SAFHS Graduates 26 Students Including FirstDoctoral Student in Aquaculture and Fisheries

Twenty-six degrees were awardedto SAFHS students at UAPB’s 153rdcommencement in December 2015.Graduates included the university'sfirst Ph.D. graduate, Ganesh KumarKarunakaran, who received his Doc-tor of Philosophy degree in aquacul-ture and fisheries.

SAFHS graduates received de-grees in several areas. Four earnedMaster of Science degrees in agricul-tural regulations; three in aquacul-ture and fisheries.

ree earned undergraduate de-grees in agricultural business; one inanimal science; one in plant science-agronomy; one in agricultural educa-tion; one in regulatory science/environmental biology; two in aquacultureand fisheries; eight in human sciences/human development and family stud-ies; one in human sciences/food service and restaurant management.

60th Annual Rural Life Conference

The 60th Rural Life Conference willbe Friday, March 4, at the Isaac S.Hathaway-John M. Howard Fine

Arts Center at the University of Arkansasat Pine Bluff. Registration begins at 7:30a.m. with the opening session at 8:45 a.m.e conference theme is “Sustainable,Healthy and Profitable Rural Develop-ment.”

Sponsored by the School of Agricul-ture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, thisyear’s conference features eight work-shops, a poster session highlighting re-search projects and exhibits bygovernmental and community agencies.

Dr. Craig Tucker, research leader,Warm Water Aquaculture Research Unitof the U.S. Department of Agriculture,will be the morning speaker and deliverthe S.A. Haley Memorial Lecture. KaseyTaylor, UAPB alumna and Natural Re-sources Conservation Service Delawarestate conservationist, will be the luncheonspeaker. e luncheon will be at the PineBluff Convention Center.

Preregistration is requested of every-one even though the conference is free toproducers, homemakers and retirees. ecost for professionals and agency person-nel is $50; aer Feb. 19, $75. To preregisteror for more information, contact Delilaurman at (870) 575-8968 or thur-mand@uapb.edu.

Upcoming Event

Ganesh Kumar Karunakaran, doctoral student of aquaculture/fisheries, became the university’s first Ph.D.graduate at graduation on December 11.

Graduates of the Department of Human Sciences pose at UAPB’s 153rd commencement ceremony in December.

Univers i ty of Arkansas at P ine B lu ff – School of Agr icu l tu re, F isher ies and Human Sc iences

Winter 2016

2 SAFHS Highlights

Administrative Changes in SAFHS

Dr. David Fernandez has been ap-pointed interim assistant dean for aca-demic programs at SAFHS. In thisposition, he is responsible for the peri-odic review of academic structure, stu-dent advisement activities, monitoringcourse and curricular changes and pro-viding leadership in accreditation pro-cedures and reviews.

Dr. Fernandez came to SAFHS in 2011 as an Exten-sion livestock specialist, a position he will continue inaddition to his new appointment. As a livestock special-ist, he is charged with working with small, new and be-ginning and socially disadvantaged livestock producers.He has authored 12 Extension fact sheets and two videos.He is co-principle investigator on five grants totalingover $1,012,000. He traveled to Kenya and Bangladesh aspart of the USAID Farmer to Farmer program, and hereceived the President’s Volunteer Service Award for hiswork with landless female farmers in Bangladesh.

Originally from Tampa, Florida, Dr. Fernandezearned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cor-nell University, a master’s degree in reproductive physiol-ogy from Montana State University and a doctoraldegree in physiology (reproduction) from the Universityof Kentucky.

Dr. Muthusamy Manoharan hasbeen named interim assistant dean forresearch and Extension at SAFHS. Inthis position he will assist the interimdean/director with research and Exten-sion program planning, coordinationand reporting activities for the School.

Prior to his new appointment, Dr.Manoharan served as director ofUAPB’s Regulatory Science Center of

Excellence. He has also served as graduate coordinatorfor the master’s program in agricultural regulations andleads active biotechnology research in the Department ofAgriculture. Since coming to the university, he has ac-quired over $3 million in research and teaching grants.He has hosted a Norman Borlaug scholar fromBangladesh and scientists from South Africa and Nigeriafor training in biotechnology and genomics.

A native of Bhavani, India, he has a bachelor’s degreein botany from the University of Madras, Madras, India,a master’s degree in botany from Bharathiar University,Coimbatore, India, and a doctoral degree in botany fromKarnatak University, Dharwad, India.

