UPDATE June 5, 2024: This story has been updated to correct the total number of degrees that will be conferred.
Award-winning author of “The Boys in the Boat,” Daniel James Brown, plans to inspire University of Washington graduates with the 1936 story of the men’s rowing team winning Olympic Gold. Brown is the featured speaker at the University of Washington’s 149th Commencement ceremony on Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Perseverance, resilience, earnestness, trustworthiness and humility were just as important as muscle and brawn, Brown believes, and if any of the nine-man crew were still alive today, they’d tell today’s graduates to aim high.
“Go for the gold, whatever form that might take in your life,” Brown plans to say. “Be audacious in your goals.”
UW Tacoma’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Friday, June 7, at the Tacoma Dome and will be streamed live here. Doors open 60 minutes in advance.
The June 8 Commencement ceremony in Seattle will be streamed online starting at 12:30 p.m. Doors to Husky Stadium open at 12:30 p.m. “Purple Carpet” programming begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by the procession of graduates at 1:30 p.m. and the Commencement ceremony at about 2 p.m.
UW Bothell will host the 33rd annual Commencement Ceremony at 11:45 a.m. Sunday, June 9, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Doors open one hour prior to the ceremony. A Graduate Hooding Ceremony will take place Saturday, June 8, on the UW Bothell sports field.
Brown will receive an honorary degree for his impact on scholarship in the humanities, and the UW will also honor Susan Solomon, a professor at MIT, for her pioneering research on ozone depletion and the chemistry of the stratosphere.
More than 7,000 UW graduates of the Class of 2024 plan to participate in the June 8 ceremony. Officials expect about 40,000 family and friends to cheer the graduates from the Husky Stadium grandstands.
UW Tacoma will hold its commencement June 7 at Tacoma Dome. UW Bothell’s graduation ceremonies are scheduled for June 9 at T-Mobile Park.
UW President Ana Mari Cauce will present 18,007 degrees to the Class of 2024 across all three UW campuses’ ceremonies. Members of the UW Board of Regents, deans and other representatives of the university’s 24 colleges and schools across all three campuses also will participate in the ceremonies.
The following data, drawn from preliminary information broken down by campus and prepared by the Office of the University Registrar, will be presented at the Board of Regents’ June 13 meeting:
For work completed at the Seattle campus, about 14,527 degrees will be conferred, specifically: 8,471 bachelor’s degrees, 4,518 master’s degrees, 607 professional degrees, 28 Educational Specialist degrees, and 902 doctoral degrees.
At UW Bothell, about 1,762 degrees will be conferred, including 1,564 bachelor’s degrees and 109 master’s degrees.
And at UW Tacoma, students will receive about 1,718 degrees, including 1,350 bachelor’s degrees, 350 master’s degrees and 18 doctoral degrees.
Degrees are awarded to those who have completed academic requirements during the 2023-2024 academic year. Many colleges and schools also hold separate graduation programs and investiture ceremonies.
The Grand Valley University Foundation celebrated the Harris and Verplank families for their long-standing dedication to the university on June 4, presenting each with the Enrichment Award. The honor recognizes significant contributions to Grand Valley through philanthropy and community service.
The Harris family was honored by the Grand Valley University Foundation for their significant contributions to student athletes. Pictured from left are John, Diane and Tom Harris.
Image credit – Amanda Pitts
For decades, the Harris family has been a pillar of support for Grand Valley, particularly for student athletes. The late John (Jack) Jr. and Dorcas Harris began their involvement with varsity wrestling when their son, John Harris III ’77, joined the team. Their commitment continued long after, laying the groundwork for a lasting legacy of generosity.
Inspired by their parents, John and his wife, Diane ’76, along with his brother, Tom Harris ’80, and wife, Tammi, have tirelessly supported student athletes. Their efforts were instrumental in reviving varsity wrestling at Grand Valley and by establishing the Harris Family Athletic Complex.
Randy Damstra, GVU Foundation director and member of the Board of Trustees, presented John Harris III with the Enrichment Award. Damstra said: “For decades, your family has been a pillar of support, elevating opportunities for our students. You have led the way, honoring your parents’ legacy and underscoring the importance of generational philanthropy.”
