Dr. Gerrit:
My deep condolence to you and your graduate student McNair Bostic and his family on his tragic demise.
Regards,
Kishore Sherchand
Gerrit Hoogenboom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
DSSAT Listserv Members:
Sadly, I am informing all of you that one of our graduate students,
McNair Bostick, passed away one week ago, on August 28, 2006. Many of
you knew him personally and others through his work. He and his
co-workers developed the data sharing component on the ICASA web site.
He also has contributed strongly to the recent development and
evaluation of DSSAT components, particularly those related to ET,
soil water balance, and plant phosphorus. I was Chair of his PhD
Committee. In his PhD research, he developed ways to integrate crop
and/or soil models with observations to improve estimates of soil
carbon and changes in soil carbon over time. He and co-workers
published one paper on this recently and he has completed another one
that we will submit and publish. He would have completed his PhD
degree in December of this year, and was considering various options
for post doc or academic/research positions in the USA and abroad.
For those of you who
knew him through his research and through contacts in my lab or at
ASABE or ASA meetings, you may not know that he was also very active
in his community, serving as mayor of the student housing facilities.
The outpouring of love and admiration for him has been very
impressive, clearly indicating the quality of person he was at work,
in his family life, and in his social life. His wife (Carmen) and son
(Luca, 9 months old) will miss him so much, so please keep them in
your thoughts and prayers. He accomplished a lot during his short
life, and was truly an emerging star in our research area. During the
past week, I have also met and interacted with his parents (Welch and
Sara Jane Bostick, his sister (Julie), and Carmen's parents from
Spain. They will also miss him so much.
I will always remember McNair and hope that his life and
accomplishments will serve as models for other graduate students to
follow. I have included below additional information that was sent
out to many people and his obituary from the local newspaper. We will
soon post this information and a picture on the ICASA Web Site.
McNair's family is asking that donations be sent in his memory from
all who wish to do so. They have chosen two different options, the
University of Florida Foundation (to honor McNair through our
department) or to help pay his son's college education. Details are as follows:
1. The Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department,
c/o The University of Florida Foundation, Inc., PO Box
14425;Gainesville, FL 32604-2425. Please mention the McNair Bostick
Memorial on your checks to the ABE department/UF Foundation so that
those funds can be used to commemorate McNair in some way (such as
scholarship).
2. The education fund for his son, Luca, at: Bank of
America,Private Bank,
101 North Main Street; Greenville, SC 29601, FBO Luca Bostick-Valero
Education Fund.
The family will be informed of all donations, and they will
appreciate your contributions to McNair's memory.
Sincerely,
Jim Jones
James W. Jones
Distinguished Professor
Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department
University of Florida
PO Box 110570, 289 Frazier Rogers Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Tele: (352) 392-1864 ext 289
Fax: (352) 392 4092
Other statements about McNair
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Crop Modeling and Simulation Laboratory at the University of
Florida lost an outstanding PhD student and friend, McNair Bostick.
He would have graduated this December with his PhD degree in
Agricultural and Biological Engineering. McNair was riding his
bicycle toward home on Sunday, August 27, when an automobile struck
him from behind. McNair was in the bike lane wearing a helmet, but
the driver of the automobile was apparently distracted and drove into
the bike lane striking McNair from
behind. He was severely injured but awake when the ambulance took him
to Shands Hospital on the University of Florida campus.
Unfortunately, his injuries were too severe and the doctors could not
stop all of the internal bleeding. We are all devastated by this
loss, and our thoughts and prayers remain with his wonderful family.
He was married to Carmen Valero-Aracama and he also leaves behind
their 9-month old son Luca Bostick-Valero.
McNair had a huge impact on the University of Florida in the Crop
Modeling and Simulation Laboratory, working under Dr. James W. Jones.
He excelled in his studies and research, and he was loved and
respected by all students and faculty who knew him. He was always
giving support to new students and visitors in the lab and also was
one of the most respected residents of student housing, providing
leadership in both places. His research focused on the integration of
crop and soil models with field and remote sensing measurements for
assessing crop production and soil carbon benefits to farmers and
society. He was truly one of the emerging stars in this area of
research. His untimely and tragic death leaves a big void in many
lives and in our profession.
McNair's family is asking that donations be sent in his memory from
all who wish to do so. They have chosen two different options:
1. The Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, c/o The
University of Florida Foundation, Inc., PO Box 14425;Gainesville, FL
32604-2425. Please mention the McNair Bostick Memorial on your checks
to the ABE department/UF Foundation so that those funds can be used
to commemorate McNair in some way (such as scholarship).
2. The education fund for his son, Luca, at: Bank of America,
Private Bank, 101 North Main Street; Greenville, SC 29601, FBO Luca
Bostick-Valero Education Fund.
Below is the obituary from the Sunday, September 3, 2006 paper.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welch McNair Bostick, III, age 34, died at Shands Hospital in
Gainesville, Florida on August 28, 2006. His death resulted from
injuries received in a bicycle accident. McNair was born in
Charlotte, NC, grew up in Greenville, SC and was a member of the
Greenville ARP Church.
McNair was a student in the Department of Agriculture and Biological
Engineering at the University of Florida and would have received his
doctorate later this year. He completed his Bachelor Degree and
Masters Degree in Agricultural Engineering at Clemson University,
graduating with honors. He also did post-graduate work at Chiba
University in Matsudo, Japan. During his time at the University of
Florida, he served as mayor in resident housing at University Village South.
McNair was a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend to many.
He was passionate about his work at the university and spending time
with his family. His hobbies included gardening, cycling and underwater hockey.
He is survived by his wife, Carmen Valero Aracama, and nine-month old
son, Luca Bostick-Valero of Gainesville, FL; his parents, Welch and
Sara Jane Bostick of Greenville, SC; and sister, Julie Elizabeth
Bostick of Boone, NC. A memorial service was held on Wednesday August
30th in the Bamboo Garden at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in
Gainesville. A service will be held in his memory in the Greenville,
SC area at a later time.
Memorials may be sent to: The Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Department, c/o The University of Florida Foundation, Inc., PO Box
14425;Gainesville, FL 32604-2425; or to the education fund for his
son, Luca, at: Bank of America, Private Bank, 101 North Main Street;
Greenville, SC 29601, FBO Luca Bostick-Valero Education Fund.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.
|
