Galloway, N.J. – Daniel Moscovici, associate professor of Environmental Science and Geology, received a Fulbright Scholarship this summer at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) in Toowoomba, Australia, where he looked at the science and sustainability of wine. There is a lot more behind that glass of red or white on your dinner table than you may realize. 

 

During his time at USQ, Moscovici met with many faculty members at the university to find ways to incorporate sustainability into their teachings. He also developed and recorded two lectures which the university will be able to use in their online courses indefinitely. Moscovici helped expand curriculums for USQ’s Wine Science major, Master of Sustainability in Science and specializations in Sustainable Development.

 

He partnered with Jeffrey Gow, professor of Economics at USQ, to create a workshop for wine producers in the Granite Belt that explores sustainability pertaining to business, as well as the environment. The full-day workshop included researchers, people from Queensland College of Wine Tourism and USQ, and 20 winery operators of the Granite Belt wine region, located in Stanthorpe, Australia.

 

“The workshop brought together folks from this industry and allowed them to discuss how they can improve general marketing for their region, and discuss shared issues in an eco-friendly setting,” Moscovici said. “The hope is that these wine producers will continue to meet and explore these topics and how to best accommodate consumers in a viable way.”

 

Moscovici and Gow are working on international data from both the wine consumer and producer perspectives to examine the many wine certifications (vegan, organic, biodynamic, natural, etc.) and how they translate to sustainability and authenticity. Moscovici also hopes to bring Gow into his classroom to guest lecture when he visits the United States. 

 

When asked how this experience impacted him and his work here at Stockton, Moscovici, said, “One of the things that opened my eyes in that area was that that region was going through a major drought and the entire town, not just the wineries in the region, were about to run out of water in four months. And that was such a big theme that everyone was talking about. I’d like to implement these diverse ways in which climate change affects people in my own classrooms.”

 

As a result of the work he did at USQ, Moscovici was appointed an Adjunct Research Fellow in the School of Commerce at USQ beginning July 1, 2019 for a period of three years. What this means is he can continue research there with support of USQ.

 

“It’s pretty exciting even for a temporary position - that they want to continue this relationship,” Moscovici said. “That’s the whole idea of the Fulbright Program, to have positive, diplomatic relationships with other countries.”

 

This was Moscovici’s first Fulbright Scholarship, a prestigious honor for faculty members to receive.