Dr. Obadiah Njue has been namedinterim director of the Regulatory Sci-ence Center of Excellence in the De-partment of Agriculture at UAPB. Inthis role, Dr. Njue will be responsiblefor developing, cultivating and main-taining government, private industryand academic relationships to aid stu-dents with internships, employment op-

portunities and external funding. He will supervisefaculty and staff in the Center particularly in the areas ofcurriculum development, program assessment, programmanagement, outreach and regulatory research. He willalso oversee the B.S. degree in regulatory sciences andthe M.S. degree in agricultural regulations.

Dr. Njue will continue his current role as the chair ofthe Department of Agriculture where he is responsiblefor academic programs and the supervision of facultyand staff. He manages instructional budgets and collabo-rates with the assistant research director in oversight ac-tivities related to agricultural teaching, research and 1890Extension activities. He is also responsible for curricu-lum development, program assessment and teaching ef-fectiveness.

Originally from Meru, Kenya, he has bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees in botany from Panjab University inChandigarh, India and a doctoral degree in agriculture(horticulture) from Mississippi State University.

Dr. David Fernandez

Dr. MuthusamyManoharan

Dr. Obadiah Njue

Go Greenwith SAFHS Highlights

If you would prefer to receive an electronic copy of Highlights,

e-mail your request to Debbie Archer at archerd@uapb.edu.

When a new edition of the newsletter is available,

you will receive an e-mail notification. Thanks for your willingness

to go green!

3Winter 2016

Marquill Daniels, a 25 year-oldnative of Brinkley, Ark., was sixwhen she started to sew, cook,

garden and give speeches. She realizedher potential for these and other educa-tional pursuits as a student in the YoungScholars Program, an initiative startedby the University of Arkansas at PineBluff in 1996 to help minority childrenfrom low-income families, ages six to 15,achieve in school.

The educational program was re-cently retired after 19 years of service.Dr. Irene K. Lee, 1890 Extension admin-istrator at UAPB, began the initiative todemonstrate the link between children’sacademic success and their ability tomove out of poverty, become productivecitizens and form strong families of theirown.

“Young Scholars was not a quick-fixprogram,” Dr. Lee said. “We were fo-cused on long-term change for both thechildren and their parents. The programemphasized high learning standards, ef-fective instructional and assessmentpractices and family participation.”

The afterschool program was imple-mented at several housing projects forlow-income families in Monroe and Leecounties. Extension human sciences ed-ucators worked with children and theirparents five days a week, all year long.They taught math and science conceptsthrough horticulture, environmentalstewardship, nutrition, consumer educa-tion, clothing and textiles and housing.

“This was something all of us kidslooked forward to every day afterschool,” Daniels recalls. “When it comesto education, you have to motivateyouth. When children are motivated,they often don’t realize they are partici-pating in an educational exercise.”

Hands-on, inquiry-based activitieswere a major focus of the Young Schol-ars Program. Children learned to cookbasic meals, plant a garden and completebasic bicycle maintenance tasks such asrepairing a flat tire. When the 93 chil-dren completed the program, each wasawarded a new bicycle and helmet by Dr. Lee.

“More than teaching about educa-tional topics and practical life skills, wealso wanted to instill important intellec-tual and social development skills,” Dr.Lee said. “Instructors emphasized criti-cal thinking, listening, decision making,goal setting and moral reasoning. Alsoincluded were universal virtues such ascompassion, courage, fairness, justiceand respect.”

Elmer Calahan, whose daughter wasa Young Scholars graduate, said the pro-gram kept kids out of trouble on thestreet and taught them self-respect. Hisdaughter, who was shy when she enteredthe program, learned to hold her headup and be confident in herself.

“After Dr. Lee and the Young Schol-ars program came here, the kids becameencouraged and were enthused to learnabout all sorts of new things,” he said.

“Most importantly, it gave them greatdiscipline to get educated to succeed inthe future.”

While the program focused onyouth, parents were also involved to asimilar degree as they served as volun-teers for the after-school program andparticipated in weekly group meetings.Instructors provided them informationon parenting, career development, stressmanagement, coping skills, family rela-tionships and home economics.

“Although parents were not the tar-geted audience, the participation of theirchildren increased the way parents inthe program began to look at their rolein the growth and development of theirchildren, and were thereby enriched bythe program along with their children,”Dr. Jacquelyn W. McCray, interim vicechancellor for Academic Affairs atUAPB, said.

