{"id":2382,"date":"2020-04-15T19:12:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T23:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/?p=2382"},"modified":"2024-05-17T10:10:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T14:10:11","slug":"nearly-half-a-million-dollar-grant-aims-to-increase-diversity-in-fanh-sciences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/for-the-media\/news-releases\/nearly-half-a-million-dollar-grant-aims-to-increase-diversity-in-fanh-sciences\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly Half a Million Dollar Grant Aims to Increase Diversity in FANH Sciences"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PRINCESS ANNE, MD- (April 15, 2020)- A University of Maryland Eastern Shore researcher has received a $474,500 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA to increase the diversity of students from minorities underrepresented in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human (FANH) sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Victoria Volkis, a chemistry professor at UMES, is the project director for the grant entitled, \u201cSummer Interdisciplinary Research and Extension Active Experiential Team-Learning Horticultural Program for Underrepresented in FANH Undergraduate Students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over a period of five years during the summer, Volkis and Dr. Andrew Ristvey, a colleague at the University of Maryland College Park and Wye Research and Education Center, will train a total of 30 Research and Extension Experiential Learning for Undergraduate (REEU) fellows between the two facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur summer REEU is a 10-week annual project involving novel horticultural phytochemistry studies using high-value specialty crops with unique phytochemical characteristics, cultural management, processing and nutrient preservation aspects including soil analysis, agricultural statistics, scientific sampling and outreach to local farmers,\u201d Volkis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal, she said, is to attract chemistry, biology, environmental sciences and technology majors to careers in high-tech agriculture using hands-on learning techniques.  \u201cThese techniques have proven to be powerful tools to increase student\u2019s awareness, involvement into studies, leadership and critical thinking abilities,\u201d Volkis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working in Volkis\u2019 lab and at the Wye Research and Education Center, the three-man interdisciplinary teams will address a primary Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) 2018 Farm Bill priority area focus, \u201cPlant Health and Production and Plant Products.\u201d  It will indirectly address another of the six priority areas, \u201cAgricultural Economics and Rural Communities,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NIFA-funded plant and plant product programs provide better understanding of plants, including how they grow, how to improve productivity  and how to use them in new ways. They also support education programs, such as Master Gardeners and the eXtension program, which brings science-based information about growing plants to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The \u201cAgricultural Economics and Rural Communities\u201d priority area aims to promote prosperity and economic security for individuals and families, farmers and ranchers, business owners and consumers, which are \u201cvital to a strong economy.\u201d  NIFA\u2019s research, education and extension programs help people \u201cmake sound financial management decisions, discover new economic opportunities, develop successful agricultural and nonagricultural enterprises, take advantage of new and consumer-driven markets and understand the implications of public policy on these activities.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student progress will be evaluated and they will be counseled on graduate study opportunities, leadership training and professional development, Volkis said.  The result of the project will be a model that can be replicated in other institutions across the country for creating specialists well-prepared for high-tech agricultural careers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project director, Dr. Victoria Volkis (above) and the project’s collaborative mentor, Dr. Andrew Ristvey, (right) are pictured in a summer field harvesting aronia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, School  of Agricultural & Natural Sciences, 410-621-3850, gcstephens@umes.edu.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRINCESS ANNE, MD- (April 15, 2020)- A University of Maryland Eastern Shore researcher has received a $474,500 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA to increase the diversity of students from minorities underrepresented in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human (FANH) sciences. Dr. Victoria Volkis, a chemistry professor at UMES, is…Read more Nearly Half a Million Dollar Grant Aims to Increase Diversity in FANH Sciences<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","wds_primary_category":19,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-2382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2382"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/sans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=2382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}