Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture/ Conference 2001

Speakers

Dr. Roger N. Beachy
Dr. Roger N. Beachy, internationally known for his work in virus resistant plants, is the founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to assuming this post, he was from 1991 to 1998 head of the Division of Plant Biology at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, where he was also co-director of the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology.
From 1978 to 1991 Dr. Beachy was professor and head of the Center for Plant Science and Biotechnology at Washington University in St. Louis. His work there, in collaboration with Monsanto Company, led to the development of the world's first genetically-altered, virus-resistant food crop, a variety of tomato. His technique has been replicated by others to produce many types of virus resistant plants. He has edited or contributed to 50 book articles, and his work has produced more than 190 journal publications.
Dr. Beachy has received a number of prestigious awards including the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 2001, the D. Robert Hoagland Award, and the William D. Phillips Technology Advancement Award in 1995, and election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1997. He earned his B.A. in biology from Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, and his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Michigan State University.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit, fully independent institution that conducts and facilitates world class, interdisciplinary research in genetics, chemistry, cell biology, biochemistry, computational genomics, and structural biology. The center is a unique partnership of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Monsanto Company, Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Washington University, and the St. Louis-based Danforth Foundation.

Dr. Richard M. Foster
Dr. Richard M. Foster is vice president for programs at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan. Specific programming initiatives for which he is responsible include Integrated Farming Systems, Food Systems Professions Education, Managing Information with Rural America, Mid-South Delta Initiative, People and Land, and the Kellogg National Leadership Program.
Dr. Foster joined the foundation in 1991 as a visiting professional while on sabbatical leave from the University of Nebraska where he served as a professor of agricultural education. Prior to joining the foundation, he had taught at Iowa State University and the University of Idaho, and worked at the School of Agriculture for the Humid Tropics (E.A.R.T.H.) in Costa Rica. He received the E.B. Knight Award from the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture as well as the Distinguished Teaching Award and Outstanding Young Professor awards from the University of Nebraska. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in agricultural education from Iowa State University.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose main goal is to help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations. The foundation focuses on building the capacity of individuals, communities, and institutions to solve their own problems.

Dr. Mabel Imbuga
Dr. Mabel Imbuga is dean of the faculty of science and professor of biochemistry at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya. She is chairperson of African Women in Science and Engineering, an organization that collaborates with International Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU).
Dr. Imbuga's research includes studies of the use of natural products in the management of pests and the control of tropical diseases. She completed her undergraduate and post-graduate studies at the University of Nairobi. Prior to joining the faculty at Jomo Kenyatta University in 1995, she was a member of the staff of the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), which is also located in Nairobi.

Dr. Martin C. Jischke
Dr. Martin Jischke became president of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, in August 2000. Previously, he served nine years as president of Iowa State University. Under Dr. Jischke's leadership, Iowa State University enjoyed a period of substantial growth and development. The quality and size of the faculty, student body, staff, and administrative leadership were improved. Research and economic development programs were expanded.
Dr. Jischke went to Iowa State University from the University of Missouri, Rolla, where he was chancellor from 1986 to 1991. Prior to his tenure at the University of Missouri, he was dean of the College of Engineering and interim president of the University of Oklahoma. He is the author or co-author of 31 archival journal publications and 21 major technical reports. He has served as a White House Fellow and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation. He was the 1998 chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) board of directors and is a member of the board of the American Council on Education and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. He has received the Centennial Medallion from the American Society of Engineering Education and is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Jischke is a member of the Founding and
Organizing Committees of GCHERA. He earned his B.S. in physics from the Illinois Institute of Technology and his graduate degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Founded in 1869, Purdue University is a public, land-grant research university with an international reputation for academic excellence. Its programs include engineering, agriculture, science, veterinary medicine, management, technology, consumer and family sciences, education, liberal arts, pharmacy, nursing, and health sciences. Purdue's all campus enrollment exceeds 67,000,12 percent of whom are graduate students. Its enrollment of international students is the largest of any U.S. public educational institution. Faculty and staff exceed 14,000, and the annual budget is more than $1.1 billion.

Dr. S. Kannaiyan
Dr. S. Kannaiyan, an internationally known microbi-ologist, is vice-chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, India. Prior to assuming his present post in 1999, he was dean of the Faculty of Agriculture. Actively involved in rice research for the past 30 years Dr. Kannaiyan has published more than 400 scientific papers and 22 books. He continues to teach post-graduate students in agricultural microbiology and biotechnology.
Dr. Kannaiyan has received several awards including the prestigious Hari Om Ashram National Award by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1997), World Intellectual Award (1993), and TNAU Best Research Scientist Award (1995). He is Indian coordinator, Academic Link Research Programme, Agricultural Biotechnology, British Council, England, and joint coordinator of the International Network on Soil Fertility and Sustainable Rice Farming with the International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines. His work has taken him to more than 43 countries.
Dr. Kannaiyan received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Annamalai University, India, and held post doctoral fellowships at the C.F. Kettering Research Laboratory in Ohio, USA, and at Kings College, University of London, U.K.
TNAU is an autonomous institution that conducts research and offers undergraduate and post-graduate educational programs in agriculture, horticulture,
agricultural engineering, forestry, and home science. The university also carries out extension education activities through its technology transfer programs. Although the university was established in 1971, the genesis of agricultural education in the state dates back to 1868.

