DeAnn Ricks Presley(last updated 12/20/05)
Current PositionGraduate Research & Teaching Assistant
Office Address2004A ThrockmortonPlantSciencesCenter
Agronomy Department
KansasStateUniversity
Manhattan, KS 66506
Phone: (785) 532-7204
Fax: (785) 532-6094
e-mail:
Education
Current: Pursuing Ph.D. in Agronomy, Soil Genesis and Classification and Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems Science at KansasStateUniversity. Degree expected December 2006.
Master of Science completed December 2002. KansasStateUniversity.
Major: Agronomy, Soil Genesis and Classification
Bachelor of Science. December 1999. IowaStateUniversity.
Major: Agronomy. Option: Environmental Science. Minor: Environmental Studies.
Dissertation Research Project Description
The title of my dissertation research project is: Genesis and spatial distribution of upland soils in the Bluestem Hills and Central Loess Plains Major Land Resource Areas of Kansas. This project incorporates my major research interests in that it combines soil genesis and classification with geographic information systems (GIS) science. I am interested in using GIS to analyze landscapes in terms of soil formation and the way soils are distributed across landscapes. I believe GIS can be used to improve the accuracy and quality of existing soil maps, which is important for the many end users of soil survey products. One of my specific research goals is to use GIS to automatically determine landscape position using elevation data. All soil mapping units have an intended landscape position, and therefore GIS can be used to determine how often soils are correctly mapped on a given landscape position. The soils of the Bluestem Hills and Central Loess Plains of Kansas are quite complex, and the genesis for some upland soil series is unknown or not consistent across county boundaries and throughout the mapping extent of those series. Therefore, another research objective is to make decisions regarding the genesis of selected upland soils. Existing soil characterization will be used and new data will also be collected.
Employment History
Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant. KansasStateUniversity. May 2000 to present.
Teaching: Taught laboratory sections for Introductory Soils, Soil Genesis and Classification, and Soils Judging, with laboratory section sizes ranging from 13 to 25 students per class. Guest lecturer for Introductory Soils and Site Specific Agriculture. Assistant coach of the Kansas State University Soil Judging Team.
Assistantship: Management of the Department of Agronomy’s Soil Characterization Laboratory. Duties include performing and supervising the completion of various physical, chemical, and mineralogical analyses. Also includes the training and supervision of four to six part-time student laboratory assistants in the routine characterization of pedons which supportsthe Kansas Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey Program. Communication with NRCS soil scientists regarding the interpretation of characterization results is required. In addition, data input and management is performed, as well as invoice preparation for services provided.
M.S. Thesis: Effects of thirty years of irrigation on the properties of semi-arid soils in Kansas. Professionally described soil profiles and collected soil samples from irrigated and adjacent non-irrigated soils for physical, chemical, mineralogical, and micromorphological analyses.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant. IowaStateUniversity. January 2000 to May 2000.
Assisted with instructing the laboratory for Soil Genesis and Landscape Relationships.
Field Developmental Biology Research Internship. Dow AgroSciences. March 1999 to September 1999.
Planned and conducted field herbicide efficacy, crop tolerance, and soil residue trials. Calibrated spraying equipment and applied spray treatments. Collected and interpreted data.
Soybean Breeding/Pathology Intern. Pioneer Hi-Bred International. May 1998 to February 1999.
Managed field testing for white-mold resistant soybean varieties. Performed laboratory and greenhouse experiments for herbicide resistance, pathogen tolerance, and grain quality traits. Harvested experiments with plot combine.
Soybean Breeding Intern. IowaStateUniversity. August 1996 to January 1997.
Harvested and evaluated test plots for desirable traits. Researched the development of new soybean varieties. Collected and compiled data for the annual Iowa Soybean Yield Test Report.
Women in Science & Engineering Summer Intern. IowaStateUniversity. May 1996 to August 1996.
Surveyed, mapped and soil sampled a ten acre study area at a state prairie. Professionally described soil profiles. Performed lab analyses to determine chemical properties of soil samples.