Reflecting on his parents’ influence, Harris said: “From them, we learned a strong work ethic, the importance of kindness and respect, not to take ourselves too seriously, and to be persistent in the things that matter. They would be so pleased to see the wrestling legacy that has resulted, and to know they remain a part of it all.”
Grand Valley varsity and club athletic teams compiled another championship season, bringing home national titles, NCAA individual titles and the GLIAC’s President’s Cup for the 30th time.
The men’s and women’s track and field teams had several student athletes excel on the national stage this season. The men’s track and field team finished as the national runner-up at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in March. Myles Kerner (shot put), Jaivon Harrison (high jump) and Caleb Futter (mile) won individual national titles at the meet while Jonathan Rankins-James (high jump) placed as runner-up behind Harrison.
On the women’s side, Erika Beistle (shot put) and the distance medley relay team of Maria Mitchell, Kate Zang, Taryn Chapko and Klaudia O’Malley won national titles at the meet.
Beistle and Kerner continued their dominance by placing first at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May. Beistle won national titles in shot put and discus while Kerner earned his in the shot put.
Erika Beistle won three individual national championships in shot put and discus this season.
After a 32-year hiatus, the wrestling team claimed its first individual national champion. Josh Kenny, the No. 4 seed in the 174-pound division , defeated Anthony Des Vigne of Central Oklahoma to become GVSU’s first national champion since 1988. Kenny finished his season with a 32-5 record.
At the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, Maddie Kooistra won the national title for her performance in the 1-meter springboard event.
Nearly 30 years ago, two engineers in the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture forged a plan to provide engineering assistance to manufacturers across rural Oklahoma. Today, their plans have expanded and continue to help hundreds of businesses throughout the state.
In 1997, the OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering united with the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance to create the applications engineering program.
BAE faculty Bill Barfield and Sam Harp founded the applications engineering program for the engineers at OSU to assist Oklahoma manufacturers with their production and economic needs, said Rajesh Krishnamurthy, senior applications engineer and program manager.
“Barfield and Harp wanted to increase the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized manufacturers,” Krishnamurthy said. “The applications engineering program was created to provide manufacturers with on-site, one-on-one engineering assistance and technology transfer services throughout Oklahoma.”
OSU’s applications engineers introduce new technology like collaborative robots to manufacturers across the state. The cobots work side-by-side with humans in assembly lines to complete tasks and increase productivity, Krishnamurthy added.
The partnership between applications engineers and the OMA makes short-term, project-related services available to manufacturers through resources of OSU’s applications engineering program, said Joe Epperley, OMA communications director.
“The Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance exists to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers become more efficient and more successful through technology integration and supply chain management,” Epperley said. “This partnership with the applications engineering program was a big need for the manufacturers who didn’t have access to these types of engineering services.”
Applications engineering has allowed manufacturers a 67-to-1 return on taxpayer investments and has saved Oklahoma manufacturers more than $15 million since its inception. Those numbers are only continuing to grow, Krishnamurthy said.
“This program is 27 years old and still has a lot of impact to this day in how we provide engineering services to the state,” said Mari Chinn, OSU BAE department head.
The program has five key metrics: increase sales, retain sales, increase jobs, retain jobs and save on costs. Krishnamurthy said the OMA is a key player in ensuring these metrics are met within the industry partners.
The OMA employs eight manufacturing extension agents who work with OSU Extension educators across the state to help manufacturers identify technology assistance-related opportunities, Krishnamurthy said.
The applications engineers program also influences the Oklahoma manufacturing industry through BAE’s senior design projects.
The applications engineers work with senior biosystems engineering students at OSU to develop and implement new technologies that assist Oklahoma manufacturers, Chinn said, and these working relationships can help lead to job opportunities for our OSU graduates.
“Our department bridges between the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and OSU Agriculture, so we are able to connect all the necessary expertise to provide to the state,” Chinn said.
In the past, the applications engineers were limited to only showcasing mobile technologies, but with the new “brick and mortar” lab in Catoosa, Oklahoma, manufacturers can see some technology that is not as portable, said Ben Alexander Sr., applications engineer.
