Online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences
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The Online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences (OMALS), http://www.cals.vt.edu/online/, is uniquely positioned to meet the evolving and dynamic needs of today’s agricultural professionals. The program offers concentrations in the areas of agribusiness, applied animal behavior and welfare, applied nutrition and physical activity, education, environmental science, food safety and biosecurity, and leadership studies, as well as plant science and pest management. In addition to engaging classes, students benefit from the opportunity to work on-on-one with well-respected faculty in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to complete a rigorous final project, using what they've learned and developing real-world research and communication skills. This collection showcases final projects completed by current and former OMALS students.
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- 4-H Agent Longevity and Youth Participation and Perception: A Case StudyRansdell, Leona P. (Virginia Tech, 2018-12-13)This study examined the influence of the 4-H agent and how the length of time an agent is employed in a community affects the perception of the quality and visibility of the 4-H program based on the theory of Positive Youth Development. The objective of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the length of time an agent has been employed in a county and what effect, if any, it has on the perceptions of the youth ages 14-19 that are enrolled in the 4-H program. A total of 138 youth participated in the survey from 21 different counties in Virginia. The study found the positive influence of the 4-H agent in a county and the 4-H program and that these employees are an important part of a youth’s 4-H career. Further research is needed to determine the time at which agents begin to make significant impact on the youth enrolled in their county programs. Programmatic recommendations include conducting a more in depth needs assessment including agents in the 8-11 year employment range and outside stakeholders.
- 4-H Presentation Contest in Homeschool Learning: A Case StudyEstep, Taylor (Virginia Tech, 2021-03-08)The purpose of this project is to determine why homeschool teachers in Tazewell County, Virginia support and implement the Virginia 4-H presentations program and what potential life skills are learned by students. The theoretical framework for this study was the Experiential Learning Theory and Model. A qualitative case study was developed to determine why teachers utilize the contest and what potential life skills they feel students learn. The participants of this study were two Tazewell County homeschool teachers that implemented the program and subsequent contest each year with students. Teachers participated in a pre and post-interview that was audio recorded and transcribed. Themes that emerged included potential life skills learned and provided a better understanding as to why this contest has been supported for over 25 years. Recommendations from the research include conducting a similar study throughout the state to examine a larger sample. Practitioner recommendations include introducing new ways to implement the contest into teacher’s educational curriculum and share other teachers’ rubrics and lesson plans for this contest. Both would be beneficial in creating a more universal contest.
- The Academic Experience of African-American Male Student-AthletesHill, Ahmed (Virginia Tech, 2019-12-09)This paper explores the academic experience of former African-American student-athletes who have graduated from Virginia Tech. Student-athletes choose to attend college for many different reasons and once enrolled, they often face challenges such as time management. Academic support centers have developed throughout the country at various institutions to assist student-athletes with the academic challenges that they may face. Through interviews with former student-athletes, this paper was developed to answer two research questions: What experiences have positively impacted African-American male student-athletes’ academic success and graduation? And, what support initiatives and/or programs have student-athlete support offices implemented at Virginia Tech to support African-American male student-athletes? Seven former student-athletes were interviewed in this study and results show that the majority of those interviewed chose to attend Virginia Tech to play basketball and to receive a strong education. The biggest challenge faced by student-athletes was time management. The most utilized resources were: academic advisors, professors, tutoring, and relationships with coaches, teammates, and others. All of the student-athletes interviewed had a positive experience at Virginia Tech and were pleased with their decision to obtain a degree. In terms of the programming for African-Americans, common themes were that they did not want to be stereotyped. Implications and recommendations based on this research include continuing to support the African-American student-athlete population by developing relationships with them.
- Agritourism Safety in VirginiaPreisser, Afton (Virginia Tech, 2017-11-17)Safety is a concern for agritourism venues because an operating farm may expose visitors to many unfamiliar conditions, situations, and/or animals, which opens the farm operation to potential liability risks during these interactions. The purpose of this research was to review current safety protocols on Virginia agritourism operations and seek information that was needed to improve for the future. Based on a survey sent to Virginia operators, numerous areas were identified which would benefit from further education and risk management information. Insurance offerings tailored to agritourism operations are needed, in addition to improved employee screening and training for operations management. The survey found that 25.24% of responses do not do any type of pre-employment screening while over 7% do not participate in walkthroughs before events. The purpose of this research was to document specific protocols already in place, identify, and describe critical areas of improvement for Virginia agritourism event, venue, and visitor safety practices.
