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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
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JAVELINA WORLD
Living in South Texas has many luxuries that enhance our lives for the better, and for TAMUK students in the Dick & Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, there are superior perks that bless and enhance their education and lives for the better. Our faculty’s creativity in grant development helps to open the doors for our students to explore beautiful places around the world. Many of our students acquire research and career training in unique locations, both out of state and internationally. This map shows just a few of the states our students have performed summer internships and added experiential learning tours in other countries. This past year in 2022 and into 2023 faculty will have taken our students to Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. Our Javelinas are going places, and thanks to federal funding support from the US Department of Agriculture, the lives of our students are changed for the better. For our Javelina students, we are not confined to Javelina Nation, rather we are explorers of Javelina World.
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COLLEGE NEWS
75th “Diamond Jubilee” Celebration
In honor of the 75th Anniversary of the inception of the College of Agriculture at TAMUK, a special 75th Anniversary “Diamond Jubilee” Celebration was held at the Memorial Student Union Building Ballroom on Friday, March 4, 2022. Honored Guests, Alumni, Retirees, Faculty, and Staff enjoyed an evening of reminiscing over the history of the college, recognizing special honorees, faculty, and staff for their important contributions to the success of the college, and hearing from guest speakers, all while enjoying cocktails and dinner.
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College Awards – Presented at the 75th “Diamond Jubilee” Celebration
2021 Awardees:
- Service Excellence Award – Susan Smith
- Junior Teaching Award – Dr. Cariann Galloway
- Senior Teaching Award – Dr. Bart Ballard
- Junior Research Award – Dr. Benjamin Turner
- Senior Research Award – Dr. Humberto Perotto-Baldivieso
- Extra Mile Award – Dr. Greta Schuster
2022 Awardees:
- Junior Teaching Award: Diane Friend (AAES)
- Junior Research Award: Michael Cherry (RWSC)
- Senior Teaching Award (3): Veronica Ancona (AAES), Tanner Machado (ASVT), Fidel Hernandez (RWSC)
- Junior Research Award (3): Steven Chumbley (AAES), Randy Stanko (ASVT), Leonard Brennan (RWSC)
- Advising Excellence Award (3): Shelly Salazar, Carla Winterbottom, Javier Mendoza
- Service Excellence Award (3): Teresa Gonzales (CITR), Yolanda Ballard (CKWRI), Julia Rogers (VETT)
- Dean’s Excellence Award (3): Maria Consuelo Donato-Molina (AAES), Phyllis Rosie Vela (Dean’s Office), Rebecca Trant: Lifetime Dean’s Excellence Award (CKWRI)
- Hall of Honor – Diamond Level Honorees: (3): James H. Clement, Jr., Dale Murden, Neal Wilkins
- Friend of the College – Diamond Level Honoree: Stephen J. “Tio” & Janell Kleberg
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James H. Clement, Jr. receiving Hall of Honor Award – Diamond Level
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Dale Murden receiving Hall of Honor Award – Diamond Level
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Stephen J. "Tio" & Janell Kleberg receiving Friend of the College – Diamond Level
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Neal Wilkins receiving Hall of Honor Award – Diamond Level
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2022 Student Summer Internships
The Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources offers students the opportunity to experience internships during their undergraduate program. An internship is a structured experience which relates to a student’s major and career goals. This opportunity enhances a student’s academic, career, and personal development.
Shown below is a map showing the locations where our students participated in their internships for the summer of 2022.
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College of AgNR – Grant funded - Summer Internship Locations:
USA: Iowa, Kansas(2), Montana, Nebraska(2), North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Other Countries: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico-Cancun Area, Puerto Rico
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Contractual Agreements with Central and South America
Dr. Maria Consuelo Donato worked with several universities in Central and South America to assist Dean Nelson in forming collaborative contractual agreements to help facilitate graduate students from Guanajuato, Mexico, and Manizales, Colombia to receive graduate degrees in the Dick & Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR). Dean Nelson signed a memorandum of understanding agreement in May 2022 with JuventudEsGto where the state of Guanajuato has agreed to fully fund graduate students to attend TAMUK while the Kleberg College of AGNR provides the student a scholarship. A similar agreement was signed in July 2022 with the Universidad de Caldas in Colombia. We look forward to the years ahead as their students join ours to become future Javelina alumni.
