ARS Annual Recognition Program
2005 Awards 
Washington, D.C. 
February 7, 2006 
(1 hour, 16 min.)

Announcer:

Ladies and gentleman please stand for the presentation of the colors of the United States of America

Marine singing "The Star-Spangled Banner"

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Jim Bradley

Ladies and gentlemen please remain standing while the colors depart. [pause]

Thank you to the Armed Forces Color Guard for presenting the colors and to Master Sergeant Lemons for singing the National Anthem. 

Please sit down.

Well, welcome to everybody my name is Jim Bradley the ARS Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Financial Management. It is indeed my honor and pleasure to serve as your MC for today's annual recognition program.

We are pleased to have many of our partners from other USDA agencies participate with us. We are also happy to see all the supportive guests and family here with the winners today. Thank you all for coming. 

Today ARS honors the winners of several different awards programs. We will recognize the winners of the Scientists of the Year awards, the Technology Transfer awards, the Administrator's Equal Employment Opportunity 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.

It is now with great pleasure that I introduce to you our administrator Dr. Edward Knipling who will provide a few remarks as well as introduce our very special guest the Secretary of Agriculture. 

Dr. Knipling.
Ed Knipling 

Well, thank you very much Jim and good morning to all. I want to add my special welcome to all of the award winners and their families and guests and also we welcome our many sister agencies that are here with us today to help us celebrate this event.

Each winner has certainly brought much credit to themselves, their co-workers and families and to the Agricultural Research Service and USDA as a whole.

It is quite fitting that we as an agency pause for a day from our usual busy activities and work to recognize and honor of these outstanding winners for their contributions to agricultural science. As I looked over the program, and I'm sure you've done the same, as I looked over the program and a citation 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 food and non-food products, food quality, safety, nutrition and human health.

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

As the in-house 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 in the nation and to help develop sound science based program policies. Science support for policy development to is also of direct and critical importance to the secretary's office as I'm sure Secretary Johanns will attest to.

Now, in addition to the scientific and technology transfer awards, we are also recognizing and honoring today those important support functions that are also essential to the success of ARS and in any organization. These winners are valued members of the ARS team, they include administrative and management support, professional office support services, 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. Of special note in this year's ceremony is that several winners being honored are from the ARS Research Center in New Orleans. 

As we all know the Southern Region Research Center suffered significant damage from Hurricane Katrina. We still are not back in business there yet, but ARS has launched an aggressive recovery plan to accommodate the center's 178 employees, to repair and restore the facility, and sustain our mission critical research programs and we want to thank and give recognition today to all those New Orleans employees, those are here and those that are not here, as well as many others elsewhere that have become involved for their responsiveness and resiliency during this difficult period and I would convey our continued support to all of the New Orleans staff from this point on.

Well, I once again want to personally congratulate the award winners. ARS is indeed very proud of your accomplishments and you deserve to be also and I thank all others that are here today to help us celebrate the special event.

Now at this time it is my special pleasure to introduce the Secretary of Agriculture, the honorable Mike Johanns. We are delighted to have him participate in the ARS Annual Recognition Ceremony for the second year in a row. In fact, last year at this time, his presence before this the very audience was among his first official appearances as Secretary, having only been confirmed and sworn in only a few weeks earlier. 

We all know it's been a busy year for the Secretary including emerging disease concerns, BSE and avian influenza, world trade issues, farm bill listening sessions, hurricanes and other disaster recovery programs and very tough budget issues. And as we all know, the Secretary has dealt with these matters in a very professional and effective way. 

His many years, prior years and experiences in public service including as governor of the state of Nebraska, mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska and other public service rolls has prepared him well for these many USDA challenges and during the past year, the Secretary has also learned and recognized the importance of and value of ARS and other science organizations to support USDA programs and policies.

So ladies and gentleman it is my special pleasure to present the Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns

Well, thank you very much for that very nice introduction and I appreciated it immensely. Let me also say, I appreciate the opportunity to be here and to offer my words of congratulations to those who were being recognized and also to celebrate your exciting achievements of the past year. I think I held things up a little bit, I was making my way into the room and people came around and were telling me about some of the exciting things that they were working on and I have to tell you that I find it so fascinating that, if somebody hadn't pulled me up here, I'd still be standing there. You do such great things. 

