Global Programs: News & Events

Global Program’s “Japanese Cowboy” to retire

Ed Kanemasu on the golf course.

In June, Ed Kanemasu, Director of Global Programs, will have more time to spend on the golf course and lake than he has in over 37 years.

Plans have been announced for Kanemasu to retire as full-time Director of Global Programs for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia. He will return part-time and continue to direct Global Programs.

His retirement will reduce his work load by 50 percent and he plans to spend the extra time golfing and fishing.

“I live on a golf course but I haven’t had time to golf,” said Kanemasu.

He will miss the students the most. Since 1969 he has worked with undergraduate, graduate and post-doc students.

“Regardless of what I was doing, whether as a researcher, a department head, or now as the director of Global Programs, I have had the opportunity to be involved with students at some level and have hopefully had a positive influence on their lives,” said Kanemasu. “What could be more rewarding than that?”

Upon Kanemasu’s retirement, the management of the Certificate Program will move under Dr. Joe Broder, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Kanemasu’s independent study class, Topics in International Agriculture, will be taught by Dr. Maria Navarro, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication.

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Travel Reports for Ed Kanemasu

Florence, Italy – Dr. Ed Kanemasu, Director of Global Programs, was invited, as the North American representative, to the World Meteorological Organization’s Commission on Agricultural Meteorology meeting in Florence, Italy on January 22-28. He presented, “Support Systems for Agrometeorological Services”at the meeting and made two recommendations to the Implementation Committee of OPAG 2. One recommendation solicited funds from the federal government for the operational costs of maintaining agricultural weather networks. The second recommendation was for a workshop to study the use of MODIS data in operational systems.

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Travel Report for Victoria McMaken

From January 13-15, Vicki McMaken, Program Coordinator for the Office of Global Programs, attended the US partners meeting for the Department of Education - Fund for the Improvement for Post Secondary Education (FIPSE) – European Union – United States of America Cooperation Program in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training. The meeting was held at Auburn University in Alabama and was well attended and informative.

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Consortium for Internet Imaging & Database Systems (CIIDS)

Students and faculty from Villa de San Francisco with the UGA delegation

On February 18-21, CAES representatives visited several venues in Honduras related to cultural and student exchange, and the Distance Diagnostics project. Included in the visit were: Scott Angle, Dean, and his wife Teresa Angle; Jean Walter, Jasper County Extension Coordinator; Rob Fowler, philanthropist; Marco Fonseca, Extension Horticulturist and State Master Gardener Program Coordinator; Ed Kanemasu, Director of Global Programs; Don Hamilton, Consortium for Internet Imaging & Database Systems (CIIDS) Director; and Catherine Davis, CIIDS Project Manager.

From left to right: Raul Juazo, seated Dr. Jean Walter, Don Hamilton, Dean Scott Angle, seated Dr. Ed Kanemasu, Guillermo Cruz, Catherine Davis and Marco Fonseca

Visits were made to the administration and faculty of Zamorano University, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, USAID, OIRSA, and the U.S. Ambassador. Included were: Kenneth Hoadley, Zamorano President; Mario Contreras, Dean of Outreach and Institutional Development; Carlos Samayo, Zamorano Entrepreneurship Center Director; Maria Mercedes-Roca, Plant Protection & Biotechnology; Roberto Villeda Toledo, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture; Raul Juazo, OIRSA; Guillermo Cruz, OIRSA; Eduardo Chirinos, USAID; Randy Peterson, USAID; Charles Ford, US Ambassador; and Roy Alonzo, US Commercial Assistant.

International ties between CAES and Zamorano were strengthened through commitments to student and faculty exchanges, and through planning to expand the Distance Diagnostics project. They are currently working on a USAID grant that will partner UGA, Zamorano, and Honduras Outreach Incorporated that will provide for wider implementation of Distance Diagnostics through Honduras. They will also be working toward a proposal for the Minister of Agriculture in Honduras and OIRSA.

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AG AND APPLIED ECONOMICS

Dr. Schemerhorn and Cooperative members in their office with no heat

Dick Schemerhorn Assists Tandor-Service Cooperative of Moldova

Dr. Dick Schemerhorn, Professor, spent some time in December assisting the Tandor-Service Cooperative in northwestern Moldova in developing a financial reporting system designed to assist in and improve management decision-making by more efficiently providing production services to their members.

