Hannah Whitley of OSU's International Agricultural Programs Office Spends Spring Break in Thailand Assisting with Tsunami Relief Efforts (March 2005)

Hannah Whitley, seen in the photo above assisting with Tsunami relief efforts in Thailand, gave her spring break time to help others in need. A group of students from across the United States went to Thailand to help with the massive cleanup effort following the Tsunami. Hannah works as a student assistant in the Office of International Agricultural Programs. She funded her participation herself and worked with an ngo. The website for this effort is www.goldenbuddhabeach.com. Congratulations to Hannah for helping with this effort and setting a great example during spring break!

Gateway International Experience is Provided by Agricultural Economics 4803, led by Dr. Dan Tilley and Dr. Marcia Tilley to England, Scotland and France (March 2005)

For most participating students, Ag Econ 4803 is their first international travel experience. The capacity to perform in international cultures that they gain from this experience has made it more likely that they will pursue additional study-abroad programs. The gateway nature of this class is exemplified by the activities that former Agricultural Economics 4803 students have participated in. Examples of follow-up activities from course participants are:


1. Earned Rotary Scholarship and in a one-year M.S. program in Hong Kong;
2. Earned a master’s degree at Cambridge;
3. Doing a study abroad program in Belgium;
4. Have done internships in Seoul and Bangkok;
5. Have done additional longer-term study programs in Poland and China,
6. Rotary Scholarship for a one-year M.S. program in Sidney, Australia;
7. Doing the OSU honors program in Cambridge in 2005;
8. Have completed classes in the CBA summer in London program;
9. Have completed a semester abroad in Mexico;
10. Have completed additional programs in Thailand and Honduras, and
11. Work for companies for which international travel is a frequent requirement for success.

This follow-up record illustrates the value of exposing students to an initial study abroad experience during their undergraduate program, under the guidance of experienced CASNR study abroad course leaders.

Tornado Safety Tips for International Students (March 2005)

Tornado season in Oklahoma is generally from March through June. (Although tornados can occur at any time of the year, they are more likely to form during the Spring months.) Now is the time to decide the best course of action to take in case the tornado warning sirens sound while you are in class, on your job, in University housing or in off-campus housing. If you are on the main campus during a normal work day, the best places to seek shelter are in buildings with basements. These buildings have basements: Architecture, ATRC, Bennett Hall, Business, Classroom, Colvin, Cordell, Dairy Barn, Engineering North & South, Gallagher-Iba, Human Environmental Science, Iba Hall, Library, Life Science East & West, Math Science, McElroy Hall, Murray, Noble, N. Murray, OADDL, Parker Hall, Physical Science, Scott Hall, Seretean, Small Grains, Stout Hall, Student Health, Student Union, USDA, Vet Med Teaching Hospital, Water Plant, Wellness, Wentz Hall, West Chilled Water Plant, Whitehurst and Willard. Note that some of these basements are quite small. If the building you are in does not have a basement, go to the ground floor and get in an interior (windowless) room or hallway. It is generally too risky to go to another building. After hours, Campus Police will open only four buildings for general shelter in the event of tornadic weather: Ag Hall, 4-H, Life Science East, and the Student Union. Monitor weather reports and go to these buildings when it begins to storm; if the sirens are sounding, it is too late to seek other shelter.

Dr. Manuel Coor, and OSU Agricultural Education Alumni, Was Selected to Head a Research Center in Mexico (March 2005)

Dr. Manuel Corro completed his PhD in the Department of Agricultural Education approximately one year ago and returned to Mexico in December 2004. Dr. Corro has been promoted to Department Head for the Center for Teaching, Research and Extension in Tropical Animal Husbandry in the State of Veracruz. This Center has 20 faculty members and is the largest department of the College of Vet Med ouside of Mexico City. Their mission is to prepare veterinarians (in cooperation with the National University of Mexico), conduct research in the area of tropical animal agriculture and provide extension and outreach activities. Manuel wants to develop a deeper relationship with OSU. If faculty or students are interested in an internship or conducting research at this Center, please contact Manuel.

