Departmental Newsletter, Winter 2006
- NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD
- by Julia Kornegay
- It gets quiet in the department at this time of the year. The students have finished their final exams and have left for the holidays. Most of our faculty and staff will soon enjoy some time off. I look forward to spending time at home with family and friends, and decompressing from a very busy fall semester.
- January starts up with a number of important horticultural meetings across the state and nation, beginning with the NC Blueberry Council Annual Meeting (January 9-10), NC Apple Growers Association Annual Meeting (January 10-11), and NCAN's Green & Growin' Show (January 16-20). In February, we have the Southern Region ASHS meeting in Mobile, Alabama (February 2-6), immediately followed by the National Plant Breeding Workshop in Raleigh (February 8-9), which is being co-hosted by the Horticultural Science and Crop Science departments, and then the Western Vegetable Growers Meeting (February 21-22) in Asheville. Our research and extension faculty are actively involved in the planning and delivery of the educational sessions at these meetings. This gives us an opportunity to present new research results and discuss issues of importance with industry leaders and growers across the state. By March, we have some time to catch our breath (and catch up on paperwork in the office) before summer starts our field research season and commodity field days. There is never a dull day in the Hort department.
- We are fortunate to live and work in a state that has a rich diversity of horticultural crops and cropping systems and a society that values beauty in landscaped environments.
 DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHT
- by Todd Wehner
- The 4-H Plant and Soil website brims with information for leaders and opportunities for 4-H youth. Come check out ideas for grazing in the garden, making garbage can gardens or take the plant geek pledge! See: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~eadrisco/
- FACULTY NEWS
- by Todd Wehner
- Daniel Townsend Pope, PhD, of Mt. Pleasant, SC died December 4. Dr. Pope was born December 24, 1913 at Edisto Island, SC. He received his BS from Clemson University in 1935, MS from Louisiana State University in 1937, and PhD from Cornell University in 1952. Dr. Pope was Assistant Professor at Berry College, Rome, GA from 1937 to 1940; Graduate Assistant Professor at Cornell University from 1940 to 1941; Associate Professor and Professor at North Carolina State University from 1947 to 1976. He was a US Army Veteran of World War II, with service from 1941 to 1946 at Little Rock, AR, Fort Benning, GA, Tyler, TX and Ft. Meade, MD. He was assigned to the 28th Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge and served in the European Theatre until V-E Day. In 1945, he was assigned to Military Government and served in Civil Administration returning to the United States in 1946. He was a member of Alpha Zeta Honorary Society and the American Society for Horticultural Science where he was elected a Fellow in 1974. He was a professor of Horticultural Science and sweetpotato breeder for 28 years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, 5900 Core Road, Suite 504, North Charleston, SC 29406 or The Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island, 2164 Hwy. 174, North Charleston, SC 29438 or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude's Place, P.O. Box 3704, Memphis, TN 38173.
- Faculty awards
- Jeanine Davis received the 'supporter of the year' award from the NC Vegetable Growers Association.
- Bill Jester received the 'educator of the year' award from the NC Vegetable Growers Association.
 STAFF NEWS
- by Dolores Lawson
- Lisa Hopkins, research technician III, started working in Horticultural Science on August 7 with Sara Spayd.
- Jeremy Smith, research technician II, started working at the MHREC, Fletcher on September 5 with Tom Ranney.
- GRADUATE PROGRAM
- by John Dole and Rachel McLaughlin
- Jeff Jones received the Foil W. McLaughlin Fellowship Award for 2006-2007 including a check for $2,000. Jeff began his MS degree in January 2006 under the direction of Dr. Tom Ranney, with his thesis subject "Breeding and Propagating Rhododendron and Azaleas." Jeff was selected for this award because of his excellent academic performance (4.0 GAP), his contributions to the department, and his superior research skills.
- Horticultural Science was awarded $2,000 from the NC State Graduate School for its proposal entitled "new recruiting initiative for the Department of Horticultural Science." The proposal was written by Roland Leatherwood with help from Gina Fernandez. The funds are being used for current graduate students to travel to meetings to recruit minority students. As part of the grant, Ramon Molino-Bravo attended the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science meeting in Tampa, Florida this October. During the meeting, he met with potential graduate students and extolled the virtues of the Horticultural Science graduate program.
 NEWS FROM AROUND NORTH CAROLINA
- Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station (Fletcher)
- by Tom Ranney
- New research facilities for nursery production and propagation have been completed by Anthony LeBude and Joe Conner, and the staff of the Mountain Horticultural Research Station (see photo).
- Apple project team members JD Obermiller and Jason Edney (see photo) cut Rome apples to count seeds. The team recently found growth regulator treatments that reduced skin defects such as russet and scarf skin much more effectively than the current commercial practices (HortScience 41:16-2-1605).
- HORTICULTURE FACILITIES
- by David Monks
- A building ventilation system is being installed in Kilgore Hall to ensure proper air exchange on each floor, especially while operating fume hoods in the laboratories.
- DEPARTMENTAL NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
- Editor: Todd Wehner
- Assistant: Rachel McLaughlin
- Send items for the newsletter to Todd Wehner (todd_wehner@ncsu.edu)
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