Office of International Programs University of Florida IFAS Office of the Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources P.O. Box 110282 Gainesville, FL 32611-0282 http://internationa.ifas.ufl.edu/news.html International Focus Editor Linda Evans Educational Media/ Communications Coordinator leevans@ifas.ufl.edu International Focus Executive Editor Don Poucher Assistant Vice President info@ifas.ufl.edu International Programs Personnel Roger Natzke Senior Associate Dean and Director, International Programs natzke@ifas.ufl.edu Lisette Staal Assistant Director, International Programs Imstaal@ifas.ufl.edu Betty Finn Accountant blfinn@ifas.utl.edu David Sammons Named New Director for IFAS International Programs A fter an international search, Jimmy Cheek, senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida, announced that David Sammons, Ph.D., will assume directorship of the UF/IFAS International Programs office effective July 25, 2006. He leaves Purdue University after thirteen years at the helm of Purdue's office of International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) and concurrently completes a two-year assignment with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he has been working on behalf of university partnerships for development in the USAID Office of Agriculture for the past two years. Cheek told the IFAS community, "I am confident that Dr. Sammons' experience, coupled with his vision for IFAS' future role in international program activities, will be instrumental in our development of a world-class program." Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue, noted that MS DALE B CANELAS UNI LIBRA& DIR LIBRARY WEST-UF PO BOX 117001 GAINESVILLE FL 32611-7001 Sammons expanded the agricultural study abroad component of Purdue's international programs dramatically during his tenure. Beginning with less than one student a year, agricultural study abroad has grown to the point that it included to a full 23% of the Purdue College of Agriculture's last graduating class. Sammons also led an effort to pioneer internationalization of Extension, making Purdue a national model. UF/IFAS search and screen committee chair James W. Jones, distinguished professor with UF/IFAS agricultural & biological engineering, spoke highly of Sammons and the entire pool of more than 30 candidates. Many were highly qualified for the position, Jones said. Sammons is a widely traveled and well published international scholar with diverse experience ranging from more than 25 years of university teaching, research, and leadership to development of webbased and traditional curricula for high schools via such diverse entities as the National FFA and the Philippine Bureau of Public Schools; has trained USDA Foreign Agricultural Service personnel through USDA's Graduate School; and was se- David Sammons, Ph.D. has been named the new director for UF/ IFAS International Programs. Sammons leaves the directorship of Purdue University's International Programs in Agriculture after building Purdue's IPIA office into a national model of success. He will begin his UF/IFAS IP directorship effective July 25, 2006. lected as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer for a portion of an academic year in Kenya, to name just a few highlights. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines and later established a Master's International Program focused on Extension crop protection with a Peace Corps option. Sammons testified before the US House Committee on Foreign Operations re: increased federal funding for international agricultural research. His career grants and gifts total more than $3 million. While certain that David Sammons will be missed at Purdue University, UF/IFAS is truly delighted to welcome him aboard. **. Contact: Jimmy Cheek, jgc@ufl.edu or Jimmy Jones, jimj@ufl.edu Visit the web for full versions of all articles! http://international.ifas.ufl.edu/news.html ..