Source: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
EXPANDING AND DIVERSIFYING CAREERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS ALONG THE US-MEXICO BORDER
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1030734
Grant No.
2023-70440-40156
Cumulative Award Amt.
$5,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2022-11893
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 1, 2023
Project End Date
May 31, 2028
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[NEXTG]- NEXTGEN Program
Project Director
Flores-Renteria, L.
Recipient Organization
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
SAN DIEGO,CA 92182
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
SDSU brings together more than 32 internal and external partners, including four USDA agencies and three Mexico-based universities, to expand and diversify the workforce in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) by graduating inspired undergraduate and graduate students eligible to join the USDA FANH workforce in positions ranging from entry-level to leadership. ELP activity will involve 240 undergraduate, 18 Masters and 7 Doctoral students in focused experiential, classroom-based learning, and research-oriented solutions that bridge the practices and knowledge of Historically Excluded Communities (HECs) with new strategies for regenerative agriculture addressing climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity and poverty. Participants will be students from Indigenous, immigrant and Mexican-origin HECs along the US-Mexico border, who will train in programs spanning research, field schools, intensive internships, symposia, classroom education and extension, within regional and binational sectors, including exposures to the work of USDA FANH agencies, field stations, scientists, and policy experts. OEP activity to diversify the pipeline of future FANH professionals will include K-12, non-traditional, and community populations, with activities delivered through 4-H, Master Gardener, Growing Hope, Climate Science Alliance, SAGE, SD County Food System Alliance, SD Botanical Gardens, two HEC-dominant high schools and tribal communities (50 scholarships to tribal students participating in workshops). SDSU participants from HECs will graduate with baccalaureate and advanced degrees, highly qualified and interested in bringing a unique set of skills, knowledge and expertise on sustainable food systems and regenerative agriculture to the next generation of the USDA FANH workforce. Process, formative and summative evaluation will measure participant behavioral change, academic progress, degree completion, and USDA career pathways knowledge, interest, and application.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
30%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2012499106010%
1020199107010%
1362499108010%
1110210205010%
5013110101010%
1235010206010%
7012499101010%
6046220310010%
1256030206010%
7046050300010%
Goals / Objectives
Project Goals and Program Priorities As the environmental and social problems associated with prevailing food systems become more evident, practitioners, policymakers, scientists, and advocates increasingly recognize the need to ensure access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food--without threatening biodiversity, soil health, and water resources or contributing to climate change, which weakens our ability to feed future generations.San Diego State University (SDSU), a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution, brings together over 32 partners to solidify the institutional structure that will enable students to specialize in the study of sustainable local/regional food systems. Our goal in this proposed Tier 1 project is to expand and diversify the workforce in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) by graduating inspired undergraduate and graduate students eligible to join the USDA FANH workforce in positions ranging from entry-level to leadership. We will involve 240 undergraduate, 18 masters and 7 doctoral students in focused experiential, classroom-based learning, and research oriented solutions that bridge the practices and knowledge of Historically Excluded Communities (HECs) with new strategies for regenerative agriculture to address climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity, and poverty. We will recruit and support students from HECs in programs spanning research, field schools, intensive internships, education, and extension, within regional and binational sectors, including planned exposures to the work of USDA agencies, field stations, scientists, and policy experts. Fifty members of tribal communities-at-large will receive stipends for participation in extension activities. The educational theme will be contributions of sustainable food systems of Hispanic, Indigenous, and immigrant communities along the US-Mexico border.The activities of this Tier 1 project will include experiential learning projects and outreach and engagement projects, strengthened by curriculum development, scholarships, and academic and professional career mentorship.
