"New positions, re-assignments, retirements and departures have created nine openings in the Agricultural Division," said Wadell Altom, Agricultural Division director. "We are so pleased to have four of those openings filled with very qualified people."

The new staff members are:

• Dr. Jon Biermacher, research team economist. Biermacher received his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in agricultural economics in May 2005. He received his M.S. in agricultural economics and his B.S. in agribusiness economics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. He will provide economic insight and direction to the research and demonstration efforts in support of consultation within the Agricultural Division and also will assist the Forage Improvement Division.
• Kimberly Radcliff, post-graduate assistant. Radcliff received her B.S. in animal science at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. She primarily will be assisting the livestock specialists and agricultural economists with collecting and processing data from a special cow-calf project.
• Dr. Kyle Stutts, livestock specialist on NF-2 consulting team. Stutts received his both his B.S. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and his M.S. from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. His graduate degrees are in animal breeding and genetics (M.S.) and Physiology of Reproduction (Ph.D.).
• Dr. Robert Wells, livestock specialist on NF-1 consulting team. Wells received a bachelor of science in animal science from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and his master of science in ruminant nutrition and management from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Wells received his doctor of philosophy in ruminant nutrition and beef management from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Ill.

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Photos:
	Biermacher		Radcliff		Stutts		Wells

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; providing grants to non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.