Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Agricultural water pollution (AWP) remains a complex and global issue. New challenges are arising with agricultural intensification, emerging contaminants, and climate change. Research is needed to develop new knowledge usable at the operational level. Collaborations between scientists, engineers, decision makers and land managers are critical to transfer current and relevant knowledge to practice. Growing and innovating the field of agro-environmental science and engineering requires training agro-environmental scientists and engineers with a strong technical background, interdisciplinary skills, and collaborative competences and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce that brings a rich new range of perspectives, insights, and experiences.To address this workforce transformation and training need, a REEU program will be created to train students on the science, practice, and policy of AWP management. The program long-term goal is to grow and cultivate students' technical, problem-solving, interdisciplinary, and collaborative skills and prepare them for careers in academic research, extension, government, or industry to address sustainable agriculture challenges.This program includes research, education and extension experiences that will contribute to building students' interdisciplinary knowledge, problem solving, research and leadership skills. The main program activity consists of a hands-on research project that aims to produce scientific knowledge or tools relevant to AWP management. Students will also participate to a week long field trip in France.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
60%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
Agricultural water pollution (AWP) remains a complex and global issue. Research is needed to develop new knowledge usable at the operational level. Collaborations between scientists, engineers, decision makers and land managers are critical to transfer current and relevant knowledge to practice. Growing and innovating the field of agro-environmental science and engineering requires training agro-environmental scientists and engineers with a strong technical background, interdisciplinary skills, and collaborative competences and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce that brings a rich new range of perspectives, insights, and experiences.To address this workforce transformation and training need, a REEU program will be created to train students on the science, practice, and policy of AWP management. The program long-term goal is to grow and cultivate students' technical, problem-solving, interdisciplinary, and collaborative skills and prepare them for careers in academic research, extension, government, or industry to address sustainable agriculture challenges. The program objectives are to: i) recruit and mentor a diverse team of undergraduate fellows, ii) provide students in agricultural and environmental sciences and engineering, or related disciplines, with hands-on experience in research and extension; iii) broaden fellows' interdisciplinary and intercultural skills by learning from and engaging with various actors involved in AWP mitigation in the US and during an extension abroad trip to France, (iv) expose fellows to career opportunities in agro-environmental science and engineering and provide mentoring, leadership skills training, and career advice required for success in these careers.
Project Methods
This program includes research, education and extension experiences that will contribute to building students' interdisciplinary knowledge, problem solving, research and leadership skills.At the beginning of the program, fellows will receive hands-on training to provide them the necessary background before the research-intensive phase and extension abroad. These activities will be led by the PDs who are all experienced in undergraduate training. Topics that will be covered include: (i) an overview of the main pollutants from agricultural sources, (ii) demonstration of the fundamental hydrologic and biogeochemical processes involved in contaminant transport and fate in agro-environmental systems, (iii) in-situ monitoring of AWP, (iv) agricultural best management practices, (v) US and NC regulations and the rulemaking process. Training will include laboratory and field activities. Confirmed activities include: (i) tour of NCDA&CS Soil Testing Laboratory in Raleigh, (ii)visit ofLake Wheeler Field Laboratory in Raleigh, (iii) visit of Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth. All workshop materials will be available online in open access through the program website.To expose students to the latest work on AWP in academia, industry and government and learn about the complex, real world problems addressed by professionals in the field of sustainable agricultural intensification, advisory group members will deliver seminars to present examples of their work and share their experiences and perspectives. Each seminar will include a Q&A session to allow students to interact with the speaker. Engagement with advisory group members will provide students with opportunities to learn about careers paths and broaden their professional networks.Fellows will learn fundamental research skills to help them conduct their project.Fellows will learn how to do a literature search, write a literature review, as well as fundamental data analysis and visualization skills for their research. Additional resources are available through NCSU Libraries, such as the Online Library Research Skills Modules. Later during the program, students will learn how to design and deliver poster and oral presentations to prepare for the presentations they are scheduled to give at the end of the program.Each fellow will conduct a research project under the supervision of their faculty mentor. Projects will align with critical research needs in AWP management such as: (i) identifying the sources and fate of pollutants, including contaminants of emerging concern, (ii) understanding the influence of factors such as globalization, regulations and climate change on AWP, (iii) assessing the effectiveness of instruments and measures for pollution reduction and mitigation. Students' projects will align with existing research or initiatives on AWP in which PDs are involved. This will ensure that students work on an established project, have access to adequate material and mentoring resources through their research mentors and their groups, and are able to generate findings over a short period to present their work at the end of the program and generate publications. Each project will be approved by the Advisory Group to ensure that they are responsive to stakeholder needs.Fellows will be trained on the extension outreach methods commonly used by faculty (i.e., factsheets, field days, social media, electronic media, and training events). Students will be involved with one or more of the water resources extension program workgroups according to their research projects. These workgroups include agricultural drainage and irrigation, aquatic resources management and protection, animal waste management,and residential and agricultural water quality. Fellows will be involved in the redaction of extension factsheets and training materials related to their research projects.Fellows will be given the opportunity to discuss their research during seminars hosted by the workgroups.Fellows will visit France for a week. The visits will be centered on the Seine River Basin (SRB), in the Paris area. The PIs have strong ties with French representatives from the Biodiversity Agency, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, Eaux de Paris, local environmental associations and farmers in the SRB. It is an ideal destination for exposing students to scientific AWP challenges and regulatory frameworks that are different from those encountered in NC and the US. Activities include seminars from researchers, regulatory agencies, and federal agencies representatives;field visits including the Orgeval long-term experimental observatory and research site, located in an area with intensive cereal farming activity, Eaux de Paris water catchment fields, and local farms where students will be able to engage with practitioners and stakeholders. Students will be given guided journaling assignments to promote core academic and cultural competency learning.Fellows will present findings from their problem-oriented projects via: oral presentations to the advisory group, poster presentation in the and poster or oral presentations at an extension field day.Fellows will participate in professional development activities organized for undergraduate students at NC State including leadership training, seminars on diversity and inclusion, research ethics, agriculture career pathways and workshops on where they will learn how to prepare strong applications for graduate school and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.