Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education
July 2009
Volume 27
Number 2
In This Issue Facing Forward
2
Children’s Gift
4
2010 Research
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The Next 25 Years
5
Fulbright Ambassadors
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Outstanding Members
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Saskatoon, Canada
8
Who Speaks English?
9
Student’s Corner
10
Cowpeas in Nigeria
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Your Network
13
JIAEE Managing Editor Call
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Paper Winners
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www.aiaee.org
July 2009
Volume 27
Number 2
25th AIAEE Anniversary Conference: A Wonderful Celebration Gary Wingenbach, AIAEE President g-wingenbach@tamu.edu
The 25th anniversary of AIAEE, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a celebration befitting this great organization. Warm ocean breezes, cultural dance exhibitions, and locallyproduced food and beverages punctuated a busy schedule of presentations, workshops and meetings. The theme, “25 Years of Strengthening International Agricultural and Extension Education,” was replete with 51 research papers and 31 poster presentations. In time, those papers and poster abstracts will be posted to the AIAEE Web site. For those wishing to view the research paper abstracts, please visit the conferences page (http://www.aiaee.org/conferences.html) and click the 2009 conference theme link. We hope you’ll find these abstracts as interesting as presented to the 130 conferees in San Juan. Also, take advantage of the authors’ contact information to network and collaborate on future research ideas. One of the fortunate outcomes of AIAEE’s 25th Anniversary Conference was having Dr. Fedro S. Zazueta, associate chief information officer and director of the Office of Academic Technology at the University of Florida, deliver the keynote address. Despite the reluctance of some AIAEE members to adopt cellular telephone technologies in their personal or Puerto Rico cont. on page 3
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Facing Forward 2009-2010 Faces of AIAEE President
Gary J. Wingenbach
g-wingenbach@tamu.edu President-Elect
David Lawver
david.lawver@ttu.edu Past President
Pete Vergot III
pvergot@ufl.edu Secretary
William Rivera, professor at the University of Maryland, may be retiring in a few short weeks, but he has spent a lifetime devoted to agriculture and Extension worldwide. Rivera, who was a charter member of AIAEE 25 years ago, helped to expand the association in the 1980s, moving it from AIAE to AIAEE to include Extension education rather than just education. “My main interest at the time was, and still is, international agricultural Extension,” Rivera says. “One of my main goals for the organization and its members was to promote graduate study in this area. I also sought to advance a broader view of human resource development.” Rivera says he also sought to encourage his colleagues to seek consulting roles with international organizations and to participate in missions to other countries.
Glen Shinn
“During my career, I have traveled to more than 30 countries and worked in approximately 15 of them,” he adds.
Treasurer
With a passion for agricultural Extension, Rivera stresses the influence of politics and cultural issues on Extension’s development, beyond just the impact of technological advances.
g-shinn@tamu.edu
J. Mark Erbaugh
erbaugh.1@osu.edu Board Member-at-Large
Barnabas Dlamini
bmd@africaonline.co.sz Student Director
Alexa Lamm
alamm@ufl.edu Journal Executive Editor
James Lindner
j-lindner@tamu.edu Journal Managing Editor
Kim Dooley
k-dooley@tamu.edu
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Jenna Kujawski, Editor jennak@AggieNetwork.com
In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently released a CD on “Agricultural Extension in Transition Worldwide: Policies and Strategies for Reform,” which was created as a set of modules for training officials in developing countries. While at the University of Maryland, Rivera initiated the Center for International Extension Development, which promoted Extension research among master’s and doctoral students and brought over 65 prominent scholars and practitioners to campus to speak on agricultural Extension worldwide. “One of the biggest changes I have seen in agriculture has been the acceptance of agricultural Extension as an international issue and concern,” he says. “The impact of international organizations on Extension reform in both developed and developing countries has made it a multi-functional activity, causing Extension to expand its services.” And, as someone who was there when it all began, Rivera knows that AIAEE has a large role to play in the future of agricultural Extension. “The multi-functionality of agriculture should shape Extension’s development in the future,” Rivera says. “AIAEE must lead the field and pay attention to the larger picture being sketched by politics, economics, and the emerging changes in farming and rural development.” Pictured above is Rivera in 2006 with staff of the Owahu College in Eastern Ghana. July 2009
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Puerto Rico cont.
