May 19: At the Crossroads: Honoring Global Impacts Amidst Funding Challenges
Join us Monday, May 19 from 3-6pm in the International Center Multi-purpose Room to honor the impact of globally focused research at UC Davis and engage in dialogue about pathways looking forward. While much of this work has been halted with the closure of USAID, the importance of the work and the influence it has had around the world remains unchanged.
These programs, though international in scope, have expanded learning opportunities for local students, trained domestic and international leaders, and built a powerful international platform of partnerships. Their impact ultimately helps ensure security for our nation and on global scale.
Short presentations by each of the investigators describing the accomplishments and impacts of their long-standing efforts will be followed by a roundtable discussion with the opportunity for dialogue with the audience. The event will conclude in a reception where each of the featured research programs will have a table, inviting participants to learn more about their work and explore ways to continue it into the future.
Special guests Chancellor Gary May and Provost Mary Croughan will also be in attendance to recognize the incredible global impact of these research efforts, some spanning decades.
This event is supported by the Office of Research, Global Affairs, Grand Challenges, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Letters and Science, School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Continuing and Professional Education and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Speakers
A Colorful Harvest – Horticulture Innovation Lab
Erin McGuire
Director, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture
Research from the Feed the Future Horticulture Innovation Lab helped to advance fruit and vegetable innovations, empowering smallholder farmers to earn more income while better nourishing their communities. The Lab’s projects helped the world’s poorest people break out of a persistent cycle of poverty by improving smallholder farmers’ abilities to grow and sell high-value crops, improving profits and providing diversified, nutrient-rich diets.
Innovation Lab for Markets Risk and Resilience
Tara Chiu
Associate Director, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk & Resilience
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk and Resilience (MRR) developed and tested financial and market innovations that took the most promising agricultural tools for families in developing economies from the lab to the field. The Lab’s mission was to generate and transfer knowledge and innovations that promote resilience and empower rural families, communities and markets to share in broadly-based agricultural growth.
Empowering and Innovative Designing for Protecting Nutrient Dense Food
Amanda Crump
Associate Professor, Plant Sciences
This project addressed food insecurity and economic instability in Nepal by empowering locals to solve an ongoing problem with dire consequences: getting food from harvest to homes before it spoils. The research team provided post-harvest skills training—helping Nepalis utilize innovative new methods in food preservation to reduce spoilage and deliver nutritious food to underserved communities.
One Health Workforce – Next Generation
Woutrina Smith
Associate Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine Global Programs
Project Director, One Health Workforce: Next Generation Project
This project worked closely with universities across Africa and Southeast Asia to stop infectious disease outbreaks before they could spread to the United States. Protecting our nation requires understanding the global landscape and associated disease threats. Over 60,000 people have been trained in the past five years to act on emerging disease issues and to prepare the workforce to respond early to mitigate outbreaks.
From Data to Direction: Nourishing Lives through Nutrition Research
Christine Stewart
Director, Institute for Global Nutrition
The NuMERAL project worked with local health systems to enhance their capacity for nutrition monitoring, evaluation, research and teaching to positively impact public health in their area. Through supporting local research and its translation, the project informed country-level and cross-national learning, collaboration and action in areas like health and nutrition policies, services, programs and assessment.
Securing Documents/Securing Futures: The UC Davis Article 26 Backpack
Keith David Watenpaugh
Professor and Director, Human Rights Studies
Human Rights research among Syrian refugee university students over a decade ago led to the creation of the Article 26 Backpack — a human-digital ecosystem that protects the human right to education by preserving and protecting critical academic documents, credentials, and research. It is used by over 5500 young people around the world and is recognized as a key tool in global efforts to ensure access to higher education for all.
Centers of Excellence: Catalyst for Innovation, Economic and Social Development
Nancy Allen
Associate Director, International Programs
The Centers of Excellence project strengthened the capacity of faculties of agriculture in nine Egyptian public universities to generate innovative, modern and competitive solutions to address Egypt’s pressing agriculture and water challenges. This was achieved through research training, curriculum development and faculty and student exchanges.
