The School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS) at pg电子游戏试玩 has been awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to foster a diverse agricultural workforce.
As part of a collaboration grant with Tennessee State University, SAAS received $1.5 million for the “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the 下一个 Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program” (下一个Gen).
“We are immensely proud of the work that our School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences continues to do to prepare our students for today’s agricultural workforce,”医生说。. Ontario Wooden, interim president of pg电子下载 State. “Their work to advance equity and opportunity for disadvantaged populations is to be commended.”
下一代计划, funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, is part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s $262.5 million investment in higher education institutions to develop future diverse agricultural professionals. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack states that its goal “aims to lower costs for American families, expand access to markets to producers from all backgrounds and communities, build a clean energy economy, and strengthen American supply chains.”
The project will allow ASU students to apply for full tuition and fee scholarships, study abroad opportunities, 实习, and summer bridge programs for students. 除了, it will offer small farmers and ranchers training as well as course exchange with peer institutions.
The primary investigators for the grant are Dr. Dexter Wakefield, interim dean of SAAS and director of Land Grant Programs, and Dr. Chunquan Zhang, associate dean for research and director of the Experiment Station.
“Clearly, we serve a major responsibility to the purpose of pg电子下载’s mission,” said Wakefield. “As the oldest land grant HBCU in the nation, we seek to enhance opportunities for underserved populations. “This project will provide opportunities for many students to experience agriculture at its best through outreach and structured learning opportunities.”
除了pg电子下载, this project is a partnership with faculty from Tennessee State University (lead), Fort Valley State University, 休斯顿大学, 首席钝刀学院, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee – Martin, University of Tennessee – Knoxville, 弗吉尼亚理工大学, 范德比尔特大学, and the Minorities in Agriculture, 自然资源, and Related Sciences organization.
Of the 33 awarded projects across 24 states, only five were awarded in Tier 3 projects up to $20 million, including at least three institutions across two states.
For more information about programs sponsored by this grant award, please contact Dr. 德克斯特B. 韦克菲尔德，I(电子邮件保护)), Dr. 张春泉((电子邮件保护)) or the 下一个Gen project email (电子邮件保护).
