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Douglas Raynie, professor emeritus and former head of South Dakota State University's Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, visited Egypt’s Beni Suef University in November 2025 as part of the U.S. Fulbright Specialist Program. 

For thousands of years, farmers have been growing medicinal and aromatic plants — like basil, cumin and mint — on the banks of the Nile River in what is known as the Beni Suef region of Egypt. The dry climate, intense sunlight and low humidity make for ideal growing conditions, which is why Beni Suef, located just 70 miles from Cairo, is considered a major hub for producing medicinal plants, essential oils and spices.

The Egyptian government has made it a priority to increase its agricultural exports, with a specific focus on medicinal and aromatic plants. As a result, the Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants was established at Beni Suef University.

Last fall, Douglas Raynie, a former faculty member at South Dakota State University, visited the university to share his research expertise in "green chemistry." This work will help the university strengthen its research capacity and advance more efficient and sustainable extraction technologies for the production of medicinal and aromatic plant-based products. 

“As I am entering the end of my career, it was good to share my acquired knowledge with emerging researchers internationally,” Raynie said.

Raynie's visit was part of the U.S. State Department's prestigious Fulbright program, a flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the federal government and designed to build lasting connections between people of the U.S. and people of other counties.

At SDSU, Raynie's research focused on green chemistry, which utilizes a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products. He shared his expertise to help researchers at Beni Suef University's Research Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants address technical concerns surrounding chemical separations and using waste products from plants.

"My Egyptian colleagues are very interested in improving the efficiency of isolating essential oils and other compounds from local plants," Raynie said. "They desire to do this using state-of-the-art techniques which are both economic and safe to the environment."

The Beni Suef region is home to several essential oil processing plants that produce valued oils like jasmine, chamomile and lavender. Raynie visited two of these plants to better understand the extraction process and the challenges these factories face.

Tariq Ali, acting president of Beni Suef University, said, "The exchange of such international experiences contributes to opening new research horizons related to extraction and industrial applications."

Raynie also led six technical lectures on his research, one keynote address and one general lecture on educational engagement and the nature of the U.S. higher education experience, titled "The Power of Thinking Differently: Insight from the American Educational Experience." Raynie discussed the concept of "creative destruction,” which is the economic process behind the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics.

"The intent was to stimulate thinking toward innovation in academics and research and the relationship between education and economic growth," Raynie said.

Eman Kandeel, executive director of Beni Suef University’s Office of International Cooperation and External Relations, noted the visit "made a significant impact on the university." 

As part of the trip, Raynie attended the meeting of the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Studies Committee of the Supreme Council of Universities. There, he addressed the deans of the faculties of pharmacy representing the 27 governorates in Egypt and shared his experience at Beni Suef University. He also met with Ali El-Ghamrawy, president of the Egyptian Drug Authority.

Raynie, who retired from SDSU in 2023, is one of over 400 U.S. citizens selected to share their expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program. Recipients are selected based on academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between U.S. and international institutions. The program is funded through an annual appropriation made by Congress to the State Department.