Source: TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY- KINGSVILLE submitted to
STEP UP TO USDA CAREER SUCCESS: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PREPARATION TO USDA CAREER SUCCESS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0226681
Grant No.
2011-38422-30826
Project No.
TEXE-2011-02665
Proposal No.
2011-02665
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
NJ
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2011
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2016
Grant Year
2014
Project Director
Nelson, S. D.
Recipient Organization
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY- KINGSVILLE
700 UNIVERSITY BLVD.
KINGSVILLE,TX 78363
Performing Department
Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Low enrollment of students in agricultural sciences has resulted in few students prepared with the skills to replace a retiring USDA workforce. This multi-institutional project addresses USDA NIFA priorities by student experiential learning and recruitment and retention of 58 underrepresented students of South Texas for careers in USDA agencies. Students from five degree granting HSI institutions will receive training in the agricultural and natural resource sciences from Texas A and M University Kingsville (TAMUK) faculty through a series of targeted summer short courses in the soil, animal, and natural resource sciences. This project creates a seamless transition of moving students receiving Associates degrees from three regional south Texas community colleges (South Texas College, Texas State Technical College, and Del Mar College) to obtaining baccalaureate degrees in the agricultural and biological sciences at a four year degree granting institution (TAMUK or University of Texas Pan American). This program addresses USDA NIFA priorities (e) student experiential learning and (f) recruitment and retention of underrepresented students for careers in the USDA. Undergraduate students will have experiential learning and career track development in agricultural sciences through summer internships with USDA agency partners and research projects under the direction of faculty mentors. Graduate student at the masters and doctoral level will serve as research mentors and advisors to undergraduates performing research in lab. This project will produce 50 undergraduates with baccalaureate degrees in the sciences that meet minimum qualification requirements to be hired by the USDA agencies (NRCS, AMS, ARS, APHIS) upon graduation. Furthermore, the grant will fund a minimum of eight masters and one doctoral level Hispanic graduate students for advanced career path development in the agricultural sciences. The NRCS is the main USDA collaborator targeted in this project, but some students will be prepared for employment with other USDA agencies such as AMS, ARS, and APHIS upon graduation. Undergraduate students will have had a minimum of two summer internships with emphasis placed on working with USDA agencies. At least 58 students that are underrepresented in science careers will benefit from this collaborative project with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in the agricultural and biological sciences.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
The primary objective of this project is focused on undergraduate training and education for career preparation and employment with USDA agencies upon graduation with B.S. degrees. To obtain this, the primary objective has been separated into 3 objectives listed below. Objective 1) to form a collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic south Texas students. Objective 2) to provide undergraduate students with intensive short-courses based in soils, biotechnology, livestock and meat grading, and environmental sciences that prepare them for soils, biological, animal agriculture, and natural resource science-related careers to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic students. Objective 3) to provide a minimum of 50 summer undergraduate internship experiences with agricultural-related USDA agencies as fast track preparation for USDA careers. The graduation of one underrepresented doctoral and eight masters level Hispanic students is also a performance measure for program success. The major benefits of this project will be a large number of students prepared with the minimum academic credentials and coursework needed to obtain employment with USDA agencies upon graduation. USDA agencies will have a pool of well qualified candidates to select from for employment that represent persons that are underrepresented in the agricultural and biological science based careers. Within two years of this project agencies will have qualified soil scientist, soil conservationist, meat graders, animal scientists, plant inspection specialists, biological scientist and other agricultural and natural resource specialist ready for hire. Furthermore, this project will provide necessary skills and training to students through internship opportunities with USDA agencies or other partners and industry leaders. Summer internships with the USDA, coupled with research experience under the direction of faculty mentors, will provide students with a firm foundation and understanding of what their career opportunities are in the agricultural and biological sciences. Students enrolled in the program will receive support in the means of stipends to help alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education. The resultant outcome of this program will be strengthened cooperation and collaboration between educators, scientists and federal agency representatives, such that it will provide a framework for continued collaboration between academic institutions and USDA agency partners for promoting the career development of underserved students of south Texas.
Project Methods
The approach for this project will incorporate several phases that are repeated on an annual basis to move student from the community college to receive a four year degree. Initial phase will be student recruitment to the program that will include the immediate project announcement through advertisement within each of the five collaborating institutions. Publication of the program will be announced in school and local papers. Currently enrolled Hispanic students at each institution with compete competitively for and will be selected for first year enrollment into the program. Each institution project director will provide the selection of the students for the program with the assistance of the institution's collaborating faculty members. A website will be created in the fall semester of 2011 to assist in the promotion the program and to highlight student participants and achievements. Graduate level students will be identified and hired preferably in the fall 2011 semester at the participating four year, graduate degree issuing institutions. The second phase of the program emphasizes student retention and education. Stipends will be issued to students enrolled to assist in student retention. Undergraduate students will be informed about the program focus on USDA agency internships during the summer. In preparation for these internships students at four year institutions that are unfamiliar with the USDA will embark on a four to five day trip following fall semester to visit various USDA agencies in the state of Texas. Undergraduate students will receive training during the summer months at Texas A and M University Kingsville (TAMUK) main campus during the month of mid May 2012 for a one week summer training camp in the agricultural sciences. Faculty members will educate students on basics in the soil, plant, animal, meat and environmental sciences during the first year summer training camp. TAMUK Citrus Center faculty will train students the following year in a similar camp, but focus on biotechnology, entomology, crop physiology, and plant pathology. The third phase of the program focuses on experiential learning through research and internships. Faculty will provide research opportunities to student during the long semesters. Most undergraduate students at the two year institutions will perform research during the summer months, while some may perform internships with local industry partners. Undergraduate students enrolled in the four year institutions will perform summer internships with USDA agency partners. The fourth phase of the program includes promoting student success through professional presentations. Faculty will accompany students to local, regional and national professional meetings whereby students can showcase their research experiences through oral and poster presentations. These activities in tandem with the experiential learning through research and internships will provide them skills sufficient to be competitive for USDA careers. These activities will be posted on website where students are tracked as to job placement upon graduation and afterward. The program includes annual external evaluation.

Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The STEP UP project is designed to engage undergraduate and graduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences in activities intended to enhance experiential learning and to expose these students to research and attendant careers in the agricultural sciences. During Year 5, the distribution of the 35 students participating in the grant included 58% male, 42% female, and 91% who identified as Hispanic. Thirty-four students were undergraduates (10 BS 14 AS or AA), while one was a graduate student working on his master's degree. Without the stipends, many of the grant participants could not have taken advantage of the STEP UP educational and internship opportunities, leading to the enhanced opportunities with USDA. Students indicated they would relocate for USDA jobs, but limiting factors included financial issues, distance from home, and familial concerns. Of the nine 5th year Del Mar Community College interns, four expect to graduate in fall/winter of 2016/2017, and three in spring/summer of 2017. Two interns from Del Mar Community College are continuing their pursuit of an AS in biotechnology and work part time for Texas AgriLife. Nine of the fourteen Agricultural Science interns from Texas State Technical College will be finishing their AA degrees in the next year, and four additional students have already transferred to TAMUK. The one intern from South Texas College transferred to TAMUK after the summer internship and expects to graduate in 2018 with a degree in biotechnology. All seven TAMUK students who participated in an internship during the 5th year of the grant will remain at TAMUK to complete their degree programs in Animal Science, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Ag Business. All but one student are bilingual and all expect to graduate between December 2016 and May 2018. The five degree seeking interns (4 BS and 1 MS) from the University of Texas Pan American are all biology majors, are all bilingual (Spanish), and three of the five (2 BS and 1 MS) graduated in spring and summer of 2016. They are currently applying for employment with USDA. The MS student is concurrently applying for a Ph.D. program in microbiology. For this diverse and economically disadvantaged population of students from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the STEP UP project has given them expanded educational and career opportunities. Today, most parents and their children believe that a college degree is necessary for obtaining stable and meaningful work (Schneider and Stevenson, 1999). Even though youth and their parents may share high educational aims, their aspirations do not necessarily mean enrollment in higher education. This is especially the case for Hispanic high school students, particularly those whose parents have not attended college (Nuñez, Cuccaro-Alamin, and Carroll, 1998). Consequently, an additional major outcome regarding the STEP UP target population, in addition to facilitating students' enrollment and completion of 4-year degrees, is that more students are not only pursuing internships in and out of state, but many, when queried, say they will consider job opportunities away from home. During Year 5 of the STEP UP grant, 10 students completed the internship in areas away from Texas, including Arkansas, California, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, and the Virgin Islands. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Year 5 of the STEP UP project gave 35 students - 6 TAMUK, 5 UTPA, 14 TSTC, 1 STC, and 9 Del Mar - the opportunity to intern with scientists/mentors who specialize in a wide variety of disciplines, including environmental science, agricultural science, biology and biotechnology, genomics, entomology, plant breeding/physiology, soil conservation, natural resources conservation, nutrition research, and wildlife/wetland management, among others. Involvement with these research scientists helped the students develop their research skills in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related research, illustrating that, through this project, underrepresented students can become confident and knowledgeable research partners with important research findings to share. USDA provided internship opportunities with the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and Forest Service (FS). Additional partner institutions, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Weslaco, Texas A&M University Kingsville Citrus Center - Weslaco, Texas Animal Health Commission, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as well as researchers at Del Mar College, Texas A&M Kingsville, and University of Texas Rio Grande, provided undergraduate and graduate students with research, field trip, and internship opportunities, for a total of 35 students involved in life changing internship experiences. Thirty-one students responded to the STEP UP 2016 Student Internship Survey (analyzed in the aggregate). The reported internship discipline topics encompassed agricultural science, entomology, conservation of natural resources, parasite toxoplasmosis, animal science biotechnology, wildlife- range- soil sciences, metagenics of bovine respiratory disease, phages, fuels synthesis, membrane capacitance, biology, and GIS. The locations of the internships included the Texas locations of Harlingen, Weslaco, San Benito, Beeville, Los Indios, Alice, College Station, Rio Grande City, Corpus Christ, and Kingsville. Out-of-state locations included Beltsville, Maryland, Dubois, Wyoming, Clay Center, Nebraska, Berkeley, California, and St. Croix, Virgin Islands. The duties and tasks of interns included participating in training events, assisting the project director or scientist, gathering samples, hands on with plants or animals, and extension work/lab experience. Students felt that their internship work was important (90%), productive (97%), interesting (100%), and useful (100%) and a positive learning experience (100%). Students highly rated (100%) the availability of internship agency staff in answering any questions, being made aware of the expectations of them as an intern by their universities (90%) and by the internship agency and supervisor (100%). Students appreciated the availability of supervision and guidance from their supervisors (100%), and the relevance of the internship to their academic coursework (87%). Most students (97%) believed that the internship assignment(s) gave them new skills and knowledge, that the internship was helpful to their educational and career plans (90%), and that it was a positive experience that they would recommend to other students (100%). Additionally, students completed a retrospective pretest of their internship experiences and improved, in all areas assessed, a minimum of 9% through 38% improvement pre-to post internship. Of note, knowledge and skill levels regarding interns' understanding of the research process in the fields of their internships improved pre-internship to post by 38%, understanding of how scientists think about and work on real problems by 30%, skill in interpreting results by 29%, and laboratory skills by 26%, all going from moderate or below to high or very high. In other areas, students rated