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MAES Director Gray Named MSU Research Vice President MAES Director Named MSU Research Vice President

J. Ian Gray, director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and a veteran at guiding research at Michigan State University, is the university’s new vice president for research and graduate studies.

The appointment of Gray, who is also interim vice provost was approved Thursday, July 22, by the MSU Board of Trustees. Gray succeeds Robert Huggett, who was vice president since 1997.

His appointment begins Sept. 1.

“Ian Gray has a long and distinguished record of guiding a great research program here at Michigan State,” said MSU President Peter McPherson. “His creativity and vision will continue to enable us to craft productive partnerships both on campus and across the world. His accomplishments as an administrator and as a scientist are impressive and we are pleased he is with us to keep the tremendous momentum MSU’s research has.”

In his 17-year tenure in the MAES, which encompasses the work of more than 300 scientists in five colleges at MSU, Gray has been a driving force behind the expansion of interdisciplinary research, which now is a cornerstone of MSU’s vision to advance knowledge and transform lives through exploration and discovery.

“Ian Gray is a great choice to build MSU’s research portfolio,” said MSU President Designate and Provost Lou Anna K. Simon. “He has a tremendous network of support, not only across the university, but nationally and internationally. Michigan State is a research-intensive university with a passion for advancing knowledge and transforming lives.

“Under Ian’s leadership, MSU will continue to confront some of the world’s most complex and perplexing problems. We’ll play a vital role in enhancing the quality of life for individuals and will continue to be a driver for the economic growth of our state and the region.”

Gray, 59, a food scientist expert in the formation of toxic compounds in foods as a result of processing and cooking, came to MSU in 1978 as an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition.

In 1987, he became acting assistant director, and a year later associate director of the MAES, which generates knowledge through strategic research to enhance agriculture, natural resources, families and communities in Michigan.

In that position, his primary responsibilities included managing the multi-state research program and developing and maintaining strong ties between MAES researchers and the state’s commodity groups. He promoted multidisciplinary efforts to address problems identified in state assessments of Michigan agriculture and natural resources. He also worked to facilitate special U.S. Department of Agriculture grants on fruit quality, sustainable agriculture, and potato breeding and quality.

Gray became MAES director in 1996 and assumed the additional duties of interim vice provost in 1998 and of assistant vice president for research and graduate studies in 2000. He has expanded the mission of MAES to include more research in the social science areas and helped bring the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center to MSU.

“Not only have we maintained our commitment to the traditional charge of serving the state, but the Agricultural Experiment Station has maintained a multidisciplinary approach that has engaged many faculty that don’t have traditional links,” Gray said. “We’ve used the MAES to engage a major part of the university research machine, and that is very powerful.”

“Ian Gray’s 26 years of dedicated service to MSU as a research scientist and director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station have prepared him well for this new role,” said Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “He is an effective and strategic administrator who has aggressively expanded the MAES research agenda across campus, particularly in the social and behavioral sciences. I am very pleased that his vision and creativity will now help inform and shape the broader research mission of the university.”

Gray has been an active bench scientist with a body of research that contributes to safer, more healthful food, and also assists in developing Michigan products. He lists 170 scientific journal publications and 120 papers presented at scientific meetings. His work includes such high-profile projects as MSU’s findings that show that tart cherries have healthful antioxidant properties.

Gray, a native of Northern Ireland, received his doctoral degree in food science from Queen’s University in Belfast, conducted post-doctoral research at MSU and was an assistant professor of food science at University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

“It’s a wonderful honor to be appointed and I look forward to the work of enhancing the research excellence at MSU and putting together a university-wide research agenda that will do justice to the research talents that exist at MSU,” Gray said. “I also look forward to working closely with Graduate School Dean Karen Klomparens to make graduate research and training an even more rewarding experience for students at MSU.”

Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop

A professional grant proposal writing workshop will be held at U-M, August 18-20, 2004. For more information visit: http://www.thegrantinstitute.com This is an informational opportunity only. MAES funding will not be available to support attendance.

Spartans go to the Olympics – Not on the Field, but with the Field

MAES know-how is bringing a little mythlike magic to the summer Olympic games.

It sounds like something Zeus could cook up – a field of lush, sturdy turf springing up where acres of asphalt once stood. MAES turf scientists are helping the Olympics create a portable athletic field within four days.

The portable field is another generation of MSU expertise, the offspring of the first indoor pitch for the 1994 World Cup at the Pontiac Silverdome and the movable field in MSU’s Spartan Stadium.

