Help CALS Recognize Outstanding Alumni
Award Applications Due March 1                                                             back to newsletter    

Do you know of alumni deserving of being recognized for their achievements, contributions to the industry, and involvement with the college and university? If so, nominate them for these CALS Alumni and Friends awards:

Award of Distinction
The CALS Alumni and Friends Award of Distinction is presented to UF/CALS alumni or friends in recognition of their outstanding contributions to UF, IFAS, CALS and the agricultural, natural resource, life science and related industries and professions.

Horizon Award Nomination
The CALS Alumni and Friends Horizon Award is presented to UF/CALS alumni who have completed their most recent University of Florida degree within the last ten years (since 1996). The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions  and potential as leaders in the agricultural, natural resource, life science and related industries and professions.

Application
Previous Award Winners

Alumni Help Students Prepare for Careers                                                                                 back to newsletter    

Five CALS alumni returned to campus on February 7th to help students plan for successful careers and prepare for the next day's Career Expo. More than 80 students and company representatives participated in the event, which was jointly sponsored by the UF Student Alumni Association and CALS Alumni and Friends.

Students asked questions about internships, the importance of leadership experience, study abroad, job search strategies, interviewing tips and long-term career development. Jordan Barney, a senior horticultural sciences student, liked learning about the background of the panelist and the route they took to find their current careers. "I enjoyed the opportunity to hear the diverse points of view the panel gave us. They provided really valuable insight into what students should expect beyond the classroom," she said.

Panelist were Gillian Dagan, Program Director, Product Performance Services, ABC Research Corporation (B.S. Food Science and Human Nutrition '00, Ph.D. '04); John Gose, Jr., Manager of Special Projects, Lykes Brothers, Inc. (B.S. Fruit Crops '81); Bernard "Bernie" Krauth, Credit Manager, Farm Credit of North Florida (B.S. Mechanized Agriculture '86); Susan Reese, Senior Staff Director, Florida House Agriculture Committee (B.S. Ornamental Horticulture 1972, M.A.G. Horticultural Sciences 1979) and Braj "B.K."  Singh, Professor, Earth University-Costa Rica (Ph.D. Soil and Water Science '90).

GATOR NATION NETWORK: Gators Across the Globe Are Just a Mouse Click Away                                                          back to newsletter    

The University of Florida Alumni Association is connecting Gators across the country on the Gator Nation Network (GNN). This tool allows UF alumni and friends to network, socialize and communicate in a secure, private setting.  GNN is an interactive community specifically created for Gators only that allows users to find roommates, post jobs, search for career leads, create blogs, locate other Gators in their area and reconnect with old friends.

Alumni Volunteer Opportunities                                back to newsletter

Are you interested in becoming an alumni volunteer? Alumni volunteers can focus their efforts in areas that help the college and schools connect with their alumni, enhance the current student experience or recruit new students. CALSAF also has opportunities associated with the following member committees: alumni programming, student affairs and finance. If you would like to serve as an alumni volunteer, please complete the volunteer form or call (352) 392-2251.

Environmental Horticulture Student Looks Forward to Unique Internship                                                                             back to newsletter

Environmental Horticulture student Will Wellman headed to south Florida this January to participate in a six-month conservation internship with the Audubon Society.  Will’s passion is to work in the fields of ecology and conservation. He completed an internship last summer with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) at Big South Fork National Park in Oneida, TN.

While at Big South Fork, Will worked with the park botanist and assisted with the monitoring of 22 rare plant species. This included visiting 29 previously recorded sites and discovering 17 new occurrences of rare plant colonies.  His work with exotic plant management included the treatment of 130 gross acres and 30 canopy acres of the park. He was also involved in a Dogwood anthracnose survey for the U.S. Forest service.

For his internship with the Audubon Society, he will be located at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary outside of Naples, FL. It has the largest remaining stand of virgin bald cypress in the country. He will participating in resource management including monitoring rare birds, animals, and plants, exotic plant management, and assisting with 1,000 acres of prescribed burns. His internship will also include leading tours over their 2.25 mile boardwalk.