Dr. Desta Hamito, President Emeritus of Alemaya University, Visits Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (March 2005)

Dr. Desta Hamito, President Emeritus of Alemaya University and currently a Fullbright Scholar on the OSU campus (until June 2005), visited the Division of Agriculture to renew ties. Dr. Hamito met with Dr. Bill Weeks, Dr. Jim Stiegler, Dr. Udaya DeSilva, Dr. David Henneberry and Dr. Adele Tongco. OSU was instrumental in the creation of Alemaya University 50 years ago, and the institutional ties remian strong between the two research Universities.

International Ag Programs Displays in Ag Hall Lobby and Reading Room Provide Current Information to Students (March 2005)

Students that want information on ag study abroad programs walk right by all of the information they need every time they take attend a class in ag hall. Currently, there are two displays in ag hall, one on the bulletin board right across from AgH 102 and the other display is in the reading room just down the hall. The International Agricultural Programs display board is maintained by Ms. Hannah Whitley, and undergraduate student assistant in the international agricultural programs office (see photo below.) Recently, a group of students who attended the Thai Study Abroad Course placed their photos into a display for the course. The displays allow students in the Division of Agriculture see their peers participate in study abroad activities.

420 OSU Graduates Have served in the Peace Corps since 1961 (March 2005)

Oklahoma State University is the number one Peace Corps volunteer producing institution in Oklahoma. Since 1961, 420 OSU graduates have served in the Peace Corps. OSU currently has 15 alumni serving in Lesotho, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Paraguay and Honduras. Since October 2004, the OSU Peace Corps recruiting office has signed up 14 future volunteers from OSU.

Paid International Internships Available From the Foreign Agricultural Service - USDA (March 2005)

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's International Internship Program has a PAID internship program and is in need of applicants! As of this week, the program has only received 3 applications nationwide! DUE TO THIS LOW NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MARCH 15TH! The Foreign Agricultural Service's International Internship Program provides college students the opportunity to live and work in a paid internship at an American Embassy overseas. Through work assignments, participants learn various aspects of international trade, trade policy, international relations, diplomacy, regional and cultural considerations, etc. Positions are available in Western Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The internship is offered every semester and summer for graduate Students and upperclassmen (juniors and seniors). Requirements: Be a currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate student (must be a junior or a senior), a U.S. citizen and in good academic standing. Graduate level students in business, international relations, regional studies (i.e. Latin American Studies, Asian Studies, etc), public policy, foreign languages, etc., as well as high-achieving junior and senior undergraduates in similar majors are particularly encouraged to apply, though the program is open to all majors. Please see the application at the website http://www.fas.usda.gov/admin/student/IIP_Brochure.pdf Also, the application states that you must pay for your own transportation to your job site. If that is a financial problem, still apply and FAS will see how they may be able to find financial assistance for the student. If you have any questions please contact the program coordinator, Lillian Gorman at: USDA Hispanic Serving Institutions National Program, Rm. 3912-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington , DC 20250, (202) 720-6506 (phone), (202) 720-5336 (fax), lgorman@ars.usda.gov

Dr. Kriangsak Meng-Umpan from Maejo University in Thailand Visits DASNR to discuss Fisheries Research (March 2005)

Dr. Kriangsak Meng-Umpan of Maejo University in Thailand visited OSU on March 3rd to discuss research programs in fisheries and collabortive graduate programs in agricultural sciences. Dr. Meng-Umpan is one of several professionals in Thailand who volunteered their personal time to serve as a host family for the OSU Study Abroad course that visited Thailand in January 2005. Faculty visits from Maejo University support the efforts of our institutions to develop research linkages through exchange programs.

