By: Kelli Rogers, EARTH University Communications Intern

On March 26, 2010, EARTH University began its birthday celebrations under a cloudlessblue sky by dedicating 26 newly planted trees to its graduates from 26 countries throughoutCentral America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa as well as the “future graduates we have here today,” said President José Zaglul of the 20 students standing ready toget their hands dirty with the planting. They knelt in pairs and carefully patted in the soilaround the trees donated by the EARTH Employee Association – just the first 26 of an alreadypromised 272,250 trees to be planted on June 5th for EARTH’s largest 20th Anniversary event,EARTH Plants the Future.

The campaign itself has alreadyexceeded the original goal of planting200,000 trees and it is not slowingdown any time soon. In a live videofeed of the inaugural planting, Zaglulambitiously announced that “We aregoing for a million.” The mood wasone of pride and hope as Zagluladdressed alumni residing as far awayas Mexico and Colombia, “You arethe group that is transforming theworld and we are very proud of therole you have taken,” Zaglul said tothe graduates tuned in to the feed.“We are very happy that we can celebrate with all of you.”

The gathering also marked thelaunch of the EARTH Plants theFuture internal pledge campaign,which will continue through June 1.The green-clad EARTH community was invited to partake in friendly competition to seewho can sell the most trees to their friends, colleagues, businesses or family members.

With the addition of the internal campaign and the overwhelming enthusiasm of graduates,the possibility of planting 1 million trees on June 5th seems within reach. EARTH could notask for a better 20th birthday present.

EARTH University Foundationinvites you to learn more about thisevent and purchase or plant your ownreal or virtual trees online by visitingwww.earthplantsthefuture.org. Byparticipating in this activity you arehelping EARTH reach its goal of 1 million trees to be planted June 5tharound the world.

I N T H I S I S S U E :Inauguration of buildings at EARTH-La Flor pg. 2

Impressions from an 8 year old pg. 2

EARTH’s role in two conferences pg. 4

Change Agent: Patricia Cordero pg. 5

Secretary Clinton learns of EARTH’s programs pg. 5

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F E A R T H U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N

I S S U E N o. 6 0 M A Y 2 0 1 0

O U R M I S S I O N :Prepare leaders with ethical valuesto contribute to the sustainabledevelopment of the humid tropics and to construct a prosperous andjust society

The first of over 200,000 trees that are to beplanted for EARTH’s largest 20th Anniversaryevent, EARTH Plants the Future.

EARTH Celebrates 20 Years

Mayra Vallecillo, Class of 2010, and EARTHPresident Dr. José Zaglul at the inaugural tree planting on March 26.

Inauguration of buildings at EARTH-La FlorOn Wednesday, April 14th, EARTH-La Flor inaugurated

two projects of great institutional importance: a group of aca-demic buildings and a library known as the Science Corner.U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, Anne S. Andrew, attended theinauguration and in a brief address emphasized that theAmerican people have been partners of EARTH since itsinception through the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundationand USAID, and she hopes that this relationship will continuein the future.

The construction of the academic buildings was financed byUSAID American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA), whichgave $600,000 as a match to the $175,000 invested by EARTH.This is EARTH’s fifth ASHA-funded project. The buildingsinclude a classroom, student dormitories, housing for professorsand visitor restrooms. In addition to supporting EARTH’s academic program, our hope is that the facility will attract areagroups and businesses as well as international institutions andencourage ecotourism and geo-tourism activities. All the build-ings feature a design appropriate to the dry tropics, conservingwater and maximizing natural light and solar capabilities.

Also inaugurated on this day was the Science Corner, asmall library dedicated to science and technology located in the original buildings of EARTH-La Flor. Financed with adonation from the U.S. Embassy, the Science Corner containsbooks and online and multimedia materials and equipment.Open to the community at-large, this project will expand ourpresence in Guanacaste and we hope it is the first of many community libraries that we can be involved in.

