C. D. (Dan) Mote, Jr., President of the University of Maryland is the invited speaker for the opening General Session. Dr. Mote, Jr. was appointed president of the University of Maryland in 1998 and charged to build a great university. He has spurred the University to lead the state in pursuit of key sectors, such as business, biosciences, engineering, science, security, and agriculture. During his tenure the number of student applications for admission and the reputation of the university have reached record heights. The USDA selected the campus to lead the project known as Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza in the U.S., and an alumnus has funded a new Center for Food Systems Security. Dr. Mote was recruited from the University of California, Berkeley, where he earlier served as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and as vice chancellor. He has written more than 300 publications, and holds patents in the U.S., Norway, Finland and Sweden. For many years the agricultural extension program in California supported his research. He earned his degrees in mechanical engineering at Berkeley.