Alexander, alongside application engineers Andrew Huffman, work with OMA staff and BAE faculty and are able to fulfill the applications engineering mission from the state-of-the-art technology lab, he added.
In the lab, Oklahoma manufacturers can experiment with a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including cobots, 3D printers and more.
“The lab is a new demonstration facility to highlight robotics and automation,” Chinn said. “It’s an opportunity for learning, knowledge gaining and technology transfer.”
The Catoosa lab, funded by the OMA, is modeled after a full-facility system, showing how cobots can be used to create a product, test its integrity, package it and prepare the packaged products for shipping.
Within 10 miles of the Kansas-Oklahoma border, the DeWitt family operates Willow Creek Farms, a fifth-generation family farm that helps FFA chapters raise money for their programs and activities.
Steve Dewitt, who represents the fourth generation, works part time on the farm and has been the leader of the farm’s business expansion.
“I grew up on my family’s farm in Braman, Oklahoma, and reside there today,” DeWitt said. “Growing up, I was always involved on the farm and was interested in working on it later on.”
However, when the economy in the 1980s did not allow DeWitt to enter the family’s business, he chose college.
He attended Oklahoma State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 1985. He taught high school agricultural education for one year before returning to OSU to earn an additional bachelor’s degree in finance in 1989.
DeWitt went to work for Koch Industrires until 2000. He then transitioned to working for WB Johnston Grain in Enid, Oklahoma. Two years later, he went back to teaching agricultural education in Braman. In 2004, he returned to work at Koch Industries, where he still works almost 20 years later.
During this time, DeWitt and his wife, Janie, had three sons: Dane, Drew and Dylan.
Willow Creek Farms is the DeWitts’ diverse operation, raising cattle and producing wheat, sorghum, and soybeans. Steve DeWitt operates the farm with his three sons and his father, Garold DeWitt.
After decades of operation, Steve DeWitt switched to no-till farming in 2015 and focused on regenerative farming to help build up and create healthier soil.
“I saw the connection between having healthy soil and producing healthy food and got the idea to start creating our products,” Steve DeWitt said. “I chose to start with a pancake mix because it only involved three ingredients and was a simple way to get into food production.”
He sought assistance through the OSU Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center to develop a pancake mix made from his family’s wheat.
“I heard about the assistance FAPC provides from one of my friends,” Steve DeWitt said. “I also toured the facility as an agricultural education instructor and was familiar with the center’s work.”
FAPC employees Renee Albers-Nelson and Andrea Graves assisted Steve DeWitt in different steps throughout the creation of his product.
“They helped me with finding a co-packer, reviewing my recipe, labeling issues and answering any questions I had,” Steve Dewitt said.
FAPC serves as a resource to help with product development, said Albers-Nelson, FAPC milling and baking specialist.
Steve DeWitt attended FAPC’s “Playing in the Dough” workshop which helped him gain more knowledge about starting a company and creating a product.
“This workshop is the basic training to food entrepreneurship,” Albers-Nelson said. “It is like a crash course.”
Steve DeWitt’s daughter-in-law, Tori DeWitt, also attended the workshop and assisted him in creating the recipe for the pancake mix. After the workshop, the family established Willow Creek Farms Pantry, a brand name to identify the food products produced by the family’s farm.
After creating the recipe for the mix, Steve DeWitt met with Brady Sidwell, co-founder of Chisholm Trail Milling in Enid, Oklahoma.
“After three months of trials, I developed the pancake mix during the fall of 2022,” Steve DeWitt said. “I took my wheat to Brady to be milled into whole grain, stone-milled flour and then to our co-packer, Deep Fork Foods in Beggs, Oklahoma.”
Deep Fork Foods mixes and packages the pancake mix. After production, Steve DeWitt searched for his target customers and how to market to them.
“I got the idea that the perfect market was Oklahoma FFA chapters, and they would provide us with the volume of production needed,” Steve DeWitt said. “We set up a booth at the Oklahoma FFA state convention and started handing out samples to get people to try our product.”
