Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project is designed to develop and strengthen research and extension capabilities for animal science, pre-veterinary, and computer science engineering students through their involvement in experiential learning and outreach activities using precision livestock farming (PLF) as a major tool applied to small ruminants. For each year of the proposal, teams of undergraduate students will develop research and extension capabilities and strengthen their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. Our second objective will be to attract K-12 students into the UPRM animal science and pre-vet program through public and private school visits and hands-on field day summer camp experiences. Objective three is to enhance students' experiential learning through participation in regional or national conferences, study abroad, and internships in PLF. Students' research results will be presented at the annual United States PLF conference or related meetings. An internship program in PLF will be created with North Dakota State University-Hettinger Research and Extension Center and the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory located in Mandan, North Dakota. Students' study abroad experiences will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Barcelona, TechCare program. Based on the above, the present proposal will address the purpose and priority "Leadership Skills Development" of the Resident Instruction per Insular Areas Education Grants Program, including the specific educational need areas of student experiential learning and student recruitment and retention, and the priority target areas "Accelerating Innovative Technologies and Practices Driving Climate-Smart Solutions"
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
30%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
1. Develop and strengthen research and extension capabilities for animal science, pre-veterinary, and computer science engineering students through their involvement in experiential learning and outreach activities using precision livestock farming (PLF) as a major tool applied to small ruminants.2). Attract K-12 students into the UPRM animal science and pre-vet program through public and private school visits and hands-on field day summer camp experiences.3.) Enhance students' experiential learning through participation in regional or national conferences, study abroad, and internships in PLF.
Project Methods
Objective 1. Our undergraduate program will recruit students from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences with research-extension potential or scientific inclinations in Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, or related fields such as Food Science and Technology, and an interest in PLF. Students from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Computer Science, interested in PLF in will be also recruited. Four teams composed of pairs of undergraduate students from the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering will develop a research protocol about PLF. Student research experience will be conducted under the mentoring of interdisciplinary faculty collaborators. Teams of students will be developing and evaluating images or devices using small ruminants as models. Devices or images will be developed by students of the UPRM Department of Computer Engineering and will be tested by students in the Animal Science Department of the Pre-Vet program. To accomplish the proposal's student extension training capabilities, research results will be presented in conferences directed to small ruminant producers, extension agents and agronomists, UPRM-student associations, and to peers during regular semester courses. Students' research results will be also presented at annual regional and/or national meetings.For objective 2: Through the use of PLF as a major tool for small ruminant production, the proposal aims to attract and increase the participation of K-12 students attending public and private schools in the UPRM animal science department and related fields. To enhance leadership skills development, the four pairs of undergraduate students will participate in the recruitment of students aimed at developing their leadership skills and serve as role models for underprivileged children from low-income populations in neighboring high schools located in four municipalities in the western half of Puerto Rico and private K-12 schools.To accomplishobjective 3, "Enhance experiential learning in undergraduate students through participation in conferences, internships, and study abroad experiences in precision livestock farming," four internships will be organized each year to include six undergraduate animal science or related science students. Internships will be conducted at higher educational institutions in the United States (e.g., North Dakota State University) or at USDA Agricultural Research Centers with strong PLF programs. Students will submit written reports about their experiences and will provide feedback for improvement. With this study abroad program and in addition to PLF experiences, selected students will have a better understanding of global issues and acquire knowledge of other societies, history, and cultures. Our project will also include the yearly participation of five students in national or international meetings where they will be presenting research results on the application of PLF to small ruminants. In addition to the domestic internship program, another three students per year will be participating in study abroad experiences related to PLF in the University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain.