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Letter
from the Director
We are pleased to bring you the Fiscal Year 2001 Annual Report of
the Washington State University Agricultural Research Center (ARC)
via the Web. In this document, we illustrate the breadth and depth
of the projects of the ARC and the publications resulting from the
exemplary work of faculty and staff. Included in the present report
are plant variety releases, patents, congressional initiatives and
asummary of financial data associated with the Center. The scholarly
accomplishments of the ARC faculty and staff impact the lives and
work of the citizens of Washington, the Pacific Northwest, and the
nation and are also recognized in international venues. Many of
the projects incorporate aspects of both basic and applied research
and are directed toward broad state and national goals. Our portfolio
includes projects incorporating such diverse areas as protection
of soil, water, and natural resources; integrated pest management;
breeding plants and animals to achieve desired characteristics;
food quality and new food processing technologies; food safety and
security; aquaculture; resource economics; the relationship of food
and nutrition to health; and irrigated agriculture. Projects In
the human sciences address economic and social challenges facing
youth and families, particularly the impacts of change on rural
communities and community development.
The
year 2001 was a challenging time. In the face of diminishing state
support, faculty members have garnered increased levels of external
grant support. With the establishment of the new WSU Strategic Plan
emphasizing world-class scholarship and research, our faculty members
are committed to the challenge and we look forward to new thrusts
in biotechnology, organic agriculture, and environmental stewardship.
ARC faculty members continue to be successful in the national competitive
granting programs including the National Science Foundation, the
USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems, the National
Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, and other federal
programs. Our initiatives to Congress have also yielded several
new projects. Commodity commissions continue to be generous in their
support of our faculty and with projects associated with the Agricultural
Research Center. In spite of our success nationally, due to decreased
state support, we have again experienced downsizing and restructuring
in the ARC and within the university. As a result, the ARC continues
to focus more sharply on progress and projects having high impact
in the lives and work of our constituents. Historically, the focus
of the ARC has centered on the food system, and we expect to continue
this trend.
Ralph
Cavalieri, Associate Dean and Director
Agricultural Research Center
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