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Showing posts with label Director of Purdue’s Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Director of Purdue’s Center. Show all posts

Monday, October 28, 2013

UN appoints Gebisa Ejeta to scientific advisory board


Professor of Agronomy and Director of Purdue’s Center, Gebisa Ejeta,  for Global Food Security has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the U.N. Scientific Advisory Board.

According to Managing Director of the Center for Global Food Security, Gary Burniske , Ejeta’s scientific achievements and passion for pushing food security to the forefront of international policy agenda distinguished him among scientists considered for the board.

 “His exemplary research on Striga-resistant and drought-tolerant sorghum has tremendous potential to substantially boost crop yields, and subsequently food security, across Sub-Saharan Africa,” Burniske said.

NaijaAgroNet  noted that the board comprised of 26 of the world’s top scientists, positioned to realize the UN’s vision of sustainable development drafted at the UN’s Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and to provide scientific expertise to the secretary-general and executive heads of U.N. organizations.

Ejeta credits Purdue for his success, providing him with a graduate education and a professional environment to conduct his world-changing research.

He noted that Purdue has recently placed more emphasis on plant science research than ever in President Mitch Daniels’ recently announced ‘Purdue Moves’ initiative, stressing that “The liberty to do research that improves lives in faraway places is a golden opportunity for anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of poor people. For that, I’ll be forever grateful.”

NaijaAgroNet found out that Ejeta was once a victim of the same poverty his ground-breaking research has ameliorated in much of Africa and if not for his illiterate mother’s belief in the value of education, he would never have risen beyond his circumstances to improve food security for millions.


AN/GEE

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