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 fafs_com@aub.edu.lb

Table of Contents

In the Spotlight - Warm Holiday Greetings from Dean Rabi

Mohtar to FAFS family and friends

- FAFS and TAMU Webinar: STOTEN Special Issue on the WEF Nexus

- FAFS Photo Competition

FAFS Research & Outreach - FAFS representing AUB at 8th World Water

Council General Assembly - Dr. Timothy Williams visits FAFS and AREC - FAFS participates in Lebanon's 1st Physical

Activity Report Card for Children and Youth - Dr. Walid Ammar, Director General of MOPH,

meets with FAFS delegation - Nestlé Healthy Kids-Ajyal Salima program

recognized for excellence in nutrition education

- ICARDA Board of Trustees at AREC - Near East Foundation at AREC - John Deere Exhibition at AREC - Texas A&M University graduates and interns

at FAFS

FAFS Faculty News - Dr. Mirella Aoun, speaker at the 10th meeting:

Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network - Dr. Yaser Abunnasr in the New York-Beirut

Briefing

FAFS Events - THANK YOU our alumni for supporting FAFS

on AUB Giving Day - FAFS students, faculty, and staff gather for a

festive holiday celebration - ESDU at the FAO: Youth as Drivers of

Innovation - Workshop on interactive lecturing, Dr. Yaser

Abunnasr - Awareness campaign: World Diabetes Day - by

FAFS, DiaLeb, and Wellness Program (AUBMC) - FAFS and NCC organize the National

Guidelines for Native Nursery Management: Trees & Shrubs launch

- Souk aal Souk Farmers’ Market visits Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais

- Field Visit to AREC and ICARDA: FSEC 300 - Crisis and Conflict in Agriculture Book Launch

FAFS Alumni News - FAFS alumna Rania Bou Mosleh: Woman

Entrepreneur of the Year

FAFS EAB News - Wageningen University: Cooperation meeting

FAFS Announcements - Souk aal Souk - Christmas Farmers Market

FAFS Lectures series and Seminars

In the spotlight

Warm Holiday Greetings from Dean Rabi Mohtar to FAFS family and friends (click on the image)

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FAFS and TAMU Webinar: STOTEN Special Issue on the WEF Nexus AUB-FAFS and Texas A&M University (TAMU) hosted a webinar on November 27, 2018, to present the findings of the ‘San Antonio Case Studies of the Texas A&M WEF Nexus Initiative,’ published in a Special Issue of Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN): Opportunities in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach: Innovatively driving economic development, social well-being, and environmental sustainability. READ MORE

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FAFS Photo Competition If you are a FAFS student, faculty, or staff, and wish to win valuable prizes: IT’S EASY! Gather your friends and take a creative picture that demonstrates the FAFS Christmas spirit! Steps to enter:

Like our Facebook page

Take a creative picture of yourself or with your friends, celebrating the FAFS festive spirit

Post your photo on our timeline; tag FAFS (make sure to set the sharing as ‘Public’)

Tag your friends and invite them to like the post on the FAFS page

The post with the most likes will win!! We will share your posts: make sure to like them on our page! Prizes will go to the 2 most liked photos. Good Luck!!

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FAFS Research & Outreach

Dean Mohtar elected to a seat on the World Water Council’s Board of Governors AUB garnered 216 votes from the approximately 250 members of the World Water Council (WWC) during the eighth WWC General Assembly in Marseille, France, to become a member of the WWC Board of Governors (November 29 – December 1). Dean Mohtar was elected as one of the 10 governors and Dr. Fadel as the alternate governor under college 5: professional and academic organizations. READ MORE

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Dr. Timothy Williams visits FAFS and AREC On November 28-29, 2018, Dr. Timothy Williams, Director of Africa, International Water Management Institute (IMWI), visited FAFS and AREC for discussions focused on opportunities for research collaboration in land and water management, and capacity building and development opportunities such as student exchange through the Water Security Africa Initiative and other special programs. READ MORE

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FAFS participates in Lebanon's 1st Physical Activity Report Card for Children and Youth November 27, 2018 marked the official launch of Lebanon’s first physical activity report card for children and youth. During the past year, FAFS professors Elie-Jacques Fares, Marie Claire Chamieh, Carla Habib-Mourad, and Cécile Borgi have contributed to the Lebanese Active Healthy Kids Initiative. Their work, part of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, is the most comprehensive comparison of child and youth physical activity across the globe and represents a synthesis of the best available evidence of physical activity indicators for Lebanese children and youth. READ MORE

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Dr. Walid Ammar, Director General of MOPH, meets with FAFS delegation Dr. Walid Ammar, Director General, Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), met with FAFS delegation: Rabi Mohtar, Lara Nasreddine, Alia Alameddine, Maya Nabhani, Ammar Olabi, Samer Kharroubi, and Issmat Kassem, November 16, 2018. Key topics relating to promoting Nutrition and Food Safety at the national level were discussed and a plan for future FAFS-MOPH collaboration was drafted. Highlights of the plan include: 1) conducting food safety workshops about the detection of campylobacter and antimicrobial resistance; 2) developing a joint Nutrition Surveillance Unit (NSU) at the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. Proposals will be drafted and submitted to Dr. Ammar, in the coming weeks for further discussion and fine tuning.