professional lives, Zazueta delivered a convincing case for the expanded use of information technology in agricultural and Extension education activities. AIAEE members’ proclivities for taking advantage of networking opportunities produced an alliance for the 2011 Annual Conference in Windhoek, Namibia. Zazueta’s affiliation with the International Network for Information Technology in Agriculture (INFITA) has been searching for an African venue for the World Congress on Computers in Agriculture (WCCA). Recently, the INFITA board endorsed Zazueta’s proposal to hold WCCA in conjunction with the AIAEE 2011 conference in Windhoek. Coupled with AIAEE’s co-host partner, the Agricultural Scientific Society of Namibia (AGRISSON), an AIAEE/AGRISSON/WCCA conference is sure to offer a multitude of professional development opportunities while expanding our collective professional networks. The 27th Annual Conference in Windhoek, Namibia, promises to be a “cannot miss” event. There is no doubt it will take massive planning, which you can be assured is already underway. However, how you get to Windhoek is largely dependent upon your own initiative. What plans have you made to be in Windhoek in 2011? Now is the time to seek out partnerships, develop research projects, apply for grants, secure travel monies and assist students with their plans to attend the AIAEE/AGRISSON/WCCA conference in 2011. For that matter, all of us should have plans in place to attend the 26th Annual AIAEE Conference in Saskatoon, Canada. Professor Grant Wood of the University of Saskatchewan is well ahead of the planning process to produce yet another memorable AIAEE conference. Please read elsewhere in this issue of The Informer to learn more about our 2010 conference in Saskatoon.
Locals, above left, fly kites over El Morro and conference participants, above middle, listen to Dr. Osmund Mwandemele, Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Namibia, during one of the concurrent workshops. Coffee beans, above right, at Hacienda Buena Vista in Ponce.
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A Gift for the Children
Jenna Kujawski, Editor jennak@AggieNetwork.com
Alice Shinn is a true giver. Not only did she give her time to make a handmade table runner to earn donations for the AIAEE graduate student community service project, but her gift helped give school supplies to the children of San Juan. During the final day of the 25th Anniversary Conference in San Juan, Alice’s handmade gift went for what must have been a record-breaking $400. AIAEE graduate students were able to use the money to purchase additional school supplies for several elementary schools in the area. Graduate students formally presented the school supplies to the first lady of Puerto Rico, Mrs. Fortuño, inside La Fortaleza—the governor’s mansion. The highlight of the event was the opportunity for these graduate students to actually meet some of the children that would benefit from the donated school supplies. And, the lucky winners of Alice’s handmade gift? Fortunately for Alice, the table runner was won by the bidding duo of Jack Elliot and Gary Briers at Texas A&M University. So, after making the long flight from Texas to Puerto Rico, Alice’s gift came home again—back to Texas. Pictured above is Alice Shinn with Gary Briers and Jack Elliot, the winning bidders of her handmade table runner.
Innovation, Cooperation & Collaboration Research Jay Jayaratne, North Carolina State University jay_jayaratne@ncsu.edu
We would like to inform our members and others who are interested in international agricultural and Extension education about our 26th Annual Conference in Saskatoon, Canada, in 2010. The 26th AIAEE conference theme is “Innovation, Cooperation, & Collaboration (IC2).” If you have a research or development project, you may consider developing a paper or poster proposal relating to this theme. We will send calls for paper and poster proposals in August. Please visit the AIAEE Web site at www.aiaee.org for calls for proposals.
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“Let us look for the next 25 Years of International Vergot, AIAEE Past President Agricultural & Extension Education” Pete pvergot@ufl.edu I want to thank Dr. Fedro Zazueta, our great keynote speaker who inspired us all with his words of technology and agricultural and Extension education, the AIAEE board members, committee and session chairs, the members who served as judges, our spouse and guest host Iris Swanson, and you, the membership in attendance, for making our 25th Annual AIAEE Conference “25 Years of Strengthening International Agricultural & Extension Education” a success! I want to extend congratulations to all of the paper and poster presenters and the winners of the many awards that were given during our special awards ceremony during our final session. A special congratulations to Alexa Lamm, (alamm@ufl.edu), our new graduate student representative, that I will be working with as past president of AIAEE. While we are between annual meetings, we have many ways for you to communicate with each other, including this newsletter—The Informer, our Web site (http://www.aiaee.org/) and our official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education—JIAEE (http://www.aiaee.org/journal.html). If you have special information on events or conferences of interest and job opportunities, please use our list serve at AIAEE@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU. Soon, you will see the calls for the 26th annual meeting paper presentations and posters abstracts on “Conference FastTrack” (http://aiaee.ft.expressacademic.org/login.php). I look forward to all of the agricultural and Extension educational programs that our membership will be sharing through the paper and poster presentations. Cheryl and I hope to meet new members and our old friends at our next annual meeting in Saskatoon where Professor Grant Wood, (grant.wood@usask.ca) will be our host. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Radisson Hotel in May 2010 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada! Puerto Rican dancers, above, entertain conference attendees at the Opening Night Reception in Old San Juan.