John N. “Trey” Rogers, MAES crop and soil sciences researcher, said this time the scientists were challenged with the Olympics of turf science – moving approximately 6,000 modules of turf into the Olympian stadium after the Aug. 13 opening ceremonies to be ready for the games to begin Aug. 17.

High-level security will add to the challenge.

“The difference this time is that it’s an opening ceremony that’s driving the job,” Rogers said. “But a portable field clearly is the solution, and people have gained confidence in us.”

Like Spartan Stadium, the Olympian Stadium has a sunken floor. MSU experts – including James Crum, MAES crop and soil sciences researcher – have been working for months designing root zones and recommending appropriate grasses – Bermudagrass seems to be the best -- that are tough enough to withstand the rigors of soccer and field events as well as the scorching Greek summers.

Graduate student Matt Anderson traveled to Greece April 20 to assist in field construction in a remote area similar to Spartan Stadium and will stay through the games to oversee the move-in details. Tim VanLoo, a senior, joined Anderson in late June to assist in a practice run of moving modules into the stadium. VanLoo also will return to Athens in August. Rogers went to Athens in June as well.

The MSU team is working with GreenTech, the module manufacturer from Richmond, Va., which is a consultant on the project.

“It is important that this field perform for the games, obviously, but this field will also stay in the stadium after the Olympics,” Rogers said. “This will be the stadium field for the nation.”

Agricultural Economics Project Is Finalist for Development Foundation Prize

With an MAES scientist as one of its leaders, a Michigan State University project that provides farmers and traders in Mali with nearly real-time market reports is a finalist for the Petersberg Prize.

The Agricultural Economics Department’s Mali Market Information Project was named one of eight finalists for the Development Gateway Foundation’s prize. The prize is awarded for the most exemplary application of information and communication technology in the developing world over the past decade.

The Mali project, known by its French acronym PASIDMA (Projet d’Appui au Système d’Information Décentralisé du Marché Agricole) has helped Mali’s agricultural market information system (MIS) provide farmers and traders with nearly real-time information on prices and other market conditions for their crops and livestock.

The technological heart of the system is a solar-powered computer network that links local MIS offices across the country through e-mail sent over high-frequency radio. The local MIS offices are in turn tied to local private radio stations that broadcast market reports in French and local languages.

PASIDMA is a joint effort of MSU’s Department of Agricultural Economics, USAID and the Permanent Assembly of the Chambers of Agriculture of Mali (APCAM), and is implemented under the USAID/MSU Food Security III Cooperative Agreement. John Staatz, MAES agricultural economics scientist, and Niama Nango Dembélé, visiting assistant professor of agricultural economics, led the effort for MSU in partnership with Abdramane Traoré of APCAM.

The Development Gateway Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization. It was conceived by World Bank President James Wolfensohn and initially developed in the World Bank. The foundation helps improve the lives of people in developing countries by building partnerships and information systems that provide access to knowledge for development.

Grape Growers to Have Added Access to Scouting Information

Michigan juice and wine grape growers can reduce pesticide costs and protect the environment by scouting their vineyards for early signs of insect and disease infestations. A recently funded Michigan State University research project will help them improve their pest scouting techniques and catch potential problems before they get out of hand.

The two-year research project, funded by the American Farmland Trust and the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program, is intended to increase the use of scouting by Michigan juice and wine grape growers by making the latest scouting information available through multiple sources. The initiative will also support various MSU Extension grape grower workshops and on-farm scouting demonstrations, including integrated pest management (IPM) programs that will evaluate how effectively new products perform in commercial settings.

“This research project allows us to focus on increasing grower knowledge of the insects, diseases, vine disorders and weeds that can challenge the production of quality grapes,” said Rufus Isaacs, project leader and MAES entomology researcher. “We hope that learning how to accurately identify these problems and the natural enemies that live in the vineyard better positions growers to make informed vineyard management decisions.”

Because no two vineyards are alike, scouting helps to ensure that problems specific to individual sites are detected and identified before they reach economically damaging levels.

“When scouting a vineyard, growers look for developing problems and their sources,” explained Joy Landis, MSU assistant IPM coordinator. “Correctly identifying a problem allows the grower to apply the appropriate pesticide or implement the proper management tactic at the optimum time.

“Scouting helps growers avoid applying unnecessary pesticides because applications are made only when economic damage is likely to occur,” she said. “Both the environment and the grower’s bottom line are best served when pesticides are used as judiciously as possible.”