Will plans to enter graduate school in the fall of 2006 to study how to chemically control specific exotic invasive plants without damaging the rare plant communities that grow in the same habitat.

Young Alumnus Finds Niche with Proctor & Gamble's
Packaging Science Group                                            back to newsletter

Wrapping up his first month at Procter & Gamble, Craig Dreyer (B.S. Packaging Science ’05), seems very excited about his new career. Dreyer works in the air care division of fabric and home care. Proctor & Gamble partnered him with a well-established “coach” that has been with the company for more than 20 years.

Under his coach’s supervision, Dreyer works in device development and research for a new product. The product has been in development for the past year and has recently been accepted as a product the company wants to pursue.  

“That is where the packaging department comes into play,” says Dreyer. “We have to further develop [the product] into something that will work at the highest level, be extremely cost effective, and will also be easy to produce in large numbers."

Dreyer’s role thus far has focused on conducting lab research and sharing data with managers. He works with employees assigned to materials, Computer Aided Design, and the manufacturing process. He also found that there are many employees his age, which has no doubt eased the transition to full-time employment. “We have all kind of bonded so far and hang out after work and on the weekends,” Dreyer said.  Dreyer is looking forward to his career at Proctor & Gamble and hopes to travel to Europe with the company as his assigned product develops.

Florida Agri-Women Association Seeks Members                                                                                 back to newsletter

Florida Agri-women (FAW) is a network of women promoting agriculture to consumers and legislators.  Within the organization, women represent a wide array of agricultural industries and professions. FAW gives opportunities to network with other women within agriculture around the state, promotes professional development and gives a strong and united legislative voice in the state.  For more information please visit the FAW website. For a membership application, contact Angela Bowman at ajbowman@ufl.edu or (352) 476-3735. 

(This organization is not directly affiliated with the University of Florida or the CALS Alumni and Friends organization.)

Class Notes                                                                               back to newsletter
Tell Us About You

1940s
A. David Baillie, Jr. (B.S.A '41) died on June 6, 2005. Mr. Baillie's career included service to the USDA,Cooperative Extension Service, and the Southeastern Fat Stock Show. He also dedicated many years to working with 4-H and FFA groups.

1960s
Dr. Gale A. Buchanan (B.S./M.S. '62) was nominated by President George W. Bush to be under secretary of agriculture for research, education and economics. Buchanan is dean and director emeritus of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Thomas O. Neff, Jr. (B.S. '63, M.A.G. '68) lives in Tennessee and has spent the last 20 years as a realtor, auctioneer and Ostrich producer.

1980s
Rabbi Stephen Roberts (B.S. FRE '80 ) was recognized on January 23 by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) for his outstanding achievements. Those achievements include service to the NAJC, American Red Cross' National Spiritual Care Response Team, and involvement in research and publications focusing on the impact of disaster on faith leaders.

Marc K. Willis (SFRC '85) lives in Jacksonville, FL and serves as an agricultural specialist with the property appraisers office. He and his wife Linda have a four year-old son Jack.

1990s
Tania Rivera (FSHN '98) is a clinical dietitian at Baptist Hospital in Miami and adjunct professor at Florida International University. She currently serves as the President of the Miami Dietetic Association.

Christopher Tipping (ENT '99) of Newark, DE, joined the faculty in the Department of Biology at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, P.A.

2000s
Capt. William "Greg" Stuebe (ANS '00, LW '03) and his wife Katherine are currently stationed in Mililani, HI with the U.S. Army.

Claudia Riegel, Ph.D. (ENT '01) is the Senior Entomologist for the City of New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board.

Sigfrido Burgos-Caceres ('01) is in his third year of a doctoral program in animal and poultry science at North Carolina State University.

Laura Sanagorski (ENH '04) serves as the coordinator of the urban forestry program for the city of Plantation, FL.

Ludie Ehlers (SRC '04) is a wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry, covering Alachua, Putnam, Marion, Levy and Gihchrist Counties.