The inauguration of both projects gives new energy to thedevelopment of EARTH-La Flor and is an important step inconsolidating the center as a resource for the province and itswell-being.

Cordially,

Dr. José A. Zaglul, University President

Ambassador Anne S. Andrew (left) with EARTH President Dr. José Zaglul at the inauguration of the Science Corner at EARTH-La Flor.

PRES IDENT ’S CORNER

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My Trip to Costa Ricaby Alani Pace

I N H E R O W N W O R D S

Hey what up? I’m in Costa Rica and I’m having a great time. It took usa few hours to get here. One of my friends who lives here, her name isMelissa, and she scheduled us and took us to a banana plantation. A bananaplantation is like they have palm trees and it’s like you have the bananas onthe palm trees and a person that works where the bananas get harvested rideson some swingy seat and picks them. They hang on that rope thing and that’swhat a banana plantation is. Anyways, I went to an animal farm and I sawpigs, baby pigs, male & female cows, roosters, and rabbits that try to attack

you. I saw a coconut and I got totake a picture. One coconut actu-ally fell on my head and I almostgot knocked out! That’s the onethat I had drunk out of. I had agreat time BYE!

Like most EARTH visitors,eight-year-old Alani Pace was fasci-nated and inspired by her first tripto the University´s campus. Alanispent her spring break at EARTHaccompanying her mother, KimPace, who is Director of Researchand Grants at EARTH UniversityFoundation in Atlanta.

Farm worker ridingEARTH’s motorizedaerial tractor to bringbananas from theplantation back to the packing house.

ALSO NEW AT THE FOUNDATION…

Another recent arrival is Terry Hamrick, who has joined the Foundationas a part-time Data Entry Associate. With a BA in Business Administrationfrom the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Terry has worked as a program assistant and office manager for other non-profits and has experience with databases, volunteer coordination and donor relations.Terry’s family recently moved toAtlanta from North Carolina and she isexcited to be working at EARTH University Foundation.

SAVE THE DATEPILLARS OF EARTH: SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Ethical values, entrepreneurial spirit, social and environmental awarenessand technical and scientific knowledge - these are the four pillars that frameEARTH University’s curriculum because these are the qualities that EARTHbelieves foster excellence in leadership. Twenty years of creating agents ofchange has shown this to be true at EARTH. To bring this message home,EARTH University Foundation will be recognizing leaders from theAtlanta community on October 14, 2010, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at theHotel Palomar in Atlanta. Four business and community leaders will behonored for their sustainability efforts in these four areas. Hosted by Janeand Dameron Black III, the awards dinner will feature Olivia Zaleski as thekeynote speaker and Karen Caplan, Frieda’s CEO and EARTH supporter,as MC. For more information about nominations or for tickets to the Pillarsof EARTH: Sustainable Leadership Awards Dinner, please contact MelonieTharpe at mtharpe@earth-usa.org or 404-995-1257.

SECRETARY CLINTON LEARNS ABOUT EARTH’SENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM

On March 4, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participated in aregional ministers’ meeting in San José, Costa Rica for the initiative“Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas.” Organized by the U.S. StateDepartment, the meeting was to promote small-scale entrepreneur-ship among women. Irene Alvarado,Entrepreneurial Projects Professor,and Yanine Chan, Professor of FoodSciences, joined UniversityPresidentDr. José Zaglul and several studentsin representing EARTH Universityat the event. They presented EARTHnot only to Secretary Clinton, butalso to representatives of 13 othercountries on the continent.

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WHY SUPPORT THE EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONANNUAL FUND?

