FAFS Dean’s Office Updates is the monthly newsletter that keeps FAFS faculty, students, staff, and friends informed of the latest activities, initiatives, and achievements of the FAFS family. Please share your department’s news and your suggestions with [email protected]Food Science and Technology (FSTC) approved by the Board of Trustees (BOT) During its meeting of June 7, 2018, the BOT approved the new undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology (FSTC). The program will be housed at the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. It is eligible for IFT (Institute of Food Technologists) approval, and is expected to be launched in AY 2018-2019. Dr. Rami Zurayk participates in the Foresight for Food meeting in Montpellier The Foresight for Food meeting brought together 70 scientists and researchers from tens of the top research centers, research funding agencies, international organizations and universities in Montpellier, May 22-24, 2018. Dr. Rami Zurayk was the only representative from the MENA region. His presentation focused on critical and emerging issues in food security and nutrition. Dr. Zurayk was also the invited chair of a session on the future governance of the Foresight program. READ MORE FAFS student and alumni participate in Agrytech Bootcamp FAFS alumni partnered with Beirut Arab University (BAU) teammates in a project entitled “Agry-I”, originally presented at the Agrytech Hackathon on April 20-22. The project was accepted into the Agrytech Bootcamp (June 18- 21). The robotic technology initiative presented by the students uses multiple sensors and GPS to help farmers analyze soil fertility and plant anomalies by providing data and detection. READ MORE
Transcript
FAFS Dean’s Office Updates is the monthly newsletter that keeps FAFS faculty, students, staff, and friends informed of the latest activities, initiatives, and achievements of the FAFS family. Please share your department’s news and your suggestions with [email protected]
Food Science and Technology (FSTC) approved by the Board of Trustees (BOT) During its meeting of June 7, 2018, the BOT approved the new undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology (FSTC). The program will be housed at the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. It is eligible for IFT (Institute of Food Technologists) approval, and is expected to be launched in AY 2018-2019.
Dr. Rami Zurayk participates in the Foresight for Food meeting in Montpellier The Foresight for Food meeting brought together 70 scientists and researchers from tens of the top research centers, research funding agencies, international organizations and universities in Montpellier, May 22-24, 2018. Dr. Rami Zurayk was the only representative from the MENA region. His presentation focused on critical and emerging issues in food security and nutrition. Dr. Zurayk was also the invited chair of a session on the future governance of the Foresight program. READ MORE
FAFS student and alumni participate in Agrytech Bootcamp FAFS alumni partnered with Beirut Arab University (BAU) teammates in a project entitled “Agry-I”, originally presented at the Agrytech Hackathon on April 20-22. The project was accepted into the Agrytech Bootcamp (June 18-21). The robotic technology initiative presented by the students uses multiple sensors and GPS to help farmers analyze soil fertility and plant anomalies by providing data and detection. READ MORE
RCODE and Food Security Graduate Students’ Field Visit to Chouf Area Rural Community Development (RCODE) and Food Security graduate students visited the Chouf area as part of an outreach activity arranged by Dr. Shady Hamadeh as part of his program to visit local community development projects. Included were: a project implemented by Secours Islamique France (SIF), a project initiated by local women entrepreneurs, and a visit to the agroecology/organic agriculture training/education center Eco-Khaldeh. READ MORE
FAFS students pitch ‘Jarak’ as part of the Climate Committee Interdisciplinary Workshop FAFS established a new initiative to encourage undergraduate interdisciplinary collaborations through workshops, mentorships from faculty members, and training for project proposal pitching. Climate committee members led the first workshop and presented a concept project to a multidisciplinary team of undergraduate students who were asked to develop the concept into a product prototype and explore its feasibility and market value within the AUB community. FAFS undergraduates multidisciplinary team presented their version of the concept, calling it “Jarak”. READ MORE
FAFS hosted the Launch of IFPRI’s 2018 Global Food policy Report FAFS and the Food Security Program hosted a “Launch of the IFPRI 2018 Global Food Policy Report: Food Security from Global to MENA” as part of its FAFS Seminar Series on Tuesday, July 3. The launch event was in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). IFPRI’s 2018 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) offers a review of major food policy issues, developments, and decisions of 2017, highlighting challenges and opportunities for 2018 at the global and regional levels. This year’s report focuses on anti-globalism, which was on the rise in 2017. READ MORE
Annual AREC Day The FAFS annual AREC Day took place on Sunday, July 1, at the AREC facility in the Beqaa’. AUB and FAFS faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends enjoyed hay rides, folk dance, dabkeh, horse and camel riding, games (egg tossing, rope pulling, and more), inflatables, Saj Manaakish (breakfast), a lunch buffet, Arab coffee, and music. A farmers’ market featured producers from the local surrounding communities, who offered a variety of traditional and local products (mouneh) for sale. READ MORE