International Travel Liability Insurance Is Available To OSU Faculty Free Of Charge (March 2005)

International travel liability insurance has been purchased by the State of Oklahoma and is available to all employees traveling outside the U.S. or its territories on official state business. The coverage is worldwide outside the United States, but excluding any country or jurisdiction which is a subject of trade or economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. This insurance is provided free to the user (ie, the State of Oklahoma has already paid), but you need to initiate a policy before your departure. It is simple to sign up for this coverage. Just call Ms. Margaret Stone at 744-8555 and provide her with your name, dates of travel and a few other pieces of basic information and she will send your policy and wallet card to you via campus mail. The coverage includes $1,000,000 of International Commercial General Liability, Contingent Automobile Liability, and Executive Assistance (with a $500,000 limit on medical assistance services).The medical assistance service includes emergency medical evacuation or repatriation when medically necessary, a hospital admission deposit of up to $10,000 U.S., dispatch of a doctor or specialist if your condition cannot be evaluated locally, and emergency medication arrangements.Personal Travel Assistance includes lost document assistance including passports and credit cards, $1,000 in local currency for emergencies, legal access to local attorneys, etc. The policy information you receive with your card provides a more complete description of the coverage and information on how to activate it.We hope you never need this service, but encourage you to obtain such coverage before traveling overseas. To sign up for this free coverage please call: Ms. Margaret Stone 744-8555

Dr. Rodney Geisert, Professor of Animal Science, is the Chairman of the International Conference on Pig Reproduction in the Netherlands June 3-15, 2005 (March 2005)

Dr. Rodney Geisert will be serving as Chairman of the International Conference on Pig Reproduction in the Netherlands in June 2005. Dr. Geisert will also be taking three graduate students from Oklahoma State University with him to participate in the conference activities. The graduate students are Dan Stein, Jason Ross and Morgan Ashworth. Congratulations to these Cowboys who are representing OSU at this prestigious international event! Dr. Geisert is currently engaged in research projects on swine reproduction.

Two Students from the Universidad Autonomo de Chapingo in Mexico start Ag internships at OSU with Dr. Derrell Peel's SANDS/FIPSE Project (February 2005)

Two students from the Universidad Autonoma de Chapingo started internships at OSU this month. Ms. Julieta Rodriguez Licona is a Plant Sciences Major with an interest in horticulture and landscape architecture. She will be working with Dr. Dennis Martin in Hortuculture. Mr. Eduardo Herrera Saucedo is an agricultural and mechanical engineering major with an interest in electronic control systems. They will be on our campus until May 2005.

Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro and Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas Visit Division of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University (February 2005)

Ing. Victor Martínez Cueto, M.C. Sergio Barraza Araiza, M.C. Edgardo Cervantes Alvarez, Ing. Adriana Lucía Patricia Dorantes González from Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico and Dr. Ruth Roux Rodriguez from the University of Tamaulipas visited Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources February 22nd and 23rd, 2005. This visit was a planning and knowledge generation visit to begin the process of identifying areas where joint programs might be created. A particular interest was the possible creation of a graduate program in plant and soil sciences using the combined resources of the institutions meeting. Interest in such a program stems from the successful graduate program which was created in association with the Department of Zootecnia at the University of Chihuahua. Other alternatives to traditional programs were also discussed.

Miguel Angel Maldonado from the University of Chapingo completes Internship at OSU (February 2005)

Miguel Angel Maldonado of the University of Chapingo came to OSU to complete an internship under the direction of Dr. Derrell Peel of the Department of Agricultural Economics. Miguel's interest was the economics of the livestock industry in the United States. Dr. Peel created an internship for him as part of the SANDS/FIPSE project which he is directing. The internship included both on-campus and off-campus experiences and provided Miguel with a solid understanding of U.S. cattle markets and production practices, during his stay from December 15, 2004 through February 22nd, 2005. Miguel is an agricultural economics major at the Autonomous University of Chapingo. Congratulations to Miguel on the successful completion of his internship!

