Global Programs: News & Events
Activity Report: July - August 2006
- Office of Global Programs Activities
- International Activities by CAES Department
- Peanut CRSP Activities
- International Visitors
Office of Global Programs Activities
TRAVEL REPORT FOR VICTORIA MCMAKEN
From July 5-8, Vicki McMaken, Assistant Director, visited the Zamorano University campus in Honduras. There, she met with International Certificate Program students Whitney Linnenkohl and Lori Shapiro who were completing their certificate internships. She also met with Dr. Daniel Meyer and Kim Diehl of Zamorano's Office of International Education regarding student programs. Vicki also met with Dr. Abelino Pitty, Director and Professor of Agricultural Science & Production and Integrated Pest Management, who will be the Zamorano Partnership Director coordinator of the newly funded Higher Education for Development (HED) project on Distance Diagnostics and Digital Imaging in Honduras.
TRAVEL REPORT FOR ED KANEMASU
Drs. Hung, Kanemasu and White in Hangzhou, China |
From August 8-20, Ed Kanemasu, Director, was in Thailand and China. In Thailand, Dr. Kanemasu visited Chiang Mai University (CMU) to discuss a service learning initiative to take place at CMU in collaboration with UGA starting in May, 2007. Dr. Kanemasu visited several villages with "One Village, One Product." These are good models for our students to see and learn at the community level.
In China, Dr. Kanemasu was joined by Dr. Fred White, Department Head, Agricultural & Applied Economics, and Dr. Yen-Con Hung, Professor, Food Science & Technology. The delegation visited universities in Shanghai (Shanghai Fisheries University), Beijing (China Agricultural University) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang University) to discuss interest in partnering with UGA in a Master's in Agribusiness Management. The delegation was well-received and will proceed with follow up discussions.
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Left: Delegation visit to the Shanghai Academy of Agriculture. Right: CAES delegation at Zhejiang University. |
ITALIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT COMPLETING RESEARCH IN STICE LAB
Matteo Pecoraro |
Matteo Pecoraro will be on campus August-December 2006 completing an exchange program funded jointly by the European Commission and the US Department of Education. The program, "Comparing US and EU Biotechnology, Food Safety and Regulatory Policies," is aimed at developing understanding of differing attitudes in the US and EU surrounding issues such as the GMO debate. Matteo is a student at University of Udine in Italy and will be working with Dr. Steve Stice, Professor, Animal & Dairy Science, during his time at UGA.
The program provides stipends for travel and living expenses as well as language preparation and is open to UGA students wishing to complete an exchange program at one of UGA's partner institutions: University of Udine—Udine, Italy, BOKU University—Vienna, Austria, or Hohenheim University—Stuttgart, Germany.
LETTER OF INTENT SIGNED WITH MALI MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK & FISHERY
Minister Touré and Dean Angle sign Letter of Intent |
On August 21, Dean Angle signed a Letter of Intent with the Minister of Livestock and Fishery of Mali. Minister Oumar Ibrahima Touré was on campus with a delegation including Dr. Mamadou D. Coulibaly, National Director of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Mamounou Toure, Acting Ambassador, Embassy of Mali, and Vince Farley, Consultant on African Affairs. While on the Athens and Tifton campuses, the delegation where hosted by the Office of Global Programs, Poultry Science, Food Science and Technology and Animal & Dairy Science. In addition, the group met with faculty members from Agricultural and Applied Economics and the African Studies Institute. The purpose of cooperation between both institutions is to increase knowledge, experience, and technology of people involved in livestock, poultry and fish production that could affect our economies. Specific areas of collaboration may include: animal and poultry nutrition, animal genetics, disease control, production and marketing of value-added products, aquaculture, enhancement of farmer organizations, and professional capacity building. Other domains of cooperation may be in the areas of agricultural, environmental and educational issues.
International Activities by CAES Department
Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication
DR. RAY HERREN TRAVELS TO REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
From June 2-9, Dr. Ray V. Herren, Professor & Department Head of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication, visited the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia and lectured on Biotechnology at the Tbilisi State University Department of Biology, Georgian Institute for Public Affairs, Georgian Agrarian University, and the Kutaisi State University Department of Biology. Dr. Herren also worked on the development of curriculum for eight pilot secondary schools, called Future Farmers of Georgia (FFG), which are implementing agricultural education. These schools are patterned after U.S. high school agricultural education programs. This portion of the trip was funded by a USDA (FAS) grant. A team from ALEC will travel to Tbilisi, Georgia this fall to conduct workshops for the teachers at the school.
Left: Q&A session after Dr. Herren's lecture at the Georgian Agrarian University. Right: Students and faculty of the Tbilisi State University Department of Biology listening to Dr. Herren's presentation. |
Agriculture and Applied Economics
DR. ESENDUGUE GREG FONSAH COMPLETES ASSIGNMENT IN INDONESIA
From August 18-September 1, Winrock International Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Dr. Esendugue Greg Fonsah, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist at Tifton, completed a two week assignment in Sibolga, Indonesia assisting the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) with improved marketing, production and post harvest systems.
