Progress 12/01/16 to 11/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:This REU program was targeted at URM undergraduate students from UIUC, Tuskegee University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Parkland College. Students in their freshman or sophomore years were given preference, since this was a two-year program and we did not want to risk having a student graduate and not return for Summer II. Students from engineering, animal sciences, environmental sciences, crop sciences, and agricultural business participated in this program.Other beneficiaries include UIUC faculty and researchers, 4-H personnel, and members of the general public during educational fieldtrips. Changes/Problems:Overall, the WE CAN program has been a tremendous success. As stated previously, 16 students participated in this program and have reaped immense benefits to their educational and professional careers. Along with everybody else, COVID-19 restrictions were challenging to circumvent in 2020. The summer of 2020 would have been Summer II for our second and final cohort under this funding. However, the summer program was cancelled due to travel restrictions, and overall university restrictions to campus summer programs. However, we are now learning that a virtual SROP program will occur in the summer of 2021 and all of our second cohort WE CAN fellows are being invited to participate. In addition, all tenfellows in this second cohort are planning to participate! There is no extension of our grant needed, though, since Summer II of the program was funded by the UIUC Grad College as part of the SROP program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Throughout the project, we provided technical trainings in detecting pathogen indicators in water samples, lessons on engineering concepts like an aeroponics system, how to operate farm machinery, and basic metal fabrication methods. We provided professional development activities that were meant to enhance public speaking via an improvisation workshop, resume building training by providing tips on successful resumes and then offering to review resumes as needed, and practice interviewing by assigning each fellow to interview three researchers on the UIUC campus and one USDA scientist and the helping students with their interviewing skills by compiling a list of good questions to ask (list was compiled as a group) and then giving suggestions on how to handle the interview. An essential component of successful research is effective communication. We builta network for students to present their personal experiences and scientific learning on many levels ranging from the general public to scientific professionals. Students presented their work at their home institution, UKZN during the South Africa study abroad program, to Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) students at UIUC, and local middle/high school students. All mentors helped students work on their "elevator speech" and encourage them to give their speech to all professionals and non-professionals they encountered. Our activities generated several student-centered deliverables. Students journaled or blogged daily; entries documented experiences and provided a platform to recruit minorities to similar experiences (search UI2SA on Facebook for journal entries and photos of the South Africa experience). We posed leading questions for fellows to write weekly journal reflections. The questions were constructed to help students identify concerns, weaknesses, strengths, and growth over the entire program. Fellows ended up with a written summary of experiences, written summary of research, poster presentation, engineering project, personal goals assessment, and project progress reports. Fellows also generated research products specific to their research project, including but not limited to a written summary of experience and written summary of research. Alondra Estrada from the first cohort published a peer-reviewed journal article from her SROP research project in the journalAnimals. Since the WE CAN program was a fully-funded opportunity for the fellows, we also provided laptops. This was to ensure each fellow hadequal access to program resources and that they hadthe ability to complete all necessary deliverables. This was especially valuable for allowing fellows to maintain communication with family and friends, especially when we were in South Africa. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each fellow is required to present their experience at their home institution following the first summer of the program. The UIUC students (along with the Parkland student), gave a presentation to the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering faculty and graduate students in the fall following Summer 1. The Tuskegee students gave presentations throughout the fall semester at events organized by our Tuskegee faculty contact. Sixteen fellows completed Summer I of the program (sixin 2017 and tenin 2019). All 16 fellows are underrepresented minorities, consisting of 14 females and two males. Seven fellows attended Tuskegee University, six attended UIUC, two attended Northeastern Illinois University, and one attended Parkland College (but has since transferred to UIUC). While the six fellows in the first cohort completed Summer II in the summer of 2018, the second cohort of fellows were not able to participate during the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are currently exploring the possibility of the fellows participating in some modified program in the summer of 2021, but nothing has been formalized yet. All 16 of the fellows consider the WE CAN program to be influential for their future careers. Three WE CAN fellows are now pursuing graduate degrees in programs or topics related to WE CAN, while three additional fellows are working full-time for agricultural-related organizations. The remaining tenfellows are still finishing their B.S. degree programs, but several are hoping to pursue graduate degrees in engineering, biological sciences, or veterinary medicine. While we closely monitored the fellows throughout the program, we also consult with a third-party evaluator called I-STEM at the University of Illinois. While the program may extend into the summer of 2021 (due to COVID-19 delays) and final data collection is ongoing, some important findings highlight the impact the program is having on the WE CAN fellows. There has been a 100% retention of fellows, which was always considered a potential challenge given that the program extendedover two summers and askedfellows to return to UIUC after going back to their home institutions. In addition, two anecdotes from the anonymous I-STEM surveys regarding their Summer I experience are included below. It is apparent that the fellows are making the connection between engineering and biology! Did Summer I meet expectations? "Summer 1 definitely did. For many of us, these twofields are distant. One has to do with life, the otherwith building things. It is a consequence of our penchant to stay within our own interests that we don't take a view from another perspective. I now understand how they both compliment each other more than I previously had. When designing a machine that works with produce for example, it is important to understand the biological characteristics to build an effective machine." "Yes, because being an animal science major I've never thought about the engineering aspect of agriculture. Summer 1 really helped me to see how important ag engineering is, especially on a global impact." What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
