Student Briefs

Poultry Science Club Best in Nation Once More

The Penn State Poultry Science Club won the 2008 National Club of the Year Award and the Best Scrapbook Award at the International Poultry Exposition in Atlanta, Ga., in January. Tami Topper, a senior from Gettysburg, Pa., majoring in Animal Sciences with a Poultry and Avian Sciences minor, was named runner-up for the 2008 Student of the Year Award. 

The club came close to repeating last year’s unprecedented sweep of all three awards from the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s College Student Program. 

This marked the third consecutive year—and the fourth time in the past six years—that Penn State was named the National Club of the Year and the ninth year in a row that the club won the Best Scrapbook Award.      

 

Agronomy Club Defends National Forage Bowl Title
A team from the Penn State Agronomy Club recently defended its National Forage Bowl Title at the American Forage and Grassland Conference in Louisville, Ken., soundly defeating a team from Purdue. Penn State’s B Team upset a team from Wilmington College (Ohio) to take third place.

 

 

Turf Grass Teams Stand Tall Again
Both of Penn State’s competitive student teams placed first in their divisions at the recent National Sports Turf Managers Association National Conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

The first-place team, made up of four-year Turfgrass Science majors, placed first out of 30 competing teams from universities across the country in a written exam covering sports-turf-management topics, as well as plant, insect and disease identification. In the two-year division, Penn State also placed first out of 15 teams competing, with a team consisting of students in their second year of the Turfgrass Management certificate program.

Sara Camuso, a senior Turfgrass Science major from Waynesboro, Pa., won the prestigious Watson undergraduate scholarship, which is named for the first Ph.D. in Turfgrass Science, James Watson, who received his doctoral degree from Penn State in 1950. This is the highest undergraduate scholarship offered by the association.

 

 

Block and Bridle Club Gets More National Recognition
Penn State’s Block and Bridle Club received national recognition for its activities at the 88th National Block and Bridle Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

Nineteen Penn State students attended the conference geared to challenge participants to become engaged in agriculture. More than 35 schools participated in the event. At the awards breakfast, the Penn State chapter’s activity report placed second in the nation, while the yearbook and scrapbook each placed fifth.

 

 

Student Chapter of Forestry Group Honored Again
The Penn State Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters placed third in the national Outstanding Student Chapter contest for the 2006–07 academic year. This marks the chapter’s third top-three finish in the last five years. The Penn State chapter was first in 2002–03 and second in 2003–04. The chapter was recognized at the 2007 Society of American Foresters National Convention in Portland, Ore., last October for this achievement.

While at the convention, Penn State chapter members won the national quiz bowl for the second time in three years. Penn State previously won in 2005. The group, which was the host chapter last year when the national convention was held in Pittsburgh, Pa., finished first out of 27 forestry schools nationwide in Oregon.

 

 

First-Ever Penn State Female Woodsmen Team Does Well
Penn State’s first-ever women’s woodsmen team finished sixth in the 25th Loggersports competition in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, last November. To make this even more special, four of these ladies never competed before last fall! The university’s men’s team finished eighth out of 29 teams. A full team, either male or female, consists of six individuals competing in six single events, three double events, and team events in which everyone participates.

 

 

Livestock Judging Team Wins International Event
For the second year in a row, the Penn State Livestock Judging Team won the livestock-judging contest at the Keystone International Livestock Exposition. The Nittany Lions were high team in beef cattle for the third year in a row. They were also high team in sheep and second in swine and “reasons.” The team had an especially consistent day as each member excelled in multiple categories. Nichole Fogleman, a senior from Lock Haven majoring in Animal Sciences, won high individual overall in the contest.

The team also recently placed third in the Eastern National Livestock Collegiate Judging Contest in Timonium, Md., and also competed, garnering awards at the Premier Stockman’s contest in Frankfort, Ind., the American Royal Livestock Exposition in Kansas City, Mo., and the National Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Contest at the North American Livestock Exhibition in Louisville, Ky.