January 10, 2005

Lym Selected 2004 Communicator of the Year

Rod Lym is the 2004 Communicator of the Year, as selected by the North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication Department and members of the North Dakota Association for Communication Excellence. Lym is a professor and assistant chair in Plant Sciences.

In some circles, Lym is known as “Mr. Spurge.” He gained that reputation by working to control leafy spurge for the past 25 years. Lym came to NDSU in 1979 to do post-doctorate work and has been at the university ever since.

Lym’s publications are always in demand. For example, North Dakota Noxious and Troublesome Weeds is a popular for-sale publication. He was a co-author for the Weeds of the West second edition, a popular weed guide used throughout the region. More than 120,000 copies have been sold. He also has authored or co-authored several other publications, including:

• Perennial and Biennial Thistle Control
• Leafy Spurge Identification and Control
• The Thistles of North Dakota
• Identification and Control of Purple Loosestrife
• Know Your Knapweeds
• Leafy Spurge Control Using Flea Beetles
• Yellow Starthistle Identification and Control
• Saltcedar Identification and Control
• Dalmatian Toadflax and Yellow Toadflax Identification and Control
• The annual Weed Control Guide
• Identification and Control of Field Bindweed
• Absinth Wormwood Control
• Noxious Invaders of North Dakota (video)

Lym also co-authored a North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana publication called Leafy Spurge Biology, Ecology and Management and a USDA multistate publication titled Herbicide Control of Leafy Spurge.

Lym works with other faculty and staff to maintain a Web site, www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/weeds/, to keep producers updated on weed problems and solutions.

He is a member of the Weed Science Society of America, Western Society of Weed Science and the Society for Range Management. Lym earned his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Wyoming.

The Communicator of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has displayed exceptional expertise and professionalism in delivering educational programs and information to the public. Selection criteria include media/materials preparation and delivery, preferably using several types of media.

A luncheon in Lym’s honor will be at 11:45 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the Prairie Rose Room of the NDSU Memorial Union. In addition, Roger Johnson, North Dakota agriculture commissioner will speak about communication in the agriculture industry. The cost for the luncheon is $7 and can be purchased in Morrill Hall 7 or by calling (701) 231-7881.

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Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.edu

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