Steve DeWitt and his family have been connected with FFA for many years. He was an active member in his hometown FFA chapter, which led him to pursue a degree in agricultural education.
All three of his sons also were heavily involved in agricultural education and the FFA programs at their schools.
In July 2023, Steve DeWitt formed a relationship with DJ’s Fundraising to add his pancake mix to their line of fundraising products.
This opportunity allowed Willow Creek Farms Pantry to sell through more than 100 FFA chapters. Their products have been sold in Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
“When we first started, our packaging was made out of craft paper with a zipper and a hand-printed label,” Steve DeWitt said. “After I formed our relationship with DJ’s Fundraising, we moved to an updated printed bag.”
The new packaging is a three-pound bag that displays the Willow Creek Farms Pantry logo and the pancake mix name: Heritage Pancake and Waffle Mix.
“Our pancake mix received its name from the type of wheat we grow,” Steve DeWitt said.
When Steve DeWitt got into regenerative farming in 2015, he became interested in learning about heritage wheat varieties. DeWitt decided Turkey Red was the variety he wanted to start growing at Willow Creek Farms.
“Turkey Red first came to Kansas in 1873 when it was brought by German Mennonite immigrants from the Crimea region,” Steve DeWitt said. “Those seeds were first planted in 1874 and were the dominant wheat variety in the Kansas and Oklahoma area up until the 1930s.”
Steve DeWitt also wanted to grow a more modern variety of wheat to blend with the Turkey Red, he said.
“As an OSU graduate and native Oklahoman, I wanted to use an OSU-developed wheat,” Steve DeWitt said. “After a lot of testing, the hard white wheat variety called Big Country, which OSU and Oklahoma Genetics Inc. released a few years ago, blended perfectly with the Turkey Red.”
This information about his wheat is highlighted on the product package.
“Steve does an amazing job showcasing how unique his product is,” said Graves, FAPC business and marketing specialist. “The package shows the time and hard work Steve put into crafting his product.”
The pancake and waffle mix is available online through the farm’s website or can be purchased from one of the seven stores that sell their products. Other Willow Creek Farms Pantry products include hard white wheat flour and maple syrup.
“We are working to expand our product line,” Steve Dewitt said. “We have some ideas in the works to create more baking mixes.”
Willow Creek Farms and the Willow Creek Farms Pantry are working to create whole grain, minimally processed products everyone and their family can enjoy, Steve Dewitt said.
An Oklahoma game warden’s primary job is to enforce the fish and wildlife laws of the state, but becoming one takes more than a love for the outdoors.
“One thing I don’t think people realize about game wardens is that a lot of time and education goes into preparing them to be in the public eye,” said Sue Fairbanks, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.
Potential game wardens must complete two phases of specialized training to be able to hired. Both phases of the process give candidates a biological understanding of wildlife as well as law enforcement knowledge, Fairbanks said.
The first phase is education-based.
Candidates must earn a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and ecology management or any bachelor’s degree that includes 16 required credit hours in wildlife-related courses.
The NREM department offers the required courses and supports potential game wardens in either path, Fairbanks said.
“OSU gave me the biological knowledge to understand why laws are the way that they are today,” said Stephen Paul, Noble County game warden.
The second phase is law enforcement and field training.
When the potential game wardens begin the second phase, they must pass several screenings as well as background checks.
After the checks, candidates must complete 576 hours of Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, or CLEET, as well as six months of on-the-job field training.
“I really fell in love with the conservation side of becoming an Oklahoma game warden,” said Brooklyn Shaw, natural resources ecology and management senior. “I want to protect that and want to help people better understand why it is important to conserve wildlife and natural resources for future generations.”
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation employs as many as 120 game wardens across the state’s 77 counties.
A game warden’s day-to-day responsibilities can depend on multiple factors, said Josey Branch, Payne County game warden.
The factors vary based on which county the warden patrols, the current hunting season, seasonal weather patterns and what events are taking place each day.
In addition to enforcing laws, game wardens offer educational programs for all ages.
They often speak to youth to share what game wardens do and various aspects of the ODWC. They also help teach hunter education, archery, shotgun training, fishing, and recruitment, retention, and reactivation.
