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2008 Women's History Month Poster Winning Author

Ruth Book
State Conservation Engineer

Ruth joined NRCS in September, 2000, as an Agricultural Engineer in Champaign, Illinois.  Since that time, she has worn a series of NRCS hats, from area engineering to administration of Farm Bill programs, and is now the State Conservation Engineer in Illinois.  Exploring different opportunities is nothing new, though.  Ruth worked for 10 years in the hydraulics industry in Kansas and Minnesota, engineering control valves for farm and construction machinery.  After some time away from her career to support her young family during moves to Michigan and Illinois, she did a stint in academia, earning a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering.  Ruth enjoys the outdoor aspect of her new NRCS career, and the opportunity to help achieve the agency's conservation mission.