A panel of six UF faculty members from five different colleges held a panel discussion at the Reitz Union on Thursday that addressed various work being done in Haiti. “Rebuilding Haiti: Perspectives from the Field” included Michael Bannister of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, William Tilson of the College of Design, Construction and Planning, Ben Hebblethwaite of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Timothy Townsend of the College of Engineering, Andrew Kane of the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Bernard Okech of the Emerging Pathogens Institute.
“One thing that is very interesting about the faculty participating in relief efforts is that some of them do not even know each other because they are in different colleges and networks here, but some are working one town away from one another in Haiti,” said Sophia Acord, the associate director of the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere. “It is very special that they are coming together for this common cause.”
Sky Georges, the president of Gators United for Haiti, said the Student Body should use these faculty members as a resource.
“Getting in touch with these faculty members to see how they can get involved in their work is one of the best ways students can help and get involved with Haiti relief efforts,” Georges said.
Kane, who specializes in aquatic pathology and toxicology said he was very impressed with the work of all of the professors on the panel.
“We are seeing the evolution of the university attempting to provide synergy as you can see by the diversity on this panel,” Kane said. “The combination of all of these areas has proven to be effective.
