departments of Soil Science, Forest and Wildlife Ecology, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received a B.S. and M.S. from University of Maine and Ph.D. from University of Washington. His programs focus on landscape biogeochemistry and polar pedology. Dr. Bockheim is past chair of Divison S-7 and has been a member of SSSA for more than 40 years.

• Kenneth Boote, University of Florida – L.R. Ahuja Ag Systems Modeling Award.Kenneth Boote is a professor in the Agronomy Department at University of Florida. He received a B.S. from Iowa State University and M.S. and Ph.D. from Purdue University. His research focuses on measuring and modeling crop growth and yield in response to climate, management, soils, and genetic factors. Dr. Boote has served as associate editor for Agronomy Journal and Crop Science, as well as division chair for A-1, C-2, and Software Scene. He is active in ASA, CSSA, SSSA, and the Biological Systems Simulation Group. The L.R. Ahuja Ag Systems Modeling Award is presented to an early career soil scientist, agronomist, or crop scientist in recognition of significant contributions. The award is supported by a gift from Dr. Lajpat (Laj) R. Ahuja to the Agronomic Science Foundation.

• Benjamin Kocar, Stanford University – Emil Truog Soil Science Award. Benjamin Kocar is a post-doctoral researcher in the Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry Group at Stanford University. He received a B.S. in soil science and biochemistry and M.S. in environmental science at Montana State University. Dr. Kocar received a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry at Stanford. His Ph.D. dissertation focused on deciphering coupled biogeochemical and hydrologic processes governing arsenic release from soils and sediments of Southeast Asia. The award is given to a Ph.D. recipient who has made an outstanding contribution to soil science as evidenced by his or her Ph.D. dissertation. The recipient must have received a Ph.D. degree during the preceding calendar year.

• Keith L. Bristow, CSIRO Land and Water– Don & Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award. Keith L. Bristow is a senior principal research scientist with CSIRO Land and Water; program leader in the CRC for Irrigation Futures in Townsville, Australia; and honorary professor at University of Pretoria, South Africa. Dr. Bristow received a B.S. from University of Natal, a M.S. from University of the Orange Free State, and Ph.D. from Washington State University. His research focuses on heat, water, and solute movement in and through soil and groundwater systems. He is an associate editor of Vadose Zone Journal. The Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award recognizes mid-career soil scientists who have made outstanding contributions in the area of soil physics. The award is supported by the Lena and Maria Van der Ploeg Fund and the Don and Betty Kirkham Fund, both of the Agronomic Science Foundation.

• B. Todd Campbell, USDA-ARS, Florence, SC. – ASA–CSSA–SSSA Early Career Professional Award.B. Todd Campbell is a research geneticist at the USDA-ARS Coastal Plains Research Center, Florence, SC. He received a B.S. from North Carolina State University, and M.S. and Ph.D. from University of Nebraska. His program combines traditional breeding and molecular tools to enhance cotton production. Dr. Campbell serves as an associate editor for Crop Science, member of the cotton germplasm registration committee, and member of the cotton germplasm and national cotton variety testing committees. The Early Career Professional Award recognizes early career members who have made an outstanding contribution in agronomy, crop science, and/or soil science within seven years of completing their final degree.

• T. Scott Murrell, International Plant Nutrition Institute – Soil Science Industry Award. T. Scott Murrell received a B.A. and M.S. from Purdue University and Ph.D. in soil science at Texas A&M University. He was with the Potash & Phosphate Institute for ten years prior to joining the International Plant Nutrition Institute in 2007. He is currently director of the U.S. Northcentral Region where corn and soybean are the dominant crops. Dr. Murrell’s primary area of interest is researching flexible, site-specific nutrient recommendation approaches that are profitable, environmentally responsible, and scientifically sound.

• Soil Science Distinguished Service Award. The Soil Science Distinguished Service Award is presented in recognition of outstanding service to soil science. Selection is based on the nominee’s contributions during his or her career. Members eligible for the award must have 25 years or more of active membership in the Society and have ceased full-time professional employment. The 2009 Soil Science Distinguished Service Award recipients are:
   

• Ronald F. Follett, USDA-ARS, Fort Collins, CO. – Soil Science Research Award. Ronald F. Follett is the research leader of the USDA-ARS Soil-Plant-Nutrient Research Unit, Fort Collins, CO. He received a B.S. and M.S. from Colorado State University and Ph.D. from Purdue University. His program focuses on the study of soil carbon sequestration to help mitigate elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and global climate change. Dr. Follett is a Fellow of ASA, SSSA, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

• Lee Burras, Iowa State University – Soil Science Education Award. Lee Burras is professor in the Department of Agronomy and affiliate professor of geology and environmental science at Iowa State University. He received a B.S. and M.S. from Iowa State University and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. His program focuses on soils and the environment, which is also the name of a large lecture class he teaches. Dr. Burras served as associate editor for Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education and chaired the Council of Soil Science Examiners.

