Established through the OSU Foundation, the Global Experience Fund has provided $12,883 of support to a total of 13 students participating in international internships over the past two years. The fund is intended to  broaden international perspectives related to agriculture, and has secured five years of funding from Hiram Larew, director of International Programs in the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Larew, who holds a masters degree in botany and plant pathology and a doctorate in entomology at Oregon State University, was recognized in 2010 with the College of Agricultural Sciences Legacy Award.

Up to five awards will be made annually on a competitive basis. Recipients of the award will contribute a report on how their program of study, outreach effort, or research project has been enhanced as a result of the global experience, to be published in CAS’s quarterly on-line newsletter, The Source. Award recipients also will discuss their experiences with students enrolled in the College’s World Agriculture course. The popular course is offered annually and includes an optional international travel experience. Recent recipients include:

Rachel Patterson: sea turtle research internship with the Archelon Sea Turtle Protection Society along the Gulf of Kyparissia, Greece.

Jocelyn Stokes: working at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Borneo.

Rebekah Holman: wine business internship for Agricole Vallone in Puglia, Italy

Andrew Futerman: studying fisheries in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area.

http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/main/main/global-experiences-fund