Game wardens must stay up-to-date on the ever-changing environmental laws and regulations.
“We understand why we have certain rules and regulations,” said Spencer Grace, Kay County game warden. “But, our day-to-day job is to understand people and try to enforce the laws without leaving them with a bitter taste in their mouths about hunting or fishing.”
Laws and regulations are often adapted, added, changed and removed.
“You have to be on your toes,” Branch said. “Everything has changed since I have been in school.”
A game warden’s job is to ensure they know these changes and can convey them to hunters, fishers, hikers, and anyone else who needs the information, Grace said.
“Being a game warden is more than a career, more than an occupation,” Grace said. “It is a lifestyle choice.”
“We could easily walk away tomorrow and double our salaries,” Grace added, “but once you start, it is really hard to walk away from a passion for the outdoors and wildlife.”
The blaring sound of the alarm goes off before sunrise. Sounds stir as the world wakes up and coffee brews. Just as the sun rises, the words “calf prices are high” fill the air from the “Oklahoma Farm Report” radio host. Time to take some calves to the sale barn.
“Beef is a premium product and premium protein for Oklahoma and the nation,” said Michael Kelsey, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association executive vice president.
Within OSU Agriculture, numerous OSU Extension specialists work with beef producers to evaluate the market outlook and production possibilities to take advantage of the cattle market opportunities and potential for herd rebuilding, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University agricultural economics professor.
The beef cow herd is a primary agricultural production source in Oklahoma, but the drought from the last three years has forced cattle producers to reduce the state’s cow herd, Kelsey said.
A shortage of heifers and cows used in beef production exists because cows and heifers were sent to slaughter during the drought when no grazing land was available for them, he added.
“We’ve been eating cattle instead of breeding cattle,” Peel said. “You can only use them one way.”
As of January 2024, the U.S. cow herd is the smallest it has been since 1961, Peel said.
From an economic and market standpoint, the U.S. cow herd is too small to meet the country’s production needs, Peel added.
“Droughts are often regional, requiring destocking in that region to avoid overgrazing,” said David Lalman, OSU beef cattle extension specialist. “When moisture conditions improve, cows or replacement heifers can often be purchased and moved in from other regions where forage is abundant.
“In this case, destocking has occurred through most of the country and replacements are therefore either very expensive or difficult to find,” Lalman added.
The cattle market’s response to the decreased herd size is to increase prices to increase production, Peel said.
In spring 2024, cattle prices reached record high numbers, Kelsey said, and prices are expected to continue to increase through the year.
The cattle market’s goal is to try to convince producers to keep heifers to breed and rebuild the cow herd, which is known as heifer retention. Retention is the only way producers can increase the cow herd, Kelsey said.
“Producers’ cows have to come from somewhere,” Lalman said. “Retaining heifers is the way to do that.”
When producers look for replacement heifers, they should remember the selected heifers will be the start of future herds, Lalman said. Producers should retain high-quality heifers to benefit the herd and create a better profit, he added.
However, the rebuilding process could create negative effects for cattle producers and consumers, Peel said.
Rebuilding the herd through heifer retention decreases the supply of beef because fewer feeder calves are on the market, Peel said. Because a large demand already exists, he added, the shortage in supply will increase the market price for calves.
As a result, the increased market prices will put pressure on producers to sell their heifer calves instead of retaining them, Peel said.
“Nothing cures high prices like high prices,” Lalman said. “Eventually, prices will come down again. So, commercial producers must plan carefully for that occurrence and avoid paying too much for replacement heifers.
“Payments will be difficult to make when calves are selling for a fraction of what they are bringing today,” Lalman added. “The cost of producing calves will not come down nearly as much as the price of cattle.”
In 2022-23, beef production was high, Peel said, and more than 51% of slaughtered beef animals were female.
The lack of females retained will cause the process of rebuilding the herd to take longer, Kelsey said.
“When you reduce the number of cows kept, it’s going to cause the calf crop to decrease for the next year,” Kelsey said. “Because of this, I believe it is going to take anywhere from two to four years to rebuild the cow herd.
