This project was created to increase graduates entering the agricultural workforce with increased skills in leadership, communication and research. Prospective students will be engaged in an introductory workshop targeting leadership and communication training. A faculty member will be identified to aid the student through development and conduction of research.
The following summer, students who are assigned a mentor in a chosen area of research will be engaged in an internship and conduct research on an identified topic of their choice. The subsequent summer, the student will work at a cooperative extension site where the student and extension faculty will develop programming associated with the research and communicate those findings to the public. Expenses associated with this project will be paid (internship stipend, housing, travel, and meals). Students who are just entering post-secondary or in their second year of school are encouraged to apply!
The grant project is organized into steps for participants, which will begin with recruitment in Fall 2022. Initially, students are provided with training and team building skills. Working with mentor(s), students will develop and conduct research then disseminate findings. Participants are not expected to pay travel, meal expenses, and housing expenses.
Timeline:
Year 1 – One-week training in leadership and communication & mentorship with a research faculty at NMSU in a selected area
Year 2 – Paid summer internship at an Agricultural Experiment Station site in New Mexico
Year 3 – Paid summer internship at a Cooperative Extension Service county in New Mexico
This project will be conducted for three co-horts of participants in each of the years 2022, 2023, and 2024 with the project ending in 2026.
For more information, contact Dr. Don Edgar at dedgar@nmsu.edu.