As part of the project, growers will be able to access weekly scouting summaries from vineyards in the primary grape-growing regions of the state on a newly designed MSU grape Web site: www.grapes.msu.edu/.

The Web site provides a central location to store information, Isaacs said, and it is easily accessible for growers.

“By using the new Web site to check weekly scouting reports, growers can quickly observe what’s happening in their region,” he said. “The Web site contains clear pictures and concise descriptions of all the main pest problems, which help growers scout their own vineyards for similar pests.”

Learn about MSU Research and Education at Ag Expo

Find out about Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) research and MSU Extension (MSUE) programs by visiting the Agriculture and Natural Resources tent at the 25th annual Michigan Ag Expo, July 20-22 at Michigan State University.

Located on the Ag Expo exhibit grounds at the corner of Second Street and Avenue D, the tent will feature displays, presentations and activities sponsored by the MAES, MSUE, Project GREEEN, (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), the Animal Industry Initiative, the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, MSU Diagnostics Services, MSU Integrated Pest Management, the Michigan AgrAbility Project, and the MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“The purpose of the tent is to bring together the various agriculture and natural resources projects, centers and initiatives at MSU to show how these groups benefit people and communities in Michigan,” said Sara Long, Project GREEEN communications manager and tent coordinator.

Visitors can hear presentations about such topics as the emerald ash borer, starting a new business and managing Christmas trees. Children can learn about “A Bug’s World” by taking part in activities sponsored by Michigan 4-H Youth Development.

Dietary experts will be available to answer food-related questions. Additionally, staff members from MSU Diagnostic Services will be on hand to evaluate plant and insect samples.

Sparty, MSU’s mascot, will make an appearance in the tent for photo opportunities. Michigan apple slices will also be available for taste testing.

Ag Expo visitors can also meet other MSU educators -- from agronomists and agricultural engineers to foresters, veterinarians and animal scientists. They will be on hand to discuss their work and share information on various aspects of agriculture and natural resources, new MAES and MSU research information, and MSUE programs.

Ag Expo will feature commercial farm equipment from throughout the Midwest and several Canadian provinces on the 35-acre main exhibition site.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 20, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 21 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 22. All Ag Expo events and parking at Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road are free.

For more information about Ag Expo, call 1-800-366-7055.

Animal Demonstrations Added to Ag Expo Lineup

Visitors to the 25th annual Ag Expo at Michigan State University July 20-22 will have the opportunity to observe new demonstrations related to Michigan’s animal agriculture industry.

John Shelle, professor of animal science, will offer a presentation about the importance of a horse’s structure and form in its function as an athlete each morning at 10 a.m. on the Ag Expo grounds. He will talk about the importance of selecting an animal that has the conformation that will make it a sound and successful performer.

Matt Shane, Lenawee County MSU Extension director, will offer information about pasture management each day at 1 p.m. Shane will address common concerns related to keeping horses on small pasture lots and maintaining a healthy pasture.

Across Mt. Hope Road at the MSU pavilion, Dana Kirk, graduate student in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, will lead a seminar at 1 p.m. July 20 and 22 on writing comprehensive nutrient management plans (CNMPs). The Michigan Dairy Expo will also be going on at the pavilion. A shuttle bus will run continuously between the Ag Expo grounds and the pavilion, giving visitors the chance to take part in both events.

Kevin Kirk, special assistant to the state veterinarian at the Michigan Department of Agriculture, will also be at the pavilion July 20 and 22 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the new national animal identification program. Kirk’s presentation will address many of the questions producers have about the new national program.

“We are excited to have several demonstrations and exhibits at Ag Expo featuring some of the research and outreach programs supported by the Animal Industry Initiative,” said Margaret Benson, interim chairperson of the MSU Department of Animal Science. “The Animal Industry Initiative has provided a great deal of research and information to enhance Michigan’s livestock industries.”

Nation’s Plant Database Falling Behind, Survey Shows

Stopping to smell the roses may be laudable, but more people need to be picking, preserving and cataloging them.

Smelling doesn’t build and maintain a rich and necessary documentation of the nation’s biodiversity. A drop-off in collecting plants threatens the flora database that is the primary source of material for gardeners, county Extension agents, nature enthusiasts, artists and illustrators as well as medical scientists, forensics experts, law enforcement agencies and other scientists.

The problem: collecting local or in-state plant life is in steep decline at a time when habitat is changing dramatically.

“To protect the best remaining native forests and to determine how development can best reflect our values, we have to thoroughly understand our natural heritage,” said Alan Prather, MAES plant biology researcher and plant curator at Michigan State University. “This information has to be kept current because new invasive species are introduced every year, and once pristine habitats are destroyed by both natural and human forces.”

