Progress 04/01/18 to 03/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The Experiential Professional Leadership Opportunities in Research and Extension (EXPLORE) Project reached a target audience that included undergraduates interested in agricultural-related issues specific to research, extension, and teaching, faculty in the Louisiana State University College of Agriculture, LSU AgCenter and partnering institutions within the state of Louisiana. Changes/Problems:The only major changes that have occured in our project are staffing related. Both of our original Co-PI's have accepted positions elsewhere and left LSU Baton Rouge. As a result, one of our lead mentors Monica Guient agreed to serve as Co-PI in the final year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for professional development and training provided during The Experiential Professional Leadership Opportunities in Research and Extension (EXPLORE) Project included the following components: 1) Two-day Ag CLASSIC Workshop (CLASSIC Acronym representing: Communication, Leadership Advancement, and Soft Skills In Careers). This workshop was held on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge at the beginning of the summer and facilitated by one of our Co-PIs Dr. Leslie Blanchard who was the Assistant Dean of the College of Agriculture at LSU during this time. Topics included effective communication in science-intensive subjects, presentation and public speaking skills, leadership competency, effectively working in teams, group dynamics, and conflict resolution. 2) Two-day culminating workshop-(résumé building seminar provided by the LSU Olinde Career Center, mock interviews with industry partners, and professional presentations). This workshop was held on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge at the end of the internship experience. Interns worked with representatives from the Olinde Center to create and polish their résumés, and participated in actual interviews with representatives from their field. 3) Ten professional development workshops centered on the NACE Career Readiness Competencies. The workshops were held virtually and included speakers from the AgCenter, LSU A&M campus, and the larger agriculture community. Training activities provided during the Project EXPLORE internship included: 1) Ten-week immersion in content-based internship rotations that included one-to-one faculty mentoring, bi-weekly evaluations, industry participation via visits and job shadowing, research, and experiential engagement (e.g., laboratory and field work, scientific inquiry, Project Narrative experimental investigations, etc.). Students were required to keep a professional journal and to take photos and video footage during their internship. 2) Additionally, students used their journals, pictures, and footage from the internship experience to create a recording of a professional presentation in their chosen field. The video library was used for students to self-reflect and receive feedback on their presentations and for outreach. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of The Experiential Professional Leadership Opportunities in Research and Extension (EXPLORE) Project were disseminated to communities of interest through promotional marketing through social media portals, specifically the LSU AgCenter YouTube Channel where the final projects from each intern were recorded, shared and posted across multiple media channels. Dissemination also included word-of-mouth specifically among particpants and mentors involved in the project, and in-person meetings between the Project Director and partnering institutions. In addition, Project EXPLORE collaborators from other institutions were invited to LSU main campus to attend the final presentations portion of the internship showcasing the work completed by all interns during the program. 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 Experiential Professional Leadership Opportunities in Research and Extension (EXPLORE) Project provided a 10-week internship experience focusing on developing undergraduates' knowledge and skills in agricultural research, encouraging undergraduates to pursue graduate studies in agricultural sciences, and expanding the diversity of the talent pool in the agricultural workforce. The students were supported by faculty mentors within the Louisiana State University College of Agriculture, LSU AgCenter and partnering institutions such as Southeastern Louisiana Universityand Baton Rouge Community College. Project EXPLORE efforts strategically recruited and mentored underrepresented and disadvantaged students, utilized collaborations among partnering institutions to do so, and created a successful program model that was fruitful for faculty and students in agriculture. These partnerships contribute to the development and expansion of a robust, talented, and competent agricultural workforce for the 21st century. The internships boasted a variety of content with twenty-four experiences that impacted a total of thirty-six individual undergraduate students. All opportunities included specialized training, lab experiences, industry job shadowing, and one-on-one weekly professional evaluation meetings with mentors. Students were required to keep a professional journal and to take photos and video footage during their internship. After the field-work portion of the internship concluded, students participated in a 2-day induction focused on communication strategies, presentation skills, leadership, and résumé preparation. Interns were responsible for providing 3 deliverables: 1) Résumés: With updates using newly acquired skills and knowledge gained during their internship, these résumés will prepare undergraduates for industry or graduate school placement. 2) Presentations/Videos: Students used their journals, pictures, and footage to create a presentation in their chosen field. These presentations were recorded and disbursed in a video library to be used by students for self-reflection, to receive feedback on their presentation and for outreach. 