[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 164 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ROBERT WAMPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 5, 2009

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and 
congratulate Robert Wample upon his retirement as the director of the 
Viticulture and Enology Research Center and the chair of the Department 
of Viticulture and Enology at California State University, Fresno. Dr. 
Wample was honored on September 19, 2009 at a fundraising event for the 
Robert L. Wample Viticulture and Enology Endowment Fund in support of 
the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
  Dr. Wample served in the United States Marine Corps from 1962 until 
1966. Upon separating from the military, he began his college 
education. In 1971, he graduated cum laude from the University of Idaho 
with a Bachelors of Science degree in Botany. While attending college 
he worked as a Research Technician for the United States Department of 
Agriculture at the Forest Service research center in Idaho. Dr. Wample 
continued his education at the University of Calgary in Calgary, 
Alberta, Canada, where he earned his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology. His 
teaching career began while in Calgary; while completing his Ph.D. he 
was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University.
  After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Wample served as a Postgraduate Scholar 
for the National Research Council of Canada. In 1976, he moved to 
southern California to take an Associate Professor of Botany position 
with California State University, Fullerton. After two years, he moved 
to Washington State University where he was an Associate Professor of 
Horticulture and Assistant Horticulturist for nine years. In 1993, he 
became a Professor, Horticulturist and Viticulturist for the Department 
of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Washington State 
University. In 2000, Dr. Wample found his way to California State 
University, Fresno. Over the past nine years, he has served as the 
Julio Gallo Chair and Director of the Viticulture and Enology Research 
Center, as well as the Chair of the Department of Viticulture and 
Enology.
  Prior to Dr. Wample joining CSU Fresno, the viticulture and enology 
had been operating independently of each other for fifty years. Under 
his leadership, the two programs were merged together to become the 
first California State University to combine the two research and 
academic programs. The merge has had great success, including the 
recognition of CSU Fresno as a global agricultural education 
prominence. Further, during Dr. Wample's tenure, the program has raised 
well over five hundred thousand dollars in industry funding for the 
research programs.
  Dr. Wample has served on a number of committees for the departments 
and colleges he has worked in. He has served on the Washington State 
Animal Damage Control Advisory Board, the Washington Agriculture and 
Forestry Leadership Selection Committee, the W-130/WRCC-17, organizing 
committee for the International Symposium on Nitrogen in Grapes and 
Wine, the National Grapevine Importation Program and he served as the 
co-chairman of the committee for the International Symposium on Wine 
Grape Irrigation. He is also involved with the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science, American Society of Plant Physiology, 
American Society of Horticulture Science, American Society of Enology 
and Viticulture and the Northwest Chapter of the American Society of 
Enology and Viticulture. Dr. Wample's civic and community membership 
includes Rotary International, Prosser Wine and Food Fair Committee, 
Advisor to the Prosser Economic Development Association and United Good 
Neighbors.
  Dr. Wample has been involved with, and led numerous research 
projects, including research on specific physiological responses of a 
plant and agricultural advancements in machinery and irrigation. He has 
spoken at many seminars and given many presentations. Dr. Wample is 
published in well over two hundred journals, books, magazines, reports, 
abstracts, papers and publications.
  For his activities, inside the university and the community, Dr. 
Wample has been widely honored. He has been honored by the American 
Society of Enology and Viticulture, the International Symposium of 
Nitrogen in Grapes and Wine, the Second International Symposium on 
Climate Viticulture, International Conference on Crop Productivity and 
the National Research Council of Canada.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Dr. Robert 
Wample upon his retirement from California State University, Fresno. I 
invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Dr. Wample many years of 
continued success.

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