Progress 04/01/23 to 03/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is undergraduate students interested in Food Science, Food Processing, and Food-Related disciplines and Instructors in these fields. Changes/Problems:•Biweekly student check-in are critical. •Students liked earning industry certifications as part of courses. •Students over-rated their skill-set prior to internships. •Completion of pre and post surveys was a challenge. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students gained professional training through the embedded internships and in-class HACCP workshops. Excerpt from student: "I demonstrated integrity and ethics. At my internship, there are strict rules on PPE to help keep everyone safe. Sometimes people do not adhere to these rules and end up getting hurt. I always followed the rules and regulations to prevent hurting myself or others....I am also good at learning from my mistakes and reflecting on my work, whether it be mistakes or accomplishments. Reflection has allowed me to take time to realize how I can improve in the future and, in return, set goals for myself." Students liked working with industry professionals in breakout sessions during the HACCP and FSMA trainings to learn about real world problems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?From the previous year one intern was able to present her findings at an on-campus research symposium. Members of theproject team have been able to disseminate the grant aims and strategies to on campus communities as part of ongoingstrategic planning efforts. The project is mentioned in a recent publication by one of the co-PIs as an example of howcurricular initiatives can be supported through better institutional data strategies [Trogden, B. G., Kennedy, C., & Biyani, N. K.(2022). Mapping and Making Meaning from Undergraduate Student Engagement in HighImpact Educational Practices.Innovative Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-022-09608-70]. The project team will be submitting a manuscriptpresenting the cumulative data from grant year 1, and the co-authors include the PI, co-PIs, and graduate research assistant.We presented a progress report to the USDA combined directors meeting in April of 2023. The results have also been disseminated at the Association of Undergraduate Education at Research Universities Conference inWashington, D.C. on 1/2024. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?•Future directions include: •More integration into the curriculum. •Longer term projects (infancy to completion). •Use survey results to modify/improve program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
•This Education REEU project involves undergraduate education activities in instruction, laboratory,practicum/internship/student experiential learning, and professional/workforce development. Our Student learning and programatic outcomes are as follows: 1: Students will explore issues in food science to determine how they affect citizens and communities. (SLO1) • Student learning outcome 2: Implement methods or activities to address an agricultural community need or issue using existing scholarship or original research and inquiry. (SLO2) • Programmatic outcome 1: The program will increase student participation in dissemination activities such as public/K-12 forums and events and presentations/posters at professional meetings and conferences. (PO1) • Programmatic outcome 2: The program will prepare students to define and meet their career goals in agriculture-relatedExtension, service, research, and/or advanced academic study. (PO2) • Programmatic outcome 3: The program will providefaculty development for activities that integrate Extension and engagement into the curriculum and co-curriculum. (PO3) •Students in the project are working on food and agriculture projects through 3 semesters of their Extension-Integratedcoursework and, for 7 students each year, through an Embedded Extension Internship. Professional "Core Competencies"are integrated into the program in the junior and senior year. •100+ students have engaged in extension-infused course activities. •40 students have earned professional certifications (HACCP and FSMA). •Students have gained proficiency in core career competencies, growing as a professional, using technology, making real world connections, communicating, self-awareness.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Trogden, N. Northcutt, J.K., Dawson, P. Thompson, A., and Cochran, B. 2024. Life, Work, and Citizenship: Improving Student Learning and World Readiness through Changes to a Food Science Program. Association of Undergraduate Education at Research Universities Conference. Washington, D.C. 1/2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Dawson, P. 2023. Enriching the Professional Preparation of Food Science Students
Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates. Combined Project Directors Meeting for USDA grants in Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grant Program, Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP), and Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU). April 19-21, 2023.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Thompson, Alex; Trogden, Bridget G.; Northcutt, Julie; Dawson, Paul. Impacts of Curricular and Internship Engaged Learning Activities on Developing Professional Core Competencies for Food Science Students. Journal of Higher Education. (in progress)
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Progress 04/01/22 to 03/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is undergraduate students interested in Food Science, Food Processing, and Food-Related disciplines and Instructors in these fields. Changes/Problems:•Biweekly student check-in are critical. •Students liked earning industry certifications as part of courses. •Students over-rated their skill-set prior to internships. •Completion of pre and post surveys was a challenge. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students gained professional training through the embedded internships and in-class HACCP workshops. Excerpt from student: "I demonstrated integrity and ethics. At my internship, there are strict rules on PPE to help keep everyone safe. Sometimes people do not adhere to these rules and end up getting hurt. I always followed the rules and regulations to prevent hurting myself or others....I am also good at learning from my mistakes and reflecting on my work, whether it be mistakes or accomplishments. Reflection has allowed me to take time to realize how I can improve in the future and, in return, set goals for myself." Students liked working with industry professionals in breakout sessions during the HACCP and FSMA trainings to learn about real world problems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?From the previous year one intern was able to present her findings at an on-campus research symposium. Members of the project team have been able to disseminate the grant aims and strategies to on-campus communities as part of ongoing strategic planning efforts. The project is mentioned in a recent publication by one of the co-PIs as an example of how curricular initiatives can be supported through better institutional data strategies Trogden, B. G., Kennedy, C., & Biyani, N. K. (2022). Mapping and Making Meaning from Undergraduate Student Engagement in High-Impact Educational Practices. Innovative Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-022-09608-70]. The project team will be submitting a manuscript presenting the cumulative data from grant year 1, and the co-authors include the PI, co-PIs, and graduate research assistant. We presented a progress report to the USDA combined directors meeting in April of 2023. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?•Future directions include: •More integration into the curriculum. •Longer term projects (infancy to completion). •Use survey results to modify/improve program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
•This Education REEU project involves undergraduate education activities in instruction, laboratory, practicum/internship/student experiential learning, and professional/workforce development. OurStudent learning and programatic outcomes are as follows 1: Students will explore issues in food science to determine how they affect citizens and communities. (SLO1) • Student learning outcome 2: Implement methods or activities to address an agricultural community need or issue using existing scholarship or original research and inquiry. (SLO2) • Programmatic outcome 1: The program will increase student participation in dissemination activities such as public/K-12 forums and events and presentations/posters at professional meetings and conferences. (PO1) • Programmatic outcome 2: The program will prepare students to define and meet their career goals in agriculture-related Extension, service, research, and/or advanced academic study. (PO2) • Programmatic outcome 3: The program will provide faculty development for activities that integrate Extension and engagement into the curriculum and co-curriculum. (PO3) •Students in the project are working on food and agriculture projects through 3 semesters of their Extension-Integrated coursework and, for 7 students each year, through an Embedded Extension Internship. Professional "Core Competencies" are integrated into the program in the junior and senior year. •79 students have engaged in extension-infused course activities. •35 students have earned professional certifications (HACCP and FSMA). •Students have gained proficiency in core career competencies, growing as a professional, using technology, making real-world connections, communicating, self-awareness.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Thompson, Alex; Trogden, Bridget G.; Northcutt, Julie; Dawson, Paul. Impacts of Curricular and Internship Engaged Learning Activities on Developing Professional Core Competencies for Food Science Students. Journal of Higher Education. (in progress)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Dawson, P. 2023. Enriching the Professional Preparation of Food Science Students
Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates. Combined Project Directors Meeting for USDA grants in Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grant Program, Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP), and Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU). April 19-21, 2023
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Progress 04/01/21 to 03/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is undergraduate students interested in Food Science, Food Processing, and Food-Related disciplines and Instructors in these fields. Changes/Problems:Other than COVID pandemic related disruptions, project and activities are proceeding according to plan. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students in fall courses were given the opportunity to complete training in the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) and certification as FSMA Preventative Controlled Qualified Individuals (PCQI). They worked alongside industry professionals and completed lectures, team-based problem-solving activities, and critical thinking exercises alongside their industry partners. Students in spring courses in food chemistry and analysis participated in Extension-embedded lab activities where they subjected food products to shelf-stability tests. Students in summer internships meet biweekly with the educational team to discuss the development of career core competencies contextualized to their internship experiences. All summer interns also created professional development portfolios to document and reflect upon their training and professional development. The results of our data analysis show trends in the development of the student participants. In particular, the students describe the importance of growing as a professional through gaining confidence, comfort with uncertainty, being vulnerable, and being adaptable. They describe the importance of using technology in a professional context, especially in meeting customer needs and gaining competence in the technology, tools, methods, and machines of their industries. Making real-world connections was also a large trend in the student data, as they were applying their burgeoning professional knowledge to perform job-related tasks and follow regulatory laws and procedures. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Travel restrictions due to the COVID pandemic and its surges limited the ability of student participants and the grants team to travel for public or professional dissemination purposes. One intern was able to present her findings at an on-campus research symposium. Members of the project team have been able to disseminate the grant aims and strategies to on-campus communities as part of ongoing strategic planning efforts. The project is mentioned in a recent publication by one of the co-PIs as an example of how curricular initiatives can be supported through better institutional data strategies [Trogden, B. G., Kennedy, C., & Biyani, N. K. (2022). Mapping and Making Meaning from Undergraduate Student Engagement in High-Impact Educational Practices. Innovative Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-022-09608-70]. The project team will be submitting a manuscript presenting the cumulative data from grant year 1, and the co-authors include the PI, co-PIs, and graduate research assistant. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We intend to continue our good progress on SLO1, SLO2, and PO2, measuring the quantitative and qualitative impact of program activities at the end of each semester. Now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, we intend to increase our efforts in PO1 and PO3 to improve dissemination and faculty development activities, respectively.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have a data and evaluation plan for each of the student learning and programmatic outcomes. Combined results from years one and two of the project are described below. Specifically, the goals of the project are: Student learning outcome 1: Students will explore issues in food science to determine how they affect citizens and communities. (SLO1) Student learning outcome 2: Implement methods or activities to address an agricultural community need or issue using existing scholarship or original research and inquiry. (SLO2) Programmatic outcome 1: The program will increase student participation in dissemination activities such as public/K-12 forums and events and presentations/posters at professional meetings and conferences. (PO1) Programmatic outcome 2: The program will prepare students to define and meet their career goals in agriculture-related Extension, service, research, and/or advanced academic study. (PO2) Programmatic outcome 3: The program will provide faculty development for activities that integrate Extension and engagement into the curriculum and co-curriculum. (PO3) For SLO 1, SLO2, and PO2, the grant project activities have directly impacted 72 students to-date. Of those 72 students, 73% are female, 17% are underrepresented by race, and 39% are first-generation college students. Students have participated in an array of curricular-based activities, industry certifications, and internships. Student participants have also earned industry certifications in HAACP and FSMA and have created SOPs within food safety contexts. All students participate in a quantitative self-assessment of their career core competencies (Communication, Collaboration, Leadership, Adaptability, Analytical Skills, Technology, Self-Awareness, Integrity & Ethics, and Brand) at the start of each semester or internship (pre-survey) and at the end of the educational term or activity (post-survey). Students also perform reflections on their program activities and produce reports, reflections, and portfolios - all of which are coded qualitatively (open coding followed by consensus coding) and via rubric. Our assessment rubrics are adapted from the AAC&UVALUE rubrics project and allow us to assess the students' levels of performance on: (a) connecting experiences to academic knowledge; (b) adapting and applying skills, abilities, theories, or methodologies gained in one situation to new situations; (c) demonstrating a developing sense of the self as a learner, building on prior experiences to respond to new and challenging contexts; (d) topic selection for inquiry; (e) synthesizing existing knowledge, research, and views; (f) design process drawn from appropriate theoretical framework; (g) analysis of evidence; (h) conclusions drawn from inquiry findings; and (i) discussing limitations and implications of their work. Our research and assessment team found that students are performing at 'milestone' levels with an average score of 2.54 on a 4-point rubric, which is appropriate based upon national assessment and norming trends. PO1: The COVID pandemic and the surges ongoing through February 2022 prevented the full participation and engagement of students in public and professional dissemination activities. Camps and public venues were not available outlets for dissemination as younger members of the population were just getting vaccinated, and undergraduate student travel was prohibited by Clemson University except in rare circumstances. One student intern was able to publicly present findings of her Extension-embedded internship on food insecurity at an on-campus poster session, and attendees were impressed with her project and her professional skills. The grants team intends to put more efforts into programmatic outcome 1 activities for the next year. PO3: Eighteen members of the faculty in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science have attended meetings to engage in discussion and plan for integration of Extension and engagement activities in the curriculum. Three faculty have been fully invested in altering their courses to meet the grant aims. Two faculty have mentored students in the summer internships (in addition to industry and Extension mentors). Four faculty and two graduate assistants participated in performing assessment of student work according to the project assessment rubrics.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Kirby, Natalie. (2021). Creating Healthy Recipes for Food Pantry Users. Presented at the Clemson University Creative Inquiry Poster Symposium; Clemson, SC; August 17, 2022.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Thompson, Alex; Trogden, Bridget G.; Northcutt, Julie; Dawson, Paul. Impacts of Curricular and Internship Engaged Learning Activities on Developing Professional Core Competencies for Food Science Students. Journal of Higher Education. (in progress)
