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Journal ALUMNI ALUMNI PROFILE: MALCOLM MANNERS W hen asked what prompts him to serve, Malcolm Manners BA '76 answers with a thankful "Seeing the need, and realizing that I have been blessed with the training and experience to do something about it." The John and Ruth Tyndall Professor of Citrus Science at Florida Southern College, Manners has worked with 14 developing countries since his college days at Anderson University and credits much of his calling and preparation to his time at AU. While an undergraduate student, Manners traveled with Tri-S to Peru and Guatemala under the guidance of professor and Tri-S leader Dr. Sid Guillen. This initial exposure to deplorable and unnecessary poverty profoundly impacted Manners. He remembers, "I began to realize that the world needs to be changed, and I could actually be a significant part of that force for change." Manners then set off on the academic journey to earn a master's degree and then a doctorate from the University of Florida in horticultural sciences. Class Notes Doing his part to help feed the world His later work as a professor would align his academic passion for the study of citrus cultivation and his heart for missions. Starting with Egypt during the summer of 1996, Manners began to work as a consultant, trainer, and supporter for USAID's Farmer-to-Farmer program. In India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and other countries, Manners aided farmers in creating and sustaining fruit nurseries and orchards and developing ways to nutritionally and financially improve current systems of agriculture. The most difficult experience for Manners took place in Ethiopia, where he explains, "You constantly meet kids who you know won't make it to adulthood." Though the realization was heartbreaking, it only inspired Manners to continue educating and aiding the farmers in these poverty-stricken areas. As recent as this past summer, Manners is still consulting citrus farmers in the developing world and maintains his position as department chairman in the Horticultural ANDERSON UNIVERSITY Alumni Quarterly, Winter 2014 In Angola, Malcolm Manners BA '76 taught the local residents in the Huambo and Ecunha areas about fruit tree propagation, specifically citrus, mango, and avocado trees. Sciences Department at FSC. Manners is still greatly influenced as a professor by his memory of the "great teachers" he knew at AU, specifically Spanish Professor Sid Guillen, chemistry Professor Jerry Neufeld, and religion professors James Earl Massey and Marie Strong. The "servant hearts" displayed by his teachers in the classroom played a tremendous role in his decision to serve globally. Manners encourages current AU students and alumni to find a way to engage in missions in way related to the specific skills and interests that God has given them. He offers this encouragement for all: "Discover what you are good at and passionate about. Think about how that skill set could be used to make the world a better place. Then look for opportunities to make that happen." —ASHLEY KELLY page 16

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