GAINESVILLE — On October 15th, the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center) met with its 16-member advisory board to collect feedback from industry stakeholders.
PIE Center Director, Ricky Telg, and Advisory Board Chair, Avery LeFils, opened the meeting with a welcome, before UF/IFAS Vice President, Scott Angle, provided an update on current UF/IFAS operations.
PIE Center staff summarized projects and accomplishments from the 2020-2021 year and presented the center’s 2021-2023 strategic plan. Board members provided feedback and offered suggestions for the PIE Center moving forward.
The PIE Center shared milestones from the past year, including the launch of its new podcast, Science by the Slice, the development of a new COVID-19 vaccine toolkit, the collection of data related to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and consumers’ interactions with the supply chain during COVID-19, and the launch of the new Online Training on Disaster Mental Health for Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART).
PIE Center faculty and staff facilitated small group discussions with the board members to understand and address the direction that the advisory board recommends the PIE Center take over the next year.
At the closing of the meeting, advisory board member Rose Fagler was recognized for her contributions to the PIE Center as she retired off of the board.