Project Methods
The Strategy: Theinterrelated social and environmental challenges of our times may be best addressed in tandem through a systemic approach that incorporates multi-disciplinary expertise, considers food as a complex socio-ecological system, and engages HECs in knowledge co-production. This project will focus on the promises of regenerative agriculture to renew environmental resources, capture carbon, rebuild social connections around food, promote climate adaptation, and reinvigorate local economies by bridging HECs' practices with the development of new strategies for regenerative agriculture. A robust cluster of Co-PD-led academic centers includes the new Center for Better Food Futures and interdisciplinary Food Studies Program (BFF, FSP-Joassart-Marcelli); Binational Plants Studies Program (BPSP-Flores-Renteria); Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve (SMER-Lipson); Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS-Pérez); Watershed Science Institute (WSI-Biggs); our Oaxaca Center for Mesoamerican Studies in Mexico (OCMS-Pérez), and the Sage Project under the Center for Regional Sustainability (SAGE), along with four USDA partners and three universities in Mexico - Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Universidad Tecnológica de los Valles Centrales de Oaxaca (UTVC), and Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE). This leadership team is well-positioned to work with HECs to address a systemic educational challenge and yield important insights into the creation of more sustainable, inclusive, and equitable food systems, while training a diverse group of students and engaging them in exploration of potential USDA-FANH careers.With prior USDA support, we established and created a high-impact program coalescing around an interdisciplinary, bi-national and systemic approach to food security. The program, Transnational Approaches to Sustainable Food Futures, provides a supportive academic and advising framework to generate greater understanding of different Indigenous and immigrant farming and food practices on both sides of the US-Mexico border.Our proposed program will build upon this foundation by training students from HECs in identifying and addressing research questions through intensive, multi-week internships and graduate programs that will aim to provide solutions to address food security and environmental challenges that disproportionately burden their communities. The proposed project will apply a sustainable food systems framework that focuses on regenerative agricultural practices along the southern border, including San Diego County, Imperial County, and Baja California; this work will expand into Oaxaca, Mexico, where the practices and knowledge of Indigenous and immigrant communities built over millennia are slowly being recognized for their contributions to sustainable food and regenerative agriculture and from which significant numbers of our students and communities derive. Given the importance of income that enables HEC students to participate in educational opportunities, we will expand opportunities for paid high-impact learning activities, immersing students in research and service-learning through experiences ranging from summer-long internship and field schools to semester-long community-engaged classes and year-long research mentorship. Likewise, paid, mentored assistantships for graduate students to pursue their master's thesis and doctoral dissertations in FANH disciplines will strengthen the pipeline of diverse, highly qualified candidates for leadership roles in the USDA. The target audience includes K-12, undergraduate and graduate students from HECs. We emphasize outreach to and engagement of populations identifying as Mexican-origin and/or Indigenous along the US-Mexico border, for whom we will also develop a certificate program and other extension-based learning, to be made available to the general public as well. We will transfer professional development on effective mentoring to graduate students directly mentoring undergraduates, who will in turn mentor K-12 students and extend knowledge to community members. The goal here is to diversify the pool of prospective applicants who graduate with leadership skills and unique disciplinary knowledge and expertise, and who will be assets to FANH appointments in USDA,

Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:242 students were reached in the first year with transformational programmatic activities. For the five classes delivered we had a total of 197 enrolled in participating FANH raleted classes. From students answering our evaluations, 25.4% were Latino/a/x, 2.2% Black or African-American, 49.2% White, 16.6% Asian, 1.7% American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.6% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, 4.4% other. A vast majority of them self-identified as females (70.8%), only 28.7% were self-identified as males, and 0.5% non-binary. For our early recruitment efforts we reached 45 high school students, 100% from historically excluded communities. We worked with Chula Vista High School students who have built an edible garden to fight nutrition issues and associated issues such as obesity. Students were also guided to set up experimental designs to assess the effect of mycorrhizae on plant growth. During Fall 2023, a total of 29 students were engaged in research developed in three classes offering internships: GEOG 360: Human Dimensions of Climate Change, GEOG 590: Community-based Geographic Research: The Food Environment, and GEOG 576: Advanced Watershed Analysis (scheduled for Spring 2024). Scholarships