Throughout its lifespan, the YoungScholars Program and its leaders re-ceived state and national recognition. In1998, Dr. Lee received the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture Secretary’s HonorAward, the highest service award pre-sented by the department. In 2007, theprogram was named one of the 10 bestprograms in the nation.

“The Young Scholars Program cre-ated an amazing amount of energy di-rected at improving academic success,self-esteem, social graces and personaldevelopment among the students whoattended the after-school program eachday,” Dr. McCray said. “It gave them thetype of personal attention needed tobuild self-esteem, set high goals and as-pirations for themselves, and developthe type of work ethic needed to becomesuccessful adults.”

Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr., formerchancellor of UAPB, said the programhad a profound effect on Monroe andLee counties.

“The Young Scholars Program wasone of the most innovative, creative andproductive programs that the universityever implemented,” he said. “It made agreat differ-ence in thelives of youngpeople, theirparents andthe entire community.”

Program Highlight — The Young Scholars Program

A Pine Bluff judge speaks to the Young Scholars after an introduction by Dr. Irene K. Lee, creator of the program.

YoungUniversity ofat ArkansasPine Bluff ScholarsProgram

4 SAFHS Highlights

USPOULTRY Foundation Donates $3,000 to Poultry Science Students

e U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford (USPOULTRY)Foundation recently donated $3,000 to the Department ofAgriculture at UAPB. e award will be used to support re-cruitment and retention efforts for students interested incareers in the poultry industry.

e gi was made possible by Peco Foods, one of theindustry's leading suppliers, based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.e company specializes in poultry processing and packag-ing and has processing plants throughout Mississippi, Ala-bama and Arkansas.

“Gis such as this go a long way to help in recruitmentand retention efforts, especially for the 3+1 poultry scienceprogram within the Department of Agriculture,” Dr. Ed-mund Buckner, interim dean/director for the School ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, said. “e pro-gram is a new joint effort between UAPB and the Univer-sity of Arkansas (UA) whereby UAPB students completetheir senior year at the UA Center of Excellence for PoultryScience. Its goal is to increase the number of UAPB gradu-ates in the poultry industry.”

Dr. Buckner said the gi comes at an opportune time,as it will support the department’s efforts to send 25 stu-dents to the USPOULTRY-sponsored College Student Ca-reer Program that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia inJanuary 2016. is annual event is hosted in conjunctionwith the International Production & Processing Expo.

“During the event, students interact with poultry in-dustry professionals and interview for internship and jobopportunities available in the poultry industry,” Dr.Ondieki Gekara, associate professor of animal science andadvisor for the College Student Career Program, said. “Ad-ditionally, students learn firsthand about the diverse inter-ests of several hundred poultry companies on displaythrough exhibition booths at the expo.”

Students and faculty of the Department of Agriculture (left-right): Maleek Ware, LizneyRudds, Candice McKnight, Maya Underwood, Cameron Withers, Dr. Ondieki Gekara,associate professor of animal science, Tamia Thomas, Dr. Obadiah Njue, chair of theDepartment of Agriculture, Jade Kirk, Dr. Edmund Buckner, interim dean/director for theSchool of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, Darren Young, Karen Fears,Rykel Lawrence, Marc Carlock and Leathan Irvin.

Teki Winston hasbeen appointed Ex-tension Specialist/Director of 4-H/Youth Programs andRecruitment forSAFHS. In this posi-tion, she is responsi-ble for establishingand supporting 4-H

clubs in middle and high schoolsand for co-advising UAPB’s colle-giate 4-H club.

Winston is also SAFHS’ contactto the Office of Enrollment Manage-ment and will manage the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture NationalInstitute of Food and AgricultureAcademic and Career PreparationSAFHS capacity building grant.

Prior to this position, Winston

has served UAPB as assistant to theSAFHS dean, an instructor in theDepartment of Human Scienceswhere she continues to teach and asa Spanish teacher in the UAPB Up-ward Bound Program.

No stranger to Extension or thePine Bluff community, she is a Jeffer-son County Master Gardener andhas served as a commissioner forPine Bluff Parks and RecreationCommission and as chair of the In-teragency Coordinating Council for Jefferson County and surround-ing areas.

Winston has more than 15 yearsof experience in education which in-cludes as a special education teachertrainer in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic; a develop-mental therapist with Jenkin’s Me-

morial Center, Pine Bluff; and as areading instructor.

