Global Scholars

Leaders in International Outreach

The educators, outreach specialists and researchers of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University engage in a diverse array of international projects and programs.

The College’s international portfolio encompasses climate-resilient food systems, food and nutritional security, policy research, natural resources management and utilization of new technologies to enhance agricultural productivity.

Each year, approximately 500 students and constituents from over 50 countries benefit from international training and capacity-building programs in the form of short courses, workshops and study tours facilitated by CANR faculty and specialists. A broad group of global development agencies support these projects through $15 million in annual funding.

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Meet Our Global Scholars

The Global Scholars Program through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources supports faculty members with seed funding and travel support for two years. College leadership selects scholars to strengthen and expand their global linkages, networks and collaborative programs across three core missions of the college in diverse areas of research, education and outreach.

Global Research Scholar	Description
Dr. Eric Benbow Africa, Asia and Latin America Associate Professor, Department of Entomology benbow@msu.edu	Dr. Benbow’s work as a community ecologist focuses on how complex aquatic or microbial communities contribute to ecological systems and the wide-ranging applications of these communities in medicine, disease and environmental management.
Dr. Abigail Bennett Lake Malawi, East Africa Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife benne592@msu.edu	Dr. Bennett studies the role of fisheries in livelihoods and food security around the world. Her research examines how issues such as governance and trade shape the connections between fisheries and human well-being.
Dr. Teresa Bergholz Kenya Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition tmb@msu.edu	Dr. Bergholz’s research in food safety focuses on genomics tools to improve pathogen detection in food value chains in Kenya, integrating microbiology and functional genomics of foodborne pathogens with food science applications.
Dr. Wei Liao Latin America, Europe and Asia Professor and Director of the Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering liaow@msu.edu	Dr. Liao leads a research program on developing integrated systems to utilize organic residues for energy and chemical production and explores potential applications in support of renewable energy and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Saweda Liverpool-Tasie Sub–Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda MSU Foundation Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics lliverp@msu.edu	Dr. Liverpool-Tasie’s work focuses on reducing poverty and increasing access to nutritious food through improving smallholder productivity and welfare within the changing markets and alongside the impacts of climate in the region.
Dr. Maria Claudia Lopez Brazil, Rwanda Associate Professor, Department of Community Sustainability mlopez@msu.edu	Dr. Lopez’s research shows the negative impacts that hydroelectric dams have on communities and environments, and that instruments intended to alleviate these injustices (such as compensation and resettlement) are poorly designed and insufficient.
Dr. Lisa Tiemann Western Africa, Malawi, and Kenya Assistant Professor, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences ltiemann@msu.edu	Dr. Tiemann takes an agroecological approach to soil research, which is critical for developing innovative agricultural methods that increase system productivity, resilience, and sustainability, particularly in smallholder farms.
Dr. Daniel Uyeh Asia, Africa Assistant Professor, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering uyehdani@msu.edu	Dr. Uyeh conducts multidisciplinary research in climate- smart decision-support systems, focusing on systems modeling, precision agriculture and artificial intelligence in agriculture. His work aims to improve adaptation and resilience to forthcoming climate change.

Global Education Scholars	Description
Dr. Daniel Chitwood Mexico Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture chitwoo9@msu.edu	Dr. Chitwood has co-developed an interdisciplinary, bilingual curriculum that teaches coding principles in Python using plant examples relevant to agriculture. He also offers a graduate online course on computational and plant sciences.
Dr. Ramjee P. Ghimire Asia, Africa Academic Specialist ghimirer@msu.edu	Dr. Ghimire’s multidisciplinary research, training and outreach focus on food safety, animal health, community empowerment and sustainable agricultural development. He developed a course on zoonotic diseases for international audiences.
Dr. Cedric Gondro Korea, India Professor, Department of Animal Science gondroce@msu.edu	Dr. Gondro’s research focuses on the development of computational methods – particularly Artificial Intelligence – for optimization of biological problems and genomic prediction using high throughput genomic data, and its applications for livestock production.
Dr. Krista Isaacs Africa, India Assistant Professor, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences isaacskr@msu.edu	Dr. Isaacs works with plant breeders and farmers to improve the availability of preferred-quality seed and support farmers in improving their livelihoods. She specializes in inentional seed systems, crop ecology and gender in agriculture..
Dr. Euihark Lee Italy, South Korea Assistant Professor, School of Packaging leeeuiha@msu.edu	Dr. Lee is developing an International Packaging Executive Training program, which focuses on advanced packaging issues and business management education for global leaders among packaging professionals.
Dr. Linda Nubani India, Jordan Assistant Professor in Interior Design, School of Planning, Design, and Construction nubanili@msu.edu	Dr. Nubani’s work in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) combines environmental design and social strategies to reduce opportunities to commit crime, improving quality of life and reducing fear of crime.
Dr. Raju Pokharel Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry raju2020@msu.edu	Dr. Pokharel’s research focuses on forest product supply chain and market models, feedstock availability and utilization, resource utilization, forest carbon accounting and recreation. His expertise lies in econometrics, GIS, forest management and forest product market models.
Dr. Brent Ross Tanzania Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics rross@msu.edu	Dr. Ross seeks to understand and improve how food and agri-business firms create sustainable value in a globally competitive environment. His research focuses on new business models and strategies employed by entrepreneurial agri-food ventures.
Dr. Cholani Weebadde Africa, Asia Assistant Professor, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences weebadde@msu.edu	Dr. Weebadde works with MSU plant breeders to expand their programs through collaborative research and capacity-building programs with global plant breeders. She teaches an online certificate program to professional plant breeders worldwide.