SAVE THE DATE
FAFS Annual Sweet Corn Day Date: Sunday, October 7, 2018 Location: AREC
Graduate Commencement Ceremony & the first Food Security Program graduate On June 8 and 9, FAFS celebrated the commencement of 127 undergraduate and 19 graduate students, launching them into their promising new careers. Among the graduates, Ms. Nour Nashef, is the first MS student in the Food Security Program. READ MORE
FAFS graduate reception FAFS celebrated the class of 2018 during a reception in their honor on June 4. At the first graduate reception during his tenure, Dean Mohtar applauded the new graduates for their academic achievements and recognized the families, mentors, and friends of the graduates for their constant support of their students before distributing awards recognizing the 2018 FAFS distinguished students. READ MORE
Inauguration of Michel and Sherine Bayoud Lecture Hall FAFS proudly inaugurated the Michel and Sherine Bayoud Lecture Hall, and celebrated the generous gift of Mr. Michel Bayoud that allowed the renovation of this FAFS landmark, present since the faculty’s inception, more than 50 years ago. The inaugural ceremony was followed by an Iftar held at Gefinor Rotana. READ MORE
FAFS CP-9 Preceptors Reception The FAFS Preceptors Reception in honor of the Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (NDCP) class of 2018, took place on Wednesday, May 30, at the Rooftop Amphitheater, Charles Hostler Student Center. FAFS faculty, preceptors and students gathered to acknowledge the NDCP’s dietetic practicum preceptors and celebrate the NDCP class of 2018. READ MORE
Call for Nominations: FAFS Distinguished Alumni Award The FAFS Distinguished Alumni Award, established on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of FAFS (2002), is the highest honor given to an alumnus by the FAFS Agriculture Chapter of the Alumni Association and in cooperation with the Faculty. Nationally and/or internationally recognized alumni who have made significant contributions to their profession or life’s work and have distinguished themselves in academia, public or private sectors, or international organizations are eligible for the award. Candidates are nominated by a FAFS graduate and nominations are sent in a formal letter or email, together with the CV of the nominee and three letters of support by people familiar with his/her work. Nominations should be sent to the President of the Chapter through [email protected]. All FAFS alumni receive letters of solicitation; nominations must be received on or before July 31. Recipients will be honored in a ceremony on October 4, 2018. READ MORE
FAFS EAB News
FAFS announces with pleasure the formation of its new External Advisory Board (EAB) that will guide the faculty’s strategic development plan and provide external, non-binding advice from global and local experts in business and disciplinary fields. Mr. Khaled Sinno, Chairman of the EAB, noted that the EAB will provide continued support to the FAFS activities, helping the FAFS administration to maintain their focus and streamline priorities and timelines, offering support through their personal and professional experience, networks and resources. The EAB will initiate developmental initiatives based on a “needs map” with the goal of seeing FAFS become a modern, well-resourced, well-equipped faculty that attracts excellence in students and faculty.
AREC ‘78 Reunion – Session by Nadim Khoury The "AREC '78" group kicked off their 3-day reunion on June 28 with a visit to FAFS. The visit offered an opportunity to discuss the Dean's vision for FAFS as a whole and AREC in particular, and how FAFS alums are being called upon to offer suggestions, networking, and other forms of support. The audience was supportive and assured the Dean of its readiness to respond to FAFS' requests, starting with the concept of WEFRAH. The AREC '78 group is comprised of about 25 FAFS alumni who experienced their AREC formative semester(s) in 1978 and graduated in 1979. They remained in touch over the last 40 years, providing financial support for a scholarship established in 1980 that is now an endowment. Sixteen members of the group participated in the reunion, in parallel with the overall AUB reunion. The AREC '78 reunion included discussions with the Development Office, a tour of the Campus, participation in some of the overall AUB activities as well as a visit to AREC and a hike in Ain El Kabu.
FAFS Facilities’ Renovations
Seminar Room 302 Room 302 (FAFS, wing A) was expanded and renovated for seminars, skype calls and interviews, theses defenses, closed meetings, and low-enrollment classes. The room has a round table design that accommodates up to 10 persons in frontal discussion. It is equipped with a TV screen for presentations and skype calls, and houses the most advanced AV equipment. The renovation is in its final stages, furnishings are underway and the room is targeted to be available in Fall 2018.
5 Faculty offices Incoming recruits will occupy 5 newly refurbished offices on the 3rd floor of wing A. The newcomers will enjoy fully modern, welcoming space with new furniture, and expected occupancy as of Fall 2018.
Computer Lab 209 Plans are underway to transform the lab into a state of the art computer lab, expanded to include nearby office space to enable greater seating capacity. The new layout will accommodate both computer based teaching and a standalone lab. State-of-the-art AV and IT equipment will enable video conferencing for webinars, online training, and the much-anticipated blended courses. Renovations will begin in January 2019, and the new facility will be ready for classes the following September.