WE CAN is structured in such a way that the fellows are exposed to a wide range of topics in Summer I so they can identify a professor to work with in Summer II. For example, during Summer I of the program, fellows received lab training on detecting pathogen indicator organisms, builtan aeroponics system and successfully grew herbs on a mere $100 budget, developed a strawberry DNA extractor activity to educate youth on DNA, interacted with professionals from USDA APHIS (US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), participated in a biologist-guided nature walk through Allerton Park, and visited several University of Illinois labs and farms. Throughout these first six weeks on the UIUC campus, fellows met with three to five professors and toured labs to help match them with their mentor for Summer II. The fellows then spent fourweeks in South Africa working with students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal on senior capstone engineering projects. The capstone projects vary from one trip to the next, depending on the interests of students and industry support available from South African sponsors. Projects generally focus on providing solutions to significant challenges experienced by smallholder farmers in areas where large machinery is not feasible or resources like electricity are not available. Projects have included the design and evaluation of an aeroponics system, development of an inexpensive system for evaluating tractor performance, design and evaluation of a variable-rate irrigation system, and development of a maize shelling machine using only human power. While fellows worked with their teammates, remotely, prior to the South Africa trip to complete the design aspects of the project, they focused most of their time in South Africa on building and testing the system. Fellows gained skills related to welding and metal fabrication, including the use of a drill press and lathe, as well as general workshop safety. As part of the general workshop safety and training, fellows were given an engineering drawing of a small (desktop-sized) engine, which they fabricated and builtin one week, in some cases using raw sheet metal to create the needed components. While in South Africa, fellows also participated in a number of wildlife activities, including a four-day safari excursion in the iMfolozi and Hluhlue game parks, visited to a Cheetah rescue, three-day excursion in the Drakensberg Mountains, and several nature walks to learn about native South African wildlife and ecology. These excursions expanded the fellows' perspective of wildlife and the environment on a global scale, as they learned about things like animal rights issues that impact large game animals in Africa. We were able to witness the awe of them seeing their first elephant, giraffe, and rhino in the wild and the shift in perspective as they added new knowledge to their existing perspectives of animals and wildlife in the U.S. In Summer II, our fellows were guaranteed a position in the highly competitive Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) offered by UIUC, after exploring various agricultural careers faculty mentors during Summer I. Summer II strengthenedthe fellows' interests in agricultural careers by placing them in labs that were conducting agriculture research that they were interested in, further developing their marketable skills, increasing their network, and providing them with additional mentors. The fellows were also invited to participate in all SROP social events and professional development workshops, including weekly writing and professional development seminars. All fellows earned threehours of independent study course credit during each summer of the WE CAN program, for which the Graduate College of UIUC waivedtuition, regardless of home institution. The WE CAN program providedstudents with scientific and technical skills that translate to a wide variety of agricultural careers. Summer I providedan overview of co-management and an overarching understanding of the connection between sustainable agriculture and natural ecosystems, in addition to providing training in engineering-based projects both at UIUC and in South Africa. While COVID-19 restrictions prevented the second WE CAN cohort from completing the SROP during Summer II, we are hopeful that some modified version of the SROP will be available to our fellows during the summer of 2021. As mentors, we met with the fellows as a whole group multiple times per week during Summer I. We sometimes met at a coffee shop and casually learned new things about each other. Other times, we met in a classroom and shared knowledge using various forms of technology. We took the fellows to an escape room during the first week of the program, as an ice breaker. We completed another escape room just before leaving for South Africa, as a way to observe improvements in teamwork and problem solving, but mostly just to have fun! Wealso met with each fellow one-on-one every other week to ensure all questions and concerns are being addressed in a timely manner. Fellows frequently noted that they greatly appreciated the constant communication throughout the program.Additional details regarding our mentoring and assessment are provided below. Summer I - We facilitated exposure to a wide variety of agricultural careers, providing a platform for fellows to consider career options. As the fellows expressed interest in specific topics, we discussed career paths and helped the fellows contact professionals in the field. As primary mentors, we sentmonthly e-mails to our fellows during the academic year and Skyped/Zoomed with them once per semester. The contact during the academic year helpedmaintain our relationships and allowedus to identify any barriers to student involvement in Summer II. In addition, secondary faculty mentors at UIUC were identified and introduced to the fellows as an additional layer of support. Summer II - students were matched with a UIUC researcher and the researcher becamethe student's primary mentor. Drs. Davidson and Green became secondary mentors and gathered the fellows for biweekly group meetings. The meetings served as a mechanism for fellows to strengthen their professional networks with each other, as well as share challenges, concerns, and successes in their summer research. We also held one-on-one meetings with the fellows during Summer II to ensure that any work-related and personal issues were addressed in a timely manner. The SROP program integratedcareer planning and professional development of students, allowing fellows to build their resumé/CV and practice interview skills. We assisted students in building LinkedIn profiles and discussed social media and professionalism.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Tetzlaff, S.J., Estrada, A., DeGregorio, B.A. and Sperry, J.H. 2020. Identification of factors affecting predation risk for juvenile turtles using 3D printed models. Animals, 10, 275. doi:10.3390/ani10020275.
