Provided

Sarah Davidson, left, associate director of IP-CALS Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project, discusses wheat quality issues with Yeshi Chiche, of the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, at the Kalumsa Research Station in Asella, Ethiopia.

“Our students and faculty stand strong with food-insecure people around the world in the fight against hunger and poverty,” said Ronnie Coffman, director of International Programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (IP-CALS). “After 50 years of international engagement, I can only imagine the footprints they have left in the corn rows, wheat fields, vegetable plots, orchards and rice paddies of developing countries.” 

IP-CALS launches its 50-year celebration with the first of a yearlong series of events on Friday, Feb. 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Dean’s Room on the second floor of Mann Library on campus. The public is invited to attend. A reception follows the event.

Kathryn Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will talk on the importance of IP-CALS in future internationalization strategies for the college. Current and former IP-CALS directors will provide perspectives about past impacts and future challenges

“As they position themselves for the next 50 years, Cornell students must acquire the education and experience to be agents of change and sustainability in the international arena,” said Coffman. “The challenges that the planet faces are just enormous. IP-CALS has been instrumental in internationalizing the faculty and student experience at Cornell for 50 years. We want to continue to excel in that important mandate.” 

Since 1963, faculty, students and staff of IP-CALS have been involved in teaching, research and outreach to meet the fundamental challenges of development and food security. Flagship programs include academic curricula and experiential learning for undergraduates, graduate students, Peace Corps returnees and Hubert H. Humphrey fellows, as well as more than $150 million in a sponsored research portfolio that includes such projects as the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Program, the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project, NextGen Cassava and the Agricultural Innovation Project. 

More information and a full schedule of the year’s events, visit the IP-CALS website.