Scholars receive 'golden opportunity'

Crop Science Society of America celebrates anniversary
 

During its first 50 years, the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) has seen tremendous changes ranging from the merging of plant breeding and biotechnology to an expanding focus beyond just increasing yield and towards improving crop quality and and environmental stewardship. Society members have made the choice not to rest on past achievements; rather CSSA members know that it is time to look forward to how they can strengthen the profession through the next 50 years and beyond.

CSSA's membership determined that strengthening the crop science profession and achieving the international goal of sustainable development of food and nutritional self sufficiency can only be achieved by developing an outstanding cadre of young crop scientists to provide leadership in the coming decades. Clearly, CSSA had a "golden opportunity" as it celebrated its half-century anniversary.

CSSA's anniversary-inspired project is the Golden Opportunity Scholars Institute, directed at baccalaureate-level college and university students. The objective is to select the most promising undergraduate students from all regions of the United States and beyond, and bring them to the CSSA annual meeting. This effort began with much success at the 2006 annual meeting, held in Indianapolis, when 15 outstanding students attended presentations by high-profile agricultural scientists, presented their thoughts on what they learned, and gained exposure to the many disciplines of crop science. A critical component of the program is the pairing of each student with a "mentor" for the meetings and the year following. In addition, a number of mentoring activities and an alumni network is planned so that a significant number of these students will be inspired to enroll in crop science-related programs. Ultimately, this group of students will be prepared to join the next generation of leaders in the crop science profession.

The Crop Science Society of America is an educational and scientific organization comprised of members who advance the discipline of crop science. The society has contributed greatly to the understanding of crop management, ecology, physiology, forage production, nutritional value, seed technology, plant breeding, biotechnology, germplasm resources, and turfgrass science. From improving the performance of our agricultural crops to promoting environmental stewardship, the society has always aggressively pursued its responsibilities by advancing science and enhancing the welfare of both urban and rural communities. CSSA is uniquely situated to present the opportunities and promise of the cop science profession, through its long history of providing access and support to students.

CSSA shares a headquarters and management structure with the American Society of Agronomy (almost 100 years in existence) and the Soil Science Society of America (75 years in existence) in Madison, Wisconsin. All are nonprofit organizations. Their 12,000 members represent academia, government, private industry, and also include a large contingent of undergraduate and graduate students. The societies also manage a program of scholarships and fellowships, through the non-profit Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF), which offer a unique atmosphere for nurturing students of science.