were awarded to 6, 7, and 2 undergraduates in each class, respectively. Students continued their research and activities into the spring semester, with a total of 15 students participating in experiential learning through these courses and continuing their research in spring 2024. In GEOG 590, 21 students were mentored to conduct audits, collect soil samples, and interview managers across 71 community gardens in urban San Diego County. In order to expose students to the challenges in our food systems and social and environmental challenges associated with climate change we delivered special modules on water management, drought tolerance, agroforestry and soil ecology into two college classes using a transdisciplinary approach. One of the classes is Transnational Approaches for sustainable food systems, with 31 undergraduate students attending in Spring 2024 and the other class, Sustainable agriculture, with 12 students enrolled in Spring 2024, a total of 43 students were targeted on these collaborative classes. We have recruited and supported three graduate students from historically excluded communities with this grant to perform research on "Determining the cause of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) mortality and acorn decay", "Nourishing health and planet with algae-enriched guacamole" and "Providing evidence-based diabetes nutrition education tailored to the Latina population". We reached out to different students who attended the EDUFAN symposium with a total of 54 attendees. 21 students presented form SDSU either oral or poster presentations; and 4 students from Mesa Community College presented poster presentations. We had 8 faculty attending and 8 collaborators including USDA staff, Mesa College, UC Cooperative Extension, SD County and Botanical gardens. Changes/Problems:We hired a project manager as we did not anticipate the large amount of administrative work required to manage all pieces in our program. As the program started on June 1st, we were unable to recruit students for the summer internships in year 1 (2023). This year (2024) we have 28students participating in the 8 summer internships associated to our program. We also were not able to recruit as many graduate students as we wished as most graduate programs have concluded their interview process by then. However, we were able to recruit a few existing students from three masters programs. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Through courses, research projects, and professional development activities, we provided students with comprehensive training, mentorship, and career preparation. These efforts enabled them to contribute to meaningful research on climate change, food justice, and environmental policy while preparing them for future roles in academia, agriculture, and public service. We provided training to students through three special studies classes, recruiting and funding undergraduates through internships to engage in focused experiential learning, classroom-based activities, and research-oriented solutions. These efforts aimed to connect the practices and knowledge of Historically Excluded Communities (HECs) with new strategies for regenerative agriculture to address challenges related to climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity, and poverty. During Fall 2023, the class internships offered were GEOG 360: Human Dimensions of Climate Change, GEOG 590: Community-based Geographic Research: The Food Environment, and GEOG 576: Advanced Watershed Analysis, scheduled for Spring 2024. Across these three classes, more than 100 students enrolled. From this group, we recruited 29 students to participate in research projects, 15 of whom received financial support, allowing them to develop independent research under close mentorship. These students focused on topics relevant to their fields of study, presented their progress at symposia, and received feedback on their work. They also participated in career development activities and were introduced to job opportunities within the USDA. In addition to these undergraduate programs, we provided research opportunities for seven graduate students across a range of projects. These included determining the causes of mortality and acorn decay in coast live oak trees, developing algae-enriched guacamole for health and environmental benefits, interviewing farmers in Oaxaca about their responses to drought, examining dietary recommendations for chronic disease patients and food accessibility in Ixpantepec, Oaxaca, exploring the potential of agroforestry for climate change adaptation in San Diego County, and investigating the production of community in San Diego's urban gardens. Each graduate student was mentored by at least one co-PI, presented their research at conferences and seminars, and received guidance on career development and USDA job opportunities. Professional development was further integrated into the program through career panel discussions. During the EDUFAN Symposium organized by the USDA NextGen team, we hosted a session called "Career Pathways in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (FAN) Panel," which aimed to introduce students to career opportunities, connect them with professionals in the field, and offer practical tips for entering the workforce. The panel featured five experts: Dr. Ali Montazar from UC Cooperative Extension, Kristian Salgado-Jacobo from the UC Master Gardener Program, Monica Winters from the County of San Diego Department of Agriculture, Charles Hart, a USDA entomologist, and Dr. Andrew Vandegrift, a USDA plant pathologist. Another session led by Dr. Deborah de la Riva, a USDA entomologist-identifier, focused on applying for federal jobs, with a particular emphasis on USDA opportunities. Dr. de la Riva provided students with insights into navigating the USA Jobs web portal and crafting effective resumes. The symposium was attended by more than 50 participants and offered valuable career insights and networking opportunities. Partnership development and Networking: During this past year we have engaged with a variety of collaborators with which our students have networked and developed collaborative research and outreach. Some of these partners are: San Diego Botanical Gardens, Chula Vista High School, Master Gardener Program, USDA offices, SDSU IV campus, Mesa Community College, Urban Gardens, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Tecnológico de los Valles Centrales de Oaxaca. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We created the EDUFAN symposium (Experimenting, Diversifying and Understanding Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources) to provide a platform in which 25 NextGen students disseminated their research and received feedback from co-PIs and community members. Students reported an increase in their confidence in public speaking. For example, one graduate student wrote "I served as a moderator for a panel session--another first in my career. I was extremely nervous when I accepted the role, but after preparing and discussing it with my advisor, I gave it my best effort, and I believe the result was successful. Both the audience and the panel were pleased with how it went. Thanks to this symposium, I gained valuable experience and feel ready to continue putting myself in similar environments and seizing opportunities that may come my way in the future." Our program was disseminated to High school students from Hoover High School and Chula Vista High School in order to recruit students into our pathways. Most students in our program disseminated their research in the annual SDSU Student Research Symposium (S3) on Feb, 2024. The PD and two co-PDs presented the SDSU NextGen program at the Presidential SDSU Sustainability Symposium on April 17th, 2024. Students and co-PIs have presented their research funded by this grant on the following venues: American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, 121st Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science's 2024 Annual Public Health Research Day, 2024 Southern California Food Industry Conference, Small Wine grape growers meeting in Temecula, AAG 2024, American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2024 National Meeting & Expo, 2024 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) Investigators' Workshop (IWS), and SupplySide West 2023. Two senior thesis have been completed one in the Environmental Science "Analysis of Policy to Protect California Farm Workers from Heat Stress" and the other culminating Research Project "Physicochemical characteristics of Salvia columbariae and Salvia hispanica chia seeds. Our program has been disseminated through multiple media platforms such as web pages and news. For example, Dr. Liu disseminated his work on the article "Reporting on edible insects project" https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2024/march/the-many-flavors-of-edible-ants.html Our program and paid internship opportunities were highlighted on the news under the article: "$5M USDA Grant Helps Train Next Generation of Food and Agriculture Scientists" https://cal.sdsu.edu/news/usda-grant-2023, "Imperial Valley Opportunities through USDA" https://kyma.com/education/2023/10/04/sdsu-receives-funding-to-train-latinx-and-indigenous-students-for-sustainable-food-and-agriculture-careers/ and "Empowering Latine Students through USDA Careers" https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1028125648226810 One of our students was featured on this news "When identity intertwines with innovation" https://www.sdsu.edu/news/2024/05/when-identity-intertwines-with-innovation What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Execution of paid summer internships: Ten paid summer internships, including one in collaboration with USDA scientists at the Western Regional Research Center in Albany, have been developed this year and we will continue their execution through June-August. We have recruited at least 28 students to participate in these paid internships. Binational Internships: Cross-border internship on plant and microbial sciences: Students will learn about plant and microbial communities, their ecological interactions, and their relevance to climate change, carbon sequestration, agriculture and forestry. Students will learn laboratory (e.g. genomics, plant and soil chemistry) and field techniques (e.g., plant ecophysiology, soil science). Students in this internship travel to Baja California to visit research facilities, vineyards and tribal communities. We will also travel to northern California to visit one of the US Forest Service Offices and their operations and locally we will have a series of field experiences in Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve and natural reserves. Documenting the agave production: A group of six students is beginning work with our colleagues from the Tecnológico de Los Valles Centrales in San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca on a project to document the switch from milpa to agave/maguey production. We are working in Sola de Vega (Zapotec community) for this project. Documenting uses of archeological sites in farmland: A group of two students is beginning work with our colleagues at INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) and another community in Oaxaca. This community has archaeological ruins in their farming land that INAH wants to open to tourism so we are tasked to work with them on oral histories related to their use of these ruins in their ceremonies along with teaching us about their decision making and plans in diversifying their farming. Exploring food potentials of microalgae: The goal of this internship is to expand the applications of microalgae as a versatile food ingredient and alternative protein source. The interns will learn laboratory techniques to characterize the nutrient composition, flavor profile, physicochemical characteristics, and functional properties of different microalgae species and microalgae-based innovative food products. Developing vegan seafood flavor: The goal of this internship is to characterize sensory attributes and flavor profiles of commercial vegan seafood products and develop an easy and cost-effective way to generate seafood flavors from macroalgae. The interns are currently involved in training a seafood sensory panel and producing algal protein hydrolysates. They will perform a combination of sensory evaluation and instrumental analyses to identify the character-impact compounds in the targeted seafood. USDA Internship: Students will work alongside USDA scientists at the Western Regional Research Center in Albany, CA. The hosting scientist, Dr. Wallace Yokoyama, has a research focus on chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases associated with obesity. Students will also be introduced to other research projects at the center and visit other USDA research facilities in Northern California to explore the broad range of specialties in USDA necessary to help the agricultural industry. Through this internship, students will not only gain hands-on research experiences, but also learn about career opportunities at USDA. Brightside Internship: BrightSide delivers fresh produce to partner stores in National City and the South and Southeast regions of the City of San Diego, within and surrounding the San Diego Promise Zone. As a result of BrightSide Produce's distribution services, the majority of residents in these communities have access to a retailer that offers fresh, affordable produce within a ten-minute walk of their homes. The student-powered non-profit tackles food and nutrition insecurity in San Diego County by: 1) distributing fresh produce to corner, liquor, and convenience stores, and small markets in underserved communities, 2) growing produce and sourcing from local farmers, and 3) reducing food waste through produce rescue, donations, and composting. Food Waste Diversion to Healthy Protein: For this project, the USDA funded summer interns will be working on research in which pre-consumer food-waste is collected from the SDSU Children's Center and converted to healthy protein by initially feeding it to black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). The students will also be working under the guidance of Prof. Changqi Liu on the nutritional characterization of the protein content of the BSFL as well as eggs produced by chickens at the SDSU facility. The protein content of the BSFL and the chicken eggs will be characterized in Prof. Liu's laboratory. The nutritional profile of the eggs produced from the food waste to BSFL to chickens will be compared to that of standard eggs obtained from local supermarkets. Exploration of Alternative Protein Feedstocks for Agricultural Livestock: The purpose of this project is to explore the production of BSFL as an alternative source of protein for livestock as it is anticipated that traditional agricultural sources of protein, such as soy and grains, may be negatively impacted by global warming and associated climate change. The students will measure the length and width of the BSFL on a daily basis using a UM12 USB 5MP Digital Microscope/Camera. These growth experiments will be run in triplicate in order to teach our students the importance of experimental variability and statistical analysis. Production of Protein Fibers from the Bovine Milk Protein αS1-Casein: In this internship we explore alternative sources of raw materials, such as protein-based fibers, that are biodegradable, can potentially replace plastic material, and will not cause the extensive damage being caused by petroleum-based plastics. We are using bacteria to produce the αS1-casein milk protein and then we will explore its ability to create protein fibers that can be spun into useful materials that are biodegradable and could potentially replace many nonbiodegradable plastic materials. We have recruited five PhD and two new master students who will be supported starting the next academic year. The other three graduate students recruited the previous academic year will continue being supported under our program. We will offer two class-based internships: GEOG 360: Human Dimensions of Climate Change, GEOG576 Advanced Watershed Analysis during Spring 2025 aiming to recruit 6 students from each class in research experiences. Our students at Imperial Valley lack access to food despite being at the center of one important agricultural area in our Nation. We have ongoing efforts to create edible gardens and plant fruit trees and work with the food pantry office to teach students how to grow food locally and sustainably. For this goal, we are partnering with the UC Master Garden Program and garden31 who trains formerly incarcerated people. The EDUFAN symposium: This symposium will be organized again in April 2025 and we will incorporate changes on the schedule and activities based on the feedback from the survey conducted on the 2024 symposium. We plan to engage 90 people in this event. Outreach of High school students: We will engage at least 45 High school students from historically excluded communities and tour them around SDSU and develop activities they can participate during their visit to encourage their recruitment into college and FANH disciplines.