3) Conference Presentation: Students were given the option to feature their presentation at a conference or professional meeting of their choice. The completion of the 10-week internship field experience and the accomplishments presented by the interns on the above mentioned deliverable tasks supported the overall goal of Project EXPLORE to offer strategic workforce development that will increase the number and improve the quality of graduates entering the agricultural industry. The EXPLORE Project combined innovative and creative approaches to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems. The results and accomplishments of these goals can be viewed in the final presentations of the interns who participated in this project. Each presentation is categorized below to match one of the overarching pillars of the project. These pillars include 1.satisfy human food and fiber needs; 2.enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; 3.make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; 4.sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and 5.enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. Each presentation includes the corresponding intern name, year, major activities completed / experiments conducted, data collected, summary statistics and discussion of results and key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. A.) Satisfy human food and fiber needs 1) Andrea Messi (B.R. Community College, 2018): Value-added Dairy https://youtu.be/GG0u6V8tJtE 2) Kristy Trahan (LSU, 2018): DNA Vaccine Construction, Testing, Strategic Management of Beef Cattle https://youtu.be/A0Lnba9GaHM 3) Mia Baker & Mary Duet (LSU, 2018): Food Access https://youtu.be/1pAx2RRnl6I 4) Trista Gallivan (LSU, 2018): Food Safety-Risk Assessment https://youtu.be/iaUrbHCnmuI 5) Dana deRiancho (LSU, 2019): Value-added Dairy https://youtu.be/cDFWFNGY4I8 6) Jessica Trammel (LSU, 2019): Food Safety-Risk Assessment and Biosecurity in Seafood Processing https://youtu.be/XMvQtfLsS-s B.) Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends 1) Asija Rice (Southern University, Baton Rouge 2018): USDA Pollinator Protection Research https://youtu.be/ZyneHB57U5s 2) Jerry Dunbar, Jr (B.R. Community College, 2018): Plant Diagnostics https://youtu.be/dqcP5BQX3cI 3) Elayne Elnaggar (LSU, 2019): USDA Pollinator Protection Research https://youtu.be/V_6dUV1jSrk C.) Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls 1) Caitlynn Moore (LSU, 2018): Cryogenic Testing and Teaching: Aquatic Germplasm & Genetic Research Center https://youtu.be/z6dkIzVX-qY 2) Sarah Thomas & Layni LeBlanc (LSU, 2018): Conservation Genetics for Softshell Turtles https://youtu.be/E4rJlfG5xSY 3) Emily Shenk (LSU, 2018): Ornamental Horticulture Production Research https://youtu.be/Ewvq-6zPMkE 4) Jesse Pierce, Conan Escajeda, Rodney Purdey (LSU, 2018): Community Horticulture https://youtu.be/-t--fG1ZPFI 5) Drew McMahon (LSU, 2019): Evaluating Distribution Uniformity of Agricultural Sprinkler Systems in La. https://youtu.be/8QWKl-sBiyM 6) Alexia Desoto (LSU, 2019): Evaluating Distribution Uniformity of Agricultural Sprinkler Systems https://youtu.be/Ovg2-IsLJU8 7) Alfreeda Azad (LSU, 2019): Cryogenic Testing & Teaching: Aquatic Germplasm & Genetic Resource Center https://youtu.be/gus6UJR-GdE 8) Tywin Tate (LSU, 2019): Ornamental Horticulture Production Research https://youtu.be/a-9wrrP1Few D.) Sustain the economic viability of farm operations 1) Dennis Carriere (LSU, 2018): Agricultural Business-Using Data, Models and Statistics in Farm Operations and Rural Communities https://youtu.be/jxMZ6WK-yDI 2) Matthew Heyer (LSU, 2019): Crops, production & pest management - Central Region https://youtu.be/7v1gPSoWSEo E.) Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. 1) Alexandra Haynes (LSU, 2018): Agricultural Education/FFA Advisement https://youtu.be/63-E4InHInk 2) Amari Baker (LSU, 2018): LSU AgCenter/LSU College of Agriculture Communications https://youtu.be/Sqc8zdrBqcw 3) Carly Boudreaux (LSU, 2018): Extension 4-H Youth Development https://youtu.be/sCEEabvYNxA 4) Lindsey Johnson (LSU, 2019): Extension 4-H Youth Development https://youtu.be/x3fHuLpgFkc 5) Eden Schexnayder (LSU, 2019): Extension 4-H Youth Development https://youtu.be/YKYd72mMMSo 6) Preston Dumont (LSU, 2019): Social Networking for Public Gardens https://youtu.be/7O73BLcQz0g 7) Brianna Cobb (LSU, 2019): LSU AgCenter/LSU College of Ag Communications https://youtu.be/0i6rr9qhn9w 8) Conan Escajeda (Southern University BR, 2019): Arboriculture at Burden https://youtu.be/keYgExDcEws
Publications
|
Progress 04/01/19 to 03/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Project EXPLORE targeted undergraduate students in agricultural fields for recruitment purposes. These students were from the Baton Rouge main campus of Louisiana State University, three community colleges (LSU-Eunice, Louisiana Delta Community College and Baton Rouge Community College), and one historically black university (Southern University Baton Rouge. The target was to select 20 students to participate in the internship experience, 1/2 from LSU and 1/2 from partner institutions. Changes/Problems:The only major changes that have occured in our project are staffing related. Both of our Co-PI's have accepted positions elsewhere and left LSU Baton Rouge. As a result, one of our lead mentors Dr. Janet Fox has agreed to serve as Co-PI in the upcoming years. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The intial training was provided for mentors and students prior to the kickoff of the internship experiences. The training which we call AgCLASSIC- Communications, Leadership, And Soft Skills In Careers- offered developmental opportunities for students in the areas of resume building, effective communication strategies, and individualized leadership assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses. Those leadership comptencies that were identified as "weaknesses" for the students served as the focus areas for workforce development during the ten week internship experiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The students presented the results of their research as well as summaries of their internship experiences at a culminating workshop held in August for all stakeholders. Additionally, three of the students presented their research at student conferences. Asija Rice won a travel scholarship and attended the IPPS (International Plant Propagator Society) annual conference in