She has a master’s degree in spe-cial education from the University ofGeorgia, Athens; and a bachelor’s de-gree in child development fromSpelman College, Atlanta.

“Teki knows both the UAPB andPine Bluff communities well. Herhistory of community service andinvolvement should prove an asset inher new position,” said Dr. EdmundBuckner, interim dean/director, 1890Research and Extension Programs.

Working closely with Winstonare Ashley Jones, 4-H program assis-tant, and John Proctor, research as-sistant. Schools or communitiesinterested in a 4-H school or com-munity club can contact Winston at(870) 575-8538.

New Faculty

Teki Winston

5Winter 2016

UAPB alumnus Pearlie S. Reed was re-cently awarded the 1890 Universities Career Ex-cellence Award at an Association of PublicLand-grant Universities (APLU) conference inIndianapolis, Indiana.

e purpose of the award was to recognizealumni from each of the 19 historically blackland-grant universities who have demonstratedcareer excellence through the advancement ofScience, Technology, Engineering and Math(STEM), agriculture or related academic fields,and who have also generated opportunities fortraditionally underrepresented students pursu-ing similar career paths.

Reed worked in four states and headquar-ters during his career with the Natural Re-sources Conservation Service (NRCS). In 2009he was nominated by President Barack Obamaand confirmed by the U.S. Senate for the posi-tion of Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inWashington, D.C., where he served until 2012.

A native of Heth, St. Francis County, Ark.,Reed graduated from UAPB in 1970. He earneda master’s degree in public administration in fi-nance from American University in Washing-ton, D.C. and completed special studies atseveral other institutions.

Anyone looking to graduate from auniversity debt free considers scholar-ships. One scholarship worth consider-ing is the USDA/1890 National ScholarsProgram scholarship. Not only canUSDA/1890 National Scholars graduatefrom college debt free with a bachelor’sdegree, they have a job with employee benefits with the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA) during thesummers while in college and a profes-sional position available throughwww.usajobs.gov upon graduation.

e National Scholars Programawards scholarships to students attend-ing one of nineteen historically black1890 land-grant universities who arepursuing a bachelor’s degree in agricul-ture, food, natural resource sciences orrelated academic disciplines. Studentsreceive full tuition, books, room andboard. e scholarship is renewable andcontinues for up to four years as long asnormal progress is made towards abachelor’s degree.

Recipients are selected by partici-pating agencies and not an 1890 institu-tion. Recipients apply for admissiondirectly to the 1890 institution of theirchoice and then submit a scholar’s pro-gram packet. Each 1890 institution cansubmit up to 12 packets of qualifiedcandidates to the USDA Office of Advo-

cacy and Outreach, which contacts theUSDA agencies which make the final selections.

With the application deadline notuntil April 11, students have time toapply for admission to more than one1890 institution thus increasing theirchances for a debt-free college educa-tion, said George Richardson, USDAprogram liaison at UAPB.

Application packets are posted onthe web at http://www.outreach.usda.gov/education/1890/index.htm.Click on the application link near theend of the application. For more info orhelp with the application process, con-tact Richardson, at (870) 575-7241;(870) 541-0047 or richardsong@uapb.edu.

USDA/1890 National Scholars at UAPB are (left-right) Matthew Dismuke, agronomy major, Camden, Ark.; Daniel Perry, agriculture economics major, Marianna, Ark.; Jamison Murry, agronomy major, Pine Bluff, Ark.; Treston Hawkins, agricultural business major, Dermott, Ark.; Bria Harris, industrial technology management and applied engineeringmajor, Little Rock, Ark.; and Elijah Muhammad, agriculture economics major, Chicago, Ill. Not pictured is MichaelJones, regulatory science/environmental sciences major, Monticello, Ark.

Pearlie S. Reed

UAPB Alumnus Awarded 1890 Career Excellence Award

USDA 1890 Scholarship – Opportunity to Graduate Debt Free

Two UAPB Students Awarded $10,000 Monsanto Scholarships

6 SAFHS Highlights

New Members Inducted into UAPB Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta

The UAPB chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture, recently inducted eleven undergraduates and three gradu-

ate students. The organization honors individuals who exhibit academic excellence and qualities that promote the image and relevance of

agricultural, food and related sciences. Inductees from left to right are LaTreece D. Jones (senior), Takela M. Moreland (senior), Shemikia

A. Jones (senior), Mari A. Melder (senior), Struma K. Cartman Jr. (senior), Jalia S. Steward (senior), Jamison T. Murry (junior), Yathish

Ramena (graduate student), Leathan J. Irvin (junior) and Morgan T. Ely (junior). Not pictured: Kendria L. Barnes (senior), Brittany A.

