Source: CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM submitted to NRP
SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE FELLOWS IN PLANT HEALTH AND PROTECTION
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1011088
Grant No.
2017-67032-26013
Cumulative Award Amt.
$261,436.00
Proposal No.
2016-06390
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 1, 2017
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2020
Grant Year
2017
Program Code
[A7401]- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates
Recipient Organization
CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
501 CRESCENT ST
NEW HAVEN,CT 06515
Performing Department
Biology
Non Technical Summary
Plant science is a field of predicted job growth, but lack of introductory research opportunities can be an entry barrier for many students from underrepresented groups. The Summer Undergraduate Fellows in Plant Health and Protection program aims to provide first research opportunities to students with no prior research experience. The program will be hosted by Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), a primarily undergraduate urban institution, in a new collaboration with the nearby Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), a state governmental research institution. For three summers, the program will recruit students through SCSU, the New Haven Promise organization, and university-based minority-serving organizations. 10 freshmen or sophomores who are first-time researchers will be selected. Fellows will live on campus and work in small laboratories on research projects related to plant health, with an emphasis on building basic knowledge of research skills and processes. Weekly experiential learning activities include industry field trips and workshops designed to increase student leadership and communication skills and increase understanding of career paths. Fellows will give a short oral presentation at a final symposium and present an outreach poster on Plant Science Day, an agricultural research fair. The program impact on the skills, understanding, and career goals of the 30 students trained through the program will be assessed using a series of quantitative and qualitative surveys and through assessment of the final presentations. This project addresses the NIFA-ELI goal of promoting research experiential learning for undergraduates, and its stated focus of including underrepresented groups.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
75%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1011621107010%
1021510102010%
2151110110010%
2150620113010%
1030620102010%
2121460104010%
2121110104010%
2120620108110%
2121420110210%
2120120200010%
Knowledge Area
103 - Management of Saline and Sodic Soils and Salinity; 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 215 - Biological Control of Pests Affecting Plants; 101 - Appraisal of Soil Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0120 - Land; 1110 - Apple; 1460 - Tomato; 1510 - Corn; 1621 - Cool season perennial grasses; 0620 - Broadleaf forests of the North; 1420 - Melons;

Field Of Science
1040 - Molecular biology; 1130 - Entomology and acarology; 1070 - Ecology; 1100 - Bacteriology; 1081 - Breeding; 1102 - Mycology; 2000 - Chemistry; 1020 - Physiology;
Goals / Objectives
Demand for graduates with knowledge of plant health issues is expected to be healthy in coming years. However, current summer experiential learningprograms offer few opportunities for first-time researchers from primarily undergraduate institutions, or opportunitiesfor experience in the field research skills that are sought in agricultural industry. Second, agricultural research has historically recruited and retained a far lower proportion of underrepresented minority (URM) researchers than are represented in the general population.This projectestablishes a newsummer research fellowship program, SummerUndergraduate Fellows in Plant Health and Protection program,which aims to provide diverseresearchopportunities to students with no prior research experience in a small, confidence-building setting.The program, in a new collaboration between Southern Connecticut State University andthe Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, will targetfirst-time researcherswho are members ofURM groups orfirst-generation college students for recruitment. There arethree main student-centered objectives: (1)Build student competence in basic skills and understanding of research concepts; (2)Increase student scientific communication and leadership skills, and (3)Increase student knowledge and confidence regarding agricultural careers.
Project Methods
Internships will last for the nine-week period from Memorial Day week until the end of the first week in August. During that time, students will perform mentored research in a small laboratory at CAES or SCSU, and spend one-half to one day per week participating in field trips and workshops exposing them to career options and skills related to plant health careers. Students will be hosted in eight CAES laboratories and two SCSU laboratories in diverse areas of research related to plant health and protection, where they will be trained in basic lab skills by a research mentor and work on a small project. "Basic lab skills" includes writing down observations and data in an organized notebook, adhering to lab safety standards, preparing and autoclaving buffers, etc., in addition to project-specific basic skills.The research projects will train students in basic skills relevant to diverse subtopics of the AFRI plant health and production priority area, including photosynthesis, plant-microbe interactions, plant- associated insects, and plant abiotic stress tolerance. The majority of projects will have a farm or forest component.In addition to a research project, interns will participate in weekly activities aimed at strengthening science communication skills and exposing students to jobs in agriculture. Most of the activities are projected to take two to four hours, with the exception of industry tours, which will take a full day. The enrichment activities will average no more than one day per week. Leadership and transportation duties will be divided among the three primary mentors, but all primary mentors are strongly interested in attending as many activities as possible the first summer.A combination of qualitative and quantitative assessment tools will be used in each year's program to understand the effectiveness of the program toward student learning outcomes, as well as the quality of mentorship. The central goals during the fellowship are for novice students to build skills and confidence as researchers, to improve their communication and leadership skills, and to understand their career options in agricultural STEM fields related to plant protection.Fellows will complete the online Summer Undergraduate Research Experience surveys (SURE), a series of three questionnaires validated on thousands of student participants of summer undergraduate research. By enrolling in a public standardized survey, we will be able to determine how our students' learning and confidence gains compare with those of students in other summer research programs. SURE combines pre-program and end-of-program surveys focusing on outcomes congruent with our learning objectives: gains in research skills, understanding of research theory and practice, confidence, career option awareness, and communication and leadership skills. Finally, students will be strongly encouraged to fill out a "follow-up" survey assessing any changes in these areas after 9 months. Aggregated and anonymous response data is provided to participating faculty, and this data will be summarized in NIFA outcomes reporting. We will also develop our own open-ended summative assessment form asking students for program feedback, including listing new skills, whether the student became excited about the project, opinion on the availability and quality of mentor guidance, opinion of housing and transportation, and opinion of the most useful/least useful enrichment activities. Students will also be specifically asked for feedback and perceived gains in understanding from the field experimentation exercise.Research mentors will complete a summative questionnaire focusing on their fellow's specific gains in research skills, independence, and understanding of the project, general satisfaction with the student, satisfaction with the program. Mentors will specifically be asked whether students display an improved understanding of research practices, as evidenced by students' ability to 1) explain the rationale for their project and how it could impact crop health, 2) Explain the basis of the hypothesis, and why the experiments they perform test the hypothesis, 3) Identify the treatments, variables, and predicted observations if the hypothesis is true, 4) Interpret whether the results support the hypothesis, 5) Suggest possible explanations if unexpected results are seen, and 6) Suggest alternative experimental conditions if control treatment results are not as expected. Finally, mentors will be asked to evaluate the program itself, and opportunities for improvement.?At the midpoint