This fall, Texas Tech University's Department of Plant and Soil Science is hosting a Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellow. In this case, it's Egypt's Mahmoud Mohamed Abdalla Mahmoudwho'll be spending three months alongside his Tech mentor, Theo Udeigwe, an assistant professor of soil chemistry.

The Borlaug Fellowship program, administered by the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service, promotes food security and economic growth by providing research and training opportunities for scientists and policymakers from developing and middle-income countries.

"Hosting a Borlaug fellow is an accomplishment for both the department and the college," Udeigwe said. "This competitive grant is mostly dominated by the likes of Cornell University, Michigan State and Texas A&M. It sets a path for the department for future participation in this program."

While at Tech, Mahmoud will familiarize with tools used for prediction of the impact of climate change on agriculture. He'll also be exposed to laboratory analyses relating to the characterization of soil moisture and salinity. "I want to gain new knowledge and technology, as well as learn climate change models." he said.

Serving as the research assistant of the Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute Agricultural Research Center in Egypt, Mahmoud specializes in integrated soil, water and crop management practices to sustain agricultural development programs. His bachelor's degree and doctorate in soil science are from Tanta University. His master's degree in soil science is from El-Shiekh University.

Program officials indicated that fellows are selected based on a number of factors including academic and professional interests, level of scientific competence, aptitude for scientific research, leadership potential, and likelihood of bringing back new ideas to their home institution.

Written by Faith Jurek

CONTACT: Theo Udeigwe, assistant professor, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2838 x223 or theo.udeigwe@ttu.edu

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