Non Technical Summary
The aim of this project is to train a skilled and motivated group of workforce who can use new technologies to solve problems in agricultural and food production. Our team, which includes experts in biology, chemistry, food science, economics, engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, and education, wants to teach undergraduate students about important and cutting-edge technologies in five areas: Robotics and Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Systems and Synthetic Biology, Bioprocessing, and Process Simulation. Over three years, we will work with sixty undergraduate students, helping them gain the knowledge and skills they need to find jobs. By doing this, we hope to increase the number of underserved professionals in these fields, which will bring in fresh ideas and perspectives. This, in turn, will lead to more innovation and research in agricultural and food technology. It will also help ensure that resources and benefits are shared more fairly, as these professionals will understand and address the needs of communities that have been overlooked in the past.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
204	0650	1000	20%
403	0699	2020	20%
501	1520	3010	20%
806	7310	3020	20%
205	2499	3100	20%

Knowledge Area
204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest); 403 - Waste Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse; 806 - Youth Development; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies;

Subject Of Investigation
0650 - Wood and wood products; 1520 - Grain sorghum; 7310 - Experimental design and statistical methods; 0699 - Trees, forests, and forest products, general; 2499 - Plant research, general;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering; 3020 - Education; 1000 - Biochemistry and biophysics; 3010 - Economics; 3100 - Management;

Goals / Objectives
The goal of the project is to develop and train a knowledgeable, engaged, and empowered workforce committed to applying emerging and synergetic technologies to tackle a broad range of challenges in the food and agricultural sectors.

Project Methods
The proposed project directly addresses two of the AFRI Farm Bill's program priorities: "Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment" and "Agriculture Systems and Technology." Our multidisciplinary team, comprising experts in biology, chemistry, food science, economics, engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, and education, aims to bridge the educational gap by exposing undergraduates to fundamental and cutting-edge knowledge in food and agricultural technologies through five modules (M1: Robotics and Automation; M2: Artificial Intelligence; M3: Systems and Synthetic Biology; M4: Bioprocessing; and M5: Process Simulation). We will implement the following three activities: (1) Establish aspring seminar series to deliver fundamental and advanced knowledge of emerging and synergetic technologies related to food and agricultural fields;(2) Provide summer hands-on experiential learning activities to train students to design experiments, use equipment and facilities, analyze data, report results, and apply theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems; and (3) Launch fall symposiums to showcase research findings, share insights, and engage in discussions with peers and mentors.