Source: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE submitted to NRP
REEVES - RESEARCH & EXTENSION EXPERIENCE IN VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY FOR STUDENTS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1032316
Grant No.
2024-67037-42432
Cumulative Award Amt.
$600,000.00
Proposal No.
2023-08731
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2024
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2028
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[A7401]- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
2621 MORGAN CIR
KNOXVILLE,TN 37996-4540
Performing Department
Entomology & Plant Path - RES
Non Technical Summary
Tick-borne diseases (TBD) affect 80% of the world's cattle population, and outdated global cost estimates are between $13.9 and $18.7 billion U.S. dollars; this is estimated at $23.4 and $31.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. These diseases affect livestock across the United States and lead to poor animal health, welfare, and production. Unfortunately, there is a documented shortage of veterinary entomologists, that is exacerbated by the lack of training of veterinarians and similar animal scientists in entomology. Thus, there is a critical need to train individuals to develop entomological skills (identification, surveillance, and management) for these biosecurity pest and pathogen complexes that impact the livestock industry. The overall goals of this project are to introduce and train talented individuals for graduate and professional programs and livestock-associated careers that involve team science, while educating them on veterinary entomology and providing them a project relevant to stakeholders. The proposed REEU program is designed to highlight team science in a conducive and positive environment for undergraduate students through participation in research and Extension collaborations between faculty in different states. The program will provide an 8-week summer residential REEU each year to eight scholars and the program will be organized into independent university research teams which meet at a professional conference to network, share results through a virtual Expo to stakeholders, and have focus development on communication skills, leadership approaches, and team science. The four year-proposed program will be led by faculty at the University of Tennessee, but teams will also be formed at University of Georgia, Kansas State University, and Texas A&M University.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
3123310113060%
3153310113020%
2163310113020%
Knowledge Area
312 - External Parasites and Pests of Animals; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems; 315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
3310 - Beef cattle, live animal;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;
Goals / Objectives
The proposed REEU program is designed to highlight team science in a conducive and positive environment for undergraduate students through participation in research and Extension collaborations between faculty in different states. Unique experiential opportunities can introduce and train students early in their career regarding the importance of undertaking collaborative, team-based scientific approaches while providing them the tools and training to be able to carry this out in the future. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many college students have not had opportunities to develop these teamwork, interpersonal, or verbal communication skillsets. Additionally, the program will teach skills necessary for self-efficacy in graduate or professional school and increase self-efficacy by 21stcentury skill development.The overall goals of this project are to introduce and train talented individuals for graduate and professional programs and livestock-associated careers that involve team science, while educating them on veterinary entomology and providing them a project relevant to stakeholders.Therationaleunderlying these goals is that undergraduate students who participate in impactful and focused summer research and Extension experiences with faculty mentors in a team environment will increase self-efficacy by learning veterinary entomology, parasitology, leadership, and communication skills. Thelong-term goalof the project is to develop a collaborative tick-surveillance program for the U.S. beef industry using inquiry-driven team-based experiential learning activities that enhance individual students' and group development necessary for future careers. The goals of this project are aligned with FACT principles (Fair, Accessible, Interoperability, Reusable data), three of the Farm Bill Priority Areas (2- Animal health and production and animal products; 3- Food safety, nutrition and health; 6- Agricultural economics and rural communities), and the mission of the USDA National Program 104 Veterinary, Medical, and Urban Entomology,to eliminate arthropod vectors and the diseases that they transmit to livestock, humans, and other animals and to nullify their economic impact.We will introduce VESs to team science and collaborative science while training them in veterinary entomology and providing them networking opportunities with stakeholder leadership. Simultaneously, the study area will receive the foundation for a collaborative multi-state tick surveillance and research program that helps all U.S. beef producers. The program will be led by faculty at the University of Tennessee (UT), but teams will be formed at three additional institutions. The program will provide an 8-week summer residential REEU each year to selected VESs and the program will be organized as follows:University Research Teams.The overall project will be led as a single team project with an overarching research goal of conducting tick surveillance and an Extension goal of educating stakeholders about tick prevention and tick-borne diseases associated with cattle. Each university team will work with VESs to accomplish location-specific goals that contribute to the larger team goal. One veterinary entomology faculty will work with two VESs in a team setting which has been documented to be an effective strategy because