Management Assistant

Romulus Okoth Okwany

*** ****** **. *** ** Prosser, WA 99350 USA

Tel: 509-***-**** Fax: 509-***-**** Email: *********@*****.***

Design and Management Agricultural/Irrigation Engineer

Results-driven and well-organized technical professional who combines hands-on experience with a solid educational background in applied soil and water resources engineering.

Career Goal

1. Opportunity to develop academic training, interdisciplinary research skills and practical hands-on work in a challenging environment to contribute to growth and success in products and knowledge.

2. Develop a multidisciplinary systems approach towards understanding, explaining and managing the soil and water system of agriculture, environment and social-economic environment

Competencies

1. Irrigation and drainage systems design, installation, evaluation, management and maintenance

2. Control and management of non-point source pollution from agricultural production systems using natural and engineered systems

3. Soil-water-crop interactions

4. Watershed soil and water management

Professional Profile

15 years of professional and academic experience in soil and water management

Have handled large-scale project management duties with successful results

Have developed excellent technical training and technology transfer skills

Long-term professional and academic interests in irrigation and drainage systems, waste-water and sewage management, seed production and quality management

Refined communication skills through delivering training programs, handling internal/external communications and grant writing

Excellent supervisory and personnel management skills

Interdisciplinary relationship and work ethics

Academic and Professional Achievements

Successfully design, implementation and reporting of research studies at undergraduate and graduate levels resulting into project implementation

Managed and maintained landscape irrigation systems, Riverdale, Utah, USA, initiating procedures that cut operational costs for the company

Designed and supervised installation of a farmer-managed irrigation scheme covering 500 fields (1500 ha) and coordinated training work for the farmers in Ngashura/Nakuru, Kenya with consequent farm output increases of up to 150%

Employment History

Graduate Research Assistant, Washington State University, Prosser, WA (07/2007- 12/2011)

Irrigation system management and deficit irrigation studies for specialty oil crops (mint and canola) and biofuel feedstock (switch grass)

Managed the irrigation planning and scheduling for a research universal center pivot irrigation system for research plots of various crops

Prepared and presented extension materials in irrigation water and soil quality for sustainable agricultural production

Technical Assistant, Lake Basin Plumbing, Nakuru, Kenya (01/1996–04/2001)

Designed and installed domestic water and sewerage systems

Marketed and managed contractual services to clients through sales presentations leading to increased customer satisfaction

Supervised operation sites and managed the personnel achieving streamlined operations, increased efficiency and worker satisfaction

Technical Assistant, HydroSystems Consultants, Nakuru – Kenya (05/2000 – 06/2003)

Designed, marketed and installed small-scale drip and sprinkler irrigation systems for urban horticulture, home-gardening and small holder enterprises resulting to increased adoptions and market base

Advised and trained community farmer groups in management and operation of sprinkler and flood irrigation systems with consequent food production stabilization

Seed Production Assistant, Oil Crop Development Ltd. Nakuru, Kenya (04/2001 – 07/2003)

Planned and implemented parental and commercial seed production programs

Provided technical backup to the seed sales teams to enhance customer satisfaction

Coordinated the agronomic management of seed crop plantations’ operations

Spear-headed the development of a staff-management feedback system

Created and taught one-week seminars for quality targeted seed crop production for farmers

Education

Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA:

PhD. Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering, December 2011

Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA:

MSc. Irrigation Engineering, Dec. 2006

Certificate in Teaching Assistantship for International Students, August 2003

Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya:

BSc. Agricultural Engineering, Nov. 2000

Oil Crop Development Limited, Nakuru, Kenya:

In-house training in Project / Personnel Management, April 2001 – May 2003

Awards

Second Position Award; Graduate Student Poster Competition: Spring Runoff Conference, Utah State University, Logan Utah. March 27-28, 2006

First Runner-Up Award; Graduate Student Poster Award, Western Regional National Cooperative Soil Survey (WRCSS) / Western Society of Soil Science (WSSS) Conference, Park City, Utah. June 19-23, 2006.

