Agriculture staff, research team recognized with awards
A TWRI project and several TWRI and Texas A&M Agriculture staff who work closely with TWRI were recently recognized with several prestigious awards for contributions to the workplace, research and education. The Rio Grande Basin Initiative (RGBI) Research Team, Patricia “Patt” Junek, Robert “Bob” Whitney and Dr. C. Allan Jones were awarded Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence. Dr. Bill Harris is the recipient of Epsilon Sigma Phi Retiree Service Award.
RGBIs research team received the Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence: Award in Research. Drs. Elsa Murano, vice chancellor and dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and director, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and Bill Dugas, associate director for operations, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, presented Drs. Bob Wiedenfeld, Edward Rister, Juan Enciso, Zhuping Sheng, Ari Michelsen and Giovanni Piccinni represented the larger project team and with the honor based on their team research, Efficient Irrigation for Water Conservation in the Rio Grande Basin. Research efforts focus on a wide variety of topics including economics, GIS-based water management strategies, water resource planning and management, alternative water management policies, new irrigation methods and technologies and groundwater and surface water assessments. Water is a vital though limited resource in the Rio Grande Basin and the work of these researchers impacts a wide variety of people who live in the Basin and who depend on this research for crop irrigation scheduling and new and innovative water saving methods and technologies to help protect and conserve water resources.
Dr. Murano presented Patricia “Patt” Junek, of TAMU Agriculture’s Contracts and Grants Office, with the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence Program: Award for Professional Services, Special Services. TWRI nominated her for her work in helping the institute and TAES and Extension scientists in obtaining grants. Junek serves as a critical link in acquiring grants, working with tight deadlines and under high stress levels while managing to guide others in the myriad elements of grant writing through workshops and individual direction. Recognized for her calm demeanor and vast knowledge, Junek’s efforts have allowed TWRI to successfully obtain a significant amount of external funding.
Robert “Bob” Whitney received the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for Extension Education from Dr. Murano and Dr. Margaret Hale, executive associate director, Texas Cooperative Extension. Whitney has served with Extension for 24 years, the past 15 of which were with Comanche County working with agriculture, natural resources and the community. He worked to develop the Dairy Outreach Program Area, an educational endeavor that provides education about environmental regulations such as lagoon management and monitoring, waste applications to fields, nutrient content and beneficial use of wastes, reduction in feed phosphorus levels and various permitting requirements. Additionally, Whitney was crucial in developing the Agricultural Producer Certification Option in Comanche County.
Dr. Murano presented Dr. C. Allan Jones, director of TWRI, with the Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence: Award for Administration for his expertise and commitment to TWRI and as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences and as Associate Director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Respected throughout the state and nation, Jones grew TWRI’s three projects and $300,000 budget in 2001 to today’s 70 projects with over $13.5 million in funding. In 2006, Gov. Rick Perry appointed Dr. Jones to coordinate the Trinity River Basin Environmental Restoration Initiative.
Dr. Bill Harris, associate director of TWRI, received the Epsilon Sigma Phi Retiree Service Award, an honor that recognizes a retired Extension professional who continues to contribute to Extension programs and volunteers in community activities. Harris has served as soil specialist, soil and water specialist, project group coordinator and associate director of Agriculture and Natural Resources for Extension and was integral in establishing several cooperative and collaborative programs with federal and state agencies while with Extension. Since Harris retired from Extension in 2001 and joined TWRI, he has been active in acquiring nearly $14 million and eight major projects for Extension in Texas. Dr. Harris received the award from Sandra K. Fry, Chapter President, Epsilon Sigma Phi; and Dr. Ed Smith, director, Texas Cooperative Extension.