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Contact: Teresa Hendrix
(805) 756-7266
Cal Poly College of Agriculture Professor Receives National Award
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center
Director Stuart W. Styles, known in the irrigation industry as an
energetic and professional role model, has been named 2004 Person of the
Year by the Irrigation Association.
The annual award goes to individuals who make outstanding contributions
toward the acceptance of sound irrigation practices. The award will be
presented Nov. 15 at the International Irrigation Show in Tampa.
Styles is a BioResource and Agricultural Engineering professor at Cal
Poly who is also an engineer and consultant. He has been involved with
the irrigation industry for 17 years. He has served on the Irrigation
Association board of directors, as chairman of the certification board,
and he regularly teaches the IA education course Agricultural Irrigation
Specialist. He is credited with establishing the association's Certified
Agricultural Irrigation Specialist program.
"His professionalism and work have provided an outstanding contribution
to the world of irrigation — to the IA, to students and to the
industry," said Cal Poly Professor Charles Burt, ITRC chairman, and
Kenneth Solomon, a retired IRTC department head, in nominating Styles
for the award.
Styles, a certified irrigation designer and a certified agricultural
irrigation specialist, has experience in most aspects of the irrigation
industry, including design, applications and consulting. He has worked
on a wide variety of irrigation projects, especially with water
districts and on flow measurements.
Styles is also known for helping students make the transition into the
working world through summer jobs. "He cracks the whip, but makes
sure
they get real exposure to things. If a person really wants to learn, he
really works with them," Burt said.
Susan Rathbun, of Cal West Rain, served on the IA certification board
with Styles. She praised his enthusiastic leadership. "He has compassion
and listens to others, but stands up for his ideas and standards,"
Rathbun said. "His mind is constantly looking to improve and promote
irrigation education."
"He not only supports the IA with his efforts on the certification
board
and education, but he promotes the certification programs to our college
students and adults," Rathbun said. "I have fellow employees
that go to
his classes and come back excited and looking forward to being certified
and becoming leaders in our industry."
The ITRC, which Styles has directed since 2000, was established by
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 1989 to
enhance the irrigation teaching program through hands-on, real-world
activities in training and research. Find out more about the ITRC at
http://www.itrc.org/.
About the Irrigation Association
Since 1949, Irrigation Association members have led the advance in
water-use efficiencies to create smarter solutions for agricultural,
residential and commercial landscape irrigation. The IA is comprised of
industry professionals from both public and private sectors —
researchers, technicians, manufacturers, distributors, dealers, system
designers, consultants, installers, and contractors — all dedicated
to
developing the irrigation industry.
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