Another issue with herd rebuilding is the lack of cattle producers and land, Lalman said. With a rancher’s average age around 60 years old and high start-up costs, getting the next generation involved is difficult, he added.
“A huge challenge for the younger generation of farmers and ranchers is purchasing land,” Lalman said. “Buying land to make a profit in the agricultural industry can be hard, especially if they are not going back to a family operation where land is already available,” he added.
OSU Extension offers a specific program to help beef producers select and develop replacement heifers, Lalman said. Additional OSU Extension programs help keep beef producers informed and provide education about the beef industry.
The Oklahoma Beef Cattle manual developed by OSU Extension can be a valuable resource every beef producer should have, Lalman added.
“There are many challenges and opportunities to think about in this rebuilding cycle,” Kelsey said.
In a world where wanderlust tugs at the hearts of many, Haley Butler’s adventurous life path stands out.
Butler’s roots run deep at Oklahoma State University, where she not only earned her undergraduate degree in natural resource ecology and management but also completed her master’s in entomology and plant pathology with unwavering determination, Butler said.
Yet, in 2017 she stepped into the unknown, signing up to serve in the Peace Corps and charting a course filled with challenges, cultural immersion, and profound personal growth, Butler said.
“A normal Peace Corps service is 27 months,” Butler said. “I started serving in the Peace Corps in September 2017. I was selected to serve in Paraguay. I ended my service in October 2019.”
Many people have heard of the Peace Corps but do not know what the organization is or what volunteers do, Butler said.
“The Peace Corps is a governmental organization dedicated to helping community development in other countries,” she said.
Butler’s love of travel paired with her passion for helping others led her to apply with the Peace Corps.
“It’s hard to get selected for the Peace Corps,” Butler said. “So, when I got the message that I was picked, I was shocked and excited.”
Butler was nervous about the training assignment because the locations are given at random, she said, but her enthusiasm for traveling helped her make a smooth transition.
“I had never been to Paraguay before, but the first three months you’re in Paraguay, you go through training,” Butler said. “Everyone within my cohort was thrown into a new situation since most of us had never been to Paraguay before.”
Being 5,000 miles away from home was an experience, Butler said, and having multiple cultural differences in a country she had never visited before was a hurdle.
“Training consisted of four hours of language training every day,” Butler said. “I came in with almost no knowledge of Spanish. However, because of the time spent in the classroom learning the culture and language from a Paraguayan teacher, I was able to learn quicker than I thought.”
While learning Spanish, Butler also was learning an Indigenous language of Guaraní.
“I served as a volunteer in the environmental sector,” Butler said. “We focused on waste management recycling and reusing because there is not waste management in the rural areas of Paraguay. We also worked on the issue of deforestation, which is one of the biggest environmental threats to Paraguay’s ecosystem.
“I worked with a local nonprofit organization to plant trees at my local elementary school,” Butler said. “We also focused on deforestation and conservation education with young kids in the community.”
After serving in the Peace Corps, Butler faced the choice of what to do next in life.
During her time in undergraduate and graduate school, Butler always had a passion for knowledge and challenged herself to continue to learn more, she said.
This passion led her back to OSU to pursue her doctoral degree in entomology.
“She was always passionate about her work, but when she spoke of her time in the Peace Corps, you could see a completely different perspective on identifying important things in her life,” said Justin Talley, head of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.
“She always has a positive outlook, and her time abroad brought about a world perspective that really communicates the message with a more meaningful impact,” Talley said.
Butler’s experiences allow her to apply what she learned within the Peace Corps to what she is doing now, Talley said.
“Within a classroom and outside of class, Haley motivates students to have a deeper understanding of the concepts they are learning so that they can communicate it to a broader audience,” Talley said.
“Her approach and experience bring a unique perspective by being positive but always challenging those around her to address hard questions,” he said. “Overall, Haley has been a tremendous advocate for our department.”
Her experiences in the Peace Corps were a huge stepping stone for her doctorate.
“I learned to be flexible when projects don’t go the way you anticipate,” Butler said. “And I had a ton of learning experiences that pushed me outside of my comfort zone during my time in Paraguay.”