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We developed three different paid class internships that incorporate experiential learning to make it accessible to students from historically underrepresented communities who might not be able to engage in research otherwise. We recruited 29 students of which 15 were supported (12 undergraduate and 3 graduate), 47% from historically excluded communities and 60% females to work on independent research associated with these opportunities. Two of these undergraduate students were recruited as graduate students supported with NextGen fellowships. Students in these internships: Developed a tool box to help them advocate for change and policy making to address climate change. Quantified crop water use and near-surface climate conditions in the Imperial Valley, which impacts both water use efficiency and farmworker heat stress. Work with community partners representing farmworkers to distribute research information about heat stress. Worked to compile a list of all community gardens within the urbanized area of San Diego County and complete audits (to gather data on size, plants, infrastructure, amenities, etc.) and semi-structured interviews of managers and growers and Tested the soil samples for heavy metal contamination in 71 gardens. Students were closely mentored as they defined a research project, reviewed the relevant literature, analyzed data, and prepared a paper for eventual publication. They presented their work in progress at conferences during the spring and submitted a report at the end of the semester. We created the EDUFAN Symposium: Experimenting, Diversifying and Understanding Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources to engage students and connect them to researchers, urban farmers, policy makers, USDA staff and other collaborators (54 people participated): This event bridges economic, social, and environmental sciences to identify sustainable and equitable solutions to food system and ecosystem challenges. During the event, 25 NextGen students presented their projects through oral and poster presentations, including 4 students from Mesa Community College. All the students had the opportunity to hear from and interact with a list of 7 guests from local USDA agencies, experts, and other agriculture stakeholders from the region, who spoke about their career pathways and helped students with advice to plan their incursion in the agricultural job market. This event had a strong impact on our students. For example, one student said: "Hearing the perspectives of people from the FANH career pathways panel was very useful in considering different career options. Also, receiving and answering questions about my presentation was a great way to get feedback on the research I have done." Additionally, we sent three students and one staff member to participate in the USDA 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum/NextGen AOF, Feb 12-16, 2024 in Washington DC. One student stated the following about the experience: "This forum provided a unique opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and discuss timely issues at the forefront of America's agriculture with producers, policymakers, business, government, and industry leaders was nothing short of a dream for me. NIFA staff toured us through historic monuments of America's agricultural legacy on a well-tailored agenda filled with jaw-dropping moments that encapsulated what it's like to work for USDA." Four students and one faculty member, Co-PI for the NextGen program, attended the NextGen Summit in Washington, DC, May 14th- 17th, 2024. One student gave this testimonial about their participation: "It was my first time in DC and I was very fortunate to visit the USDA headquarters. I learned about the different agencies and professions provided by the USDA that I could choose from and how I can contribute my skills and knowledge to their mission. I never thought about having a future career with the USDA, but now that I had a chance to learn more about it and the different fields they have, I hope to contribute to its mission as a plant researcher." In order to recruit students at earlier stages, we hosted 45 students from the Chula Vista High School who visited SDSU to interact with professors and undergraduate students who talked about their work on the NextGen program. During their visit the high school students 1) visited the SDSU Community Garden, 2) learned about the food distributing program BrightSide, 3) had a guided visit to the Biology Department greenhouse, and 4) had interactive workshops in three different Biology Department laboratories. We found out that 68% of the students declared that their visit to SDSU had made them more interested in studying topics related to food, agriculture, and natural resources in college. Also, 68% of the respondents declared that they were more interested in pursuing a career in an area related to food, agriculture, or natural resources due to their field visit to SDSU. One of the students reported: "I learned the variety of majors in bio, and it was so interesting. Seeing what they do and how they do it made me realize how wonderful it was. Thanks to the field trip I realized how passionate I am about Biology so I decided to