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Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences (AAES)
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Dr. Stephen “Boot” Chumbley, Associate Professor, Agricultural Education and Mechanics, was awarded the 2022 Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educator Award.
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Dr. Benjamin Turner, Associate Professor, Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, received the 2021 Best Early Career Research Award, Honorable Mention, from the International Society for Ecological Modeling.
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TAMUK Soil Judging team takes first place in the soil pit contest in October 2021
The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Soil Judging Team took first place in the team competition in the Southern Region Soil Judging Competition held at West Texas A&M University on October 11-13, 2021. Team members Alexander Meza from Mission, Amberly Zaragoza from San Antonio, and Erik Zamora from Brownsville were coached by Dr. Ammar Bhandari, Assistant Professor in the Agriculture, Agribusiness, and Environmental Sciences Department. The competition was held in the field over the course of three days. The Texas A&M-Kingsville team competed against teams from the University of Arkansas, Oklahoma State University, Tarleton State University, and Texas Tech University.
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Dedication of the C. F. “Dick” Schendel Soils Science Laboratory
The Board of Regents approves the naming of Kleberg Agriculture Soil Science Lab in honor of alumnus, Clarence F. “Dick” Schendel. When Cindy Nankrevis received notice of the approval for naming the Soil Science Lab after her father, she was elated to hear the good news. “I wanted to do something to honor my dad who graduated from [A&I] because his degrees were so important to him and his career, which made him successful,” Nankrevis said. Both Cindy, and her husband Bryan, were present at the dedication of the Soil Science Lab.
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Department of Animal Science and Veterinary Technology (ASVT)
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Texas A&M-Kingsville Vet Tech program assists with sea turtle surgeries
Texas A&M University-Kingsville students assisted a surgical team with the Texas State Aquarium as they performed surgeries on green sea turtles Wednesday, March 9, 2022, in the Veterinary Technology facility on campus.
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VETT Pinning Ceremony May 2022
In May, twenty-six students graduated from the veterinary technology program and attended a professional pinning ceremony. This ceremony marks the end of their academic journey and the beginning of their professional career. Graduating students are now eligible to take the veterinary technician national exam to secure their license and dedicate themselves to aiding animals and society by providing excellent care and services to animals.
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May 2022 Graduating Class – Veterinary Technology
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Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences (RWSC)
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Dr. Bart M. Ballard, Ph.D., Professor and C. Berdon & Rolanette Lawrence Endowed Chair in Waterfowl Research has accepted the position of Chair of the Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences as of September 1, 2022.
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Dr. Fidel Hernandez Professor, Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. Endowed Chair in Quail Research, Wildlife Science, was designated Regents Professor by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents for 2020-2021.
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Dr. J. Alfonso “Poncho” Ortega-Santos, Professor, Grazing Management and Animal Nutrition, Rangeland & Wildlife Science held the position of 2021 President of the Society for Range Management.
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The National Natural Toxins Research Center (NNTRC) has been moved to the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resource. The addition of the National Natural Toxins Research Center to the college permits the faculty and staff to collaborate with other research faculty within the college and university. Elda E. Sánchez, Ph.D., is the Director of the National Natural Toxins Research Center (NNTRC) and a Professor of Biochemistry at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), Kingsville. The NNTRC is organized to support global basic and translational research on venom and venomous snakes. It provides training, resources, and services that will lead to the discovery of biomedical molecules from venoms. Dr. Sánchez is the PI of a $2.5 million Viper Resource Center grant from the National Institutes of Health/Office of Research Infrastructure Programs that supports the activities of the NNTRC.
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2022 Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society Meeting held Feb 24-26, 2022 in Marble Falls
Dr. Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso received the Outstanding Achievement Award / Research / Academia. This award is presented by the Society for Range Management for outstanding achievement to members and other qualified individuals and groups working with rangelands. The award was presented at the Society for Range Management meeting held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 6-10, 2022.
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BIG Congrats to our PLANT ID TEAMs for again Winning Big Time, with both 1st Place and 2nd Place Team Wins for Texas A&M University—Kingsville. Way to Rock this entire year students!!
