Stefano Gobbo becomes first University of Padova student to complete University of Georgia dual degree program

TIFTON — University of Georgia graduate Stefano Gobbo made history for UGA and the University of Padova in Italy when he received his master’s degree.

Gobbo is the first UNIPD-based graduate of the dual master’s degree program in sustainable agriculture offered jointly by UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environment Sciences Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and UNIPD’s Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment.

He completed his coursework at UNIPD and conducted his thesis research at UGA, earning master’s degrees from both universities. A few months ago, Tifton native Logan Moore was the first UGA-based student to complete the program after conducting his research at UNIPD.

The dual master’s program between the two universities is the first of its kind for CAES and for UGA. UGA and CAES have long supported international study, but the university did not offer a dual master’s degree until 2016 when this program was established.

“One of the goals of the dual degree program is to immerse students in the research of the host university and the culture of the host country. In addition to adjusting to these dramatic changes in their lives and habits, students are required to meet the graduation requirement of both universities and do at least 50 percent more work than students pursuing traditional master’s of science degrees,” George Vellidis, the CAES professor who helped start the dual degree program at UGA, said. “The fact that our dual degree students manage to complete all of this in a period of 24 to 30 months is extremely impressive.

“Along with Logan Moore, Stefano was a pioneer of the dual degree program. By being first, Logan and Stefano smoothed out most of the bumps in the road for the students who will follow them. There were many difficulties encountered by these first two students as they tried to navigate the academic requirements of two different highly ranked universities with different rules, regulations and traditions.”

Gobbo studied precision agriculture with CAES crop physiologist John Snider while conducting his research at the UGA campus located in Tifton. There he used thermal images collected with a prototype thermal camera to help define water stress in cotton and applied that data to schedule irrigation applications.

“It’s a great opportunity because you compare yourself with a different environment and different people,” Gobbo said. “The United States is a really competitive environment, so it’s a really good thing from a professional point of view to learn new things from different people.”

UGA-Tifton alum Aaron Bruce graduated from UNIPD Italy on the same day that Gobbo graduated in the U.S. Bruce was the second student from UGA to go to Italy for the dual degree program, completing his research at UNIPD in less than a year and now on track to receive his UGA degree in May.

At this time, there are five other dual degree students conducting their research at UGA from UNIPD. On the UGA Tifton campus and scheduled to graduate in May are Samuele Lamon, who is working with CAES plant geneticist Peggy Ozias-Akins, and Dario Di Genova, who is studying with CAES plant pathologist Jonathan Oliver. Also on the UGA Tifton campus is Arianna Toffanin, who is studying with Vellidis and is set to graduate in December.

Other December graduates include Samuele Ceolin on the UGA Athens campus, who is studying with CAES soil physicist David Radcliffe, and Bright Ofori, who is working with CAES soil microbiologist Mussie Habteselassie on the UGA Griffin campus.

Carson Dann and Brendan Fatzinger are the two current UGA-based students conducting their thesis research at UNIPD, both of whom are researching agricultural sustainability. Two more students from UGA are set to join them at UNIPD in the spring.

For more information about the program, visit cropsoil.uga.edu/graduate/masters-degree-programs/dual-ms-crop-soil-sciences.html.

Clint Thompson