2008 Future Leader Forum Participants
Fafanyo Asiseh
Ms. Asiseh is a graduate student at the University of Idaho in Agricultural Economics. She received first class honors at the University of Ghana and received an IAMA student travel grant.She has done research in rural agriculture in Ghana and the United States, and in ecotourism and sustainable agriculture at Lake Bosumtwe in Ghana. Her passion for international agricultural development stems from her personal experiences in her home country of Ghana where she saw first-hand the effects of food insecurity.
Keith Aulick
Mr. Aulick is an International Agricultural Development and MBA graduate student at the University of California, Davis. He is the recipient of the Jesse D. Carr Fellowship, Innovator Fellowship, and while at Baylor University belonged to the Baylor Interdisciplinary Corps (Honors College). He was a volunteer for the Peace Corps in Kenya and was a program manager for Catholic Relief Services and a case manager for JVA Kenya. He has also worked in Afghanistan and led the team that won The World Bank's Development Marketplace Competition in a 2006. His future goal is to return to non-profit management in a developing country.
Brian R. Cameron
Mr. Cameron is an Agricultural Science and International Agriculture major at Penn State University. He is the recipient of many awards, including the W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award, the Bunton Waller Scholarship, the Butz W Memorial Award and a Trustee Scholarship in Agriculture. He has experience working in sustainable agriculture and foreign policy (free trade and the World Trade Organization), and has studied in Mexico, Brazil, France, Spain, and Italy. His future plans are to work with other countries on policies regarding trade and sustainable practices for agriculture.
Sam Goff
Mr. Goff is a doctoral student at Texas A&M University studying International Agriculture Development. He was both the outstanding master’s student and doctoral student in his department. He has served in Guatemala as a consultant for the Borlaug Institute, did dissertation work in Trinidad and Tobago, thesis work in Rwanda, and was coordinator for an agriculture development project in Mozambique. His career objective is to be a development practitioner working alongside agricultural producers and other rural sub-populations in developing countries.
Mark (Maka) Henderson
Mr. Henderson is a masters student at the University of California, Davis studying international agriculture development. He was a part of the Peace Corps Masters International Program and served three years with them as a volunteer in village based development and in an NGO organics project. He did a two month international agriculture study program in Panama and spent two weeks on another in India. He also lived in Japan for one year. After a series of carefully planned steps, his ultimate goal is to work with the FAO where he could implement positive change in the global development system.
Mary Franklin Holley
Ms. Holley will complete her masters degree in June, 2008 in International Agricultural Development at the University of California, Davis. She is Phi Beta Kappa and has worked in Ecuador, Brazil, and Mexico. She is also interested in working in east Africa. As a student, she currently works with the Global Livestock CRSP whose model is based upon partnerships that link communities and countries along public-private lines. She is interested in initiatives that promote the sustainable and educated employment of traditional methods of land use that contribute to conservation and development.
Bess Lewis
Ms. Lewis is a graduate student at the University of California, Davis in the field of International Agricultural Development and International Nutrition. She is the recipient of the Jesse D. Carr Non-Resident Tuition Fellowship. She has done field research in Bangladesh, worked with the Peace Corps in Niger, and has done several study abroad programs. She would like to return to West Africa and south Asia in a position with an NGO, research institution or government development agency to plan and implement programs that aim to improve community nutrition directly through agricultural development.
Casi Lock
Ms. Lock is a University of Missouri graduate student studying Rural Sociology. Her undergraduate work was in International Studies. She received the Lyonberger Scholarship for academic achievement and the Brown Fellowship for international research. She has worked in Mexico, France, and Costa Rica and is multi-lingual. She is interested in applying her skills as a social scientist to the improvement of rural areas through the development and dissemination of appropriate technologies that are designed to improve residents’ livelihoods or the rural environment they inhabit.
Maya E. Nehme
Ms. Nehme is working on a dual Ph.D. in Entomology and Comparative and International Education at Penn State University. She received the Ardeth and Norman Frisbey International Student Award and the Student Leader Scholarship at Penn State. Her international work experience includes funded projects in Lebanon and France. She has worked with the FAO and the UNDP on her thesis projects and is interested in working with international NGOs and UN agencies.
Christopher Preciado
Mr. Preciado is a student at the University of California, Davis with interest in rice, tropical soil fertility, land tenure, globalization, and biofuels. He received the Jastro Shields Grant and the Jesse D. Carr Fellowship. He has worked with food security and agriculture development of biofuels in Angola and has also done work in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, the Netherlands, and Scotland. His overall career interests involve addressing food security in rural areas of west Africa and Latin America.
Subhrajit K. Saha
Mr. Saha is a doctoral student at the University of Florida studying Forestry with a specialization in international agroforestry and soil science. His doctoral research is on the mitigation of global warming. He was the winner of the poster competition at ASA-CSSA-SSA International Conference and received FTGAs General Scholarship. He has done field work in India, Kenya, Uganda, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. He is keenly interested in working with organizations such as CGIAR institutions, FAO, World Bank, or any leading NGO that is working internationally in the field of agricultural and rural development.
Aleksan Shanoyan
Mr. Shanoyan is a graduate student in Agribusiness Strategy and Management and International Agricultural Development at Michigan State University. He is a Graduate Fellow of the Academy of Entrepreneurial Leadership. He has work and research experience in Armenia, Russia, and Georgia and was in the International Business Immersion Program in Europe (2004), Brazil (2005), and New Zealand (2006). His goal is to become a researcher in Agricultural Economics focusing on the food and agribusiness sector in developing and transitional economies.
Ms. Asiseh is a graduate student at the University of Idaho in Agricultural Economics. She received first class honors at the University of Ghana and received an IAMA student travel grant.She has done research in rural agriculture in Ghana and the United States, and in ecotourism and sustainable agriculture at Lake Bosumtwe in Ghana. Her passion for international agricultural development stems from her personal experiences in her home country of Ghana where she saw first-hand the effects of food insecurity.
Keith Aulick
Mr. Aulick is an International Agricultural Development and MBA graduate student at the University of California, Davis. He is the recipient of the Jesse D. Carr Fellowship, Innovator Fellowship, and while at Baylor University belonged to the Baylor Interdisciplinary Corps (Honors College). He was a volunteer for the Peace Corps in Kenya and was a program manager for Catholic Relief Services and a case manager for JVA Kenya. He has also worked in Afghanistan and led the team that won The World Bank's Development Marketplace Competition in a 2006. His future goal is to return to non-profit management in a developing country.
Brian R. Cameron
Mr. Cameron is an Agricultural Science and International Agriculture major at Penn State University. He is the recipient of many awards, including the W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award, the Bunton Waller Scholarship, the Butz W Memorial Award and a Trustee Scholarship in Agriculture. He has experience working in sustainable agriculture and foreign policy (free trade and the World Trade Organization), and has studied in Mexico, Brazil, France, Spain, and Italy. His future plans are to work with other countries on policies regarding trade and sustainable practices for agriculture.
Sam Goff
Mr. Goff is a doctoral student at Texas A&M University studying International Agriculture Development. He was both the outstanding master’s student and doctoral student in his department. He has served in Guatemala as a consultant for the Borlaug Institute, did dissertation work in Trinidad and Tobago, thesis work in Rwanda, and was coordinator for an agriculture development project in Mozambique. His career objective is to be a development practitioner working alongside agricultural producers and other rural sub-populations in developing countries.
Mark (Maka) Henderson
Mr. Henderson is a masters student at the University of California, Davis studying international agriculture development. He was a part of the Peace Corps Masters International Program and served three years with them as a volunteer in village based development and in an NGO organics project. He did a two month international agriculture study program in Panama and spent two weeks on another in India. He also lived in Japan for one year. After a series of carefully planned steps, his ultimate goal is to work with the FAO where he could implement positive change in the global development system.
Mary Franklin Holley
Ms. Holley will complete her masters degree in June, 2008 in International Agricultural Development at the University of California, Davis. She is Phi Beta Kappa and has worked in Ecuador, Brazil, and Mexico. She is also interested in working in east Africa. As a student, she currently works with the Global Livestock CRSP whose model is based upon partnerships that link communities and countries along public-private lines. She is interested in initiatives that promote the sustainable and educated employment of traditional methods of land use that contribute to conservation and development.
Bess Lewis
Ms. Lewis is a graduate student at the University of California, Davis in the field of International Agricultural Development and International Nutrition. She is the recipient of the Jesse D. Carr Non-Resident Tuition Fellowship. She has done field research in Bangladesh, worked with the Peace Corps in Niger, and has done several study abroad programs. She would like to return to West Africa and south Asia in a position with an NGO, research institution or government development agency to plan and implement programs that aim to improve community nutrition directly through agricultural development.
Casi Lock
Ms. Lock is a University of Missouri graduate student studying Rural Sociology. Her undergraduate work was in International Studies. She received the Lyonberger Scholarship for academic achievement and the Brown Fellowship for international research. She has worked in Mexico, France, and Costa Rica and is multi-lingual. She is interested in applying her skills as a social scientist to the improvement of rural areas through the development and dissemination of appropriate technologies that are designed to improve residents’ livelihoods or the rural environment they inhabit.
Maya E. Nehme
Ms. Nehme is working on a dual Ph.D. in Entomology and Comparative and International Education at Penn State University. She received the Ardeth and Norman Frisbey International Student Award and the Student Leader Scholarship at Penn State. Her international work experience includes funded projects in Lebanon and France. She has worked with the FAO and the UNDP on her thesis projects and is interested in working with international NGOs and UN agencies.
Christopher Preciado
Mr. Preciado is a student at the University of California, Davis with interest in rice, tropical soil fertility, land tenure, globalization, and biofuels. He received the Jastro Shields Grant and the Jesse D. Carr Fellowship. He has worked with food security and agriculture development of biofuels in Angola and has also done work in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, the Netherlands, and Scotland. His overall career interests involve addressing food security in rural areas of west Africa and Latin America.
Subhrajit K. Saha
Mr. Saha is a doctoral student at the University of Florida studying Forestry with a specialization in international agroforestry and soil science. His doctoral research is on the mitigation of global warming. He was the winner of the poster competition at ASA-CSSA-SSA International Conference and received FTGAs General Scholarship. He has done field work in India, Kenya, Uganda, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. He is keenly interested in working with organizations such as CGIAR institutions, FAO, World Bank, or any leading NGO that is working internationally in the field of agricultural and rural development.
Aleksan Shanoyan
Mr. Shanoyan is a graduate student in Agribusiness Strategy and Management and International Agricultural Development at Michigan State University. He is a Graduate Fellow of the Academy of Entrepreneurial Leadership. He has work and research experience in Armenia, Russia, and Georgia and was in the International Business Immersion Program in Europe (2004), Brazil (2005), and New Zealand (2006). His goal is to become a researcher in Agricultural Economics focusing on the food and agribusiness sector in developing and transitional economies.
