DATE: March 09, 2007
CONTACT:
George Askew, (843) 546-1013, ext. 230
gaskew@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241
tlollis@clemson.edu
Clemson reassigns Askew, Conner at Baruch
CLEMSON – Clemson University has assigned new duties to two faculty members at Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown.
George Askew has been named interim associate director for agriculture and natural resources to lead statewide Public Service research and extension programs, and William Conner has been named assistant director for Baruch.
Askew retains his title as director for Baruch, but because of his expanded responsibilities, he will relinquish day-to-day operations at Baruch to Conner and to Bruce Martin at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center near Florence.
Askew joined Clemson in 1980 as assistant professor of forestry at the Baruch Institute. He was named institute director in 1985, executive director of the Wallace F. Pate Foundation for Environmental Research and Education in 1994 and interim director for the Pee Dee Research and Education Center in 2002.
His research has focused on the controlled pollination of loblolly pines, on breeding and selection systems for vegetative propagation, and on the long-term ecology of a coastal forest drainage system. He has received numerous grants from the USDA Forest Service and private agencies for research on forest genetics, seed orchard management, forest recovery from hurricane damage, intensive forest management for energy production, and prescribed fire as a forest management tool.
He holds a B.S. degree in forest management, an M.S. in forestry and a Ph.D. in agronomy, all from Clemson University.
Conner will continue his research in forested wetlands ecology, which includes forest recovery after disturbance, use of native plants to control erosion, and the effect of saltwater encroachment on coastal forests. He holds a B.S. degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Louisiana State University. He came to Clemson after 15 years with the LSU Coastal Ecology Laboratory.
The appointments coincide with a refinement of missions for Clemson’s statewide network of research sites dedicated to the state’s agriculture and natural resource industries.
The Baruch Institute will strengthen its focus on the environmental impact of development in the state’s coastal region. Current research will continue on forested wetland ecology, water quality, forest genetics and forest management. Increased emphasis will be placed on the interactions of humans with the environment since most of the one million new residents expected to move to South Carolina over the next 20 years plan to live along the coast.
The Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston will continue to focus on vegetable and specialty crop production, with a new emphasis on the effects of plant-based foods on human health and nutrition.
The Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville will continue to focus on sustainable production systems for row crops, vegetables and beef cattle, with a new emphasis on emerging agribusiness areas, such as forage-fed beef.
The Pee Dee Research and Education Center near Florence will continue to focus on improving productivity of traditional crops, with a new emphasis on stimulating agricultural innovation through biotechnology.
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