In This Issue:
Office of Global Programs
News & Events
Newsletter: Summer 2012
Special Announcements
Office of Global Programs Activities
Global Programs Hosts Visiting Scholar From Mexico
Dr. Francisco Mojarro, from the University of Zacatecas in Mexico, visited UGA from June 25-27 to present his research on support systems for the sustainability of the Calera aquifer in Zacatecas, Mexico. During his stay, Dr. Mojarro visited the horticulture farm and research plots with Dr. Juan Carlos Diaz Perez, Associate Professor, Horticulture. L to R: Kanemasu, Mojarro and Diaz-Perez.
MOU Signing with National Chiayi University
On July 16th, a delegation from National Chiayi University (NCYU), led by NCYU president and UGA alum, Dr. Yi-yuan Chiou, visited Athens to sign a formal International Cooperative Agreement with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The agreement facilitates cooperative programs between the institutions. Before the signing ceremony NCYU delegates toured: the College of Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Corrie Brown, Professor of Pathology; the Performing Arts and Visual Arts complex with Dr. Dale Monson, Director, Hugh Hodgson School of Music; and the Food Science and Technology facilities and labs with Dr. Yao-wen Huang, Professor, Food Science and Technology. Pictured above: President Yi-yuan Chiou and Dean Angle at the MOU signing ceremony.
Tianjin University of Science and Technology (TUST) Delegation visits UGA
CAES hosted visitors from partnering institution, Tianjin University of Science and Technology (TUST), on August 21st. TUST President, Dr. Cao Xiaohong was accompanied by Dr. Wu Zhenjun, Director of International Services and Mr. Gou Junping, Deputy Director of Human Resources. During their visit they met with and discussed collaboration opportunities with Dr. Joe Broder, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Dr. Jean Bertrand, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs; Dr. Rakesh Singh, Head, Department of Food Science & Technology; Dr. Jinru Chen, Professor, Food Science & Technology; Dr. Yao-wen Huang, Professor, Food Science & Technology; Vicki McMaken, Assistant Director of Global Programs; and Carolina Robinson, Study Abroad Recruitment Coordinator.
CAES Students Abroad
Paul Adeyemi, 2012 Biological & Agricultural Engineering alum, spent his summer at the EARTH University campus in Costa Rica, learning about biofuel engineering and teaching English to elementary school children. Paul participated in the EARTH University Summer Program. He attended class to learn about the mechanics of biodigesters and then worked with classmates to assemble a biodigester system for a Costa Rican family. During his stay, Paul had the opportunity to contribute to the locally observed “El Dia Sin Coche” or “The Day Without Cars”, to raise consciousness and foster environmental responsibility. In observance of this year’s "El Dia sin Coche," the community gathered to plant seeds and trees. Paul was responsible for the planning and landscape architecture component of the project. Pictured above: Paul teaching English to his students.
Amina Foon, a Biological Sciences and Food Science & Technology double major minoring in Spanish, completed an animal health research internship this summer at Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria (CITA) in Zaragoza, Spain. Foon worked with researchers seeking medicinal treatments to kill or prohibit larval growth of the parasite, Haemonchus. Foon’s research tested the anthelmintic properties of thyme, artemisa, alfalfa, absinth and sainfoin against Haemonchus larva she collected from two sheep populations.
Anna Savelle, a senior, double majoring in Poultry Science and Dairy Science, traveled to the UGA Costa Rica campus in San Luis, Costa Rica to complete her Certificate internship requirement this summer. Working on the UGA campus’ organic farm, Anna researched the farm’s production processes and compiled recommendations to increase production output, she suggested a crop rotation plan to maintain soil quality and fertility and determined additional plants that could be grown in a trial setting for use in UGA’s Costa Rica campus kitchen. Anna also created a fantastic resource on Costa Rican vegetable production and other aspects of farming operations.
Jessica Spaid (right), a junior majoring in Agriscience and Enviromantal Systems, participated in an eight-week program in Ecuador from May 11-July 3. Jessica began her program with a five-week internship in Puerto Quito at La Finca de Suenos. She worked with Yamile Roldán and learned about organic cacao production and processing as well as community development. During the last three weeks of her trip, Jessica joined the CAES Project Focus Study Abroad program and conducted fieldwork, service-learning projects and studies in health, sustainable tourism, and environmental preservation along the Chocó Andes Biological Corridor.
Weiyi Zhang, an Agricultural and Applied Economics major, spent June and July in Taiwan participating in an internship at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST.) Mentored by Dr. Lorna Chang, Assistant Professor, Department of Agribusiness Management, NPUST, Zhang participated in the annual Leisure Agriculture Evaluation Practice which examines the performance of the 70 Leisure Agriculture Centers in Taiwan.