Jones (senior), Johnathan H. Senten (graduate student) and Sangita T. Pokhrel (graduate student).

Two UAPB students have beennamed recipients of the Monsanto 1890Student Scholarship. e scholarshiprecognizes up to 10 high-achieving stu-dents from underrepresented communi-ties nationwide, who are pursuingundergraduate degrees in agriculture orscience, technology, engineering andmath (STEM) programs at 1890 land-grant universities.

Daniel Perry, a senior from Mari-anna, Ark., majoring in agricultural eco-nomics, and Ariel Duffy, a sophomorefrom Washington, D.C., majoring in in-dustrial technology management andapplied engineering, were each awardeda $10,000 scholarship. eir awards canbe applied to tuition, books and otheracademic fees.

“I am especially proud of what thesetwo African-American male studentshave achieved,” George Richardson, U.S.Department of Agriculture/1890 pro-gram liaison at UAPB, said. “eirachievement complements PresidentObama’s ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ WhiteHouse Initiative, which aims to engageAfrican-American male students in edu-cational and leadership opportunitiesthat lead to academic success. At USDA,a college education is very important toa successful career in the field of agricul-ture or any of its related disciplines. Aninvestment in our young people todaywill ensure a future work force of thebest and brightest.”

According to Monsanto, the scholar-ship is a part of the company’s broader

focus on innovation and investment inagriculture. e award recognizes thefuture generation of innovators who willbe tasked with meeting the challenges ofglobal food security.

Ariel Duffy and Daniel Perry were named recipients of theMonsanto 1890 Student Scholarship.

7Winter 2016

Yathish Ramena, a doctoral candi-date of aquaculture/fisheries at the Uni-versity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, andvisiting scientist at the USDA/Agricul-tural Research Service (ARS) - Harry K.Dupree Stuttgart National AquacultureResearch Center, recently completed astudy that examined non-geneticallymodified (GMO) soybean meal as ahealthy and cost-effective substitute for fish meal in the diets of hybridstriped bass.

“e production of hybrid stripedbass is an expanding aquaculture indus-try across the nation,” Ramena said. “Ascarnivorous fish, striped bass require ahigher amount of protein in their diet.However, the price of fish meal has dras-tically increased in the last 20 years,from $450 to $2,300 per ton.”

Soybean meal is thought of as thebest alternative to fish meal, as it has adense protein profile, he said. Currently,most of the soybeans produced in the

U.S. are genetically altered for higherproduction and disease resistance.

“In some fish, conventional soyproducts have been shown to cause ad-verse effects on growth and health per-formance that are linked toanti-nutritional factors (ANFs) in theprocessed soybean meal,” Ramena said.“ese effects include lower digestibilityand nutrient absorption rates.”

Ramena’s research focused onwhether the use of traditionally bredsoybeans reduces the negative impactson hybrid striped bass. He used non-GMO soy varieties produced by theUniversity of Arkansas at Fayetteville,which were specifically bred to containfewer ANFs. Genetically modified(GMO) soybeans can also be producedto contain fewer ANFs, but negativeperceptions of GMO-based feeds havestimulated more research on conven-tionally bred soybean varieties for use inthe diets of farmed animals, he said.

Digestibility trials indicated that hy-brid striped bass fed with non-GMOsoybean meal had a significantly higherrate of protein absorption than fish fed other meals. In the growth trial, Ramena replaced 100 percent fish meal with 100 percent non-GMO soybean meal.

e results were positive, Ramenasaid. Not only were the fish as healthy asfish fed with regular fish meal, but theyalso had higher immune capabilities forsurvival in unfavorable conditions.

"is research provides new insightinto the effects of improved strains ofsoybeans for bass diets,” Dr. RebeccaLochmann, interim chair of the UAPBDepartment of Aquaculture and Fish-eries and Ramena's research advisor,said. “Bass are not vegetarians, so theability to use cheaper plant meals indiets instead of fish meal while main-taining fish growth and health is a significant economic advance.”

