A team of mathematicians from The University of Texas at Arlington is leading a new national initiative to create pathways for students to pursue careers in agricultural fields.
The project, “Developing an Alliance for Training and Apprenticeship in Climate-Smart Agriculture (DATA-Ag),” aims to equip students from community colleges and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in agriculture with the objectives of expanding and improving workforce training through student engagement, curriculum development and faculty preparation. Another project aim is to build a regional agricultural alliance among Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is funding the project, headed by Jianzhong Su, professor and chair of the UTA Department of Mathematics, with a three-year, $500,000 Agricultural Workforce Training grant. NIFA is a federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The project will address NIFA’s goals by increasing the number and diversity of students who pursue careers in agriculture, enhancing students’ educational experiences and creating a technology- and data-savvy workforce.
Read more at: University of Texas at Arlington
From left, Keaton Hamm, Dengdeng Yu, Jaime Cantu and Jianzhong Su. (Photo Credit: University of Texas at Arlington)