Sustainable agriculture is the topic for the April 21 'Convo with Cantwell'

Image

Sustainable agriculture is the topic for the April "Convo with Cantwell," a monthly Zoom fireside chat hosted by Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell, senior vice president for research and innovation.

During the chat, titled "Sustainable Agriculture Happening at the University of Arizona," Cantwell and the panelists will discuss the University's research on sustainable agriculture and the impact it has on our health and our environment, and the economic impact on Arizona. Confirmed panelists include Murat Kacira, director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Program and professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, and Paul Brierley, executive director of the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture.

The discussion will be held Thursday, April 21, at 3 p.m. Registration is now open. (Please note that you must register for each episode. Registration for one does not carry forward to future episodes.)

For those who missed it, the previous Convo with Cantwell, held March 31, featured a lively discussion on social media, marketing your work, and best practices for building a professional brand and leveraging your identity online to form connections and bring visibility to your work.

Panelists included Michael D.L. Johnson, assistant professor of immunobiology, Lehman Benson, assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the Eller College of Management, Erika Hamden, assistant professor of astronomy, and Rocque Perez, digital marketing specialist in Research, Innovation & Impact.

A key takeaway from the discussion was the importance of authenticity in building an individual brand, online or off, and that featuring some personal information – whether it is discussing an exercise regimen or sharing recipes – can help followers connect with you as a person. This connection is especially important for inspiring students and young professionals and for building relationships that might potentially turn into collaborations or partnerships.

Because the social media landscape can change rapidly, panelists acknowledged that building an online brand can be daunting. But everyone agreed that it is never too late to get connected and to take control of your online presence, regardless of title, job position or discipline.

Watch or listen to the March episode, and other previous episodes, on the RII website. For additional information, contact RII at research@arizona.edu.