Virginia State University News June 3, 2011 Grant brings extension model to world's newest country The U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded Virginia State University a $1.47 million grant to share the University's Cooperative Extension mission with two universities in Southern Sudan. VSU will partner with Virginia Tech to bring the schools' land-grant model to the University of Juba and the Catholic University of Sudan. VSU and Virginia Tech faculty will work the Sudanese schools to establish research programs on major food crops of Southern Sudan, help the universities build basic and applied research capabilities in agriculture, assist in training laboratory and field research personnel, build an outreach program that transfers research-based technology to farms and integrate research with graduate programs. Southern Sudan became an independent country in July 2011 after its citizens overwhelmingly voted to secede from Sudan. The VSU portion of the five-year program is led by Dr. Wondi Mersie and Dr. Laban Rutto. Dr. Mersie said rebuilding Southern Sudan's agriculture is vital to the fledgling country's hopes. "By bringing to the country our land grant system of integrated education, research and extension, we will be establishing a great model for establishing a firm foundation in agriculture," he said. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.