Fresno State’s Plant Science Club is the recipient of the President’s Trophy given by the organization Students of Agronomy, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (SASES).

Oct. 19-24, club members attended the SASES international meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sarah Alatorre, a senior plant science major, was awarded the Golden Opportunity Fellowship, through the Golden Opportunity Institute. The institute was developed by the Crop Science Society of America, which is funded through the Agronomic Science Foundation.­ Alatorre was awarded the fellowship based on her achievement and interest in crop and soil science.

The trophy competition required each club to give a five minute speech about the goals and achievements of their organization.

“The presentation that they did was really very touching,” said agronomy professor Bruce Roberts. “It focused on the ‘Discovery, Diversity and Distinction’ of the Plant Science Club.”

Roberts said this theme not only highlighted the club’s student diversity, but it also showcased the fact that each student participates in extracurricular projects. Some of these projects are focused on independent scientific research.­ Such projects include studies on herbicide affects on tomatoes and the bio-fuel crops.

Ten universities competed in the Speech competition. These included Kansas State University,

University of Illinois, Colorado State University (Fort Collins), Oklahoma State University, Purdue University, North Carolina State University, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Fresno State, Iowa State University, Texas A&M University.

Alatorre said Texas A&M University won the last three years in a row.

As of last year, the Plant Science Club has organized several community service projects. All projects use the produce grown by club members. This fall the club donated pumpkins it had grown to a haunted house operated by United Cerebral Palsy.

The Plant Science Club has been active at Fresno State since 2006.