Expertise
OIRED pursues projects that take
advantage of its special expertise in
such areas as:
agriculture
biotechnology
information technology
gender
OIRED projects are not limited to these
areas, however. Wherever Virginia Tech
has expertise and international funding
is available, OIRED may pursue a
project. For example: OIRED is currently
working in Ethiopia on a multi-faceted
project funded by the U.S. Agency for
International Development. This project
taps Virginia Tech's expertise in
nutrition, finance, natural resource
management, gender issues, and extension
development. The principal objective of
the project is to address food
insecurity in Amhara National Regional
State, but Virginia Tech faculty are
also working with local experts to
develop effective HIV/AIDS education
programs, study gender issues, and find
better solutions for disaster
mitigation.
A farmer trainer in Java examines a Nephila spider, a predator of many pests in Indonesia.