Metabolic Kitchen Lab Renovations of room 408, the Nutrition Metabolic Lab, are in the final stages and expected to be ready for use by Fall 2018. The facility, now divided into 4 sections, includes:
1. A metabolic kitchen for meal preparation and manipulation 2. A blood withdrawal area for the collection of blood, measuring blood pressure, temperature, etc. 3. A body composition and oxygen consumption area that uses both bioelectrical impedance (InBody) and
DEXA (to be ordered) and is capable of measuring body fat, lean body distribution, bone mineral density, etc. The oxygen consumption machine will measure basal metabolic rate, and energy expenditure following meal ingestion or exercise
4. Offices to accommodate a research supervisor for the Nutrition Metabolic Lab, and two researchers
GIS Lab The renovated lab includes 6 workstations and a presentation / demonstration screen. The lab will be used to provide students with the required conceptual as well as hands-on experience in the fields of GIS and remote sensing as applied to irrigation, water resources, agriculture, and food security. It will also be used for short-course specialized training sessions for practitioners, ministry personnel, engineers, and others. The renovation of the lab started on the 1st of June. The lab is expected to be put in use as of Spring 2018-2019.
Soils Physics and Chemistry Lab The former soil chemistry lab (517) is expanding to include soil chemistry and soil physics. Renovations started on the July 1 and will take about 6 months to complete. The expanded lab will house important equipment that will enhance the AGRI program and increase FAFS’ visibility, both locally and regionally, by addressing the need for evaluating and understanding soil characterization. The new Soil Physics and Chemistry Lab will expand the capacity of the AGRI department in teaching, research, and community service by enabling two cutting edge aspects of science:
1. Assessment of soil (and plant) organic and mineral components through chemical methods that include new fume hoods and other equipment that ensure safe handling of chemicals
2. Evaluation of soil physical attributes though the use of the new Hyprop machine that measures soil water potential and a Typosoil apparatus that simultaneously measures the shrinkage and water retention to produce evaluation curves for each of 8 soil samples.
In addition, ovens and other related equipment will be also used for the chemical and physical evaluation of soils. A small room will be added for the creation of a soil library in which soil samples can be catalogued and stored after tagging with their specific evaluation information for future reference and comparison.
FAFS Wing B Corridor The Physical Plant Department (PPD) replaced 50 year old tiles and outdated lighting to create a more welcoming environment in the FAFS Wing B second floor corridor. The renovation, nearly 75% complete, includes new tiles, a false ceiling, and new lights. The final phase will be the installation of benches and corridor display units [a walk through AGRI museum]. It is currently in the early design stages and is expected to be completed within the next 6 months.
AREC Cafeteria Following an initial donation from the President’s Club and approval of the concept design, the renovation of the AREC Cafeteria was approved. The ground-breaking ceremony took place during a site visit and plans call for implementation by PPD under the supervision of Dr. Nayla Al Akl. The renovation and procurement of furniture is expected to be completed in 9 months, ready for use by Spring 2019. The layout adds warmth to facility and offers a dynamic seating lounge and a relaxing environment for students, faculty and visitors.
FAFS Lectures series and Seminars
July 2 – Global Engineering for a Small Planet |FAFS – Professor Bernard Amadei, University of Colorado, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. READ MORE
June 27 – MENARA: A geo-spatial SWOT analysis for the world: application to the MENA region | UK – Dr. Martin Keulertz, chairperson of the Food Security Program Executive Committee, attended the BRISMES Annual Conference 2018. READ MORE
June 26 & 27 – Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and Processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa | FAFS – in a workshop organized by FAO and Dr. Mohamad Abiad, Associate Professor at FAFS. Participants included food scientists, food processing engineers, local food processing SMEs, members of civil society, representatives of local governments, equipment manufacturers, porters, exporters, and others. READ MORE
June 6 – Panel Discussion: The Water-Energy-Food-Population-Economy Nexus| FAFS – the FAFS Food Security Program brought together expert panelists who presented findings of their research on the economic, demographic and environmental trends and scenarios facing the MENA region through 2025, 2050 and 2100. READ MORE
May 28 – The UN 2030 Agenda and the Role of the Private Sector in Lebanon | FAFS – Dr. Dima Jamali, Professor of Management, Kamal Shair Endowed Chair in Responsible Leadership, and National Representative, Global Compact Network Lebanon, Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, AUB. READ MORE
May 18-19 – Climate Change Impact on Water and Food: The Role of the Water Energy Food Nexus | Cyprus – Dean Mohtar speaker and panelists at the “Climate Change Conference Cyprus 2018”. READ MORE
To learn more about FAFS events, please visit our website Calendar
To advertise your upcoming events, please send the event details (title, location, date, brief description, picture, and contact name & email) to [email protected]
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