• Scott R. Yates, U.S. Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, CA. – Soil Science Applied Research Award. Scott R. Yates is research leader of the Contaminant Fate and Transport Unit, U.S. Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, CA. He received a B.S. from University of Wisconsin, M.S. from New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, and Ph.D. from University of Arizona. His research focuses on minimizing pesticide contamination of soil, water, and air. Dr. Yates served as S-1 division chair, associate editor of Soil Science Society of AmericaJournal, associate and technical editor of Journal of Environmental Quality, and as adjunct professor at University of California-Riverside.

• Jorge A. Delgado, USDA-ARS, Fort Collins, CO. – International Soil Science Award. Jorge A. Delgado is a soil scientist with USDA-ARS and Fellow of ASA, SSSA, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS). Dr. Delgado received a B.S. from University of Puerto Rico and M.S. and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. He served as research editor of the Journal of SWCS since 2001. He has more than 140 publications. His international leadership contributes to the transfer of 15N isotopic techniques, nutrient management practices, and technology and tools that are used in soil and water conservation efforts across international regions, increasing farm-level nitrogen use efficiencies.

• Lea Shanley – ASA-CSSA-SSSA Congressional Science Fellow.Lea Shanley works in the office of Senator Bill Nelsons (D-Florida) where she serves as the resident expert on scientific and technical issues. Shanley is a recent Ph.D. graduate (2008) from the University of Wisconsin. She is a broadly-trained professional who blends policy and inter-agency coordination experience with in-depth knowledge of geographic information science (GIScience) and its application to environmental and resource management. Her research efforts and professional activities have focused on the intersection of science and technology, law, and society.

• Donald R. Zak, University of Michigan – Francis E. Clark Distinguished Lectureship on Frontiers in Soil Biology. Donald R. Zak is a professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment and in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Michigan. He received a Ph.D. at Michigan State University, M.S. at University of Idaho, and B.S. from The Ohio State University. His research investigates links between the composition and function of soil microbial communities, and the influence of microbial activity on ecosystem-level processes. Dr. Zak has been appointed to the editorial boards of Ecology, Ecological Monographs,Ecological Applications and Soil Science Society of America Journal. He has been selected to present the Francis E. Clark Distinguished Lectureship on Frontiers in Soil Biology at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.

• Curtis J. Richardson, Duke University – William H. Patrick Memorial Lectureship.Dr. Curtis Richardson is an internationally acclaimed ecologist and wetland soil scientist conducting research on phosphorus biogeochemistry in wetland ecosystems. He is director of the Duke University Wetland Center and professor of resource ecology at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. His interests are in phosphorus nutrient dynamics, the effects of environmental stress on plant communities and growth response, and wetland restoration. He has spent considerable efforts translating this research into realistic management techniques to improve wetland ecosystems while sustaining ecological functions on the landscape. Since 2003, he has been a scientific advisor to a USAID-sponsored project to restore the marshlands in southern Iraq. He was president of the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) in 1987-1988 and was named SWS Fellow. He is a Fellow of SSSA and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is a recipient of the 2006 National Wetlands Award. He has been selected to present the William H. Patrick Memorial Lectureship at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.

• Johan Bouma, Wageningen University, the Netherlands – Nyle C. Brady Frontiers of Soil Science Lectureship.Johan Bouma is a retired professor of soil science at Wageningen University, the Netherlands, where he received a M.S. and Ph.D. He was a postdoc and a tenured associate professor in the Soil Sciences Department at University of Wisconsin from 1969-1975. He worked on hydropedology, soil survey and land evaluation, and associated policy issues. He was a member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy, a think-tank in the prime minister’s office. He has been selected to present the Nyle C. Brady Frontiers of Soil Science Lectureship at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.

• Leo M. Walsh Soil Fertility Distinguished Lectureship.The Leo M. Walsh Soil Fertility Distinguished Lectureship honors the contributions of Leo Walsh, a leading extension specialist and researcher in soil fertility at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to the profession. The 2009 lectures include:
   

• Soil Testing/Problem Solving Era- the First 25+ Years
  • David Mengel – Kansas State University
  • David Whitney – Kansas State University  
     

• The Fertilizer Era-the Next 25+ Years
  • Robert G. Hoeft – University of Illinois
  • Keith Kelling – University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Noble Usherwood – Agr-Tech Services LLC 
     

• The Environmental Era- the Last 25+ Years
  • Gyles Randall – University of Minnesota
  • James Baker – Ag Engineering
  • Gary W. Hergert – University of Nebraska