Fulbright Ambassador Program Martin Frick, Montana State University-Bozeman uadmf@montana.edu
Dr. Martin Frick, professor of agricultural education at Montana State University-Bozeman, presented at the AIAEE conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 26. His presentation focused on his personal experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Croatia and on the opportunities available to others in the field. Frick is part of the inaugural group of Fulbright Ambassadors, a new outreach initiative aimed at showing a wider audience the opportunities available through the Fulbright Scholar Program. The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year to lecture and research in a wide variety of fields. To learn more about Frick and the Fulbright Ambassador Program, visit the Web site of the Council for Independent Exchange of Scholars ( http://www.cies.org/ambassadors/mfrick/).
July 2009 2009 July
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2009 AIAEE Outstanding Member Awards
Outstanding Leadership Award
Outstanding Service Award
AIAEE began its awards program for members in 1991 with the Outstanding Service Award and the Outstanding Leadership Award. The Outstanding Young Member Award was initiated in 1996 and was renamed The Early Achievement Award in 2005. A new award, Outstanding Achievement, was added in 2005. AIAEE awards are presented to outstanding members nominated by their peers and selected by the Awards and Recognition Committee.
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Dr. James Lindner The Outstanding Service Award is presented to a member who has made meritorious service contributions beyond his or her regular employment over a period of time exceeding 10 years. The criteria include meritorious contributions, peer recognition, dedication, resourcefulness, sustained effort and cooperation. The 2009 Outstanding Service Award was presented to Dr. James Lindner. Lindner is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications at Texas A&M University. He began his involvement with AIAEE at the Ohio State University as a graduate student. He joined the faculty at Texas A&M in 2000. His specialization is in the theory and practice of educational planning and needs assessment. He applies this knowledge to distance education and international agricultural development and education. He is the departmental cocoordinator for international agriculture and has a long record of service to AIAEE, including JIAEE editor from 2008 - present; editor of the annual meeting proceedings from 2001 - 2003; San Antonio conference planner in 2005; chair and co-chair of scholarly abstract and poster sessions from 2002 - 2003; and an awards committee member from 2006 - present. He received the JIAEE Article of the Year Award in 2007. He was nominated by Kim Dooley.
Dr. W. Wade Miller The Outstanding Leadership Award is presented to a member who has made substantial leadership contributions to international agricultural and Extension education on a continuous basis for at least 10 years. The criteria include personal commitment, interpersonal relations, selfimprovement, achievement, excellence and prominence. The 2009 Outstanding Leadership Award was presented to Dr. W. Wade Miller. Miller is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Education & Studies at Iowa State University. He joined the faculty at Iowa State in 1980. He provides leadership to the college’s Master of Agriculture and chairs the college curriculum committee. He has taught agricultural mechanics workshops to agriculture teachers in Costa Rica, pesticide safety workshops to Peace Corps volunteers in Costa Rica and farm equipment maintenance to farmers in Mexico. From 1994 – 1998, he was an exchange professor with the National Agriculture University of Ukraine where he was selected as an Honorary Professor in 1998. Recently, he has been serving as a consultant to Gori College in the Republic of Georgia. He has been a member of AIAEE since the beginning, serving as treasurer from 1992 - 1994, president from 2000 – 2001, and has chaired the Awards and Recognition Committee for a number of years. He was nominated by Gary Briers.