Congrats to individual Plant ID place winners:
Peter Cole for 1st Place –Individual award for Plant ID
Shaelyn Rainey for 2nd Place –Individual award for Plant ID
Eric Grahmann-1st Place: Plant ID Open Member-Professional
Peter Cole-1st Place: Plant ID Open Member-Novice
Nicole Alonso-Leach: Teer Institute Graduate
Lalo Gonzalez:Teer Institute Graduate
Great to see our Student Presentation winners:
Katie Pennartz: 3rd Place Graduate Poster competition
Daniel Ramirez: 3rd place Undergraduate Poster
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Great to see Excellence in Photography Representation. Congrats to all those winners with a very sharp eye through the lens of a camera. You tell stories of Range and Wildlife through photography, and we love that.
Levi Heffelfinger: 1st Place Work-Related Photo.
Shaelyn Rainey: 1st Place Wildlife Conservation Photo contest
Aidan Branney: 1st Place Remote Camera Photo.
Aidan Branney: 1st Place Humor Photo.
Aidan Branney: 2nd Place Plants Photo.
Shaelyn Rainey: 3rd Place Plants Photo.
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Congrats to Kristyn Stewart for being recognized as the Dan Boon Memorial Scholarship recipient by the Society for Range Management.
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Congrats to Alexander Meza for recognition as one of the ‘Outstanding Students in Wildlife’ by the Society for Range Management.
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Dr. Mamoudou Sétamou accepted the position of Director of the TAMUK Citrus Center.
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King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management
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Dave DeLaney joined the KRIRM team in April 2022 as the Practitioner in Ranch Management after retiring as the Vice President and General Manager of Livestock and Ranching Operations for King Ranch, Inc. From 1992-2003, Dave worked with Friona Industries, L.P. where he served as General Manager between 1996 and 2003. Between 1984 and 1992, Dave was the Operations and Procurement Manager of Corsino Cattle Company of Amarillo, Texas. Dave has served on the Boards of Directors and on various committees for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), the National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA), and the Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
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Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
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Congratulations to CKWRI Executive Director, Dr. David Hewitt for receiving the Sam Beasom Conservation Leader Award from Texas Wildlife Association (TWA). The TWA Sam Beasom Conservation Leader Award recognizes a member of the professional conservation community that has made an outstanding contribution to the conservation of Texas wildlife and shares the philosophies of TWA. This award was presented to Dr. Hewitt at WildLife 2022, TWA’s annual convention, in San Antonio. Fun Fact: Sam Beasom was the Director of CKWRI from 1984-1995.
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Patton Donates to Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Thanks to a generous gift from Bobby and Sherri Patton, the Patton Center for Deer Research (PCDR) has been established at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI). Patton, an avid outdoorsman and dedicated conservationist created the Patton Center for Deer Research that will strengthen wildlife research education at Texas A&M University-Kingsville through the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Patton has previously supported education and conservation at the University of Texas. With this gift, Patton is excited to join the Texas A&M University family by supporting CKWRI and the TAMUKingsville Javelinas. He said “I am passionate about supporting education and research at Universities because it is an investment in the future.”
“The Patton Center for Deer Research will be transformative for wildlife science in South Texas and will establish a world-class research center equipped to conduct applied research, train the next generations of leaders in conservation, and extend the knowledge created through our studies to inform land management and policy decisions,” noted Dr. Mike Cherry, the Stuart Stedman Chair for Whitetailed Deer Research at CKWRI and leader of the PCDR. All deer related research conducted by CKWRI will be under the banner of the newly created PCDR, which is committed to conducting research relevant to deer in Texas and northern Mexico. The research projects will increase the understanding of deer ecology and thereby increase the effectiveness of deer management.
Dr. David Hewitt, CKWRI’s Executive Director, indicated “The newly established Patton Center for Deer Research is a game-changer for our deer research. Resources from Mr. Patton’s gift will enable our scientists and students to tackle the most critical challenges in deer management.” The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is the leading wildlife research organization in Texas and one of the finest in the nation. Established in 1981 by a grant from the Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, the Institute operates as a nonprofit organization and depends financially upon private contributions and faculty grantsmanship. Their mission is to provide science-based information for enhancing the conservation and management of Texas wildlife.
The Institute has long-standing, trusted relationships with private landowners on whose land they conduct research, and through this relationship, there is a tremendous appreciation for the vital role that land stewardship plays in effective conservation. The Institute works with hunters, wildlife managers, land stewards, conservationists and policy makers to provide research for management and conservation of wildlife and its habitat.