their pre to posttest knowledge gain between 9% and 22%, including appreciation for agricultural sciences (9%), their confidence in their abilities to learn science (10%) the ability to connect theory and practice (12%), readiness for more demanding research (15%), working independently (17%), and the ability to analyze data and other information (22%), Obviously, these internship experiences in the STEP UP program resulted in major gains in knowledge, skills, and confidence for students who are historically underrepresented and, at times, overlooked by the science community. Eighteen internship supervisors returned surveys (analyzed in the aggregate) regarding the activities of each intern and the effectiveness of the interns' skills. Internship research topics cited by the supervisors included entomology/pest management, biofuels, microbiology, beef cattle genetics, animal parasitology, wildlife management, metabolic engineering of lipid production in plants, and livestock, poultry, and grain country of origin labeling. Internship supervisors reported that their interns were involved with training events, assisting project directors/supervisors, visiting work places, gathering samples and participating in lab work, farm maintenance, and hands on experiences with plants and animals. The interns were rated as effective to highly effective regarding reliability/responsibility (100% of interns), teamwork (94%) analysis/problem solving and research (both 88%). The students' communication (listening, speaking, writing), preparedness for internship, ability to work independently, and self-discipline were all rated at 83%, interpreted as effective. The supervisors relayed that the interns' contributions to the work were important (83%), productive (89%), interesting and useful (both 94%). A majority of the internship supervisors (94%) were satisfied with the intern's work and most (88%) would readily take another intern from the STEP UP program. Most supervisors (94%) agreed that their intern managed his/her responsibilities in a professional manner. All of the surveyed internship supervisors agreed that they would provide a letter of recommendation for the interns for jobs in the future. Sixteen of the 18 surveyed supervisors (89%) would hire his/her intern for a job in the future if a position was available to do so. The comments from supervisors identifying areas in which students could improve included scientific writing skills (proofreading), lab skills, attentiveness to project and task details, more assertiveness in asking questions, communication skills (speaking clearly and communicating problems in a timely manner), and a more mature handling of frustrations. Lastly, supervisors reported that they were impressed by the students' commitment to their assigned projects, their enthusiasm, work ethic, and curiosity, their receptivity and response to positive feedback, and their solid basic science knowledge. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination of this multi-institutional project has been promoted through various means during Year 5 of the project, Websites highlighting the program have been established at TAMUK and UTPA to document the program direction, purpose, and student progress and achievements. The research results of the students' independent research projects are primarily disseminated at professional meetings and conferences and in various publications (see Products section). Students and faculty attended over 32 conferences, and published 7 journal articles. As part of their internships and experiences, STEP UP students were highlighted in La Voz, the National Organization of Professional Hispanic NRCS Employees newsletter, as well as in the Webb County State Water Conservation District newsletter (see Product section). Finally, the following participating institutions and agencies multiply the avenues for dissemination: Academic Institutions: TAMUK, UTPA, STC, TSTC, Del Mar College USDA Agencies: USDA-NRCS (-PMC), -ARS, -APHIS (-PPQ), -AMS, -FS; -FSIS. Texas State Agencies: Texas A&M University; Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension; Texas Parks and Wildlife, TAMUK Citrus Center; Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Texas Animal Health Commission. Partner Organizations: Incell Corporation; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; RGV Sciences; Purdue University. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In Year 5, STEP UP used the remainder of its funding to support as many students as possible in internship and graduate school opportunities and to continue the collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to underrepresented Hispanic south Texas students (Objective 1). STEP UP continued to be successful, with 35 students participating in grant activities and receiving stipends from the STEP UP grant, thus increasing the number of students prepared with the academic credentials and coursework needed to obtain employment with USDA agencies upon graduation. These STEP-UP efforts have maximized the number of underrepresented students in the agricultural and biological science based careers who are now considering careers with USDA agencies, as well as graduate school opportunities. The majors that the Year 5 students are pursuing include Animal Science, Plant and Soil Science, Agribusiness, and Biology . Ninety-one percent of the 35 STEP UP students taking part in this project in Year 5 self-identified as Hispanic and all students were placed in either USDA internship opportunities or in mentored scientist and/or faculty research directed projects (Objective 3). In Year 5, 100% STEP UP of participants from TAMUK and UTPA were enrolled in disciplines applicable to USDA jobs. Student interns received stipend support, primarily to help alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education, as well as to begin their journeys as part of a professional team. These experiences gave underrepresented students the necessary skills and training to continue their degree studies and become viable candidates for agriculturally related employment with USDA agencies or other partners and industry leaders. The internship experiences, coupled with research experience under the direction of faculty mentors, provided students with a firm foundation and understanding of what their career opportunities are in the agricultural and biological sciences, as evidenced by the following comments: This is by far the best hands-on experience I have ever had the opportunity to participate in. I am forever grateful for the knowledge that I was able to obtain during my summer internship. Another student related, I am beyond grateful to have been able to experience this internship in Dubois, Wyoming. A third student reported: The internship was a great learning experience and I learned a lot from my time there. The scientists are wonderful to work with. It opened my eyes to so many opportunities. Lastly, a student stated: I knew nothing about the work and experiments before my internship, but had confidence I could learn what needed to be learned and perform the experiments and do the research to help me better understand the work being done during the internship. This was because of the very hands on class style