Prather and Carolyn Ferguson, of Kansas State University, have outlined the trend toward doing less collecting, which holds true across the board, from the vast holdings of the Field Museum in Chicago to smaller plant museums that house only a few thousand specimens.

Their article, “The Decline of Plant Collecting in the United States: A Threat to the Infrastructure of Biodiversity Studies,” and the accompanying “Commentary: Implications of the Decline in Plant Collecting for Systematic and Floristic Research” appeared in the spring 2004 issue of Systematic Botany.

The researchers surveyed small and large collections of plants (herbaria) from public and private institutions, universities, museums and botanical gardens in 30 states and the District of Columbia.

Their findings are startling: fewer scientists and students are going into the field to gather plants and preserve them in collections. The result, Prather said, is not only a breakdown of resources for a myriad of professionals but also a breakdown of knowledge of what habitats were like and how they are changing.

It is vital to understand the composition of a natural habitat and to be able quickly to recognize the invasion of exotic species.

“If we cannot keep out such invading species, then our best defense is to detect them right away and eliminate them,” Ferguson said. “But unless we are vigilant and collect plants locally and know when invaders appear, we cannot possibly defend against them.”

Plant collections play an active role in medical and public health and forensic science, Prather said. For example, if a child eats an unknown plant, workers in herbarium collections get the emergency call to identify the plant quickly.

“We need actual specimens to identify plants and, in a situation like this, to rule out poisonous possibilities,” Prather said.

In relation to national security, herbarium collections are assuming added meaning, the authors said. Without extensive plant reference specimens, identifying foreign plant diseases or pathogens of crops or forests would take much longer, Prather said, and meanwhile, serious damage could result.

Ferguson and Prather advocate increasing the resources for local collecting and for accessioning specimens.

“We need more people to do the actual collecting. We need to train students in collecting practices,” Prather said. “We need to focus on statewide plant collecting again and actively resist pressures to stop adding locally collected plant specimens to the nation’s herbaria.”

MAES Sociologist Edits Groundbreaking Book

A large proportion of U.S. residents – about 22 percent or 55 million people – are considered rural residents. These people face a unique set of health issues: social, cultural and economic disadvantages can increase their risk for adverse health consequences.

To provide a comprehensive study of rural health and its trends in the United States, Nan Johnson, MAES rural sociology scientist, and colleagues Nina Glasgow and Lois Wright Morton have edited Critical Issues in Rural Health, the first text to focus so inclusively on the topic. The editors present integrative reviews of theory and research on rural health issues, with the most up-to-date statistics and research findings.

“Historically, rural areas have lagged behind urban areas in health status and have had poorer quality health care,” Johnson said. “But recent research on whether this situation has changed over time and, if so, the extent to which it has changed is sparse. The purpose of the book is to examine recent trends in rural health status and to investigate issues critical to the health and well-being of rural Americans.”

The book is available from Blackwell Publishing. Ordering information is available online at http://store.blackwell-professional.com/0813800102.html.

MSU’s Families and Communities Together (FACT) Coalition Announces 2004 Grants

Four research projects -- which focus on sexual harassment and bullying of high school students, literacy about genetics research, preventing overweight in children and domestic violence -- will receive $160,000 in grants from the Families and Communities Together (FACT) Coalition at Michigan State University.

“The grant winners were the best from among an excellent pool of proposals, and we are eager to follow the work of the investigators as their projects unfold,” said Janet Bokemeier, FACT co-director. “We believe each new project has great potential to create significant scholarly and community impacts as well as result in substantive research and outreach efforts.”

This year’s grant recipients are:

  • Examining gendered bullying, its psychological and academic outcomes, and anti-harassment policies among rural high school students. Prior to high school graduation, more than 80 percent of adolescents will experience some form of school-based sexual harassment or bullying based on gender or the enforcement of gender role expectations. As a result, many will experience academic withdrawal, depression and feelings of worthlessness. This study seeks to explore the nature of harassment at school and student perceptions of school policies on harassment and anti-harassment policies. Teacher interviews will address factors that facilitate or hinder the ability to enforce anti-harassment policies.
  • Genetics literacy and informed consent. “Our knowledge about genetics is rapidly increasing. We are interested in identifying the best ways to help the general public learn about the impact that this information can have on their lives,” said Jill Elfenbein, project leader. The project’s goals are to improve the understanding of ways to increase genetics literacy in large families and populations that serve as genetics research subjects, and to increase the genetics literacy of high school students, who face a lifetime of making decisions about health care based on the ever increasing body of information available about genetic contributions to disease.
  • Young child overweight prevention study. Fifteen percent of children aged 6-19 and more than 10 percent of preschoolers in the United States are overweight. This phenomenon crosses gender, race and geographic boundaries, but minority and low socioeconomic classes are disproportionately affected. This research project addresses this increase in overweight in children as well as the emergence of serious weight-related medical complications at younger ages.
  • Evaluation of group intervention for women and children experiencing domestic violence. Domestic violence shelters often provide group counseling and support services for battered women and children residing there, but the programs do not reach the majority of women living in the broader community. The MSU Department of Psychology and the College of Nursing have partnered with EVE, Inc., to offer outreach groups focusing on mothers and children. The goal of the project is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of an intervention designed to improve the emotional, behavioral and psychological well-being of women and children experiencing domestic violence.

A collaborative effort of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension and the Office of the Provost, FACT is MSU's multidisciplinary research, Extension and outreach coalition. The 2004 awards are part of FACT’s annual competitive grant program, which has invested more than $1.7 million in research and outreach projects throughout the state since 1999.

The goal of the program is to support cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research projects that address the health and well-being of children, youth and families, and build partnerships with communities.

Plant Transformation Center Launches New Web Site

The MSU Plant Transformation Center (PTC) has created a new Web site featuring information about the PTC as well as many links to resources in the general area of plant biotechnology. Much of the information on the site is designed for educational use. It is targeted at science educators and people who have an interest in learning more about plant biotechnology and plant genomics.

The URL for the new site is www.ptc.msu.edu.

The Plant Transformation Center at Michigan State University is a collaborative group of plant scientists, industry and commodity groups whose main focus is positioning Michigan’s agriculture to meet future needs.

Using the plant’s basic genetic material, scientists are working to:

  • Increase agricultural efficiency and support a sustainable agro-ecosystem.
  • Engineer crops that lead to decreased pesticide use.
  • Increase field and post-harvest resistance to pests and diseases.
  • Enhance value-added traits in plants that make them more useful and beneficial to consumers.

MSU Extension Announces Director Search Committee; Stakeholder Participation Crucial

A search committee has been formed to select the next director of Michigan State University Extension (MSUE). The committee will be chaired by Lynn Harvey, MSUE associate director of operations.

The committee is designed to ensure substantial constituent and stakeholder participation throughout the process. Joshua Wunsch, Traverse City cherry producer and member of the Michigan Farm Bureau board of directors, will serve on the search committee and also chair an inclusive external stakeholders committee, which will be formed in the next few weeks. Charlene Wenham, a Benton Harbor-based management and education consultant, will serve on the search committee as the representative of the MSU Extension and Experiment Station Council. The council is a citizens’ advisory group of Extension/Experiment Station stakeholders from across the state.

Early in the search process, MSU campus-based committee members, including College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and MSUE administrators, plan to attend public “listening sessions” at key locations throughout the state.

Search committee members are:

Hank Allen, MSUE regional director, Southeast region.
Terri Badgley, MSUE secretary.
David Beede, MAES animal science researcher.
Jan Bokemeier, department chairperson and professor of sociology.
Cheri Booth, MSUE director of 4-H programs.
Marquita Chamblee, director of the CANR Office of Diversity and Pluralism.
Shari Dann, associate professor of fisheries and wildlife.
Hiram Fitzgerald, assistant provost, University Outreach and Engagement.
Carlos Garcia-Salazar, MSUE agent, Ottawa County.
J. Ian Gray, MAES director.
Dan Grooms, MAES veterinary medicine researcher.
Ray Hammerschmidt, department chairperson and professor of plant pathology.
Lynn Harvey (committee chair), MSUE associate director.
Jim Kells, MAES crop and soil sciences researcher.
Margo Lansing, executive search consultant.
Jerry Lindquist, MSU Extension director, Osceola County.
Barb Mutch, MSUE program leader.
Ann Nieuwenhuis, MSUE director, Kalamazoo County.
Natalie Rector, MSUE statewide manure management coordinator.
Nick Reo, MSUE Native American programs specialist.
Theresa Silm, MSUE CYF educator, Clinton County.
June Thomas, professor of geography and co-director of Urban Planning Partnerships.
Charlene Wenham, management and education consultant, The Wood Companies.
Joshua Wunsch, agricultural producer and Michigan Farm Bureau board member.

Last Updated: January 16, 2007
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