Wilma Trujillo

Wilma Trujillo headshot

Role: Director of the Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory, CSU Fort Collins

How are you connected to Spur?

I will be supervising and managing all activities of the Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory (SWPTL). The SWPTL will be a service lab that will provide soil, water, and plant testing (analytical services) to the ag community (farmers and ranchers) as well as homeowners, environmental consultants, nurserymen, landscape contractors, and golf course managers. The goal of the program is to provide high quality analytical services, science-based recommendations, and interpretations, to guide management decisions to optimize production and profitability while managing the soil and water resources in an environmentally conscious manner. It will also offer a new suite of cutting-edge analyses focused on soil health insights.

When did you get involved with Spur and why is it important to you?

I was hired as the new SWPTL director in September 2021. I was interested in the position due to the opportunity to engage a broad variety of audiences, from the traditional agricultural community (farmers and ranchers) to urban agriculturists and homeowners. The SWPTL will be a leading advocate of quality food and animal feedstock. With our expertise, quality service, and education, we will help our stakeholders create the best possible growing environment for food production by enhancing nutrient availability, microbial stimulation, and soil and plant health. Good quality water and healthy soils and plants are the foundation of healthy communities.

What outcomes have you seen or do you expect from work at Spur?

The Coloradans and out-state stakeholders will benefit from having easy access to a facility that serves not only as a source of lab analysis, but as a nucleus for education on plant and soil related problems and water quality. In partnership with faculty in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, the SWPTL will be the first commercially available laboratory offering a soil health test that provides standardized field-specific information on important constraints in soil biological and physical processes, in addition to standard nutrient analysis.

What would you like others to know about Spur?

The new CSU campus, Spur, enhances the impact and visibility of CSU’s research to preserve and enhance the vitality and productivity of Colorado agricultural resources through outreach and extension. Spur is a public destination for hands-on science experience.

JOCELYN HITTLE

Associate Vice Chancellor for CSU Spur & Special Projects, CSU System

Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on helping to create the CSU System’s new Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting campus sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.

Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.

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TONY FRANK

Chancellor, CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.

Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.

Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.

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