PRAIRIE VIEW, TX (August) – The College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS) held its Fall ’22 college-wide meeting on August 18, 2022. Several CAHS directors and department leaders expressed their profound enthusiasm for the organization’s future and offered insight into projects and collaborations underway to make CAHS even better.
CAHS Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., addressed faculty and staff during the college-wide meeting.
The meeting began with a welcome greeting from Dawn Burton and graduating seniors. Then attendees were reacquainted with their college and colleagues, first enjoying a video highlighting the many impact areas of CAHS and learning of all the new hires in recent months. After the video, participants briefly played an icebreaker bingo game to learn about each other’s hobbies and personalities.
Then the meeting got into the swing of things with an inspirational comedy set from entertainer Marcus D. Wiley. The veteran educator and comedian regaled us with his life’s journey and reminded the audience to “be inspired by your story.” Wiley said that when we measure and take stock of where we’ve been and are now, that should inspire you or inspire change.
Afterward, the academic department leaders, Cooperative Agricultural Research Center (CARC), and the Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) spoke about the various developments in their respective fields.
“I am excited about the upcoming academic year,” CAHS Associate Dean of Academic Programs Kwaku Addo, Ph.D., said. He confirmed the many upcoming opportunities for students to engage closely with the college, including working in the Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Farm & Ranch. The meats lab science center is set to open shortly, the poultry center is up and running, and a brand-new education hub for nutrition students will be available in the fall. New master’s degrees are currently undergoing certification before students can apply for them. There are also plenty of partnerships with major food production companies on the horizon, including Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill.
CARC Executive Associate Director Erdogan Memili, Ph.D., expressed his enthusiasm for serving this college since joining CAHS a few months ago. He looks forward to getting to know more of his colleagues, connecting education, research, and outreach units, and entering more partnerships with other companies aligned with the college’s goals.
CEP Executive Associate Director Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., provided highlights of her department’s numerous public events that impact the lives of residents across the state.
“We are about H.O.P.E. in CEP – helping other people excel,” Williams said. The 4-H Changemakers team completed another session of aiding senior citizens to become more acquainted with modern technology. The young members have also kept up with their farming discipline, including cattle chute side training. The department’s SNAP-Ed program has also received additional funding to operate regularly in the future.
Finally, CAHS Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., delivered a rousing report about the growth trajectory of CAHS.
“This college is on the move,” D’Souza said. “It’s growing, and it’s great.”
D’Souza detailed the college’s future path and projects already underway that will contribute to its success. The farm is steadily expanding, becoming a showcase for impact and increased production. Also, many students will start with thousands of dollars in scholarship aid in the fall. He says the plan is to grow our college via student enrollment, hopefully getting the current number to more than double within the next few years.
CAHS is also brainstorming ideas to utilize the resources already at hand. With inflation and grocery prices rising, tomatoes, for example, are a product the farm can potentially grow on site and provide to local grocers. There is also a concentrated effort to increase and strengthen the partnerships between the college and companies like Shell Corporation and other PVAMU departments like the College of Business, to help the world around us. Unit leaders are determined to make efforts to integrate research and extension resources more efficiently.
And finally, both faculty and staff are motivated to bring CAHS further into the limelight. A top priority is to map out a strategic plan to properly brand the school to increase the number of students and stakeholders. All these appointments and projects are designed to help the college reach its maximum potential. As Dean D’Souza quipped at the beginning of his remarks, when it comes to the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, “We ain’t seen nothing yet!”
Pascale Mondesir
Communication Specialist
pamondesir@pvamu.edu
