Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience was our inaugural group of undergraduate interns. We worked with eight undergraduate students pursuing either engineering, science, or agriculture degrees. Of the eight students, seven began their undergraduate studies in a community college. Five students came from Central Arizona College, which historically has a low rate of transfer to the University of Arizona. We specifically recruited from community colleges in Pima and Pinal counties to highlight niche opportunities in biosystems engineering that may not be well known or understood by engineering or agriculture departments at smaller, teaching-focused institutions. The program received 31 applications from students from Pima Community College, Central Arizona College, and the University of Arizona, indicating a broad reach to recruit students. Those who were selected shared that they learned about the program from promotional materials distributed by advisors, faculty, and program staff at their various instituitons. This would indicate a strong reach on the part of the ENGAGED in Agricultrual Systems and Technology team to reach students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Research fellows engaged in training and development surrounding professional career competencies, basic scientific research and writing skills, and regular workshops on engineering technology involved in precision agriculture and vertical farming. Below is a list of workshops in which students participated: Why STEM? - Understanding the assorted reasons why individuals pursue careers in STEM disciplines, and navigating differences in those core motivations. Reading Academic Articles - Cultivating strategies and engaging skills to comprehend and take organized notes on research articles. Fostering Strong Habits and Achieving Goals - How to identify your desired outcome and strategically plan concrete steps and daily habits to get where you want to go. Mentor Mapping - Learning the utility of mentor relationships and understanding your role in identifying mentors and crafting those relationships and interactions. Entrepreneurial Mindset - Innovation is not just the work of start-ups. Successful researchers, professionals, and leaders engage in entrepreneurial strategies to break barriers in their work and achieve their goals. Engineering Design Thinking - Keeping the end-user in mind is an important mindset for the science and engineering community. By understanding how design thinking works, the research community can develop functional research questions that respond to contemporary and future societal needs. Science Communication - Understanding the importance of clear communication and presentation strategies in science and engineering research. Industry Exploration- Engaging research skills in the job market; understanding what a job-seeker needs to learn about their employers and how to practice organized reading, note-taking, and synthesis in company research. Personal Branding - Knowing who you are as a person and a researcher helps you find alignment with future training and career pathways. Building a Professional Portfolio Engineering Graduate Programs Graduate School Funding Basics Getting Organized to Apply for Graduate School Transfer Readiness Decision Making Workshop Data Visualization Introduction to Campbell Scientific data acquisition: CRBasicProgramming PC400 Software Interface Practice with logger and IR thermal sensor Measurements accuracy and precision Basics of computer interaction in ground power unit (tractor) operation Advanced weed control Precision Planting Mapping layers of geographic information On-to-go soil and plant sensing Experimental design Remote sensing with drone Crop Evapotranspiration Cotton growth parameters Soil emissions sensing Field trips: Ramona Farms Las Milpitas Community Garden Bayer Crop Sciences How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Engagement with Central Arizona College: Project Co-Director Pedro Andrade Sanchez will engage with Central Arizona College (CAC) faculty, staff, and campus community to form cultivate interest in precision agriculture and foster mentor relationships with prospective fellows. ROOTS Webinar Series: The team plans to organize a webinar series during the academic year in which students from CAC, the University of Arizona, as well as Pima Community College and Arizona Western College, could join to learn about the fusion of agriculuture and engineering through precision agriculture and vertical farming. The ENGAGED in AST summer research internship would be promoted during this webinar series to generate interest. ROOTS Ambassadors: Two students from the 2025 cohort of ENGAGED in AST will continue on as student ambassadors for the program. The plan is to have them represent the program through sharing their experiences with classmates, on their campuses, and in their communities. 2026 Cohort: We intend to recruit eight more students to participate in the next iteration of the ENGAGED in AST internship program next summer. Students will again learn about precision agriculutre and vertical farming and pursue research projects to enhance their technical and analytical skills.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Of the eight students recruited for the first cohort of ENGAGED in AST, all of them met at least one of the demographic characteristics listed in our goals. Seven of the eight research fellows were women, seven use Pell Grants to pay for college tuition, five come from rural communities, five come from a minoritized ethnic group, one is a veteran, and one has a disability. Each research fellow spent ten weeks at their program sites and completed faculty-mentored research projects in precision agriculture or vertical farming. Research fellows came from a variety of academic backgrounds in engineering, science, and agriculture. Of the eight, four demonstrated an ongoing commitment to and education agricultural engineering, one plans to pursue agriculture without pursuing an engineering degree, one plans to pursue engineering without engaging more with agriculture, and two plan to pursue careers in health care.?
Publications
|