Before I get started though, let me also, if I might, offer a thought or two. I'm going to share with you an interesting fact that some of you may know, some of you may not be aware of. It really is a wonderful success story about the first scientist that was inducted into the ARS Hall of Fame 20 years ago. 

His research to develop pesticide free ways to protect livestock, resulted in the eradication of the wild screw worm population in the United States, Mexico and parts of Central America. It saved the North American livestock industry really millions of dollars annually and it won praise from environmentalists. Today that same technique is used worldwide to eradicate outbreaks of other pests such as the Mediterranean fruit fly. 

Most significant among the many honors he received, and you could list them a long time, but here are just a few: the National Medal of Science supported by President Johnson in 1966, the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service awarded by President Nixon in 1971, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization recognition award for research which was presented in 1991, the World Food Prize awarded in 1992, and the very prestigious Japan Prize which he received in1995.

In addition to being a scientist, he also compiled a very distinguished record as an administrator and leader in the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. 

Ladies and gentleman this great American was Edward Knipling and I am honored to have been introduced just a moment ago by his son. His namesake. Another scientist who has dedicated his career to ARS. I think that deserves a round of applause.

Through out the past year, USDA has been actively engaged in discussions with the agriculture producers about the next farm bill. You've read about that it was mentioned in the introduction. We've done listening sessions all across the United States in forty eight out of the fifty states and I personally did over twenty. We've been talking to our trading partners and allies about leveling the global playing field for farmers and ranchers by removing barriers to trade and investment and we've been developing ways our agricultural community can better cope with high energy costs. 

These discussions and activities, among others, are all about improving economic opportunities and the quality of life for our farmers and ranchers and then ultimately for our nation's taxpayers. 

To be sure our economy today is healthy and vigorous and growing faster than other major industrialized nations even in the face of higher energy prices and natural disasters the American people have turned in an economic performance that really is the envy of the world.

We lead the world in innovation, in patents for inventions, in Nobel prizes and in the past five years, we have seen the largest rise in R and D investment in decades and a lot of that innovation and many of those inventions are the result of your efforts and those of your colleagues at ARS. 

Your scientific discoveries provide solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans literally every day from the field to the dinner table in solutions help sustain a competitive agricultural economy. There's quite a record of accomplishment and success at ARS and that achievement is what we celebrate today. 

But as President Bush said in his State of the Union speech just a few days ago we cannot afford to be complacent. It's a dynamic world economy out there, maybe much more so than at any time. We are seeing new competitors like China and India spending more and more of their GNP on research, earmarking higher and higher levels of their budgets to grow a competitive advantage over us. 

The president understands the implications of government investment in R and D and has proposed a 10 year, $136 billion initiative that doubles the federal commitment to basic scientific research. Funding will be targeted to agencies most able to contribute to sustaining the competitive American advantage for example in areas such as energy R and D effort that would replace 75% of the oil imported from the Middle East by 2025. 

The vision the president outlined in the State of the Union, leverages the American innovative spirit with this longstanding commitment to empowering the public with the tools necessary to create wealth. To keep America competitive in a dynamic economy and build upon our prosperity, we will need to strengthen our economic leadership now on a worldwide basis. To accomplish this the president said "One commitment is necessary above all others. We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest advantage," he said, "has always been our educated, hard working ambitious people" and he intends for us to keep that edge. 

The history of ARS is in many ways the history of our nation. It is a story of public service and sound scientific research that has propelled the ARS to the forefront of global agricultural problem solving and innovation. Research is responsible for quietly improving so many aspects of our daily lives. 
Every day you gather on farms, in laboratories and lecture halls where ever duty calls and ask why or how something does or does not work and if something works many among you will ask "Well how can we make it better?" That's the nature of research, that is how America will lead and has led and we will be there every step of the way.

I understand and appreciate the critical role that you play in the performance of the USDA mission. Your research supports so much that impacts the lives of our producers and of all Americans. We can help farmers and ranchers better compete in the world economy. We can ensure the safest, the most affordable and abundant food supply. We can support healthier lifestyles for Americans. We can conserve our natural resources. We can strengthen our rural communities. We can continue to use sound science in our decisions. 
Your research today and tomorrow is critical to these solutions. You have the support of the president of the United States to carry this forward. We have aggressive national goals to meet and the president and I are counting on all of you to help us meet them. 

