A-State receives $200,000 grant to target women and minorities in Ag-STEM

A $200,000 grant that will provide targeted intervention for women and minorities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at Arkansas State University has been awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Funding for the grant, which will be used over the span of three years, begins this fall.

“This grant will create Agri-STEM experiences, outreach, mentorship and leadership, and curriculum to increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing agricultural degrees and entering the agriculture workforce in the state,” Dr. Nina Crutchfield, assistant professor of agricultural education said.

She said the grant is a multidisciplinary, collaborative partnership between universities across the state.

“Arkansas CommUniversity will holistically support and expand the knowledge and experience of sixth through 12th grade students with agricultural sciences in education and extension functions throughout the state,” Crutchfield said. “We will specifically focus on developing successful recruitment and retention programs aimed at students from underrepresented minority backgrounds.“

The students who will participate in the work the grant will fund are from the Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools (ALCS), located in Pine Bluff and Jacksonville. Both schools are located in small communities where more than 76% of the students are minorities.

Crutchfield said she will host an institute for ALCS students that will include immersive experiences in all the agricultural career pathways available at A-State.

These include equine and livestock management, veterinary sciences, biotechnology, plant and soil sciences, meat sciences, agricultural economics, agricultural education, and GIS and water management.

“We will also establish a Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter on campus. I will work on the initial stages of establishment this fall, in hopes of having it in place by the spring semester,” said Crutchfield.

She said the addition of the chapter at A-State will fit nicely with the other NIFA grant announced earlier this year when she hosts undergraduate students on campus during the summers of 2025 and 2026 for agricultural education courses.

Education partners that are part of this grant include University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture; University of Arkansas-Fayetteville Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences; University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences; Arkansas Tech University Department of Agriculture and Tourism; MANRRS; ALCS; Crystal Bridges; and Arkansas State University College of Agriculture.