July 2009
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Number 2
2009 AIAEE Outstanding Member Awards
The Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to a member who has demonstrated a combination of service, leadership and scholarly activity in international agricultural and Extension education for at least five years. The 2009 Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Michelle (Shelly) Glenn. Glenn is the director of international Extension programs at Michigan State University. She joined their faculty in 2006. She began her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer (agriculture Extension agent) in Zaire, Central Africa. Since that time, she has continued to serve in various consultancy roles in both the U.S. and several other countries, including Ghana, Guinea, Cape Verde and Togo. She is highly effective in Extension with a great academic record. She has experience in formal and nonformal education, ranging from teaching learner-centered and experiential-learning methodologies to developing culturally relevant curriculum and administrative structure. She is an active member of AIAEE, serving as a board member, graduate student advisor, associate editor or JIAEE and in several other capacities. She was nominated by James Lindner and Jack Elliot.
The Early Achievement Award is presented to a member who early in their career (less than five years) has demonstrated a combination of service, leadership and scholarly activity in international agricultural and Extension education. The 2009 Early Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Kristin Davis. Davis received her Ph.D. in international agricultural Extension at the University of Florida in 2004. Davis is a research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Ethiopia. She has been conducting research on Extension and education for the past five years, including the assessment of farmer field schools in East Africa, an international review of Extension for rural services, background papers on Extension in Sub-Saharan Africa, and a review of the Ethiopian Extension system. She has published her research in several journals, including JIAEE and Agricultural Systems, and several articles have received awards. She has been active in AIAEE for several years, having served as secretary this past year. She was nominated by James Lindner.
July 2009 2009 July
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Early Achievement Award
Dr. Kristin Davis
Outstanding Achievement Award
Dr. Michelle (Shelly) Glenn
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Head North…to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada for the 26th Annual AIAEE Conference Grant Wood, 2010 Conference Organizer grant.wood@usask.ca Gary Wingenbach, AIAEE President g-wingenbach@tamu.edu David Lawver, President-Elect david.lawver@ttu.edu Pete Vergot, Past President pvergot@ufl.edu And now, we begin the next 25 years of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. An important component of AIAEE is our annual meeting to discuss new research, practices and methods of enhancing agricultural and extension education activities with an international focus. What will be AIAEE’s focus in 2034? Who will be the leaders of AIAEE at the 50th anniversary meeting? Did some of those leaders attend their first conference at the recent 25th anniversary meeting in Puerto Rico? So many questions; fortunately, there is much time to discover the answers. The 26th Annual AIAEE Conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, will be our first “international” conference since the 2008 conference in Costa Rica. Unlike the balmy tropical weather in Costa Rica, Saskatchewan holds the promise of somewhat cooler temperatures and possible extravagant light shows nightly, courtesy of Mother Nature’s Northern Lights. Located about 180 miles north of the U.S. border, Saskatoon is home to the University of Saskatchewan, the only university in Canada to have all six life sciences colleges and a teaching hospital on the same campus (http://www.usask.ca/departments.php). Saskatoon welcomes you to one of the top biotechnology centres in the world, attracting over 30 percent of all biotechnology research spending in Canada, one of the world’s most advanced Synchrotrons and Canada’s largest research project, and a city infused by a lively ambiance, friendly hospitality and rich, diverse cultural experiences (http://www.tourismsaskatoon.com). The theme for the 26th Annual Conference is Innovation, Cooperation, & Collaboration (IC2). Saskatoon is the heart of innovation with Innovation Place, one of the most successful university-related research parks in North America and home to the Canadian Light Source and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. Co-operatives were the saving grace of many Saskatchewan farmers and their families during the early 1900s and continue to be the same today. The Centre for the Study of Co-operatives was established at the University of Saskatchewan because co-operatives play a crucial role in all segments of the provincial economy and society. Working together collaboratively, the University of Saskatchewan helped establish the University of the Arctic, which is a consortium of universities from ten countries that have combined staff and resources to improve educational opportunities for residents of the circumpolar region of the world. Next month, selected members of the 2010 AIAEE Board of Directors will meet with Professor Grant Wood and University of Saskatchewan personnel to plan the 26th Annual AIAEE Conference. Come to Saskatoon in 2010 and experience innovation, cooperation and collaboration. Pictured above is Saskatoon’s downtown area over looking the river.
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July 2009
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So, Who Really Speaks English? Jack Elliot, Texas A&M University jelliot@tamu.edu
Match the letter from the USA English word by the number of the Namibian English word.
Namibia 1. Boot 2. Robot 3. Pan 4. Chips 5. Still 6. Booking 7. Queue 8. Tin 9. Spar 10. Lift 11. Toilet 12. Scheme 13. Bore Hole 14. Fuel 15. Game 16. Spur 17. Cabriolet 18. Hello 19. Monster Cars 20. Small Saturday 21. Meat 22.You
USA A. Restroom B. Dry lake C. Can D. Plan E. Trunk F. Elevator G. Traffic Light H. Grocery Store I. Water J. Reservation K. French Fries L. Line M. Hello N. 4 By 4s O.Y’all P. Food Q. Well R. Toy S. Convertible T. Restaurant U. Gas V. Wednesday
Answers found on page 12.
A giraffe, top, takes a drink while a hyenna, bottom, roams through Africa. A stuffed lion, middle, smiles for the camera.
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From the Student’s Corner
Alexa Lamm, AIAEE Student Director alamm@ufl.edu
The AIAEE conference in Puerto Rico this past May was the first association function I have had the pleasure of attending. As the new representative of the many graduate students in attendance, I would like to express how much I thoroughly enjoyed the learning, networking, exposure and opportunities to engage in a community that exists outside of my typical circles. By far the best part of being involved in AIAEE as a graduate student is the opportunity to see just how much is happening with agricultural and Extension education worldwide and to have a chance to speak with those involved in global education. Having a chance to converse with faculty and students performing research and education across the world opened my eyes to the possibilities that exist in our diverse, ever-changing field. I would like to personally thank Dr. Amy Harder of the University of Florida for introducing me to such a high-level, friendly organization. San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a lovely place to visit and hold a conference of this nature. The planning team should be commended for putting together an outstanding program, full of opportunities for students to learn, grow and gain experience. The hotel site, beaches and opportunity to taste the local Puerto Rican culture were all experiences the graduate students said they would remember for years to come. A significant highlight of the conference was the amount of research students presented, including an array of incredibly diverse and high quality projects. Through both paper and poster presentations, the depth and creativity involved in student research was impressive. By glancing around the room during the poster session, it was obvious to see how engaged students were in their own research as they shared their projects with other faculty and students. In addition, I would like to thank Aurelio Curbelo. As the host graduate student for the conference, he coordinated an outstanding community service project for the graduate students. We toured Old San Juan, visited the governor’s Students cont. on page 11
Graduate students, above left, present their posters to conference attendees while Patrick Saisi, above right, poses with his poster on managing conflicts in Kenya. Graduate students, above middle, pose with the first lady of Puerto Rico, Mrs. FortuĂąo, inside La Fortaleza. The two children are representatives from local elementary schools that received school supplies from AIAEE.
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July 2009
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Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage in Nigeria
James Murren, Purdue University jmurren@purdue.edu
Purdue Extension educators Maria Restrepo, Adrienne Held, Bill Horan and Jeremy Weber have been selected to help facilitate a train-the-trainer program in northern Nigeria from August 6 – 21, 2009, as part of Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS)—a Purdue International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) project. The four educators will each assist in a series of workshops, educating teams of local technicians on the use of a nonchemical, hermetic, triple-bagging technology for storing cowpeas. Most of the workshops will be in the capital cities of the 19 Nigerian states involved in the PICS project in 2009. Cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas, are an important staple food in western and central Africa and are sold by some 3.4 million households. It is estimated that as much as 25 percent of harvested cowpeas in storage are currently lost to pests. To curb that loss, PICS utilizes a proven triplebagging technology that has a research and education history of more than 20 years when Purdue entomologist Larry Murdock first began working with cowpea storage in Cameroon. Murdock and colleagues discovered that weevils became inactive in airtight plastic bags, causing them to be unable to feed and reproduce. Low-cost, effective, simple and pesticide-free, storing cowpeas in the hermetically sealed bags will increase annual household income by an estimated $150 per year in a region where most people live on less than $2 per day. Initial bag costs to a family will be approximately $2 per 100 kg (220 lbs.) bag. Pictured above are bags of cowpeas during one of several workshops in Nigeria.
