Jordan College welcomes new faces, equipment and facilities

(August 26, 2024) - The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology opened the 102nd year of agricultural instruction at Fresno State this fall with a host of exciting new events, faculty and staff to serve its 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students and the nation’s leading agricultural area.

Two of its key fall events kick off the fall in early September:

The 47th annual Ag Boosters BBQ, 4-8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8 at George’s River Ranch (8805 Highway 41) will welcome alumni and Central Valley agriculture to raise money for the campus agricultural and California Women for Agriculture programs.
The Welcome Back Social and Career Fair, 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12 at O’Neill Parks, gives students and alumni a chance to meet with agricultural industry employers about internships and jobs at its biggest career fair of the fall, and learn about campus agricultural clubs and organizations.

The public is invited to learn about many of its educational, research and outreach programs at its second annual Jordan College Open House , 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday Oct. 19 at O’Neill Park at the corner of Barstow and Woodrow Avenues. 

The same day, the Gibson Farm Market will host its annual Fall Festival, which will feature a plant sale, pumpkin patch, and enjoy free samples of food items made on campus by students.

The second-annual Whole Vine Festival will be held near both events on the Science II Building north lawn across the street from O’Neill Park. Attendees can taste, learn, and experience everything that makes the San Joaquin Valley’s grape tradition so unique – from the sweetest table grapes and raisins to the most complex and nuanced wines. 

All three events are free and open to the public. 

To learn more about other fall outreach events like the Turf Day Golf Classic (Oct. 18), CIT Ag Tech Day (Oct. 25) and the 43rd annual Agribusiness Management Conference (Nov. 13), visit the College’s events calendar. 

This fall is the first for new Viticulture and Enology Research Center Director Dr. Stylianos Logothetis, who joined the College at the end of April.

Three tenure-track faculty also received promotions: Dr. Jamie Levitt (food science and nutrition) and Dr. Ranjit Riar (plant science) to associate professor and Dr. Sonet Van Zyl (viticulture and enology) to professor. Three other lecturers received new classifications: Gayle O’Bannon (animal sciences and ag education, lecturer C), Chris McKenna (plant science, lecturer B) and Kevin Smith (full-time lecturer).

The college also welcomed 12 new faculty that included:

Agricultural Business (1): lecturer Alan Cade, Jr.
Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education (3): lecturers Natalie Bumgartner, Cirenio Hisasaga, Hannah Williamson
Food Science and Nutrition (1) - lecturer Brenda Lightfoot
Plant Science (5) - lecturers *Dr. Magdy Fam, Natalio Mendez, *Yesenia Ramirez, Katrina Steinahauer, Robert Ullo
Viticulture and Enology (2) - assistant professor Dr. Yiliang Cheng, lecturer *Tim Holt
* indicates faculty member whose first semester teaching in the spring semester

Other new Jordan College staff include:

Advising Office Counselor: Choua Vang
Ag One - program specialist Beth Kuhn 
ARI: Theresa Rodriguez: Support Administrator
Food Science and Nutrition Administrative Assistant: Jennifer Trauner
Graduate Laboratory - instructional support technician Emily Wilson
Library Services - Kat Koziar
Research and Sponsored Projects - Gayle Sherwood
USDA Southwest Business Food and Business Collaboration Grant: Teresa Gipson
Water, Energy, and Technology (WET) Center Administrator: Chakty Carrillo
New University Agricultural Laboratory staff include: 

Meats Lab - manager Monserrat Perez Valadez

The campus farm has been upgrading its 1,000-acre in many under the direction of farm manager Dr. Vincent Roos, who joined the staff last December. Thanks to an $18.75 million one-time funding from the state in its 2022-23 budget, it’s updated its truck fleet with more energy-efficient vehicles, as well as welcoming a new electric fleet that includes a MK-V Monarch tractor for use in the vineyard (with about 60 percent of the tractor's cost was even covered by the state's CORE (Clean Off-Road Equipment) incentive project), and forklifts and gators.

The campus viticulture and enology department has also been upgrading its research facilities in the Donald E. Gumz Enology Building with construction that is expected to last the entire academic year.

To read more about the college and follow its news, visit the Jordan College news page.  Also follow it on its new @fsjordancollege social media pages for Linkedin and Threads, as well as its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube accounts.