Weed Science Research, Teaching, and Extension at Land-Grant Institutions in the United States and its Territories

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey F. Derr ◽  
Aman Rana
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Plant Pathology ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Land Grant ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Land Grant Institutions

Weeds are one of the main limiting factors in crop production, causing billions of dollars in annual global losses through degraded agricultural and silvicultural productivity. Weeds also reduce access to land and water, impair aesthetics, and disrupt human activities and well-being. The number of positions devoted to weed science teaching, research, and extension at 76 land-grant institutions across the United States and its territories was determined and compared with that for plant pathology and entomology. The number of classes and graduate students in these disciplines at those institutions was also determined. There are more than four times as many entomologists and more than three times as many plant pathologists as weed scientists at land-grant institutions. There are approximately five times as many graduate students currently in entomology and almost three times as many in plant pathology compared with weed science. There are approximately five times as many entomology and two and a half times as many plant pathology undergraduate classes compared with weed science classes. These differences increase when graduate courses are considered. Most land-grant universities have either none or few graduate classes in weed science. There are more than six times as many graduate entomology courses and more than five times as many plant pathology courses compared with weed science graduate classes. There are no departments devoted solely to weed science, whereas entomology and plant pathology departments are both common. Most universities have little to no faculty assigned to ornamental, fruit, aquatic, or forestry weed control. Number of faculty assigned to vegetable, turf, non-crop, ecology, and basic/laboratory studies in weed science are also limited. Additional university resources are needed if weed science research, teaching, and extension efforts are to meet the priority needs for the management of weeds in the agricultural, natural resources, and urban ecosystems.

The Status of Weed Science at Universities and Experiment Stations in the Northeastern United States

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1150-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey F. Derr
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Plant Pathology ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Weed Ecology ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
The Status

Weed science is an important component of pest management. Weeds cause approximately 12% loss in United States crop production, reduce crop quality, poison livestock, and adversely affect human health, recreation, and transportation. Herbicides comprise approximately 65% of pesticide expenditures, whereas insecticides and fungicides each comprise less than 20%. The total effect of weeds, including crop losses and costs of control, in the United States was estimated in 1994 to be $20 billion annually. A survey was prepared and mailed to weed scientists at universities and experiment stations in the northeastern United States to determine the number of faculty positions and course offerings devoted to weed science. There are approximately five times as many entomologists and more than three times as many plant pathologists as weed scientists at universities in the northeast. There are more than six times as many graduate students currently in entomology and more than four times as many in plant pathology compared with weed science. Few undergraduate courses in weed science are taught, and most universities have no graduate classes in weed science. There are almost seven times as many undergraduate entomology courses and more than twice as many plant pathology courses as weed science classes in this region. There are more than 17 times as many graduate entomology courses and more than 15 times as many plant pathology courses compared with weed science graduate classes. There are no departments devoted solely to weed science in the northeast, whereas entomology and plant pathology departments are both common. Most universities have little to no faculty assigned to aquatic, forestry, noncrop weed control, weed ecology, or laboratory trials, and numbers assigned to agronomic and horticultural crop weed management are limited. Additional university resources are needed if weed science research, teaching, and extension efforts are to meet the priority needs in weed management.

scholarly journals Adjustment Experiences of International Graduate Students to Life in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 2243-2262
Author(s):  
Nur Aira Abd Rahim
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Adjustment Process ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
Starting Point

The adjustment process, also interchangeably referred as a transition or adaptation process, is a stage that every international student went through as part of their study abroad experiences. For international graduate students, their pursuit represents an important milestone in their self-development and personal growth. However, adjusting to a new educational and social environment can be challenging. During this important starting point of their academic journey, what are the key aspects that shaped the adjustment experiences of these international graduate students? This study explored the narratives of international graduate students of their adjustment process to academic life in the United States using the integrated acculturation framework using a naturalistic qualitative inquiry process. Participants’ selection includes criterion sampling and maximum variation strategy to elect international students who were at least completing his or second semester in a current graduate program. In total, 9 participants were selected based upon different countries of origins and program majors and having both male and female and doctorate and master level participants in this study. The findings show that these international graduate students experienced varied adjustment experiences, impacted by motivation, personality, coping strategies, and social support received. All the participants also reported having a varying set of growth as a result of the adjustment process. The recommendations include providing more support geared towards academic well-being and creating a supportive culture among faculty and other students on the diversity and difference these international graduate students bring on campus.

The Return of Great Power Rivalry

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Kroenig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
National Security ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Leadership ◽  
Great Power ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The Cold War

The United States of America has been the most powerful country in the world for the past seventy years, but will Washington’s reign as the world’s leading superpower continue? The U.S. National Security Strategy declares that the return of great power competition with Russia and China is the greatest threat to U.S. national security and economic well-being. Perhaps surprisingly, international relations scholarship does not have much to say about who wins great power rivalries, and many contemporary analysts argue that America’s autocratic rivals will succeed in disrupting or displacing U.S. global leadership. In sharp contrast, this book makes the novel argument that democracies enjoy built-in advantages in international geopolitics. Drawing on the writings of political philosophers—such as Herodotus, Machiavelli, and Montesquieu—and cutting-edge social science research, this book explains the unique economic, diplomatic, and military advantages that democracies bring to the international arena. It then carefully considers the advantages and disadvantages possessed by autocratic great powers. These ideas are then examined in a series of seven case studies of democratic-versus-autocratic rivalries throughout history, from ancient Greece to the Cold War. The book then unpacks the implications of this analysis for the United States, Russia, and China today. It concludes that, despite its many problems, America’s fundamentals are still much better than Russia’s and China’s. By making the “hard-power” argument for democracy, this book provides an innovative way of thinking about power in international politics and provides an optimistic assessment about the future of American global leadership.

Influencing Agricultural Policy: Symposium Introduction

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 871-872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard P. Gianessi ◽  
David C. Bridges
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Crop Pest

A major debate is going on in the United States regarding the proper methods for crop pest management. One issue in this debate is whether weed control should be based largely on nonchemical or chemical means. This isn't the only issue that should be of interest to weed scientists, but it is important, and it illustrates the need to extend weed science research to influence public policy.

Dialectical Thinking and Psychological Well-Being in Morocco, China, and the United States

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassidy Bibo ◽  
Julie Spencer-Rodgers ◽  
Benaissa Zarhbouch ◽  
Mostafa Bouanini ◽  
Kaiping Peng
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dialectical Thinking ◽  
Psychological Well Being
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document