that I was taught at Del Mar and the confidence and support the professors gave every student and how they pushed us to be our best and do what we thought might be impossible. Students also grew in their leadership abilities. Two Year 5 STEP UP interns were chosen to attend the Adelante! (part of the U.S. Education Leadership Fund) Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Faculty members spoke about what they felt were the most important changes for students that STEP UP had facilitated: 1. The bridge between HSIs is a lot stronger for transfers; 2. Increased self-confidence in students; 3. Internships can "light a fire" of interest in our students; 4. It is great to see the ball rolling - getting more quality students applying. More freshman students are interested in applying because STEP UP gives a great introduction to the agricultural sciences; 5. STEP UP has given on the ground experience in an intensive way. Students get to see and experience real life for a summer in internships. Helps students to evaluate the field and USDA as a place to work; and 6. We changed our internship program from students finding their own opportunities- now we are helping students find internships. All of the STEP UP faculty members felt that the STEP UP grant had enhanced the quality of their institutions in the disciplines of food, agricultural sciences, and natural resources science, as seen in the following comments: 1. The contacts our faculty members have made have grown tremendously. 2. The internship is a safe environment. This is money well spent to get students out of their comfort zone because the impact on the students is amazing over the 10 weeks. 3. STEP UP opened doors and allowed us to have more interaction with USDA. Once you are in a program with USDA, you work as a team to bring the students along in their educational and career goals. 4. STEP UP has been helpful to our departments - helping them to grow. This helps not just our Hispanic students, but the students with non-Hispanic backgrounds and ethnicities at TAMUK.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Alabi, O.J., Villegas, C., Gregg, L., Murray, K.D. Complete nucleotide sequences of a new bipartite begomovirus from Malvastrum sp. plants with bright yellow mosaic symptoms in South Texas. Archives of Virology 161 (6):1729-1733.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: F.J. Dirrigl Jr., C.J. Huston*, and M. Bazaldua*. 2016. Evaluating Stormwater Canals for Water Quality in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Environmental Practice 18:1-12. DOI:10.1017/ S1466046615000411
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Kusakabe, A, B.A. Contreras-Barragan, C.R. Simpson, J. Enciso, S.D. Nelson, and J.C. Melgar. 2016. Application of partial rootzone drying to improve irrigation water use efficiency in grapefruit trees. Ag Water Manag. 178:66-75.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Contreras-Barragan, B.A., A. Kusakabe, J.C. Melgar and S.D. Nelson. 2016. Understanding partial rootzone drying in citrus. Acta Horticulturae. 1135:123-130.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S. King, S.D. Nelson, J. Jifon, G. Schuster, and A. Volder. 2015. Salinity evaluation for watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grafted with different rootstocks. Subtrop. Ag & Environ. 66:1-6.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Schuster, G., E. G. Medrano, and K. Field- Huey. 2016. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Boll Rot and Associated Microorganisms in South Texas Fields. Agricultural Sciences. In print.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Porter, D., K. Wagner, and V. Gutierrez. South Texas Irrigation Training Program Manual. Spring 2016. Texas Water Resources Institute, twri.tamu.edu. EM-121. Pg. 31. http://blogs.usda.gov/2016/01/20/under-represented-students-step-up-to-careers-in-agriculture/
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Alfaro-Lopez, X. NRCS Pathways internship Thibodaux, Louisiana Summer 2015. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S.D. Nelson, J.C. Melgar, S. King, J. Jifon, G. Schuster, and A. Volder. 2015. Effects of salinity on physiological parameters of grafted and ungrafted citrus trees. Scientia Horticulturae. 197:483-489.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Goolsby, J.A., T. Mays, G. Schuster, J. Kashefi, L. Smith, M. Flores-Cruz, D. Amalin, and A. Perez deLeon. 2015. Rationale for classical biological control of cattle fever ticks and proposed methods for field collection of natural enemies. Subtropical Agriculture and Environments, 66:7-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Stanko, R., Nelson, S., Machado, T., Schuster, G., Donato-Molina, C., Lukefahr, S. STEP UP to USDA Career Success Program Participation Increased Graduation Rates and Final GPA of Undergraduate Agriculture Students from South Texas. NACTA Conference, June 21-24, 2016. University of Hawaii, Manoa (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Nelson, S., Stanko, R., Machado, T., Schuster, G., Donato-Molina, C. Finding Balance in Undergraduate research for Graduate School and Career Preparation in Agricultural Sciences. NACTA Conference, June 21-24, 2016. University of Hawaii, Manoa (oral presentation).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Edwards, N., J. Lopez, M. P. Moyer and D. Zhang. Creating SOPs for the Validation of Raw Material using GMP. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Frontera, C., J. F. Ramirez, J. L. Vulgamore, J. R. Hatherill, V. Chubukov, D. Zhang, and A. Mukhopadhyay. Engineering NADPH production in E. coli with modified lipoamide dehydrogenase. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Frontera, J., D. Seay and D. Zhang. Characterization and Identification of Bacterial Isolates Indigenous to South Texas from Environmental & Steer Blood Samples. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pray, R., O. Yurchenko, J. Dyer, and D. Zhang. Engineering Plants to Produce Petrochemical Alternatives in Vegetative Tissues. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Applewhite, C. FSIS Seguin, TX. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Beall L; Aldridge, M. Step Up Program District 11 Summer Internship. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Brown, A; Casas, J; Ramirez, S. Corn, Honey Bees & Strawberries at our Summer Internship USDA-ARS. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentations Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Castillo, D; De La Garza, A; Davis K; Nelson, S; Schuster, G; Hernandez, F. Impact of Participating Directly on Field Work. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Cortez, J; Coy, D; Sandoval, A. STEP UP Summer internship with USDA-NRCS. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Esparza, D. 2015 AG Science Summer Internship. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Hewitt, M. Millville Predator Research Facility. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Garza, O. USDA Office of Communications. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Glass, M; Eli, L. U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Hamilton, H; Rodriguez, I. USDA-NRCS, Texas. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Kohler, Ch; Lujano, G; Wilkins, T; VerCauteren, K; Avery, M; Cunningham, F. National Wildlife Research Center Step Up Experience. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Teran, C; Uribe C; Brow, D; Long, J; Meyer; Tuo, W. Ostertagia, Sperm-Mediated Transgenesis & Nematodes with USDA-ARS Beltsville Agriculture Research Center. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vela, R; Casarez, J. Texas Animal Health Commission. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Walter, C; Garcia, V. U.S. Forest Service. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Young, S; Bazan, A; Steele, L. USDA-NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Zamora, K. ARS-Fort Collins, CO. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Fleming, T; Lozano, V; Guerrero, C. USDA-ARS Beltsville, Maryland. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Garcia, A; Solis, J; Woloshuk, Ch; Wise, K; Schuster, G; Nelson, S. Integrated Management Strategies for Aspergillus and Fusarium Ear Rots of Corn. STEP UP-TAMUK 2015 Student Presentation Showcase. September 22, 2015. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Kingsville, Texas (poster).


Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The STEP UP project is designed to engage undergraduate and graduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences in activities intended to enhance experiential learning and to expose these students to research and attendant careers in the agricultural sciences. Over the 5 years of the STEP UP grant, the distribution of the 335 students participating in the grant included approximately 50% male, 50% female, and a span of 70% to 91% (average 80%) who identified as Hispanic in the five years of the grant. Grant participants were interviewed and two-thirds of the interviewees could not have afforded an internship without STEP UP funding. For many Hispanics, economic factors remain an obstacle to college enrollment. In a 2014 National Journal poll (atlanticmedia.com), 66% of Hispanics who got a job or entered the military directly after high school cited the need to help support their family as a reason for not enrolling in college, compared with 39% of whites. The internship stipend payment from STEP UP is crucial and paved the way for many Hispanic students from the Rio Grande Valley to expand their educational and career horizons. A STEP UP student reported, I was from the valley and there are not any ag schools in the valley, so I came to TAMUK - with blinders on, set on vet program. Didn't get opportunity to see what else I would be good at or interested in. Taking courses to see if I like something isn't possible - too expensive and can't waste money. This internship experience helped shape my studies. Even though more Hispanics are getting a postsecondary education than ever before, Hispanics still lag other groups in obtaining a four-year degree. As of 2014, among Hispanics ages 25 to 29, just 15% of Hispanics have a bachelor's degree or higher. By comparison, among the same age group, about 41% of whites have a bachelor's degree or higher (as do 22% of blacks and 63% of Asians). This gap is due, in part, to the fact that Hispanics are less likely than some other groups to enroll in a four-year college, attend an academically selective college and enroll full-time (Pew Research Center, Facttank, Jens Manuel Krogstad, July 28, 2016). The design of the STEP UP program, with its partnership among 2 and 4 year institutions, its mentoring and career advisement, its internship opportunities, its financial support, its culturally sensitive and dedicated faculty and staff, and its strong interest in the well-being of the participants has kept students engaged and progressively moving forward toward degrees that are vital to career success, specifically with the USDA. Students in the STEP UP program have experienced multiple opportunities for behavioral and skills-based growth that are planned with cultural understanding and cultural humility. The STEP UP internships changed the educational goals and career aspirations of many students. Nine of the interns are now considering getting their master's degrees and one is thinking about working toward a Ph.D. in the agricultural sciences. Student comments are as follows: 1. I didn't have a precise view of agriculture. I was preparing for my future in general and looking for a small school to fit in. By working in a lab, I now perceive the culture in a different way. That's why I want to pursue graduate work to be a scientist/researcher. 2. This internship put me more on a path of being a research biologist. I now plan on getting my master's. Because of the internship, I have connections with the University of Florida. 3. I wanted to be a game warden, but my internship opened my mind to other possibilities. The ideas at APHIS grasped me and got my attention. 4. I went from animals (vet prep) to dirt (soil sciences). The internship also taught me how to obtain a job, present myself, and gave me opportunities to share and explain findings. Lastly, one student got a job from her internship: They needed someone who could run water quality assessments - I learned that skill through the internship. Over the 5 years of the STEP UP grant, teaching methods and content have been changed to facilitate the skills and competencies of Hispanic students so that they are competitive, including encouraging students to move toward new opportunities instead of staying in comfort zone, taking a more inclusive perspective in planning classes and their associated assignments, and during presentations and discussions. As one faculty member stated, I have a different outlook - more hands on. I want students to get the tools they need to move forward...the students' internships have informed my classroom and my work. I emphasize the opportunities available across the country. Proactive steps that have been taken to recruit more Hispanic students into agriculture-related fields also include the summer camp experience. One faculty member stated, The Summer Camp experience has been great at enhancing the students' experiences - helps students to see opportunities. Another faculty member added, STEP UP has allowed our students to see a variety of opportunities in a low-risk way - through staying close to home if needed, through internships and mentoring, etc. These statements from faculty members demonstrate the cultural humility lens that is used by all STEP UP faculty, which is being other-oriented (or open to the other) As stated in the APA Children Youth and Families News, though individuals can create positive change, communities and groups can also have a profound impact on systems. We cannot individually commit to self-evaluation and fixing power imbalances without advocating within the larger organizations in which we participate. Cultural humility, by definition, is larger than our individual selves -- we must advocate for it systemically (Waters & Asbill, 2013). This is exactly what USDA intended with this grant and how the STEP UP participants (faculty, students, administration, and partners) performed their daily work to lift underrepresented students to their full potential. Consequently, several