Were you able to attend our first Agronomy APG annual meeting which was held in October 1997? Read the article by Scott Harkcom in this newsletter. We would like your input on future meetings. Would you like to build an annual meeting around a major PSU event? This year we will meet at the CAAS Tailgate Party at the Ag Arena on November 28 before the Michigan State game. We will have a notice posted at the registration table as to where we will be meeting. Anyone can attend the Annual Meeting as long as they register for the tailgate. In case you misplaced your registration form, there is one included in this newsletter. We hope to see you there.

I would also like to encourage you to become active in your Alumni Program Group. You can participate even if you don't live close to Penn State. As you may have noticed, our board includes several members from Southeast PA and one member from Florida.

We need your help with the newsletter. Keep fellow alumni up to date by sending information to Mary (Lloyd) Smith at 4177 East Main Street, Belleville, PA 17004, or e-mail her at marsmith@acsworld.net.

Al Bilzi has developed a mentoring form which makes it easy for you to volunteer as a mentor for Penn State students. You determine the amount of time and effort you want to expend in this program. Our committee feels that mentoring is very important to students in Turf and Agronomy. Accept this challenge and return the form today. If you have any questions, contact Al directly at (941) 497-5130.

We are very interested in working closely with the department to provide input to student curriculum in the future. Steve Edkin, chair of the curriculum committee, welcomes your comments. Contact him at (610) 268-8273. Steve will be working with Dr. Fales in this area. Finally, Jeff McClellan heads our membership committee. If you are willing to make contacts with work associates or friends, call Jeff at (814) 349-5717.

I encourage you to call me with your comments, suggestions or to just chat about your alumni group. If you were waiting to see if the group would fly, it has! Take time now to call me or any of the board members; or just get involved by completing one of the forms in this newsletter before you forget or misplace it.

Remember, you as a graduate in the Department of Agronomy are automatically a member of the Agronomy APG and will continue to receive any mailings from us if you desire. However, with the cost of paper and postage, we only wish to send you the mailings if you wish to receive them. We may be requesting information from you regarding mailings at a later date.

In closing, we all owe a big thank you to Jeff McClellan, our leader for the past several years. Without Jeff's time and dedication, we would not have established our group so quickly, if at all. I also want to personally thank Jillian Stevenson, from the Dean's Office, and Dr. Fales and Kathy Barr for their support in helping getting us "up and running".

Now it's your turn. We look forward to your participation in your Agronomy Alumni Program Group.

Joel Myers, President

Agronomy Tailgate

Agronomy alumni are invited to a Department of Agronomy tailgate prior to the Penn State-Illinois football game on October 31, 1998. Come join Agronomy faculty, staff, and students at this Halloween sports event. Food and beverages will be on hand for your enjoyment.

The tailgate will begin three hours before kick-off at the College of Agricultural Sciences Ag Arena on Park Avenue. To confirm your reservation, contact Kathy Barr in the Department of Agronomy at (814) 865-2025 or by e-mail at ksb1@psu.edu by October 17th. We hope to see you there!

Sponsored by the Department of Agronomy faculty, staff and student affairs committee.

First Annual Meeting a Big Success!

Thirty Agronomy alumni and their spouses attended the Agronomy Alumni Program Group's first annual meeting on October 4, 1997. The group had the opportunity to hear Agronomy faculty talk about their latest research efforts, tour the Valentine Turfgrass Research Center and walk on the field at Beaver Stadium. The day concluded with the alumni joining the faculty and students at the department's annual Octoberfest.

To begin the day, the alumni heard Dr. Al Turgeon discuss the development of a turfgrass class that is being offered on the World Wide Web. This is the first class at Penn State available on-line. Dr. Rick Day followed with a discussion on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and how it is being used in both land use planning and production. Ms. Jan Pruss explained how a crop management database program she developed can assist farmers in their crop planning. Finally, Dr. Dave Huff gave a brief update on his turfgrass breeding efforts.

After lunch and a business meeting, Dr. Dave Livingston led a tour of the Valentine Turfgrass Research Center. Mr. Bob Hudzik then led the group in a tour of Beaver Stadium where alumni could actually walk on the hallowed turf.

After a break, the alumni joined Agronomy faculty for the annual Octoberfest celebration. Everyone enjoyed the pig roast, bonfire and hayride, while having an opportunity to renew friendships with former classmates and professors.

1998 Annual APG Meeting to be held in conjunction with CAAS Tailgate prior to Michigan State game

On November 28th, 1998 come enjoy a lunch buffet, entertainment and fellowship with other alumni in the Ag. Arena. A big screen TV will be available for indoor viewing. Begins 3 hours before kickoff.

Admission: $10 Adult $5 PSU students and children under 12 (advance reservations required)

Print and return the form by November 13, 1998, to:

Ag Alumni Office
The Pennsylvania State University
229 Ag Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802

Mentoring Committee Requests Your Input

The Agronomy APG has established a mentoring program to promote jobs for students and to better equip students to meet the needs of employers. The program is a stepping stone for a number of creative activities including co-op programs, internships, seminars, field trips, and innovative teaching and research.

We Need Your Help! To be effective, the APG desires to have 20 or more mentors available for consultation with students and agronomy department staff. Mentors will donate their time for telephone conversations with students and faculty members and will be available for meetings with students, department staff, and extension personnel at the mentor's home or where they work.

If you decide to be a mentor, you are free to determine the level at which you can participate. You choose soils, crops or turfgrass as the primary area in which you mentor.

If you are interested in participating in this dynamic program to help promote the future of our agronomy alumni, please complete the following form and return to:

The Agronomy Alumni APG
c/o Kathy Barr
Penn State Department of Agronomy
116 ASI Building
University Park, PA 16802

Membership Brochure

The brochure provides membership information and explains how members can become active in the APG. Contact Joel Myers to get copies for distribution.

Mission Statement

The Agronomy APG is an alumni group formed specifically for the benefit of the Penn State Department of Agronomy, its alumni and students. The APG will focus its efforts in the development of a system that will facilitate internships, mentors, and career resources for the mutual benefit of students, alumni, and interested industries/businesses.

Our organization will establish channels of communication between faculty, alumni and industry/business for the exchange of ideas and the rapid indentification of industrial and academic trends.