Global Programs
News & Events
Activity Report: Summer 2008
Office Of Global Program Activities
CAES Launches Enology and Viticulture Maymester Course in Cortona, Italy
The CAES, in conjunction with the UGA Studies Abroad Cortona office, now has a course offering at the Cortona campus – Enology and Viticulture in the Mediterranean Region. Instructors are Dr. Phil Brannen (Extension Fruit Specialist, Plant Pathology), Dr. Joe Frank (Professor, Food Science and Technology), and Dr. David Lockwood (Extension Horticulturist). The first course was successfully completed in May, with 14 undergraduate and one graduate student TA participating. Students studied all aspects of wine production from the field to the bottle, and at least 6 tasting lab sessions were conducted. The course included four field trips - Il Falconierrie (a boutique winery), Antinori and Poliziano (both large corporate entities), and a trip to a wine and olive museum. Students also toured Rome and the historic hill towns of Montepulciano and Assissi.
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View from the Antinori winery and vineyards |
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Winemaker for the Il Falconierrie winery |
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Technology and Capacity Building in Rural Honduras:trough Distance Diagnostics
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Steve Nickerson, Professor, Animal & Dairy Science conducts mastitis ID and prevention demonstration for farmers and Agronomy Vo-Tech students in San Esteban Olancho |
UGA faculty and the Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging (DDDI) program have been working together with Zamorano University and Honduras Outreach Inc. on several projects in Honduras. The goal of these programs is to improve the ability of the rural farmer to grow crops efficiently and to promote rural economic growth. For the last three years the projects have been expanded to include in-country partnerships with CURLA University in Ceiba, UNA in Catacamas, The Honduran Foundation for Agricultural Research (FHIA). UGA faculty traveled to Honduras in May to give several seminars and trainings to the agricultural sector. These projects have gained more importance in the last years with more Honduran Universities involved and increased UGA faculty.
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Kris Braman, Professor, Entomology, trains Nelson Zelaya, Extension Educator, Honduras Outreach on insect sample identification, collection and selection |
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Dole Researchers discuss banana production and research with DDDI team in Ceiba, Honduras |
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International Activities by CAES Department
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
UGA Representatives Attended the 2nd Annual International Conference of The International Biochar Initiative in Newcastle, UK
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Dr. Okimori, Japan, and Christoph Steiner, UGA |
The conference featured results in the latest scientific research and developments in policy and education. Scientists and researchers discussed and presented case studies of this revolutionary carbon negative method to combat global warming. IBI conference featured keynote speakers; Tim Flannery, author of the Weathermakers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth, and Ron Oxburgh, Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge, Chairman of D1 Oils, formerly Chairman of Shell Transport and Trading. Dr. K.C. Das, Associate Professor, Biologiocal Agricultural Engineering, gave a presentation as Session Speaker in the Biochar Production Technical Session detailing UGA’s Biorefining and Carbon Cycling Program’s pyrolysis based biorefining process. Dr. Das’ presentation outlined UGA’s vision in four main projects in the Biorefining Program; [1] production of renewable hydrogen from peanut hulls, [2] utilization of BioOil as fuel in diesel engines, [3] upgrading BioOil by rapid condensation and reaction with solvents, and lastly, [4]ammonium absorption of chars and char production. Christoph Steiner, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Engineering, presented a poster titled “Enhancement of potting soil performance with biochar amendments”. UGA has ongoing research testing three commercially available potting soils and four soil amendments like biochar and enriched biochars. Steiner’s presentation also outlined the ongoing assessment of cost and benefit of these soil amendments to provide an economic feasibility view.
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UGA Faculty Conducted a Collaborative Field Research and Conference in Bogota, Colombia
Dr. K. C. Das, Associate Professor, Biologiocal Agricultural Engineering, and Dr. Christoph Steiner, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Engineering, conducted research in Colombia with Jesus Alberto Garcia Nunez, a former student of Dr. K. C. Das and current Director of Cenipalma’s Processes and Use Division. Cenipalma is a leading company in Colombia’s palm oil industry that has been collaborating with UGA since 2003. UGA provides research support and collaboration for developing technologies for use of residue biomass from the palm oil industry for energy and biochar production, as well as biochar land applications. Drs. Das and Steiner travelled with three objectives in mind; to identify biomass streams in palm oil plantations and at the oil mill, to identify suitable pyrolysis/carbonization techniques, and to assist in field trials of biochar utilization. They also presented the biorefinery concept at the Fedepalma Conference hosted for industry partners and researchers.
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Carbonization and gas measurement team at the Unipalma plantation near Villavicencio |
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Abundant biomass at renovation (every 20 to 30 years) |
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Ryan Adolphson and K.C. Das Participated in the World Bioenergy 2008 Conference in Jonkoping, Sweden
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Jonkoping, Sweden |
Ryan Adolphson, Director Administrative, Engineering, and Dr. K.C. Das, Associate Professor, Biologiocal Agricultural Engineering, participated in the World Bioenergy Conference, sponsored by Svebio and Neova. The conference featured the innovative concept, “Taking you from Know-How to Show-How”, by combining conference sessions, field excursions, and a trade-show, into one comprehensive event. This allowed academic research and development to blend seamlessly with commercial experience providing better business context. Conference topics focused on all things related to biomass ranging from policy, environmental and legal issues, resources and logistics, to preparation, pretreatment, and vehicle applications. Compared to conventional conferences this one placed much greater significance on the field tours integrating them fully into the main program to put bioenergy and its potential into concrete context. These tours represented a range of bioenergy solutions used in Sweden today and presented opportunities to see how the many components of bioenergy fit together in real life.
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Department of Entomology
Insect and Bird Natural History in Costa Rica 2008: International Service Learning
In June 2008, a group of University of Georgia faculty, staff and students and four Georgia K-12 teachers involved with the GIFT (Georgia Intern-Fellowships for Teachers) program participated in Insect & Bird Natural History in Costa Rica (ENTO 3140/3140L & FORS 4060/4060L- 6060/6060L). The group included 19 participants: Darold Bazter (Associate Professor, Entomology) and Dr. Robert Cooper (Professor, Forestry) as faculty instructors; Ryan Malloy (Forestry Teaching Assistant) and Marianne Robinette (Entomology Teaching Assistant and Program Director); ten undergraduates, one graduate, two high school teachers from Tifton and Albany, GA; and two elementary school teachers from Athens, GA. Students were required to research insects and birds in a shade-grown coffee farm versus a traditional coffee farm and write a research paper. In addition, students were required to prepare an insect collection and to take regular site ID examinations about birds of Costa Rica. The international service-learning component of the course included donating insect collections to Costa Rican and Georgia elementary and high schools to foster a greater appreciation of insects. Also, the teacher participants visited and donated school supplies to two Costa Rican elementary schools in the San Luis Area. Site visits for the course included La Selva Research Station, UGA Costa Rica, Rafiki Safari Lodge and Manuel Antonio.
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Top to Bottom Clockwise: Blue-Crowned Motmot, Rafiki Safari Lodge, Insect Identification, Canopy Bird Walk in Monteverde, Hercules beetle |
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Department of Food Science and Technology
Dr. Yao-wen Huang Gives Food Safety Presentations in Shanghai
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Dr. Yao-wen Huang (center) was greeted by National Kaohsuing Marine University President Chow-Jen Chow and Professor Yun-hsuing Tsai in Taiwan |
Dr. Yao-wen Huang, Professor, Food Science and Technology, was invited to give a presentation titled "How to ensure safe food served at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo" sponsored by Shanghai Food & Drug Administration and Shanghai Ocean University from May 18-20 in Shanghai. During his stay, he also participated in the organizing committee discussions the 4th International Food Safety Forum to be held in conjunction with the 14th World Congress for Food Science and Technology in October in Shanghai. Dr. Huang was awarded as Consultant Professorship for the Jimei University in Fujian and discussed potential collaborative projects with UGA. Dr. Huang also visited National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) and Kaohsiung University of Marine Science and Technology to meet with their Presidents and Deans to discuss future exchange of scholars and students.
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Dean Deng-Fwu Hwang and Dr. Bonnie Sun Pan lunch with Raekesh Singh and Ed Kanemasu |
He gave presentations on risk assessment for food defense and rapid pathogen detection techniques to food science graduate students. In order to exchange scholars between NTOU and UGA, Dr. Huang made arrangements for Dean Deng-Fwu Hwang and Bonnie Sun Pan to visit the UGA Food Science Department and Office of Global Programs during a visit to Atlanta. Both gave presentations based on their research to the food science graduate students on campus in late July this year.
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Extension Personnel Join "Atlanta Supporters of ProNino" Mission to El Progreso, Honduras
In June 2008 Judy Hibbs, Countty Extension Coordinator, Clarke County, Betty English, County Extension Agent, Richmond County, and Bobby Wilson, County Extension Agent, Fulton County, joined the “Atlanta Supporters of ProNino.” mission to El Progreso, Honduras to work with the ProNino boy’s orphanage. The orphanage works with boys who have lost their families and often going through a detoxification program from sniffing glue in order to suppress appetite. The boys live in the orphanage until their 18th birthday. The UGA team was asked to join the 2008 trip in order to offer food preservation training and provide technical assistance with the ProNino garden. The Atlanta Supporters raised funds to purchase and ship 2 freezers, a commercial refrigerator, canning and freezing equipment, 2 food processors, and 2 food dehydrators to the orphanage. The UGA faculty trained the staff and youth to use this equipment to maintain and process various foods and products. In addition, the team developed some appealing recipes to incorporate more vegetables and dairy products into the boy’s diet.
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Preparing Salsa |
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Selecting products at market |
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Department of Plant Pathology
Plant Pathology Student Conducts Reseacrh in Hungary
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Sydney Everhart, Ph.D. student in Hungary |
From 31 May - 16 June 2008, Sydney Everhart, Ph.D. student in the Department of Plant Pathology, traveled to Hungary to visit with Dr. Imre Holb, University of Debrecen, an expert in disease epidemiology of organically managed fruit trees. Sydney conducted field research with Dr. Holb to quantify the three-dimensional spatial distribution of brown rot disease symptoms in cherry trees as part of her dissertation research with Dr. Harald Scherm, UGA Department of Plant Pathology. The work was conducted in two orchards located outside a small rural village near the borders to Ukraine and Slovakia. This collaboration utilized a state-of-the-art motion tracking device, provided by the UGA Department of Computer Science, to develop high resolution spatial maps of both symptomatic and asymptomatic elements within each tree. These maps will be used in spatial analyses to determine levels of disease aggregation and associations between different symptom types within individual trees.
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Plant Pathology Faculty Coordinate Peanut CRSP Project in Haiti
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| Haitian peanut fields |
Dr. Tim Brenneman, Associate Professor, Plant Pathology, and Dr. Bob Kermerait, Plant Pathologist, Plant Patholog are cooperating with Meds and Foods for Kids in Haiti on a Peanut CRSP project.
UGA faculty that have been involved are Dr. Steve Brown, Assistant Dean of Extension, and Jay Williams, retired Extension Engineer, Biological & Agricultural Engineering
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Class trained in peanut production and storage |