students reported that, if given a career opportunity out-of-state, they would take it and their family would support their decision. Regarding the Hispanic culture, one student reported, The Hispanic students need to take a risk - there's way more out there they can do. This university is a great bridge for students in southern Texas to take a risk. This project did help these students take a risk, as students completed internships in 16 different states, including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, as well as in Australia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The collaborating partners attribute the academic and worldview success of STEP UP students to an enhanced maturity level after participation and to the personal relationships that were established with USDA agencies, faculty, staff, and other STEP UP students. This was a great project, in large part due to the dedication of the STEP UP faculty, staff, institutions and partners, but also due to these students who stepped out of their comfort zones and took a risk! These internships and mentored research opportunities were aggressively pursued because STEP UP faculty realize the value of hands-on experiences leading to educational and career opportunities. Student interns received stipend support, primarily to help alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education, as well as to begin their journey as part of a professional team. These experiences gave underrepresented students the necessary skills and training to continue their degree studies and become viable candidates for agriculturally related employment with USDA agencies or other partners and industry leaders. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Internships: The STEP UP project gave 289 students the opportunity to intern with scientists/mentors who specialize in a wide variety of disciplines, including environmental science, agricultural science, biology and biotechnology, genomics, entomology, plant breeding/physiology, soil conservation, natural resources conservation, nutrition research, and wildlife/wetland management, among others. Involvement with these research scientists helped the students develop their research skills in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related research, illustrating that, through this project, underrepresented students can become confident and knowledgeable research partners with important research findings to share. The students were given multiple opportunities to present their research findings at conferences and meetings (see Products section). Overwhelmingly, students felt prepared for their internships and felt that they would learn relevant information that would benefit them in their future careers. One participant listed courses that were particularly helpful in preparing her for her internship, including Biotechnology I and II, Cell Culture, Algebra, and Biology, because these courses taught the background to cells and their anatomy and function. Additionally, these courses taught the uses and functions of instruments such as pipettes, gel electrophoresis, nano spectrometers, bioinformatics, performing experiments, analyzing data and troubleshooting. She stated that completing these courses gave her the confidence in her ability to create an experiment and see it through until the end. Another student shared that the internship made him realize he was a good candidate for science and research classes and careers and also stated, I am a science person, but need a personal, humanitarian, and well balanced approach. Another student reported that her internship in Alaska boosted her confidence and now her plans are to obtain a master's degree in Wildlife Science, with a strong GIS component. The internship experiences allowed all of these students and many others to boost their confidence and solidify their future plans to advance in the scientific and research realms. Student interns reported that internships taught them to connect theory and practice, increased their understanding of how scientists think about and work on real problems, and enhanced their abilities to analyze data and other information. Students appreciated the supervision and guidance from their supervisors and that it was a positive experience that they would recommend to other students. Internship supervisors rated the interns as effective to highly effective regarding self-discipline, reliability/responsibility, communication (listening, speaking, writing), preparedness for internship, ability to work independently, and teamwork. A majority of the internship supervisors were satisfied with the intern's work and most would readily take another intern from the STEP UP program. A typical comment from a STEP UP supervisor is as follows: This intern is just a very good, intelligent, hardworking student. He was always on time. He is a very responsible individual. For example, there were several weeks that he had a key to open the harvest room we were working in, he was in charge of the key and opening everything in the morning, and I didn't worry about it getting lost or him not showing up because he is just that responsible. Probably the only thing with this intern is when he is talking about something and how to do it, I would hope over time he would carry himself and talk with more confidence and conviction, because he does great work, and he knows his stuff. The majority of surveyed internship supervisors agreed that they would provide a letter of recommendation for their intern for jobs in the future and most would hire their intern for a job in the future if a position was available to do so. The comments from supervisors identifying areas in which students can improve included scientific writing skills, attentiveness to project and task details, more assertiveness in asking questions, more disciplined follow through, and timely submission of required documents. One supervisor reported that his student was extremely effective in the majority of research areas and attested to his intern's preparation by writing, it is unprecedented for a 2-year college student to perform independent research! Lastly, supervisors reported that they were impressed by the students' commitment to their assigned projects, their enthusiasm, work ethic, and curiosity, their receptivity and response to positive feedback, and their solid basic science knowledge. As one supervisor said, thanks for the opportunity to host another fine TAMUK STEP-UP intern! Summer Camp: A total of 115 students from STC, TSTC, UTPA and Del Mar College, as well as 25 high school students, participated in a one-day (years 1 and 4) or two-day summer STEP UP camp (years 2 and 3), taught by TAMUK graduate students and research faculty from the five partnering institutions regarding the agricultural and natural resource sciences. The summer camp agenda included plant, soil, meat, and animal science events, as well as food safety and meal preparation. Results of a retrospective survey given after the summer short courses indicated that students increased their knowledge of understanding how scientists work on real problems; knowledge and appreciation of field applications in agricultural sciences; food safety laboratory procedures; and