of the program (4 to 5 weeks), the three primary mentors will conduct brief interviews with fellows and collaborating mentors to assess whether the fellowships are moving toward research and program goals. Fellows will be questioned on whether they are learning new skills, whether they understand the theory behind their projects, and their general satisfaction with the program. Mentors will be similarly questioned on their perception of the fellow's understanding and skills progression. Fellows and mentors will each be posed the same sets of questions for consistency, and PDs will not question their own research mentees. Any issues identified in these interviews may be addressed through communication, program adjustments, or additional training.Student oral and poster presentations will be evaluated by primary mentors and three CAES researchers not associated with the program. Assessment forms will rate the presentations on clarity, organization, and demonstrated understanding of research practices pertaining to their project, as evidenced by the six abilities mentioned above.Student e-mails and contact information will be collected as part of the application process. During the program, a private Facebook group will be established for students to join. Both means will be used to alert program alumni of upcoming job opportunities. At one, two, and three years after departure of each cohort, students will be e- mailed a brief survey asking them to indicate their academic choices (science courses and major/minors), whether they applied for and obtained internships the following summer, and in what field, whether they have graduated, whether the skills gained in their fellowship have proven useful in their coursework or career, and whether they think the Fellowship impacted their career decisions and preparedness. We will attempt to contact any non-respondees through second and third e-mail and Facebook messages, then by phone. PD Silady and Co-PD Roberts will continue to track SCSU participants through personal interactions in the classroom. Fellows recruited through New Haven Promise, an organization that services URM students, will be tracked by Promise staff for outcomes until 10 years after their high school graduation; response rates are excellent so far. After the end of the funding and reporting period, outcomes from these surveys will continue to be reported to the NIFA Impact Coordinator through 2022.

Progress 01/01/17 to 12/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The project targeted novice undergraduate researchers with training experiences in plant health skills, as well as members of the science community and general public. Changes/Problems:While there were no major changes to the program, the 2020 year was conducted as a nonresidential program compatible with social distancing, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students worked on outdoor or remote projects wherever possible. Some activities including safety trainings, the communication workshop, and the final research symposium were held virtually, while group project and field trips were not conducted. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training opportunities for the undergraduate participants included one-on-one lab mentorship training for nine weeks. Professional development opportunities conducted for the students included four training seminars in lab safety, field safety, and farm safety; two workshops and one practice symposium to help improve scientific communication. In 2017-2019, opportunities included career and field experimentation training activities. 34 students joined the American Phytopathological Society, and 8 students participated in a virtual communication workshop in 2020. Mentors participated in a required pre-internship training workshop, addressing the goals of the program and the desired learning outcomes. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The annual group Chrysanthemum plot at Plant Science Day (2017-2019) was visited by 40-60 members of the general public each year. Students also helped their mentors present research or outreach displays during the day to the roughly 900-1000 general audience attendees. The final annual research symposium (2017-2020) reached 40-50 members each year of the CAES scientific community as well as family and friends of the interns. The program details and materials (symposium presentations and training materials) have been disseminated to potential future applicants as well as to other interested educators through the program website, www.planthealthfellows.com. The lesson plans and educational outcomes for the group field project were compiled into two papers which have been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed online educational Plant Health Instructor. In addition, research generated by students was disseminated through formal research presentations, forest site tours, and journal articles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The goal of this project has been to establish a summer research fellowship program, Summer Undergraduate Fellows in Plant Health and Protection program, to provide diverse agricultural research opportunities to students with no prior research experience in a small, confidence-building setting. The program, in a new collaboration between Southern Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Agricultural ExperimentStation, aimed to target first-time researchers who are members of underrepresented minority (URM) groups or first-generation college students for recruitment. There are three main student-centered objectives: (1) Build student competence in basic skills and understanding of research concepts (2) Increase student scientific communication and leadership skills (3) Increase student knowledge and confidence regarding agricultural careers All major stated goals of the program were achieved. Program recruitment activities resulted in a talented and diverse pool of yearly applicants, which were evaluated based on recommendation letters, grades, and personal interest statements. In 2017-2020, the program provided research experience in plant health to 39 undergraduate researchers from 24 universities in 14 US States. 34 of 39 (87%) were participating in their first paid research experience. 24 (62%) were women or gender nonbinary, eighteen (46%) were from minority racial or ethnic groups (i.e., self-identified as African American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Hispanic) and eighteen (46%) identified as first-generation college students. The interns' activities included 9 weeks of work on research projects on theme of plant health, including plant pathology, entomology, plant physiology, and analytical chemistry. Students gained scientific skills through lab safety training, farm and field safety trainings, and participation in a group field project. The group field project was designed to guide students through the basic process of randomized plot design, field planting and inoculation, a disease rating session, and a data analysis session. Students presented their results in a table display at the Plant Science Day annual field event. Photos and associated PowerPoint presentation materials are posted at our website, www.planthealthfellows.com. The modified 2020 program was nonresidential and limited to outdoor and socially distanced activities, and did not include the group project or field trips. In 2017-2019, students participated in at least six annual enrichment activities to increase their knowledge of and preparation for opportunities in agricultural careers. These included field trips to two Boston agricultural tech companies and a large-scale organic farm, and career panel including the state diagnostician, the state nursery and forest health inspector, and the state soil scientist. Science communication development activities consisted of three sessions: formal science communication, informal communication, and a symposium practice session. In 2020 communication and practice activities were presented in a virtual format. Students presented their individual research projects to an audience of CAES researchers at a closing research symposium, and in 2017-2019, presented the results of their group field plot experiment to a general audience at CAES Plant Science Day. Impacts in student learning were assessed by research mentors, independent observers of research presentations, and the students themselves through surveys and interviews. Students self-reported changes in research skills, career awareness, and confidence through two forms of assessment: 1) The SURE survey, an anonymous standardized survey of perceived gains conducted at three points during and after the program, and 2) an anonymous in-house survey gauging changes in program-specific skills and plans, and the helpfulness of specific program activities. Student outcomes are tracked beyond nine months by e-mail correspondence initiated by mentors. The quality of learning and the mentoring relationship was monitored through mid-program interviews of students and mentors. Communication workshops and oral research practice sessions also helped us assess project comprehension