Lochmann Inducted IntoAFS Fellows Program

Dr. SteveLochmann, profes-sor of aquacultureand fisheries atUAPB, was recentlyinducted into theinaugural class ofthe American Fish-eries Society’s(AFS) Fellows Program at the orga-nization’s annual meeting in Port-land, Oregon. According to the AFS,fellows are members who have madeoutstanding contributions to the so-ciety in areas such as leadership, re-search, teaching and mentoring,resource management and conserva-tion, and public outreach.

Criteria for the fellowship in-cluded five years of membershipwith the AFS, professional experi-ence of at least 15 years in the fish-eries industry and a demonstratedexcellence in contribution in areasincluding research and discovery,communication and outreach, edu-cation and pedagogy, application offisheries science to management orpolicy and leadership or advance-ment of the profession.

Lochmann, a member of theAFS for more than 20 years, is a for-mer president of the AFS ArkansasChapter and the Southern Division.He serves as associate editor for theNorth American Journal of Aquacul-ture and is president-elect of the FishCulture Section.

e AFS is composed of over9,000 members worldwide, includingaquaculturists, biologists, ecologists,economists, engineers, fisheriesmanagers, geneticists and social sci-entists. According to the organiza-tion, its mission is to advance soundscience, promote professional devel-opment and disseminate science-based fisheries information for theglobal protection, conservation andsustainability of fisheries resourcesand aquatic ecosystems.

UAPB Scientist Unlocks Potentials of Non-GMOSoybeans in Hybrid Striped Bass Diets

Yathish Ramena, a doctoral candidate of aquaculture/fisheries recently completed a study that examined non-genetically modified (GMO) soybean meal as ahealthy and cost-effective substitute for fish meal in the diets of hybrid striped bass.

SAFHS HighlightsUniversity of Arkansas at Pine BluffMail Slot 49661200 N. University DrivePine Bluff, AR 71601

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PAIDPine Bluff, ARPermit No. 628

SAFHS Highlights was produced by the School of Agriculture,

Fisheries and Human SciencesCommunications Office

in January 2016.

Dr. Edmund R. BucknerInterim Dean/Director

Will HehemannCarol SandersStaff Writers

Brad MayhughGraphic Designerand Photographer

Debbie ArcherCommunicationsSection Leader

Send change of address and/orcorrespondence to:

Debbie ArcherUniversity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

1200 N. University Dr.Mail Slot 4966

Pine Bluff, AR 71601archerd@uapb.edu

(870) 575-8546

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is an equal opportunity/affirmative action

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As the row crops in the agriculturalfields at the University of Arkansas at PineBluff succumb to frosts of the winter season,other rows of plants – some native, sometropical – thrive in another location oncampus. At the far end of campus on OliverRoad, the research greenhouse gives off abluish glow in the late aernoons as its tubelamps and heaters create an ideal ecosystemfor a diverse range of plants.

Cacti, rice, leafy vegetables and succu-lents that sprawl out of their containers areamong the plants that line the metalbenches at the research greenhouse. emost visually striking additions to thegreenhouse are arguably the pineappleplants, which grow several feet tall out oftheir pots and feature a pineapple fruit, fromwhich many long, spiky leaves emanate.Other varieties in the greenhouse includemedicinal, herb, woody ornamental andfruit plants.

e research facility is one of threegreenhouses on campus. While the othertwo greenhouses are used primarily forUAPB’s sweet potato production, the re-search greenhouse is used for teachingdemonstrations, graduate student researchand lab work. e Minorities in Agriculture,Natural Resources and Related Sciences(MANRRS) Club uses the greenhouse togrow seedlings as one of its activities.

“UAPB students oen use the green-house to learn about plant propagation,”ASM Sorker, manager of the research green-house and graduate student of plant science,said. “ey are able to see how a plant grows

from a seed and the effects of soil steriliza-tion, water levels and temperatures on plantgrowth.”

Ornamental plants such as Zinnias areraised in the greenhouse from seeds intoseedlings. Aer four to eight weeks, theseedlings are ready and students transferthem to an outdoor environment to becomeacclimated to the weather outside the green-house. Finally, students transplant the potted plants to outdoor garden beds.

UAPB Greenhouse: Ecosystem for Diverse Plant Varieties

ASM Sorker, graduate student of plant science at UAPB, manages the research greenhouse, which is used for teachingdemonstrations, graduate student research and lab work.