Dr. Sara Spayd’s 2019 Merit Award Presentation is now available online. Her presentation, titled “Multidisciplinary Work in Viticulture and Enology Takes Villages,” touches on the many influences that life, work and career paths take. Here’s a quick excerpt:

“…The more it sunk in that I was to receive this award and give this presentation, the more intimidating it became. However, I knew immediately the topic I wanted to cover and even how I wanted to cover it. Multidisciplinary studies are critical to agricultural research and, I would argue, are particularly important to our industry. The impacts of where vines are planted, what vines are planted, and how the vines are managed on fruit composition, quality, ripening, and ultimately, on wine quality have been widely studied. Although much research has already been conducted, changes in the environment, management tools, emerging production areas, and market demands make necessary the need for continued multidisciplinary research, extension, and educational programs in viticulture and enology.

I want to put a bit of a twist on approaching multidisciplinary industry, research, and education efforts for the viticulture and enology community using the context of villages. I hope that you will consider how problems have been approached as a group or a team of people in the villages of your life and career. Each village has its own stories and is usually connected by roads that often remain connected for the lifetime of the village, with movement along those roads in both directions.”  

Read Dr. Spayd’s presentation by clicking here.