Recipient Organization
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
1620 STANDLEY DR ACADEMIC RESH A RM 110
LAS CRUCES,NM 88003-1239
Performing Department
Ag & Extension Education
Non Technical Summary
Students in higher education settings choosing careers in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences can have a profound impact on communities, states, and the nation. Investment in students to bridge the knowledge and skill gaps present in educational settings by creating learning experiences with expert mentors may impact career success in a positive way. This project focuses on development of participants through expert mentors, involvement in research, and communicating to the public. Participants will gain knowledge and skills toward research, leadership, and communication practices appropriate in society.In New Mexico there are 13 experiment stations located across 33 counties where students will be able to conduct specific research and dissemination activities. Working with their expert mentors, participants will develop a research focus area, conduct research and develop a communication plan with faculty experts. The abilities and skills gained from students involved in this program should be increased towards their scientific knowledge and the ability to communicate it to the public. At the completion of this project, an increase in Hispanic and underrepresented minority student graduates equipped with advanced knowledge and skills will be able to enter the workforce and hold greater communication skills.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
0%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The aim of this proposal is to positively impact undergraduates through experiential learning that once completed in their respective degree programs students can enter the agricultural workforce with advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities at an increased capacity. Impacting Career Engagement in Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ICEnACES) will improve post-secondary instruction for undergraduate students in agricultural-related degree programs by providing experiential learning experiences through research and extension-based fellowship opportunities.The specific objectives aligned with this project are:1) Recruit underrepresented students in post-secondary education agricultural programs. In addition to the close linkage of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) with Indian Resources Development (IRD), the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) will assist using their statewide partnership of universities and colleges. New Mexico AMP goal is to increase underrepresented minority student involvement in undergraduate degrees, especially those with STEM foci.2) Match participants' research interests with experienced faculty mentors involved in conducting and disseminating research. Framed through student and mentor interactions throughout the project, a sense of community will be constructed. Culturally, many ethnicities value a sense of community and belonging, resulting in higher priority items of interest.3) Prepare participants for future careers in agriculture through research mentorship, internship, and fellowship opportunities, workshops, and presentation of findings to academic, local, and the larger community of agriculture. Participants will gain guided training and outreach opportunities framed by their specific research project area under the guidance of a mentor.
Project Methods
Impacting Career Engagement in Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ICEnACES) will improve post-secondary instruction for undergraduate students in agricultural-related degree programs by providing experiential learning experiences through research and extension-based fellowship opportunities. These experiences will enhance their knowledge and skills outside the formal classroom and elevate their knowledge and skills, especially focusing on underrepresented andeconomically disadvantaged groups through a minority-serving Land-Grant institution in the Southwest. Through these experiences, participants will engage in determining, solving, and disseminating complex solutions targeting agricultural production issues in arid and semi-arid lands, while also developing needed agriculturally based workforce skills.Once selected into ICEnACES, participants will attend one week of training and team building developed and led by faculty from NMSU AXED in Year 1 of the program. Training will be available online, and participants will have a Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) course site for communication with each other and the project team. Students will travel to Las Cruces in the first year of their experience and stay in a local hotel with all meals and local transportation provided. Leadership and research methods will frame this training for all new participants. Initial and continuous training will include research problem identification, research and Extension station tours, research skill workshops, ethical research practices, and mentorship opportunities and guidelines. Non-formal communication and instructional methods will guide second and third year participants to relate to learners and provide relevant materials appropriate to diversified audiences. At the first of each calendar year (January), a two-day meeting will occur with the participant and their mentor (either AES or CES) depending on the future internship/fellowship opportunity organized and led by faculty in AXED. The initial 2-day meeting will allow the participant guided by their AES mentor opportunities to refine their selected research problem and develop parameters for the summer internship. Each participant will experience an AES internship (8 weeks) initially (Year 2) and then experience a CES internship (8 weeks) in Year 3. Thus, each of the three proposed cohorts will begin with an initial introduction and leadership development workshop (Year 1), 2-day winter meeting (Year 2), an AES internship (Year 2) during the summer months, 2-day winter meeting (Year 3), and an CES internship (Year 3) during summer months aligned with a capstone project development and dissemination. Fellows will apply personality preferences to enhance conflict resolution, communication, decision-making, and change management through understanding of themselves and others by the Kirton Adaption Innovation Inventory (1999) guided by AXED faculty. The capstone project will culminate with a presentation of results both orally and via poster format where mentors, faculty, students, and family members will be invited. Items produced for this concluding event will be promoted for further review and circulation within the agricultural sector via regional and/national conferences.