From the Dean

The advantages of a large university came to light this spring when The Ohio State University was designated as the sole university to be a part of the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture by the Ohio Board of Regents.

This designation acknowledges the great need for the work we do in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, as well as the benefits of being able to collaborate with scientists across our great university from medicine, public health, veterinary medicine, biological sciences, business, and social work.

It also acknowledges the importance of the world-needs that we address: With a world population of 6.7 billion, projected to grow to over 9 billion by 2040, sustaining growth in food production is of singular importance to human survival. Each day, more than 860 million people go hungry. This Center of Excellence will focus on food, broadly defined, and four major themes that build upon the strengths of Ohio State faculty from many colleges and departments: Foods for health, food safety, biomedical nutrition, and global food policy. Global issues to be explored include the impact of climate change, natural disasters, availability of water, and infectious disease, and the "digital divide" on the availability and safety of the food supply.

Clearly, bigger is better when it means scientists can collaborate with those from other disciplines to best address critical world issues. 

Bobby Moser, Ph.D.
Vice President for Agricultural Administration & Dean
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences