Scott Angle
News: Southscapes Fall 2008
From Ag Hill
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Fall is always a busy time on campus. With 2,002 students on record, we have the largest number of students in our college's history. Our previous record of 1,543 students was set in 1978. We also see huge increases in graduate students and those taking advantage of study abroad opportunities. In this record-setting class, we continue to attract the best and brightest students from across the state, the nation and the world.
We still need more students not just to fill our classrooms, but to fuel Georgia's agricultural workforce. We appreciate the valuable help we get from our alumni, friends and industry partners to help us bring more students into our college. If you will continue to help us bring the students in, we will return them to the industry educated and prepared to bring new energy and ideas to you.
This fall we received welcomed news that two important initiatives are receiving considerable federal funding. Entomology professor Keith Delaplane is leading the charge to find the solution to a problem that is plaguing our nation – honeybee colony collapse disorder. Funded by a $4.1 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, Delplane and his team are looking for the cause of this disorder that is killing honeybees in 36 states. Without these vital natural helpers, agricultural crops don't get pollinated and yields suffer.
The USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy announced in August that UGA will receive two of 10 grants given to universities and institutions to study biofuel development from non-food crops. Two teams of UGA scientists will be looking at the potential for sunflowers and switchgrass as major future fuel sources.
While these are exciting times on campus, they are stressful times for the state's economy and our budget. As we follow state mandates to make considerable reductions in our spending, we will do all we can to still provide the highest quality teaching, research and extension programs that you expect from us. We appreciate any support you can give us in these trying times.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Southscapes, brought you to by private donations. Inside you will find examples of ways we are making a positive impact on Georgia and the world by addressing some of the most pressing needs in our society. As we face soaring food and fuel prices, environmental stresses and the demand for renewable energy sources, the work going on in our college is increasingly valuable and relevant to the lives of all citizens.
Sincerely,
J. Scott Angle
Dean and Director
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences