ANSC graduates are Terps for life. This statue called "Outstanding in his Field" outside of Symons Hall is a reminder to all AGNR students to strive for greatness.
Image Credit: Edwin Remsberg
Many ANSC Terps have gone on to have long, successful careers. Here are four that have made a difference.
Kathy Hutson ‘71
serves as the director of human resources at the National Security Agency. In this capacity, she leads HR strategic planning and development, workforce planning and design, recruitment and staffing, employee HR services, occupational health and safety activities, deployment support and planning, and employee relations across the global NSA/ CSS enterprise.
Prior to being appointed to this position, Hutson was the chief of occupational health, environmental and safety services (OHESS) at NSA. As the chief, she was responsible for ensuring a safe workplace, healthy workforce and protection of the environment for ensuring a safe workplace, healthy workforce and protection of the environment for NSA operations located around the world. Before joining NSA, Hutson held a number of leadership positions at the Environmental Protection Agency focusing on federal facility compliance with environmental statuses.
She was also an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, serving as a technical consultant in support of the EPA’s Superfund cleanup program. In addition to her government contracting experience, Hutson was a senior project analyst for the architect and engineering firm of Bernard Johnson, Inc. While there, she worked on flood insurance studies, coastal and wetland assessments, and water treatment construction. Hutson graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s in Environmental Science and obtained a master’s from American University in the same discipline.
Dr. Ron Korcak ’73 & ’77
is the program coordinator of Water Stewardship, Inc. in Annapolis, a nonprofit dedicated to improving water quality through implementation and verification of continuous improvement programs in the food system, and improved policy effectiveness.
Dr. Korcak was the associate director of the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (ARS) from 1999 until his retirement in February 2008. He has a B.S. from Cornell University and a M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, all in soil science. Dr. Korcak spent his research career with ARS and started his administrative positions in 1993 as Research Leader of the Fruit Laboratory. Prior to his ARS positions he mapped soils for the Soil Conservation Service and served as a soils analyst in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His service with the Corps of Engineers included time in Vietnam.
Beverly Simmons ’76
is the Deputy Administrator for International Services (IS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In leading a 300-person staff domestically and overseas, she directs cooperative efforts with foreign governments to prevent the introduction of high-risk pests and diseases into the U.S. She is also responsible for protecting and expanding overseas markets for U.S. agricultural goods, supporting rural incomes and jobs. Simmons broadens APHIS’ safeguarding system by leading work in developing regions to improve their capacity to detect and respond to emerging pests and disease threats.
Previously in APHIS, Simmons served as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Emerging and International Programs of Biotechnology Regulatory Services. In that role, she was responsible for developing new programs and initiatives to meet the evolving nature of APHIS’ biotechnology regulatory framework, and for advancing its international objectives.
Before joining APHIS, she was the Assistant Deputy Administrator of the Office of Scientific and Technical Affairs of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In that role, Simmons led the agency’s efforts to develop strategic and tactical approaches to address technical, sanitary and phyto-sanitary barriers to agricultural trade. As director of the biotechnology group, she coordinated program and policy development for agricultural biotechnology trade-related issues. Other positions within FAS include Assistant Deputy Administrator for International Trade Policy and Assistant to the Deputy Administrator for Commodity and Marketing Programs. Simmons has also served as Agricultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in London. Simmons earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in business/marketing and agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Mauricio P. Vera ‘81
is serving as a member of the advisory board of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He is a career member of the Senior Executive Service and serves as the Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). From 2009 to 2011, Vera also served as Chair of the Federal OSDBU Directors Interagency Council. Previously, he managed the Small Business Program at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) where he was awarded the NRC’s Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his accomplishments in the small business program area. Other experience includes the establishment and management of the Smithsonian Institution’s Supplier Diversity Program. Vera holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Maryland and an MBA on Management, Finance, and Marketing from George Mason University.
