HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The University of Florida/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center will host One Night in the Tropics on Nov. 6. The event will take place amid tropical fruit-filled orchards and ornamental plants that grace the grounds of the campus in Homestead. Silent auctions and live music will set the stage from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for an evening of local flavors in food and live entertainment. Sponsorship opportunities are still available from this link www.tinyurl.com/onit2021.
As TREC’s premier fundraising event, proceeds are dedicated to the Graduate Housing Campaign. Launched in 2019 with a goal of $600,000 to be met by 2022, the plan is to build a new dormitory. It is essential in recruiting talented and qualified graduate students who support scientists as they develop crucial solutions to sustainably cultivate food for a growing population, protect our environment and conserve our natural resources. The campaign has raised more than half of the goal.
The role of graduate students goes beyond conducting research at UF/IFAS TREC. They expand and develop on the faculty’s ongoing inquiries. They collaborate with students in different disciplines to ensure that their research is academically sound, and they make south Florida home, explains Edward “Gilly” Evans, longtime agricultural economist at UF/IFAS and director at UF/IFAS TREC.
“To attract the most talented and qualified graduate students, TREC seeks to provide modern accommodations for students who decide to live on-site,” he said. “Since there are neither federal nor state funds allocated to complete the proposed accommodations, we must raise funds for the new construction at our property.”
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