Limited resource farmers in this part of Indonesia utilize non-intensive farm management methods. Beside their production value, these systems also hold potential for conserving water, soil and biodiversity. Farmers in the region are primarily smallholders on or below the poverty line with access to 1-2 acres of farm-land, consisting of both irrigated rice lands (sawah) and upland tree farming systems. Many farmers are interested in improving tree farming management, but they have limited access to professional technical assistance. Winrock's Farmer-to-Farmer Program fields approximately 350 volunteers each year to assist farmers, agribusiness, and local nonprofit organization worldwide.
Left: Indonesian community members and Dr. Fonsah (far right). Right: Indonesian farmers, their families and Dr. Fonsah. |
DR. DICK SCHERMERHORN COLLABORATES WITH POULTRY COMPANY IN RUSSIA
From August 1-19, Dick Schermerhorn, Professor, worked with the Closed Joint-Stock Company "Stavropolskiy Broiler," the largest integrated broiler production-processing firm in Russia. He was advising the company on improving its financial analysis, cost analysis and profitability planning practices for its breeder farms, hatchery, feed mill, three broiler production farms (each with 40+ houses) and two processing plants. The operation was a very well managed, planned, profitable and a pleasure to work with.
UGA TIFTON CAMPUS HOSTS VISITORS FROM SIX AFRICAN NATIONS
On July 27, upper government agricultural administrators from six West African nations visited the Georgia Center for Innovation in Agriculture, Tifton, and the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Tifton Campus. The visitors were from Benin, Chad, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Niger, and Senegal.
The administrators were interested in learning about economic development, cotton production and the cotton industry, the vegetable industry, sustainable agriculture, and the Cooperative Extension Service and its activities.
Sandy Ponder of the Agricultural Innovation Center arranged the program and was the primary host. Program speakers included Bill Boone, Director of the Innovation Center, Sharad Phatak, Professor of Horticulture, Greg Fonsah, Assistant Professor of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Don Shurley, Professor of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Tony Roberts, Southwest Georgia Extension District Director, Glen Harris, Extension Agronomist and Associate Professor of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Charles Douglas, Professor of the Rural Development Center.
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department
SUMMER SERVICE-LEARNING COURSE IN TUNISIA
Left: Kristen Green, journalism, Jessica Buday, biological engineering, and Amanda Parnell, entomology, look on. |
In July, eight UGA students and five faculty members from 11 departments and disciplines participated in a two-week service-learning course in Tunisia. Takoi K. Hamrita, Associate Professor, assembled an array of faculty and staff from across UGA. Dr. Hamrita is Director of the UGA Tunisia Educational Partnership, the international and multidisciplinary student-faculty collaboration. More than 60 Tunisian faculty members from across the country have visited UGA to take part in e-learning and higher education management workshops.
The program was supported by the U.S. State Department, the President's Venture Fund, the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The two-week program, which included daily Arabic lessons and guided visits to historical sites, allowed UGA students and faculty to work closely with University of Sousse students as well as local elementary and high school students.
DR. CENTNER TEACHES IN AUSTRIA
Dr. Centner and class in Innsbruck, Austria, visiting the Innsbruck recycling facility. |
During July and August, Dr. Terence J. Centner, Professor, taught "The Legal Environment of Business" at the University of New Orleans Innsbruck Summer School.
Course field trips included visiting a minority Ladin community in St. Martin, Italy, and the Innsbruck recycling facility.
Department of Animal and Dairy Science
WORLD CONGRESS ON GENETICS IN BRAZIL
In August, several CAES employees attended the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Animal Breeding in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Dr. Ignacy Misztal, Professor, chaired three sessions. Also in attendance were Dr. Keith Bertrand, Professor, Postdoctoral Scientists Juan Pablo Sanchez and Shogo Tsuruta, and Graduate Students Matt Spangler and Kelly Robins, all from Animal and Dairy Science. Also participating and presenting was Dr. Sam Aggrey, Associate Professor of Poultry Science.
Before the Congress, Ignacy Misztal gave an invited talk at Juiz de Fora, EMBRAPA dairy cattle on "Current Issues in Animal Breeding." One topic of discussion was a joint project on genetic evaluation of dairy cattle for heat stress. After the Congress, Keith Bertrand and Ignacy Misztal visited EMBRAPA beef cattle in Campo Grande. Discussions included upcoming visits of Drs. Luiz Ottavio and Roberto Torres to collaborate on issues in genetic evaluation of beef cattle.
Left: At home with Dr. Freitas (right). Right (L-R): Rodolfo Ramirez, Chapingo University, Mexico; Shogo Tsuruta; Jorge Urioste, University of Montevideo, Uruguyay; Tomasz Strabel, Poznan Agricultural University, Poland; Mrs. Misztal; Jesus Arango, Hyline; Luis Varona, IRTA, Spain; Ignacy Misztal; William Herring, Smithfield; Fernando Grignola, Monsanto; Andres Legarra, INRA, France; Juan Sanchez; Helen Soyert, Gembloux University, Belgium; Tom Lawlor, Holstein Association, and Nicolas Gengler, Gembloux University. |
MALIAN MINISTER OF LIVESTOCK AND FISHERY VISITS CAES TIFTON CAMPUS
On August 23, Oumar Ibrahima Toure, the Malian Minister of Livestock and Fishery, visited the Aquaculture Unit and Animal & Dairy Science Farm, accompanied by Dr. Mamadou D. Coulibaly, the National Director of Animal Productions and Industries. Also in the group were Mamounou Toure, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of Mali, the minister's wife, and African affairs consultant Vince Farley. A tour of the UGA, Tifton Campus was conducted by Dr. Charles Douglas, Professor, before lunch with Dr. Steve Brown, Interim Associate Dean. Discussions of possible ways to increase the productivity of fisheries and aquaculture in Mali were discussed with Dr. Gary Burtle, Associate Professor. Opportunities for training of extension personnel in Mali on topics of fish culture were considered very important by the Minister. The goal of producing additional food and local income using fish was foremost in the discussions.
The forage studies and dairy were visited with Dr. Joe West, Professor, and Dr. John Bernard, Professor. Forage improvement is of great interest to the Malians. Dr. Wayne Hanna, Professor, visited with the Malians to discuss millet varieties he is developing.
Food Science and Technology
DR. HUANG HOSTS VISITING SCHOLAR FROM CHINA
This summer, Dr. Yao-wen Huang, Professor, hosted Dr. Jinquan Chen, Professor and Dean of the College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, as a Visiting Scholar for six months. Dr. Chen recently completed a special project on the validation of HACCP plan implemented in a vegetable processing plant in Dr. Huang's lab on the Athens campus. During his stay, Dr. Huang arranged for Dr. Chen to attend several professional meetings including the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. Chen worked with Dr. Rakesh Singh, Department Head, and Dr. Huang to develop a joint undergraduate food science degree program. Dr. Chen also gave a departmental seminar entitled "Current development of China food industry" at the beginning of the summer semester. Dr. Chen returned to his university at the beginning of July.
DR. JOSEPH FRANK PRESENTS PAPER IN ITALY
From August 26 to September 2, Dr. Joseph Frank, Professor, presented a research paper at FOOD MICRO 2006, the 20th International ICFMH Symposium on Food Safety and Food Biotechnology in Bologna, Italy.
DR. ROBERT L. SHEWFELT GIVES KEYNOTE ADDRESS IN THAILAND
In August, Dr. Robert Shewfelt, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to deliver the keynote address to Managing Quality in Chains International Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Dr. Shewfelt's presentation was entitled "Defining and Metting Consumer Requirements."
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Department of Crop and Soil Science
DR. LECLERC VISITS SWEDEN AND FINLAND
In July, Dr. M. Leclerc, Professor and Director of the Lab for Environmental Physics, Griffin Campus, participated in an intensive field campaign a European Union project as part of a Carbo-Europe experiment in Sweden. She was then hosted by the University of Helsinki and by the Finnish Meteorological Institute in Finland.
Peanut CRSP Activities
INVESTIGATORS ATTEND INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS MEETING
Lotis Francisco, Dr. Lutgarda Palomar, Dr. Anna Resurreccion, Dr. Alicia Lustre and Ms. Edith San Juan. |
Peanut CRSP investigators from the Philippines attended the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting in Orlando from June 24-28 and met to discuss project achievements and future plans. Attending the conference were Dr. Anna Resurreccion, Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, and students Lotis Francisco and Jocelyn Sales of the Department of Food Science and Technology. From the Philippines were Dr. Alicia Lustre and Ms. Edith San Juan of the Food Development Center of the Philippine Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Lutgarda Palomar of Leyte State University.
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PEANUT CRSP NEGOTIATES EXTENSION
The Peanut CRSP spent all of July negotiating a $2.07 million extension for the program to cover the needed activities before the program is renewed through the competitive process. Since the existing program ended by August the program also spent considerable effort to assure that there would not be a hiatus in funding for our partners. Thus the time period was spent mostly in processing documents.
International Visitors
GEORGIA 4-H PROVIDES INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR YOUTH
This summer, 17 Georgia families hosted visitors from Japan through the 4-H/Labo Summer Inbound Program. In collaboration with Labo, a Japanese youth development organization, 4-H families host youth and adult chaperones for one month during the summer and provide them the opportunity to experience what every day life is like in Georgia.
In addition to partnering with Labo, 4-H is also sponsoring a year-long exchange student from the Ukraine through the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the FLEX program brings over students from the Newly Independent Soviet States (NIS) with the goal of teaching these students what life is like in a democratic society.
Left: Young Japanese visitors from Labo. Right: Labo visitors with youth from Georgia. |