- Alternative Control Methods for Verticillium wilt: A Literature ReviewWashburn, Morgan (Virginia Tech, 2018-11-30)Verticillium wilt (V.albo-atrum and V.dahiae) is a soil-borne fungus that is causing economic losses and lower yields for farmers across the country. The disease has a wide host range and can live in the soil without a host for a decade or more. Finding effective and reasonable control methods has been difficult for some industries. Some methods such as sanitation, chemical application and crop rotation have not been completely effective at suppressing or eliminating the disease. Alternative control methods have been researched and tested, with some completely eliminating the disease, but these methods have to be continuously implemented and monitored in order for them to be effective. This literature review investigated the availability of scientific research on effective alternative control methods for Verticillium wilt. Potential effective alternative control methods were identified, including anaerobic soil disinfection, soil solarization, broccoli incorporation, mustard incorporation, compost and green manure. Further research is needed to fill knowledge gaps related to successful implementation of these controls in suppressing or eliminating Verticillium wilt.
- An Analysis of Influencing factors and logjams in the Existing Vegetable Value Chain in Waling, NepalBaral, Govinda R.; Friedel, Curtis R.; Alwang, Jeffrey R.; Westfall-Rudd, Donna M. (Virginia Tech, 2016-05-02)Nepal is known for its three unique topographical regions: Mountain, Hill, and Terai. Since the Himalayan range is cold and damp and therefore unable to produce vegetables, most of the agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, cereal crops, coffee, and tea are grown in Hilly and Terai regions. Waling, a city located in the hilly district of Syangja, has engaged in high production of vegetables. Its residents have embraced the production and marketing of vegetables as their main source of income generation. Despite the economic potentiality of vegetables, famers have been unsuccessful in garnering maximum benefits. The vegetable value chain, which ranges from conception to consumption, is affected by numerous factors that have generated obstacles in maximizing benefits and minimizing risks. Hence, the objective of this study was to analyze the influencing factors and log jams in the existing vegetable value chain through famers’ interviews, focus group discussion, and consultation with farmers’ groups, institutions, and individuals through phenomenological study. The study identified lack of effective technologies for packaging of grown vegetables, frequent price fluctuation, poor group management, and unavailability of quality seeds as the log jams of this value chain. In order to reduce and possibly eliminate these log jams, agricultural professionals should develop packaging methods using cardboard boxes and plastic carets that are readily available in the markets of major cities of Nepal, coordinate farmers and wholesalers during the product flowing process, and establish a cold store to preserve products and maintain quality.
- Analysis of Soil Tests: Nutrients and Soil Properties to Help Farmers Improve Management PracticesMotley, Natalie M. (Virginia Tech, 2020-05-11)Soil nutrients and properties are the foundation of plant growth and our health. The basis of our soil starts with its texture. Soil texture impacts infiltration rate and cation exchange capacity; which in turn affects water and nutrient availability in plants. Analysis of soil nutrients and properties is imperative for effectively managing adequate soil levels and helping prevent excessive amounts of fertilizer applications. While research studies were conducted to analyze specific nutrients, these studies do not provide farmers the importance of certain nutrients and soil testing on specific farmland parcels. This research study identified soil texture for three parcels of farmland in Dewitt County, Illinois, described soil sampling methodology used, and trends of periodic testing results. Analysis of the soil testing results was compared to recommended optimal soil test values. Key nutrients that were analyzed were phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, as well as pH and organic matter content. Management practices were also assessed. Most test results identified nutrients within the optimum values. Where there were slight variations, effective management of fertilizer applications were applied. Variable rate technology was used to spread fertilizers specifically to field locations in need. Management practices, including crop rotation, were used and based on soil test results, farmers were able to maintain a critical balance of adequate soil nutrients. Further, based on pH soil test results, farmers applied a liming program to regain optimal pH levels for annual crop production. While the organic matter content on one of the three parcels had declined below the Illinois average level, the other two parcels remained within the average range. Maintaining soil nutrient levels through periodic and consistent soil testing is paramount to help farmers more efficiently use limited resources for protecting the soil quality for future generations.
