Methodology
Priority Areas
- Plant health and production and plant products
- Animal health and production and animal products
- Food safety, nutrition, and health
- Agriculture economics and rural communities
Rationale
Increasing the number of scientists is critical for the US’ ability to remain competitive in a globally interdependent and interconnected world [1]. However, retirement trends and a decrease in the number of students that choose science-based careers will make this difficult [2]. Academic rigor, balancing personal life, school responsibilities and cultural interactions are some of the challenges that underrepresented students face. Financial support, mentorships, and peer support help to counter balance these challenges [3]. Hands on experiences at the college level motivate students to continue in the science pipeline [4]. Experiential learning is an effective strategy to create a motivational experience in students that could pursue agricultural sciences as careers [5]. Our program will offer experiential learning through the development of research projects based on major problems in local agriculture that have global significance. Students will develop research related citrus greening disease or Huanglongbing (HLB), Mexican Fruit fly, plant viruses, Cattle Fever Ticks (CFT), and global climate change. Additionally, by participating in respective detection programs conducted by TCPDMC, USDA APHIS PPQ CPHST and USDA-ARS CFTRL, students will gain practical experience in the main objectives of these agencies (e.g., pest management, development of vaccines), establishing a record of work experience and making professional contacts that will help them to initiate productive and rewarding careers. In addition, our program will address the gap among Hispanic students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)[1]. Hispanic students tend to be the least likely group to take college entrance examinations and to apply for college [6]. Thus, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) play an important role in providing US Hispanics with access to a college education. As a leading HSI institution, UTRGV ranks first in the number of Hispanic students (24,777; 89%) among Texas public universities, from which 61% are first-generation college students. Texas A&M University–Kingsville is an HSI that has a highly diverse student body with 9,200 students pursuing degrees from five academic colleges of which 62% are Hispanic. Texas A&M University-College Station enrolled 14,081 Hispanic students in 2017, which represents 20.6% of that university’s student population. Texas A&M College Station has a new campus in McAllen, Texas near UTRGV with programs in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering. Thus, the number of Hispanic students that could be enrolled in such programs is expected to significantly increase.
Overall Goal
To empower future agricultural scientists with skills to address food safety and climate change challenges in agriculture. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in experimental learning with real-world problems that have global significance.
Specific Objectives
- To to provide hands-on experiential learning to participants by developing research projects in crop fields and research laboratories
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To train participants to gather data, analyze it, and disseminate results in both technical (scientific conferences) and non-technical language (e.g., for community engagement activities),
- To develop workshops to nurture leadership skills and identify career paths in agriculture through grad school or job options.
Approach
In addition to the ESA-REEU web site at UTRGV, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp) will be developed to promote the program and follow students’ progress during and after completion of this program. Our ESA-REEU webpage provide an online application where students can search and read about all the mentors involved in this project and their research programs.
Potential Impact and Expected Outcomes
At the end of the program, participants will be able to:
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identify major problems in agriculture related to their topics of research, as well as their potential solutions;
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increase their critical, analytical, writing and oral skills,
- increase their leadership skills, and
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recognize career paths in agriculture through graduate school and/or job opportunities.