Moldenhauer, Wamishe earn rice industry awards at 2022 Rice Outlook Conference
Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Colleagues have honored two faculty members from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture — Karen Moldenhauer and Yeshi Wamishe — for their industry contributions through their work in rice breeding and rice pathology.
Moldenhauer, professor and rice breeder emeritus for the division’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Wamishe, an extension plant pathologist, was bestowed the Industry Award. Both were on hand Dec. 8 at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in Austin, Texas, to accept their awards. The Rice Awards are sponsored by Rice Farming magazine, Horizon Ag and USA Rice.
“I was absolutely amazed that I was even nominated,” Moldenhauer said. “It took me by surprise. It came out of nowhere and it’s an honor to have that kind of recognition from this group.”
Moldenhauer spent more than three decades developing rice varieties, said Bob Scott, former director of the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. Scott now serves as director of the Cooperative Extension Service in Arkansas.
“At one time, her varieties were grown on over half the rice acres in Arkansas and across the Southeastern rice growing region,” Scott said. “Many of her varieties and the traits that she developed are still in modern production today. Her contributions to the rice industry are great and she is most deserving of the honor of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“We are thrilled for Karen to receive the rice industry Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in rice breeding,” said Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
“Karen has been the face of rice breeding in Arkansas for decades and made so many impactful contributions to the rice industry in Arkansas and the mid-south. Karen leaves a true lasting legacy in our rice breeding program and it is great to see the rice industry recognize her in such a special way,” he said.
Wamishe, recognizable with her big-brimmed hats in the field, said being able to celebrate with family made the recognition sweet.
“I’m always working low profile and I tried to work in teams,” she said. “I never tried to show off when doing this job.
“I never expected any award from it. The job is itself a reward,” Wamishe said. “When I told my family, they said they’d go. When I celebrated with my family, then I was really happy.”
Rick Cartwright, himself a national rice industry award winner, was a rice pathologist before becoming head of the Cooperative Extension Service in Arkansas. He served as a mentor to Wamishe.
“Dr. Yeshi Wamishe is one of the best and most inspirational people I have ever known and has that rare talent of making whomever and whatever she works with, better,” Cartwright said. “It has been a privilege, an honor, to work with her and observe her work ethic, her beliefs in family, people and agriculture, her tireless research, and educational efforts.
“From basic and new understanding of sheath blight, blast, bacterial panicle blight and autumn decline to development of better management for rice diseases in current times to modernizing rice disease education and information, she has had a huge impact on rice production in Arkansas and the United States,” he said. “She has helped so many.”
Scott said, “I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Yeshi — as most extension agents called her — for her entire career with the extension service. Wamishe was tasked with working on bacterial panicle blight in rice specifically.
“During her career with the Division of Agriculture, Yeshi fulfilled her mission and furthered our understanding of managing this devastating rice disease and it was an honor to work with her,” Scott said.
Alton Johnson, director of the Rice Research and Extension Center, said “Drs. Karen Moldenhauer and Yeshi Wamishe have left indelible marks on our rice breeding and pathology programs, respectively. Their contributions have positioned us to continuingly enhance economic opportunity and improve the well-being of the rice-producing community.”
ARoma 22 on the table
Moldenhauer’s final southern jasmine release, ARoma 22 was highlighted at the 2022 Rice Outlook Conference. Moldenhauer co-developed ARoma 22 with Debra Ahrent Wisdom, an assistant rice breeder with the Division of Agriculture who specializes in jasmine-type aromatic rice.
“In collaboration with USA Rice, ARoma 22 was featured at the grand reception,” said John Carlin, director of the Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program for the Division of Agriculture’s experiment station.
"Arkansas-grown ARoma 22 was used to prepare arancini rice balls by chefs at the event,” he said. “The dish was well received and participants noted that the nutty aromatic flavor of ARoma 22 added an enjoyable twist to the appetizers.”
Arancini, or “little oranges,” are small balls of rice stuffed with a savory filling, coated with breadcrumbs and fried. ∆