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Progress 12/01/18 to 11/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:This is the first summer of the second cohort funded by this grant. In this second cohort, we had 10 outstanding underrepresented undergraduate students; 4 from the University of Illinois, 5 from Tuskegee University, and 1 from Parkland College. No applications were received from Northeastern Illinois University for this second cohort. Of the ten students, 5 are studying animals sciences, 3 are studying agricultural and biological engineering, and 1 is studying wildlife conservation. These 10 students are the primary target audience of our efforts during the REU program. Other beneficiaries include UIUC faculty and researchers, 4-H personnel, and members of the general public during educational field trips. Changes/Problems:There have not been any major changes or problems in the project so far. Due to a slight reduction in funding from ourproposed amount, we decreased the number of fellows in our first cohort from the proposed eight students to six. However, due to some cost savings through cheaper international flights, etc., we were able to fund 10 fellows in this second cohort. This puts us at 16 total students funded for the full granting period, which is aligned with our original proposal. We also reduced the length of time the fellows were on the UIUC campus from 6 weeks to just more than 5 weeks. This adjustment was done in order to accomodate a slightly earlier arrival date in South Africa, as requested by our South African partners. It did not have any noticeable impact on the program, as we were able to cover the same content in the shorter timeframe. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The first summer (this is a two-year program) of the second cohort was dedicated to exposing the fellows to as many different aspects of engineering and biology as possible. Therefore, we hosted guest speakers for some topics and provided hands-on activitiesfor others. We provided technical trainings in detecting pathogen indicators in water samples, lessons on engineering conceptslike an aquaponics system, and how to operate farm machinery just to name a few. We provided professional developmentactivities that were meant to enhance public speaking via an improvisation workshop,resume building training by providingtips on successful resumes and then offering to review resumes as needed,and practice interviewing by assigning eachfellow to interview three researchers on the UIUC campus and one USDA scientist and then helping the students with theirinterviewing skills by compiling a list of good questions to ask (list was compiled as a group) and then giving suggestions onhow to handle the interview. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each fellowis required to present their experience at their home instituion following the first summer of the program. The UIUC students (along with the Parkland student)gave a presentation to the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering faculty and graduate students in late August. The Tuskegee students gave presentations throughout the fall semester at events organzied by our Tuskegee faculty contact. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period (summer two), the fellows will participate in a summer research program on the UIUC campus.This program includes an intensive research experience (we've helped our fellows identify mentors through the summerone interview process) as well as a host of professional development activities (GRE prep, technical writing workshops,networking).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, we successfully recruited and selected 10 outstandingURM students from 3 different institutions and 4 different acadmic disciplines. There were a total of 23 applicants, so the acceptance rate was just less than 50%. We received applications from 3 of our 4 partner institutions (none from Northeastern Illinois University). We accepted our first Parkland College student in this second cohort. The students spent approximately 5.5 weeks on the UIUC campus, starting in late May and extending through the end of June. While at UIUC, the students learned about a wide range of agricultural, wildlife, and engineering topics, and how these topics often overlap. The fellows were exposed to field activities, which included a nature walk at Allerton Park and field trips to local farms and wildlife parks. The fellows were also exposed to laboratory activities, including the design and construction of aquaponics sytems in teams of two students, as well as learning methods for detection of pathogen indicators in water. Outside of formal program activities, the program directors emphasized team building, since the members of the cohort came from 3 different universities and widely varying backgrounds. The team building activities included an improv session by a local instructor andan escape room. Also, once per week, the students participated in a South Africa pre-departure course to gain knowledge ofthe history and culture of South Africa and also on what to expect while in South Africa. On July 1, the whole group, including the two program directors and two graduate student supervisors, traveled to South Africa. There were six engineering projects. Two WE CAN students were paired with 2 or 3 students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and worked on senior-level engineering projects. Also while in South Africa, the weekends were spent on excursions, which allowed the fellows to experience a different side of South African nature and culture. The excursions included game parks, a mountain hiking/camping trip, trips to Durban and the beach, and visits to historical sites like the Nelson Mandela capture site in Howick. After the South Africa trip, the students each went directly to their home institution for the start of the fall semester.