Growing in a place where you’ve never been leads you to gain resilience, she said.
“Haley has brought her experiences and background to the department, which is a benefit to her fellow students,” said Kris Giles, OSU entomology and plant pathology professor.
To Butler’s knowledge, no one within the department had served within the Peace Corps, allowing her to provide insights no one else could, she said.
Butler’s journey shows her dedication to living a life of service and pursuing knowledge, Butler said.
Butler will graduate with her doctorate in summer 2024. She plans to pursue a career within the biological control field.
“I’ve been taking advantage of opportunities when they come my way,” Butler said, “even if I was not expecting them.”
In his adopted home state of Nevada, Oklahoma State University alumnus Dillon Davidson continues what he started in Stillwater, Oklahoma: a mission to expand awareness and elevate the agricultural industry.
“Agriculture has been in my blood since birth,” Davidson said. “I love being around it and advocating for it.”
Raised in rural Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Davidson developed a love for the agricultural world, which took root early through active involvement in 4-H and FFA.
Davidson’s path led him to Ohio’s Wilmington College where he was a member of the Aggies and a founder of the Collegiate Farm Bureau. Here, he built his leadership skills while exploring different facets of agriculture.
Unsure of his purpose initially, Davidson helped create his own degree by specializing in international agriculture with a business focus.
“My undergraduate professors helped develop my passions and allowed me the opportunity to educate people on how agriculture works and its immense importance,” he said.
Studying areas like foreign language, political science, and international agricultural development expanded his horizons as did study-abroad course experiences in Kenya, Tanzania and Costa Rica.
After earning his undergraduate degree in 2017, Davidson headed to the Ferguson College of Agriculture to pursue a Master of Science in the Master of International Agriculture Program.
Davidson was involved at OSU as a graduate teaching assistant and student organization member. He also conducted research on crop production efficiency with the late Bill Raun, Regents Professor of plant and soil sciences.
While most of his peers in MIAP pursued international projects, Davidson used his previous global experiences to focus his master’s thesis on more traditional agricultural practices within OSU’s plant and soil sciences department.
Karen Hickman, professor and director of the environmental science undergraduate program, believed in Davidson and encouraged him to challenge himself, he said. Her support guided his decision to cultivate his thesis and apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture outlet program, Davidson added.
“Developing my thesis pushed me to dive deeper into determining my purpose and passions,” Davidson said.
Upon earning his master’s degree with an economic and trade focus in 2019, Davidson headed to Reno, Nevada, to join the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
He became the NDA’s industry and global trade coordinator, but his dedication and innovative spirit paved the way to his current role as senior trade officer, Davidson said.
“My main focus is expanding awareness of Nevada’s food and agriculture across the country and internationally,” he said.
“What pushes me is creating new programs Nevada has never had before and becoming the face and spirit of such initiatives,” Davidson added.
One program he developed is the Nevada Craft Beverage Passport to promote breweries, wineries, distilleries and tap rooms statewide.
Davidson’s initiatives inspire colleagues, said Casey Jones, president of Primo Animal Health.
“Dillon is always willing to step up and figure out what needs to be done,” Jones said. “He just wants to help out in the best ways he can.”
Their partnership has since expanded to boost western U.S. agricultural exports worldwide, Jones added.
Supporting local businesses is pivotal, Davidson said, as demonstrated by his guidance of Jones’ company.
“Dillon has taken pride in continually exporting Nevada agriculture and finding new businesses and struggling farms to ensure no one is left behind,” said Nathaniel Brown, a Nevada Department of Transportation analyst.
In addition to Davidson’s NDA role, he volunteers his time with Urban Roots, a Reno nonprofit educating the community about urban farming.
His active participation on the nonprofit’s board left a lasting impact on Daphnne Ekmanis, former Urban Roots farm director.
“Dillon loves his work and it shows,” Ekmanis said. “He is ambitious, not just in agriculture but also in uplifting entire communities. A lot of board members are quiet, but he was always at meetings ready to lend a hand, which inspired us to give more of ourselves.
