Dr. Murat Kacira
Director, University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC), University of Arizona, AZ, USA
Professor, Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona, AZ, USA
Ph.D. Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University, OH, USA
M.S. Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University, OH, USA
B.S. Agricultural Engineering, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
Dr. Murat Kacira has been actively teaching and doing research related to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) in academia and research institutions in the United States, Turkey, and Japan. He now serves as the director of the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC).
By 2050, it is estimated that there will be nine billion people on Earth. New technologies will be needed to feed the world’s population, and to grow food in outer space. Climate change adds to the pressure of food scarcity. Controlled environment agriculture utilizes technology in the production of plants and their products inside controlled environment structures such as greenhouses, vertical farms, and growth chambers. By using CEA, high-value crops can be produced at maximum productivity in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.
The UA-CEAC is a multidisciplinary education, research, outreach, and extension program. Through its faculty, staff, and students, UA-CEAC focuses on innovating technologies for the generation of food, bioenergy, and bioproducts to develop challenging research programs with applications in science, engineering, and practice. The Center educates students, industry and the general public about the use of controlled environment agriculture in meeting the current and future problems with creative, practical and successful solutions.