2004 Awards Recognition Program, Washington, D.C. 
February 9, 2005
(53 min.)

Jim Bradley

Welcome and my name is Jim Bradley. I am the ARS Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Financial Management. It is my honor and pleasure to serve as your MC for today's ARS recognition program.

This is an annual event which has been previously held at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. This is the first year for our ceremony to be held here in the Jefferson auditorium. We are pleased to have many of our partners from other USDA agencies participate with us today.

Today ARS honors the winners of several different awards programs. We will recognize the winners of the Scientist of the Year, the Technology Transfer awards, the Administrator's Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights awards, the TW Edminister Research Associate award, the Excellence in Information award, the Office Professional of the Year award and the Administrative and Financial Management Support Awards for Excellence.

And now it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our administrator, Dr Edward Knipling.

Dr. Edward Knipling

Well thank you, Jim and good morning to all. I want to add my special welcome to all of the award winners, their families and guests and certainly to all others that are here with us this morning. Each winner has certainly brought much credit to themselves, their co-workers and families and to the Agricultural Research Service and to all of USDA for their accomplishments and recognition.

And it is quite fitting that we as an agency pause for a day from all the busy things we normally do, to recognize and celebrate their outstanding accomplishments. As I look over the program and citations for this year's winners I'm very much impressed with their accomplishments and the fact that they mirror the broad scientific and public service mission of ARS all across the country.

Scientific discoveries, technology developments and technology transfer activities across the full spectrum of the food chain and agricultural enterprise are represented including natural resource conservation and environmental quality, crop and livestock production and protection, development of value added foods and non-food products, food quality, safety and nutrition and of course, human health.

This scope of activity is what ARS is all about and has been for more than our fifty years proud past. These activities broadly serve to enhance the entire US food and agricultural enterprise. Among the many customers and beneficiaries of agricultural science are farmers and ranchers, the food and fiber industries, environmental interests and certainly, ultimately, the public at large. 

As the in-house scientific research arm of USDA, our important customers also include the other agencies and mission areas of the Department--those that use and dependent upon new scientific information and technology to deliver their agricultural and food assistance programs to the nation and to develop sound science based policies. 

In this regard I want to personally highlight that among the awards being presented today are to two ARS teams that played critical support roles to APHIS and to the entire Department, in December 2003, to help confirm the diagnosis of BSE in a dairy cow from the state of Washington and to trace it's origin back to Canada. 

These teams from our ARS laboratories in Ames, Iowa and Clay Center, Nebraska will receive a special Administrator's award for their emergency technology response to APHIS and to the Department in the BSE diagnosis issue. And they are also providing continuing support to APHIS and the Department in this manner. You will see a special insert in your program about this recognition.

As was pointed out earlier by Jim Bradley, we are especially delighted to welcome our many sister agencies and partners to this ceremony today in recognition that you are among are most valued customers. 

In addition to the scientific and technology transfer awards, we, as Jim Bradley also pointed out, are recognizing and honoring today those important support functions that are essential to the success of ARS and any organization. These winners are also valued members of the ARS team and they include administrative and financial management, professional office support, civil rights and diversity and information services and communications. 
 
You'll be learning much more about the specific accomplishments of all the winners as the program proceeds this morning. And I once again want to congratulate all the award winners. All in ARS are very proud of your accomplishments and you deserve to be also and I thank all of you for being here today to help celebrate this special event.

Thank you.

And now it is my very special pleasure to recognize that we have with us this morning the new Secretary of Agriculture, we are truly honored by your presence Mr. Secretary. Secretary Mike Johanns was raised on a dairy farm in north central Iowa and as such knows agriculture and the land very well. 

Following his higher education in which he received a law degree he served in both the private sector and has considerable public service experience as well. The later includes 7 years as the mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska and six years as the governor of the state of Nebraska. As we know he was nominated by President Bush several months ago to become the new Secretary of Agriculture and just less than 3 weeks ago he was sworn in as the 28th secretary. 

