Progress 07/15/24 to 07/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for the DSU CAST 1890 Scholarship Program consists of undergraduate students who meet program eligibility requirements and are pursuing academic and career pathways aligned with agriculture, natural resources, human ecology, and related STEM disciplines. DSU's student population includes a substantial number of first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students who may face financial or other barriers to completing a four-year degree. Program participants include both students recruited directly through DSU CAST outreach efforts and eligible students who planned to enroll at DSU and became aware of the scholarship through institutional recruitment and marketing. To identify and recruit qualified scholars consistent with the USDA grant RFA, the College of Agriculture, Science, & Technology (CAST) worked with the College recruiter to implement targeted marketing and recruitment strategies. These strategies were informed by historical student success data and supported through established partnerships with Delaware K-12 school districts (administrators, agricultural educators, and guidance counselors). Recruitment also extended nationally through collaborative relationships with agricultural high schools, including W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences (Pennsylvania), John Bowne High School (New York), and Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences (Illinois). This approach enabled statewide and national outreach to prospective students with interest in agriculture and related fields. Program scholars major in agriculture, natural resources, and human ecology, as well as closely aligned disciplines such as computer science and information technology that support the evolving agricultural workforce. The scholarship reduces financial barriers to persistence and graduation, while the program's professional and student development activities strengthen academic performance, leadership skills, and career readiness for employment in USDA and other agricultural public-sector and STEM-supported fields. Changes/Problems:The Office of the Dean has hired Ms. Tara Jackson as the budget analyst whose primary grant caseload will focus on USDA awards. Ms. Jackson is currently being trained and onboarded to assist the DSU-CAST 1890 Scholarship Program. Once fully transitioned into the role, she will support the program director with budgeting needs, agency financial reporting and related inquiries, provide accurate grant balances, and assist with requisition processing to ensure timely and compliant financial management. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During FY24-25, scholars were actively mentored and guided toward career pathways in the food and agricultural sciences through sustained faculty engagement and research participation. Students worked closely with professors in areas aligned with their academic and professional interests, gaining practical experience by understudying and contributing to ongoing projects. Scholars were further exposed to the broader 1890 Land-Grant institutional network by participating in competitive research presentations at the DSU-CAST Undergraduate Research Symposium. At this event, scholars highlighted how their undergraduate research experiences strengthened their skills and academic growth, and they shared the value of research and project-based learning with their peers across the College. The symposium also served as an informal "chat and chew" networking opportunity, allowing faculty to connect with prospective DSU-CAST students who may be interested in pursuing undergraduate research in future semesters. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the DSU-CAST 1890 Scholarship Program have been disseminated to communities of interest through a combination of student-centered outreach, institutional communications, and applied innovation activities. Scholars shared outcomes and lessons learned with peers and faculty across the College by discussing their research and project experiences in classrooms, student engagement sessions, and program-related meetings, helping to raise awareness of opportunities in food and agricultural sciences. Program updates, student accomplishments, and key milestones were also communicated broadly within the DSU community through CAST recruitment and marketing platforms, including departmental announcements, digital communications, and student success features. In addition, results were extended to external stakeholders through the Innovation Venture initiative, where scholars translated their research and training into practical, solution-oriented concepts that were showcased to partners, mentors, and community audiences interested in food systems and agriculture. This venue enabled scholars to present emerging ideas, demonstrate skills gained through the program, and connect their work to real-world needs, ensuring that program impacts were visible beyond the university. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The DSU-CAST 1890 Scholarship Program will continue its recruitment process during FY25-26, maintaining program outreach and follow-up communication strategies to attract and support eligible scholars in agriculture and related STEM majors. Following the completion of the Spring 2026 semester (FY25-26), the program will assess the positive or negative effects of the project recommendation enhancements implemented in prior years, including refinements to the Faculty/Research Program, Mental Health Initiative, and adjustments to admission procedures. Based on this assessment, the program will determine whether additional recommendations or modifications are needed to meet, exceed, or further strengthen the current project goals for scholar recruitment, retention, academic success, and workforce readiness.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During FY24-25, the DSU-CAST 1890 Scholarship Program continued to advance its major goal of preparing highly competent scholars for the food and agricultural workforce by sustaining strong participation and academic outcomes. A total of 30 students are registered in the program for FY24-25, reflecting an updated gender distribution of 26 females and 4 males following the addition of one new full scholarship awarded to a female scholar. All 30 eligible scholars were successfully renewed, and there were no GPA infractions, denials, or eligibility-related disqualifications, indicating strong retention and continued academic progress in agriculture and related STEM majors. The program maintained its tiered commitment structure of full scholarships, which cover comprehensive educational needs for up to eight consecutive semesters, and partial scholarships, which provide up to $3,000 per semester and are renewed on a semester-by-semester basis contingent on continued eligibility. In support of recruitment and retention objectives, the program also sustained its follow-up communication strategy using phone calls, text messages, social media and emails to increase completed applications and strengthen engagement with prospective scholars interested in agriculture and related sciences. Overall, these activities demonstrate meaningful progress toward increasing persistence, timely degree completion, and workforce readiness among program scholars.

Publications