Gaylon Riddles of the Agricultural Economics Department completes Internship in Mexico (February 2005)

Gaylon Riddles, of the Department of Agricultural Economics at OSU, completed an internship in Mexico from May-December 2004. Gaylon is an undergraduate ag econ/pre-law major. During his internship program he completed two language schools and attended a semester at the Autonomous University of Chapingo.

University of Chihuahua Faculty Visit Oklahoma State to Discuss Doctoral Programs (February 2005)

Six faculty members from the Department of Zootecnia at the University of Chihuahua visited Oklahoma State University on February 10th and 11th to discuss their doctoral programs. Faculty visiting OSU were Martha de la Fuente Martinez, Alfonso Sanchez Munoz, Leonardo Carlos Valdez, Juan Alberto Grado Ahuir, Oscar Alejandro Viramontes Olivas and Cesar Quintana. These individuals are starting doctoral programs at Oklahoma State University and will be doing research projects in the areas of animal science, environmental science, agricultural economics and rangeland management.

Dr. David Sammons Presents Seminar at OSU On "The University-USAID Partnership: A Dialogue On Strengthening the Mission (February 2005)

Dr. Sammons is presently on leave from Purdue University working with USAID/Washington for a one to two year period. During his leave, he is working as “Senior Advisor for University Relations and Agricultural Research, Training and Outreach” in the Office of Agriculture at the Agency. In this role, Dr. Sammons is responsible for providing a “bridge” between the university community and USAID with special attention to issues and concerns that inform the partnership. Dr. David Sammons is Professor and Associate Dean, International Programs in Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.  Dr. Sammons holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy/Crop Breeding, University of Illinois; A.M. in Biology/Botany, Harvard University; and B.S. (magna cum laude) in Biology/Botany, Tufts University.  Dr. Sammons has worked in many parts of Africa on issues that include agricultural issues, agricultural curriculum development, and institution building.  He administers agricultural research programs on behalf of Purdue University throughout Africa, including cowpea research in Cameroon, sorghum research in several West African nations, the horn of Africa and southern Africa.  Also he spent a sabbatical in Kenya. Currently, Dr. Sammons is spending a year at USAID helping to analyze and improve University relationships with the agency.

Do Your International Visitors Have The Appropriate Visa? (January 2005)

The Dvision of Agriculture receives many international visitors every year. In many cases these visitors are on campus with the intention of conducting research, utilizing campus resources that require identification, or meeting with OSU faculty members. It is important that every campus visitor have the visa appropriate for their activity. Specifically, international visitors should not be on campus conducting research or using campus resources if they have entered the United States on a tourist visa. For such visitors, OSU would be happy to help them get the appropriate visa before they arrive. For more information, contact Mr. Tim Huff in the Office of International Students and Scholars.

OSU Study Abroad Office Offers Passport Photo Service (January 2005)

The Study Abroad Office at OSU is now offering a passport photo service. It is hoped that by offering this service right on campus it will be more convenient for students and faculty who are planning international travel. This service is available Monday through Thursday during regular office hours. All passport photos taken during the week will be ready for pick-up that Friday. The cost is $6.50 for the two passport photos and $.50 per photo for any additional photos. The OSU Study Abroad Office is located in the basement of the OSU Student Union

Dr. Robert Teeter Presents Seminar in Bogota, Colombia and Medeira, Portugal (January 2005)

Dr. Robert Teeter of the Department of Animal Science has been invited to present a paper at the XXVI Seminario Avicola Internacional in Bogota, Colombia and at the Avian Drug Free Conference in Medeira, Portugal. One of the most noteworthy academic honors a faculty member can receive is to have their work showcased at an international gathering of scientists in their professional area. Congratulations to Dr. Teeter for strengthening OSU's international image!

