El Batán, Mexico
October 17, 2007
Dr Thomas Lumpkin, a well
respected scientist and science administrator, will succeed Dr
Masa Iwanaga as the new Director General of
the International Maize and
Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
Dr Lumpkin, a US national, is currently Director General of
AVRDC, the World Vegetable Center, headquartered in Taiwan.
Under his leadership the center has expanded significantly,
reaching beyond its roots in Asia to apply its expertise and
strengthen its presence in parts of the world where vegetables
could make a significant difference in the lives of the rural
poor. While not a member of the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the World Vegetable
Center operates in much the same way as member centers like
CIMMYT, with a similar overriding mandate to help alleviate
poverty and malnutrition in the developing world.
“This is a very exciting time for CIMMYT,” said Professor Lene
Lange, Chair of the CIMMYT Board of Trustees, when she announced
the appointment. “But it is also a challenging one and we are
very happy to have a person of the caliber of Dr Lumpkin on
board to lead our center.”
Dr Lumpkin will assume his post at CIMMYT on the 15th of March,
2008.
Lumpkin is no stranger to the CGIAR or to CIMMYT. Prior to his
appointment at the World Vegetable Center, he chaired the
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Washington State
University. During his 6 years as chair, he helped build a
collaborative program between the University and CIMMYT in
Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Dr Lumpkin holds a BSc in Agronomy from Washington State
University and MSc and PhD degrees in Agronomy from the
University of Hawaii.
He is widely known in agriculture and development circles for
his books and publications on global horticultural needs and
approaches to poverty alleviation in the developing world. He
brings to CIMMYT years of experience leading agricultural
research institutions and has an empathy for, and commitment to
address global issues of concern in developing country
agriculture.
Professor Lange also paid tribute to outgoing Director General
Iwanaga, who has led CIMMYT since 2002, and who among other
accomplishments, successfully restored the financial health of
the center following a severe crisis that year. He maintained
both the scientific excellence and relevance of the center
during difficult times, and the strength of partnerships with
key collaborators, ensuring CIMMYT continued to deliver on its
humanitarian mission. CIMMYT is one of the premier research
centers of the CGIAR, as evidenced by two successive
“outstanding” ratings in the World Bank performance measurement
system.
CIMMYT is an internationally funded, not-for-profit
organization that conducts research and training related to
maize and wheat throughout the developing world. CIMMYT works to
create, share, and use knowledge and technologies to increase
food security, improve the productivity and profitability of
farming systems, and sustain natural resources. |
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