My sincere condolences to the crop modelling family
world wide for the loss of young and promising
modeller.

Michael

--- "William W. W. Wong" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Dear Dr Gerrit,
>
> Am saddened and sorry to hear about this tragic loss
> of a brilliant fellow
> in the field of crop modelling.
>
> My deepest condolence to his family and God Bless
>
>
> William
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gerrit Hoogenboom" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 11:30 AM
> Subject: Tragic Loss of Crop Modeler/PhD Candidate
> at UF
>
>
> > 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] <mailto:[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
>
=== message truncated ===


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