This project is increasing the number and diversity of undergraduates in programs integrating agriculture, life sciences, and engineering. It represents a partnership between the College of Agriculture and the business community to recruit and retain a cohort of 15-20 high-need/ high-potential students through mentoring programs and enriched learning and research experiences. Following an initial year focused on setting up the project and on recruiting, the project is providing scholarships during years 2-5. Scholarship amounts are based on unmet need, with a maximum of $10,000 per student per academic year, renewable for up to four years. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the creation of an interdisciplinary community of learners and in the integration of a carefully designed curriculum with student support services and mentoring opportunities and with undergraduate research experiences and industrial internships. Previously underserved students are gaining tools to succeed as undergraduates and to navigate the cultures of both industry and academia. The program is contributing to existing scholarship about the recruitment and retention of high-needs/ high-potential students and is providing new data about factors contributing to the success of underrepresented students.
The broader impact of this work lies in the potential for the scholarships to recruit, educate, and mentor students from populations underrepresented in STEM fields, equipping them for successful STEM careers related to agriculture, and for serving as role models in their communities.
