Agronomy Alumni Group

Mentoring Program

The Agronomy Alumni Group is an alumni group formed in 1997 specifically for the benefit of the Penn State Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, its alumni, and students. One of the missions of our organization is to establish channels of communication between faculty, alumni and industry/business for the exchange of ideas and the rapid identification of industrial and academic trends.

The Mentoring Program can help to promote jobs for students, better equip students with the needs of employers, and establish a format avenue for communications between industry employers, the department staff, and students. The program can also be a stepping-stone for a number of innovative activities such as co-op programs, internships, seminars, field trips, and innovative teaching and research activities.

The APG has assimilated a group of several dozen agronomy graduates who are available and willing to serve as professional mentors for agronomy students. These individuals have diverse technical and professional backgrounds. Crop and Soil Sciences students with interests in soils, agroecology, and turfgrass will find mentors who have followed similar career paths as the students are currently pursuing.

The APG encourages students to contact any of our mentors by telephone, E-mail, or in writing. Students should feel free to strike up a dialogue with mentors about issues related to the student’s professional development and career opportunities after college. Mentors are not expected to provide jobs for students after graduation, however, they can be an asset to future networking within the professional community. Remember, the mentors have been assembled to help the student; they can't assist individual students unless the student makes the first contact.

BASHORE, DON Bashore Appraisals & Consultants 27 Sycamore Drive Mifflintown, PA 17059-9761	Real Estate Appraiser
(717) 436-2151 e-mail:don27@earthlink.net Soils Farm and Land Appraisals	fax: (717) 436-9884 1965, BS
BILZI, ALAN F. Environmental Venture Group, Inc. 743 Eagle Point Drive Venice, FL 34285	President
(941) 485-5300 e-mail: Abilzi@aol.com Soils Environmental Aspects of Soils, Consulting Opportunities	fax: (941) 485-3970 1974, BS 1976, MS, Agro
BROOKS, WILLIAM H. (retired from USDA-NRCS) and impressive credentials P.O. Box 777 Morro Bay, CA 93443	Watershed Planning Consultant
(805) 528-6478 Professional careers in watershed planning, project management and program supervision in agricultural rural economic development and natural resources management.	1955, BS, Agro
CURRAN, G. RICHARD University of Maryland 339 Hook Road Westminster, MD 21157-5918	Retired (CES) 6/30/96
(410) 8488-9109 E-mail: dankadick@aol.com Crops     International Programs Career opportunities in agronomy and international work, especially Europe. I have worked in Poland part-time since 1993.	1953, BS (MS from MD)
DUTT, TIM Monsanto Co. 8482 Redhaven Street Fogelsville, PA 18501	Market Development Rep.
(610) 285-2006 e-mail: timothy.e.dutt@monsanto.com Crops Summer internship opportunity for Agronomy/Crops major. Need to know soon, because we interviewed potential candidates at Ohio State, where they are on the quarter system.	fax: (610) 285-2007 1973, BS, Agro
HARKCOM, SCOTT Dept. of Crop & Soil Sciences, Penn State, 1596 W. Pine Grove Road Pennsylvania Furnace, PA 16865	Farm Supervisor
(814) 238-4016 e-mail: wsh1@psu.edu Crops	fax: (814) 692-2152 1981, BS, 1996, MS, Agro
MAY, Dr. George Institute for Technology Development Room 118, Building 1103 Stennis Space Center, MS 39529	President/CEO
(228) 688-2509 e-mail: gmay@jftd.org Agronomy Remote sensing research and applications in crop production, turf and biomedical.	fax: (228) 668-2861 1971, BS, Agro 1973, MS, Agro 1976, PhD, Agro
MAYS, DAVID A. Alabama A&M University P.O. Box 1208 Normal, AL 35633	Professor of Agronomy (Home) 114 Kathy St. Florence, AL 35630 (256) 766-3773
(256) 858-4228 E-mail: docmays@earthlink.net Crops, Turfgrass My specific interests are cotton, corn and soybean production, and commercial turfgrass care (southern grasses).	fax: (256) 851-5429 1951, BS 1961, Ph.D.
MYERS, JOEL USDA-NRCS PO Box 175 Spring Mills, PA 16875	State Agronomist
(814) 422-8680 e-mail: joel.myers@pa.usda.gov Crops, Soils Soil and Water Conservation / Water Quality, USDA Career Programs.	1965, BS 1967, MS Agro
PYSHER, DUANE E. USDA-NRCS 320 North Walnut Street Wernersville, PA 19565	Grassland Management Specialist
(717) 237-2221 e-mail: duane.pysher@pa.usda.gov Crops Natural Resources, Forages, Grazing	fax: (717) 237-2238 1995, MS, Agro
REED, THOMAS Tee Jet Northeast, Inc. P.O. Box 397 Dillsburg, PA 17019
(717) 432-7222 e-mail: reedtom@spray.com Agribusiness - Crops or Turf	fax: (717) 432-7021 1980, BS 1982, MS Agro
RICE, KEN Chemgro Seeds, Inc. 310 Furey Street S. Williamsport, PA 17702	District Sales Manager
(570) 326-2945 e-mail: ricefly@juno.com Crops Entrepreneurship / Seed Industry / Biotechnology	fax: (570) 326-2992 1974, Agro
SMITH, MARY (LLOYD) 4177 E. Main Street Belleville, PA 17044	Soil Conservationist, USDA-NRCS - Mifflintown Field Office
(717) 935-5256 e-mail: marsmith@acsworld.net or e-mail: mary.smith@pa.usda.gov Soils Since 1980, I have volunteered for various organizations, including La Leche League, Elementary Schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Civic Club, Dairy Princess Promotions, etc. I had been a member of the American Society of Agronomy, and had served as an officer in the Keystone Chapter of the Soil Conservation Society of America, and had served as an officer in the Penn State Agronomy Club, and I was a member of the Coaly Society and Dairy Science Club at Penn State. I am a past-president of the Penn State Agronomy Alumni Affiliate Program Group. I am 35 miles from Penn State and can help where needed.	1974, BS, Agro
SMITH, STEPHEN Dow AgroSciences 9330 Zionsville Road Indianapolis, IN 46268	Agronomy Services Manager, Mycogen Seeds
(317) 337-4662 e-mail: sesmith@dow.com Crops Crops background. Internships available annuanlly.	1994, BS Agro 1994, Minor Int. Ag. 1996, MS Agro 2002, Recipient of Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
STONFER, JACKIE USDA - Farm Service Agency 1 Credit Union Pl., Suite 320 Harrisburg, PA 17011	Program Chief
Work: (717) 237-2133 Home: (717) 372-6616 (home) 3518 ADA Dr. Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 732-6616 email: Jackie.Stonfer@pa.usda.gov Crops Currently administer Federal farm programs mandated by Congress. Overseeing GIS initiative for Farm Service Agency within Pennsylvania.	fax: (717) 237-2149 1979, BS, Agro