FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
It’s mid-February and it’s time for the University of Florida-wide “Gator Nation Giving Day,” February 16, 2023.
Last year, for "Gator Nation Giving Day 2022", we had fun, agreed unanimously to support our graduate students, and made monetary contributions to the "Robert S. Varn IRREC Enhancement Endowment." We were able to collect $700.
Please consider giving a gift this year to help meet or exceed last year's donation. All the funds gathered from Dr. Alan Wright's Soil and Water Science Laboratory luncheon held last month will be forwarded to the Varn Endowment. The February luncheon sponsored by Dr. Cortney Oh’s Aquaculture Laboratory will also support our fundraising efforts. I would like to thank Dr. Wright and Dr. Ohs for agreeing to support our giving efforts. We think our graduate students are worth a moment to go online and make a monetary gift on or before February 16, 2023.
We would like to meet a $1,000 goal this year.
https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/018677-robert-s-varn-irrec-enhancement-endowment/
All the interest earned on the “Robert S. Varn IRREC Enhancement Endowment” will support future leaders in plant and environmental science. Each of them will change the world for the better in their specialized, highly educated careers.
Your gift—no matter how small--will cover a deserving graduate student's travel expenses to a professional meeting or professional development training. Professional meetings are a graduate student's privilege, and we want every one of them to enjoy the rich experiences during which they will present and network with fellow students and scientists. During the meetings, our IRREC graduate students will begin new relationships that may endure the entire length of their careers. Research collaborations are elevating international communities that work in teams to solve food production or environmental problems.
Five, ten and $15 gifts are welcome, appreciated, and needed.
Thank you for supporting our IRREC Gators!
YOUR GIFT WILL BENEFIT IRREC GRADUATE STUDENTS
Ph.D. Candidate Profile
John Santiago
Eduart Murcia, MSc student
Jaya "Jay" Nepal, Ph.D. candidate
IRREC STAKEHOLDER HIGHLIGHT
Travis Murphy, IRREC Advisory Committee Member
Local heritage citrus grower and IRREC Advisory Committee member Travis Murphy has a legacy for valuable contributions to our research programs.
Mr. Murphy donated his time and equipment to develop the IRREC Aquaculture Demonstration Project in 2004. In 2019, Travis developed the Millennium Block, where more than 5,500 citrus trees are part of an active research project to determine which new cultivars will tolerate citrus greening.
Additional gifts Mr. Murphy made to the IRREC research effort include a tractor and a ditch bank mower.
I believe research is the most important input to fresh fruit production. Agriculture is Florida's first industry and continues to be one of the most important contributors to our state's economy. --- Travis Murphy
THANK YOU MR. MURPHY, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR IRREC RESEARCH!