News Release

MADISON, WI, AUGUST 24, 2011 -- The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) will recognize the following individuals at the 2011 Awards Ceremony during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 16-19 in San Antonio, TX, www.acsmeetings.org.

ASA has been selecting outstanding members as Fellows since 1924. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only .3 percent of the Society’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow. The 2011 class of ASA Fellows are:

• Ray Bryant – USDA Agricultural Research Service. Ray Bryant is a research soil scientist and former research leader in the USDA Agricultural Research Service at University Park, Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas Tech University, and Ph.D. from Purdue University. His program focuses on soil and landscape processes affecting nutrient losses. Dr. Bryant served as an associate editor for Soil Science Society of America Journal and has been active in the ASA, SSSA, and Soil and Water Conservation Society.

• Patrick Byrne – Colorado State University. Patrick Byrne is a professor and graduate studies coordinator in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. He received his B.A. from Washington University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri. His program focuses on understanding the genetic basis of quantitative traits in wheat and common bean and on biotechnology risk assessment. He has been active in agricultural biotechnology education, both on-campus and in outreach programs. He serves as an associate editor for Crop Science.

• Richard B. Ferguson – University of Nebraska. Richard Ferguson is a professor of soil science and extension soils specialist in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska. Dr. Ferguson received his B.S. degree from Friends University, and M.S. and Ph.D. from Kansas State University. His research, extension and teaching programs focus mainly on site-specific crop management. Ferguson serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Precision Agriculture, and has been active in the ASA and SSSA.

• Raj Khosla – Colorado State University. Rajiv “Raj” Khosla is Colorado State University Monfort Professor of Precision Agriculture, and a Visiting Professor in China and Saudi Arabia. In June, he was appointed by NASA to the US “Presidential Advisory Board on Positioning, Navigation and Timing”. He received his MS and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. Dr. Khosla’s research focus has been on “Management of in-field soil and crop spatial variability using innovative technologies for precision nutrient management. He is the current President of International Society of Precision Agriculture.

• Philip Moore – USDA/ARS. Philip Moore is a Soil Scientist for USDA/ARS at Fayetteville, AR.  He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Arkansas, and his Ph.D. degree from Louisiana State University.  His program focuses mainly on manure management to improve air, soil and water quality.  Dr. Moore is best known for his work with the Phosphorus Index and for developing new best management practices to reduce non-point source phosphorus runoff and air pollution, such as treating manure with aluminum sulfate (alum).

• Gary Muehlbauer – University of Minnesota. Gary Muehlbauer is a professor and Endowed Chair of Molecular Genetics Applied to Crop Improvement in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.  Dr. Muehlbauer received his B.S. from Washington State University, M.S. from the University of Nebraska, and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.  His program focuses on developing and exploiting genomics technologies for barley and wheat improvement.  Muehlbauer served on the board of directors for the CSSA, and as associate editor for Crop Science and The Plant Genome.

• Matthew Reynolds – International Maize & Wheat Improvement. Matthew Reynolds is principal scientist at the International Maize & Wheat Improvement. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees at Oxford, Reading and Cornell Universities and joined ASA in 1990. Professional goals are to develop and transfer technologies that increase wheat productivity mainly focusing on developing countries. He holds honorary positions at Oklahoma State and Nottingham Universities, and Australian Plant Genomics Centre. He leads an international consortium to raise wheat yield potential and serves on the Triticeae-CAP advisory board.

• Michael Richardson – University of Arkansas. Mike Richardson is a horticulture professor at the University of Arkansas. He received a B.S. degree from Louisiana Tech University, M.S. from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. in agronomy from the University of Georgia. His research has focused on genetic factors and cultural practices that impact turfgrass production in the transition zone and he is an active teacher and advisor in the turfgrass program. Dr. Richardson has served as editor for Applied Turfgrass Science, associate editor of Crop Science, and board member for CSSA.

• Kirk Scheckel – USEPA. Kirk Scheckel is a Research Soil Scientist in the National Risk Management Research Laboratory of the USEPA. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Ohio State University. Dr. Scheckel received his B.S. degree from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware. His research focuses on element speciation in soils, sediments, and water to elucidate reaction mechanisms that influence fate in the natural environment. He served as associate editor for JEQ and Chair of S-11. He is active in SSSA, ASA, and American Chemical Society.

• Richard E. Terry – Brigham Young University. Richard E. Terry is professor and soil scientist in the Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department at Brigham Young University.  He received his B.S. degree from Brigham Young University and M.S. and Ph.D. from Purdue University.  He teaches courses in soils and environmental science.  His research program focuses on transformations of carbon and nitrogen.  He is currently studying the soil chemical and carbon isotopic residues of ancient human activities.  He is active in the ASA and the Society for American Archaeology.

• David Van Sanford  - University of Kentucky. David Van Sanford is a professor and wheat breeder in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department at the University of Kentucky. He received his B.S degree from Oregon State University, M.S. from Colorado State University, and Ph.D. from N.C. State University.  His program focuses mainly on the development of high yielding, scab-resistant soft red winter wheat cultivars.  Dr. Van Sanford has served as an associate editor of Crop Science and has been active in the CSSA Golden Opportunity Scholars Program.

• J. Giles Waines – University of California – Riverside. J. Giles Waines is a professor and geneticist in the Botany & Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Riverside. He serves as Director of the Botanic Gardens and Herbarium. Dr. Waines received his B.S. from Reading University, UK, M.S. from UCLA, and Ph.D. from UC Riverside. His program focuses on germplasm collection and use in breeding cereals and legumes. He received the Frank N. Meyer Medal in 1998 for contributions to agricultural exploration.

• Dong Wang – USDA-ARS. Dong Wang is research leader in the USDA ARS Water Management Research Unit in Parlier, CA.  He received his B.Eng. degree from Beijing Agricultural Engineering University, his M.S. from University of Idaho, and his Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin. His program focuses on fate and transport of volatile soil fumigants and evapotranspiration and water use efficiency of horticultural and biofuel crops. Dr. Wang served as an associate editor for Journal of Environmental Quality and Vadose Zone Journal and has been active in the ASA and SSSA.

• Charles P. West – University of Arkansas. Chuck West is a professor in the Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Arkansas. He teaches and conducts research on forages, environmental restoration, and bioenergy crops. He received his B.S. and M.S. in agronomy from the University of Minnesota, and Ph.D. from Iowa State University. His research focus is on the tall fescue-endophyte symbiosis and environmental physiology of switchgrass. Dr. West has served as associate editor of Crop Science and is active in NCCC-31 Ecophysiological Aspects of Forage Management.

• William J. Wiebold - University of Missouri. Dr. Bill Wiebold a professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri. He is also state extension specialist for soybean, corn, and wheat. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Iowa State University, and his doctorate from the University of Georgia. He is responsible for extension and applied research programs that develop cropping systems that enhance productivity, improve income stability, and protect the environment. Dr. Wiebold has served as chair of ACSESS, president of CSSA, associate editor of Crop Science, associate editor of Agronomy Journal, associate editor of Crop Management, and chair of the Missouri Certified Crop Advisers Board. He has also been a member of the boards of directors of ASA and CSSA.

• Charles Wortmann – University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Charles Wortmann is a professor and soil fertility specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his degrees at UNL. He worked in Africa for 20 years and joined UNL in 2001. His research and extension focuses on nutrient use efficiency and water quality protection. He was/is a senior associate/screening editor for Agronomy Journal.

• Minghua Zhang – University of California-Davis. Minghua Zhang is a professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at the University of California, Davis.  She received her B.S. at Zhejiang University in China, and M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis.  Her research program focuses on GIS database development, pesticide and nutrient related water quality watershed modeling, as well as “3S” applications in precision agriculture.  She has served as an associate editor for Journal of Environmental Quality and has been active in the ASA and SSSA.

###