and engagement early in the program. Assessments indicated the program has been very effective in improving scientific skills, leadership practices, and career awareness and confidence. On a scale of low (1) to very large (5), students reported an average of "large" to "very large" gains in 11 of 21 areas of scientific understanding assessed by the SURE survey, and "moderate" to "large" gains in 9 additional areas. The largest perceived gains related to understanding the research process: laboratory techniques, how scientists analyze data and solve problems, and ability to work independently, as well as in oral presentation skills. Fellows viewed their learning gains favorably compared to internship participants nationwide, averaging 10-20% higher than the last available national averages in areas relating to research skills and career confidence. Students also reported substantial increases in knowledge about plant health (increasing from 2.1 to 3.8 on a scale of 5) and agricultural careers (increasing from 1.9 to 3.8). Mentors surveyed were highly satisfied with student learning gains, reporting large to very large improvements in multiple areas. Another indicator of student learning is that students are contributing to research output; thus far Plant Health Fellows' research has contributed to 57 formal presentations and 10 accepted publications, including 9 presentations given or co-authored by students after the program. Two papers on curriculum developed through the program have been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed online educational Plant Health Instructor, and additional multi-year studies are expected to result from 2017-2020 student contributions in coming years. Long term outcomes. Former interns have stated that the Plant Health Fellows program has been very influential in their lives and career plans. Fellows rated their likeliness to consider a career in plant health at an average of 2.8 out of 5 at the beginning of the program, and a 3.9 at the end. In the 9-month follow-up surveys, 11 of 24 respondents (46%) said that the internship helped convince them to pursue postgraduate education, while 10 said the internship did not change their prior decision to pursue postgraduate education. 71% of respondents reported taking subsequent coursework in an area related to the internship, all of whom said that their research experience affected their behavior in those courses. Two interns switched majors to plant biology after the program, and 34 interns chose to join the American Phytopathological Society, offered for free through the Borlaug's Army Initiative. 92% of respondents said the program was a great learning experience for them. We have confirmed that at least 36 members of the 2017-2020 cohorts either have graduated with a science degree (20 students), or were on-track to graduate with a science degree in 2021-2023 (16). At last communication, alumni included four current graduate students in plant pathology, forestry, or viticulture, two graduate students in agricultural education or economics, and three more awaiting graduate application decisions. Four are working in biotechnology industry, and two have entered the health food. Pre-graduation students were successful in getting at least 15 additional internships after completing our program, including two in state or national forest services, two in private industry, two in government, and nine in academic labs. Mentors have reported providing at least 51 letters of reference or phone references for student employment applications, and most report that they stay in touch with their mentees after the program.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Triplett, L.R., S.J. Taerum, D.J. Gage, and B. Steven. A better method for profiling the eukaryotic diversity of the phytobiome. Poster presentation at Plant Health 2020 Online, August 10-14, 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: Keri�, Susanna. "Drought and urban trees". Talk presented in the virtual annual meeting of the Connecticut Tree Protection Association, Connecticut. January 21st, 2021.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: Keri�, Susanna. "Urban maple health in New Haven". Talk presented in the virtual Connecticut Forest Health Monitoring Workshop, New Haven, Connecticut. March 4th, 2021.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Washington da Silva. Small Things Considered: plant virology research in New England. Oregon State University plant pathology program and USDA-ARS  Corvallis, OR. September 18, 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Nano-enabled technologies: prospective weapons to tackle destructive plant viruses. August 12, 2020. APS Annual Meeting via Zoom.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Direct application of nano-metal and metalloid oxides to control potato virus Y infection. 9th Nano Conference via Zoom. November 12, 2020.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Cui, Z., Huntley, R., Schultes, N., Steven, B. and Zeng, Q., (2021) Manipulation of apple stigma microbiome and its impact to the occurrence of fire blight disease. Phytobiomes Journal https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PBIOMES-04-20-0035-R
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Cui, Z., Huntley, R., Zeng, Q., and Steven, B. (2020) Temporal and spatial dynamics in the apple flower microbiome in the presence of the phytopathogen Erwinia amylovora. ISME Journal. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-020-00784-y
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2020 Citation: Stephanie Preising, Darlan Ferreira Borges, M�rcia Michelle de Queiroz Ambr�sio, and Washington da Silva. A Fig Deal: A Global Look on Fig Mosaic Disease and its Putative Associates. 2020. Plant Disease in press doi: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-20-1352-FE
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Darlan Ferreira Borges, M�rcia Michelle de Queiroz Ambr�sio, and Washington Luis da Silva. 2020. Detection of multiple grapevine viruses in New England vineyards. Crop Protection 132: 105143. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105143
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2021 Citation: Patel, R.R., P. Kandel, E. Traverso, K.L. Hockett, and L.R. Triplett. Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola uses distinct modes of stationary phase persistence to survive bacteriocin and streptomycin treatments. MBio, in press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Taerum, S.J., B. Steven, D.J. Gage, and L.R. Triplett. 2020. Validation of a PNA clamping method for reducing host DNA amplification and increasing eukaryotic diversity in rhizosphere microbiome studies. Phytobiomes 4:291-302. (Featured as Editors Pick.)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: Zeng, Q. Epiphytic growth and host entry points of Erwinia amylovora on apple leaves, Presentation at the Northeastern Division Meeting of American Phytopathological Society, March 12th 2021.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Zeng, Q. Flower microbiome and its impact to plant health Presentation at the seminar of Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas (via ZOOM), October 5th, 2020
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Zeng, Q. Apple flower microbiome of apple and its impact to plant health, Presentation at the Northeastern Division Meeting of American Phytopathological Society, March 9th 2020.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Rutledge, C.E. The Biological Control of Emerald Ash Borer in Connecticut sponsored by the Biological & Environmental Sciences Department at Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT. February 20, 2020
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Rutledge, C. E. The Biological Control of Emerald Ash Borer in Connecticut at the Yale Forestry Forum. February 13, 2020
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Rutledge C.E. Emerald Ash Borer in New London to the New London Land Trust, New London, CT. February 24, 2020
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Bray, A. M., Rutledge, C. E., Lowes, N (2020) Are southern pine beetle summer visitors to Connecticut, or permanent residents: evidence from 5 years of trapping and visual surveys. Poster, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. November 2020
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Roberts, E.L., Silady, R., Elmer, W.H., and L.R. Triplett. 2021. Introduction to field plot experimentation: A four-part enrichment activity to enhance summer undergraduate research programs. Plant Health Instructor, accepted.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Elmer, W.H., E.L. Roberts, R. Silady, and L.R. Triplett. 2021. Lesson plans for a four-part activity introducing field plot experimentation to undergraduate researchers. Plant Health Instructor, accepted.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Washington da Silva and Gale Ridge. Grape Tumid Gallmaker. 2020. CAES Fact Sheet.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Washington da Silva and Madeleine Dumas. Grapevine Red Blotch Disease. 2021. CAES Fact Sheet.


