StemCell Therapy

In the past 10 years, science has provided the recipe for a tasty new Florida-grown strawberry sold in local produce aisles, put drones into the hands of 4-Hers and revealed where to catch snook off Cedar Key. It may even have improved your marriage.

I dont blame you if you werent aware of many ways the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) touches your lives. Ive led UF/IFAS for a decade, and Im still learning about the vast scope of what we do.

Our berry breeders creating new varieties of food and our Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences offering couples classes are two examples of how UF/IFAS aims to improve the lives of 22 million Floridians. In addition to serving those who produce food for a living, we serve everyday citizens like you.

Our fisheries experts track the movement of species popular among anglers in the Gulf. Our Extension agents have expanded 4-H to include drones, 3-D printing, robotics and other science-themed learning.

Youve had a hand in this. Support for public science ensures the continued state investment in discovery and innovation. Of course, the need for that discovery grows as the state does. There are nearly 3 million more people in Florida than when I arrived in 2010.

My parting request as I retire this month is to please continue supporting public science. Your participation and feedback help us pursue the science most relevant to your lives.

For example, fishing boat captains guide our scientists to the best places to tag fish so we can monitor the health of fisheries. Citizens report to our entomologists what ants they find in their yards, revealing a geographic range and a variety of species we cant see from the lab.

Gainesville has been a great place to be a scientist because of public support and amenities that make this a great place to live and work.

My dogs receive the best possible medical treatment because of the people at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, which UF/IFAS and UF Health run jointly. My mornings are so much better because of Sweetwater Organic Coffee.

Having access to miles of bike path along Archer Road has allowed me to go on pre-dawn rides that maintained my health and perhaps extended my career. Being able to walk to the Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill made it convenient for me to hold frank after-hours discussions with friends and colleagues on how to keep agriculture thriving.

Gainesville and Florida have given UF/IFAS a great deal, and weve done our best to reciprocate. In the past decade weve built a state-of-the-art bee lab that trains hundreds of beekeepers from Alachua County and across the state to maintain hives of pollinators for crops and for backyard plants.

We rebuilt the Roland T. Stern Learning Center in the Austin Cary Forest off Waldo Road as a hub for fire science aimed at preventing the worst effects of wildfires. Its such a beautiful building and setting that its become a popular wedding spot.

In Cedar Key we built the Nature Coast Biological Station to focus on the science needed to protect the most pristine and natural shoreline in Florida. Not only that, but it has become a true community partner that organizes beach cleanups and other civic events, not just scientific ones

Long before the pandemic prompted farmers whod lost restaurant and hotel customers to open their farms for direct sales to the public, we connected producer and consumer. We brought Gainesville residents on tours of farms throughout the county.

UF/IFAS has driven UFs rise to top 10. After all, by at least one ranking, UF/IFAS has the best entomology and nematology department in the world. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is consistently ranked in the top five ag schools, seemingly regardless of what metrics are used. That boost in stature will attract the best and brightest students and employees to become members of your community in Gainesville.

Please welcome them, including my successor and longtime friend, Dr. Scott Angle. Then let them know what you need help with so they can work on the science of solutions. You can expect great things from UF/IFAS.

Jack Payne is retiring this month as UFs senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of IFAS.

Continued here:
Jack Payne: UF/IFAS aims to improve lives of Floridians - The Florida Times-Union

This entry was posted on July 10, 2020 at 12:45 am and is filed under Veterinary Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |