Student Accomplishments

Sumit Sen, a biosystems engineering graduate student, presented a paper at the 2007 Alabama Water Resources Symposium and Conference held at Orange Beach in September.

Nine College of Ag students are among the 25 charter members of the newly organized and fully sanctioned Auburn University Bass Club. They include senior Anthony Goggins, sophomore Brandt Givens and freshman Jonathan Brown, all fisheries majors; poultry science juniors Trae Martin, Richard Peek and Sam Rochell; Clay Messer, a biosystems engineering senior; and Adam Murphree, an ag communications sophomore.

Fisheries students Allen Nichols and Shelley England were awarded third place in the 2007 Alabama Wildlife Federation's State Finals wild game cook-off. Their team, "Fish Tales," prepared a fish pizza containing speckled trout, redfish and flounder. The team qualified for the state cook-off by winning the Talladega County competition earlier in the year with a recipe for bream eggrolls.

B.A.S.S. BOSS-Ray Scott Jr., center, an AU alumnus who founded B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) and the Whitetail Institute of North America, was on campus in September for Outdoor U, a College of Ag and School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences event that focused on outdoor-related careers. During his visit, Scott spent a great deal of time visiting with members of the new AU Bass Fishing Club, many of whom are College of Ag students.

Twelve Department of Animal Sciences undergraduate students returned to campus from summer vacation early this year to participate in an Alabama beef cattle tour. The trip was sponsored by the Alabama Cattlemen's Association State Beef Check-Off fund. Reid Blossom, ACA's Youth Program leader, and Hope Burge, Block and Bridle Club president, worked with Department Head Wayne Greene to organize and schedule the trip, which was held Aug. 12-14. Students were accompanied by ACA representatives, Greene and faculty member Frank Owsley. The tour included a visit to the Alabama Cattlemen's Association headquarters in Montgomery where industry leaders outlined Alabama beef production systems and discussed issues facing the industry. During the tour, students found themselves in the midst of the "hustle and bustle" at Sysco Foods Distribution Center where they met with the CEO and the chef. They then traveled to north central Alabama to visit the Debter and Hayne farms and witness the devastating effects of the summer 2007 drought on beef cattle production. That evening they attended a dinner discussion with beef cattle producers at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center in Crossville. The final day of the trip included a visit to Gibbs Farms in Ranburne and a stop at the Roanoke Cattle Stockyard, where the students gained insight into cattle marketing. According to Greene, the tour was a huge success for students and presenters alike and the department hopes to make it an annual event.

	TOUR DE BEEF-Animal sciences students at Auburn recently toured farms, stockyards and other beef cattle facilities in the state to learn more about the industry and the challenges it is facing.
	TAILGATING ON THE FARM-Animal sciences students participated in tailgate tours of several Alabama beef farms this fall during the first annual undergraduate beef tour.

Officers for the Auburn branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers have been selected. They include Adam Crocker, president; Steven Meadows, vice-president; Rachel Angel, secretary/treasurer; Daniel Mullenix and Jacob Harper, Ag Council representatives; and Bo Tucker, engineering council representative. Activities for the coming year include attending the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga., where they displayed their 2007 entry in the ASABE International Quarter-Scale competition and Old Nancy, the department's 1905 steam tractor. The students will also display Old Nancy at the upcoming Lee County Historical Fair, which is held in conjunction with the annual Syrup Sopping in Loachapoka, and at the annual Ag Roundup Nov. 3 in Auburn. The students are working with the Lee County Historical Society to restore an antique gasoline engine. The group also will sponsor a team for the 2008 ASABE Quarter-Scale Tractor competition. The Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station's Land and Resource Management division built the War Eagle Pullers their own test track in a space near the Old Rotation. Anyone interested in sponsoring the 2008 team can contact Tim McDonald, team adviser at mcdonte@auburn.edu, or Steve Taylor, department head at taylost@auburn.edu.

The Auburn Chapter of Alpha Epsilon, the honor society for agricultural and biological engineers, recently inducted its 2007 class. This group of biosystems engineering students with high academic achievements included Daniel Mullenix, Deann Smith, Richard C. Messer and Steven Meadows.