Fresno State Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology

Our farm fleet is excited to welcome its first electric vehicle, a MK-V Monarch Tractor, that is being used in our 120-acre campus vineyard during grape harvest! Approximately 60 percent of the tractor's cost was even covered by the state's CORE (Clean Off-Road Equipment) incentive project that encourages the purchase of zero-emission vehicles. Learn more about the 40-70 horsepower tractor, which has a run time up to 14 hours and could also be operated autonomously, at https://lnkd.in/g3dsCHXF The same tractor was also featured in a CBS47 Fresno 'Eye on Ag' story ( https://lnkd.in/gs79FSJk ) by Anthony Bailey TV about our Grape Day campus event in August. The Viticulture and Enology Research Center event is held every other year at California State University, Fresno and features new technology, products and methods by professionals and researchers to boost the California grape, raisin and wine industries at: https://lnkd.in/gG2SCFAa

Congratulations to Fresno State alumna Amy Thao who was elected president of the University Creamery Managers Association after she successfully represented our campus creamery at the association’s annual meeting in Wisconsin. Besides co-mentoring a California State University, Fresno student staff that produces ice cream and other dairy products for the Gibson Farm Market , she assists in a variety of labs and research projects. She also participates in industry outreach events like the Dairy Product Innovation Conference that will welcome professionals from across the nation to campus on Thursday, Sept. 12 (and registration is still open at: https://lnkd.in/gTm5DbDq ). After she received her degree from our Food Science and Nutrition Department in 2018, she gained additional experience in food processing, safety and quality assurance at Ready Roast Nut Company, Marquez Brothers International and O'Neill Vintners & Distillers (before returning to campus in January 2023).

Our Plant Science Department welcomed back lecturer Dr. Magdy Fam this fall to teach and share his expertise in three of its most popular courses. In the Food, Society and Environment (PLANT 105) course, California State University, Fresno students learn about food production systems, human social behavior and environmental quality. The Weed Science (PLANT 160) course focuses on vegetation management in California; identification of common weeds; and the fundamentals of preventive, cultural, biological, physical and chemical weed control methods. The Soils (PLANT 172) course examines the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils tied to plant growth and related topics such as food and fiber production, fertilizers, soil amendments and environmental impact. With master’s and doctoral degrees from Cairo University, he has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Cal Poly Pomona and taught weeds, soil and plants and civilization classes at the later institution. His doctoral and master's research focused on projects tied to roots, shoots, soil and/or water treatments in Anna apple trees. He also has extensive experience tied to research trials and product development with BASF, Bayer, Dow AgroSciences, Valent and Syngenta herbicide formulations, as well as turfgrass industry products.

We're glad to have industrial technology alumnus Michael Obradovich back on campus this fall as a lecturer to teach our Advanced Manufacturing Technology class (IT 184). The class focuses on the analysis of production operations, including product design, work cells, tooling capacity planning, material handling, scheduling, flow charts and manufacturing. He also currently works as a manufacturing manager at Sinclair Systems International where he provides leadership, support and oversight to its machine production, plate making and machine crating. Other areas of his work involve managing modern manufacturing techniques and tools, safety, quality, delivery schedules, budgets, reports and project management initiatives. He also has 27 years of experience as a GRUNDFOS Pumps quality engineer, manufacturing and production supervisor, quality engineering assistant, technician and team leader. Since both of his undergraduate and graduate degrees came from our IT Department, he is an ideal person to serve as its industry advisory board chair for most of the past decade (which keeps the curriculum for California State University, Fresno students aligned with the industry’s needs and advances).

Our Food Science and Nutrition Department Program was fortunate to welcome new faculty member Brenda Lightfoot to share her expertise in culinary science and food systems management courses to start the fall semester this past week. Most recently she has worked as a consultant for child and school nutrition programs, including food sanitation and safety certifications, and food product manufacturers for the K-12 market. Prior to that she had worked in school districts as a director of child nutrition in the Central Valley and Bay Area, instructor at Fresno City College, and manager of catering and banquet organizations. A California State University, Fresno master's degree recipient, she also received degrees from Fresno Pacific University and City College of San Francisco and been a leader in the CALIFORNIA SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION INC and related organizations for over two decades.

Alumna Natalie Baumgartner is excited to return to campus to begin teaching several classes tied to leadership, professional development and agricultural education this fall. Her expertise also includes research focused on school-based agricultural education (SBAE), with particular attention to the experiences of teachers working with English language learners. Additionally, she spent seven years as a high school SBAE teacher in California, contributing extensive hands-on experience to her academic background. After she received a California State University, Fresno degree in agricultural education in 2013, she added a master's and doctoral degrees from Cal Poly and Oregon State University. Learn more about her background at: https://lnkd.in/gpb3CxhH

It was another successful, first start of fall semester classes this week, which included the Enology 105 / Advanced Sensory Evaluation of Wines course taught by Dr. Yiliang Cheng, a new assistant professor in our Viticulture and Enology Department at California State University, Fresno. She received her doctoral and master’s degrees from Iowa State University in food science and technology and specialized in polyphenol reactivity research and the impact of viticulture and enology practices on red wine chemical properties. Besides her experience using advanced analytical and sensory evaluation techniques, she has also a background with studying more sustainable practices. Learn more about her background and published research at her profile at: https://lnkd.in/gr7U5jXR

Congratulations to professor Dr. Dave Goorahoo who recently received the Irrigation Association Excellence in Education Award for his work in teaching irrigation, water management and conservation principles. Combining his research with the campus Center for Irrigation Technology, he has developed more sustainable water management practices, training materials and programs that have benefited growers in the Central Valley and beyond. His outgoing approach and connections to the agricultural community have also helped him create strategies to raise awareness about irrigation career opportunities for students in his 24th year on staff at California State University, Fresno. He serves as a vegetable crops production professor and has taught many other plant science courses related to irrigation, plant nutrition, organic production and soil health. He has also been a strong supporter of the IA’s workforce development initiatives and currently serves on its education advisory group. Learn more about his background at: https://lnkd.in/dJXxiBDU

Poultry science students Brenda Hernandez Tapia, Chelsea Castillo Najera and Jose Millian, and faculty Dr. Katy Tarrant shared their expertise and experience from our campus Foster Farms Poultry Education and Research Center this summer at the Poultry Science Association annual conference in Louisville, KY. Hernandez Tapia and Castillo Najera presented research posters about their work with Tarrant and the Jordan College Honors Cohort tied to industry partnerships to foster broiler welfare education and environmental enrichments in tunnel-ventilated broiler houses, respectively. Tarrant hosted a talk and panel entitled ‘Defining Sustainability in the Poultry Industry.’  The presentation attempted to identify the variability and nuances of the topic between organizations, researchers, industry experts, educators and professionals to build a foundation between the diverse perspectives and avoid siloed thinking. The group also enjoyed reconnecting with poultry science program alumni, Anh Do, a current PhD student at the University of Arkansas.

Congratulations to agricultural business associate professor Jiaochen (Jason) Liang who received our College’s Outstanding Research and Scholarly Activity Award last May. A faculty member at California State University, Fresno since 2014, he has taught seven different courses tied to agricultural finance, applications of big data and artificial Intelligence, capital markets, economics and food policy. He is the lead or Co-PI on several research grants, including those from The California State University Agricultural Research Institute and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which includes a $3.88 million specialty crop research initiative. The past winner of the Provost’s Award for Promising New Faculty has also published 15 research papers and 2 book chapters, and given over 14 presentations over the last 10 years. Learn more about his background at: https://lnkd.in/gPjEZ2-a