Alpha Gamma Rho - Penn State University

ΑΓΡ gamma crescent Gamma Chapter of alpha Gamma rho fraternity at penn State I SprinG 2016 Inside 2 aGriCulture at Gamma 4 aCademiC exCellenCe 5 onward and upward G amma Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho is thriving. At Penn State, our undergraduate chapter is comprised of a brotherhood of around 90 members, who are excelling in scholarship, brotherhood, philanthropy/community service, and extracurricular activities. In March, two executive board members attended the ΑΓΡ regional leadership seminar in Pittsburgh, along with two alumni board members. In April, the chapter participated in Penn State's Ag Progress Day, where they had a booth to help educate the public about agriculture and some of our chapter's professional programming opportunities. From an alumni perspective, we conducted a strategic planning session in February, during which both undergraduate and alumni leadership discussed goals and the direction we will take in the next three to five years. Work has already begun on our professional recruitment and professional development/networking efforts. In March, we hosted our Founder's Day meeting at State College, with nearly 20 alumni in attendance. In August, we'll send alumni and undergraduate representation to the ΑΓΡ National Convention in Omaha, Nebraska. While our undergraduate presence continues to grow and flourish at Penn State, we are always looking to better engage our alumni base. If you are interested in getting involved, please don't hesitate to contact myself or any of the alumni or undergraduate board members. Our collegiate brothers are eager to share their accomplishments with Gamma alumni and always welcome visits to the chapter house. In addition to financial support, there are many professional development and other activities that the brothers can use assistance with. Also, the alumni board is constantly looking for new committee members and has elections for two director positions at every Homecoming meeting. If you've not been involved in recent years, now is a great time to re-connect and give back to our beloved fraternity! Fraternally, Corey Simmons '04 (Γ1504) Gamma Alumni Association President (814) 777-3786 corey.simmons@me.com K en "Stump" Gross '73 (Γ1024) grew up seven miles from the Gamma chapter house in State College, Pennsylvania, and worked on a neighbor's dairy farm during his adolescence. "Had I continued to live at home during college, I would have missed out on being a brother. Brotherhood was one of the most important experiences of my life." Ken said he learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader, how to succeed, and how to handle adversity. After receiving his B.S. in horticulture in 1976, Ken continued his studies at PSU and received his M.S. in horticulture in 1978, studying the biochemistry of fruit ripening. He continued his graduate studies at North Carolina State University, where he received a Ph.D. in 1981. Ken joined the USDA's Agricultural Research Service as a postdoctoral scholar in 1981 and retired as research leader of the Food Quality Laboratory in 2007. He led a group of research scientists working on quality and food safety of fresh produce. He also authored over 100 publications, was an invited speaker at conferences in 12 countries, holds a U.S. patent, and is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Ken was an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland - College Park, where he served as adviser to a number of Ph.D. graduate students. Ken largely credits ΑΓΡ with launching him on his career in plant and food research. As a first-term undergraduate, he was unsure of his career goals. It was through the guidance of the ΑΓΡ Brotherhood Continues to Flourish at Penn State Alumni Support ESSEntiAl to ChAptEr SuCCESS Ken with his wife, Leah, and son, Alex, at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. AGR Experience, Brotherhood Prepared Ken "Stump" Gross '73 (Γ1024) for Career in Agriculture (Continued on page 2)

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