PICS cont. on page 12
Students cont.
mansion, had an outstanding local Puerto Rican lunch, visited with the first lady of Puerto Rico and assisted a local elementary school in renovating their classroom and playground areas by supplying them with needed school supplies. Most importantly, the opportunity to meet graduate students working in similar areas of study from across the world was amazing. When I planned to attend the conference, I was hoping to have some engaging discussions and to learn about research being conducted at other universities. While this did occur, I also came away with a myriad of new friends, something I never expected. Looking forward toward this coming year, I would like to encourage all graduate students involved in agricultural and Extension education to look at what they are working on and see if it can be applied globally. I would personally like to encourage everyone to participate in the association and it’s meetings, as it has proven to be extremely valuable. Calls for posters and presentations for the 2010 meeting in Saskatchewan will be coming out shortly, so think ahead! Planning for next year’s meeting has already started, so if you have any questions, ideas, thoughts, or concerns about graduate student involvement in the association, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the University of Florida. Thank you to all, spread the word about AIAEE, have a fantastic summer, and I hope to see you in Saskatchewan next year!
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PICS cont.
“I served in the Peace Corps in Africa over 20 years ago, and I am looking forward to going back again if only for a short time. This will be a great opportunity to do exactly what we do here, which is to help people find solutions to their problems, but we’ll be doing it in a new environment and culture,” Horan said. “My whole family is excited to be sending me off to Africa for a few weeks.” Pesticides are available to protect stored cowpeas, but in an area where most farmers are illiterate, pesticides are often misused, resulting in health problems and even death. Some farmers have heard about storage in air-tight containers, but they usually do not know how to effectively seal the bags. Farmers in areas where the PICS project had activities in 2007 and 2008 are excited about having a safe, low-cost storage method. “I look forward to the opportunity to teach a skill that will impact the way they store their cowpeas and improve their quality of life,” Restrepo said. “This means so much to me, and the experience that I will gain will be invaluable. I truly am excited about what I will learn and what I will be able to share when I return.” “This is an opportunity to learn about agriculture and culture in another part of the world,” Held added. “I’ve been given the opportunity to represent Purdue Extension on this trip and share knowledge with ag technicians in Nigeria, but what I expect to gain in return will be much more than the knowledge that I will be able to share with them.” The five-year PICS project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is planned for the countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. “This project is what I got into Extension for—to help others find what they need to improve their lives,” Weber said. “And in this case, I get to do that in a place that I’ve only been able to dream of visiting.”
Cont. from page 9
So, Who Really Speaks English? 1. E 2. G 3. B 4. K 5. I 6. J 7. L 8. C 9. H 10. F 11. A
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Answer Key 12. D 13. Q 14. U 15. R 16. T 17. S 18. M 19. N 20.V 21. P 22. O
July 2009
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Expanding Your Professional Network John R. Vreyens, University of Minnesota vreyens@umn.edu Jessica M. Bagdonis, The Pennsylvania State University jmb769@psu.edu
The world of international development models the real world in terms of the complexity of issues, organizations and people involved in alleviating hunger and increasing the quality of life for people around the globe. There are avenues, however, to make connections to like-minded people and organizations through professional organizations that help in the tracking of and keeping abreast of developments in a timely manner. One such organization is the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD). AIARD is based in the US and pulls together a wide variety of organizations focused on working internationally in agriculture and rural development issues. The association is 45 years old this year. Originally, membership was composed of directors of international agricultural programs at universities in the US, but several years ago, the association expanded its membership to include nongovernment organizations, federal agency employees (primarily from the US Department of Agriculture and the US Agency for International Development) and private sector companies. Membership and association news are available at http://aiard.org. AIARD is an advocacy group. Since much of the organizational thrust is educating policy makers on the issues impacting agriculture and rural development, many of the association activities happen in Washington, DC. The association holds an annual meeting that brings together key individuals and organizations to address policy, financing and impacts of introducing change in countries around the world. Expanding one’s network of professional contacts is easily accomplished through the interaction with the full breadth of organizations working on agriculture development issues. Five years ago, AIARD began the Future Leaders Forum. The concept behind this effort was to bring young professionals during or post graduate studies into the network. These future leaders attend the annual conference of the association followed by a day and a half of visits to organizations in Washington, DC. This year, one of our AIAEE graduate student members joined the AIARD network and was one of 12 graduate students selected to participate in the Future Leaders Forum. Jessica Bagdonis, a doctoral candidate at Penn State University, tells you about her experience. Graduate students often express concerns about expanding their networks for increased learning opportunities that will support their research inquiries, shape their personal philosophies and possibly help secure them a job. Joining AIARD is one way to accomplish each of these goals! The Future Leaders Forum provides a unique opportunity for selected graduate students to attend the annual AIARD conference and to meet with individuals of specific organizations, such as the World Bank, USDA, USAID, Peace Corps and Chemonics, to learn about current issues and opportunities for working in international agriculture and rural development.The chance to make personal contacts at these organizations, as well as to share with and learn from the other students and AIARD members, was invaluable. Fortunately, you do not have to be selected as a participant for the Future Leaders Forum to participate in AIARD. As a graduate student with several years of previous experience in international development, I feel comfortable reiterating what we all know—in academia, our view of the international agriculture and rural development field often becomes obscured by our position in the ivory tower.This revelation can be frustrating to graduate students, who enter graduate school with idealized notions of what can be accomplished in a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. However, one of the most important benefits of AIARD membership is its provision of an unobstructed, macro view of current happenings in international agriculture and rural development. Such an expanded view can become a vehicle for stronger research, developed personal philosophies and increased job opportunity. In closing, we encourage graduate students and faculty alike to expand their networks and consider joining AIARD.
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Call for Managing Editor-Elect Journal of International Agricultural & Extension Education AIAEE’s Board of Directors is accepting nominations (including self-nominations) for the position of Managing Editor-Elect for the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education. Nominations should include a letter of interest by the nominee and the nominee’s curriculum vitae. The managing editor-elect will be expected to move into the roles of executive editor and past editor. The individual must have published in JIAEE in the last 5 years. Preference is given to those having served on the editorial board. Term as Managing Editor: January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011 (Volumes 17 & 18) Managing Editor: Manages the submission and review process using the Academic Express online system; delegates Commentary, Tools of Trade and Book Reviews to associate editors. Term as Executive Editor: January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011: Kim Dooley (Volumes 17 & 18) Executive Editor: Sets the overall standards for the journal and responsible for editing, printing and distributing each issue; handles all post-acceptance issues including page fees, manuscript publication agreements and library subscriptions. Term as Past Editor: January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011: James Lindner (Volumes 17 & 18) Past Editor: Assists with process and product transition; advises associate editors and editorial board membership. Please submit electronic nomination materials (either in pdf or MS Word) to one of the following individuals: Dr. Gary Wingenbach President, AIAEE g-wingenbach@tamu.edu Texas A&M University
Dr. Pete Vergot Past President, AIAEE pvergot@ufl.edu University of Florida
Paper Presentation Winners Outstanding paper presentation: A brain-based experiential learning framework to guide international experiences (T. Grady Roberts & B. Lynn Jones) 2nd place outstanding paper presentation: Using modernized relic technology to better enable sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries: A philosophical and practical reorientation for Mali’s farmers (James W. Hynes, M. Craig Edwards & Theresa Pesl Murphrey) 3rd place outstanding paper presentation: Understanding Hispanic farmers and their educational needs: A case of southwestern Michigan (Bernardo Lopez Ariza & Murari Suvedi) Outstanding graduate student paper presentation: Reflective writing in study abroad programs: Hunting a story in South Africa (Ginger Larson, Thomas H. Bruening & Jacklyn A. Bruce) Outstanding Poster Presentation: Creating international agricultural experiences in the virtual world: An exploration of second life (Leslie D. Edgar, Rene P. Miller & Don W. Edgar) 2nd place outstanding poster presentation: Delivering a citizens’ exchange program with a professional focus: Media specialists from the republic of Mali,West Africa, and Faculty of Oklahoma State University, USA – Triumphs, Faux pas, and Lessons learned (Shelly Sitton, M. Craig Edwards, D. Dwayne Cartmell II, Cindy Blackwell & James W. Hynes) 3rd place outstanding poster presentation: Framework for building global awareness of Extension professionals (K.S.U. Jayaratne & John G. Richardson) Outstanding graduate student poster presentation: Second life: A virtual world for international Extension programming (Alexa Lamm, Amy Harder, Diana King, Shannon Arnold & James Lindner) 14
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July 2009
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The Informer
Volume 27 Number 2 www.aiaee.org
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