Texas A&M University, the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications (ALEC), and partners were represented well at the sixth annual Universality of Global Education Conference (UGEC) held at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) on February 28-March 1, 2019.

The UGEC is a small, friendly conference that is highly interactive and positively engaging. The theme for this year’s conference was “Education for Culturally Sustaining Practices”. The conference attracted about 75 registrants and many hourly or day visitors from SHSU, including research teams from Turkey, Russia, Costa Rica and Mexico.”

There were 40 presentations/panel discussions. ALEC collaborators and colleagues presented about research and outreach in Uganda, Haiti, Senegal, Liberia, Ghana, and Nicaragua, Roscoe ISD; Departments of Horticulture Science and Sociology; and High Impact Experiences with refugees through the International Rescue Committee-Dallas.

Participants from the ALEC department included:

• Manuel Piña, Jr., Instructional Associate Professor
• Gary Briers, Professor and Senior Scientist, Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
• Jaehyun Ahn, Graduate Student
• Mitchell Baker, Graduate Assistant
• Hannah Russell, Graduate Student
• Lindsey Coleman, Graduate Assistant
• Danette Philpot, Graduate Student

Additional participants included:

• Michael Legorreta, Department of Horticulture Science
• Gerald Burgner, Department of Horticulture Science
• Jenna Kurten, Department of Anthropology
• Melinda Garcia, Texas AgriLife Extension Service
• Diana Carmenaty, University of the Southwest
• Tessa Davis, Just Like My Child Foundation
• Elizabeth Bird, Christianville Foundation, Inc.
• Alex Laywell, International Rescue Committee-Dallas
• Chaundra Merrell, International Rescue Committee-Dallas
• Kellie Seals, Roscoe Independent School District