Hiring International Employees at OSU (January 2005)

The Office of International Students and Scholars announced the OSU International Employment Clearance form has changed. There are now two forms, one for student and classified positions and one for professional positions. Each form has a different color. They are also using a more familiar term "Work Permit" instead of "Employment Clearance". The new forms are effective January 1, 2005. The new work permit has instructions for applying for a social security number. It is not illegal to hire someone without a Social Security number, but OSU is not able to pay any employee until the SSN has been issued. Questions? Call Linda Dunbar at 744-5459. The process for awarding scholarships to international students has also changed. Contact Linda Dunbar for more information on this as well.

OSU Students Learn About Agriculture In Thailand (January 2005)

Oklahoma State University's "Agriculture In Thailand" Study Abroad Course returned safely to OSU on January 10th, 2005. While in Thailand, the students studied local agricultural enterprises assisted by the gracious hospitality of several Universities and host families. shown above are four of the students at the highest spot in tjhailand and shown below is the entire group dressed in traditional Thai costume. The Tsunami hit thailand only a couple of days before the group arrived, but thanks to excellent planning from our Thai counterparts the group's visit was mostly unaffecteed by the disruption resulting from the Tsunami.

HORTECUS Project Receives Extension Under Project Director Dr. Doug Needham (January 2005)

HORTECUS, a project acronym for Horticulture in the EC and the US, received an extension through September 30, 2005, to its grant from FIPSE (Fund for Improvement of Post Secondary Education). Outbound study abroad students will continue to receive $3000 mobility stipends. The HORTECUS Consortium partners
are scheduling a tour of Danish, Dutch, and German greenhouse production facilities for May 2005. Students will be selected from US
consortium partners, Alabama A&M University, Oklahoma State University, and Purdue University, to participate in the two-week intensive study tour. Dr. Doug Needham, Professor of Floriculture and 4-H Youth Programs, is the director of the HORTECUS Project on the OSU Campus.

Julia Brotton, OSU Horticulture Student, Spends Fall 2004 Semester in Europe With HORTECUS Project (January 2005)

Julia's Experience at a floral shop in Rotterdam is best described in her own words: "They let me jump right in and start making hand-tied arrangements, although I was really out of practice.  They could tell from the first one I did that I was used to a different style.  I asked them to teach me the European style and I spent several hours practicing this new approach.  I am getting better, but I still have much to learn.  The management and the other employees at the shop have been very patient and kind.  It is a relaxed atmosphere where I can ask questions about design, flower shops, and Dutch auctions.  It is really exciting when my designs sell!  One day, they were selling so fast, that the manager wanted me to keep making them as quickly as possible!"

Dr. Suki Kang, and OSU alumni, is President of the Korea Food Research Institute (January 2005)

Dr. Suki Kang, a doctoral alumni of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University, is the President of the Korea Food Research Institute. The Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) is a government-funded research body founded in 1988 under the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry. After a restructuring process in 1999, it was attached to the Prime Minister's Office. KFRI focuses on food technology research with public, industrial, and scientific values. KFRI has four research divisions: Food Processing Technology, Food Marketing Technology, Food Chemistry and Biotechnology, Food Quality Assessment and Standardization. KFRI has about 300 staff members. The major financial sources come from the government budget and consulting research projects. KFRI maintains collaborative relationships with 18 universities in master’s and doctoral degrees in Korea, and research cooperation with institutes/universities in 8 countries including USA, Japan, and a few in Europe. KFRI runs an international training program on food quality control for developing countries every year. KFRI welcomes contacts from food research organizations and food companies overseas.

OSU Students Celebrate New Year's Eve in Thailand (January 2005)

The "Agriculture in Thailand" study abroad course participants celebrated New Year's Eve in Chiang Mai, Thailand this year. The group departed Stillwater on December 27th and began their course immediately upon their arrival in Thailand. The students participating in the course are Adam Chace, Tim Collver, Michelle Bouziden, Chandra Galindo, Jana Morris, Tiffany Finch, Michael Henneberry, Kyle Jones, and Andrew Bass. The course is led by Dr. Adele Tongco of the International Agricultural Programs Office and the Department of Agricultural Education.

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