IKGA| Teacher’s Hall of Fame

THE IKGA TEACHER'S HALL OF FAME

Recognizing Outstanding Agricultural Educators, Researchers

Six Educators Inducted

International Kiko Goat Association (IKGA) has inducted six members in its newly formed IKGA Teacher’s Hall of Fame.

The purpose of the Teacher’s Hall of Fame is to recognize and encourage professionalism, comprehensive and dynamic presentations by individuals involved in agricultural teaching and research effecting IKGA members and the meat goat industry.

Mack Wohlford, IKGA President and Craig Adams, KikoFest 2010 Chairman both have reported "…the individuals in the Hall of Fame are known by their students, peers and the academic community as outstanding educators. They are positive people and wonderful teachers. They frequently are authors, researchers and outstanding classroom teachers."

The individuals recognized recently are, alphabetically by the organizations they represent, six outstanding educators:

Dr. Maria Browning	Alabama A&M University
Ellie Winslow	Beyondthesidewalk.com
Dan and Paula Lane	Bountiful Farm
Dr. Paul Davis	Tennessee Farmer’s Cooperative
Dr. Sandra Solaiman	Tuskegee University
Carolyn Coffee and Margo Hale	U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (ATTRA)

Dr. Maria Leite-Browning is a veterinarian with research and practical expertise in animal reproduction is Extension Animal Scientist at Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama A & M and Auburn Universities. She is the developer of a seminar on reproduction in goats which allows each participant to artificially impregnate a live animal during the seminar. A native of Brazil, in addition to her work at Alabama A & M University since 2006, Dr. Browning served as a clinical research associate at the Department of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt University in Nashville from 2004-06 and with the Department of Biological Sciences and Extension Small Ruminant Specialist, Tennessee State University, Nashville, from 2000-2002.

Ellie Winslow, author and frequent contributor to agricultural seminars nationwide, is creator of the internet web site Beyondthesidewalk.com. Winslow teaches marketing and business aspects of farming. She has published several books and consistently supports small ruminant producers with an ongoing blog available at no cost in conjunction to her web presence.

Dan and Paula Lane of Shady Point, Oklahoma, raise meat goats and are one of the largest producers of Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) in America. The Lane family owns Bountiful Farm where they rescue,evaluate and train Great Pyrenees dogs as LGDs, putting them with their AKC registered LGDs and breeding stock, working to protect various breeds of goats. They lecture frequently at animal-oriented meetings and have recently produced an educational DVD entitled "Starting Right With LGDs" to help guide newcomers to work effectively with Livestock Guardian Dogs.

Dr. Paul Davis of Tennessee Farmer’s Cooperative teachers throughout his home state. He develops livestock expertise for a variety of agricultural audiences. Davis has served IKGA as a repeat featured speaker developing goat management techniques for small ruminant farmers. He is a fifth generation farmer and contributor of agricultural research and educational seminars. Dr. Davis is a published author on a variety of agricultural subjects.

Dr. Sandra Solaiman, originally from Iran, is one of America's most frequently published authors on agricultural subjects. Her newest work, more than 400 pages, Goat Science and Production is published by Wiley-Blackwell and will be released in March-April, but on sale at Amazon.com now. Certified as Professional Animal Scientist she is a full Professor of Animal Science, and a nutritionist with significant expertise in copper utilization by small ruminants. She frequently is a featured speaker at scientific meetings and animal management organizations.

Sandra Solaiman is Director of Small Ruminant Research and Education Program at Tuskegee University. She brings an unusually positive perspective to her teachings and participation at IKGA events. Throughout her involvement in agricultural extension, she is guided by her thoughts that "I would like my students to learn the fundamental content of the courses I teach; however, I hope that through this process I can enhance their inter-personal skills, foster critical thinking, facilitate life-long learning skills and prepare them to develop problem-solving strategies. I believe in basic research to answer fundamental questions; however, it should be applicable to real life. Research findings must be communicated with producers. When the outcome of the research is communicated and applied the research is justified".

Carolyn Coffee and Margo Hale are considered by many as two of America’s favorite voices of agriculture and livestock production. Representing the U. S. Department of Agriculture through its NCAT and ATTRA programs, the two travel frequently presenting seminars on all aspects of agriculture production and management.

What makes these two inductees special, according to Jim Stoltz, IKGA Director of Education and its Teacher’s Hall of Fame "…is their unusually positive ability to translate technical and scientific research information into a presentation dotted with good humor that is appealing to producers at all levels of experience. These ladies make scientific, academic information into entertaining common sense."

Both educators are representatives of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - that is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service, www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html. Visit the NCAT Web site, www.ncat.org/sarc_current.php, for more information on their sustainable agriculture projects.

Maria Lenira Leite-Browning, D.V.M., M.S.

IKGA Teacher's Hall of Fame

Website:
www.aces.edu/urban/Maria.html