Dear friends,Coming on board as EARTH University Foundation’s Annual Fund

Director is a challenging and exciting endeavor. With endowments andinvestments still recovering from the global financial crisis, annual gifts aremore important than ever. You may ask yourself why you should support theEARTH University Foundation Annual Fund when there are so many otherorganizations making valuable contributions to society. Multiple reasonsabound, but what I am quickly learning is that EARTH students and alumniare returning to their home countries to create new jobs and to implementsustainable business and agriculture practices, thus changing the lives ofentire families and communities. Your gift, in support of our students, is mul-tiplied many times by the effect that these students have on our shared globalcommunity. I look forward to meeting and speaking with you, our valuedfriends and supporters, over the coming months and learning more aboutyour interest in EARTH. I hope that you will soon join me in believing thatthe real question is, why not support the EARTH University Annual Fund?

Sincerely,

Michelle Hamner

P.S. As an added incentive, this year Cummins Inc. will contribute $1 forevery $4 we receive. For example, your $100 gift grows to $125 with theCummins match. Increase your impact by accepting the CumminsChallenge today!

Michelle Hamner is the Foundation’s new Annual Fund Director. She hasover six years experience with nonprofit management and fundraising andcomes to us most recently from Emory University in Atlanta. Prior to that,Michelle held leadership positions at two no-kill animal rescue organizations,and she is still active as a volunteer for Atlanta Pet Rescue. She received herBA and MPA from the University of Georgia and lives in Atlanta with herhusband, three cats and one dog.

CLO SE R TO HOME

FIND EARTH ON FACEBOOK!

www.facebook.com/EARTHUniversity

By becoming a fan of EARTH University on Facebook youcan follow the latest news and happenings at the Universityand at EARTH University Foundation. View a variety ofphoto albums, start discussions, or make an online donationthrough Causes to support the valuable mission of EARTHUniversity in educating future young leaders.

FOLLOW EARTH ON TWITTER!

twitter.com/EARTH_Univ_Fdn

If you like social media, Twitter is another great way to keeptrack of what is happening at EARTH on a day to day basis.

Secretary Clinton meetsEARTH President JoséZaglul at the EARTH booth of the regional ministers’ meeting.

EARTH Professor Irene Alvarado presents a gift of EARTH products to Secretary Clinton.

EARTH PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TWO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

In late February, EARTH participated in

two international conferences held in Costa

Rica. The first of these was the bi-annual con-

ference on 21st Century Watershed

Technology: Improving Water Quality and

Environment of the American Society of

Agricultural and Biological Engineers

(ASABE). The four-day conference was host-

ed this year by EARTH University and

allowed the institution to present its research

in the management of the Parismina water-

shed for the occasion.

The second activity was the “Fourth

International Congress of Transdisciplinarity,

Complexity and Ecoformation,” which took

place at the University of Costa Rica as a

result of efforts made by the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO). EARTH was a co-

organizer of the event under the leadership of

Professor Jan Axelsson. The vision of the con-

gress was to create a space to exchange knowl-

edge and experiences on innovative educa-

tional models that promote holistic higher

education. Four faculty members shared how

EARTH’s program promotes the holistic devel-

opment of students, ensuring alumni with

strong values and an expansive entrepreneur-

ial, social and environmental vision.

EARTH INITIATES RELATIONSHIPWITH JAVERIANA UNIVERSITY INCOLOMBIA

In mid-April, two representatives of

Javeriana University in Colombia visited the

EARTH campus to initiate a relationship and

foster collaboration between the two institu-

tions. Of special interest were collaborative

opportunities with EARTH’s International

Academic Program, the Permanent Education

Program and the Community Development

Program. More concretely, the two institutions

agreed to pursue the following opportunities:

faculty exchanges for short courses, elective

courses, and/or certificate courses; a social

semester for Javeriana students at EARTH that

would be equivalent to our internship pro-

gram; dialogues and professional development

activities via videoconferences and the cre-

ation of internships facilitated by Javeriana for

EARTH students in Colombia. Discussions

also touched on the possibility of EARTH’s

participation in a rural development workshop

that will take place at the end of the year in

Colombia. It is hoped that working together,

these two institutions will develop projects to

advance rural development in the region.