- An awareness guideline on consumer food safety in SurinameZweevel, Mayra C. (Virginia Tech, 2021-12-01)The Nationaal Instituut voor Voedselveiligheid Suriname (NIVS) which is established in the context of general food safety and protecting consumers from dangers associated with all foods sold in Suriname, gives the opportunity to develop food safety rules, regulation and raise awareness on topics regarding food safety. One opportunity of this Institute is to create awareness among the consumers who are part of the food supply chain (known as the farm to fork continuum). Historical data show that Suriname is not excluded from foodborne illness. The goal of this project and report was to educate consumers in Suriname on food safety best practices. To the authors knowledge, no reports were found on consumers food safety behavior and knowledge in Suriname. Therefore, these guidelines were developed to educate consumers on food safety behavior, and also food safety best practices based on different international prior studies. These food safety best practices are described under several different topics related to consumer behavior and food handling.
- A Beginning Farmer and Rancher Community Learning Network in the Greater Richmond Area: Program Development and Initial EvaluationMaxwell, Charlotte H. (Virginia Tech, 2017-07-17)The mission of the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition (VBFRC) Program for Greater Richmond is to develop programming that fits the needs of beginning farmers in the area. This project initially focused on Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover and Powhatan residents and contributed to the larger statewide initiative. The developed program reaches more counties in the Greater Richmond area and continues to contribute to the statewide initiative. The initial mission of this project was to introduce the participants to the VBFRC Whole Farm Planning curriculum, conduct a needs assessment and create a plan of action to address those needs. The initial mission was accomplished through two whole farm planning classes and a third meeting where the beginning farmers participated in a needs assessment discussion and created an action plan to meet their needs. Participants were able to voice their opinions on which needs to prioritize and what events they want to hold in the future. The secondary mission will be to develop a learning community with new farmers and established farmers in the area. The secondary mission does not have a set end time as we will work to connect farmers together in this community-learning network. This project resulted in a program for the participants based on their input with the Extension agent serving as an event facilitator. The whole farm planning classes were evaluated through a paper survey and interviews, the needs assessment and action plan were created through discussion. The Social Exchange Theory was selected as the theoretical framework for this program. In order for the community-learning network to work, a beneficial social exchange will need to be present. The results of the surveys, interviews and needs assessment are being used to inform the program and The development of this program and its evaluation helps to strengthen the agricultural community as well as increase programming offered specifically for beginning farmers by the local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices.
- A Business Plan for a Norton Vineyard to be Established in VirginiaSheldon, David R. (Virginia Tech, 2016-06-27)This report specifically addresses the work and moneys required to set up from ground zero a vineyard totally devoted to raising Norton grapes to meet market need. It provides the thought process to determining a financially feasible vineyard, exhibits a year-to-year cash flow and income analysis as the vineyard reaches maximum revenue potential, and offers the information in a Business Plan format so that outside viewers can make their own objective conclusion regarding the profit potential of such a venture.
- Capacity Building for Fundraising Coordinators: A Model for Increasing Rural Community EngagementAtkins, Robin W. (Virginia Tech, 2017-09-15)The purpose of this project was to develop a how-to manual for coordination of fundraisers in rural communities using Newport, Virginia as a model case. In preparation for the development of the manual, 78 adults in the Newport community completed a three-part survey on trends in volunteer characteristics, reasons for volunteering, and volunteering outcomes. The results showed that the motivators were based on factors involving the volunteer as a person and others, and were not reported as impacted by any demographic differences. The volunteer outcomes were shown to be based on the participants making a worthy contribution, and thinking fundraising is necessary to a viable community. After the completion of the manual, a draft was sent to five panelists who have helped organize comparable fundraisers. Recommendations were made to conduct a follow-up survey or interview with participants from a specific fundraiser in Newport in three to six months after the how-to manual has been implemented into the community. This will assess whether or not the manual is a viable tool in organizing the fundraisers and assess how the manual is being used, expand volunteer opportunities to include more visibility and coordination with local high schools and community colleges who offer a tuition-waiver education in exchange for community service hours, and create a “Community Engagement” fund that would provide need-based funds to community members in exchange for community service.
