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Seminar: Tom Ranney: Breeding Innovative Ecosystems: Leading a Modern-Day Public Research Program
February 7, 2022 | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Date: Monday, February 7, 2022
Time: 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Tom Ranney
Title: Breeding Innovative Ecosystems: Leading a Modern-Day Public Research Program
Host: Frank Louws
Join Zoom Meeting: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/91481329438?pwd=WHAxSWFBUmpsOStxZlF0cnJrY1BKdz09
Meeting ID: 914 8132 9438
Passcode: 096274
Summary:
Universities used to revel in the noble pursuit of curiosity-driven, discovery-based, exploratory research – application was the purview of industry. However, with changing political, social, and funding winds, there are increasing expectations that these academic discoveries are directly linked to user-inspired, solutions-focused, innovations and applications. “Think and Do the Extraordinary”, “Solving Grand Global Challenges”, and “Public/Private Partnerships” are the new university mantras. Fortunately, agricultural research is well-positioned for these pursuits as we have been doing translational research from the beginning of civilization. Plant breeding, for example, is all about innovation and improved crops to create a greener and more prosperous world. So how do we challenge ourselves to be more innovative and stimulate innovation around us? How does an applied research program survive and thrive in a public institution going forward? This lecture provides an overview of a long-running, conventional, boots-on-the-ground, public breeding program that is trying to stay innovative and relevant in the modern world.