Society’s Role in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Travis Voyles has worn many hats: park tour guide, law clerk, legislative fellow, and now, secretary of natural and historic resources for the commonwealth of Virginia. He credits his rural upbringing and his experiences at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for his success. “A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to be exposed to the agricultural community,” said Voyles, who earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and management in 2011.

“Use by,” “Sell by” and “Best by” dates on food packaging can be helpful indicators of how long a consumer can store a food item before eating, but often these dates lead to high quantities of wasted food. About one-fifth of food produced for human consumption is discarded before it can be eaten, equating to 1 billion meals a day and contributing to global food insecurity.

Industry professionals, researchers and the public will soon have access to the latest in sustainable infrastructure technology with the construction of a green stormwater demonstration site at the University of Georgia Research and Education Garden on the UGA Griffin campus. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 22 with plans to complete several demonstration areas by the end of 2024.