About Us
The Food Security Education Project (FSEP) supports the post-secondary education of marginalized students, identifies students having an interest in the agricultural and food security sciences, and offers support for their post-secondary education.
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We sponsor and support - through assistance for tuition, fees, and subsistence - the education of students interested in pursuing a course of study in the agricultural and food security sciences.
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We provide support for professors or advisors at in-country educational institutions via distance learning or through in-country guest lectures.
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We provide opportunities for post-graduate education and companion research projects addressing food security issues.
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We provide opportunities for established and retired professionals to volunteer as mentors for students in an approved field of study.
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We assist in identifying key academic needs of in-country educational institutions and offer to provide distance or in-country opportunities for learning with the intent of benefiting students and faculty at host institutions.
Signing of Memorandum of Agreement between FSEP and Tribhuvan University, Kiritpur, Nepal (February 2025)
Pictured (left to right)
Dr. Kishor Chandra Dahal, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, IAAS Tribhuvan University
FSEP Board Secretary Kathy Cisar
FSEP Founder and Board Chair Gordon Cisar
The Food Security Education Project (FSEP) is governed by a Board of Directors that is responsible for overall policy and direction of the organization. Board members have witnessed the problems and possibilities inherent in the educational and research organizations in Nepal and are committed to fostering educational opportunities that promote food security.
In addition to the Board of Directors, the FSEP has also established an Advisory Board as a resource of knowledgeable individuals who have the benefit of experience in their home country, who understand the value proposition the FSEP is offering, and who want to contribute to the success of the project.
Members of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Board serve on a voluntary basis and receive no compensation for their services. This ensures that all donations go directly towards supporting the mission of our foundation.
Members of the Board of Directors
Dr. P. Stephen Baenziger
Board Member
Governance and Audit Committee Chair
Stephen is a cereal scientist with a respected international reputation. He developed numerous commercial varieties of wheat, barley, and triticale and was especially successful in student training and classroom teaching. He has served as a consultant on numerous international projects, most notably as a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Stephen and his wife Karen live in Lincoln, Nebraska – USA.
Dr. Patrick Byrne
Board Member
Scholarship Committee Chair
During his career as Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics Pat led a highly successful program in plant genetics, student advising, and classroom instruction. Pat served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal and has continued to visit the country since his years of service. Pat has recently led efforts to raise the profile of plant genetic resource conservation. Pat and his wife Linda live in Ft. Collins, Colorado – USA.
Prof. Madhav Pandey
Board Member
Madhav Prasad Pandey is a Professor of Plant Breeding at Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal, with over three decades of experience in agricultural research, teaching, and academic leadership. Madhav is passionate about contributing to Nepal's agricultural development and is dedicated to strengthening postgraduate education through research-led learning and practical, hands-on training in plant breeding and related fields. Through his mentorship of numerous Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, he continues to inspire and develop the next generation of agricultural scientists in Nepal.
Prof. Robert Park
Board Member
Robert has managed several high-impact projects in low- and medium-income countries around the world. He is a pre-eminent cereal crops pathologist and was leader of cereal rust investigations for the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) and awardee of the prestigious Eureka Prize (Aus., 2020). Robert and his wife Filomena live in Sydney, New South Wales – Australia.
Dr. Dhruba Thapa
Board Member
Advisory Board Chair
Dhruba has developed numerous bread and durum wheat varieties focusing on yield performance, disease resistance, climate resilience, and bio-fortified nutritional enrichment. Through collaboration with national and international research organizations, Dhruba worked toward development and dissemination of durably rust resistant cultivars through participation in genomic selection practices and mitigation of rust pathogen virulence. Dhruba lives in Nepal.
Prayag Raj Subedi
In-Country Coordinator
Prayag is the In-Country Coordinator for the Food Security Education Project. Prayag is stationed at Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal where he earned his M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Biotechnology. He previously served as an intern at Madan Bhandari University in the Genomics and Tissue Culture Lab. Prayag assists with administrative activities in support of the B.Sc. and M.Sc./Ph.D scholarship programs and with workshops the FSEP supports that meet our nonprofit objectives.
Members of the Advisory Board
Dr. Madhav Bhatta
Advisory Board Member
Madhav is an experienced Plant Breeder and Quantitative Geneticist with several years of research experience in National and International Public/Private organizations. His research interest lies in improving crop genetics for global food and nutritional security. Madhav and his family live in Chesterfield, Missouri - USA.
Dr. Rachana Poudel
Advisory Board Member
Rachana is a plant scientist, who loves to connect with other plant enthusiasts. She serves the mission of improving food security for current and future generations via her current work or engagement in the scientific community. Rachana and her family live in Chesterfield, Missouri - USA.
Dr. Rima Thapa
Advisory Board Member
Rima is a plant breeder with over 10 years of seed industry experience in Corn and Wheat. Currently, she is leading Corn breeding efforts with a focus on the western corn belt of the USA for Becks Hybrids near Lincoln, Nebraska. Previously, she worked as a Senior Winter Wheat Breeder and developed superior inbred lines for the North America Hybrid Winter Wheat program for BASF. Originally, she is from Kathmandu, Nepal and moved to the USA for college and grad school over two decades ago. Rima and her family live in Lincoln, Nebraska – USA.
Dr. Gordon Cisar
Founder & Board Co-Chair
Executive Committee Co-Chair
Fundraising Committee Chair
Gordon spent much of his career in the private sector developing improved varieties of hybrid wheat and hybrid triticale. He also served as the Associate Director of the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW) project of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI), working closely with national and international research institutions to develop systems to provide for and promote durably resistant cultivars for resource-poor farmers. Gordon and his wife Kathy live in Loveland, Colorado – USA.
Jeanie Borlaug
Board Co-Chair
Flagship Scholars Program
Jeanie is the daughter of Nobel Laureate Norman E. Borlaug. She served as the Chair of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) where she championed gender issues through development of the Women in Triticum award. She was a teacher for many years in Dallas, Texas – USA, where she continues to live.
Kathy Cisar
Board Secretary
Kathy worked as a paralegal for several law firms as well as in the field of intellectual asset management (patents, license agreements, trademarks, trade secrets) at Cargill, Inc. in Fort Collins, CO, USA. Kathy and her husband Gordon live in Loveland, Colorado – USA.
Dr. Scott Haley
Board Treasurer
Finance Committee Chair
Scott spent 27 years as a wheat breeder and geneticist in South Dakota and Colorado and developed numerous wheat varieties adapted to the Great Plains region of the USA. Scott served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa and served on the Board of Directors of the Borlaug Training Foundation for six years. Scott and his wife Janice live in Bellvue, Colorado – USA.