That said I want you to know it is a tremendous honor, in fact it's really a privilege, for me as Secretary to be in this room with you today. The wealth of talent and experience is world class and in many respects it's humbling for me. From promises to better performance the results the president and I are counting on you and your colleagues at ARS to improve the way the federal government serves the American people.

I want to wrap up my comments and just say I congratulate each and every one of you on what you have done. I thank you for making our country a better place because of your efforts. So everybody enjoy the opportunity today to celebrate success and may God bless you all. Thank you very much.

Jim Bradley

Thank you again Mr Secretary for your comments. We appreciate your taking time from your schedule to be with us this morning. At this time I'd also like to acknowledge another special guest with us from the REE mission area. We're very pleased to have with us today Dr Joseph Jen, Undersecretary.

The first award program being recognized today 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 in more than one hundred research centers and laboratories 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 as their area award winners. From this group of eight, in each category, the Administrator, assisted by panel of experts, selected this year's top two Scientist of the Year winners. 

One of the national awards is the Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of the Year. This year's winner is Patrick G Hunt, South Atlantic Area, Florence, South Carolina. Dr. Hunt will receive his award after we show a brief video of his research.

[ video ]
For critical research and leadership to manage nutrients and wastes in agricultural and environment systems. 

Patrick G. Hunt

The Scientist of the Year Award means multiple things to me and it's rather humbling. For the agency, we're about the business of solving problems with the use of science and technologies and it just has been a natural fit with who I am. My wife says you know it ought to be against the law for somebody to get up and go to work whistling, that happy every day.

But it really it is a marvelous opportunity to see things and to use the imagine and to have colleagues around that value you, your unique things, and together we are really moving things forward and I say we because almost everything I have done has been in cooperation with others throughout my career. 

The three really big things that impacted my career were the overflow treatment of wetlands. It was a major accomplishment when we figured out the theory of that system allowed us to do things with municipal waste treatment and it really revolved around the theory of wetland science which thirty years later came back as to see what we're doing with constructing wetlands and riparian buffers and those sorts of interactions. The constructed wetlands allow us to process pretty heavy loads of waste and a small footprint before they go out to agricultural lands. The advantage of that is it gives the producers the ability to process that with less land or in case they want to go with more animals process that on the same land that they have.

Nitrogen has been a thread through my whole career from when I was trying to get rid of it with denitrification with overflow to when I was trying to obtain it with nitrogen fixation.

Photobiology allowed us come up with the idea of reflective colors of the soil changing the plant growth and then the idea to invent colored mulch. Of course the plant is responding to specific wavelengths that overtime it has adapted physiologically to and it responds in growth that way. We then add specific colors of light particularly red and far red that we were controlling to reflect back on the plant and particularly very high value crops such as tomatoes and strawberry and now it stands out there as a product on the market. That was really one of the fun things to do in my career. 

But then most recently this presidential water quality initiative which we worked closely with 
a multitude of sister agencies and the private sector as well to show that we can in fact do some important things for improving water quality on a watershed basis right now with livestock whether it's some of the problems we have with concentrated dairy, concentrated swine, concentrated poultry, we have problems with nutrient and water quality, we have problems with odor. 

A goal that I have is to make growing livestock, particularly with swine, to be no more of a problem for the neighbors then growing peaches or pecans and not only that but to do it where it is not a financial burden and in fact using this waste as an energy source we can turn this problem area into a resource profit center. 

We received a US patent on the process that removes solids which are a valuable resource that can be composted where as they are no longer limited by pumping distance of the liquid. 

Here with this system we can treat the dense agricultural waste in an effective manner. The solids are taken off to be used for potentially profitable things such as energy production and the remaining soluble fraction, which is much less, can be economically treated to remove the nutrients and kill the pathogens and produce a clean water can then go back into the lagoon and this really does then take care of the off site problems with the odors, any potential spill problems and it is, I think, a very important step in modern livestock production. It is environmentally compatible and resource sustainable for the future.

 Well the work I think is has been something that is a great honor to have received considering the people that had done that before. It's not possible to make advances without interaction or very significant interactions. You have to have the government involved like ours, research agencies, policies, our land grant university system has worked marvelous ways and the interest of both here in the United States and aboard. 

And, I like to think that the things that we shared, the ideas and the philosophies we put together are affecting across the agency. Advances are being made almost daily and that's the way science is right now today. It makes me really wish in my career that I was about twenty years younger to follow up on some stuff but hey I'll take it a day at a time. 

My daughter Christie has a little three year old daughter, Dana Elisabeth Dietrich and she is absolutely the delight of my life and I hope that she's in the audience today and I think maybe that she will be able to remember this day. I remember the day my father returned from World War II and I'm hoping that Dana will be able to remember this day.

[end of video]

Jim Bradley 

Dr. Hunt please step forward to receive your plaque and picture with the administrator, Dr. Darrell Cole, South Atlantic Area Director will join Dr. Hunt on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Hunt is being recognized for his critical research and leadership in nutrients and wastes in agricultural and environment systems. 

Jim Bradley 

The other nation award is named for he late Dr Herbert L. Rothbart. He was a former area director at the North Atlantic area and 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 David Johnston, North Atlantic Area, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania as the Herbert L Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Research Scientist. Dr Johnson will receive his award after we showed a brief video of his research.

[ video ]

For developing novel, environmentally sustainable biochemical and engineering processes that are improving the way corn is processed into foods and fuels around the world. 
David Johnson 

I'm David Johnston. I'm a lead scientist and research food technologist. I'm being recognized for developing new ways of processing corn that eliminate a hazardous processing agent, sulfur dioxide, and replacing that with environmentally friendly enzymes.

For me it's a very big honor to be awarded this title. It's nice to be acknowledged for the work that I have been doing. I take great pride in the work that I do.

We started with a very small idea and it really snowballed into something much bigger. 

Wet milling is the process in which the corn kernel is fractionated into a range of components--
corn starch, germ which is eventually processed to make corn oil, corn gluten meal which is the high protein co-product used for feed, and corn gluten feed which is a high fiber feed mainly for ruminants. 

What the conventional process with the sulfur dioxide, the sulfur dioxide slowly penetrates into the intact kernel and disrupts the protein/starch interactions. With the enzymes they're actually too large to penetrate the corn kernel but by doing a short water soak, to hydrate the kernel, we can then do a course grinding basically open up the whole corn kernel so that the enzymes can get in and do their job which was to break the protein/starch interactions.

There had been some previous research on the addition of enzymes and it showed some positive results and so we started out seeing if we could identify specifically what enzymes were involved. So we designed experiments around that only to find out that we really couldn't see what other people have reported and we started investigating, you know, why that was.

It was a fairly small discovery that the enzymes couldn't penetrate the intact corn kernel that led us to start trying new things. The other thing is, is that the sulfur dioxide which is the chemical treatment component in wet milling interfered with all the enzymes assays that I was trying. 

So I said well let's eliminate that to see what happens and that was when everything started and we realized that by eliminating it we could actually see the effects of the enzymes. We were able then to identify specifically what enzyme was giving a beneficial effect and start to investigate more about those particular enzymes, mainly proteases. 

Sulfur dioxide has a couple of bad things about it. One it's fairly volatile, it makes smelly compounds. It also has some health hazards associated with it and some regulatory things. Once it goes up into the air, it can help contribute to acid rain.

 I'd like to think that the work that I've been doing will have a number of effects--one it will help clean up the area in which the wet milling facilities are. It'll also benefit consumers because they won't have those residual sulfur dioxide levels and co-products. 

Originally our work set out to develop a process for wet milling but we quickly realized that we could pull out new co-products for the ethanol process. Those then could go on to make feeds or the process for making corn oil which would be value-added components for the ethanol industry. 

Also in the wet milling process, the use of sulfur dioxide basically eliminates all of the products from that process from being considered organic. With the enzymatic process we could completely eliminate the use of sulfur dioxide in the process so that all of those co-products would be considered organic. 

Right now in the food industry, there is a large demand for organic feeds to produce organic animals and so on. So, by using this process you could potentially produce a great volume of feed that could go on to produce organic animals.

Some of the analysis that we do in the laboratory is looking at nutritional quality of materials and looking at amino acid profiling is something that I do quite a bit, particularly with the ethanol processing.