Honors and Awards
2005Invited presenter and one of five graduate student attendees of the Frontiers in Soil Science Research, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
2005NorthAmericanColleges and Teachers of Agriculture Graduate Student Teaching Award
2005Sigma Xi Honor Society Initiation
2004Gamma Sigma Delta Graduate Student Teaching Award of Merit
2003RichardElmoreBrownCollege of Agriculture Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award
2002Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society Initiation
1998Golden Key National Honor Society Initiation
Scholarships
2005Roscoe Ellis Memorial Department of Agronomy Graduate Scholarship
2004Irvin D. and Dora Mae Atkins Department of Agronomy Graduate Scholarship
2003Ray I. Throckmorton Department of Agronomy Scholarship
2002Agronomy Graduate Student Association Scholarship
2002Irvin D. and Dora Mae Atkins Department of Agronomy Graduate Scholarship
2001Irvin D. and Dora Mae Atkins Department of Agronomy Graduate Scholarship
2001George W. Wright Department of Agronomy Graduate Scholarship
1999Dr. John Joseph Hanway and Barbara Baldwin Hanway Department of Agronomy Scholarship
1998Frank F. and Freda Riecken Department of Agronomy Endowed Scholarship
1998FrankH.MendellCollege of Agriculture Scholarship
University Service and Activities
Member, College of Agriculture Committee on Effective Instruction, August 2005 to present.
Graduate Student Senator, Student Governing Association, April 2004 to April 2005.
Member, College Council Funding Allocations Committee, August 2003 to April 2005.
President, K-State Graduate Student Council, May 2003 to April 2004.
Member, 5-year review committee for Graduate School Dean Ron Trewyn, November 2003.
Member, K-State Student Life Advisory Committee, October 2003 to April 2004.
Member, KansasStateUniversity Graduate Council, May 2003 to April 2004.
Member, KansasStateUniversity Graduate Council Student Affairs Committee, May 2003 to April 2004.
President-ElectKansasStateUniversity Graduate Student Council, May 2002 to April 2003.
Chair, KansasStateUniversity Graduate Student Council Research Forum Planning Committee, May 2002 to April 2003.
Treasurer, K-State Agronomy Graduate Student Association: November 2002 to January 2004.
Representative, KansasStateUniversity Graduate Student Council: December 2000 to April 2003.
Assistant Coach, Kansas State University Soil Judging Team: August 2000 to present.
Affiliations and Memberships
NorthAmericanColleges and Teachers of Agriculture
Sigma Xi
Gamma Sigma Delta
Soil Science Society of America
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Kansas Association of Professional Soil Classifiers
Publications
Peer-ReviewedJournal Article
Presley, D. Ricks, M.D. Ransom, G.J. Kluitenberg, and P.R. Finnell. 2004. Effects of thirty years of irrigation on the genesis and morphology of two semiarid soils in Kansas. Soil Science Society of AmericaJournal 68:1916-1926.
Published Abstracts and Technical Presentations
Ricks, D.K., L. Burras, M.E. Konen, and A.J. Bolender. Genesis and morphology of Mima mounds and associated soils at Kalsow Prairie, Iowa. Presented at the Annual ASA-SSSA-CSA Meeting, Anaheim, California, October 1997.
Ricks, D.K. Morphological changes of Kansas soils under long-term irrigation. Presented at the annual meeting of the Kansas Association of Professional Soil Classifiers, April 20, 2001.
Ricks, D.K., M.D. Ransom, L.R. Stone, and P.R. Finnell. Morphological changes of Kansas soils under long-term irrigation. Presented at the Annual ASA-SSSA-CSA Meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina, October 2001.
Shroyer, J., J. Foltz, J. Wood, C. Bensch, K. McVay, D. Ricks, J. Schmidt, J. Tatarko. Kids’ Virtual Field Day. Presented at the Annual ASA-SSSA-CSA Meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina, October 2001. Poster received Certificate of Excellence for developing outstanding educational materials, Internet web site category. American Society of Agronomy 2001 Educational Materials Awards Program.
Ricks, D.K., M.D. Ransom, and P.R. Finnell. Effects of thirty years of irrigation on the properties of semi-arid soils in Kansas. Presented at the Annual ASA-SSSA-CSA Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, October 2002.
