The Department of Food and Resource Economics is sponsoring a visit by Dr. Marco Bittelli (Ph.D., Soil Physics, Washington State University, 2001) on January 20-21.  Dr. Bittelli is an assistant professor in the Soil and Environmental Physics Group, Department of Agro-Environmental Science and Technology (DISTA), University of Bologna, Italy (biography attached).    Members of the Food and Resource Economics Department  have collaborated with Dr. Bittelli on multidisciplinary research and teaching projects in the water and resources area.



Dr. Bittelli's visit to UF has two purposes:



First, DISTA wants to determine the extent to which the University of Florida can integrate into multidisciplinary joint research initiatives and academic exchanges that it currently shares with Washington State University, the University of Vienna (Austria), and the University of Heidelberg (Germany).  Key research areas in the program include (but are not limited to) long-term sustainability of agricultural systems and water and land resources; impact of global change on agriculture and natural resources; and long-term impacts of soil erosion on society and civilizations.  In particular, we are interested in applying for a EU-US Atlantis Programme project that would include the University of Bologna, Washington State University and the University of Florida.  We need collaborators at UF.  If you are interested, please join us in discussions at 8:00-9:30a, Tuesday (January 20), 1151 McCarty A (Food and Resource Economics Conference Room).  If you are interested, but can't make this time, please let Ray Huffaker ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>)   know and  he 'll make alternative arrangements.



Second, Dr. Bittelli will present the following seminar at 4:00p, Wednesday (January 21), Room 1031 McCarty D (the Senior Vice President's conference room):



An overview of research and applications at the University of Bologna, Italy



The seminar will provide an overview of current research in the Soil and Environmental Physics Group, Department of AgroEnvironmental Science and Technology (DISTA), University of Bologna, Italy. The University of Bologna's location in the heart of Italy's fertile Po Valley makes it a key institution for agro-environmental research.  This research is often conducted in collaboration with private and public institutions in Italy, Europe and the U.S.  Internationally, the soil and environmental physics group at DISTA has joint research initiatives and academic exchanges with Washington State University, Pullman, WA, the University of Vienna (Austria), and the University of Heidelberg (Germany).  Primary areas of research are: (a) water erosion and solute transport in field soils, (b) dielectric spectroscopy of soils, (c) measurement and estimation of soil hydraulic properties, (d) hydrological modelling at the watershed scale and (e) water content measurement at different scales.  The seminar will discuss research facilities, summarize the research group's experimental and modelling approaches, and provide a few examples of recent results and applications.


Ray Huffaker
Professor and Chair
Food and Resource Economics Department
University of Florida
PO Box 110240
Gainesville, FL  32611-0240
352-392-1826  ext 204
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