INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Gov. Mitch Daniels announced the state will create the Dr. Philip E. Nelson Innovation Prize to recognize outstanding Hoosier scientists for their unique discoveries, research and inventions.

The prize is named in honor of a distinguished Purdue University scientist who was awarded the 2007 World Food Prize in October for his revolutionary achievements in the field of food processing. Nelson, whose career has spanned more than 45 years at Purdue, was the university’s first department head of food science and is the Scholle Chair Professor in Food Processing.

He won the prestigious World Food Prize, which is considered to be the “Nobel Prize” of agriculture, for developing the aseptic process to store fruits and vegetables to prevent post-harvest spoilage. The Nelson Innovation Prize will recognize an Indiana scientist whose work goes beyond pure scientific research and leads to the creation of products or processes that revolutionizes industry, inspires further scientific inquiry and improves the quality of life.

Recipients will be scientists with a unique combination of intellectual curiosity, scientific expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit. The prize will come with a cash award of $5,000, which will be funded by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) Foundation. A panel of distinguished Indiana scientific researchers and entrepreneurs will work with the IEDC to establish the selection criteria for the prize.

Nelson has spent his career pursuing research that led to the development of the aseptic processing and packaging. His award-winning innovations are present in nearly every country.

CDMS names Schiller VP of data services

MARYSVILLE, Calif. (AgPR) — CDMS, Inc. announced that Charles T. Schiller, Ph.D., was appointed vice president of data services, with responsibility over CDMS’ database and associated products. He will oversee the delivery of CDMS’ data services throughout the United States, NAFTA, Central and South America, Asia and European markets.

Schiller comes to CDMS with more than 27 years of product development, technical service and business development experience with Bayer, Monsanto and Arysta LifeScience. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Plant Pathology and is a co-developer and patentee of the Symmetry FDS fumigant delivery system.

CDMS provides data, information and decision support technologies to the agribusiness and food industries. CDMS is headquartered in California, with sales throughout the U.S, Canada, and Central America.

Kentucky Wheat Science Group wins national award

PRINCETON, Ky. — Members of the University of Kentucky Wheat Science Group were presented with the first CSREES Partnership Award for Mission Integration recently in Washington, D.C. This is one of four new awards presented by USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service to recognize outstanding contributions of its partners in the land-grant universities and other cooperating institutions and organizations. The mission integration award is for implementation of a program or project which incorporates, in a meaningful way, full integration of research, education and extension and exhibits an understanding of the complementary nature of these three functions.

UK’s Wheat Science Group was established in 1997 and consists of 18 members from six departments within the College of Agriculture.

The group works closely with the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Assoc., county extension agents, wheat consultants and agribusinesses to determine short- and long-range goals and to implement the group’s activities for maximum benefit of Kentucky’s wheat producers.

Givens announces marketing appointments for TAEP

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — State Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens announced key marketing appointments with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to help the state’s farmers invest in new and expanding opportunities in agriculture.

Bedford County resident Roger Richardson has been appointed to the position of state administrator for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP), which provides cost share assistance for farmers in the areas of cattle improvement, farm diversification and animal health improvement. The Rutherford County native is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness.

Justin Bryant has been named the new TAEP hay and feed storage cost share program coordinator. Bryant, a Montgomery County native, graduated from the University of Tennessee-Martin with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and earned a master’s degree in plant science from UT-Knoxville.

The purpose of the hay and feed storage program is to increase farm income by encouraging producers to increase quantity and nutritional quality of hay and feeds through proper storage and management practices.

For more information, contact Bryant at 615-837-5323 or e-mail Justin. Bryant@state.tn.us and for more information about other TAEP programs, contact Richardson at 615-837-5324 by e-mail at Roger.Richardson@state.tn.us or visit www.picktnproducts.org Nelson selected as Western regional director

OMAHA, Neb. — The American Shorthorn Assoc. (ASA) is proud to announce the hiring of Cody Nelson as the Western regional director. This new position will provide marketing and educational assistance as well as support for events and programs to help create a sustainable and profitable future for breeders of Shorthorn cattle and achieve the mission of the ASA.

As regional director, Nelson will be responsible for assisting Shorthorn breeders in producing and marketing Shorthorn genetics within the breed, and providing breed information to the commercial cattle producers. In addition to visiting breeders and developing relationships, he will provide assistance with Major PACE shows and provide leadership for ASA programs relating to production and sale of Shorthorn genetics.

Nelson is a graduate of Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and currently resides in Clarion. He grew up with an active family in the livestock industry and is a now a partner in the ownership of Nelson Family Shorthorns, with his parents, Alan and Crystal Nelson, of Renville, Minn., and his three brothers, all employed in the field of agriculture.

Ackelson receives national conservation leadership award WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and active for years in protecting and restoring prairies, wetlands and woodlands and in creating rail-trails, is the winner of this year’s prestigious Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award. He is the second recipient of this honor, awarded by the Land Trust Alliance to recognize outstanding leadership, innovation and creativity in land conservation.

Ackelson was also named to serve in the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy for 2008. In his role in this fellowship, named after Boston attorney Kingsbury Browne (1922-2005), Ackelson will engage in writing, lecturing and mentoring associated with the Lincoln Institute, a Cambridge-based think-tank with a focus on land policy.

Ackelson joined the Foundation as one its original staff members in 1980 and has been its president since 1994. He is also a board member and one of the founders of the Land Trust Alliance, the national umbrella group that leads the nation’s 1,700 private land trusts.