University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UASVM), Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
Special occasions of granting the title Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca
David THAWLEY and Rang NARAYANAN (University of Nevada, Reno)
May 18, 2004
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources (CABNR)
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
By Bob Conrad, Director of Marketing Communications
Deans David Thawley, middle left, and Rang Narayanan, middle right, with administrators from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj, RomaniA
CLUJ, Romania—Two deans from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources received honorary doctorate degrees this week from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj, Romania. David Thawley, dean of the college, and Rang Narayanan, associate dean for outreach in the college, received “Doctor Honoris Causa” recognition for their involvement with Eastern European agricultural development. “I am truly overwhelmed by this great honor,” Thawley said during a ceremony held at the Romanian university. “While not feeling personally deserving of it, I share this honor with our faculty and staff because the real work of international partnerships is done by the faculty who determine each partnership’s success or failure.” The partnership with the Romanian university was initiated four years ago by Nevada professors Monica Grecu, assistant professor of English and a native of Romania, and Berch Berberoglu, sociology professor. Nevada professors and students have gone to Romania since then to teach and to study as part of this international program. As a result of this university-wide program, Narayanan helped develop an agreement with the Romanian university that was signed by both universities in 2001.Graduate students from Romania have studied resource economics, biochemistry and animal biotechnology in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources. “By awarding David Thawley the title of ‘doctor honoris causa,’ we acknowledge his contribution in promoting the image of our university abroad and in increasing the university prestige within the international academic world,” said Liviu Mărghitaş, rector at the Romanian university. “With his help and collaboration, we have managed to implement a partnership meant to ensure the material and organizational framework for a continuous activity of information, documentation and instruction between our university and the University of Nevada, Reno.” The ceremony was attended by representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Romania and deans and faculty from the Romanian university. “Until very recently the college has had very little in the way of international programs,” Thawley said. “It was in our first strategic plan in 2001 to broaden the exposure of the college’s faculty and students to international issues, particularly those relating to agriculture and natural resources.” Because of the college’s push to add an international focus to its programs, Thawley and Narayanan have visited several foreign universities and institutes and have been visited by scholars from other countries. The college recently helped to create a joint master’s degree program in agricultural economics with the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine to begin this year. Coursework will be taken in both Romania and Reno, which will give students two master’s degrees upon completion of the program. Five new students are expected to begin the program this fall in Romania, arriving in Reno in the fall of 2005. Thawley, dean of the college since 1999, came to Nevada after 10 years as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Prior to becoming Associate Dean for Outreach, Narayanan was professor and chair of the university’s Department of Resource Economics. He has been with the university since 1985.
Albert REIF and Gheorghe CIMPOIES
October 4, 2007
Dr. Dr. h.c.mult. Martin H. GERZABEK (Rector, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien / University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, web page)
October 28, 2011
Prof. dr. VASILE VÎNTU (Rector, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iaşi, web page)
September 26, 2013, Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Agriculture, UASVM Cluj-Napoca
Prof. dr. Radu E. Sestras