Megan Kennelly

Global food challenges require training the next generation of agricultural scientists in research and extension. Expertise in plant science is in demand. The pipeline of qualified individuals is diminishing. Understanding of plant science research is at a low mark. This integrated REEU program will train 36 undergraduate students in research and extension for plant health. The program will be led by the Department of Plant Pathology at Kansas State University, with additional mentors from the Departments of Agronomy, Entomology, and Horticulture and Natural Resources to provide interdisciplinary cross-linkages. The 9-week summer internship program will include: (1) independent research and extension projects ranging from genetics and molecular plant-microbe interactions to field scale disease and insect ecology; (2) professional development in communications, networking, ethics, graduate school applications, and international agriculture; (3) weekly field trips to view crop production and cutting-edge research methods and facilities, including interactions with growers, extension educators, and industry scientists; (4) weekly workshops in Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics and Tools (FACT) concepts such as bioinformatics and data visualization, with connections to extension; and (5) a capstone poster session for interns to present their independent projects. Interns will interact extensively with their own mentors but also with a wide array of collaborators who are national and international leaders in agricultural plant science research and extension. Students will be recruited through our website and by direct recruitment pipelines to colleges and universities within and outside Kansas, with an emphasis on building diverse cohorts, aided by a robust team of recruitment collaborators. The impact will be a set of REEU alumni well-equipped to thrive in graduate studies and serve as leaders in agricultural research and extension.