awareness of education requirements for USDA employment. Students reported being impressed by the volume of projects that researchers are conducting and the ease of participating in the short course (appreciated the hands on rather than lecture). Students also mentioned being impressed by the research with snake venom (e.g., combatting blood clots in stroke patients) and the food safety and meat sciences (they loved watching the process of making sausage). Many students viewed the experience as a motivator - I can see how exciting college can be. The summer camp short courses also provided teaching opportunities for agriculture graduate students as many of the activities of the summer camp were facilitated by graduate students. This experience helped the graduate students begin to see themselves as leaders and subject matter specialists. College Courses: Students reported that specific college classes helped them prepare for their internships and career decisions, including multiple experiential college courses that prepared STEP UP students for work in the field of agricultural sciences. Biology I and Biology II were mentioned by a student who wrote, I found these courses beneficial in my internship because they were a great foundation for my position. Another student commented, during my spring semester, I took a Microbiology class and it was great because it really proved the importance of being precise when following the protocols. Another participant gave thanks to the Microbiology and Biochemistry courses. I learned to isolate DNA from bacteria and to never assume my work is clean. Other courses that were mentioned included Intro to Plant Science Production, Intro to Soil Science, Plant Physiology, Entomology, Chemistry, GIS, Genetics, and Livestock Management. One student chose an internship completely out of his comfort zone and said, the Animal Science classes I took gave me the foundation for any pursuit scientifically. They taught me how to organize my research and the process of basic intelligence gathering in regards to disproving or solidifying theories in a research environment. Obviously, these classes and many others too numerous to list, gave students an appreciation for how organisms work and gave them the needed background in dealing with scientific facts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Websites highlighting the program were established at TAMUK and UTPA to document the program direction, purpose, and student progress and achievements. Additionally, the STEP UP project was mentioned in a Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine article, From Farm to Data Table: Students Use GIS to Boost Crop Yields, as well as in an AG Magazine article, Cover Crops: Helping Farmers Today and in the Future, and in a USDA-NRCS News Release, 09.2015. The research results of the students' independent research projects are primarily disseminated at professional meetings and conferences and in various publications (see Products section). As part of their internships and STEP UP experiences, students attended multiple conferences, such as the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative Conference, Charlotte, NCandwere authors on journal articles with faculty, including Scientia Horticulturae andSubtropical Agriculture and Environments. The summer camp short courses also provided important educational and training opportunities which the participants then shared with their home institutions. In September of 2015, 24 summer interns shared their USDA lab, office, and field experiences in a poster presentation offered on the TAMUK campus. At the same event, 15 summer interns described their experiences through power point presentations. More than 100 faculty members, administrative staff, and students attended this beneficial event that allowed interns the professional experience of presenting in front of an audience and validated their summer experiences as valuable and instructional for others. Shad Nelson, PD for the STEP UP program, was featured in a 2016 YouTube video that explained the STEP UP program and how the program intersects with the NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Program. STEP UP students have had opportunities to intern with the National Resource Conservation Services Earth Team Volunteer Program and have learned how to communicate with producers in the field and with researchers, and have been given the opportunity to write their results for dissemination and then deliver a professional presentation of their work. Melissa Blair, State Earth Team Volunteer Coordinator for NRCS in Texas commented, It's an honor to be able to work with the TAMUK students to give them the chance to broaden their knowledge about the opportunities with USDA NRCS and the careers available through our agency. Even if a student doesn't pursue a career with NRCS, they have learned skills that will benefit them in a variety of agricultural careers. Plus, they know how NRCS and its staff can provide technical and financial assistance without a fee, to help landowners, and can share that with others they encounter throughout their career. Melissa Blair also wrote an article about the STEP UP program for La Voz magazine Winter 2016, which is the National Organization of Professional Hispanic NRCS Employees newsletter. The article, entitled Program Gives Students Hands-on Training with USDA-NRCS, stated that the research and project results that summer interns contributed to at various USDA and associated agency sites are a direct product of the STEP UP internship program. Many students were involved in laboratory research in real time with ongoing projects, such as plating fungi and toxin identification. Other students had experiences similar to one intern who was a Texas Field Representative Assistant, with 100,000 acres of responsibility. He monitored the cotton market and orange groves and was offered a job with the marketing Agency post internship. The research and market contributions that these interns made helped to not only further their own educational and career tracks, but also further the research of the institutions and agencies with which they were affiliated. Scott Elliott, of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, posted a January 20, 2016 article on the USDA blog regarding the low percentages (8%) of Hispanic students who earn certificates and degrees awarded in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, despite accounting for 16% of the U.S. population, and how the USDA STEP UP grant program was addressing this discrepancy. Elliott reported that one of the main aspects of the grant was to create an environment that would allow a seamless transition for students to earn degrees that would position them for a job with USDA. Community colleges were included in this grant to introduce students to the value of pursuing a B.S. degree, which would make them marketable to USDA. Elliott referenced a May 11, 2015 study by Purdue University that reflected a critical need for programs such as STEP UP. The report showed the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment fields have about 57,900 high-skilled job openings annually. However, the report also shows there are only about 35,400 new