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Progress 04/01/20 to 03/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience isundergraduate students interstedin the Food Science, Food Processing and Food-Related Disciplines. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students were presented with various opportunities for training and professional development during grant year 1. Students participating in a fall 2020 special topics course were given the opportunity to complete training in the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA). This training was conducted virtually over the course of three days. Students worked alongside industry professionals and completed lectures, team-based problem-solving activities, and critical thinking exercises. Students who participated in this course received certification as FSMA Preventative Controlled Qualified Individuals (PCQI). Students from a food chemistry and analysis course participated in new laboratory activities that were recently added to the curriculum. These new laboratory activities included the analysis of actual products that had been submitted to Clemson Extension for shelf-stability testing. The students conducted tests identical to those performed on real-world products by Extension agents. Furthermore, students also formulated and developed barbecue sauces recipes and then subjected them to shelf-stability tests as if they were going to be brought to market. Student interns (seven total) were placed with various industry partners throughout South Carolina. Students were paired with mentors at these locations and worked with these mentors to develop individual projects based on relevant topics within the industry. Over the course of their 10-week internships students were exposed to the wide range of tasks and skills needed to perform well in the food industry. Students also generated reflective portfolios based around career ready competencies commonly accepted across industries. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A manuscript presenting the cumulative data from grant year 1 is being currently developed by the PI/Co-PIs/graduate research assistant. Due to issues relating to COVID-19, no community or public events for the dissemination of grant year 1 activities and data have been conducted to date. Dissemination events for both the grant team members and participating students are planned for the Fall 2021 academic semester. These events will include presentations at the campus, local, state, and national level. Presentations will be made for both public audiences and industry/academic professionals. Dissemination of this data will look to build interest at both the student and professional level in Extension-integrated courses and experiential learning. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In following our grant proposal and evaluation plan, we will be incorporating experiential learning, internships, and an enhanced emphasis on core competencies for the workplace or advanced graduate study into the curriculum and co-curriculum. Students will be performing class-based assignments and work and giving presentations on Extension-Integrated courses and Embedded Extension Internships. A subset of students (approx. 7 per year) will be performing internships with industry professionals. We will be continuing faculty development on infusing student learning and programmatic outcomes into their educational activities. The grants team (PI/Co-PIs/graduate research assistant) will lead a presentation and workshop at both department and university levels on implications and strengths of our educational approaches.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have a data and evaluation plan for each of the student learning and programmatic outcomes. Results from year one are as follows. Specifically, the goals of the project are: Student learning outcomes 1: Students will explore issues in food science to determine how they affect citizens and communities. (SLO1) Student learning outcomes 2: Implement methods or activities to address an agricultural community need or issue using existing scholarship or original research and inquiry. (SLO2) Programmatic outcome 1: The program will increase student participation in dissemination activities such as public/K-12 forums and events and presentations/posters at professional meetings and conferences. (PO1) Programmatic outcome 2: The program will prepare students to define and meet their career goals in agriculture-related Extension, service, research, and/or advanced academic study. (PO2) Programmatic outcome 3: The program will provide faculty development for activities that integrate Extension and engagement into the curriculum and co-curriculum. (PO3) SLO 1 and SLO 2: We analyzed two types of educational artifacts that students produced. Students who participated in industry certifications (HAACP and FSMA) as part of a course created reflections on their experiences, detailing how their undergraduate coursework prepared them, how real-world professional environments in courses impacted their learning, and how these helped with career goals. The reflections were scored according to educational assessment rubrics (AAC&U VALUE Rubrics - Integrative Learning and Lifelong Learning), ranging from 1 (benchmark) to 4 (capstone). Student reflections scored an average of 2.9 (std dev 0.3). Additionally, students in a different course investigated a real-world problem of creating and testing shelf-stable food products and created scientific presentations and reports based upon their findings. The presentations and reports were scored according to educational assessment rubrics (AAC&U VALUE Rubric - Inquiry & Analysis), ranging from 1 (benchmark) to 4 (capstone). Student reports and reflections scored an average of 2.8 (std dev 0.6). We will continue to analyze, add to our data set, and make adjustments based upon summer 2021 and future activities throughout the life of the grant. PO1: This outcome has not yet been measured, as student participation in dissemination activities will begin in August 2021 with year 2 of the grant and continue throughout the life of the grant. PO2: Students received training on career-ready competencies commonly accepted across industries and summer interns are completing reflective portfolios based upon their competencies, experiences, and goals. Students rated themselves across nine areas (communication, collaboration, leadership, adaptability, analytical skills, technology, self-awareness, integrity & ethics, and brand), using a 5-point scale (5=expert, 4=advanced, 3=intermediate, 2=basic, 1=awareness). On average, students ratings were at a 3.8 (std dev 0.8). Students rated themselves highest in the areas of integrity & ethics and lowest in the area of technology. We will be completing a full analysis of quantitative and qualitative data as students finish internships in August 2021, and will be correlating student self-reports with the assessments performed by their mentors. We will use all data generated as part of the continuous improvement cycles for our grant activities. PO3: To date, 18 faculty members have engaged in discussions and plans for integration of Extension and engagement activities into the curriculum. More activities and specific faculty training opportunities are in progress for year 2 of the grant.
Publications
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