Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:During this first year of the project, the researchteam conducted Phase 1 - Start Up activities. In this phase, faculty mentors, industry professionals, livestock producers, and undergraduate students were reached. In addition, strategies and materials were implemented for the benefit of the undergraduate research trainees who will conduct research during years 2-5. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the 2025 Beef Cattle Short Course (BCSC), the PD team communicated directly and informally with farmers, ranchers, & producer attendees, and associated industry and faculty representatives about the A SURE FIT program plan strategies and goals designed to prepare these students for future animal science research and related roles in animal science field.These discussions were also conducted to facilitate student/mentor pairing with ag leaders during the BCSC, the largest beef cattle educational program in the world (https://beefcattleshortcourse.com/). The students will each be paired with a leading farmer, rancher, or other industry professional for the formal prime rib dinner banquet, and will also participate in larger networking opportunities, and present their research outcomes. The research team also queried current students in attendance at the shortcourse for their ideas related to the upcoming cohort plans. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During Year 2, the first cohort of 9 undergraduate students (3 from each school) will be selected and paired with a faculty mentor. Activities will include: Undergraduate student intern applications will be recruited and selected based on merit and interest in animal science related fields; Students will be provided housing, stipend, and will participate in a structured internship that will include both individual and group activities; Student training materials and faculty mentor guides will be finalized; Selected students will be paired with faculty mentors and will conduct research in the mentor's laboratory; Students and mentors will complete pre- and post-training assessments for evaluation of learning; The first cohort of students will participate in the 2026 Beef Cattle Short Course. Each student will present their research findings, participate in networking events and extension programming, and be provided opportunities to interact with agricultural leaders at the event; Student research interns will be among 2,000 attendees, and in addition to planned activities, will have the opportunity to talk with farmers and ranchers from across Texas, many of whom have small production or processing operations across the state, with ranging from novice to decades of livestock experience. These interactions will give students opportunities to understand producer needs first hand; Students will be invited to participate in a dedicated LinkedIn Group to facilitate continued networking opportunities and connectivity with animal agriculture professionals (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14448261/); Outcomes from all of these student activities will be described in the Year 2 report.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A SURE FIT is a program designed to provide undergraduate students with research experience and faculty membership in animal agriculture laboratories, along with experience in communicating their research findings to livestock producers & processors, ranchers, agricultural industry professionals, researchers, and faculty. Training and development of undergraduate students will support workforce development of animal agriculture research professionals to ensure continued innovation and success of American animal agriculture production. The project is designed for student participants from three Texas institutions: Prairie View A&M University, Texas State University, and Texas A&M University to work together as a cohort of 9 research interns each year, culminating with communication of their findings at the annual Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station, Texas. This program has five phases with concurrent overlap, beginningwith the Phase 1 startup activities for Year 1. During the startup phase, accomplishments included; Institutional Review Board approval obtained for planned student learning and faculty mentoring evaluative process; Regular meetings of the PD /CoPD research team and interaction with the external evaluator were conducted for planning and coordination of the project; PD and CoPDs met at the 2025 Beef Cattle Short Course (BCSC) to evaluate onsite logistics for student research presentations and student networking activities with ag professionals during the BCSC in years 2-5; Recruited and hire of a graduate student with both livestock production and undergraduate research experience who will support project activities while learning student mentorship skills; Developed a timeline and process for recruitment and selectionof meritorious undergraduate students (3 from each institution) for the first cohort of 9 undergrad researchers in 2026, with presentations at BCSC, August 3-5; Developed draft plans for evaluating student learning and research accomplishments; Established a plan and timeline for student housing, faculty mentor assignments, research experience timing, and group activities during research experiences; Established strategies so that students will have exposure to all aspects of animal science research from hands on animal experience to laboratory research methods. The entire research team is now ready for, and looking forward to, the arrival and success of the first research cohort of undergraduatestudent researchers.
Publications
|