2008 -AAIC Association News

Conference News

Once again we had a wonderful annual meeting.  Candice and her staff did a great job in organizing and running the entire event.  Thank you to David Baltensperger and his staff at Texas A&M for helping host the meetings and providing an exciting and informative field trip day. It was certainly nice to get caught up with old acquaintances and see all the fascinating research at Texas A&M.

Award Winners

Congratulations to Chan R. Benedict (Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University) on receiving this year's Anson E. "Tommy" Thompson Career Achievement Award.  This award is given to the person who throughout his or her career has made significant contributions to the development and/or utilization of industrial crops and/or products.   Dr. Benedict was a leader in defining the biosynthesis of rubber in plants. He was the first to show that substituted tertiary amines stimulated rubber biosynthesis in guayule.  His research in the environmental physiology and biochemical formation in guayule outlined the effect of low temperature on rubber formation.  Dr. Benedict is an internationally respected scientist and has made significant contributions to the field of industrial crops.  He was instrumental in the incorporation of the AAIC society in 1979 in Bryan, TX.  

The Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award was presented to Katrina Cornish (Senior Vice President, research and Development, Yulex Corp.).  Dr. Cornish is the leading US scientific expert on domestic latex production.  She currently oversees her company's research, development, and validation programs for the commercialization of Guayule latex for hypoallergenic medical devices and specialty consumer products.  Her research has encompassed rubber biochemistry, molecular biology, immunochemistry, chemistry, polymer chemistry, processing and bio-based product development. 

Conference Photos

A few highlights from the annual conference in College Station, Texas   Members viewing the sorghum variety trials at the Texas A&M field laboratory
AAIC members enjoy visit to the Mid Valley Cotton Gin as a cotton module is being unloaded for shreding		Members watch the gin in action removing the cotton seeds
Cotton seed holding facility where it is sold for as feed for dairy cattle or crushed for oil.		Texas A&M farm manager describes sorghum and cotton breeding programs
After a quick lunch, members enjoy time collaborating with colleagues in the therapeutic gardens of Texas A&M.		AAIC member lost in the castor bean field.
Mississippi State University students enjoying their first AAIC conference.