Strong ties connect AgCenter, Honduran school

By Tobie Blanchard

The LSU AgCenter and the Zamorano Pan-American School of Agriculture in Honduras have had a strong history and partnership since the 1980s. Since 2005, the AgCenter has hosted more than 100 Zamorano students for internships and many have returned to LSU to pursue graduate studies.

The Zamorano Agricultural Society held a ceremony in December of 2018 to honor Bill Richardson, LSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the LSU College of Agriculture, who has helped keep the relationship between LSU and Zamorano thriving.

Franklin Bonilla, president of the Zamorano Agricultural Society, thanked Richardson for the leadership and generosity he has shown to the society and its members.

The society was established to help facilitate cultural and agricultural exchange among students and alumni of LSU and the Zamorano Pan-American School of Agriculture in Honduras. The society provides guidance, support and orientation to visiting scholars and students attending LSU.

At the closing ceremony, the society also gave out scholarships and recognized local supporters of the society and board members.

Scholarship recipients included Emilio Gutierrez, a Ph.D. student in animal sciences; Alejandro Castro, a Ph.D. student in agronomy; Cristhiam Gurdian, a Ph.D. student in food sciences; and Katheryn Parraga, a Ph.D. student in food sciences.

Carl Newton, an entrepreneur and founder of the food company Beyond the Equator, was honored for his support of the society. He has donated a scholarship to a Zamorano student from Bolivia. Sarah Bernard, a project coordinator with the LSU AgCenter Global Network, was recognized for her help with coordinating internships and helping acclimate Zamorano students to LSU. Santiago Carias, a Zamorano alumnus, also was recognized for contributing to scholarships for Zamorano students.

The society also donated $1,500 for the 2019 Zamorano summer internship program through the LSU AgCenter.