EARTH CELEBRATES EARTH DAYWITHOUT CARS

On April 22, Earth Day was celebrated

around the world, and EARTH University

helped give the earth a break by celebrating its

Day without Cars. On that day, students, pro-

fessors, staff and visitors moved around the

campus on foot, by bicycle, on public trans-

portation or with electric vehicles. Every year,

EARTH organizes the Day without Cars with

the goal of decreasing the University’s CO2

output and contributing to the health of the

planet. On the occasion, EARTH unveiled a

fleet of 22 electric vehicles that were acquired

for internal use with the support of Costa

Rican construction firm Durman. The Day

without Cars is a worldwide initiative,

promoted by the European Community, whose

principal objective is to contribute to mini-

mizing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions

and to respond to the petroleum dependency.

EARTH PRESIDENT RECOGNIZEDWITH TWO AWARDS

On May 1st, EARTH University President

Dr. José Zaglul received the Distinguished

Alumnus Award from the University of Florida

in Gainesville, Florida. The award was given

during the commencement ceremony for the

School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and

recognized Dr. Zaglul’s outstanding career,

which has brought prestige and honor to

the University of Florida. J. Bernard Machen,

the President of the University of Florida,

commented that Dr. Zaglul “is an excellent

example of what our students should strive to

become once they graduate.”

Later this month, on May 23rd, Chatham

University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will

award Dr. Zaglul with an Honorary Doctorate

in Public Service in celebration of EARTH’s

20th Anniversary. The bestowment of this

award will take place during the graduation

ceremony, where José will also give the

commencement address. These awards and

the visibility that Dr. Zaglul brings to the

Institution are instrumental in increasing

awareness for EARTH University. His

charisma and profound commitment to the

mission of the Institution have been funda-

mental in establishing EARTH as a university

of global recognition, known for sustainable

development and educating agents of change.

T H E C A M P U S B U Z Z

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A new fleet of 22 electric vehicles donated to EARTH by Durman includes several new golf carts.

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CHANGE AGENT

Now in her fourth year at EARTH University, Patricia Cordero is ableto reflect on both the demands and rewards of an EARTH education.

During the first three years at EARTH, in addition to completingtheir normal coursework, students are required to work in small teamsto complete an entrepreneurial project funded with a university loan.Patricia recalls that “the entrepreneurial project has been one of mymost intense experiences, but it was rewarding to realize that, after a lotof planning, management and work, we were able to pay back the loanand generate profits.”

Patricia and her team cultivated a new species of tilapia called “redsupermale tilapia” with excellent results. They fed their fish a mix of 60percent white mulberries and 40 percent feed. “This fish variety wasable to gain weight well with the mulberries, which is not the case witha lot of other fish species. Our project gives cause to the developmentof new tilapia cultivation using more mulberries and less feed, whichwill bring favorable environmental results for the producer.”

Apart from being an excellent student,Patricia has been an active dancer andathlete since the age of thirteen.“When I arrived here there were nota lot of dance spaces. At that point,I began to work with a group of students that would preparecultural presentations for touristsstaying at the campus’s PEPhotel, but in my second year,everything changed with theconstruction of the CreativeExpression Center.” ThenPatricia’s dance group pressedto hire an Afro-Caribbeandance instructor at EARTH andbefore long they were performing atsome of the most important theatersin Costa Rica’s cultural scene, and even beyond.

As for her overall experience at EARTH, Patricia concludes,

“What has most impressed me here is having absoluteresponsibility for myself and for all that I do. AlthoughI lived alone for a while, arriving here at 17 years old wassomething that changed my life totally. The words of mymom, who has always reminded me that one should notgive any less than one is able to, have also given meinspiration. Every time I wonder if everything I have sacrificed is worth it, I find that the answer is always yes.”