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Dr. Madhurababu Kunta, Plant Pathologist and Research Associate Professor – Citrus Center published the article: The Return of Asiatic Citrus Canker to Texas: Surveys and Eradication Efforts.
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New Faces
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Dr. Seth Abugho, Assistant Professor, Agronomy and Weed Science
Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences
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Dr. Joel Reyes-Cabrera, Assistant Professor, Agronomy/Horticulture
TAMUK Citrus Center, Weslaco
Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences
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Dr. Elizabeth Ann Staiger, Assistant Professor, Genetics
Department of Animal Science and Veterinary Technology
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Retirees
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Dr. Eliezer S. Louzada, Professor, Agronomy & Resource Sciences, Citrus Center, Weslaco – After 25 years of service to our University has chosen to retire as of August 31, 2022.
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Rebecca Trant, Director of Administration with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute was awarded the Lifetime Excellence Award at the 75th Anniversary “Diamond Jubilee” Celebration. After 36 years with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Becky has chosen to retire as of August 31, 2022.
At Becky’s retirement party, Tio Kleberg announced the establishment of the Rebecca Trant Endowment for CKWRI Staff Excellence (Becky pictured signing endowment paperwork on her final day). The endowment will be used to support staff needs at the Institute. Becky began her career with CKWRI in 1986, making her the Institute’s longest serving, full-time staff employee. She was a member of the University system for over 40 years. When Becky first joined the CKWRI family, she held the position of Administrative Officer, only the second one in the history of the Institute. Her loyalty over the years is legendary, and it is known within the TAMUK System, “Don’t mess with Becky!” She has taken on the roles of “mother hen” to everyone at the Institute. We wish her all the best in her new chapter.
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2021-2022 OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD CEREMONY
The Dean’s Office for the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources hosted a Student Award Ceremony Luncheon to celebrate our Outstanding Students for the 2021-2022 year. The faculty and staff of our college attended and presented awards to our honored guests.
Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences (AAES)
Undergraduate
Agribusiness – (RELLIS) – Wyatt Wilhelms
Agribusiness – Kendall Cloud
Agriculture – Cordel Bosler
Agriculture Science - Teacher Certification – Rodolfo (Rudy)Moreno
Environmental Science – Reid Baty
Plant and Soil Science – Elizabeth Solano
Graduate
Plant and Soil Science – Horacio Rodriguez
Agriculture Science – Chris Flores-Lopez
Agriculture Science – Kristen Rike
Environmental Science – Xiuhong Zhou
Plant and Soil Science - Citrus Center – Yovanna Lizeth Soto
Department of Animal Science and Veterinary Technology (ASVT)
Undergraduate
Animal Science – Jordan Lewis
Veterinary Technology – Shaira Nunez-Perez
Graduate
Animal Science – Gabrielle (Gabby) Roque
Department of Range and Wildlife Sciences (RWSC)
Undergraduate
Range and Wildlife Science – Eve Schrader
Graduate
Range and Wildlife Science – Brianna Slothower
Doctoral
Wildlife Science – Kristyn Stewart
Student Organization - Plant I.D. Team
Peter Cole – President
Joshua Allison – Vice President
Shaelyn Rainey – Past President
Pricilla Hardin – Secretary
Amanda Montemayor
Meghan Anderson
Bryan Berlanga
Nadia Castanon
Andres Rosales
Jessica Johnston
Lori D. Massey (Coach)
Alejandro Bazaldua (Coach)
Kye Johnston (Coach)
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Advisors: Shelly Salazar, Javier Mendoza and Carla Winterbottom
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The advising team is excited to announce a new advisor, Gina Merzbacher, who is replacing Carla Winterbottom. Ms. Merzbacher is an alumnus of our program and will be advising the Agriculture Science, Ag Business, Environmental Science, and Range and Wildlife students with 0-89 hours.
The Animal Science department saw an increase of 2.7% in student enrollment for the fall 2022 semester, which brings us to a total of 464 students. Our First Time in College (FTIC) enrollment is the highest in the university at 137 students, which is an increase of 22.3%. This increase is proof that the hard work and dedication put in by all faculty and staff is recognized and warranted by current and prospective students alike.
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Dr. Nelson, Dean, Dr. Kuvlesky, Associate Dean, and the Dean’s Office Staff - Thank you for your continued support.
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Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
700 University Blvd. MSC, 156, Kingsville, TX 78363 | PH: 361-593-3712
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