Dr. Luis Canas is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University. Dr. Canas is nationally and internationally recognized as an expert in the management of insect pests that attack plants in controlled environments, with more than 22 years of experience. His research provides applied solutions to problems caused by thrips, whiteflies and mites among others. And he has published 40 research and extension papers. His areas of expertise include insect management using insecticides and biological control agents, biodemography, insect‐plant interactions. Currently, Dr. Canas is Interim Director of International Programs in Agriculture at Ohio State and Zamorano Alumni President.

Dr. Bob Nielsen is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University. His Extension programming focused on optimizing yield, profitability, and stewardship of corn production for growers in Indiana and throughout the eastern Corn Belt. Over those 40 years, he shared his experience and knowledge of corn with more than 720,000 farmers and their advisors at over 2,000 Extension programs in Indiana and elsewhere in the U.S. He also had the opportunity to travel internationally, with invited participation in farmer conferences in Canada, Hungary, Argentina, New Zealand, Russia, Italy, South Africa and Mexico. The last 15+ years of his field scale research focused on identifying the optimal management of nitrogen fertilizer, seeding rates, starter fertilizer, sulfur fertilizer, biological in-furrow amendments, and the use of small UAVs for crop scouting and field research.

Dr. Suzanne Nielsen is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Food Science at Purdue University. She created a widely used landmark text and lab manual of food analysis used throughout the U.S. and the world. She has made food analysis teaching resources available through a website to instructors in 12 countries. Dr. Suzanne Nielsen and her husband Dr. Bob Nielsen have been involved with the Zamorano intern and alumni programs for several decades. Every year since 1999, Purdue’s College of Agriculture has hosted student interns from Zamorano who complete a three to six month research internship with faculty and Dr. Nielsen had served as the Advisor of Purdue’s Association of Zamorano Alumni (AZA) which has inspired and promoted immeasurable opportunities over the years.

Dr. Ariana Torres is an Associate Professor and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. Her research focuses on the decision-making processes of agents in specialty crop value chain, including farmers, handlers, retailers, and consumers. Her expertise includes the development of markets for crops, decision-making for economic feasibility analysis, and marketing strategies for agribusinesses. Her research provides relevant research-based information to her extension program, Horticulture Business, to provide training and publications to farmers, business owners, extension personnel, and policymakers.