
RAJ MASIH
Research Professor
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- MD- Panjab University
- MPH- Everglades University
- Residency- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
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Tom Hammett has 40 years’ experience with non-timber forest products (NTFPs), researching means to improve landowner and entrepreneur livelihoods through production, processing, and marketing of speciality agricultural products. A Research Faculty member at Future Generations University, he also serves as a Professor of Sustainability, Innovation and Design in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment and currently focuses on the use of natural materials, such as bamboo and hemp, and nature-based enterprises.
He pairs his outreach for human and institutional capacity development in agriculture and natural resources with experiences as the director of a major global agriculture training and education project. This dual skillset will help build training opportunities in agriculture, natural resources, and forest sustainability that is appropriate for the Appalachian region.
He is active participant in regional NTFP research and outreach programs. He currently serves in leadership roles in three relevant research and outreach programs: to identify success factors in agroforestry and forest farming; to develop maple syrup products and markets; and a Virginia landowner livelihood and tree syrup development program.His work as Research Faculty member with Future Generations University focuses on developing and supporting NTFP educational and research programs throughout the Appalachian region. He has worked closely with many local partners in Central Appalachia to utilize indigenous forestry and agriculture resources to address social and economic challenges.
His international experience with NTFPs will also contribute to this project. He assessedthe potential for local market and enterprise development in Asia, developedteaching and learning capacityin several countries in Africa, Central America, and Asia, anddevelopedglobal NTFP distance learning resources. His work also linkedNTFPsand ecosystem services withusing forests to cope with infectious diseases (i.e., HIV/AIDS), and developed market protocols for specialty crops and community-basedenterprises. He has publishedone book on the region’s forest products, numerous technical reports, training manuals and extension materials, and over forty peer-reviewed articles and publications.
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