2023 Study Abroad Program

The three main components of our 2023 study abroad program in Italy are now open for any student to apply. Virginia Tech students who are accepted into the VT program will be automatically enrolled into each part of the program.

VT Students: The application portal will remain open for the next week, so please apply this week if you would like to be considered for the program. Please also make sure you apply for a GEO Scholarship (due March 15th).

Non-VT/International Students: I hope you will considered applying to one or more parts of the program via the links below. In 2022, we had over 20 countries represented in the Pisa summer school that hosted around 40 students. It was a really engaging and culturally rich experience for everyone involved in the program.

Part 1: University of Florence Workshop (July 10-11, 2023)
Part 2: University of Pisa Summer School (July 11-15, 2023)
Part 3: Hiking Ecological Economics Summer School 2023 (July 16-19, 2023)

The Front of the Library

Some new pictures of the library construction at Mzuzu University.

The Mzuni Library Initiative

The two pictures below – taken by Felix Majawa, the University Librarian – provide a great view of the front of the new library and show the progress that continues to be made.

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Get Out There with SPIA – Slides & Recordings

Please find below links to the 3-minute presentations given during the “Get Out There with SPIA” event held on February 10. The slides from the event can be accessed here.

If you have any questions about a specific program/course, please reach out to the lead faculty member(s) listed below. The first two summer programs have an application deadline of February 15, so please apply before then if you would like to be considered for one of these.

Washington, D.C. Semester, Leadership through Policy & Governance (WSLG) (Summer) & U.S. Congressional Oversight in Action (Winter)

WSLG Application Deadline: February 15
Contacts: Matthew Dull, mdull@vt.edu; Charity Boyette, boyettecl@vt.edu

Study Abroad in Italy (Florence, Pisa, and the Apuan Alps), Sustainable Transitions in Employment, Economic Welfare, and the Environment (Summer)

Application Deadline: February 15
Contact: Ralph Hall, rphall@vt.edu
Deadline for CLAHS education abroad scholarships: February 13

Support Provided by the VT Global Education Office

Contact: Theo Figurasin, theof22@vt.edu

Washington, D.C. Semester in Global Engagement (WSGE) (Fall and Spring)

Contact: Ariel Ahram, ahram@vt.edu

UAP 2004 Real Estate (Summer, online course)

Contact: David Bieri, bieri@vt.edu

SPIA 2005, 2006, & 2014 Urban Analytics (Summer, online course)

Contact: Theodore Lim, tclim@vt.edu

Homeland Security Policy (HSP) Graduate Certificate (open to seniors) (Video)

Contact: Patrick Roberts, robertsp@vt.edu

Study Abroad, Sustainable Policy Making & Planning in Europe (Summer)

The 2023 program is full. If you are interested in the 2024 program, please make sure you apply early in the fall semester.
Contacts: Ralph Buehler, ralphbu@vt.edu; Todd Schenk, tschenk@vt.edu

Get Out There with SPIA!

VT undergraduate and graduate students, please join us (in room 111, Architecture Annex or via zoom) on Friday, February 10 at 12pm to learn more about SPIA’s off campus and summer opportunities.

During the event, faculty will give 3-minute presentations on their programs/courses to provide a broad overview of the full range of unique opportunities available to students.

Video of the Center Launch

Please find below the recording of the launch of the new Virginia Tech Center for the Future of Work Places and Practices.

Here is a link to the slides used in the presentation.

January 2023 Construction Update

Below is a construction update on the Mzuzu University library.

The Mzuni Library Initiative

Progress continues to be made on the construction of Mzuzu University’s new library. The images below show how the construction of the second half (on the left) of the library is progressing. The first floor is complete and the columns/supporting walls are now being installed on the second floor. Malawi is also in the middle of its wet season, which is characterized by high temperatures and humidity and regular afternoon downpours. The clouds in the images point to some of this weather, which will hopefully not disrupt construction over the next couple of months.

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Special Issue in Agronomy

I will be co-edting a special issue of Agronomy with colleagues Dr. Jessica Agnew and Prof. Tom Thompson, focused on Advanced Innovation for Improving Total Factor Productivity (TFP) in Agriculture. The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2023. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this special issue.

Special Issue Information

To sustainably meet global needs for agricultural products by 2050, agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) needs to grow by 1.73 percent annually. However, from 2011 to 2020, global TFP grew at an average of 1.12 percent per annum. Sub-Saharan Africa in particular is struggling to overcome negative TFP growth, and TFP growth is no longer the driver of increased agricultural output in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This Special Issue of Agronomy seeks to build the evidence base of cutting-edge innovation that increases TFP, particularly in the African, Latin American, Asian, and Caribbean contexts, and especially those designed for smallholder farmers. Technological innovation may include, but is not limited to, digital services, seed varieties, agronomic practices, or technological advances that will reduce the level of inputs considered in the calculation of TFP—land, labor, capital, and material resources.

Reviews, integrative studies, original studies, and conference papers are all welcome. Articles that consider TFP growth and the policy implications of advancing innovation for TFP growth are also of interest.