ENSAT Students Complete Internships at UGA
CAES hosted two interns from Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Toulouse (ENSAT), a graduate school of the National Polytechnic Insitute of Toulouse (INPT), which has many programs that correspond with those of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UGA. Clement Coudereau worked with Dr. Wayne Parrott, Professor, Crop and Soil Sciences, and Maïlys Lopes worked with Dr. Marguerite Madden, Professor and Director of the Center for Geospatial Research. Pictured above from left to right: Vicki McMaken, Clement Coudereau, Maïlys Lopes, Carolina Robinson, and Joe Broder.
Agricultural and Applied Economics Activities
African Agricultural Delegation Visits UGA Campus in Tifton
Farmers, entrepreneurs and policymakers — representing 13 different African nations from Mauritania to South Africa — visited the University of Georgia campus in Tifton to learn about farming practices, research, and government programs supporting agriculture in Georgia. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the July 26 visit was hosted by the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, a state-funded business incubator that works to foster economic development in Georgia,and was part of a month-long tour providing the African leaders with information on food security. Dr. Esendugue Greg Fonsah, Associate Professor, showcased his banana research project to the delegation. He also discussed precision agriculture practices and explained how research and government programs support agriculture in Georgia. Pictured above: Fonsah (far left) discussing his banana research with visitors.
Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic to the U.S. visits Tifton
On July 19, Gary Black, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner, and H.E. Michael Moussa-Adamo, Ambassador of the Republic of Gabon, Central Africa, visited Tifton to learn about the ongoing banana research project directed by Dr. Esendugue Greg Fonsah, Associate Professor. Hosted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Ambassador Moussa-Adamo toured South Georgia to learn about the state’s agricultural production and investigate opportunities for potential partnership projects between Gabon and UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Pictured above from left to right: Comissioner Gary Black, H.E. Michael Moussa Adamo and Dr. Venkatesan Parkuan, Research Associate, Plant Pathology.
Department Hosts Visiting Faculty Member from Kyrgyzstan
Visiting Professor, Dr. Zarylbek Kudabael from American University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan joined CAES for the 2012-13 academic year. The appointment was funded by the USAID Faculty Scholarship Program. Zarylbek works in the area of international economic development. While at UGA he will be investigating the role of microfinance on economic development.
Entomology Activities
Foschler Hosts Visitor from Vietnam
Dr. Brian Forschler, Professor, hosted Dr. Han Van Trinh, Director of the Institute for Termite Control and Works Protection from Hanoi University of Agriculture, from June 9-13. During his visit, Dr. Han attended a Structural Pest Control meeting in Atlanta, toured the Athens campus and met with Dr. Edward Kanemasu, Director, Global Programs and Ms. Vicki McMaken, Assistant Director, Global Programs. Pictured from left to right: McMaken, Kanemasu, Trinh, Loi, Forchler.
Food Science & Technology Activities
Huang Hosts Visiting Scholars, Presents Research at International Conference
This summer, visiting scholars Shen Lu of Shanghai Food Institute, Jujie Wang of Nagasagi University, and Huiping Huang of Pingtung University of Science and Technology arrived in Athens and began collaborative research projects with their host, Dr. Yao-wen Huang, Professor. The scholars used nanotechnology and researched jellyfish in Dr. Huang’s lab.
In July, Dr. Huang traveled to Taipei for the Conference of Global Overseas Chinese Health Focusing on Preventative Medicine and Beautification. (Pictured on the right: Huang and conference participants at National Taiwan Ocean University.) He was invited by the Commission on Overseas Chinese Affairs and Ministry of Health to participate in a discussion panel. Dr. Huang was also invited to give a guest lecture at Chung Chou University of Science and Technology. He discussed the US FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and its affect on Foreign Exporting Countries.
Horticulture Activities
Boyhan Invited to South Korea
Dr. George Boyhan, Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist, was invited by Jongtae Lee and the Onion Research Institute, Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, to spend a week in South Korea to give lectures on organic Vidalia onion production practices and to visit farms and greenhouse operations in production regions near Busan. Organic and pesticide free vegetable production is gaining popularity in South Korea; Dr. Boyhan led seminars on organic weed control techniques and herbicides to increase production yields.
Peanut CRSP Activities
UGA 122 Fighting Malnutrition in Ghana
Can peanut-based therapeutic foods help fight malnutrition and other ailments? Dr. Robert Phillips, Professor, Food Science and Technology and Dr. Jinru Chen, Professor, Food Science & Technology, investigators on the PCRSP Aflatoxin Free Peanut-based Recovery and Functional Food team (UGA 122), spent two weeks in Ghana this summer working to answer that very question. From August 7-22, Drs. Phillips and Chen worked in collaboration with their University of Ghana colleagues, Dr. F.K. Saalia and Dr. Matilda Steiner-Aseidu, to conduct a human feeding study. The study, conducted in rural villages surrounding Accra, Ghana, was designed to test whether such therapeutic foods could combat malnutrition in women of childbearing age. This is just part of UGA 122's larger goal, which is to encourage production of such low-cost therapeutic foods in developing countries while using local ingredients, technology and personnel.
UGA GP3MT Organizes Global Mycotoxin Mitigation Network
On August 4, Dr. Anna V.A. Resurreccion, Professor, Food Science and Technology and Dr. Manjeet Chinnan, Professor, Food Science& Technology, accompanied by Dr. Tim Williams, Director, Peanut CRSP, organized a pre-conference meeting ahead of the summer meeting of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) to discuss mycotoxin management. The meeting, Mycotoxin Management Network for Food Security and Safety (M2Net), was held at Iguazu Falls, Brazil, and attended by experts from various universities and government bodies including the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Chinnan and Dr. Resurreccion shared the results of their groundbreaking work on aflatoxin reduction. The daylong meeting concluded with the formation of an effort to create a worldwide network of food specialists to combat mycotoxins. The meeting was sponsored in part by UGA.GP3MT, along with Peanut Collaborative Research Support Program (PCRSP) and IUFoST.
Cooperative Extension Activities
Waltz hosts Cuban Scientist for Turfgrass Tour
Through a new cooperative agreement, the UGA CAES turfgrass research team is working with Dr. Luis Hernandez from the University of Matanzas in Cuba; they are exploring ways of introducing experimental grasses into Cuba to find turfgrasses best suited for their country’s soils and climate. In June, Hernandez visited Georgia for a week-long turfgrass tour led by Dr. Clint Waltz, Associate Professor, and the CAES turfgrass research team. Hernandez visited the turfgrass research programs on the UGA campuses in Griffin and Tifton. He attended a Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association training, and also toured the UGA Golf Course in Athens, Sanford Stadium, the facilities at the Georgia Crop Improvement Association and Georgia Seed Development Commission, the Atlanta Athletic Club, Piedmont Park, Turner Field, East Lake Golf Club and the Pike Creek Turf in Adel.
Turner, Gibson and Koonce Present Papers in Australia
Dr. Pamela R. Turner, Associate Professor and Extension Housing Specialist, Ms. Sharon Gibson, Multi-Cultural Specialist, and Dr. Joan Koonce, Professor and Financial Planning Specialist, traveled to Australia in July to participate in two professional conferences. They presented papers at the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate’s 2012 Healthy Buildings conference, held in Brisbane, and the International Federation for Home Economics World Congress conference held in Melbourne. While in Australia, Dr. Turner, Dr. Koonce and Ms. Gibson met with professionals from the University of Melbourne, visited a cohousing unit and several community sustainability projects and gardens.
4-H Hosts Visitors from India to Develop Partnership Plan
For two weeks in June, Georgia 4-H and CAES hosted Narsibhai Chaudhary and Vinnay Massey, from the NG International School in Gujarat, India. The visit was an initiative of the India 4-H Youth Development Partnership Plan (http://georgia4h.org/globalprograms/india/), a program that seeks to establish self-sustaining 4-H clubs in India, and was coordinated by Jeff Buckley, Extension 4-H Faculty, Global and Citizenship Programs, and Robbie Edalgo, Camden County Extension Coordinator. During their time in Georgia, Chaudhary and Massey met with Georgia 4-H and CAES faculty and staff. The guests traveled to both the Rock Eagle and Burton 4-H Centers, observed 4-H programs in Camden and Oconee Counties, and met with Arch Smith, Director of Georgia 4-H/State 4-H Leader. While on campus, the visitors met with Dr. Edward Kanemasu, Assistant Dean and Director of Global Programs, and Vicki McMaken, Assistant Director of Global Programs, and discussed current initiatives between UGA CAES and India. In addition, the Office of Global Programs coordinated a meeting with Drs. Rakesh Singh, Department Head, Food Science and Technology and Anish Malladi, Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture. At the end of their visit, Chaudhary and Massey were provided with resources to begin their 4-H program in India.
4-H Student Conducts Research in Germany
Angie Daughtry, County Extension Agent in 4-H Youth Development with the UGA Cooperative Extension in Candler County, facilitated the opportunity for one of her 4-H students to spend two months in Germany as a part of her main 4-H project area. The student conducted research and wrote an article about her observations and experiences abroad.