choose it as a career." Curriculum development: Two multidisciplinary classes across colleges were created to teach students current global challenges associated with our contemporary industrial and global food system and sustainable approaches. Both classes are hubs to recruit students into summer internships with at least 50% of students supported with internships are recruited from these two classes. For the class "Transnational approaches for sustainable food systems" we have leveraged efforts to allow students to have experiential learning opportunities and connect with our collaborators and write advocacy briefs. In this class, we exposed 30 students to the challenges of our current agricultural practices and food security, which cause significant social and environmental burdens and discussed solutions to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Several class projects were developed in collaboration with our partners to explore real problems in our community and incorporate solutions. For example, one of the groups collaborated with Chula Vista High School students and teachers to study how food deserts areas, where food is either unavailable or of poor nutritional quality, are also associated with concrete jungle creating obesity and stress in our students. Students developed a garden to examine the use of mycorrhizae fungal and how plants can improve nutrient acquisition with them. One of the outcomes resulted in increased interest from the high school students to pursue a college degree in FANH careers. A second collaborative class was developed, ENV496 Sustainable agriculture. In this class we created specific modules on water management, drought tolerance, agroforestry and soil ecology. During this class 12 students got exposed to a) Ecological foundations for a more resilient and sustainable agriculture and costs and solutions in food production including soil degradation and desertification, water consumption and pollution, pesticides, energy costs. Students reported an increased interest in pursuing a career in agriculture and natural resources after taking this class. We have supported three graduate students with fellowships to enhance participation of historically excluded groups into FANH careers, such as ecology, forestry, food and social sciences, Nutrition, Agroforestry. Students have developed independent research projects, perform experiments and write these reports during the past year.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Khoury, C. Plenary Speaker Session: Global Change in Food System Diversity.EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Alvarado Martinez, S. Exploring Flavors of Edible Ants. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Rockwell, J. Nourishing Health and Planet with Algae-Enriched Guacamole. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Smith A. How Farm Acreage and Valuation Vary in San Diego County. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Rivas, V. Determining the Cause of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agifolia) Mortality and Acorn Decay. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ortiz T & Cisneros S. Land Access, Gentrification, and Urban Agriculture Opportunities in San Diego. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Madonia S. Climate and Heat Stress in the Imperial Valley. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ennamorato A. & Thomas T. Agroforestry as an innovative tool for CC adaptation in SD County. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Garret D. & Proton N. BrightSide Produce - Food Production, Aggregation, and Distribution Approaches. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Featuring Panelists: Dr. Ali Montazar, Kristian Salgado-Jacobo, Monica Winters, Charles Hart, Dr. Andrew Vandegrift (Moderated by Karina Cerda). Career Pathways in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (FAN) Panel Session. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Dr. Deborah De La Riva. Applying to USDA Jobs and Job Opportunities. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Sierra Murrell, Marina Kalyuzhnaya, Changqi Liu, John Love. Using AI and Protein Design to Produce Milk Proteins via Bacterial Fermentation. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cerda K., Flores-Renteria L. Tri-trophic interaction: Two fungi and a pine tree. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Carr, D. Quantifying Heat Stress and Labor Intensity for Farm Workers in The Imperial Valley. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Luna Reyes. Analysis of Seawater as a Potential Source of Agricultural Water. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Azelya Yazzie. Testing Data Collection Methods for Plant-Pollinator Interactions and Connectivity: A Pilot Study in Urban San Diego. EDUFAN, San Diego State University, San Diego California, April 12th, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Alvarado Martinez, Oral: Exploring flavors of edible ants: A path to sustainable gastronomy and consumer acceptance. SDSU Student Research Symposium, Feb 29th to Mar 2nd, 2024, San Diego, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Carrillo, Oral: Better space parties with algae-enriched guacamole. SDSU Student Research Symposium, Feb 29th to Mar 2nd, 2024, San Diego, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lopez, Poster: Chapulines blue corn cricket chips: Jump to a more sustainable snack. SDSU Student Research Symposium, Feb 29th to Mar 2nd, 2024, San Diego, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Villalobos, Oral: Identification of flavor active compounds in micro- and macro-algae. SDSU Student Research Symposium, Feb 29th to Mar 2nd, 2024, San Diego, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cramton, Baker,Poster: Nutrition composition and flavor profile of chia seeds. SDSU Student Research Symposium, Feb 29th to Mar 2nd, 2024, San Diego, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Rockwell, Oral: Unlocking seafood flavors from macroalgae: A sustainable, vegan approach. SDSU Student Research Symposium, Feb 29th to Mar 2nd, 2024, San Diego, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Liu, C. Forging pathways to sustainable food innovations through interdisciplinary collaborations. SupplySide West, 10/28/23-10/31/23.