Please join me in welcoming Secretary Mike Johanns.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Well thank you, that's such as nice warm welcome I appreciate that. Um, you've heard this story haven't you? I tell so often, I had just been elected governor but I hadn't been sworn in yet I was in that little transition period that you get and I had been asked to speak to a group in Kearney, Nebraska. So Stephanie and I drive out there, my wife and I, and we get out there and I get a warm welcome just like this and I get up to the podium and I said, everybody had stood up and applauded, I got to the podium and I said "You know that is really very nice of you but I haven't done anything yet" and somebody in back yelled out "When you do, we won't be standing", so I appreciate the very kind introduction also the generous introduction. I did grow up on a dairy farm in Iowa I noticed some smiles out there. Is that the Iowans that are smiling? Yes?

I have a very close personal connection with what you do. I was a freshman in college and I would always come home during the breaks or summer and I would work on the farm, help my dad out. So I had come back for Easter break and we had a cow, we had Holsteins, we had a cow go down in the barn and for whatever reason the animal couldn't get back up so we tugged and pulled and got that critter out of the barn so we could milk that night and it's frothing at the mouth and we had no idea what that was all about but my dad got to thinking, 'you know we probably should see what that's all about' and so the head of that animal went to Ames and lo and behold that animal was rabid and so I got the joy right before my finals started at St. Mary's College in Minnesota of taking, of starting the series of rabies shots. So thank you for that. Actually you probably saved our lives. You did save our lives and we appreciate your good work. 

I also noticed when I was introduced as growing up on a dairy farm in Iowa, you know puzzled expressions your thinking where in Iowa? Well, Osage, Iowa is where I grew up and now I see more puzzled expressions and your saying, "Well where would Osage be?" and so I want to clear that up just so your not concentrating on that while I'm trying to say some nice things about you. Osage is just down the road from Manly and it's in the vicinity of Stacyville and St. Ansgars. So now we've got that cleared up. 

I hesitate to do this because I want to recognize all of you but I do understand that there's some people from Clay Center here in Nebraska and some people from Lincoln and it's good to see you here. I've got a little special personal request. When you go back home if you see my son Justin and my daughter Mikaela, I need to have you to tell them I found work in Washington and we hope it lasts for a little while here. 

It is good to be here. I do want to thank your administrator again for the very generous introduction. Joe Jen it's good to see you here, we visited a while back and as we were breaking up I said "Dr. Jen?" He said "No, everybody calls me Joe". So Joe it's good to see you here and to all of you who are really the VIPs for this event.

Today's honorees through their dedication to USDA and really to our nation are finding scientific solutions to many important challenges we face and to those who are being honored in other areas, you are just making sure it's done right and we so appreciate that. Your good work has brought you recognition. 

I testified just within the last week, my first hearing before the United States Senate other than my confirmation hearing, and one point I made over and over again because I was testifying about BSE, one point I made is that our decisions must be based not on the political dynamics of a given moment but on sound science and we just have to continue to focus on that. We've learned so much about BSE just in the last few years that knowledge I hope shapes our efforts to safe guard consumers and animal health. Science and research isn't just academic we are using what you do to help Americans in very real ways and that's important work. 

USDA's annual Ag Outlook Forum at the end of this month will force on the importance of science, how it is impacting our decisions and how it is changing our lives. USDA and American agriculture face many challenges and you are going to be eyeball deep in those challenges; BSE, soybean rust, obesity, environmental protection and a whole host of other issues. But we are also making tremendous advances in areas like nutrition, biotechnology, understanding of pests and diseases could not face those challenges and would not be making the advances without your good work without the good work of the men and women of the Agricultural Research Service. For 51 years, ARS has been an indispensable partner not just to the USDA but to agriculture across this country and I don't hesitate a moment in saying you have been an indispensable partner around this world. 

Farmers and ranchers are more productive, food is safer, natural resources are better protected and it's all thanks to your scientific approach. One of the most remarkable signs of your dedication is that so many of you work without an eye to taking credit or receiving public recognition. But today we are going to give you some credit and we're going to give you some public recognition any way. Because we appreciate what you do. So we are honoring men and women who have accomplished remarkable things and who have shown great dedication. 

What an extraordinary thing you are doing with your lives and if I had no other message today, it would be to say 'thank you' for you wonderful commitment to our nation. 

God Bless you all. 

Jim Bradley

Well thank you Mr Secretary and we certainly appreciate your taking the time from your busy schedule to be with us today. Before I go any further, I'd also like to acknowledge our other special guests that are here from the REE mission area and especially pleased to ask our Undersecretary Dr Joe Jen to please stand up.

The first award program is the Scientist of the Year. The Scientist of the Year awards commend the creative efforts, scientific leadership and major research achievements of Agricultural Research Service scientists. Their contributions have helped put ARS in the forefront of agricultural research. 

ARS is a national agency and has more than 2,000 scientists located at more than 100 labs across the nation. We group these labs into eight geographic areas for program and administrative management purposes. Each year, each of the eight areas selects a senior research scientist and an early career research scientist. From this group of eight, in each category, the Administrator, assisted by panel of experts, selected this year's top two winners. 

One of the national winners is the Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of the Year and it goes to Timothy R. Gottwald, South Atlantic Area, Fort Pierce, Florida. Dr. Gottwald will receive his award after we show a brief video.

[You can view the video online at: ars.usda.gov/is/video]

[voice over] 

Dr. Gottwald is being recognized for outstanding scientific leadership in the application of epidemiology to control, and/or eradicate, serious exotic foreign and domestic plant diseases.

Jim Bradley 

The other national winner is named after the late Dr Herbert L. Rothbart--a former area director of the North Atlantic Area who was instrumental in mentorship and development of many young ARS scientists during his career. He was also the driving force in the establishment of the Early Career Research Scientists Award.
This year the administrator selected Edward S. Buckler, North Atlantic Area, Ithaca, New York as the Herbert L Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Research Scientist. Dr Buckler will receive his award after we show a brief video.

[You can view the video online at: ars.usda.gov/is/video]

[voice over] 

Dr. Buckler is recognized for pioneering genetic approaches that allow researchers to identify the individual genes controlling complex agronomic traits which will greatly facilitate and promote crop improvement and design.

Jim Bradley

Next we will recognize the seven area senior research scientists.

These awards go to: 

Raymond I. Carruthers, Pacific West Area, Albany, California.

[voice over] 

Dr. Carruthers is being awarded for establishing the first successful consortium for the control of saltcedar and for outstanding scientific investigation and program leadership in the areas of integrated pest management and biological control of invasive pests. 
 
Jim Bradley

John E. George, Southern Plains Area, Kerrville, Texas.

[voice over] 

Dr. George is recognized for his research impact and leadership that has greatly facilitated the mission of ARS and the needs of its customers and stakeholders.

Jim Bradley

Marvin J. Grubman, North Atlantic Area, Greenport, New York

[voice over] 

Dr Grubman is being awarded for outstanding research leading to the development of the first efficacious subunit vaccine and antiviral useful in the rapid prevention and control of foot-and-mouth disease. 

Jim Bradley

Jerry C. Ritchie, Beltsville Area, Beltsville, Maryland. 

[voice over] 
Dr Ritchie is recognized for continuous outstanding research and leadership in soil and water conservation on ways to manage, conserve and improve the quality and sustainability of soil and water resources. 

Jim Bradley

Michael P. Russelle, Midwest Area, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Russelle is being awarded for outstanding and sustained research accomplishments that address agriculture's impact on nitrogen cycling, and for mentoring students and peers. 

Jim Bradley

James S. Schepers, Northern Plains Area, Lincoln, Nebraska.

[voice over] 

Dr. Schepers is being recognized for leadership and innovation in developing improved nitrogen management practices to protect the environment. 

Jim Bradley

W. Paul Williams, Mid-South Area, Mississippi State, Mississippi.

[voice over] 

Dr. Williams is awarded for providing outstanding research leadership and solutions to the insect, nematode and aflatoxin problems in the corn industry. 

Jim Bradley

Next are the seven Area Early Career Research scientists.

Brian G. Bosworth, Mid-South Area, Stoneville, Mississippi. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Bosworth is recognized for conducting outstanding research to identify genetic factors controlling catfish fillet yield and quality, and to develop improved catfish germplasm. 

Jim Bradley

James F. Campbell, Northern Plains Area, Manhattan, Kansas.

[voice over] 

Dr. Campbell is awarded for pioneering research on stored-product insect pest behavior and ecology and its application to improve integrated pest management in food facilities.
Jim Bradley

W. Clint Hoffman, Southern Plains Area, College Station, Texas.

[voice over] 

Dr. Hoffman is recognized for outstanding research leading to the development and technology transfer of aerial application equipment and protocols for area-wide pest management. 

Jim Bradley

Charlene R. Jackson, South Atlantic Area, Athens, Georgia. Ms. Jackson is home today with her new baby so she won't be with us. So we wish her congratulations. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Jackson is awarded for outstanding contributions to the study of antimicrobial resistance in Enterococci. 

Jim Bradley

Kenneth Overturf, Pacific West Area, Hagerman, Idaho. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Overturf is recognized for creating innovative approaches for the genetic selection of trout with the ability to thrive on grain-based diets. 

Jim Bradley

Sharon K. Papiernik, Midwest Area, Morris, Minnesota. Unfortunately, Sharon is unable to be with us due to illness. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Papiernik is awarded for outstanding originality and insight and developing new methods and advancing knowledge of the fate and transport of pesticides in the environment. 

Jim Bradley

Yan Zhao, Beltsville Area, Beltsville, Maryland. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Zhao is recognized for exceptional advances in research on viroids, virus-based gene vectors, plant transformation and spiroplasma and phytoplasma genomics. 

Jim Bradley

This completes the Early Career Research Scientist Awards. As previously indicated by Dr. Knipling, ARS places a high value on its role as USDA's in-house research arm. We are particularly proud of our ability to respond rapidly to the needs of the agencies and mission areas of the Department. 

Today Dr. Knipling is presenting a special Administrator's award to the team that played a critical support role to APHIS in December 2003 to help confirm the diagnosis of BSE in a dairy cow from the state of Washington and to trace its origin back to Canada. 

Team members are form our laboratories in Ames, Iowa and Clay Center Nebraska. From Ames, Iowa the BSE diagnostic team as I call your name please come forward one at a time to receive your award and to get a picture with the Administrator. Group pictures will be taken with the Administrator after the ceremony. 

Juergen Richt, Robert Kunkle, David Alt, Amir Hamir.

[voice over] 

For rapid response in support of the APHIS request for a confirmatory test of the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in an American cow and for validation of the test as bovine material in December 2003.

And now from Clay Center, Nebraska, the DNA fingerprinting team: Will Laegreid, Mike Heaton and Mike Clawson.

[voice over] 

For innovative use of DNA fingerprinting technology to validate the identity and trace the origins of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected cow in December 2003.

Jim Bradley

Now we will present the Technology Transfer Awards. The Technology Transfer awards program was initiated to recognize individuals who have done outstanding work in transferring technology to outside users. As I call your name, please come forward to receive your plaque. Please hold applause until after each award is presented. Assisting Dr. Knipling is Dr. Rick Brenner, Assistant Administrator, Office of Technology Transfer. 

There are two teams being recognized in the category of Outstanding Efforts. 

The first award goes to the Hawaii Fruit Fly Area-wide Pest Management Core Team. As I call your name, please come forward one at a time to receive your plaque and take a picture with the Administrator. Group pictures will be taken after the ceremony. 