students have a variety of interests, will gain an introduction to research and critical thinking, and then develop a sense ofduty and impactin their work, with noticeable increases in confidence.Compliance Training.Each VES will receive appropriate compliance training to participate in the project. This includes responsible conduct of research, ethics, biosafety, chemical safety, and animal safety (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee - IACUC).Network and Present at a Professional Conference.Veterinary entomologists and industry experts meet in June for the Livestock Insect Workers Conference (LIWC). VESs will attend this conference, present their project as a 3-minute thesis proposal, and network with attendees to learn about the different careers and agencies (academia, industry, government). Notably, undergraduate students that attended a chemistry professional conference indicate that their attendance and participation "influenced their decision to pursue advanced study in the field of chemistry (21% strongly)".Veterinary Entomology Scholar REE Expo.As a conclusion to the program, we will host an online Expo for the team to present their work to interested stakeholders in the form of a webinar. The Expo will highlight the goals of the program and accomplishments from the previous year followed by each research team sharing their accomplishments from the program. This two-hour program will allow VESs to see and hear the value of their work, while simultaneously educating key stakeholders about veterinary entomology.Develop communication skills, leadership approaches, and participate in team science.We will train VESs to communicate with professional and industry stakeholders through written, oral, and digital communication. Since there are few veterinary entomologists, VESs will receive communications training and create material for conferences, local field days, and the public (social media). If timing allows, VESs will present their work at university specific undergraduate summer research programs.Leadership skillswill begin with Clifton StrengthsFinder to identify individual dominant strengths and progress to conversations with stakeholders and leaders in the agriculture industry.Team sciencetraining will be a combination of experiential learning through the NIH Collaboration Team Science Field Guide and using those examples with stakeholder conversations.Develop, implement, and report progress toward project goals.The program evaluation, implemented by staff of the National Institute of STEM Evaluation and Research (NISER), will support the program through the implementation of the articulated evaluation framework, finalizing data sources and managing data collection, and reporting progress toward benchmarks and impact based on both quantitative and qualitative data. NISER is an independent education-project evaluation program housed within the University of Tennessee. Note, in 2024 NISER's name changed to Synergist Institute.
Project Methods
The overall goals of this project are to introduce and train talented individuals for graduate and professional programs and livestock-associated careers that involve team science, while educating them on veterinary entomology and providing them a project relevant to stakeholders.The project will be led as a single team project with an overarching research goal of conducting tick surveillance and an Extension goal of educating stakeholders about tick prevention and tick-borne diseases associated with cattle. Each scholar will receive appropriate compliance training to participate in the project. This includes responsible conduct of research, ethics, biosafety, chemical safety, and animal safety. Mentors and participants will attend the Livestock Insect Workers Conference present their project as a 3-minute thesis proposal and network with attendees to learn about the different careers and agencies (academia, industry, government). A virtual Expo will allow scholars to present their work to interested stakeholders to highlight the goals of the program and accomplishments from the previous year followed by each research team sharing their accomplishments from the program. We will train scholars to communicate with professional and industry stakeholders through direct engagement.Our specific activities by the project team include: 1) participant recruitment and selection, 2)onboarding with evaluations, Clifton Strengths Finder, mentoring expectations, and compliance Training, 3)independent project development, 4) farm sampling, 5) prepare for and attend conference, 6) journal clubs, 7) leadership meetings, 8) virtual Expo, 9) midterm and final reporting and evaluations, and 10)conducting follow up interviews and mentoring with scholars.Evaluation of this project will led by the Synergy Evaluation Institute (formerly known as the National Institute of STEM Evaluation and Research (NISER)). Staff within the Institute will implement the articulated evaluation framework, finalizing data sources and managing data collection, and reporting progress toward benchmarks and impact based on data. They have proposed a mixed-methods framework incorporating surveys, document analyses, and focus groups and/or interviews to measure progress toward annual goals. The evaluation team will measure the impact of the project on scholar's skills for self-efficacy in graduate or professional school, through 21st century skill development, ultimately, support matriculation of scholars into graduate and professional programs and livestock-associated careers that involve team science. To support the ongoing implementation and progress toward goals, the evaluation team will use a blend of reporting outputs to provide feedback to the stakeholders. First, to ensure on-going monitoring, the evaluation team will convene quarterly evaluation-focused planning meetings with key staff. In addition, they will develop business intelligence reports using technology systems to provide real-time feedback for specific data sources, as appropriate. Finally, the evaluation team will provide annual performance reports that document progress against benchmarks and recommendations based on analyses of all data sources.

Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate students with an interest in animal science, veterinary sciences, entomology, and related disciplines were our target audience. The selected Scholars were identified as talented individuals for graduate and professional programs interested in livestock-associated careers. Changes/Problems: In July 2025, we completed the first cohort of the program. Although significant challenges and problems did not arise or significantly impact the program, minor daily challenges made it difficult to work with the Scholars. To help with this, we will develop and provide Scholars with a tentative program book, so they know what is expected of them and when it is expected. Many of the Scholars struggled with note-taking, finishing tasks on time, and prioritizing their work efforts. Additionally, they did not come prepared to use Microsoft programs (Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Many said they had never written a report or paper for a class, and if they had, it was not evaluated for grammar, clarity, or readability. For us, this was a wake-up call that many of the Scholars are not receiving the necessary professional skills training/practice in college (although they do possess content knowledge). To help with the second cohort, we will plan to include a weekly meeting that focuses on research to Extension and includes Experimental Design, use of Microsoft products (Word/PowerPoint/Excel), simple data analysis (Excel vs RStudio), and how to use different AI products for "good". We plan to provide more structure in year two than we did in year one. Additionally, Stakeholders mentioned to us that the Scholars may have taken the program for granted, especially with meeting conference attendees. To help with this, we will ask Scholars to meet with and interview previous winners of the Livestock Insect Workers Conference Lifetime Achievement Award, who typically attend the meeting. Each Scholar will be placed with a winner and develop a small summary on that winner which will be posted to the project website. Not only does this instill networking and professional behaviors, but it will also help the Scholars appreciate the audience. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The REEVES program was specifically designed to provide veterinary entomology training to the selected Scholars, expose them to research and Extension, as well as help develop their professional skills through meetings and one-on-one work with their mentors. Training Activities. Pest collection and identification Molecular methods (DNA extraction, gene amplification through PCR or qPCR) Image capture using microscopes Data collection and analysis Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, TEAMS) Professional Development. Weekly leadership session with leaders in the discipline Weekly teamwork session to discuss how to work as a team to reach a common goal Networking at a conference, Scholars learned how to prepare for a conference, which included their own presentations and setting up / attending lunches and dinners with professionals in the discipline Weekly Journal club had Scholars identify, read, and discuss a peer-reviewed journal article in veterinary entomology Scholars created CVs and LinkedIn accounts Scholars practiced producing factsheets covering some of the most prevalent pests in animal agriculture How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The REEVES team and Scholars shared results with communities of interest in different ways. All Scholars presented at a National conference (Livestock Insect Workers Conference), wrote an article for a trade journal (Tennessee Cattle Business Magazine) highlighting and summarizing three talks at the conference, and participated in a webinar about their work and experience in the program. Additionally, each hosting university shared the project with its own local communities. In Tennessee, two Scholars participated in an Extension Field Day, discussing their activities in the program with participants. They also met with leaders at the university (Dean of AgResearch, Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Dean of Herbert College of Agriculture/Teaching, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department Head, and Entomology and Plant Pathology Director of Graduate Studies) to learn more about the university, graduate school opportunities, and life after graduation. In Kansas, Scholars interacted with livestock owners in both Kansas and Iowa to disseminate information of Theileria orientalis and Haemaphysalis longicornis. They attended seminars and went on Extension visits to producers to educate on current outbreaks happening in the state. The University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences covered UGA's two REEVES students in the article Collaborative research program gives students hands-on experience in veterinary entomology CAES Field Report. In Texas, Scholars interacted with livestock owners and County Extension Agents in multiple counties to assist with a horn fly research project and help disseminate information on ticks in Texas and the impact they have on cattle, plus discuss the not yet found Haemaphysalis longicornis tick making its way throughout the United States. They attended seminars and went on extension visits to producers to educate and visited the USDA-ARS Kerrville Center and TAMU Research Center in Uvalde. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are now at work preparing for year two of the REEVES program. We are beginning by assessing feedback from the Scholars and participants based on the evaluations organized by the Synergy Institute. We are also restructuring the website to highlight our past Scholars and provide details that the next cohort would be interested in learning. Our current plans are to rework the application and website (October 2025), recruit and select Scholars (November 2025 - February 2026), prepare for the program (March - May 2026), and then run year two of the program (June-July 2026). Concurrently, we will complete our work with the 20025 Scholars on their Extension fact sheets, send them another experience feedback evaluation, and (if needed) assist with their applications to graduate or professional schools.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The problem.There is a documented shortage of veterinary entomologists, exacerbated by the lack of training in entomology among veterinarians and similar animal scientists. Proposed solution.Identify and train Scholars in veterinary entomology, providing them with research and extension experiences, discipline-specific training, exposure to various leadership styles, and opportunities to work in a dynamic, multi-state team environment. What we did.In the first year of the project, we onboarded 8 Scholars but successfully trained 7 scholars in veterinary entomology over 8 weeks (June 1-July 25). They worked in independent research teams at each institution and together on a tick-associated project. Scholars received compliance training, networked, and presented at a professional conference (Livestock Insect Workers Conference [LIWC]), as well as participated in an online webinar (Expo). Throughout the 8 weeks, they developed and gained an appreciation of professional skills (communication skills, leadership skills, team science, networking) as well as research skills (develop, implement, and report progress towards project goals). Learning Outcome 1: Research Knowledge and Experience Pre-/Mid-/Post-Survey.The survey data indicate strong growth in scholars' scientific attitudes and perspectives during the program. Across all time points, 100% of scholars agreed that forgetting facts does not diminish their ability to apply scientific thinking skills and that the process of writing in science helps them understand concepts. At the end of the program, scholars showed more trust in science, appreciation for writing and problem-solving, and recognition of creativity and cross-disciplinary connections, and negotiating how to reconcile personal experience with scientific evidence. Scholar Research Rubric.For Research Experience, scholars were scored in 9 areas by program faculty and staff on a scale from 1 (Poor) to 4 (Excellent). Overall, the scholars were rated highest in "Initiative and Independence" with a mean score of 3.4 and lowest in "Engagement with Literature" with a mean score of 2.8. Learning Outcome 2: Connection to the Sector Pre-/Mid-/Post-Survey.100% of scholars consistently rated continuing their education and managing their health as very important across all timepoints. Shifts across the timepoints suggest they increasingly prioritized education, health, financial independence, and social contribution, while placing less emphasis on family proximity, spirituality, and community ties. Scholar Research Rubric.In Extension Experience, scholars were scored in 8 areas were evaluated by program faculty and staff on a scale from 1 (Poor) to 4 (Excellent) and were rated highest in "Teamwork and Collaboration," with a mean score of 3.7, and scored lowest in "Communication Skills (Verbal & Written)," with a mean score of 3.1. For REEVES, scholars were scored in 5 areas and rated highest in "Professionalism and initiative," with a mean score of 3.3 and lowest in "Research Skill Development," with a mean score of 2.9. Event Survey.Program faculty, staff, and scholars were asked to select their level of agreement on general and Veterinary Entomology topics, such as "the presentations were informative" and "I have a better understanding of the event's entomology topic(s) in veterinary applications," on a 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) scale. For the LIWC, respondents gave the event a mean score of 3.6. The faculty rated the event with a mean score of 3.5. Scholars rated the event higher at 3.8. The Expo was rated much higher than the LIWC, with faculty providing an overall mean score of 4.7, and scholars noting an overall mean of 4.2. Scholar Networking Survey.Scholars were requested to rate their level of agreement on a 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) scale for 5 statements regarding their discussions with parents/guardians, students, and mentors. Scholars noted a high level of agreement on most items, with mean scores of 3.7 to 4.7, indicating that they readily discuss research and experiences with others. Collaborator Survey.Most collaborators felt the program was an excellent way to introduce students to entomology and should be continued. 100% of collaborators were either satisfied or strongly satisfied with the clarity of vision and planning process for its goals and?objectives, activity follow-through, diverse influential people participation, partner and scholar diversity, partner organizations' resource support, and leadership competence and strength, and decision-making transparency. Learning Outcome 3: Professionalism and 21st Century Skills Pre-/Mid-/Post-Survey.Scholars were asked to rate their confidence in their level in various professional skills compared to the average college student. The data show clear growth in scholars' self-reported skills across all areas from pre- to post-program. By the end of the program, 100% of scholars rated themselves above average in writing, public speaking, social skills, computer skills, leadership, and collaboration, with math also showing improvement. Scholar Research Rubric.In Teamwork, scholars were scored in 4 areas by program faculty and staff on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 4 (Excellent) and scored highest in "Collaboration" with a mean score of 3.6 and lowest in "Responsibility" with a mean score of 3.1. For Leadership, scholars were assessed in 5 areas and were scored highest in "Teamwork and Empowerment" with a mean score of 3.4 and lowest in "Decision-Making and Problem-Solving" with a mean score of 3.1. Teamwork Series Survey.The survey included concepts of trust, vision, self-awareness/emotional intelligence, leadership, mentoring, team evolution/dynamics, communication, recognition/sharing success, conflict/disagreement, and navigating/leveraging networks and systems. Scholars were asked to rate the Teamwork Series' helpfulness in developing their knowledge on a scale of 1 (Very Unhelpful) to 5 (Very Helpful). Most of the items received scores of 4.5 or above. Only "Research teams form and develop to their highest potential" and "Conflict can be both a resource and challenge within a team" received a score of 4.3 and 4.1. Leadership Survey.100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the presenters were knowledgeable, resources were helpful, they were interested in using what they learned in other settings, received useful information for preparing for future career development, have better understanding of the importance and applications of research technologies in entomology related areas, and are more interested in a career or professional work in?veterinary or animal sciences.?Several students enjoyed speaking with established field professionals, but there were suggestions to improve program organization and time management to provide more interactions with professionals in veterinary entomology and industry. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. We successfully finished the first cohort of the REEVES program. Seven of eight Scholars finished and went on to give a presentation at a conference and an updated project talk at a REEVES-specific webinar (attended by 60+ people). The Scholars gained knowledge in veterinary entomology through hands-on and engaging experiences. They were able to discuss their projects and transfer the knowledge they gained to a variety of stakeholders through a conference presentation, a webinar, a trade journal article, and by draftingfact sheets for the public. At the conference, they made professional connections with industry and academic stakeholders. Throughout the program, Stakeholders provided us with project-specific feedback, asked for more information from the Scholars (and even followed up with them via email), and increased contact to discuss graduate and professional school opportunities. One Scholar even mentioned applying to graduate school with a person he met at the conference.

Publications

  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: https://reeu.utk.edu/reeves/
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Trout Fryxell, R.T., K. V. Smith, J. G. Chavez Renteria, A. D. Fajardo, S. R. Frost, S. I. Piper, C. C. Ratliff, J. O. Saufley, S. E. Stacy, P. L. Stroup, N. Hinkle, C. Olds, and S. L. Swiger. July 2025. Developing a collaborative tick surveillance and management network: insights from eight veterinary entomology scholars on emerging tick-borne threats to U.S. cattle (year 1). Submitted a 30-minute presentation at the Livestock Insects Workers Conference, Cody, WY.?
  • Type: Other Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2025 Citation: The Scholars worked together to create a Highlights of the 2025 Livestock Insect Workers Conference article for the Tennessee Cattlemens Association trade journal. K. Smith and R. Trout Fryxell. September 2025. Highlights from the 2025 Livestock Insect Workers Conference. Vol. 40. No. 9.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Smith, K. V., J. G. Chavez Renteria, A. M. Tucker, and R. Trout Fryxell. In Prep. Tickborne Diseases of Tennessee Cattle. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; Extension Publication XXXX.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Six factsheets were drafted and are currently in progress at the University of Georgia.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Three factsheets were drafted and are currently i progress at Texas A&M.