Progress 01/01/19 to 12/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The project targeted novice undergraduate researchers to provide training experiences in plant health skills. Of our 10 summer interns, 7 were women, 6 were minorities, and 6 were first-generation college students. The project also provided mentorship training and experience to 10 project mentors. Data gathered were disseminated to general audience attendees of the public "Plant Science Day" outreach event. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training opportunities for the 10 undergraduate participants included one-on-one lab mentorship training for nine weeks. Professional development opportunities conducted for the students included four training seminars in lab safety, field safety, and farm safety; two workshops and one practice symposium to help improve scientific communication; four training workshops in field plot design and data analysis; and two field trip and a career panel of diagnostics and surveillance experts to help develop career awareness. Students were provided with an application form to join the American Phytopathological Society through the Borlaug's Army initiative, which provides a year of free membership to undergraduates who have completed a plant health-related internship program. Unlike previous years, this form is required to be submitted by the students themselves after the program. 5 of the 10 students followed through and applied to join APS. Mentors participated in a required two-hour pre-internship training workshop, addressing the goals of the program and the desired learning outcomes. The slides presented at the mentor training workshop are available on our program website, www.planthealthfellows.com. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The group Chrysanthemum plot at Plant Science Day was visited by 65 members of the general public. Students also helped their mentors present research or outreach displays during the day to the roughly1100 general audience attendees. The final research symposium reached over40members of the CAES scientific community as well as family and friends of the interns. The program details and materials (symposium presentations and training materials) have been disseminated to potential future applicants as well as to other interested educators through the program website, www.planthealthfellows.com. The lesson plans and educational outcomes for the group field project were compiled into a draft lesson plan manuscript for an online peer-reviewed educational journal, Plant Health Instructor (currently in pre-submission review). In addition, research generated by students was disseminated through 19 formal research presentations, three forest site tours, and one manuscript. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have recruited for our Summer 2020 Plant Health and Protection Fellows Program, including updating the website, recruiting at the New Haven Promise career fair, and personal, e-mail, and social media outreach to students and professors. We have evaluated the applicants and due to an excellent pool of applicants, we have conducted follow-up skype interviews. We have invited 10 students to participate in our program this summer. However, our ability to hold a 2020 program is still unclear due to COVID-19. We are in communication with the students regarding the situation.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The goal of this project has been to establish a research fellowship program, Summer Undergraduate Fellows in Plant Health and Protection program, to provide agricultural research opportunities to students with no prior research experience in a small, confidence-building setting. The program, in collaboration between Southern Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Agricultural ExperimentStation, targeted first-time researchers who are members of underrepresented minority (URM) groups or first-generation college students for recruitment. There are three main student-centered objectives: (1) Build student competence in basic skills and understanding of research concepts, (2) Increase student scientific communication and leadership skills, (3) Increase student knowledge and confidence regarding agricultural careers. This period resulted in significant progress toward all goals of the project. Program recruitment activities of emailing brochures, posting to job boards, the New Haven Promise internship fair, social media, and our program website resulted in 40 applicants nationwide for 10Station (CAES; eight mentors), and lived in apartment housing at SCSU. The interns' activities included 35 hours per week (for 9 weeks) on research projects and career development. All research projects focused on plant health, including projects in plant pathology, entomology, plant physiology, and analytical chemistry. Nine of 10 projects (90%) involved field or greenhouse experimentation. In addition to 23 formal research presentations and publications that resulted from this program in 2017 and 2018, research data gathered by our students were presented in 19 formal research presentations, 3 field tours for stakeholders, and one publication in 2019, for a total of 46 disseminated outputs resulting from student research including 5 formal presentations presented by students after the program in 2019. Three additional formal presentations were co-authored by students (two in 2017, one in 2019). As with last year, students gained skills through lab safety training, field safety trainings, and participation in a group field project. The field project provided the third year of group experiment data on nanonutrient control of Fusarium wilt of Chrysanthemum, which was designed to guide students through the basic process of randomized plot design, field planting and inoculation, a disease rating session, and a data analysis session. Students presented their results in a table display at the annual Plant Science Day. Lesson plans and educational outcomes for this activity were compiled into a draft lesson plan manuscript for an online peer-reviewed educational journal, Plant Health Instructor (currently in pre-submission review). Photos and powerpoint presentations are posted on our website, www.planthealthfellows.com. The chrysanthemum project also resulted in the third year of data for a planned disease management publication; however, due to inconsistency of results, a fourth year of data is needed for publication. Preliminary results from the chrysanthemum group project, including acknowledgement of the Plant Health Fellows USDA funding and group photos of the students, were presented by Dr. Wade Elmer in 16 formal research presentations, (ten in 2018 and six in 2019). When asked to rate whether each activity helped their understanding of the field research process on a scale of Unhelpful (1) to Extremely Helpful (5), the 2019 cohort rated the experimental design activity as an average rating of 4.7, the plot setup activity at a 4.5, the data collection day at a 4.0, the data analysis at a 4.1, and the experiment as a whole was 4.0. Program participants experienced six enrichment activities to increase their knowledge of and preparation for opportunities in agricultural careers. To maximize exposure to different careers, students participated in a field trip to view the production pipeline of the microbial products corporation Indigo Agriculture and interacted with a career panel including the states diagnostician, nursery and forest health inspector, soil scientist. In the final program survey, on a scale of Unhelpful (1) to Extremely Helpful (5) to career preparedness, students gave the mentored research experiences an average rating of 4.4, the industry field trip a 4.5, and the career panel a 4.3. As with the prior two years, students participated in scientific communication activities. We found that students were eager for more communication practice, so we expanded the single communication workshop in 2017 into three sessions: formal science communication, informal communication, and a symposium practice session. Students ranked communication practice sessions a 4.1 on a scale of 5 for career preparation helpfulness. Students presented the results of their group field plot experiment to a general audience at CAES Plant Science Day, an agricultural fair open to the public, and presented their individual research projects to an audience of CAES researchers at a concluding research symposium. As with 2018, a long practice session was devoted to coaching students through their oral presentations. Student presentations at the research symposium were assessed by three scientists not involved with the program as well as mentors. Assessments consisted of nine questions rating presentations on clarity, organization, quality of scientific explanations, engagement, and professionalism. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being exceptional, average scores for each question ranged between 4.5 and 5. Students self-reported increases in research skills and confidence through two forms of assessment: an anonymous standardized three-part survey of perceived skills conducted at the beginning and end of the internship and nine months later, and an anonymous in-house survey at the end of the program. Standardized surveys were adopted from the Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) project from Grinnell College. Due to the end of the SURE project in late 2017, the 2018 and 2019 survey results were collected on paper, anonymized by an independent party, and analyzed in-house. On a scale of minor gains (1) to very large gains (5), the 2019 interns self-reported gains averaging 4.0 or greater in 13 out of 21 surveyed skills, including Understanding the research process (4.5), tolerance of obstacles faced in research (4.33), learning how to work independently, (4.3), and results interpretation, understanding how scientists work on real problems, understanding how knowledge is constructed, ability to analyze data, how to give an effective oral presentation, and becoming part of a learning community, understanding how scientists think, and learning laboratory techniques (all 4.0-4.22). In 10 of the categories, the 2019 students ranked their gains more highly than either of two previous cohorts did. At the end of the program, students assessed the quality of the mentoring and their research project in an anonymous survey. On a scale of unavailable (1) to highly available (5), students ranked their mentors at an average of 4.5, and gave the quality of the mentorship experience a 4.7 on a 1-5 scale. They were asked to reflect on how much they knew about plant health and protection before beginning the program (average 1.8 out of 5) and after completing the program (average 3.8 out of 5). Similarly, regarding knowledge about agricultural careers, interns reported that they had on average 2.1 out of 5 prior to the program and 4 out of 5 after the program. When asked how likely they were to consider a career in plant biology or agriculture before beginning to program, interns reported on average 2.1 out of 5 and after the program 4 out of 5.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Taerum, Stephen, Kate Manning, Lindsay Triplett, and Blaire Stephen. Assessing the protist community of the maize rhizosphere. Oral presentation at the Sussex Symposium for Plant Biology Research, New Haven, CT, November 15th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Magana-Lopez, Ernesto. Growth and Development of chili plants (Capsicum annuum L.) with application of mesoporous silica. Oral presentation at the FIBIO Symposium, 2019.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Magana-Lopez, Ernesto. Growth and Development of chili plants (Capsicum annuum L.) with application of mesoporous silica. Dissertation Seminar, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ward, Jeffrey. Gypsy moths and oak forests- past, present, and future. Oral presentation to the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District. March 16th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ward, Jeffrey. Wandering- Deer density and oak regeneration. CAES Forest Health Monitoring Workshop, March 5th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ward, Jeffrey. Want oak? Clearcut and hunt. Annual Meeting of the New England Society of American Foresters, March 28, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Elmer, Wade. Nanoparticles of copper and silica for the suppression of plant disease.  Oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA, August 25-29, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Elmer, Wade. Nanoparticles for the suppression of root diseases. Oral presentation at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Elmer, Wade. Nanoparticles for foliar feed and plant health. Oral presentation at the International Conference on Plant Science Technology and Molecular Biology, Valencia, Spain, May 23-25, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Elmer, Wade. Nanoparticles for crop health. Invited seminar at the University of Queretaro Mexico, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Elmer, Wade. Nanofertilizers for crop health. Oral presentation at The Canola Industry Meeting and Canola Innovation Day, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Elmer, Wade. Nanoparticles for the suppression of root diseases. Oral presentation at the Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources, Storrs, CT, March 18, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Rutledge CE. 2019. Preliminary studies on using emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) monitoring tools for bronze birch borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) detection and management. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research. 93: 297304. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpz012
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Brown, Kylee and Quan Zeng. Identifying the genetic cause of antibiotic production of a biocontrol bacterium. UConn Student Symposium poster presentation, University of Connecticut, October 30, 2019
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Tippett, Ethan and W. da Silva. Grapevine leafroll disease study in Cabernet Franc vines at a Connecticut Winery. Biotechnology Internship Oral Presentation, Ferris State University, September 9, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mora, Alenka and Jeffrey Ward. Regeneration dynamics with the use of variant cutting methods. Poster presented at the Sussex Symposium for Plant Biology Research, New Haven, CT, November 15th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mora, Alenka and Jeffrey Ward. Regeneration dynamics with the use of variant cutting methods. Poster presented at the Southern Connecticut State University Student Research Symposium, New Haven, CT, October 18th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Calderon, Carlos and Lindsay Triplett. Protist effects on the growth of Zea mays. Poster presented at the Southern Connecticut State University Student Research Symposium, New Haven, CT, October 18th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Calderon, Carlos and Lindsay Triplett. Protist effects on the growth of Zea mays. Poster presented at the Sussex Symposium for Plant Biology Research, New Haven, CT, November 15th, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: da Silva, Washington and Ethan Tippett. The ecology and management of grapevine viruses in Connecticut. Oral presentation at Plant Science Day, August 7th, 2019.


