Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack will present the D.W. Brooks Lecture, “Food and Nutrition Security: The Critical Intersection of Farm Policy and the Land-Grant Mission,” at the 2026 D.W. Brooks Signature Event on Nov. 19 at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel. The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) hosts the annual event.
Vilsack, CEO of World Food Prize Foundation, will present the D.W. Brooks Lecture, which will address the challenges new and small-scale farmers face as commercial agriculture becomes more consolidated and how bold action in food and nutrition policy is needed to make smaller-scale farming both desirable and profitable.
Vilsack served eight years as governor of Iowa and 12 years as U.S. secretary of agriculture during the Obama and Biden administrations before taking the lead at the foundation in 2025. As CEO, he works to expand the organization’s global network and strengthen its role as a leader in advancing agricultural innovation and inspiring action to end hunger while improving food and nutrition security worldwide.
Recognizing faculty excellence
In addition to the lecture, CAES will recognize five faculty members with the 2026 D.W. Brooks Awards for Excellence, honoring outstanding contributions in teaching, research, Extension, public service, and international agricultural and environmental sciences.
The 2026 D.W. Brooks faculty honorees include:
Excellence in Teaching:
Cesar Escalante, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
Cesar Escalante, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, joined UGA in 2001 with research and Extension responsibilities in agricultural finance. Originally from the Philippines, he earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph in Canada and a doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Escalante played a key role in developing UGA’s master of agribusiness program, helping design the blueprint that led to the program’s launch in 2014. Today, he teaches core graduate courses that combine foundational business concepts with hands-on consulting projects for Georgia agribusinesses and community organizations.
A nationally and internationally recognized educator and mentor, Escalante has received numerous honors for teaching, mentoring and student success. His recent achievements include a Fulbright American Studies Lecturing Award in Japan, a best teaching case award from the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and multiple university-level teaching and mentoring honors. His commitment to experiential learning, student development and community engagement has made a lasting impact on graduate and undergraduate education at UGA.
Excellence in Extension:
Ashfaq Sial, Department of Entomology
Ashfaq “Ash” Sial is professor of entomology and coordinator of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. Originally from Pakistan, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Pakistan, a master’s degree from the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom, and a doctorate in entomology from Washington State University. Following postdoctoral appointments at the University of California, Berkeley and Cornell University, he joined the UGA faculty, where he holds research, Extension, teaching and service appointments in the Department of Entomology. As Georgia’s fruit entomologist, Sial works closely with blueberry growers and other specialty crop producers to develop sustainable, science-based pest management solutions that address emerging agricultural challenges.
An internationally recognized leader in IPM, Sial has built a nationally and internationally acclaimed research and Extension program focused on improving agricultural sustainability, profitability and environmental stewardship. He has secured more than $33 million in competitive funding and developed practical pest management strategies with significant economic impact across Georgia and beyond. His extensive scholarly and Extension contributions include more than 240 publications, hundreds of presentations, and numerous educational resources, including websites, blogs, and smartphone applications. Sial has served in prominent roles with state, regional, and international scientific organizations and has received 40 awards and honors recognizing excellence in research, Extension, leadership and service, including his recent election as a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.
Excellence in Public Service Programs:
Jeremy Kichler, UGA Cooperative Extension Southwest District
Jeremy M. Kichler is a senior public service associate, county Extension coordinator and Agriculture and Natural Resources agent with UGA Cooperative Extension in Colquitt County. Since beginning his Extension career as an agent-in-training in Laurens County in 2000, Kichler has served producers and communities across multiple Georgia counties, including Webster, Macon and Colquitt. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Auburn University and attained the UGA rank of senior public service associate in 2021.
Over more than 26 years in Extension, Kichler has built a reputation for excellence in applied agricultural research, producer education and county leadership. His work has focused on herbicide resistance, including management of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, as well as foliar disease and nematode management in cotton and peanut production, forage systems, and irrigation scheduling. His research-based outreach has helped growers across Georgia improve productivity and address some of the state’s most pressing agricultural challenges.
Excellence in Research:
Melissa Goellner Mitchum, Department of Plant Pathology
Melissa Goellner Mitchum is the Barry Bustillo Distinguished Professor of Plant Nematology in the Department of Plant Pathology and the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics. A Washington state native, she earned degrees from the University of Puget Sound, the University of Nebraska and North Carolina State University before completing postdoctoral training at Duke University. Prior to joining UGA in 2019, Mitchum spent 16 years on the faculty at the University of Missouri, where she received distinguished awards for both research and teaching. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Phytopathological Society.
Mitchum is internationally recognized for her research on plant-parasitic nematodes and the molecular mechanisms that govern plant-nematode interactions. Her groundbreaking discoveries have advanced understanding of how nematodes manipulate host plants and how to develop durable resistance in major crops, particularly soybeans. Her work has informed new approaches to strengthening crop resilience, productivity and sustainability, benefiting agricultural systems around the world.
Excellence in International Agricultural and Environmental Sciences:
Daniela Lourenco, Department of Animal and Dairy Science
Daniela Lourenco is a professor of animal breeding, genetics and genomics in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science. Originally from Brazil, she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from State University of Maringá before joining the UGA faculty. Her research integrates quantitative genetics, genomics and data science to improve livestock production, health, efficiency and sustainability. Since 2015, her multidisciplinary research program has secured more than $10 million in competitive funding from government agencies and industry partners and has supported innovative work across multiple livestock species.
An internationally recognized leader in animal genetics, Lourenco develops statistical methods and software that help breeders use genomic and multi-omics data to make more informed selection decisions. She has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed publications, delivered over 110 invited presentations across five continents and trained livestock geneticists around the world. She works closely with breeding organizations in the U.S. and abroad and leads a research team of more than 25 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, scientists and visiting scholars.
Over the past 11 years, she has hosted 58 visiting researchers from 17 countries, helping establish long-term scientific collaborations that have strengthened UGA’s global research footprint. She has received numerous honors, including the UGA Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award, the American Society of Animal Science Innovations in Animal Breeding and Genetics Award, the 2024 D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, the J.L. Lush Award in Animal Breeding, and the Beef Improvement Federation Continuing Service Award.
The D.W. Brooks legacy
The D.W. Brooks Awards are named for CAES alumnus D.W. Brooks, who founded Gold Kist Inc. and advised seven U.S. presidents on agriculture and trade. The program highlights the college’s commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service while honoring those who advance agricultural innovation at home and abroad. To learn more or to register for the event, visit dwbrooks.caes.uga.edu.