- Career Development for Teens Through the Southern Virginia Workforce Readiness and Preparedness SummitDolan, Amanda M. (Virginia Tech, 2019-08-30)A 2019 needs assessment distributed by the Pittsylvania County unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension indicates that professional development is among the top five priority issues for youth in the county. Despite an economics and personal finance course being a requirement for all Virginia public high school students, youth still do not receive adequate exposure to the elements of career readiness before graduation. Using the experiential learning model as the foundation, this project aims to immerse high school students in a non-traditional classroom environment to learn and develop soft skills such as a proper handshake, the importance of eye contact when communicating, the value of networking, and a general overview of proper etiquette. Additional project goals include teaching students how to write resumes and cover letters, how to prepare for a variety of interview styles, and how to present themselves as polished professionals. An evaluation of this program indicated that participants feel more prepared for their futures/careers, know what to expect in an interview, know how to write a resume, have improved their communication skills, and have learned how to dress professionally.
- A Case Study Investigating Skill Development Through 4-H Livestock ProjectsRomano, Timothy (Virginia Tech, 2018-06-19)The purpose of this project is to determine what important skills youth gain from participating in 4-H livestock projects. This goal was important not only to 4-H, but to Cooperative Extension as an organization. The theoretical framework for this study was Richard Lerner’s Positive Youth Development (PYD). The participants of this study are all 4-Hers who participated in 4-H livestock projects. A qualitative case study was developed to determine what skills youth gained through livestock projects. A total of five youth participated in the research interviews. Responses to interview questions proved that there are important skills gained from livestock projects. A follow up interview with each participant would be beneficial to gain more detail on benefits that are gained through livestock projects.
- Clipping Heifer Hair Coats Can Briefly Reduce Fescue Toxicosis SymptomsBeard, Christopher T.; Pent, Gabriel J.; Swecker, Terry; Abaye, Azenegashe Ozzie (Virginia Tech, 2022-11-10)A substantial challenge for many beef cattle producers is developing beef heifers into mature, productive cows in a timely and profitable manner. At the Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SVAREC), fall-born replacement heifer candidates are artificially inseminated (AI) in December at 14-15 months of age with a target weight of 350-380 kg. Achieving this level of weight gain through the summer months has been difficult due to heat stress and the utilization of toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue. Tall fescue is the predominant species of forage found at SVAREC. The purpose of this project was to determine if clipping the hair coats of beef heifers would reduce the heat stress that the heifers experience during the summer months. Heifer hair coats were scored in the spring when they were approximately 9 months old and had an average weight of 200 kg in year one and 256 kg in year two. Heifers were scored on a five-point ranked scale, with a score of 1 indicating complete shedding of hair and a score of 5 indicating that no shedding has occurred. Heifers with a hair coat score of 4 or 5 were utilized for this project. The selected group of heifers scoring a hair coat score of 4 or 5 (32 in year one and 23 in year two) were randomly assigned to a control cohort and a clipped cohort. The heifers in the clipped treatment group were sheared with variable speed clippers along the body of the heifer, but not from under the belly or along the legs. Heifer hair coats were scored again at the end of the study on day 113. Vaginal temperature loggers were used to record core body temperatures every ten minutes during several sampling periods. At the conclusion of these 16-week trials, most of the control heifers retained their hair coats while the heifers that had been clipped regrew their hair coats. There was significant period by treatment interaction for the response of heifer average daily gains to clipping (P=0.0002). Average daily gains of the clipped heifers (0.4 kg/day) exceeded the average daily gains of the control heifers (0.1 kg/day) only in the first four-week period of each year (P<0.0001), but there were no differences in total seasonal average daily gain (0.3 kg/day; P=0.1631). There was significant treatment by hour interaction in the analysis of heifer vaginal temperatures (P<0.0001), with clipped heifers cooler than control heifers through most of the night and morning hours, but not in the afternoon. In conclusion, clipping heifers resulted in only short-term benefits to weight gains for heifers stocked on toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures, but clipping did result in reduced core body temperatures throughout the summer months. Additional work could explore the effects of clipping heifers at regular intervals during periods of high temperatures and humidity, such as at monthly intervals.