Chattanooga TN, Oct. 21 to 24, and presented her summer research study as a poster. She has also submitted a paper to the student paper competition under the Southern Region IPPS and that paper was published in the conference proceeding on-line. Here's a link to the meeting:http://admin.ipps.org/uploads//2018_IPPS_Chattanooga_Brochure.pdf). Emily Schenk's project from the past summer was a great fit for the Southern Nursery Association' Bryson L. James Student Competition. This annual competition is an outlet for students in Ornamental Horticulture programs throughout the south.The competition is part of the Southern Nursery Association's annual research conference, and involves a paper submission that is reviewed and published and a student presentation. The conference was held Monday-Tuesday January 7th and 8th in Baltimore, MD. Dennis Carriere, another EXPLORE intern, performed a Big Data Analytics internship that was a huge success. As a result of the skills he obtained, he applied for and received an analytics internship for Spring and Summer 2019 with Community Coffee here in Baton Rouge. He will be working 20 hours per week with them earning $20/hour. His particular skills in working with large databases, structuring data and visualizing data gave him a competitive edge over others that applied. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to replicate the same activities that were conducted during the 2018-19 academic year with the upcoming group during the 2019-20 academic year. There will be an increased push for more students to present their work at conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Thirteen student interns completed our ten-week summer program. They participated in a two-day introductory training that included leadership development, communication skills, and resume tips. The group then dispersed to participate in the individual internship experiences for ten weeks. At the end of the internship experiences, the students came back together to participate in mock interviews with industry partners and to present their research and a summary of their internship experience to project partners, faculty, and EXPLORE directors.
Publications
|
Progress 04/01/18 to 03/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Project EXPLORE targeted undergraduate students in agricultural fields for recruitment purposes. These students were from the Baton Rouge main campus of Louisiana State University, threecommunity colleges (LSU-Eunice, Louisiana Delta Community Collegeand Baton Rouge Community College), and one historically black university (Southern University Baton Rouge. The target was to select 20 students to participate in the internship experience, 1/2 from LSU and 1/2 from partner institutions. Changes/Problems:The only major changes that have occured in our project are staffing related. Both of our Co-PI's have accepted positions elsewhere and left LSU Baton Rouge. As a result, one of our lead mentors Dr. Janet Fox has agreed to serve as Co-PI in the upcoming years. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The intial training was provided for mentors and students prior to the kickoff of the internship experiences. The training which we call AgCLASSIC- Communications, Leadership, And Soft Skills In Careers- offered developmental opportunities for students in the areas of resume building, effective communication strategies, and individualized leadership assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses. Those leadership comptencies that were identified as "weaknesses" for the students served as the focus areas for workforce development during the ten week internship experiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The students presented the results of their research as well as summaries of their internship experiences at a culminating workshop held in August for all stakeholders. Additionally, three of the students presented their research at student conferences.Asija Rice won a travel scholarship andattended the IPPS (International Plant Propagator Society) annual conference in Chattanooga TN, Oct. 21 to 24, and presented her summer research study as a poster.She has also submitted a paper to the student paper competition under the Southern Region IPPS and that paper waspublished in the conference proceeding on-line. Here's a link to the meeting:http://admin.ipps.org/uploads//2018_IPPS_Chattanooga_Brochure.pdf). Emily Schenk's project from thepast summer wasa great fit for the Southern Nursery Association' Bryson L. James Student Competition. This annual competition is anoutlet for students in Ornamental Horticulture programs throughout the south.The competition is part of the Southern Nursery Association's annual research conference, and involves a paper submission that is reviewed and published and a student presentation.Theconference was heldMonday-Tuesday January 7thand 8thin Baltimore, MD. Dennis Carriere, another EXPLORE intern,performed a Big Data Analytics internship that wasa huge success. As a result of the skills he obtained, he applied for and received an analytics internship for Spring and Summer 2019 with Community Coffee here in Baton Rouge. He will be working 20 hours per week with them earning $20/hour. His particular skills in working with large databases, structuring data and visualizing data gave him a competitive edge over others that applied. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to replicate the same activities that were conducted during the 2018-19 academic year with the upcoming group during the 2019-20 academic year. There will be an increased push for more students to present their work at conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
20 student interns completed our ten-week summer program. They participated in a two-day introductory training that included leadership development, communication skills, and resume tips. The group then dispersed to participate in the individual internship experiences for ten weeks. At the end of the internship experiences, the students came back together to participate in mock interviews with industry partners and to present their research and a summary of their internship experience to project partners, faculty, and EXPLORE directors.
Publications
|