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Nestlé Healthy Kids-Ajyal Salima program recognized for excellence in nutrition education The Nestlé Healthy Kids-Ajyal Salima program, implemented by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education in partnership with FAFS-AUB, was recognized by Cuprifère Consult agency for excellence in implementation and deemed it a benchmark for programs aiming to promote healthy eating and physical activity among schoolchildren around the world. READ MORE

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ICARDA Board of Trustees at AREC Dr. Aly Abu Sabaa, Director General, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Dr. Michel Afram, President of the ICARDA Board of Directors and Director General, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), and members of ICARDA’s Board of Trustees, visited AREC on October 31. READ MORE

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Near East Foundation at AREC Dr. Charles Benjamin, President, Near East Foundation, the Foundation’s board members, and Rabih Shibli, Director, Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS) at AUB, visited AREC (November 4, 2018). Dr. Haidar discussed potential sustainable projects that could benefit both the Syrian refugees and the farmers in the AREC area. READ MORE

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John Deere Exhibition at AREC The M.Ezzat Jallad & Fils S.A.L. exhibition of John Deere tractors was held at AREC, bringing the exhibition, for the first time, to the Bekaa plain. The event included 8 tractors and over 50 senior and small farmers invited by the company. READ MORE

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Texas A&M University graduates and interns at FAFS Click on the below images to meet our TAMU graduate interns and to know more about their special experiences at FAFS as well as their future plans.

Lindsey Aldaco-Manner

Rebecca Doncov

Lauren Holtmeier

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FAFS Events

THANK YOU our alumni for supporting FAFS on AUB Giving Day Dean Mohtar addressed the FAFS community, especially our alumni, in a video inviting them to join the occasion of AUB Giving Day (December 3) and show their FAFS spirit by contributing to support FAFS. On the day of the event, Dr. Bashour delivered the FAFS ambassador’s message, encouraging alumni to support the FAFS programs and centers they have grown to love. FAFS was among the top faculties in the leader board. THANK YOU, FAFS alumni, for your generous contributions! Go FAFS! READ MORE

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FAFS students, faculty, and staff gather for a festive holiday celebration The FAFS Social Committee, FAFS student societies, and the student representative committee (SRC) organized the first FAFS Holiday event, November 28, in Mary Dodge Hall. READ MORE

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ESDU at the FAO: Youth as Drivers of Innovation On November 22, the Environmental and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU), represented by Mrs. Mabelle Chedid, ESDU executive officer, participated in the online event Youth as drivers of Innovation. The two-hour interactive session with youth was part of the International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers: unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. READ MORE

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Workshop on interactive lecturing, Dr. Yaser Abunnasr Dr. Yaser Abunnasr organized and conducted a workshop for the Center of Teaching and Learning on November 15, in West Hall. The workshop Interactive Lecturing presented the ideas, tools, and experience of interactive lecturing, and discussed interactive activities that address the debate on interactive versus traditional lecturing. READ MORE

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Awareness campaign: World Diabetes Day - by FAFS, DiaLeb, and Wellness Program (AUBMC) The FAFS Department of Nutrition, AUBMC’s Wellness Program, and the National Diabetes Organization (DiaLeb) co-organized a Diabetes Awareness Campaign on World Diabetes Day, November 14. READ MORE

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FAFS and NCC organize the National Guidelines for Native Nursery Management: Trees & Shrubs launch The National Guidelines for Native Nursery Management: Trees & Shrubs, a cooperative effort of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI), the AUB Nature Conservation Center (AUB-NCC) and FAFS, funded by USAID Lebanon, was successfully launched on November 14. FAFS Professor Salma Talhouk led the production of this manual, with the help of Mr. Khaled Slim, Agriculture Engineer, and Karma Bou Azza, a nursery specialist. Dean Mohtar participated in the launch, speaking about AUB-NCC’s monumental efforts in conservation of nature in AUB, Lebanon, and the region. READ MORE

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Souk aal Souk Farmers’ Market at AUB and Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais November 8 saw the monthly Souk aal Souk – Farmers’ Market, organized by ESDU, in partnership with the Food Heritage Foundation (FHF). Souk aal Souk visited the Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais (GLFL) on November 22 in celebration of Independence Day; the visit was planned at the request of the school administration following the organization of the first souk, last year. The goal of the Souk aal Souk Farmer’s market is to promote healthy and traditional food among the youth and to connect them to local food producers. READ MORE