There's a big emphasis on feed value for the co-products from the ethanol industry mainly because the industry is growing so quickly there's a lot of material available. So, what is it good for is something that we're really looking at and we're looking at ways of altering the nutritional value of the material. That material is basically cattle feed but I'm looking at ways of can I change that nutritional profile so that it would be more valuable for other animals.

Corn is deficient in a number of amino acids and I'm looking at ways of altering that to improving the amino acid profile. 

Agricultural research is expensive and to do big projects is difficult and ARS really supports agriculture in a big way by supporting the research that we do here.

I like the people that I work with a great deal. I like that there's flexibility and I see it as being very important because right now in industry a lot of the emphasis has gone away from research so that we're doing research that wouldn't be done otherwise and we're developing new processes, new co-products and things that would not be done in industry. In the long run what will happen is those beginnings of research will stir industry to be able to do new things that they weren't able to do and I guess that's what being Scientist of the Year means to me.

[end of video]

Jim Bradley

Dr. Johnson, please step forward to receive your plaque and picture with the administrator Ms. Wilda Martinez, North Atlantic Area Director will join Dr Johnson on stage.

[voice over] 

Dr. Johnson is recognized for developing novel and environmentally sustainable or green biochemical and engineering processes that are improving the way corn is processed into foods and fuels around the world.

Jim Bradley

Next we will recognize the area senior research scientists. I ask the seven scientists to approach the stage steps as I call your name please step forward to receive your plaque and picture. Area directors please accompany your area scientists on stage. 

These awards go to Elaine T. Champagne, Mid-South Area, New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Ed King, Mid-South Area Director is joining Dr. Champagne on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Champagne is being awarded for her vision and international leadership in developing innovative technologies that add value to, and achieve maximum use and profitability of, rice and other crops. 
 
Jim Bradley

We recognize C. Jack DeLoach, Southern Plains Area, Temple Texas. Dr. Charles Onstad, 
Southern Plains Area Director is joining Dr. DeLoach on stage.

[voice over] 

Dr. DeLoach is recognized for his outstanding scientific investigation and program leadership in biological control of saltcedar and other invasive aquatic and rangeland weeds. 

Jim Bradley

We recognize Ronald F. Follett, Northern Plains Area, Fort Collins, Colo. 

[voice over] 

Dr Follett is being awarded for developing and delivering information and tools for enhanced carbon and nitrogen management and national assessments to protect the environment. 

Jim Bradley
We recognize J. Perry Gustafson, Midwest Area, Columbia Missouri who is not with us today. 

[voice over] 

Dr Gustafson is recognized for his pioneering research on the characterization and manipulation of genes and gene complexes from wild species into wheat to improve the world's wheat production.

Jim Bradley

ARS will present Dr. Gustafson his plaque at another time. 

We recognize, now, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Pacific West Area, Pullman, Washington. Dr. Dwayne Buxton, Pacific West Area Director is joining Dr. O'Rourke on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. O'Rourke is being awarded for her scientific excellence leading to implemented measures to control transmissible spongiform encephalopathies within North America.

Jim Bradley

We recognize James B. Russell, North Atlantic Area, Ithaca, New York. Ms. Martinez will join Dr. Russell on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Russell is being recognized for performing research on ruminal fermentation that increase the productivity, feed efficiency and food safety of the American cattle industry and decrease the impact of manure on the environment.

Jim Bradley

We recognize Robert J. Wall, Beltsville Area, Beltsville, Maryland. Dr Phyllis Johnson, Beltsville Area director will join Dr. Wall on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Wall is awarded for his outstanding research accomplishments in the introduction of recombinant DNA molecules into the genome of agricultural animals.

Jim Bradley

This completes the Area Senior Research Scientist Awards. 

Next we recognize the seven Early, Area Early Career Research scientists. I ask the seven scientists to approach the stage steps and as I call your name please step forward to receive your plaque and picture. Area directors please accompany your area scientist on stage.
Justin D. Faris, Northern Plains Area, Fargo North Dakota. Dr Blackburn please join Dr. Faris on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Faris is recognized for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of our understanding of the wheat genome through cutting-edge research in wheat genomics and molecular genetics. 