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cramton, Baker, Alvarado Martinez, Lopez, Esparza. Poster presentation, Algae as a precursor of seafood flavor in alternative seafood. American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2024 National Meeting & Expo. 03/17/24-03/21/24
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cramton, Baker, Alvarado Martinez, Lopez, Esparza. Poster presentation, Exploring flavors of edible ants: A path to sustainable gastronomy and consumer acceptance. American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2024 National Meeting & Expo. 03/17/24-03/21/24
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Rockwell, Vernazza, Cramton, Esparza, Lopez, Williams. Poster presentation: Better space parties with algae-enriched guacamole. 2024 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) Investigators Workshop (IWS). 02/13/24-02/16/24
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Bross, Judith. Oral presentation of farm survey results. AAG 2024. 4/20/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Bross, Ennamorato, Smith, Thomas, Uribe, Fisher, Monteverde, Zuniga. Oral presentation of farm survey results. Smallwine grape growers meeting in Temecula, CA. 5/13/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Flores-Renteria, Liu, Joassart-Marcelli. Oral presentation about Expanding Sustainable Food and Agriculrture Education at SDSU. SDSU Sustainability Summit. 4/17/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ortiz, Tyana; Cisneros Esteban. Oral Presentation: Land Access, Affordability, and Agriculture in Urbanized San Diego. SDSU Student Symposim (S3). 3/1/2024
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Madonia, Samantha. Senior thesis (Env Science): Analysis of Policy to Protect California Farm Workers from Heat Stress. 4/29/2024
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Daisy Lopez, Ana Gaxiola Alvarez, Jessica Borough, Adriana Martinez. Student Product Development Competition (Third Place). 2024 Southern California Food Industry Conference. 3/12/2024
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Carrillo, Marta. Physicochemical characteristics of Salvia columbariae and Salvia hispanica chia seeds. Culminating Research Project. 4/15/2024
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lopez, Daisy. Irwin Zahn Spirit of Innovation Prize. Award. 5/11/2024
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Lopez, Daisy. School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences Outstanding Undergraduate Student. Award. 5/11/2024
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Salgado, Sophia. Grant awardee: Southern California Future Food Speaker Series (Total award: $1,700). Student Success Fee. 11/20/2023
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Wadman, James. Grant awardee: Eating Insects Conference with Chef Joseph Yoon as Keynote Speaker and Multi-Course Tasting of Delicious Bugs (Total award: $8,690). Student Success Fee. 11/20/2023
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Canul, Lucia. Informing Culturally Collaborative Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Strategies through Ethnographic Fieldwork In Oaxaca, Mexico (Awarded Outstanding Poster Presentation). Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences 2024 Annual Public Health Research Day. 5/1/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Canul, Lucia. Navigating Cultural and Collaborative Dietary Strategies: An Ethnographic Approach to Understanding Dietary Behavior in Oaxaca, Mexico. SDSU Student Symposium. 2/1/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Perez, Ramona; Canul, Lucia. Lets Not Do Another Dietary Intervention: collaborative dietary strategies. 121st Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association. 11/13/23
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Sager, Raychel; Zubaidi, Yasmeen. Poster: A Geographic Exploration of Disparities in Community Garden Capacity. SDSU Student Symposium. 3/1/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Schilling, Cameron. Poster: More than Soil: Digging Deeper Into the Relationships of Space, Equity, and Policy of Urban Agriculture in San Diego, CA. SDSU Student Symposium. 3/1/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Joya Euceda, Victoria; Napoles Robledo, Osvaldo. Poster: Growing Together: The Production of Community. SDSU Student Symposium. 3/1/2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Joya Euceda, Victoria; Napoles Robledo, Osvaldo. Oral presentation: Growing Together: Community Gardens and Social Equity in San Diegos Urban Agriculture Landscape. American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting. 4/19/2024
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Expanding and Diversifying Careers in Sustainable Food Systems along the US-Mexico Border Webpage: https://binationalstudies.wixsite.com/sdsu-nextgen