Team members are: Roger I. Vargas, Pacific West Area, Hilo, Hawaii; Eric B. Jang, Pacific West Area, Hilo, Hawaii; Robert M. Faust (retired), National Program Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Dennis Gonsalves, Pacific West Area, Hilo, Hawaii; Carroll O. Calkins (retired), Pacific West Area, Wapato, Washington; Ronald Mau, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii; Stuart H. Stein, APHIS, Waimanalo, Hawaii; Lyle Wong, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Honolulu, Hawaii.

[voice over] 

The team is recognized for outstanding effort and creativity in area-wide suppression of fruit flies in Hawaii which provides the basis for a sustainable rural economy. 

Jim Bradley 

And, the second award goes to the Sunbutter group. Team members are: Isabel M. Lima, Harmeet S. Guraya, Mid South Area, New Orleans, Louisiana. Accepting on behalf of them is Isabel M. Lima. 

[voice over]

The group is awarded for the development and transfer of technology for producing a consumer acceptable sunflower-seed butter. 

Jim Bradley 

The following individuals and groups are being recognized for Superior Technology Transfer Efforts. 

Tim R. Gottwald, South Atlantic Area, Ft. Pierce, Florida.

[voice over]

Dr. Gottwald is recognized for outstanding scientific leadership and the application of new technology to control and/or eradicate serious exotic and domestic plant diseases. 

Jim Bradley 

The Nutrient Data Laboratory Informational Materials Committee. 

As I call your name please come forward one at a time to receive your award and get your picture with the Administrator. Group pictures will be taken after the ceremony. And also take your name tags off. 

Committee members are: Rena L. Cutrufelli, Linda E. Lemar, David B. Haytowitz, Robin G. Thomas. This team is from Beltsville Area, Beltsville, Maryland.

[voice over]

The committee is recognized for the enhancement of existing nutrient data delivery methods and the creation of new distribution platforms for dissemination of nutrient data through a cooperative research and development agreement. 

Jim Bradley

The Beef Classification Group. 

Again, as I call your name please come forward one at a time to receive your plaque. Group pictures will be taken after the ceremony. Team members are: Steven D. Shackelford, Tommy L. Wheeler, Mohammad Koohmaraie. This team is from the Northern Plains Area, Clay Center, Nebraska. 

[voice over]

The group is awarded for exemplary efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the MARC Beef Carcass Image Analysis System by the US beef industry. 

Jim Bradley 

This completes the Technology Transfer Awards. Now we come to the Administrators Equal Employment Opportunity Civil Rights Awards. 

This program recognizes exemplary achievements in promoting equal employment opportunity and civil rights and in fostering an awareness of, and a commitment to, workforce diversity. Assisting Dr. Knipling will be Korona Prince, Director of Civil Rights.

In the supervisory managerial category, we recognize Donald W. Freeman, South Plains Area, Stuttgart, Arkansas.

[voice over] 

Dr. Freeman is recognized for leading and administrating the Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart 
National Aquaculture Research Center in a manner highly conducive to the goals of equal employment opportunity and civil rights. 

Jim Bradley 

In the non-supervisory, non-managerial EEO Civil Rights category, we recognize founders and coordinators of the WRRC Agricultural Scientists Academic Workshop. Accepting for the group is Victoria Carollo, Pacific West Area, Albany, California. 

[voice over] 

This group is recognized for ten years of participation in the agricultural sciences academic workshop that provided unique hands on outreach to minority students and opportunities for careers in science. 

Jim Bradley 

Our next award is the TW Edminister Research Associate Award. This award, named in honor of the former ARS administrator twenty five years ago, provides scientists and engineers the opportunity to develop proposals for priority research and to recruit scientists and engineers of unusual ability to conduct research.

Each year the scientist with the most outstanding proposal receives this award. This year's TW Edminister award goes to Jeffery Arnold, Southern Plains Area, Temple, Texas. 
 
[voice over] 

Dr. Arnold is recognized for the outstanding proposal to create a postdoc position that will coordinate and assistant the ARS locations responsible for applying soil and water assessment tools in the ARS Conservation Effects Assessment Project benchmark watersheds. 

Jim Bradley 

Now we come to the Excellence in Information Award. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the creation and distribution of information products and technologies that support the agricultural research and education.

