Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The goal of this project is to provide scholarships to support recruitment, engagement, retention, mentorship, and training efforts for historically underserved Hispanic scholars to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in sustainable agriculture and food systems (SAFS) program with various disciplines such as agribusiness, agricultural/biological engineering, and food science and manufacturing. We will achieve it by 1) developing a multifaceted strategy to recruit 5 Hispanic scholars from local high schools and beyond; 2) developing two courses to enhance themultidisciplinary curriculum; 3) establishing a special experiential learning (SEL) hub in 2 modules (biotechnology and big data application) with four corresponding themes; and 4) constructing a biennial consultation workshop to advance students' career development. The curriculum will equip graduates with the knowledge, leadership skills, and experiences needed to flourish in SAFS professions. Through the SEL hub, students will learn experimental design, foundational procedures, data analysis, and result reporting, as well as set research objectives and design projects to answer real-life situations. In the workshops, industry, the USDA, and academic professionals will provide students with the skills (e.g., tips for graduate school application and job interview), knowledge (e.g., how to succeed in graduate school and industry), and resources (e.g., how to identify and understand recruiting advertisement) to foster their career development. In summary, the project will help prepare a diverse, well-trained workforce that contributes to developing and implementing sustainable practices in the food and agriculturalindustries.
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
20%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to provide scholarships to dedicated Hispanic scholars pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) program to aid in their recruiting, engagement, retention, mentorship, and training activities. Through scholarships, the project aims to increase the participation of historically underrepresented Hispanic students in SAFS fields and prepare them for the professional and scientific workforce in the food and agricultural sector. We will accomplish our goal through the following four objectives: 1) Establish a multifaceted approach to effectively recruit five outstanding Hispanic students from local high schools and beyond; 2) Develop a multidisciplinary curriculum with four academic tracks and at least 120 hours total credit hours for graduation; 3) Create a special experiential learning (SEL) hub to leverage hands-on experimental opportunities for Hispanic students in two modules with four research themes; and 4) Initiate a biennial consultation workshop to leverage students' career development by delivering feedback and advice from industry, the USDA, and academic professionals.
Project Methods
First of all, we will establish a multifaceted approach to recruiting Hispanic students effectively. The hiring process will begin the first week of September 2023 and run until the end of May 2024 for the subsequent fall semester. The applications will be accessible on the UTRGV website beginning in mid-November 2023. We will produce culturally relevant flyers and brochures that will be available in both Spanish and English. In terms of content, we will describe the significance of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) program and emphasize how our project will assist students in developing scientific and professional competencies for graduate school study or employment in the SAFS field. The flyers and brochures will be distributed to local high schools, Hispanic-serving high schools elsewhere, and social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). In addition, we will contact high school counselors and ask them to refer potential candidates to the SAFS program and contact Hispanic community organizations that work with Hispanic youth and inform them about the program. Overall, this recruitment and selection plan is designed to attract and select the most qualified Hispanic students interested in pursuing a career in SAFS fields. By targeting local high schools and beyond and utilizing various recruitment methods, the PIs hope to reach diverse candidates who will benefit from the SAFS program. Second, we will develop a multidisciplinary curriculum with four academic tracks. The multidisciplinary nature of this curriculum helps prepare students for diverse career opportunities and fosters creativity and innovation. To accomplish the Bachelor of Science degree in SAFS, 120 credit hours, including a minimum of 52 advanced hours, are required. In addition to the proposed curriculum in the Appendices, we will develop two courses (I: bioprocessing and biofuels, and II: Agricultural and Applied Economics). The flipped teaching strategy will be introduced to the two courses:we will deliver course materials to students before class sessions so they can review them before class. Class time will engage students in active learning activities such as group discussions, case studies, and problem-solving exercises that build on the pre-class materials. Third, we will create a special experiential learning (SEL) hub in the spring and fall semesters. Launching an SEL hub for the SAFS program provides a platform for Hispanic students to participate in ongoing research projects relating to their field of study, interests, and career goals. The SEL tasks will increase students' decision-making, critical thinking, and communication abilities, as well as their knowledge base and confidence as independent researchers to address real-world issues. Students recruited in this project will have access to resources such as literature reviews, data analysis tools, and research software to help them carry out research assignments under the PI's supervision. Our team will offer two modules (M1: big data applications, led by PI Dr. Juhee Lee; M2: biotechnology, led by co-PI Dr. Jikai Zhao) with four themes (Theme 1: Getting started with big data in agriculture; Theme 2: Data-driven decision making in agriculture; Theme 3: Converting grain sorghum to beverages and antioxidants; and Theme 4: Upgrading biomass to bioenergy) to students. Fourth, we will host biennial consultation workshops to foster Hispanic students' success in preparation for continued study in graduate school or employment. The target audience mainly consists of the five students recruited for this project. Also, we will reach out to the potential audience interested in the SAFS program through student email lists and social media (e.g., Facebook, UTRGV campus newsletter). Our next step is to recognize and invite guest speakers (e.g., USDA researchers, industry workers, and academic professors) in different career fields. These speakers will be able to provide valuable insights and advice to the students on how to succeed in their chosen fields. Once the target audience and speakers are identified, the next step is developing a workshop scheme. The scheme will be designed to provide students with the skills (e.g., tips for graduate school application and job interview), knowledge (e.g., how to succeed in graduate school and industry), and resources (e.g., how to identify and understand the recruiting advertisements and discern the university/company information from Glassdoor). The workshops will also be flexible enough for guest speakers to share their experiences and offer advice. Once the scheme is developed, our next step is to organize the workshop. This will include scheduling the online workshop and promoting the workshop schedule to the target audience. After the workshops, we will follow up with the students to see their progress. This will be done by sending out surveys (e.g., Google forms) or holding follow-up Zoom or in-person meetings to realize how the students have applied the skills and knowledge they learned in the workshop. In addition, we will work closely with these students to make it possible for more than one mentor to help one student, thus enabling them to make appropriate choices in the future. Fifth, we will conduct formative and summative evaluations on this project, providing ongoing and timely feedback for improvement. The project postulates a Theory of Change, which links project strategies to specific expected outcomes. This Theory of Change frames the evaluation plan to address evaluation questions. We will facilitate an in-person meeting with the five students who get scholarships from this project and other students who do not get scholarships to set criteria for the evaluation by discussing the planned processes and anticipated outcomes. The assessment will mix quantitative and qualitative methods and measures to capture program development, implementation, value to key participants, barriers, and enablers over time. The surveys, questionaries, and interviews with students will assess how courses and hands-on SEL themes enhance decision-making skills, hone communication skills, promote understanding of the roles of biotechnology and applied economics in SAFS, and increase their interest in pursuing careers in food and agriculture. Interviews with program coordinators, guest speakers, and administrators will be used to triangulate findings, nuance measures, and provide formative feedback to the project team regarding unexpected outcomes (e.g., program exit, unanticipated needs, surprising outcomes, etc.).