- College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS) Faculty Professional Development Resource: Best Practices for Teaching at a DistanceLouvet, Matthew F. Sr. (Virginia Tech, 2021-05-11)Professional development is a necessary component of most jobs and professions. University faculty members who teach in online or hybrid environments need professional development to improve their teaching, stay current with new technologies, and to interact with students in online environments. Universities are responsible to provide professional development for their faculty. This includes materials and information to assist them in being prepared to teach in an online environment. Professional development can be focused to a departmental or college level providing examples and training for faculty members to use and adopt. Communities of practice will form and grow from the sharing of examples and ideas. Having a single location for faculty to receive professional development, look up basic pedagogical knowledge, adopt templates and share ideas while staying abreast of technological best practices is an ideal situation. A resource was developed and structured to house the knowledge and information which supports the faculty, the administration and ultimately the students. This work examined the components of adult learning theory and instructional design theory together to create a single source location which if utilized supports the faculty with the knowledge and skills to set up and maintain a distance learning course. Interviewed instructors and administrators stated the resource would do what it was intended. Recommendations include additional text and video support for accessibility and further information chunking.
- Conducting an Outcome Evaluation of Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Kids’ Marketplace CurriculumWalden, Alyssa (Virginia Tech, 2019-08-08)Statement of the Problem: In 2003, Heather Greenwood, an Extension Agent within Virginia Cooperative Extension, created the Kids’ Marketplace curriculum. Since that time, the materials have undergone one revision in 2015 and have been used statewide in educating youth on financial literacy. The current curriculum includes an evaluation tool that asks participants to choose “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” to several questions surrounding whether or not they learned a specific skill or completed certain tasks within the program. While this information has consistently been used to create statewide impact statements, the questions asked of students are not correlated with the stated program objectives in a meaningful way and cannot show whether the program is teaching youth the desired outcomes.
- Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Cheese Brines: A Literature ReviewHoffman, Mary (Virginia Tech, 2018-05-03)Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono.) is a top pathogen of concern in the cheese industry. The organism is prevalent in the environment and has been known to inhabit dairy manufacturing facilities, including long-term survival in brine tanks. Along with good hygiene and sanitation practices, validated L. mono. control methods must be employed to ensure extended-use brine tanks do not become reservoirs for Listeria monocytogenes, potentially leading to serious health issues in cheese consumers. Control methods considerations include L. mono. cells in suspension, cells attached to protective biofilms, and effectiveness in the presence of organic matter. This literature review investigated the availability of scientific research on effective control methods for Listeria monocytogenes in cheese brines. Research on L. mono. control in other applicable areas was considered where information related specifically to cheese brine environments was not found. Potential effective control methods were identified, including membrane filtration and oxidizing agents such as peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Further research is needed to fill knowledge gaps related to successful implementation of these controls in cheese brines.
- Creating a Universal 4-H Non-Ownership Livestock Project Record Book to Capture Impacts of Increased Agriculture Literacy and Life Skill DevelopmentWright, Carly; Scherer, Hannah H.; Carter, Katherine; Bonnett, Erika (Virginia Tech, 2021-04-30)
- Designing a Return to Activity Protocol for a Proximal Hamstring Rupture in a Collegiate Heptathlete: A Case StudyLocus, Alaina; Williams, Jay H.; Anderson, Angela S.; Speicher, Logan (Virginia Tech, 2021-04-20)There are few return-to-activity protocols and functional tests specifically designed for a proximal hamstring rupture for athletic trainers to follow when clearing an athlete for return to activity. To address this problem, the purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate a return to activity protocol that includes functional testing for a post-surgical proximal hamstring rupture to assess readiness for return to activity. This case study collected data from a 20-year-old, 6ft 2in, 185lb (87.9 kg) collegiate heptathlete that ruptured his proximal hamstring that required surgical treatment. The student athlete’s (SA) return to activity process is evaluated and explained. The SA went through numerous function tests to determine return to activity status. The first testing session was conducted 8 months post-surgery. He was then re-assessed 4 months later. During testing, the SA also wore accelerometers to gather more quantitative data to identify gait abnormalities due to the injury. The first round of testing revealed greater strength in his left (affected) leg compared to his right (unaffected) leg. The SA was not able to complete all the tests during the first round of testing due to muscular fatigue and soreness, suggesting low muscular endurance at that point in time. Thus, he was not cleared to return to activity and continued to do rehabilitation exercises to increase the endurance of the hamstring muscles. The second round of testing was completed 4 months later which revealed that he had gained endurance in the hamstring muscles and his strength had increased. At this point, he was cleared for full return to activity. This return-to-activity protocol with specific functional tests could serve as a template for other athletic trainers who are seeking to return an athlete to full activity after suffering a proximal hamstring rupture (See Appendix I).
