Professor Norman E. Borlaug is an American agronomist, humanitarian and Nobel laureate. He is known as the “Father of the Green Revolution.” The Borlaug Fellowship Program was established by USDA to honor his great contribution to world food and humanity. Scientists, researchers, or policymakers from different countries can apply for this prestigious award to obtain training in the US. This program is of significance to global food

We are currently hosting one Borlaug Fellow, Dr. Maria Elena Cazar from Ecuador. She is mentored by Professor De-Yu Xie (Co-PI of this granted fellowship) in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. In Xie’s laboratory, she is working on nutritional metabolomics of Cocoa plants. This project is to characterize nutritional metabolites in Cocoa plants in Ecuador.

As a requirement of this fellowship, the fellow, host faculty, and officers are requested to the annual Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa organized by the World Food Prize organization.Drs. Cazar, Xie (Co-PI), Dr. Jose Cisneros (PI, director), and Dr. Adrienne LaBranche Tucker (Co-PI, assistant director) attended the 2019 Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium on Oct. 16-18 . In addition, Gracie Ward, a student from CALS and in Dr. Xie’s class, was invited to attend the Youth Program of the World Food Prize.