Presley, D.R., M.D. Ransom, and W.A. Wehmueller. Micromorphological investigations of polygenetic soils formed under tallgrass prairie in the Bluestem Hills of Kansas. Presented at the Annual ASA-SSSA-CSA Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, November 2005.
Presley, D. R., M. D. Ransom, and W. A. Wehmueller. Geomorphology and parent material relationships: Refining second order soil surveys in Kansas using GIS and terrain analysis. Presented at the National Academies of Science Frontiers in Soil Science Research Meeting, WashingtonD.C., December 2005.
Extension Presentations
Presley, DeAnn. Basic Soil Characteristics. Presented at the Kansas Small Flows Association Workshop for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Professionals, July 14-15, 2005, Hutchinson, KS.
Presley, DeAnn. Basic Soil Characteristics. Presented at the Kansas Small Flows Association Workshop for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Professionals, October 24-25, 2005, Parsons, KS.
Educational Presentations
Presley, DeAnn. Soil Texture by Feel and Soil Moisture Workshop. Presented information about soil texture and soil moisture, and held a hands-on workshop for soil texture and moisture by feel to 22 undergraduate students for the Third Annual Department of Agronomy Internship Workshop, held April 19th, 2005.
Presley, DeAnn. Rangeland Soil Ecosystems. Presented information about soils, microclimate, and vegetation to high-school age students on July 7, 2004 at the Kansas 4-H Range Youth Camp held at the Rock Springs 4-H Camp in Geary County, Kansas.
Presley, DeAnn. Rangeland Soil Ecosystems. Presented information about soils, microclimate, and vegetation to high-school age students on July 6, 2005 at the Kansas 4-H Range Youth Camp held at the Rock Springs 4-H Camp in Geary County, Kansas.
Presley, D.R. The soil pit. Gave hands-on presentation about soil genesis and classification for 200 to 300 elementary school children at the Kansas State University Agronomy Kids’ Field Dayin September 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2005.
Award for Publication
Shroyer, J., J. Foltz, J. Wood, C. Bensch, K. McVay, D. Ricks, J. Schmidt, J. Tatarko. Kids’ Virtual Field Day. Presented at the Annual ASA-SSSA-CSA Meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina, October 2001. Received Certificate of Excellence for developing outstanding educational materials, Internet web site category. American Society of Agronomy 2001 Educational Materials Awards Program.
Teaching courses, workshops, seminars, and symposia attended
NorthAmericanColleges and Teachers of Agriculture Annual Meeting, June 15-17, 2005, Wooster, OH.
North Central Region Teaching Symposium. Experiential Learning: Design Through Assessment. May 23-25, 2005, Manhattan, KS.
Mission Possible: Excellence in Teaching and Learning Retreat, K-State’s Second Annual Teaching Renewal Retreat, January 10, 2005. Manhattan, KS.
Division A-1 Resident Education Symposia, American Society of Agronomy Annual Meetings, Seattle, WA, November 1-3, 2004
Why Don’t They Think Like I Do? College of Agriculture Workshop Series on Enhancing Teaching Effectiveness in Agriculture. August 12, 2004. Manhattan, KS.
Agronomy 810, Teaching and Learning Seminar Course, Spring 2003, Manhattan, KS.
Agronomy Department GTA Brown Bag Lunch Discussion, October 14, 2002, Manhattan, KS.
Swap Session on Teaching Tips for Graduate Teaching Assistants, September 18, 2002, Manhattan, KS.
Project LEARN seminar, September 9, 2000, Manhattan, KS.
Graduate Teaching Assistants Orientation, KansasStateUniversityGraduateSchool, August 23, 2000, Manhattan, KS.
References
Dr. Michel D. Ransom
2004A ThrockmortonPlantSciencesCenter
Agronomy Department
KansasStateUniversity
Manhattan, KS 66506-5501
Phone: (785) 532-7203
email:
Dr. Gerard Kluitenberg
2004A ThrockmortonPlantSciencesCenter
Agronomy Department
KansasStateUniversity
Manhattan, KS 66506-5501
Phone: (785) 532-7215
email:
Dr. Scott Staggenborg
2004A ThrockmortonPlantSciencesCenter
Agronomy Department
KansasStateUniversity
Manhattan, KS 66506-5501
Phone: (785) 532-7214
email:
1