Davidson’s giving spirit stems from his core values.
“Whether it be your community or your people, giving back is not always about money,” Davidson said. “Giving back your time and engaging with others matters most.”
As first vice president of the North American Agricultural Marketing Officials, Davidson will become the youngest president in the organization’s history and the first representing Nevada.
“Something that sets Dillon apart is his ability to do the work of someone who had been in his position for 50 years,” Jones said. “And he’s only 28.”
For Davidson, being able to pursue his passions circles back to using his voice and leveraging his platform to enact positive change, he said.
“People don’t realize how multifaceted agriculture is and how many areas of life revolve around and gain support from it,” Davidson said. “Those of us in this field have a voice, and people think theirs isn’t strong enough, but it will make a difference.”
As Davidson looks ahead, he is guided by the principles he inherited from his rural Ohio upbringing.
Through advocacy, innovation and a lifelong connection to agriculture, Davidson exemplifies OSU’s mission of cultivating leaders who will shape a brighter, more sustainable future for agriculture worldwide, Jones said.
Growing up on a farm in southwest Oklahoma, Erin Slagell learned what it meant to work hard, show integrity and think critically. During her four years at Oklahoma State University, she applied those skills in a way that earned her the 2024 Louis and Betty Gardner Outstanding Senior award for the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture.
Slagell, a 22-year-old food science major from Hydro, Oklahoma, accepted the honor during the college’s annual scholarship and awards banquet April 4, 2024.
“Coming from a small town, Erin had a leg up on everyone to get involved,” said Morgan Pfeiffer, animal and food sciences assistant professor. “In a small town, everyone gets involved in everything, and she knew she had to get involved on campus.”
In her first year at OSU, Slagell knew she had found her career path with her first food science class, she said. Beginning as a shy freshman, she made the most of her time at OSU, joining the Food Science Club, the 2022 Meat Judging Team and the Oklahoma Pork Council’s Pork Industry Group.
Slagell also served on the Student Success Leader team as a career liaison. In this role, she helped students with résumés and cover letters and served as a tour guide for companies when they came to campus.
“Serving as a career liaison was the most meaningful opportunity I participated in at OSU,” Slagell said. “It was really rewarding to see a fellow student who was really nervous come in, hand you a blank sheet of paper, and let you help them build their professional documents from there.”
The most rewarding aspect of being a career liaison was building up the students’ confidence, Slagell said. Getting to know students through their cover letters and résumés was a way to gain their trust and to get them to share their interests, she said.
“When you look at what Erin has done and how she’s been involved since she stepped foot on campus, she’s taken a path where her goal was to not only be successful academically but also to grow personally and professionally,” said Cynda Clary, Ferguson College of Agriculture associate dean.
Taylor Harbuck, OSU Career Services assistant director, established a connection with Slagell when she interviewed for her career liaison position. At the time, he was the adviser for the career liaisons. She came onto the team during a pivotal time of rebuilding the SSL program, he said.
“When she came onto the career liaison team, I knew with her skill set and leadership style she could help grow the program,” Harbuck said.
Slagell was paired with empirical foods to serve as an on-campus guide, Harbuck said, a pairing that later helped her secure an internship.
Her role as a career liaison put her in the right place at the right time to make a connection with the company she will start her career with, he said.
Slagell has shown the value of the SSL program and how it can impact a student’s college career, he said.
“Slagell has been selected to wear the orange gown at commencement to represent the Ferguson College of Agriculture,” Pfeiffer said. “Erin is someone a lot of students should aspire to be like.”
After graduation, Slagell will move to South Dakota to begin her career at Empirical Foods. In her position as a technical services supervisor, she will continue to work with students, claimed products and logistics within the company.
“My time in the Ferguson College of Agriculture has prepared me for my future because it has given me the opportunities to grow as a leader, work on my communication skills, and have the chance to work one-on-one with students,” Slagell said. “It has given me the chance to do hands-on learning.”
Her experiences at OSU make her confident in her future career, she said.
“That’s a part of what we try to get all students to do — to find where they belong, be engaged, and thrive — and Erin did that,” Clary said.
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