Monday, April 29, 2013

See photos from the 2013 Hort Academic Program Review:

Click HERE to view all photos in set

Attn. Graduating Seniors: HORT exit interview Wed. 5/1 @ 10am


Are you a Horticulture major who is graduating this spring?  If so, you're invited to a final exit interview on Wed. 5/1 @10am in HFSB 202

Each semester the Department invites undergraduate students who are graduating seniors to visit for a final exit interview.  This allows your input in possible changes that strengthen our teaching program and the Department in general. Dr. Lineberger strongly encourages you to attend an exit interview where you can meet and frankly talk about your experience at Texas A&M.  Please e-mail Debbie Perez at debperez@tamu.edu  if you plan to attend. 


***We also ask that undergraduate students who are graduating seniors to complete a Departmental questionnaire at http://tamuag.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4JiDcwKe9KvDeOU surveying your closing thoughts about your experience at TAMU.  Dr. Lineberger had his HORT 481 class complete this survey for the class.  If you were not in his 481 course, we ask you to complete this confidential final evaluation survey before May 10th.

Dr. David Byrne honored by National Peach Council

Award presented to Dr. Byrne by Dr. Dan Lineberger
The National Peach Council awarded Dr. David Byrne the 2013 Carroll R. Miller Award for outstanding research in peaches.  Congratulations to Dr. Byrne!

Call for Donations and Volunteers: GSC/OCA Move Out Day



Each year students move out and discard thousands of dollars in goods that could be given to those in need. This year the Off Campus Aggies (OCA) and the Graduate Student Council (GSC), two Texas A&M sponsored organizations will be collecting donations of clothing, linens, non-perishables, books, electronics, toiletries and furniture for their Moving Out day event. During this three day event, which will be held May 7th, 8th, and 9th, donations will be taken at Lot 84 near the Fred Dollar Food Services Commissary on 474 Agronomy Rd. In the past the event has been very successful with several box loads of donations being given back to the community.


Move Out Day Dates: May 7 - May 9  / Donations accepted 9am-5pm  /   Lot 84

Volunteers will be needed May 7 - May 9 for the following shifts:
8:30-11am
11am-1pm
1-3pm
3-5pm
 If you are interested in being a volunteer or would like to notify us of a donation you plan to make, please complete this web form http://gsc.tamu.edu/node/4972.  For more information or questions please email gsc@tamu.edu or oca@oca.tamu.edu.  Thank you for your help with our endeavor!
 

Diana Juarez, TAMU Horticulture writes about her internship in Nicaragua

Diana Juarez, Texas A&M

Students: You can apply for this internship, too! 

 Hello, my name is Diana Juarez; I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Horticulture, and came to PAC to do an internship in the area of ​​quality management of the coffee chain. To come to PAC, I applied to the program in October 2012 and by the end of November of the same year I was arriving in Managua, where my three month internship began.
During the first two weeks I was in the office of PAC-Managua getting to know PAC’s work, its intervention model and participating in the definition of the activities that would take place during my time in PAC.
Then I moved to PAC’s office in Matagalpa, where I supported the development of the internal control system of the coffee chain. These activities allowed me to interact with PAC’s team. I worked at the office and also visited the fields, talked to coffee producers, learning firsthand about their efforts and improvements of the coffee crop.
In addition, I accompanied the field visits for the external audit of Fair Trade Certification of coffee producers affiliated with PAC. Overall, this experience helped me grow personally and to explore possible areas in the development of agriculture.

In Matagalpa, the weather is cool, I felt safe walking on the streets. Nicaraguans are very joyful and most of the people I met grew up during the war, and told me their personal stories which are very interesting.

The family where I stayed in Matagalpa, made me feel at home. They were always attentive to me, and if I am given the opportunity to return to Nicaragua, I know I can count on this family in anything I need.
Some places I visited in Nicaragua were: Diriomo, the Diriá viewpoint, the Catarina viewpoint, Masaya Market, Mombacho Volcano, Granada and its islets. Also I was in festive activities as "gritería" (celebration of the Virgin Mary that is on December 7th), and the anniversary of the city of Matagalpa (February 14th). Nicaraguan food is very good, some of the dishes I ate were: gallo pinto, nacatamal, fried plantains, indio viejo, among others.

My stay in Nicaragua was fun, and the experience with PAC has been a personal and academic challenge to acquire new knowledge in different areas. Be encouraged to participate in this internship program, I'm sure it will help in your formation to become a leader.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Borlaug Seminar Fri. 4/26, 1-2pm: Sustainable Development Solutions Network


Location: AGLS 115 Time: 1pm-2pm Friday, 4/26:
In his seminar lecture on April 26, Dr. Belay E. Begashaw will discuss Texas A&M University’s role in the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
The SDSN is a new initiative that combines scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society and the private sector around the world. The initiative endeavors to alleviate global poverty and hunger in the face of a world population approaching 9 billion people by 2050.
The SDSN is intended to carry on the work still left following the Millennium Development Goals, a UN program ending 2015 that has seen success mitigating extreme poverty and hunger around the world.
Dr. Begashaw is director of the Columbia University Global Center for Africa.