Dr. William B. Lacy
Dr. William B. Lacy is the vice provost for University Outreach and International Programs at the University of California-Davis and professor of sociology in the Department of Human and Community Development. As vice provost he provides leadership for the coordination of all aspects of the campus' expanding outreach and international initiatives.
Dr. Lacy received his B.S. in organizational behavior and industrial relations from Cornell University, his M.A. in administration in higher education from Colgate University, and his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan. He was professor of sociology at the University of Kentucky from 1974 to 1989. From 1989 to 1994, Dr. Lacy was the assistant dean for Research in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Pennsylvania State University.
Then for four years prior to his arrival at the University of California-Davis in 1998, Dr. Lacy was the director of Cornell Cooperative Extension and associate dean of the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Human Ecology at Cornell University.
Dr. Lacy has authored/co-authored over 60 journal articles and book chapters on education, science policy, agricultural research and extension, biotechnology, and biodiversity, and co-authored/co-edited six books. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; 1990 recipient of the Excellence in Research Award from the Rural Sociological Society; the 1992-1993 President of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society; and 1999 president of the Rural Sociological Society.

Mr, M. Peter McPherson
Mr. Peter McPherson brings to GCHERA the insights of an enlightened public servant and an educator who is also distinguished for his work in the legal and banking professions. He is president of Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing,
Michigan. Throughout his career he has sustained a steadfast interest and constructive involvement in matters international.
As a public servant, Mr. McPherson has held several major governmental posts in Washington, D.C. After processing legal work with the Internal Revenue Service for six years he, in 1975, was named special assistant to President Ford. Two years later he became head of the Washington, D.C. office of a large law firm. Then in 1981, Mr. McPherson was appointed administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (US AID) and chairman of the board for the U.S. governmental agency that provides political risk insurance coverage for U.S. investors in developing countries (OPIC). He administered a budget of $6 to $7 billion a year with missions in some 70 countries during the six years that he headed USAID.
Mr. McPherson returned to the private sector as group executive vice president of the Bank of America after serving two years, 1987-89, as deputy secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department. As vice president of the Bank of America, his responsibilities included work with developing countries including the restructuring of troubled debts.
It was from his Bank of America post that in 1993 Mr. McPherson returned to his home state and his alma mater Michigan State University, where he continues his dedication to worldwide agriculture and economic development.
Founded in 1855, Michigan State University has a rich history of providing educational opportunities to students of diverse interests, abilities, and backgrounds. More than 34,000 undergraduate and 7,750 graduate students currently pursue degrees at this accessible land-grant institution. Michigan State University's undergraduate degree-granting colleges include: agriculture and natural resources, arts and letters, business, communication arts and sciences, education, engineering, human ecology, natural science, nursing, social sciences, and veterinary medicine.

Dr. Dmytro O. Melnychuk
Dr. Dmytro 0. Melnychuk is rector and professor at the National Agriculture University (NAUU) in Kiev, Ukraine. Dr. Melnychuk is an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He holds a
doctorate of biological science, and is a laureate of the State Prize in Science and Technology. He is an internationally prominent scientist in the field of biochemistry where he researches the molecular mechanisms of metabolism regulation in human and animal organisms. He is the president of the Ukrainian Biochemistry Society and president of the Ukrainian Agricultural Universities' (Academies, Institutes) Council of Rectors. He received the honorary title of "World Professor" from Iowa State University in 1996. He is a member of the Founding and Organizing Committees of the Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture (GCHERA) and is president-elect of the organization. He will serve as GCHERA's president for the term 2001-2003.
National Agriculture University is the premier agricultural university in Ukraine, training more than 18,000 students in agrobiology, agroecology, agribusiness, mechanization, forestry and fishery, agroengineering, veterinary medicine, land management, and plant protection. The institution contains six regional colleges and technical schools, two research stations, and two training/research farms where it teaches agriculture, forestry, and veterinary medicine. The University carries out broad-scale international relationships with partner universities and companies, conducts scientific research work, and develops experts for the agricultural sector.