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Field Visit to AREC and ICARDA: FSEC 300 Students enrolled in the food security core course FSEC 300, Food Security: Challenges and Contemporary Debate, participated in a one-day field visit to the Bek'aa Valley to visit the Advancing Research Enabling Communities (AREC) Center and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Students learned about the status of the Bek'aa Valley and current challenges faced by the local community. Experts at AREC and ICARDA presented the agricultural techniques, innovative approaches, and best practices used to address current food security challenges. READ MORE

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Crisis and Conflict in Agriculture Book Launch FAFS' Professor Rami Zurayk, Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management (LDEM), and Program Coordinator and Instructor Rachel Bahn of the Food Security Program (FSP) organized the launch of the edited volume Crisis and Conflict in Agriculture. The event took place on November 1, in Michel and Sherine Bayoud Lecture Hall; the book was published by CABI in September 2018. READ MORE

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FAFS Faculty News

Dr. Mirella Aoun, speaker at the 10th meeting: Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network Dr. Mirella Aoun was an invited speaker at the opening ceremony of the 10th meeting of the Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network, held, for the first time, in Beirut November 6-8. The meeting purpose was to discuss the new EU regulations for the organic sector and the implications of these on Mediterranean countries. The invitation also provided the opportunity to present the Lebanese organic sector to international delegates. READ MORE

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Dr. Yaser Abunnasr in the New York-Beirut Briefing LDEM professor Yaser Abunnasr presented “The shoreline as a sink, source, habitat, and conduit” (November 28) in the New York-Beirut Briefing: How Communities Imagine the Sea and How the Sea Creates Communities. The briefing is a new AUB initiative intended to pair faculty, experts, and students in Beirut, the MENA region, and the United States to address cutting edge issues in a live, video-linked briefing and roundtable discussion. Check the video here. READ MORE

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FAFS Alumni News

FAFS alumna Rania Bou Mosleh: Woman Entrepreneur of the Year FAFS alumna Rania Bou Mosleh, founder of AMB Sal and AMB Contracting, won the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award during the 7th annual Brilliant Lebanese Awards (2018). This award is intended for women-led (50% + 1 share owned by women) profitable businesses with differentiated products or services offering a sustainable and scalable business model with commitment to social responsibility. READ MORE

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FAFS EAB News

Wageningen University: Cooperation meeting On November 27, 2018, as part of the strategy to connect and collaborate with major universities and research institutions around the world, Rabi Mohtar, FAFS Dean, Khaled Sinno, FAFS EAB Chairperson, and Nadine Khoury, EAB committee member, met with Dr. Caroline van der Salm and Dr. Eric van Os, both of Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Discussions focused on establishing a protocol of cooperation that includes student and faculty exchange programs and the potential use of AREC for joint research. More importantly, discussions centered around collaboration in areas in which Wageningen has an excellent reputation and expertise in offering practical, solution-based advice to the private sector. The two teams (Wageningen and AUB) hope to reach a final agreement by mid-2019. Wageningen University and Research, a collaboration between Wageningen University and the Wageningen Research foundation, is ranked by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings as the number 1 university worldwide in the areas of agriculture and forestry.

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FAFS Announcements

SAVE THE DATE

Souk aal Souk - Christmas Farmers Market Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Time: 10 am – 8 pm Location: Hamra – Jeanne d’Arc Street (between Sidani and Makdisi Streets) Join us and shop for all your Christmas gifts, supporting local Lebanese producers and designers.

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FAFS Lectures series and Seminars

November 27 – 1st Nexus Roundtable in the MENA and wider Mediterranean | Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace, Beirut, Lebanon – Session: Nexus in the Mediterranean & MENA - introduction, methodologies and tools – Panelists: Dean Rabi Mohtar and Dr. Martin Keulertz, Chairperson, Food Security Program.

November 26 – Keeping the Faith on Global Action: Who will ensure the local implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals? | FAFS – Dr. Nadim Khouri, independent researcher, International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI). READ MORE

November 13 & 5 – Climate change effects on food safety and food waste: Reducing impacts in Lebanon and other arid zones | Agrivoltaic innovations: Co-locating food production and solar renewable energy - How to maximize desert crop yields, water savings, and energy generation | FAFS – Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan, Kellogg Endowed Chair in Desert Food and Water Security, University of Arizona. READ MORE

November 12 – Exposing Human Norovirus Intimate Relationship with Leafy Greens | FAFS – Dr. Malak Esseili, Assistant Professor, Food Virology, University of Georgia. READ MORE

November 9 – The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus in the Arab Region: Dynamics, risks and the way forward | FAFS – Professor Waleed K. Zubari, Professor, Water Resources Management, and Coordinator, Water Resources Management Program, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. READ MORE

November 2 – STRONG Cities: Simulation Technologies for the Realization of Next Generation Cities | FAFS – Dr. Daniel G. Aliaga, associate professor of Computer Science, Purdue University, and, currently, visiting professor at the Visual Computing Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. READ MORE

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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 fafs_com@aub.edu.lb

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