The grant comes from the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Capacity Building Grants program and will help prepare students for agriculture careers.
Kentucky State University has received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture in the amount of $1.7 million. The grant comes via the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Capacity Building Grants program and will help the university’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and College of Business, Engineering & Technology partner to advance hands-on learning, production, and recruitment.
An article on Kentucky State University’s website outlines the four projects that will be funded through this USDA grant. Each of the projects is led by a principal investigator and worked on by a team of experts in the areas of research.
The first project, Strengthening Specialty Crop Production and Marketing, will receive $600,000 of the USDA funding. It will focus on both traditional and underutilized vegetable crops and how to market and produce them. The project will develop strategies for high-potential crops in Kentucky, provide hands-on learning experiences for students, and expand Extension programming. Dr. Siddhartha Dasgupta, who serves as the associate research director for the Land Grant Program and a professor of aquaculture, will be the lead investigator on this project. Other faculty members involved in this project include Dr. Kirk Pomper, a professor of horticulture; Dr. Theoneste Nzaramyimana, an assistant professor for urban agriculture; and Dr. Anuj Chiluwal, an assistant professor of agronomy.
The next project, Harvesting Potential Agricultural Introduction Summer Program, has been awarded $450,000. The project will be led by Dr. Jamaal Jackson, the associate athletic director for student success, and co-investigated by graduate student Malik Thompson, who will serve as the program director of the summer program. The program will introduce high school students to agriculture careers and STEM careers through hands-on learning opportunities and mentoring from faculty members.
The project Enhancing Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Opportunities for Students and Staff of Kentucky State University has received $350,000. It will provide training, certifications, and workshops for middle schoolers, high schoolers, Kentucky State University students, faculty, and Extension employees. The project’s principal investigator is Dr. Sait Sarr, who is a senior research scientist and adjunct faculty in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, and the co-investigators are Dr. Dasgupta and Dr. Milon Chowdhury, who is an assistant professor of Ag and Bio Engineering.
The final project is Data Competency for Agricultural Science Majors, which has been awarded $300,000. Led by Dr. James Obielodan, a professor of management information systems, and co-investigated by Dr. Maheteme Gebremedhin, chair of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources and associate professor of soil science; Dr. Chi Shen, dean of the College of Business, Engineering & Technology; Dr. Jyotica Batra, assistant professor of physics; and Dr. Buddhi Gyawali, professor of geospatial applications, human dimensions, and climate studies, the project will create new programs and credentials at the intersection of agriculture, business, mathematics, and computer science.
For more information about Kentucky State University, visit the school’s website.