Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA) and School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) co-sponsored seminar with A.D. White Professor-at-large Bram Govaerts

This seminar is a hybrid event. REGISTRATION REQUIRED for Zoom: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJModumopj8jG9ZsjujoCINutQZOBkhoivRE

The Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA) in conjunction with the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) invites A.D. White Professor-at-large Bram Govaerts to present his research for a co-sponsored event. After a short talk, Professor Govaerts will be joined by panelists Professor Susan McCouch and Professor Ed Mabaya for a discussion. Refreshments will be provided after the panel from 1:00-1:30pm.

Bram Govaerts is Director General a.i. (Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer) of CIMMYT. He is serving a six-year term (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2025) as an Andrew D. White Professor-At-Large.

Govaerts is renowned for pioneering, implementing and inspiring transformational changes for farmers and consumers in meeting the sustainable development challenges. He brings together multi-disciplinary science and development teams to integrate sustainable, multi-stakeholder and sector strategies that generate innovation and change in agri-food systems. His initiatives, excellence in science for impact and the partnerships he inspired have resulted in improved nutrition, nature conservation, and national and international resilience and food security.

Background on the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture

An interdisciplinary group of Cornell University faculty began meeting in early 2017 to formulate an Initiative for Digital Agriculture, believing that Cornell is uniquely equipped to lead in this emerging arena that will benefit the public for generations. We define DA to mean the application of computational and information technologies coupled with nanotechnology, biology, systems engineering and economics to both the research and operational sides of agriculture and food production. With approximately 100 faculty from 5 Cornell colleges participating, we are collaborating with external stakeholders to shape and implement a research agenda for DA that will build a pipeline of discovery and innovations for the next 10+ years.

Background on the School of Integrative Plant Science

SIPS was launched by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in June 2014 to provide a unifying framework for five Sections (formerly Departments) with interrelated activities in the plant sciences at Cornell: Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding & Genetics, Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil & Crop Sciences. The Sections are associated with distinct disciplines, graduate fields, and knowledge bases, but are increasingly connected by urgent challenges and revolutionary tools relevant to all plant scientists. The SIPS community envisions fundamental insights as the foundation for achieving better plants, sustainably grown, serving the world.