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Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication

Maria Navarro attends meeting on World Hunger at Auburn University

Faculty, students, and administrators from 28 universities across the US and representatives from the UN World Food Program, met at Auburn University on February 17-19, to celebrate the first "War on Hunger Summit: Creating a New Paradigm for an Academic War on Hunger." Participants shared lessons learned in their respective endeavors and discussed the possibility of pursuit of a joint University and Student War on World Hunger Campaign, concentrating on hunger awareness and consciousness-raising, fundraising, advocacy, and academic initiatives.

UGA was represented by students Megha Madan and Kelsey Hatcher, and Dr. Maria Navarro, Assistant Professor. Megha and Kelsey are active with CARE-UGA, a student organization that focuses on education, advocacy, and action in international development and the fight against global poverty. Dr. Navarro serves as advisor for CARE-UGA and is also teaching and developing courses addressing worldwide hunger and extreme poverty.

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Animal and Dairy Science

Members of the US/Egypt tissue engineering delegation at the Alexandria, Egypt museum which is the former US consulate in Egypt

Steve Stice Speaks at the National Science Foundation in Egypt

Dr. Steve Stice, Professor and Director of the Regenerative Bioscience Center, presented two sessions on the use of adult and embryonic stem cells in tissue engineering applications at The National Science Foundation. The US-Egypt Workshop on Tissue Engineering, Research applications and Technology Developments was held from Jan. 29th to Feb. 4th at the National Research centre in Cairo, Egypt. Later this year, Egyptian researchers will come to UGA for practical training in stem cells.

The US delegation visiting the temple for King Ramsey II in the Upper Nile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Crop and Soil Science

University of Hohenheim

William Vencill Speaks at German Weed Control Conference

William Vencill, professor of Weed Science, had a very productive meeting at the University of Hohenheim discussing potential involvement in the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) project and making a presentation on invasive weeds to the 23rd German Weed Control Conference. He met with Dr. Martina van de Sand who provided him with an overview of the University of Hohenheim; in particular, details about their academic programs. He also met with Dr. Stefan Dabbert, Dean of the Agricultural College. Vencill was informed that their Master of Science programs are taught in English and consist of five three week modules that make up a semester. He also met with Prof. Dr. Roland Gerhard in the Department of Weed Science and other researchers at the University of Hohenheim. He discussed aspects of glyphosate-resistant weeds in the US and herbicide resistance issues in both the EU and the US. Prof. Dr. Gerhard asked Vencill to send detailed information on his research and instructional programs to develop a three week teaching module at the University of Hohenheim.

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INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

Liliya Varvarska at a Christmas party for children of deployed military.

Ukrainian Student Experiences A Culture of Service through 4-H

Coordinated by Jeff Buckley,4-H Coordinator, Liliya Varvarska arrived in the U.S. last August as part of the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). The State Department funded program is designed to provide opportunities for youth from Eurasia to spend a year living with a U.S. host family and attend a public high school. She has been living with the Glasscock’s from Lowndes County who are very active in the 4-H program. They are doing a wonderful job of exposing her to American culture and are learning all about Ukraine in return.

Being involved in 4-H is an excellent opportunity for Varvarska to achieve the goals set forth by the FLEX Program. Participating students are expected to acquire an understanding of important elements of a civil society including volunteerism and the ability of citizens to confront and solve societal problems. Varvarska has participated in multiple community projects, given presentations at school and 4-H events and participated in a variety of 4-H activities that develop and improve leadership and communication skills.

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PEANUT CRSP ACTIVITIES

Tim Phillips at his BIFAD Award Ceremony at the House of Representatives in 2002

In January and February, Tim Williams, Project Director, attended meetings for SPARE and BIFAD as Chair of the CRSP Council. Williams was seeking to ensure that the future of the CRSP program is consistent with the legislation, development and peanut sector interests.

The Peanut CRSP also helped prepare the documentation for the nomination of Tim Phillips for the World Food Prize. Phillips' work supported by the CRSP is now focused on protecting the people of the world (approximately 4.5 billion people) from aflatoxin using enterosorption of the toxin by a harmless food additive.

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