Progress 01/01/18 to 12/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The project targeted novice undergraduate researchers with training experiences in plant health skills. Of our 10 summer interns, 4 were underrepresented minorities and 3 were first-generation college students. The project also provided mentorship training and experience to 10 project mentors. Data gathered was disseminated to general audience attendees of the public "Plant Science Day" outreach event. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training opportunities for the 10 undergraduate participants included one-on-one lab mentorship training for nine weeks. Professional development opportunities created for the students include three training seminars in lab safety, field safety, and scientific communication; training workshops in field plot design and data analysis; and career awareness and preparedness seminars. Nine of ten students in 2018 chose to join the American Phytopathological Society through the Borlaug's Army initiative, which provides a year of free membership to undergraduates who have completed a plant health-related internship program. Mentors participated in a required two-hour pre-internship training workshop, addressing the goals of the program and the desired learning outcomes. Student and mentor training presentations created for this internship will be posted online after the second year of the program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The group Chrysanthemum plot at Plant Science Day was visited by 35 members of the general public, a slight decrease from last year due to heat at the event. Students also helped their mentors present research or outreach displays during the day to the roughly 900 general audience attendees. The final research symposium reached over 40 members of the CAES scientific community. The program details and materials (symposium presentations and training materials) have been disseminated to potential future applicants as well as to other interested educators through the program website, www.planthealthfellows.com. Other data and lesson plans developed through this program will be published at the end of the grant period. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Recruiting for our Summer 2019 Plant Health and Protection Fellows Program has begun, including updating the website, recruiting at the New Haven Promise career fair, and personal, e-mail, and social media outreach to students and professors. Based on student and mentor feedback last year, we are adjusting the schedule of field trips and field plot sampling for convenience and efficiency. We expect in Year 3 to produce the final season data for publication of the field project on Chrysanthemum, as well as publication of lesson plans.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This period resulted in significant progress toward all main goals of the project. Program recruitment activities of e-mailing brochures, posting to job boards, intern fair attendance, social media posts, and a website resulted in 44 applicants nationwide for 10 openings. Although this represents a slight decline in number from the previous year's applicant pool, we observed that the majority of this year's applicants were interested in pursuing agricultural or plant science careers, and the majority came from areas outside the northeast. This stood in contrast to last year's applicants, who were predominantly general biology students from Connecticut, and indicated that this year's recruitment effort reached a more widespread and plant-interested student base. Applicants were evaluated based on recommendation letters, grades, and personal statements. 2018 participants included two rising sophomores, five rising juniors, and three rising seniors. Nine of 10 (90%) were participating in their first paid research experience. Four (40%) were from URM groups (i.e., self-identified as African American, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic) and three (30%) were first-generation college students. Interns participated in research projects under the mentorship of scientists at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU; two mentors) and the nearby Connecticut Agricultural ExperimentStation (CAES; eight mentors), and received housing and meals at SCSU. Intern activities included 35 hours per week (for 9 weeks) of work on research projects and career development. All research projects focused on the theme of plant health, including projects in plant pathology, entomology, plant physiology, and analytical chemistry. Eight of 10 projects (80%) involved field or greenhouse experimentation. In addition to four formal research presentations that resulted from this program in 2017, research data gathered with the assistance of 7 students from either program year was used in formal research presentations or papers in 2018, and the group project Chrysanthemum data was presented in several formal presentations. In addition to individual projects, students gained scientific skills through lab safety training, farm and field safety trainings, and participation in a group field project. The field project was a continuation of last year's group experiment on nanonutrient control of Fusarium wilt of Chrysanthemum, which was designed to guide students through the basic process of randomized plot design, field planting and inoculation, a disease rating session, and a data analysis session. The project resulted in the second year of data for a planned publication. Consistent with the first year of data, nanoparticle treatments were found to significantly enhance plant growth and abrogate the effects of disease as well as a fungicide treatment. Students self-reported increases in research skills and confidence through three levels of assessment: a formative interview, an anonymous national survey conducted pre-and post-internship, and an anonymous in-house survey at the end of the program, using a ranking system of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). In addition, mentors also participated in an in-house survey at the end of the program. Formative assessments consisted of a 10-minute standardized interview with each intern aimed at early identification of any problems in the research projects or mentoring relationships. These interviews uncovered no major problems and revealed a high degree of satisfaction of most of the participants. However, some interns did point out opportunities for improvement in logistics and communication methods, as well as additional training that would be useful, which will be incorporated next year. Interns also participated in a nationwide online pre- and post-internship survey through the Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) designed by David Lopatto and Leslie Jaworski, www.grinnell.edu/academics/areas/psychology/assessments/sure-iii-survey. Due to the end of the SURE project, the survey results were taken anonymously on paper and analyzed in-house. The 2018 interns self-reported learning gains included interpretation of results, readiness for more demanding research, understanding the research process, understanding how scientists work on real problems, and laboratory techniques. At the end of the program, students assessed the quality of the mentoring and their research project in an anonymous survey. The majority of interns reported satisfaction with the availability and patience of their mentor and the comprehensiveness of the instruction they received, and reported