Dr. Sammons is currently Director of International Programs in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida. He received his PhD in Agronomy from University of Illinois in 1978. Dr. Sammons has a wide range of international experiences, first as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines (1968-70), and in recent years in short-term consultant positions with USAID in West Africa , Egypt , and Sudan , and as a Fulbright Senior Fellow/Lecturer at Egerton University in Kenya . He is the author of over 170 scientific articles and seven books and/or book chapters. Dr. Sammons serves on the Board of Trustees of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).