UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail:  indianco@ufl.edu

Article reprinted courtesy of:

 

 

 

October 30, 2011 - page 5

 

Florida Extension Agent gains global award

University of Florida Extension Horticulture Agent Dan Culbert was recently named the Southern Region recipient of the International Service Award by Epsilon Sigma Phi, the National Honorary Fraternity of Extension Professionals.

The recognition was part of the organization’s annual conference, held in Syracuse, N.Y. Culbert is the Horticulture Agent in Okeechobee County, and is the second consecutive Florida Extension Agent to earn this national recognition. (Bay County Horticulture Agent Ken Rudisill was the 2010 ESP International Service winner.) During the conference, Mr. Culbert also presented a seminar on his involvement in an International Extension Program that taught 47 Costa Rican landscape horticulture professionals in 2008. He was part of a team of seven agents that worked with EARTH University (Costa Rica) faculty to address landscape conservation and natural resource issues at LaFlor in the northwest region of that Central American country. He will return there in 2012 to conduct a program impact evaluation.

He also serves as a member of the National ESP Global Relations Committee that helps build the capacity of Extension faculty that are involved in International programs across the U.S. He is also secretary of the UF/ IFAS International Programs Advisory Team, an advisory group that helps to coordinate the many academic, research and Extension programs conducted by UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science.

“Why spend time with international education where there is so much to do locally?” This common concern was addressed at the conference by members of ESP. Mr. Culbert reports that as a result of his international work, he has been better able to relate distant concepts of landscape horticulture to locals citizens, has improved his ability to communicate with Hispanic audiences locally, and has gained valuable contacts with persons who are working in horticultural industries across the globe that have the same kinds of needs as those that live and work in Florida.

Hillsborough County Family Consumer Science Agent Mary Keith also attended the Conference and brought back a Distinguished Service Award for Osceola County Extension Director Mary Beth Salisbury.

The Florida Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi was also presented with two Platinum Awards, one for achievement in chapter membership and a second “Chapter of Merit” award for overall work in meeting the professional development needs of Extension agents and Specialists. Under the leadership of last year’s President Dr. Joan Bradshaw of Citrus County and this year’s President, Dr. Ray Mobley, who is the Dean for Extension programs at Florida A&M University, the “Alpha Delta” Chapter is one of the more active U.S. ESP Chapters.

The Cooperative Extension Service provides research-based information from Land-Grant universities such as the University of Florida and Florida A&M University. Extension programs are designed to help people find solutions to problems from local communities to across the globe.

 

UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Horticulture Agent Dan Culbert is presented with the ESP International Service award by ESP President Deborah Thompson (left, South Carolina) and ESP Global Relations Committee Chair Kathleen Tweeten (right, North Dakota State University) at the October 2011 ESP Conference in Syracuse, N.Y. (Photo: Billy Warrick, TAMU)