This year's Excellence in Information Award goes to Bethany Redlin, Northern Plains Area, Sidney, Montana. 

[voice over] 

Ms. Redlin is recognized for exemplary service and information sharing that communicates ARS findings to customers and promotes Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, ARS and USDA accomplishments internationally and throughout the region in the nation. 

Jim Bradley 

We will now recognize the Office Professional of the Year. This award recognizes the outstanding achievements and creative efforts of ARS office professionals. The Office Professional of the Year is Stephanie A. Brennan, Mid West Area, West Lafayette, Indiana.

[voice over] 

Miss Brennan is recognized for exemplary achievements and for going above and beyond the call of duty during her short tenure with the Livestock Behavior Research Unit.

 Jim Bradley

The last category of awards we will recognize today are the recipients of the Administrative and Financial Management Support Awards for Excellence. These awards recognize the outstanding achievements made by employees who have increased efficiency in the administrative and financial management activities of the Research Education and Economics agencies.

Administrative and Financial Management employees located both at headquarters and in the areas were considered for these awards. Assisting me is Ray Leaman, Associate Deputy Administer for Administrative and Financial Management. 

Ray Leaman

The following is the Gold Award for Excellence winner. As I call your name, please come forward one at a time to receive your plaque and get a picture with the Administrator. Group pictures will be taken after the ceremony.

Mid West Area CRIS Allocation Tracking System Development Team. Diane M. Strub, Peoria, Illinois; Carol L. Moran, Ames, Iowa; Scott A. Farris, Ames, Iowa; Barbara J. Dailey, Peoria, Illinois; Paula S. Snell, Peoria, Illinois; Andrea J. Miller, Peoria, Illinois; Terry L. Fultz, Ames, Iowa.

[voice over] 

The team is recognized for dedicated support and outstanding contributions to the Agricultural Research Service in the design, development, testing, agency wide implementation of the CRIS Allocation Tracking System known as CATS. 
Ray Leaman

The following is the winner of the Silver Award for Excellence. Again, as I call your name, please come forward one at a time to receive your plaque and have a picture with Dr. Knipling. Group pictures will be taken, again, after the ceremony.

The Environmental Management System Affirmative Procurement Management Team. 

David Prevar and Thomas Franklin. Both of those gentlemen are from Beltsville by the way least I get problems from the area director. 

[voice over] 

The team is awarded for developing a variety of safety and health programs that enhance the environment, reduce operating costs and promote research. 

Ray Leaman

The following are the Bronze Awards for Excellence winners. Again, as I call your name please come forward one at a time to receive your plaque and have a picture taken with Dr. Knipling and group pictures will follow.

IntraMalls Implementation Team: Linda Mooney, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, Maryland; Steve Edney, South Atlantic Area, Athens, Georgia; Lisa Baldus, Administrative and Financial Management, Beltsville, Maryland; Robert Fletcher, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Beltsville, Maryland; Jeffrey Weiner, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Pamela Robbins, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland and lastly Dayle Wilson, IntraMall LLC, Hunt Valley, Maryland. 

[voice over] 

The team is recognized for a successful joint partnership between ARS, NIH and IntraMalls LLC in implementing a procurement system called IntraMalls throughout ARS with potential for significant savings and further use within USDA. 

Ray Leaman

Our second Bronze Award for Excellence winner is Martha A. Snodgrass, Southern Plains Area, College Station, Texas.

[voice over] 

Ms. Snodgrass is recognized for her outstanding contributions to the Southern Plains Area and to ARS in her role as area extramural agreements specialist.

Ray Leaman

At this time I will turn the program back over to you, Jim.

Jim Bradley 
Okay, thank you Ray.

Well, at this time, this concludes our annual ARS awards ceremony. I want to say congratulations to all the winners. Thank you for your contributions in making ARS what it is today and your service to the Department and the US food and agricultural system. 

I'd also like to thank all the employees who worked so hard in the planning and preparation of this program especially the Performance and Awards Staff.

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