Jim Bradley

We recognize Jennifer C. Fletcher, Pacific West Area, Albany California. Dr Buxton please join Dr. Fletcher on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Fletcher is awarded for outstanding research in developmental plant genetics with far-reaching applications for crop improvement.

Jim Bradley

We recognize Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal, Beltsville Area, Beltsville Maryland. Dr Johnson please join Dr. Gundersen-Rindal on stage.

[voice over] 

Dr. Gundersen is recognized for her fundamental and applied advances in research on the agriculturally important unculturable microbes, phytoplasmas and polydnaviruses.

Jim Bradley

We recognize Brian E. Haggard, Southern Plains Area, Fayetteville Arkansas. Dr Onstad please join Dr. Haggard on stage.

[voice over] 

Dr. Haggard is awarded for his outstanding research evaluating nutrient sources and transport from the landscape through aquatic ecosystems. 

Jim Bradley

We recognize Isabel M. Lima, Mid-South Area, New Orleans Louisiana. Dr. King please join Dr. Lima on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Lima was recognized for impact of collaborative research and technology transfer related to sunflower butter product commercialization and value-added adsorbents from animal manure.

Jim Bradley

We recognize Paul D. Pratt, South Atlantic Area, Fort Lauderdale Florida. Dr. Cole please join Dr. Pratt on stage. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Pratt is awarded for his outstanding contributions to biological control of invasive species and transfer of this technology to end users.

Jim Bradley

We recognize W. Ray Waters, Midwest Area, Ames, Iowa. Dr. Steve Shaffer please join Dr. Waters on stage. Dr. Shaffer is our Acting Midwest Area Director. 

[voice over] 

Dr. Waters is recognized for outstanding contributions in the diagnosis and control of tuberculosis in livestock and wildlife.

Jim Bradley

This completes the Early Career Scientist Awards. 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. Assisting Dr. Knipling with presentation of plaques is Dr. Rick Brenner, Assistant Administrator, Office of Technology Transfer. 
There are two teams being recognized in the category of Outstanding Effort. Would the two teams please approached the stage steps. As I call your name individually, please come forward to receive your plaque and picture with the Administrator and Dr Brenner. Group pictures will be taken immediately after the program.

The first award goes to the modified live vaccine team. Team members are Craig A. Shoemaker, Mid-South Area, Auburn, Alabama; Phillip H. Klesius, Mid-South Area, Auburn, Alabama; and Joyce J. Evans, Mid-South Area, Chestertown, Maryland.

[voice over] 

The team is recognized for developing and transferring two modified live vaccines to prevent the major bacterial diseases of catfish, enteric septicemia and columnaris.

Jim Bradley 

And, the second award goes to the mouse lancet team. Team members are William T. Goldie North Atlantic Area, Greenport, New York. Luis Rodriguez, North Atlantic Area, Greenport, New York. He is not with us today and Peter Gollobin, MEDIpoint Inc., Mineola, New York 

[voice over]

The group is awarded for their research and development of an innovative and commercially accepted technology the advances the more humane treatment of laboratory animals. 

Jim Bradley 

Now we recognize those Technology Transfer winners in the category of Superior Effort. We'd like to recognize Bruce W. Wood, South Atlantic Area, Byron, Georgia. Dr. Wood please come forward to accept your award.

[voice over]

Dr. Wood is recognized for his developed and transfer of technology related to nickel deficiency in crops and a commercial product now used to alleviate nickel deficiencies.

Jim Bradley 

Next, we recognize the coddling moth team. Team members are Douglas M. Light, Pacific West Area, Albany California and Alan Knight, Pacific West Area, Wapato, Washington, who is not here today. Dr. Light, please come forward to accept your award. 

[voice over]

The team is recognized for their outstanding efforts in the development and transfer of environmentally friendly technologies that sustainably enhance monitoring and control of the codling moth on apple, pear and walnut crops worldwide. 

Jim Bradley
Next, we recognize W. Stanley Anthony, retired, Mid-South Area, Stoneville, Mississippi. Dr. Anthony please come forward.

[voice over]

Dr. Anthony is recognized for his successful transfer and commercialization of Louvered Lint Technology for the improvement of cotton ginning operations.

Jim Bradley

Next we recognize the Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Automated Sorting Technology Team please approach the stage steps and come forward as I call your name. All team members are from the Northern Plains Area, Manhattan Kansas. 

