2020-05-18
Led by Professor Colleen Naughton, a new program to engage incoming and transfer students
before they start at UCM also develops the agricultural workforce. The six-week summer immersion bridge
program at the University of California, Merced introduces students from the San Joaquin Valley to the exciting world of research in agricultural science and technology. Students will visit and work on local farms and industries once a week to get practical experience for their research and future careers.
Prof. Naughton will lead the ag-food-tech summer bridge program for transfer and first-year students at UC Merced.
To meet the needs of new students, training goes beyond research and academics. In addition, the bridge program provides crucial training in life skills such as budgeting, studying, and stress management needed for success at the university.
Naughton said, “Our ultimate goal is to train a diverse and competitive agricultural workforce
that will increase agricultural productivity and food security for those who need it most.” Naughton brings her experiences from prior research and working with the Peace Corps in Mali to engaged research with communities and agriculture in California as a faculty member in the Environmental Engineering Program.
The proposal was truly interdisciplinary, engaging faculty from the School of Engineering, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Public Health.
The CITRIS proposal was one of 26 Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduate grants selected for funding by the US Department of Agriculture program. It will offer experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences across the nation. These hands-on educational experiences offer both research and extension training that will lead to a well-prepared and modern workforce that can fill expected gaps in the country’s food, agriculture, and related industries. These grants are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Workforce Development.
Funded this year, the San Joaquin Valley Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools And Science (FACTS) Bridge program will begin recruitment in Spring 2021. Follow the CITRIS UC Merced website for updates.
Contact: Leigh Bernacchi, citris@ucmerced.edu