- Developing a Qualitative Needs Assessment Tool to be Used by the Cooperative Extension Professional Working with Beef ProducersWesner, Courtney G. (Virginia Tech, 2022-12-10)Cooperative Extension professionals have long relied heavily on a needs assessment approach to lay the foundation for the creation of educational opportunities that are both applicable and pertinent in meeting the historically assumed goals of increased profitability and sustainability in agriculture production. Utilization of a formalized needs assessment approach has the proven potential to be utilized by the Extension agent in the development of understanding with clientele; along with ultimately serving to assist in the identification of needs that are specific to the individual communities in which agents serve. Educational programming and resource allocation plans can then be developed, post needs assessment, with mind to the specific needs identified as a result of the process. Traditional needs assessments can be carried out through a multitude of mediums; to include surveying, interviews, advisory committees, focus groups, community forums, the use of existing data, and any multitude of mixing and matching of the aforementioned. Regardless of the chosen medium, the true value of needs assessment for Extension programming relies on its ability to successfully identify stakeholder needs, and to be empowered with the necessary information to design programs, products, and services to ultimately meet those needs (Garst & McCawley, 2015). Through the identification of agricultural producers’ goals and production limitations, the Extension agent is armed and empowered with information that is necessary in the creation of successful agriculture education program design and the further development of services provided within their communities. It remains important for Extension agents to be able to “meet clients where they are at.” Feelings, goals, and production limitations have significant potential to stand as limiting factors to educational uptake, if not addressed, in programming that has been historically centered around increased profitability and sustainability. Without identifying producer goals, motivation, and addressing limiting factors to production within education, the Extension professional may face challenges in terms of programmatic impact and buy-in. An educator must exhibit considerable objectivity in working with public and they sometimes tend to assume they know what is best for their clientele (Boone et al., 2002). Increased profitability and sustainability seem to be the low-hanging, easily identifiable need of agriculture education; however, this historical belief may not be the case for the majority of contemporary program participants. If nothing else, this assumption is worth investigation by the contemporary Extension professional who has the ultimate goal of meeting current needs within a contemporary clientele base. The ever-changing agricultural climate and an aging agriculture producer pool make it all the more important for contemporary Extension professionals to be proficient at identifying the current needs of agriculture producers in the geographic area that they serve. The purpose of this project is to create a replicable, easily applied methodology that can be used to assess the educational needs of beef producers throughout Central Virginia. Locality based needs will primarily be determined by the identification of producer identified operational goals and the limitations that producers face in meeting those personal operational goals via interview. The information collected during the producer centered interviews will then be evaluated for key, repeatable themes and eventually have the capability to be applied by local Extension professionals to determine educational focus; ultimately determining and affecting local, available Extension resource application. This project successfully identified both beef producer goals and the specific production limitations faced within a set locality and programmatic focus of Extension service. The project also served to produce a roadmap of determined importance for addressing both goals and limitations within educational programming, based upon the frequency of response within the saturated sample of project participants. The interview protocol and needs assessment approach developed through this specific project shows the potential to benefit both beginning career Extension agents, as well as long term career agents, in the tasks of identification and prioritization of addressed educational topics, resource allocation, and relationship building within a community. The project shed light on the importance of providing specialized educational resources and how Extension can better serve a contemporary clientele base moving forward.