Floyd E. Dowell, Tom C. Pearson, Daniel L. Brabec, Elizabeth B. Maghirang, Robert Rowser who is not with us today and Dwayne E. Walker.

[voice over] 

The group was awarded for outstanding efforts in developing and transferring technology to detect and sort of grain based on attributes of significant interest to the grain industry. 

Jim Bradley 

Next we recognize the Nutrition Evaluation Scale System team. Team please approach the stage and come forward as I call your name. 

Team members are Molly J. Kretsch, National Program Staff, Beltsville, Maryland formerly of Davis, California; and Alice K. H. Fong, Environmental Protection Agency, San Francisco, California. 

[voice over] 

The team is awarded for their exceptional creativity, initiative and persistence in transferring the nutritional evaluation scale system, a novel system for capturing and evaluating food and nutrition information.

Jim Bradley 

Next we award the Area-wide Melaleuca Team. Team please approach the stage steps and come forward as I call your name. Team members are Paul D. Pratt, South Atlantic Area, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cressida Silvers, South Atlantic Area, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; John C. Scoles, South Atlantic Area, Fort Lauderdale; Ted D. Center, South Atlantic Area, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who is not here with us today; Ernest L. Delfosse, National Program Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Robert M. Faust, retired, National Program Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Amy Ferriter, Boise State University, Boise Idaho, who is unable to be with us today; Ken Langeland, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, also is not here today; Michael Meisenburg, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Francois Laroche, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach Florida; Ken Gioeli, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, Florida; Alan Hodges, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, also not with us today. 

[voice over]

The group was awarded for their development and transfer of area-wide suppression technology for the invasive plant Melaleuca quinquenervia in south Florida. 

Jim Bradley 

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

This program recognizes exemplary achievements in promoting equal employment opportunity and civil rights and in fostering awareness and commitment to workforce diversity. Would award winners please approach the stage. Assisting Dr. Knipling is Joseph Harriston, Assistant Director, Civil Rights Staff.

In the supervisory category, we recognize Wayne B. Hunter, South Atlantic Area, Fort Pierce Florida.

[voice over] 

Dr. Hunter is recognized for enhancing career opportunities for minorities and persons with disabilities and for increasing participation in special employment programs and education through exceptional contributions. 

Jim Bradley 

In the non-supervisory, non-managerial category, we recognize Chandra Holifield-Collins, Pacific West Area, Tucson Arizona.

[voice over] 

Miss Holifield-Collins is recognized for enhancing workforce diversity and promoting excellence in science through effective recruitment of minority students and fostering the development through an innovative mentoring program. 

Jim Bradley 

Our next award is the TW Edminister Research Associate Award. This award is named in honor of the former ARS administrator twenty five years ago who initiated the agency's current postdoctoral scientist program at ARS. This program allows career ARS scientists and engineers the opportunity to develop competitive proposals for priority research and to recruit temporary postdoctoral scientists and engineers of unusual ability to conduct research.

Each year the ARS scientist with the most outstanding proposal receives this award. This year's TW Edminister award goes to Justin D. Faris, Northern Plains Area, Fargo, North Dakota. 
 
Dr. Faris please step forward to receive your plaque and picture with the administrator. Dr Blackburn please join Dr. Faris on stage.
 
[voice over] 

Dr Faris is recognized for his outstanding proposal “Function of the Wheat Agronomic SuperGene Q.”

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. Would the Excellence in Information Award winners please approached the stage steps and as I call your name individually, please come forward to receive your plaque and picture.

This year's Excellence in Information Award goes to the ARS Spanish web site development team. Team members are Sandy Miller Hays, Information Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Jim De Quattro, Information Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Jody Shuart Information Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Flor Schroder, Information Staff, Beltsville, Maryland; Peter V. Lombardo, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Beltsville, Maryland; and Robert L. Herring Jr, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Beltsville, Maryland.

[voice over] 

The group is recognized for their exemplary team efforts in translating, designing and developing the ARS website in Spanish.
 
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 Marlene M. Coley, Mid South Area, Stoneville, Mississippi. 
Miss Coley, please step forward to receive your plaque and picture with the administrator. Dr King, please join Miss Coley on stage.

[voice over] 

Miss Coley is recognized for providing dedicated and exceptional administrative support to the Application and Production Technology Research Unit in the Mid South Area.

 Jim Bradley

The last category of awards we will recognize today are the Administrative and Financial Management Support Awards for Excellence. These awards recognize the outstanding achievements made by employees who have increased efficiency in 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. This category of winners represents the functional area for which I am personally responsible and it is my pleasure to personally participate in the presentation of these awards.

I'm going to ask Mr. Ray Leaman, Associate Deputy Administer for Administrative and Financial Management to assist me in announcing the winners. 

Ray Leaman

Would the Gold Award for Excellence winners please approach the stage steps and as I call your name individually, please come forward to receive your plaque and picture.

The winner for this year's Gold Award for Excellence is the Ames Modernization Branch Team. Team members include Jennifer M. Cook, Facilities Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Henry W. Hays, Facilities Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Debra L. Kerr, Facilities Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Michael W. Thompson, Facilities Division, Beltsville, Maryland and Dennis L. Jones, Facilities Division, Ames, Iowa who is not with us today.

[voice over] 

The team is recognized for their excellence in developing and implementing unique construction project delivery techniques associated with the modernization of the National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa. 

Ray Leaman

The following is the winner of the Silver Award for Excellence. Sue Prada, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland. Would you please step forward to receive your plaque and picture. 

[voice over] 

Miss Prada is recognized for making a direct impact on the effectiveness of the REE Ethics Program by developing and implementing innovative tracking programs and procedures.

Ray Lehman

Next are the Bronze Awards for Excellence winners and we have two today. Would the winners approach the stage steps and as I call your name individually please come forward to receive your plaque and picture. 

The first Bronze Award goes to the Competitive Sourcing Team. Team members include David Love, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Anne Riordan, Acquisition and Property Division, Washington DC; Kathleen Asmussen, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Lyndia Countee, Acquisition and Property Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Vicki Hanbury, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Judy Harrington, retired, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland is not with us today; Alvenia Pitts, Acquisition and Property Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Ronald Rouse, Acquisition and Property Division, Washington DC; Roberta Saah, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland is not with us today and summarily Marilyn Stetka, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland is also not here; Sandra Thomas, however, is with us, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland; Carolyn Violet, retired, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland and Donna White, Human Resources Division, Beltsville, Maryland.

[voice over] 

The team is recognized for extraordinary efforts in developing and implementing all aspects of the Competitive Sourcing (A-76) Initiative in the Beltsville Area and at the National Agricultural Library. 

Ray Leaman

Our second Bronze Award for Excellence winner is Mr. Ben Wong, Northern Plains Area, Fort Collins, Colorado. 

[voice over] 

Mr. Wong is recognized for his outstanding service as an area office engineer and providing additional services as a photographer, carpenter, and morale booster. 

Jim Bradley 

Thank you Ray.

This concludes the recognition of our award winners and now we have a special group of employees to recognize. These employees are participants in our executive PEAK program. PEAK stands for professional excellence and knowledge. PEAK is a challenging leadership development program providing specialized training and experiences for ARS executives, executives leaders of the future. PEAK is competitive, rigorous and designed for high potential employees. Selection as a PEAK participant is a notable achievement.

Our 2004-2005 program has resulted in three graduates. Please help me recognize these employees for their successful completion of the PEAK program. Graduates please approach the stage steps to receive your recognition and picture with the Administrator. Area Directors please accompany your scientists.

Wayne C. Honeycutt, North Atlantic Area, Orono, Maine; Dariusz Swietlik, North Atlantic Area, Kearneysville, West Virginia; Donald W. Reeves, South Atlantic Area, Watkinsville, Georgia. 

Thank you PEAK winners. 

This concludes our program and congratulations to all of you recognized today. Thank you for your contributions in making ARS what it is today and for your service to the Department and the US food and agriculture system. 

I'd also like to thank our office stage speaker, Ron Buckle and all the employees who worked so hard in planning and preparing this program especially the Performance Awards Staff. Would you please stand up. 

Please join us on the patio of the Whitten Building for refreshments. I also invite you to browse the awards exhibits while you are there. Please note the ushers available outside they're here to help you navigate through this complex to get back over to the patio. Groups should remain here in the auditorium for additional pictures.

Thank you.