Patricia Cordero

Class of 2010Dominican Republic

Frey Foundation Reception for EARTH a Success

On April 22nd, EARTH University Provost, Daniel Sherrard,and EARTH University Foundation staff hosted a reception at theFrey Foundation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rick Foster, MichiganState University, was the master of ceremonies and AlejandroVillanueva, W.K. KelloggFoundation Director of LatinAmerican Programs, shared hisperspective on the importantrole the Kellogg Foundationsees for EARTH University asa key partner in their work inboth Southern Mexico andLatin America. The eventallowed EARTH the chanceto visit with 57 donors andindividuals from both profitand nonprofit organizations.

Those in attendance commented on how wonderful andinformative an afternoon it was. Several people shared their personal EARTH stories and experiences, including Rich VanderVeen, Christina Keller, and Rachel Mraz, all of whom have visited campus. Mr. Vander Veen invited everyone to visit EARTHand said if anyone returned and wasn’t truly impressed with theUniversity, students, and faculty, he would reimburse their airfare!

Many people continued to network even after the program.“They say the sign of a good party is when people don't want toleave and this was certainly the case last night at the FreyFoundation,” commented Victor Sanchez, one of the event’sorganizers and Senior Major Gift Director at EARTH UniversityFoundation. Pam Foster, event co-organizer and AdministrativeAssociate at the Foundation, added, “We feel many great connec-tions were established around sustainability and EARTH’s role inregional economic and human resource development.”

The 57 guests at the reception included representatives from bothprofit and nonprofit organizations.

Oscar Arreola, ’93, and AlejandroVillanueva, W.K. KelloggFoundation Director of LatinAmerican Programs.

Rachel Mraz and John Frey at the receptionhosted by theFrey Foundation.

EARTH University FoundationFive Piedmont Center, Suite 215Atlanta, Georgia 30305-1509PHONE: (404) 995-1230 FAX: (404) 995-1240email: info@earth-usa.orgwww.earth-usa.org

EARTH UniversityP.O. Box 4442-1000, San José, Costa RicaPHONE: (+506) 2713-0000 FAX: (+506) 2713-1001www.earth.ac.cr

NONPROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PA I DATLANTA. GA

PERMIT NO. 7468

EARTH University is a private, international, non-profit universitylocated in Costa Rica, dedicated to education in the field of agricul-tural sciences and the rational use of natural resources. Founded in1990, EARTH University has approximately 400 students from 26 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In keeping with theUniversity’s mission to contribute to the sustainable development ofregions in the greatest need, 80 percent of students are granted fullor partial scholarships. Since EARTH’s endowment only covers aportion of total student tuition, investing in the future of EARTH is the only way to ensure that we can continue to offer financial assistance to qualified youth of modest means.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?If you are inspired by what EARTH is doing, please consider contributing to EARTH’s mission to create a bright and better future;your contribution will make a difference. One wayto give is through our Circle of SustainersProgram, which allows you to considerplanned giving options that may beright for you. For more information,please contact Liliana Salas-Grip atlsgrip@earth-usa.org or by phone at(404) 995-1243.

Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

May 27: EARTH University FoundationBoard Meeting, Washington, DC

May 29–30: Tropical Americas Fair at EARTH University

June 5: EARTH Plants the FutureGlobal Tree Planting in 27 Countries

October 14: Save the Date –Pillars of EARTH: Sustainable Leadership Awards, Atlanta, GA

WHAT IS E A R T H ?

PLANT A SEED THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME; BECOME A MEMBER OFEARTH CIRCLE OF SUSTAINERS TODAY.

GIFTS OF LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance provides another excellentmeans for making a gift to EARTHUniversity. Perhaps you purchased a policy to help with your retirement yearsbut no longer need that assistance. If youcontribute the whole policy, you can designate EARTH as beneficiary or co-beneficiary, retaining the right tochange the beneficiary and retaining yourownership of the policy. Or, to receive thefederal income tax charitable deduction,you can designate EARTH as both theowner and the beneficiary of the policy.