Plant Molecular Breeding Lab

Research Gallery

Farm Experiences Program (FEP) for Undergraduates (2013-2017)

More than 80% of the US population resides in urban areas compared to 50% a century ago. The number of undergraduate students who major in agriculture and related sciences are increasingly coming from non-farming families. Around 65% of the students in the department of agriculture and natural resources come from non-farm family backgrounds and do not have farming experience. It is very important to a land grant institution to train next generation of leaders in agriculture. We have obtained a competitive grant award from the USDA/NIFA to provide opportunities to students who are coming from non-farm backgrounds.

We have provided summer internship opportunities to 24 undergraduate students to gain hands on experience with agricultural practices. Students spent 20 hours per week with their host farmers/growers for the duration of eight weeks during the months of June and July. Each student was required to maintain a record and attended biweekly meetings. Attending biweekly meeting helps them to share and learn experiences from peers, also motivates them to engage more effectively in academics. At the end of the internship, students present their poster at Delaware State University summer research symposium.

From the beginning of the project, every year, participating students with the help of PIs and graduate students establish a crop museum at the Delaware State University’s research farm. This crop museum hosts around 25 different crops /varieties and it serves as a field site for crop production class taught by Co-PI Dr. Elavarthi where students can identify and observe different crop plants.

Other helpful activities initiated by Dr. Melmaiee and Dr. Elavarthi include:

First generation club: It provides an opportunity to meet other first-generation students from the college of agriculture and across campus. First generation club meetings also serving as starting point for some students to develop peer networking, getting comfortable on campus and get help with subject matters if needed.

Conversation clubs: where panel members will be seniors and recent alumni and the audiences will be freshmen to juniors. Panel members share their thoughts and experiences with audience with set of questions. Hoping that these kinds of meetings help them develop networks and peer mentoring opportunities, which intern will help increase graduation rate.