Oklahoma Genetics, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c) (5) corporation that promotes stewardship and publicizes and markets the use of improved genetics, traits, and benefits of quality Pedigreed seed and vegetatively propagated materials, while also promoting educational programs and scientific research. While attending its annual meeting, today, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays had the chance to talk with the Vice President and Dean of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Dr. Jayson Lusk. OGI is a staunch advocate of OSU’s wheat genetics.
Student enrollment in OSU’s Ferguson College of Agriculture, and OSU itself, is at a record high. Classes moved into a new building, and Dr. Lusk hopes that it will garner continued growth in enrollments.
The new building includes ample study and collaborative space, and student reviews have been very positive across the board. “When I walk outside the doors of my office, it is almost always full of students hanging out, collaborating with each other, studying, and sometimes goofing off,” Dr. Lusk shared. “That is just amazing to see. That is the kind of environment that we hope to have on a college campus, and the building has really helped to facilitate that.”
He noted that the College already attracts a large number of out-of-state students reiterating how more than fifty percent of the students who began in the fall were from other states.
He speculates that the affordability of tuition as well as the reputation of the college makes it attractive to students. “We have a reputation as a school that has continued to make strong investments in commercial and production agriculture while a lot of other schools have chosen to diversify away from some of those topics. Part of it is a reputation for treating our students well and also having a lot of production ag right up next to campus; we have animal units – every species is within a long walk or very short drive from campus. We are really proud of it and it positions us well to complete in the future.”
Further progressing the agronomy program is the work being done to build new greenhouses on the grounds, as the existing ones were erected in the 1940s. “We’ve been working with architects and construction managers over the course of the fall and winter, so now we have some firm plans about what we can do. Now, we just need to find enough dollars to make it turn into reality,” Dr. Lusk said with a chuckle. “The good news is that with OGI, the Wheat Commission, and several individual donors, we are making progress there.”
He predicts that the project may progress in phases and hopes that groundbreaking may be possible by this summer.
“One thing we are really hopeful for is that if we can bring our facilities up to standard, we can get more breeding seasons and cycles within a year,” he said. “Right, now we are on the same cycle a farmer is. We get one crop a year. If we could control our temperature better, we could get two crops a year to improve the rate of genetic gains that we are able to put into farmers’ hands.”
Switching gears to what he took from the recent CattleCon, Dr. Lusk said that he is excited about opportunities to help propel the beef cattle industry in Oklahoma forward. He noted that Oklahoma ranks second in the country for its beef cattle.
“I think we have some great assets at the University that can help get good information, resources, and innovations into the hands of farmers,” he said. “We are really trying to position ourselves to be the go-to place for knowledge generation and distribution in the country. That is one of the things we were doing [at CattleCon] is making connections within the industry to try to bring together some resources. In the next couple of years, we are hoping to stand up what we are calling a Beef Center of Excellence.”
He said the center is to focus on producer-focused applied research rather than on a state-of-the-art facility. The research will focus on cow calf and stocker phases of production because that is where Lusk believes they can do the most good.
Commenting on the University’s search for a new President after the resignation of Former President Dr. Kayse Shrum, Dr. Lusk said, “The good news is that I’m not going anywhere. Our department heads and our great faculty aren’t going anywhere. We are here to serve our students, our state, and our producers.”
He admitted that there are ups and downs with leadership changes, but remains excited about the future. “We are all about providing an affordable education for as many people as want it and improve the lives of people within the state. We do not aim to be an ivory tower. We aim to help the citizens that we live amongst and I feel confident that is where our future will be, too.”
