Científicos Eméritos

El Dr. Echeverría es ciudadano uruguayo y ha trabajado en asuntos de desarrollo agrícola y rural desde 1980. Obtuvo un pregrado (B.Sc.) en Agronomía de la Universidad de Uruguay y una Maestría (M.Sc.) y un doctorado (Ph.D.) en Economía Agrícola de la Universidad de Minnesota, Estados Unidos. A comienzos de los 80s, antes de sus estudios en Minnesota, el Dr. Echeverría trabajó para el Instituto de Reforma Agraria de Uruguay como jefe de sus servicios de extensión.

Como parte de su tesis doctoral desde el Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT), hizo trabajos de campo en Guatemala y México. Finalizado su PhD fue investigador del Servicio Internacional para la Investigación Agrícola Nacional (ISNAR), en Holanda.

En 1992 se vinculó al Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) en Washington D.C., donde trabajó en la preparación de proyectos de desarrollo agrícola rural en toda América Latina. A partir del 2000 lideró las áreas de agricultura y desarrollo rural del BID, donde promovió el desarrollo de estrategias regionales de desarrollo rural; la creación del Fondo Regional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (FONTAGRO) y la creación del Grupo Interagencial para el Desarrollo Rural en América Latina.

A partir del 2004 fue el Director Ejecutivo del Consejo Científico del Grupo Consultivo para la Investigación Agrícola Internacional (CGIAR), con sede en la FAO, en Roma. Desde principios del 2009, el Dr. Echeverría es el Director General del Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) un centro global de investigación con sede en Colombia.

Ruben ha participado en varios cursos de liderazgo y gerencia de alto nivel en la Universidad de Harvard y en el Instituto Internacional de Gerencia para el Desarrollo de Suiza (IMD) y es miembro de diversas asociaciones profesionales (IAAE, AAEA, AIARD), del Consejo de Propiedad Intelectual para el Interés Público (PIIPA), del Consejo Científico del Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agrícola de Cataluña (IRTA) y preside el Consejo Internacional del Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural (RIMISP) con sede en Santiago de Chile. Es miembro correspondiente de la Academia Nacional de Agronomía y Veterinaria de la Argentina.

Dr. Reinhardt Howeler was born in Indonesia but grew up in the Netherlands. After obtaining his BSc degree in Tropical Agriculture from the International College of Tropical Agriculture in Deventer, the Netherlands, he immigrated to the United States in 1964. He received his MSc degree in Soil Fertility from the University of Missouri in 1966 and a PhD in Soil Chemistry from Cornell University in 1970. He joined CIAT, initially as a postdoc, in June 1970, working on flooded and upland rice, mainly in the Eastern Plains of Colombia. With the establishment of CIAT’s Bean and Cassava Programs in 1973, he was assigned to work on soil and plant nutrition problems for both programs until 1975, when he started working fulltime for the Cassava Program.

In 1986, he was transferred to the CIAT-Bangkok office to work with national programs in many Asian countries in the fields of agronomy and soil fertility management, especially addressing soil erosion issues. After core funding for this program ended in 1994, he obtained special project funding from the Nippon Foundation  and later from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)  to conduct farmer-participatory research (FPR) in collaboration with cassava researchers and extension agents in Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam, until his retirement in June 2009.

The most interesting and rewarding part of his 39-year career at CIAT was to work directly with cassava farmers in many different countries and see how the FPR approach enhanced the adoption of new cassava varieties and more-sustainable production practices, which in turn increased cassava yields in Asia and markedly improved the lives of many poor farmers.

Dr. Howeler is currently working as a cassava consultant. He has authored or co-authored over 200 publications, and edited 13 books on cassava. He has received numerous awards for his work in Asia, including a Royal Decoration in the Third Class of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant granted by the Thai government.

Dr. Francisco J. Morales obtained his BSc degree in Agricultural Engineering from the National University of Colombia, Bogotá, in 1971. The following year he was admitted to the Graduate School of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, where he received his MSc degree in Plant Pathology, with a Minor in International Agricultural Development. In 1978, he finished his doctoral studies at the Plant Pathology Department of the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, in the area of Plant Virology. That year, he joined CIAT as a virologist for the Bean Program.

In 1988, Dr. Morales created the Plant Virus Research Unit at CIAT, which integrated the four CIAT’s mandated commodity programs (beans, cassava, rice, and tropical forages) to the Unit’s research agenda. From 1999 until 2002, he assisted the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute-IPGRI (currently, Bioversity International) as a part-time Plant Health Specialist.

In 2002, he became the coordinator of the Global Whitefly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Project, while continuing to act as Head of CIAT’s Plant Virus Laboratory, until his retirement in 2008. Dr. Morales is author of over 120 international publications, and has received several national and international awards for services rendered to the international agricultural community.

After obtaining a B.Sc. in Biology at the Universidad Nacional Agraria, La Molina, Peru, W. Roca was awarded with a Ph.D. degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. USA, in Plant Cell Physiology under Prof. F.C.Steward. Following a Post-doctoral stage at Cornell, Dr. Roca joined CIP, Lima in 1973; five years later, he moved to CIAT as a Plant Cell Physiologist. While leading CIAT Genetic Resources Unit, Dr. Roca developed in vitro culture techniques for the conservation and distribution of cassava clones, and started cryopreservation of cassava shoot tips.

In 1986, Dr. Roca was instrumental in the creation and development of CIAT Biotechnology Research Unit, hence formalizing biotechnology R&D for the first time in the CGIAR. This Unit allowed Roca to work and develop the use of double haploid rice lines and bean interspecific hybrid lines in breeding programs; the BRU also allowed Roca to broaden CIAT’s research to molecular /biochemical and cellular technologies for the characterization, genetic mapping and assisted selection /breeding , and genetic modification with all CIAT crops.

After 22 years work at CIAT, Dr. Roca moved back to CIP, Lima, in 2000, where he became leader of biodiversity research and head of the genebank, managing, studying and conserving the world largest root & tuber crop collections, including in vitro, seed and in situ conservation of potatoes, sweetpotatoes and a range of Andean root and tuber crops.

Throughout his career Dr. Roca received several academic and professional distinctions, including the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Medal on Biotechnology presented by REDBIO and FAO, the CIAT Outstanding Senior Staff Achievement Award, and was distinguished as Academician by the LAC Academy of Sciences, as well as the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, Cornell Chapter. Dr Roca has also conducted a number of reviews and evaluations of biotechnology and genetic resources programs and projects, including the recent coordination of the first half of the LAC Biosafety multi-country project supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank.

Dr. Roca is author and co-author of 45 refereed journal publications, of several invited book chapters and manuals, and editor/coauthor of a multi-author book; he has also co-authored an invention patent and a variety registration. Currently, Dr. Roca is a Consultant in Genetic Resources and Biotechnology.

Dr. Anthony C. Bellotti obtained his Associate degree in Plant Protection Technology from Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute, New York, in 1957. He received his BSc degree in Agricultural Biology from New Mexico State University in 1967 and his PhD in Entomology (Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology) from Cornell University in New York in 1974. From 1957 to 1961 he was a laboratory technician for Baxter Laboratories, New York City. In 1962–1963 he was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador, Central America, working with the National Center for Agricultural and Forestry Technology (CENTA, its Spanish acronym). From 1967 to 1970 he was a US Foreign Service Officer assigned to the Peace Corps and Agricultural Extension Service (SEA) in Paraguay, South America. In 1974, Dr. Bellotti joined the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) as an Entomologist for the Center’s Cassava and Bean programs.

In 1975, he became a full-time entomologist with the Cassava program and remained at that position until 2006. In 1978–1979 he was outposted as a visiting researcher with the National Cassava and Fruits Research Center (CNPMF, its Portuguese acronym) of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA, its Portuguese acronym). From 1979–1980 and 1989–1990, he was Leader of CIAT’s Cassava Research Program, and from 1995–2004 he was Coordinator of CIAT’s Pest and Disease Management Project. Dr. Bellotti participated in several international pest management projects, including biological control of cassava mealybugs and mites in Africa and Asia and the Global Whitefly IPM Project. He was a guest lecturer in tropical entomology at the University of Florida, USA, and an active participant in numerous national and international congresses, workshops, and symposiums.

He authored or co-authored over 250 international publications and book chapters, and received numerous national and international awards for research and services rendered for the international agricultural development and research community.

He will be remembered for his enormous professional accomplishments, which advanced the knowledge of cassava entomology from its infancy to maturity, opening the way for major contributions to improved livelihoods for cassava farmers around the world.