Publications
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Progress 12/01/17 to 11/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:This project is a fellowship program that targets underrpresented minority students in the fields of engineering and biology, with the overall intent of bridging the gap between these two disciplines. These fellows are the direct target audience of our efforts. However, we also interacted with a number of UIUC faculty and researchers, and students participating in summer programs at UIUC. Changes/Problems:There have not been any major changes or problems in approach. The program has been run as proposed to this point, with the exception of the slightly smaller cohort in years one and two, as discussed during the Year One report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The UIUC SROP provides a wide range of professional development opportunities. Beyond the scientific skills the fellows obtain in the laboratory, the students complete many activities along with the other ~60-70 SROP participants on campus. The activities include both large group and small group settings that aim to enhance communication skills (oral and written), creativity, networking, team-building, and some that are simply for having fun. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The first two-year cohort has now completed the WE CAN program. We will receive the evaluation from our third-party evaluators soon. We then plan to prepare one or more publications to submit for peer-review publication. At this time, however, the results have not been disseminated. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have completed the second year of our four year grant. The first of two cohorts is now complete. In the next reporting period, we will select our second cohort and conduct the same Summer One program as discussed in the Year One reporting period, with minor modifications based on lessons learned.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In Year Two of this funding, the six fellows from Year One (summer one) returned to the UIUC campus to complete the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), which is a summer-long intensive research program. Allthree of the project objectives were targeted. The fellows were paired with a UIUC researcher with similar interests to their own. The fellows then conducted research for approximately ten weeks, leading up to a research symposium, where the fellows were tasked with submitting a research paper and giving a professional presentation. Throughout the ten weeks, the fellows were also immersed in a wide range of professional development activities, such as a GRE prep course (optional), scientific writing, research methods, networking, and team-building.
Publications
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Progress 12/01/16 to 11/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:This project is a fellowship program that targets underrpresented minority students in the fields of engineering and biology, with the overall intent of bridging the gap between these two disciplines. These fellows are the direct target audience of our efforts. However, we also interacted with a number of UIUC faculty and researchers, 4-H personnel, students participating in summer programs at UIUC, as well as other members of the general public during educational fieldtrips. Changes/Problems:There have not been any major changes or problems in the project so far. Due to a slight reduction in funding from our proposed amount, we decreased the number of fellows in our first cohort from the proposed eight students to six.This was also advantageous since it provided a smaller group for the first cohort. The second cohort will start in the summer of 2019 and we are planning to target eightstudents. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The first summer (this is a two-year program) was dedicated to exposing the fellows to as many different aspects of engineering and biology as possible. Therefore, we hosted guest speakers for some topics and provided hands-on activities for others. We provided technical trainings in DNA extraction from environmental samples, lessons on engineering concepts like a Venturi system, andhow to operate farm machineryjust to name a few. We provided professional development activities that were meant to enhance public speaking via an improvisation workshop; resume building training by providing tips on successful resumes and then offering to review resumesas needed; and practice interviewing by assigning each fellow to interview threeresearchers on the UIUC campus and one USDA scientist and then helping the students with their interviewing skills by compiling a list of good questions to ask (list was compiled as a group)and then giving suggestions on how to handle the interview. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The independent evaluation for the first year has been completed. However, results have not been disseminated yet. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period (summer two), the fellows will participate in a summer research program on the UIUC campus. This program includes an intensive research experience (we've helped our fellows identify mentors through the summer oneinterview process)as well as a host of professional development activities (GRE prep, technical writing workshops, networking, etc.).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During our first year of funding, we have initiated the fellowship program. It is called WE CAN (Wildlife Engineers Co-managing Agriculture and Nature). We successfully recruited approximately fortyapplicants from our partner institutions (Northeastern Illinois University, Tuskegee University, UIUC, and Parkland College). We did not receive any applications from Parkland College in this first year, so recruiting will be ramped up in the future. We accepted six students into the program, twoeach from NEIU, TU, and UIUC. The sixstudents spent sixweeks in June and July of 2017 on the UIUC campus learning about a wide range of agricultural, wildlife, and engineering topics, and how these topics often overlap.The activities included laboratory exercises, field work, and fieldtrips/site visits. The following four weeks were spent in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa for the project-based study abroad program. Each of the sixstudents were paired with students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and worked on senior-level engineering projects. Also while in South Africa, the weekends were spent on excursions, which allowed the students to experience a different side of South African nature and culture. The excursions included game parks, a mountain hiking/camping trip, trips to Durban and the beach, and visits to historical sites like the Nelson Mandela capture site in Howick. After the South Africa trip, the students each went directly to their home institution for the start of the fall semester.
Publications
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