feeling comfortable asking questions of their mentor. Interns were asked to reflect on how much they knew about plant health and protection before beginning the program (average 2.4 out of 5) and after completing the program (average 3.9 out of 5). Similarly, regarding knowledge about agricultural careers, interns reported that they had on average 1.7 out of 5 prior to the program and 3.5 out of 5 after the program. When asked how likely they were to consider a career in plant biology or agriculture before beginning to program, interns reported on average 2.9 out of 5 and after the program 3.7 out of 5. In addition to the interns self-reporting their own progress, each mentor assessed student gains in research skills and understanding at the end of the program. Mentors were extremely happy with their students this year and reported positive gains in general and project-specific skills as well as increased understanding in their respective research areas. Similarly to last year, the students participated in four career development activities aimed at increasing scientific communication skills: 1) through participating in two interactive scientific communication workshops for formal and informal communication, 2) presenting the results of their group field plot experiment to a general audience at CAES Plant Science Day, an agricultural fair open to the public, and 3) presenting their individual research projects to an audience of CAES researchers at a closing research symposium. Based on feedback from last year we incorporated additional practice and coaching time on the formal research presentations this year. Student presentations at the research symposium were assessed by three scientists not involved with the program. Assessments consisted of nine questions rating presentations on clarity, organization, quality of scientific explanations, engagement, and professionalism. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being exceptional, average scores for each question ranged between 4.1 and 4.8. Informal audience feedback was also highly positive, suggesting that the extra practice time was useful preparation for student presentations. On the SURE survey interns reported learning gains in the delivery of oral presentations to general and scientific audiences. Students participated in four enrichment activities throughout the program to increase their knowledge of and preparation for opportunities in agricultural careers. This included career talks from the state plant diagnostician, the state nursery and forest health inspector, an organic farm manager, and the staff of the Monsanto Boston site. Based upon the suggestions of last year's cohort, a workshop in resume writing and interviewing skills was added to the program, provided by the Career and Professional Development Office at Southern Connecticut State. In the end-of-program anonymous survey, students made additional suggestions for improved career preparation activities, such as graduate school preparation and additional communication practice, which will be incorporated into the program for next year.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Steven, B., Huntley, R. B., and Zeng, Q. (2018) The influence of flower anatomy and apple cultivar on the apple flower phytobiome. Phytobiomes Journal. https://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-03-18-0015-R
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ward, J.S. 2019. Assessing effectiveness of oak regeneration prescriptions. New England Society of American Foresters News Quarterly. 80 (1): 4-5.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Rutledge, C.E. 2019. Preliminary Studies on Using Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Monitoring Tools for Bronze Birch Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Detection and Management Forestry, in press.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: T. Shidore and L. Triplett. Toxin-Antitoxin systems of Erwinia amylovora impact persistence, biofilm formation and virulence. Formal poster presentation at the International Congress of Plant Pathology in Boston, MA, 29 July-3 Aug 2018 (Poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: C. Rutledge. Trapping Bronze Birch Borer Agrilus anxius (Gory). Presentation at the Preparing Europe for invasion by EAB and BBB conference in Vienna, Austria, Oct. 1-4 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: T. Shidore and L. Triplett. Impact of Toxin-Antitoxin systems on persistence and fitness of fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Sussex Plant Biology Symposium, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT, 14 Sept 2018
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: T. Shidore and L. Triplett. A weapon of suicide or warfare: Understanding the functions of the bacterial virulence effector and universal toxin AvrRxo1. Invited seminar speaker at University of Arizona, Penn State University, and Virginia Tech. Sept. 26th, Oct. 23rd, and Nov. 6th, 2017.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: B. Steven. Biological Soil Crusts as a Model for Soil Carbon Cycling in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Connecticut in Storrs (December 4, 2018)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: B. Steven. "Desert Biological Soil Crusts as a Model for Soil Carbon Cycling" at Eastern Connecticut State University, Department of Biology (October 9, 2018).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: W. Elmer. Using Mineral Nutrition to Prevent Diseases in Greenhouse Crops. University of Massachusetts Extension, Marlboro, MA, January 9, 2019.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: W. Elmer. Can Nanoparticles Be Used to Control Plant Diseases?, Ag Bio Innovate Conference, San Francisco, CA July 10th 2018
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: W. Elmer. Using nanoparticles of metalloids and metallic oxides in plant disease suppression at the International Congress of Plant Pathology, Boston, MA, July 31, 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: W. Elmer. Using nanoparticles of metalloids and metallic oxides in plant disease suppression at the Sussex Plant Biology Symposium, New Haven, CT, Sept 14, 2018
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: W. Elmer. Nanoparticles in Plant Disease Control. Invited seminar, Department of Plant Science at the University of Connecticut, Storrs CT, February 9, 2018
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: W. Elmer. Using Mineral nutrition to prevent root-borne pathogens. Webinar Series: Rooting for Success: Managing the Root Zone for Healthy Plants February 28, 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: W. Elmer. Nanotechnology and its Increasing Role in IPM. International Integrated Pest Management Meeting held in Baltimore, MD March 21, 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: W. Elmer. Use of nanoparticles of metallic oxides for plant disease control. Rutgers University Seminar series, New Brunswick, NJ, October 20, 2017.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: W. Elmer. How nutrition can affect contagious plant disease. University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension, New Haven, CT, September 21, 2017
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: W. Elmer. Use of nanoparticles of micronutrient to suppress root disease and enhance plant health. 50th Congress of the Brazilian Phytopathology Society, Uberlandia, Brazil, August 22, 2017.


Progress 01/01/17 to 12/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The project primarily targeted students that had completed one or two years toward a college biology or chemistry degree and had not yet had the opportunity to perform paid research in a lab. Of our 10 summer interns, 3 were underrepresented minorities and 5 were first-generation students. The project also provided mentorship training and experience to 10 project mentors. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training opportunities for the 10 undergraduate student participants, as mentioned above, included one-on-one lab mentorship training for nine weeks. Professional development opportunities created for the students include three training seminars in lab safety, field safety, and scientific communication; four training workshops in field plot design and data analysis; and five career awareness seminars. Mentors participated in a required two-hour pre-internship training workshop, addressing the goals of the program and the desired learning outcomes. Student and mentor training presentations created for this internship will be posted online after the second year of the program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Student presentations at Plant Science Day were visited by over 40 members of the general public. To inform potential future applicants about the program, we have posted photos and research symposium presentations of last year's students to the program website, www.planthealthfellows.com. Other data and lesson plans developed through this program will be published at the end of the grant period. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Recruiting for our Summer 2018 Plant Health and Protection Fellows Program has begun. We anticipate an increase in applicants. We will continue most aspects of the program that we initiated in our first year. Minor adjustments will be made based on student feedback, such as increasing the opportunities for scientific communication training and graduate school preparation. We are also replacing some of the field trips with those that are of greater interest to students.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goals of the project: The goal of this project is to establish a new summer research fellowship program, Summer Undergraduate Fellows in Plant Health and Protection program, to provided diverse agricultural research opportunities to students with no prior research experience in a small, confidence-building setting. The program, in a new collaboration between Southern Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Agricultural ExperimentStation, aimed to target first-time researchers who are members of underrepresented minority (URM) groups or first-generation college students for recruitment. There are three main student-centered objectives: (1) Build student competence in basic skills and understanding of research concepts (2) Increase student scientific communication and leadership skills (3) Increase student knowledge and confidence regarding agricultural careers This period resulted in significant progress toward all main goals of the project. Program recruitment activities of e-mailing brochures, posting to job boards, intern fair attendance, social media posts, and a website resulted in 55 applicants nationwide for 10 openings. Applicants were evaluated based on recommendation letters, grades, and personal statements. All 10 invited students chose to participate in the program. 2017 participants included two rising sophomores, six rising juniors, and two rising seniors. All ten (100%) were participating in their first paid research experience. Three (30%) were from URM groups (i.e., self-identified as African American, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic) and five (50%) were first-generation college students. Interns participated in research projects under the mentorship of scientists at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU; two mentors) and the nearby Connecticut Agricultural ExperimentStation (CAES; eight mentors), and received housing and meals at SCSU. Intern activities included 35 hours per week (for 9 weeks) of work on research projects and career development. All projects focused on the theme of plant health, including projects in plant pathology, entomology, plant physiology, and analytical chemistry. Eight of 10 projects (80%) involved field or greenhouse experimentation. Four students generated data that was used in formal research presentations at professional conferences, and two of these students were co-authors of those presentations. In addition to individual projects, students gained scientific skills through lab safety training, field safety training, and participation in a group field project. The field project was designed to illuminate the basic process of conducting a field plot experiment, and consisted of a randomized plot design lesson, a field planting and inoculation session, a disease rating session, and a data analysis session. Students were not involved in chemical treatment of plants, which was performed once prior to planting. The project resulted in the first year of data for a planned publication on the effects of nanoscale nutrients on growth and Fusarium wilt of Chrysanthemum. Three different nanoparticle treatments were found to significantly enhance plant growth and abrogated the effects of disease as well as a fungicide treatment. Students self-reported increases in research skills and confidence through three levels of assessment: a formative interview, an anonymous national survey conducted pre-and post-internship, and an anonymous in-house survey at the end of the program, using a ranking system of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). In addition, mentors also participated in an in-house survey at the end of the program. Formative assessments consisted of a 10-minute standardized interview with each intern aimed at early identification of any problems in the research projects or mentoring relationships. These interviews uncovered no major problems and revealed a high degree of satisfaction of most of the participants. However, some interns did point out opportunities for improvement in logistics and communication methods, as well as additional training that would be useful, which will be incorporated next year. Interns also participated in a nationwide online pre- and post-internship survey through the Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) conducted by David Lopatto and Leslie Jaworski, www.grinnell.edu/academics/areas/psychology/assessments/sure-iii-survey. The interns showed learning gains in several areas including: ability to analyze data, learning laboratory techniques, understanding the research process and how scientists think, and learning to work independently. At the end of the program, students assessed the quality of the mentoring and their research project in an anonymous survey. The interns generally reported a high degree of satisfaction with the availability and patience of their mentor and the comprehensiveness of the instruction they received, and reported feeling comfortable asking questions of their mentor. Interns highly ranked statements relating to research skills and confidence, responding with a score of 4.8 to the statement "This program gave me a better understanding of plant health and protection issues"; 4.7 to the statement "Through this program, I learned new skills that will be useful in the future" and 4.8 to the statement "This program helped me become more confident as a researcher." In addition to the interns self-reporting their own progress, each mentor assessed student gains in research skills and understanding at the end of the program. Mentors reported positive gains in general and project-specific skills as well as increased understanding in their respective research areas. The students participated in three career development activities aimed at increasing scientific communication skills: 1) through participating in a 2-hour interactive scientific communication workshop, 2) presenting the results of their group field plot experiment to a general audience at CAES Plant Science Day, an agricultural fair open to the public, and 3) presenting their individual research projects to an audience of 40 CAES researchers at a closing research symposium. Student presentations at the research symposium were assessed by three scientists not involved with the program based on clarity, organization, quality of scientific explanations, engagement, and professionalism. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being exceptional, scores ranged from 3.7 to 4.7. On the SURE survey interns showed learning gains in how to properly deliver oral presentations to general and scientific audiences. Students participated in five enrichment activities throughout the program to increase their knowledge of opportunities in agricultural careers. This included career talks from the state plant diagnostician, the state nursery and forest health inspector, an organic farm manager, a botanical garden manager, and the staff of the Monsanto Boston branch. In the end-of-program anonymous survey, interns rated the statement "This program helped me better understand my career options related to agriculture and the environment" with 4.4 of 5, and rated the statement "This program helped me understand what type of career I am interested or not interested in" with a 3.9. In the open comment section the students made several helpful suggestions for improved career preparation activities, such as graduate school preparation and additional communication practice, which will be incorporated into the program for next year.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: The effects of nanosilver on the interactions between Solanum tuberosum and the environment. Nubia Zuverza-Mena, Mikayla Mclaughlin, Taylor Abendroth, Roberto De La Torre-Roche, Chuanxin Ma, and Jason White. Poster presentation at the Southern Connecticut State University Biology Department Research Symposium in New Haven, CT, December 8, 2017.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Trapping the Bronze Birch Borer,�Agrilus anxius. Claire Rutledge. Poster presentation at the Annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Denver, CO, November 5-8 2017.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Fungi, Fescue, and a tripartite microbial mutalism.� Elizabeth Lewis Roberts. Oral presentation at 52 Annual ASM Region I Meeting October 13 2017.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Survey of toxin-antitoxin system distribution and diversity among genomes of plant-associated bacteria. Lindsay Triplett and Claire Walsh. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society in San Antonio, TX, August 5-9, 2017.