PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 4, 2020) – Some students at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) may be having class discussions via Zoom this summer, but that isn’t slowing them down. In fact, the COVID-19 virus and the way it is changing the workforce and the world is a chance for the students to develop their ingenuity and creativity. This is especially true of students who are part of the Innovation at the Nexus of Food, Energy, Water Systems (INFEWS) Scholar program.

A summer course held last month called “Rising Technologies and Predictive Analytics of Water Management for Sustainable Agriculture” focused on sustainable agriculture. Two professors at PVAMU, Drs. Ali Fares and Ripendra Awal, taught the two-week session, which included graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) and PVAMU.

“This course prepared students from diverse backgrounds to be leaders in the STEM workforce,” said Fares. “This was a great opportunity to collaborate with faculty of another university and our students and faculty to have exposure to doctorate students and their research, as PVAMU’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS) doesn’t have a doctorate program.”

“The guest lectures from CAHS’s faculty, researchers, and extension personnel enriched the content of the course and gave the students a clear idea on the depth of the land grant programs at PVAMU,” Awal added.

Greg Hendrickson, a student from UT-Austin, said, “The topics were a great introduction into current agricultural research, and I have been inspired to continue to develop an agricultural component of my research.”

Fares, a professor of water security at PVAMU, said the students consistently inspired him as he listened to their discussions during class.

“These students came up with great ideas and made substantial contributions to enrich the discussion during our meetings,” Fares said. “We were delighted by their reactions; I think you could really see the innovation and ingenuity in action in this course. For instance, Karrie Calloway, a PVAMU CAHS undergraduate student who took the class, made substantial contributions to the class discussion. We were also impressed by the students’ presentations, collaboration efforts, and their expressed ideas.  It was awesome to see students learning from each other!”

“I am much enthused on what I learned,” UT-Austin student Maria Elena said in an email to Fares after the class concluded. “Thank you for sharing your knowledge and just being awesome! I hope to someday have the same impact on my students,” she said.

Even though the class had to be virtual because of coronavirus restrictions, Fares said the nature of the course and its success was a nod to the future of agriculture.

“We have to know how to train students on these agricultural technologies to be leaders and professionals of the future,” Fares said. “Digital agriculture is the way of the future, and we don’t want to be behind or lose momentum. Seeing how the students have responded to a virtual class with their ideas is just a testament to their adaptability, which they will need as they begin their work or research in this field.”

Moreover, Fares emphasized the importance of having diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skills in the class, noting that the partnership with PVAMU especially fosters this.

“The inspiration in academia comes as we make an impact day in and day out,” Fares said. “These are young minds learning these important topics and connecting what they learn to natural resources. The discussion and ideas they are proposing are very exciting and encouraging. Students need to think outside the box. I think innovation is really where you find success. You need to be able to see a solution that others don’t see, and I see that excitement from our students in the class, something that will have a ripple effect and translate to agriculture and the society itself. That’s invaluable for me. You can see the STEM industry growing right in front of you.”

The hope is that this course and collaboration will continue for the next three years, with increasing participation from both universities.

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By Meredith Mohr