Lincoln, Neb. —Osler Ortez, a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been awarded the Crop Science Graduate Student Scholarship from the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA).
Ortez is originally from Nicaragua, a country where the economy heavily relies on Agriculture. In 2014, he received his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Zamorano University. The same year, he was selected for an internship at Kansas State University, which was his first exposure to US Agriculture. His K-State experience continued when he joined the Crops Production Team as a visiting scholar and he later started his master’s in Agronomy studying soybean and nitrogen interactions in the United States and Argentina.
His Nebraska story started in 2018 when he began his doctorate in Agronomy and Crop Production under the supervision of Professor Emeritus, Roger Elmore, Heuermann Chair and Daughtery Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellow as well as Just McMechan, professor oof crop protection and cropping systems within the College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, studying factors responsible for ear abnormalities and productivity losses in corn.
In recent years, corn ear malformation issues have affected crops in Nebraska and other areas in the United States. These malformations can result from unknown genetic, environmental and management conditions.
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Ortez is actively engaged in research, teaching, extension, and leadership. He has been an active member of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA for more than five years. Osler has authored and co-authored several scientific articles, extension materials, and has delivered presentations for regional, national, and international audiences.
“I cannot be any more thankful for the great places and people that have contributed to my career. My family, friends, current and former advisors and schools, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture as well as Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute have been and continue to be fundamental. This is nothing else but the result of collective efforts,” Ortez said.
The Crop Science Graduate Student Scholarship is provided to a meritorious graduate student in crop science. The scholarship is supported by gifts from the Gerald O. Mott family to the Agronomic Science Foundation and administered by the Crop Science Society of America.
The annual Crop Science Society of America awards are presented for outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service, and research.
For more information about Nebraska’s crop science programs, visit https://agronomy.unl.edu/.