Recipient Organization
UNIV OF HAWAII
3190 MAILE WAY
HONOLULU,HI 96822
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The protection of US food, agricultural, and wilderness resources against invasive pathogens and pests is crucial. Indigenous communities are especially vulnerable to these threats, and it's important to involve them in efforts to build a strong biosecurity system. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to train a new generation of scientists with the skills and knowledge necessary to address these challenges. In Pacific Island Communities, including Hawaii and other areas, biosecurity and climate change are the significant threats to their way of life. Individuals from Pacific Island and Trabal Native American communities often lack access to the education required for biosecurity positions. To directly address the critical need for cultivating diverse cohorts of biosecurity professionals, we propose to initiate PaCoN, a Pacific Continental Network dedicated to biosecurity education. The goal of PaCoN is to create a pipeline for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders and Trabal Native Americans to pursue careers in biosecurity. Graduates of PaCoN will be equipped to safeguard their ancestral lands and communities and integrate indigenous knowledge into government agencies focused on biosecurity efforts and policy. This will have a significant impact on regional and national agriculture, land conservation, the natural environment, and water resources. PaCoN graduates will also serve as role models for future generations of biosecurity professionals from underserved communities.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Biosecurity programs are crucial to safeguard US food, agricultural, and wilderness resources from invasive pathogens and pests. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the susceptibilities of indigenous communities, emphasizing the crucial need for a new generation of scientists with expertise to operate within the essential branches of the biosecurity system. Therefore, the goal of this project is to create a biosecurity career pipeline for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (NHPI) and TNAs through Pacific Continental Network (PaCoN) dedicated to biosecurity education. The specific objectives are: 1) recruit, train, and motivate graduate students to become future leaders in agricultural biosecurity; 2) recruit, train, and motivate undergraduate and community college students from underserved communities; 3) recruit, train, and motivate high school students through summer training programs and interactions with biosecurity professionals. The biosecurity professionals emerging from PaCoN will be ideal candidates to safeguard their ancestral lands and communities and also ensure that indigenous knowledge and perspectives become integrated into government agencies charged with biosecurity efforts and policy. These PaCoN graduates will have a broad and profound impact on regional and national agriculture, land conservation, the natural environment, and water resources. Moreover, they will serve as role models for future generations of biosecurity professionals from these underserved communities.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Recruit, train, and motivate graduate students to become future leaders in agricultural biosecurity. The recruits from NHPI and TNA will be educated through well-established curricula, summer training sessions, national and international internships, seminars, and visits to biosecurity facilities in Hawaii and the continental U.S.Objective 2. Recruit, train, and motivate undergraduate and community college students from underserved communities. Highly motivated UG students from NHPI and TNA will be the recipients of financial support and resources. They will learn current biosecurity research activities and be aware of biosecurity career opportunities.Objective 3. Recruit, train, and motivate high school students through summer training programs and interactions with biosecurity professionals. High school students from NHPI and TNA communities will be recruited and exposed to the modern principles and tools of biosecurity and interact with biosecurity professionals and graduate students within the biosecurity network.Graduate Recruitment and Activities: Communities and organizations with prospective NHPI and TNA students will be identified, and potential candidates will be made aware of the program through university channels and the internet, and through direct contact from program PIs. An advertisement clearly describing the goal and objectives of the NextGen PaCoN Program will be prepared and sent to professional societies. Telephone and Zoom discussions and written references will be collected to confirm the applicants' motivation, learning skills, critical thinking, communication and social skills, and potential for success in the program. A total of 30 students will be recruited and graduated during the 5-year period. The activities will involve a biosecurity core course curriculum, participation in a summer exchange program between the University of Hawaii and Oklahoma State University, national and international internships, a biosecurity workshop at Kansas State University, presentations at national and international conferences, seminars, and other career development activities.Undergraduate Recruitment and Activities: Underserved community students will be recruited through community colleges. A total of 100-124 students will be recruited during this program. The activities will involve an experiential learning program, a two-year associate degree program, an allied undergraduate program at UHM, undergraduate research experience, and a summer internship program.High School Recruitment and Activities: In Hawaii at LCC, high school students interested in biosecurity will be recruited for a summer experience, primarily from Waipahu High School and other Leeward District schools that serve socioeconomically underserved communities. At OSU, high school students interested in biosecurity will be recruited in collaboration with the Oklahoma 4-H program and The Division of Institutional Diversity. A total of 32 and 40 high school students will receive training under this program at UHM/LCC and OSU, respectively. The students will be exposed to biosecurity practices and inspired to pursue careers in biosecurity, microbial forensics, and food safety by entering the UG programs supported by this project.