GES Colloquium | YouTube: LIVE STREAM

NC State’s New Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture

Speaker:

Dr. Danesha Seth Carley, Associate Professor and Director, CERSA, NC State University (email, link)

Abstract:

Currently, there is a lack of university programs in regulatory science specifically related to agriculture. There is a need for a new program that can provide undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education opportunities in regulatory science, and also provide a forum for the advancement of regulatory science in agriculture. With the importance of regulatory science for innovation in agriculture, and the leadership position that NC State has established in the arena of agricultural advances and technology, we are forming a Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture (CERSA).

Research and outreach projects will address regulatory science issues which are broadly relevant in agriculture. An emphasis will be placed on transparency and openness in conducting and publishing results, along with a focus on understanding barriers to adoption of innovations and technological advances aimed at improving agricultural sustainability. Our Center will provide a platform for engagement around regulatory science issues by providing responsible discussion and translational science through research, education, and outreach. The Center will also benefit society by providing a forum to enhance communication among segments of the regulatory sector with a goal of increasing efficiency while protecting food and environmental safety.

Bio:

Dr. Danesha Seth Carley grew up on a small organic farm in West Virginia. After spending 4 years in the Midwest pursuing a BA in biology (studying plant ecology), she left the corn and soybean fields to return to the verdant and beloved hills of the South. Her MS in Entomology and Plant Pathology comes from the University of TN, Knoxville, and her PhD in both Plant Pathology and Crop Science was from NC State, in Raleigh, NC.

Dr. Carley is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State, and the Director for the Southern IPM Center, and the newly formed Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture (CERSA). Her area of expertise is sustainable managed urban landscapes. Recent research programs include pollen quality in commonly planted squash and wild-flowers, pollinator ecology along roadsides in NC, and native plant conservation and pollinator habitat establishment at historic Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4 Golf Courses.

Dr. Carley frequently lectures at Bee Keeper Association meetings, Master Gardener meetings, and other events where community members are interested in learning more about pollinator habitat conservation and protection.