Publications and Presentations

Okwany, R.O., T.R. Peters, K.L. Ringer, D.B. Walsh and M.R. Londono. 2011. Impact of sustained deficit irrigation on spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) biomass production, oil yield and oil quality. Journal of Irrigation Science Doi: 10.1007/s00271-011-0282-4

Okwany, R.O., T.R. Peters, R. Stevens, I.C. Burke, E.P. Fuerst, A.N. Hang and I.C Burke. 2011. Influence of irrigation and nitrogen on seed and oil yield of two winter canola cultivars. Journal of Applied Engineering in Agriculture (In Review)

Okwany, R.O. and T.R. Peters. 2011. Peppermint yield and quality response to line-source sprinkler irrigation in the semi-arid Pacific Northwest, USA. Journal of Agricultural Water Management (In Review)

Okwany, R.O., T.R. Peters, K.L. Ringer, D.B. Walsh, R. Stevens, A.N. Hang and J. Davenport. 2010. Evaluation of yield quantity and quality of two oil crops in the promotion of sustained deficit irrigation in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Proceedings of the 5Th Decennial National Irrigation Symposium. Phoenix AZ Dec. 5-8, 2010. ASABE, St. Joseph, MI.

Okwany, R.O., T.R. Peters and K.L. Ringer. 2009. Effect of sustained deficit irrigation on hay and oil yield of native spearmint (Mentha spicata L.). USCID 5th International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage, Irrigation and Drainage for food, energy and the environment. Salt Lake City, Utah Nov. 3-6, 2009.

Peters, T.R., R.O. Okwany, D.B. Walsh, R. Boydston, K.L. Ringer and R. Baker. 2009. Deficit irrigation of spearmint and peppermint. Washington Mint Commission: Mint growers’ research day and barbecue. June 1, 2010. IAREC - WSU, Prosser, WA

Peters, T.R. and R.O. Okwany. 2010. Sustained deficit irrigation as a feasible management strategy for growing mint. Washington Mint Commission: Mint growers’ research day and barbecue. June 2, 2009. IAREC - WSU, Prosser, WA

Okwany, R.O. T.R. Peters and D.B. Walsh. 2008. Yield and water use efficiency response of mint and alfalfa to sustained deficit irrigation. Proceedings of the Pacific Northwest Section of ASABE. Sept. 9-12, 2008. Boise, ID

Okwany, R.O., T.R. Peters, K.L. Ringer, D.B. Walsh, R.A. Boydston and R. Baker. 2008. Impact of sustained deficit irrigation on spearmint water usage and yield. Project report for the 2008 grant from the mint commission. Published in the proceedings of the U.S. Mint Commission Conference. Dec. 2008. Hawaii.

Okwany, R.O. and S.C. Fransen. 2011. Water Use and Irrigation Management of Switch Grass, Silage Corn and Sorghum for Biofuel Feedstock in the Arid Pacific Northwest USA. SWCS 66th International Annual Conference, July 17-20, 2011. Washington DC.

Posters

Okwany, R.O. and S.B. Jones. 2006. Water application rate determination for optimizing salt leaching in structured soils. Spring Runoff Conference, Utah State University, Logan Utah. March 27-28, 2006

Okwany, R.O. 2006. Water application rate determination for optimizing salt leaching in aggregated soils. Graduate Research Symposium, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. April 5, 2006.

Okwany, R.O. and S.B. Jones. 2006. Salt leaching optimization under the influence of water application rate in aggregated media. Western Regional National Cooperative Soil Survey (WRCSS) and Western Society of Soil Science (WSSS) conference, Park City, Utah. June 19-23, 2006.

Okwany, R.O., T.R. Peters, R. Stevens, J. Davenport and P. Fuerst. 2010. Canola seed and oil yields responses to deficit irrigation and different nitrogen levels. Poster presentation at the Washington State Bioenergy Research Symposium. Nov. 8, 2010. Seattle, WA

Okwany, R.O., and T.R. Peters. 2008. Mint and alfalfa yield and water use efficiency under sustained deficit irrigation. Poster presented at the USCID annual conference. USCID Annual Technical Conference. Sept. 17-20, 2008. Portland, OR.

Burke, I., P. Fuerst, S. Mattinson, R. Stevens, J. Davenport, T.R. Peters, R.O. Okwany, S. Guy, F. Young, and S. Hulbert. 2010. Oil content and quality analysis in Washington field oilseed samples. Poster presentation at the Washington State Bioenergy Research Symposium. Nov. 8, 2010. Seattle, WA

Affiliations and Activities

American Society of Agronomy, Member

Crop Science Society of America, Member

Soil Science Society of America, Member

U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Member

The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Member

Soil and Water Conservation Society, Member

American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Member

Irrigation Association, Member

President, African Students Association, Utah State University, 2004/5

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