News Stories - Page 9

Members of the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors, including those from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, convened in Orlando, Florida, for the annual conference. This year, Laura Perry Johnson received the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors’ Award for Excellence in Leadership, a career-long service award for those who lead Extension programs across the Southeast.

When the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium this fall, Dooley Field needs to look the part. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it. Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter.

For Zilfina Rubio Ames, blueberry research begins after the plant is bred and in the ground. An assistant professor of horticulture in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and a small-fruit specialist with UGA Cooperative Extension, Rubio Ames endeavors to better understand blueberry plant physiology and how it can be manipulated to increase production efficiency.

Agriculture is dependent on nature. Even seemingly minor temperature variations have a significant impact on the precise mechanics of plants, animals and insects. As average temperatures have warmed by 3 degrees over the past century, the question remains — how will we adapt our agricultural practices to ensure that all people continue to have access to food, fiber and fuel now and in the future?

It is no wonder that Marcus Jones owns five companies. Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, he has long had a knack for business, from selling candy in seventh grade to brokering real estate at the University of Georgia. By his senior year at UGA, he had launched an online clothing boutique with friends.

The University of Georgia’s turf program is supported by a group of faculty and research scientists throughout the state dedicated to year-round turfgrass research and outreach efforts. Members of the UGA Turf Team were recently invited to develop a training and certification program to support the field managers of Mexico’s premier soccer leagues — Liga MX, the top professional men’s soccer division, and Liga MX Femenil, the country’s top women’s soccer division.