Dr. Marts O'Rourke
Dr. Mans O'Rourke, now a private consultant based in her native New Zealand, was from 1995 to 2000 director of education for the World Bank. Prior to that she was the first secretary of education and chief executive of New Zealand Ministry of Education with the responsibility of managing a budget of $4.3 billion. She is one of the architects and prime implementers of New Zealand's successful program of education reforms.
In her World Bank post, Dr. O'Rourke headed the group of 300 plus professionals who are members of the Human Development Network. The Bank's Education Sector Strategy was produced under her leadership, and many new external partnerships were set up with key agencies such as UNICEF, UNESCO, OECD, UNDP, USAID, and NGO groups.
Dr. O'Rourke began her working life as an apprentice engineer and worked for a number of years with
engineering companies in a range of different countries. After beginning a family she attended the University of Auckland part-time. There, while also continuing to work outside of her home, she gained her undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, professional qualifications as a teacher, and became a registered psychologist. Her academic, research, and published work is focused on developmental psychology, behavioral analysis, teaching, and learning.
In recognition of her work Dr. O'Rourke has been awarded the New Zealand Commemoration Medal (1990), New Zealand Women's Suffrage Medal (1993) and was named a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management (1994). She has well-developed international networks and demonstrated ability to coordinate projects, disseminate information, and bring diverse groups to a consensus.

Dr. Paul M.H. Sun
Dr. Paul Ming-Hsien Sun is chairman of the board of the Taiwan Grains and Feeds Development Foundation (GFDF) and vice chair of the board of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC). He is a member of the board of the Central Bank, advisor to the Council of Agriculture, and managing director of the Rural Development Foundation.
Dr. Sun rose to national prominence as chief of the Plant Industry Division of the Chinese-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR). In this post, he was responsible for research and development related to crop improvement and agricultural technology throughout Taiwan. In 1988 he became commissioner of the Taiwan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Forestry. From 1996 until 2000, he was the national policy advisor to the president of Taiwan.
For many years, Dr. Sun, whose Ph.D. degree is in plant pathology, maintained a professorship at the National Chung Hsing University. During this tenure as deputy director general of AVRDC, he initiated cropping systems research that subsequently resulted in the formation of a research network throughout Taiwan.
Through his academic training, research leadership, and broad involvement in the formulation of national policies, Dr. Sun has made major contributions to the modernization of Taiwan's agriculture. He has also served the global community, especially through his years of leadership in the international agricultural research center, AVRDC.
Dr. Sun conducted his undergraduate studies at the National Taiwan University and obtained his graduate degrees at the University of Minnesota and Purdue University.

Dr. Robert L. Thompson
Dr. Robert L. Thompson, educator, developer, and public servant, has lectured, consulted or conducted research in more than 80 countries worldwide. He came to his current position of director of rural development of the World Bank from his academic background as an agricultural economist. In the course of his undergraduate work at Cornell University and graduate studies at Purdue University, Dr. Thompson completed long-term assignments in Denmark, Laos, and Brazil.
For a decade as a Purdue University faculty member, Professor Thompson focused on agricultural trade, public policy, and development. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1983 to become senior staff economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors. Two years later, Dr. Thompson was named assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1987 he moved back to Purdue University where for six years he was dean of the School of Agriculture. Then from 1993 to 1998, Thompson was president and chief executive officer of Winrock International Institution for Agricultural Development. Winrock carries out projects in some 40 countries; these projects are designed to help reduce poverty and hunger by increasing agricultural productivity and rural employment while protecting the quality of the environment.
Dr. Thompson is a fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and of the Ukrainian Academy of Agriculture Sciences. He was raised on a dairy farm in northern New York and is married to the former Karen Hansen of the Danish island of Bornholm.
The World Bank Group is the world's largest provider of development assistance with wide-ranging programs that help support research, education, and the strengthening of institutions serving rural people.

Dr. Elaine R. Wedral
Dr. Elaine Wedral is president of Nestle Research and Development Center, Inc., the North American research arm of Nestle S.A., the world's largest food company. She heads a scientific team that develops new technologies and products for retail and specialty markets worldwide. Under her leadership, the research and development programs of Libby, Beech-Nut, Carnation, and Nestle were consolidated into one coordinated function for Nestle in North America.
Dr. Wedral began her professional career as a chemist at Campbell Soup Company and has since held positions as head of Product Safety and Nutrition Service; vice president Technical Services, Libby, McNeil and Libby; vice president, R&D Westreco, Inc.; and senior vice president, Carnation/Nestle R&D.
Dr. Wedral holds over 26 patents in food science and chemistry. She has served on the advisory boards of the National Academy of Science Research Council for Math and Science Education and of Cornell, Rutgers, and Teikyo Post Universities. Under her leadership and in conjunction with her international colleagues, an array of nutritional and clinical products has been developed. These include Carnation infant formulas, nutrition supplements, and specialty products for pediatric and geriatric patients. Her vision led Nestle to become a major corporate sponsor of the National Eldercare Institute on Nutrition.
Dr. Wedral received both her B.S. and her honorary doctorate of agriculture degrees from Purdue University and her Ph.D. in Food Chemistry and Microbiology from Cornell University. She was honored as "Woman of the Year" by the prestigious organization Women in Food, Flavor, and Fragrances in Commerce (1991), and has been awarded distinguished recognition and honorary degrees from several universities.
Nestle S.A., an internationally recognized food company with some 500 production facilities in 70 countries, is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland.