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Dr. Nicola Ritter and CET pilot test new GRP SPS Tool in collaboration with US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service and the African Union

In partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service and the African Union, Dr. Nicola L. Ritter, Instructional Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS) at Texas A&M University, hosted a one-week training event on good regulatory practices on sanitary and phytosanitary standards in Lusaka, Zambia, in September 2024. In attendance were 27 public health officials from around the country. Officials from plant health, animal health, and food security participated in the forum to coordinate SPS measures. 

The group pilot tested an innovative GRP SPS tool developed by the Center for Educational Technologies at Texas A&M University. This tool on Good Regulatory Practices (GRPs) to improve Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures (GRP SPS Tool) was developed to assist the user in assessing current practices for developing, reviewing, or implementing, as well as in identifying where current practices can be strengthened. It is designed to accompany and complement the publication Good Regulatory Practices to Improve SPS Measures: A Practical Guide (Practical Guide), prepared by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), a global partnership to facilitate safe trade and promote improved food safety, animal health, and plant health capacity in developing countries.

Learn more about this program at the CET website.

Dr. Nicola Ritter awarded a $1M grant from USDA-APHIS to develop vitual training experiences to augment foreign animal disease trainings

Cartoon of a veterinarian pointing to a cow diagram on a monitor

Dr. Nicola Ritter, Instructional Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Educational Technologies (CET), was awarded a $1M, two-year grant from USDA-APHIS to develop a training program that augments their in-person foreign animal disease trainings. This virtual training program will expand access to veterinarians and animal health care providers who monitor the health of America’s food animal supply. Dr. Ritter has led the Center for Educational Technologies through previous USDA training grants. Bette Bittner, Instructional Designer at the Center for Educational Technologies, will support subject matter experts and lead the production team in developing immersive, augmented reality learning experiences for veterinarians.

Learn more about this program at the CET website.

Dr. Nicola Ritter Awarded a 4H Foundation Grant

Dr. Ritter founded the Panola Robotics program with two Lego Mindstorm robots borrowed by the Panola County AgriLife Extension Office. This comprehensive program is designed to equip youth with various skills related to robotics, coding, and engineering. From robotics design to problem-solving, teamwork, and presentation skills, our program covers it all. It’s not just about preparing for future careers in STEM fields, but also about nurturing valuable life skills.

Drs. Nicola Ritter and Molly Gonzales to Pilot Test GRP Toolkit with African Countries Starting in June 2024

Dr. Nicola L. Ritter, Instructional Associate Professor and Director for the Center for Educational Technologies, and Dr. Molly Gonzales, Research Assistant Professor, were recently awarded a supplement to their existing 5 year $1M grant titled, Improvement and Maintenance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Distance Learning and Knowledge Management Platforms. 

You can view the article here: https://www.tamucet.org/2024/04/16/usda-awards-continuation-supplement-for-pilot-testing-grp-toolkit-in-african-countries/