Alpha Gamma Rho - Penn State University

3 alpha gamma rho I was a student in the wildlife and fisheries science program, and thus, the College of Agricultural Sciences. Gamma found me through a recruiting letter sent to every freshman in the college, with Greek characters on the letterhead that I would later recognize on the front of a portico on a random walk down fraternity row. Not having anything else going on, I decided to investigate and was pleasantly surprised to find a group of welcoming, enthusiastic gentlemen to whom I immediately looked up. I was instantly hooked on the warm, social environment of the chapter. I eventually did wind up in the zoo field after graduation (albeit with a non-"ag" recreation, park, and tourism management degree), and I currently serve as the lead herpetologist for the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach. My professional responsibilities are significantly more agricultural than I ever would have predicted. Reproductive biology, nutritional analysis of animal foods, water and soil quality monitoring, and genetics are just a few of the ag skills I utilize daily to maintain the health and happiness of hundreds of reptiles and amphibians. The animals under my care serve a very important purpose: to act as ambassadors for their species and their habitats, to raise public awareness for threats to their long-term survival, many of which, to be blunt, are the result of agricultural activities. The worlds of industrial- scale agriculture and environmental conservation are often at odds in the media, the legislature, and the courtroom. Beyond performing the daily minutiae of exotic animal husbandry, the greater purpose of my career is to facilitate a dialogue between these two ideological factions, centered on finding empathy for the opposing perspective, cutting through the media biases and inflammatory rhetoric, and reaching a civil consensus. Thanks to the exposure to the agricultural community I received through the people I met both in and through Alpha Gamma Rho, I, as a public communicator of environmental issues, am far more able to provide a dispassionate, objective point of view than I would have been otherwise. -Colin Walker '04, (Γ1501) When I joined Gamma Chapter in the fall of my freshman year, I quickly learned about our roots in agriculture and about the importance of ag in our house, at Penn State, and ultimately for the greater good of humanity. Although I am pursuing a degree in civil engineering, I am involved with agriculture through Penn State's Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program. The goal of the class is to create sustainable ventures that combat humanitarian issues, such as food scarcity and global health. Last summer, my classmates and I traveled to Zambia where we constructed greenhouses in five rural communities. My part in the project was to create a decision support tool to help the farmers transition from conventional, open air farming to greenhouse farming. The purpose of the tool is to guide farmers through the preparation, planting, nurturing, and harvesting phases so they can ultimately maximize their yield and increase their profits. This support tool will be used in current and future greenhouses throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. ΑΓΡ certainly had a strong influence in my decision to join the HESE program and to get involved with agriculture. -Shae Ferguson '12 (Γ1624) Pink Rose Member ($1,000 to $2,499) William H. Yerkes III '49 (Γ592) Thomas W. Scott '50 (Γ612) Eric Wagner '83 (Γ1194) Common Bond Member ($500 to $999) Rick G. Steinmeyer '69 (Γ968) Friends of Gamma Member ($100 to $499) Howard Swavely '49 (Γ594) William C. Nichol '50 (Γ603) Boyd Wolff '50 (Γ626) Robert C. Antram '53 (Γ668) George Olmstead '56 (Γ715) Kenneth W. Zieber '60 (Γ792) Wallace Haulik '61 (Γ820) Stephen Witmer '61 (Γ812) Timothy L. Strickler '66 (Γ894) Dennis Toomey '79 (Γ1136) Timothy Carley '86 (Γ1240) Alumni Member (Up to $99) Reid S. Miller '62 (Γ826) Arthur Moeller '63 (Γ844) Steven V. Culver '84 (Γ1213) Benjamin D. Baker '06 (Γ1518) Thank You, Generous Brothers, for Making Our Chapter One of the Best T hanks to the support of loyal alumni, $2,700 was contributed with 19 gifts to our spring 2015 appeal. The successes and achievements of the Gamma Chapter are directly attributed to the support and involvement of its members. The active brothers are grateful for and proud of the support they receive from their alumni. We hope more alumni will join their brothers and contribute to our ongoing annual campaign. Add your name to our growing list of donors. Donate today by visiting http://agr. kintera.org/ annual. Agriculture at Gamma Colin Walker '04 (Γ1501) assisting the Komodo Survival Program with population distribution and growth analyses of the wild dragons of Komodo National Park, Indonesia, April 2014.

• Cover