U.S. graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher in agriculture-related fields, a shortfall of about 22,500. Over the 5 years of its existence, STEP UP posed a win-win scenario for all involved - students, who got the opportunity to discover the types of jobs at which they may excel, and the field of agriculture, which received an infusion of diverse, well-educated career professionals. This grant served to develop continued collaboration and dissemination among federal, state, and local partners, educators, scientists and federal agency representatives. The partnerships cultivated by this grant established a framework for continued collaboration between academic institutions and USDA agency partners for promoting the career development of underserved students of south Texas into USDA careers, as evidenced by the funding of the follow-up STEP 2 USDA Research Career grant, as well as the USDA START NOW mentored research and international research experiences grant. The following participating institutions and agencies multiply the avenues for dissemination Academic Institutions: TAMUK, UTPA, STC, TSTC, Del Mar College USDA Agencies: USDA-NRCS (-PMC), -ARS, -APHIS (-PPQ), -AMS, -FS; -FSIS. Texas State Agencies: Texas A&M University; Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension; Texas Parks and Wildlife, TAMUK Citrus Center; Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Texas Animal Health Commission. Partner Organizations: Incell Corporation; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; RGV Sciences; Purdue University. Finally, students are the best disseminators of information for this grant: 1. At first, I was super scared of walking into the Texas A&M Kingsville Citrus Center! It turned out to be a terrific experience. The employees were caring and generous. They took time out of their work day to help us out in our project and really made us feel as if we belonged. Our mentors at the center made it their duty to teach us and made sure we learned the concepts behind what we were doing. This grant offered a rewarding experience that has led me to pursue a major in Biochemistry. 2. This scholarship has opened my eyes to a world of science which cannot be taught within a classroom. I have had the opportunity to work beside some of the most intelligent people I've met in my life. Scientists I look up to and admire became my mentors. Their advice, kindness and patience was invaluable. The amount of knowledge, confidence and pride I've gained could never be priced. The amount of experience I've had has created a foundation that I intend to build upon in years to come. 3. My experience in the lab was wonderful. I had the chance to work with brilliant and wonderful people. Ever since I entered high school, it was one of my desires to work in a real lab, with real scientists. When it finally happened, I felt nervous, but everyone in the lab made me feel welcomed and made me feel like I could do anything. Now, I realize how important research is to the progress of humans. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? STEP UP has efficiently bridged Associate and Baccalaureate degree granting HSIs, serving as a role model for other programs, and has successfully trained students at 7 USDA Agencies, 3 Colleges, 7 Universities, and 16 other institutions. Objective 1, to form a collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic south Texas students annually, over the 5-year grant period, greatly surpassed minimum expectations by serving 335 students who participated in and received stipends (309 undergraduates and 26 graduates). The majors that the students pursued included Animal Science, Plant and Soil Science, Range and Wildlife Management, Agribusiness, and Agriculture Science. During this five-year period, 70% of students self-identified as Hispanic in Year 1, 89% Year 2, 71% Year 3, 75% Year 4, to 91% in Year 5 (institutional ranges of 62% to 95%). One-hundred percent (100%) of STEP UP participants from TAMUK and UTPA were enrolled in disciplines applicable to USDA jobs and 99% of STEP UP participants were retained in school and continued their progress towards graduation (target of 80% of undergraduate/grad/Ph.D.), with 106 students graduating with B.S. degrees (57 TAMUK, 49 UTPA). Remarkably, 12 MS students (7 TAMUK and 5 UTPA) and 1 Ph.D. (TAMUK) graduated ready for employment in USDA. Objective 2, to provide undergraduate students with intensive short-courses to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic students was met over 4 consecutive summers as 140 students (115 undergraduates/25 HS, average of 70% Hispanic) attended the short-course sessions conducted by graduate students and faculty members from the five partner institutions. In addition to teaching undergraduates, the short course sessions gave graduate students an opportunity to be instructional leaders, as well as serve as role models who are seeking advanced educational and career opportunities. The undergraduate students were given information regarding various USDA agencies, and had hands-on experiences with wildlife ecology, livestock marketing, integrated pest management, food safety and meat science, soil science, venomous toxins research, and ungulate research, leading to many participants expressing interest in continuing their education in agriculture. Objective 3, to provide a minimum of 50 summer undergraduate internship experiences with agricultural-related USDA agencies as fast track preparation for USDA careers. Over the 5-year life of this project, the commitment of the faculty from all five partner institutions to increase the agricultural and research career and educational opportunities for underrepresented students led to a remarkable 123 students participating in summer undergraduate internship experiences with agricultural-related USDA agencies as fast track preparation for USDA careers. Five USDA research or service centers, including Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), US Forest Service, provided these internship opportunities An additional 171 students completed internships with additional partner institutions, including Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Weslaco, Texas A&M University Kingsville Citrus Center - Weslaco, Texas Animal Health Commission, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Purdue University, RGV Sciences, Incell (Biopharmaceutical) Corporation, as well as with researchers at South Texas College, Del Mar College, University of Texas - Pan American, and the TAMUK Farm. These partners provided undergraduate and graduate students with research, field trip, and internship opportunities, for a total of 335 students (90% of the students in this project) involved in life changing internship experiences. The GPA (grade point average) for STEP UP undergraduates improved from 3.002 + 0.047 before completing an internship to 3.174 +- 0.044 after completing an internship (P<0.001). The graduation rate in the TAMUK College of Agriculture for STEP UP participants at 4 years (87.5%) and 6 years (12.5%) for a total of 100% over 6 years was compared to the graduation rate in the TAMUK College of Agriculture for non-STEP UP participants at 4 years (17.6%) and 6 years (21.8%) for a total of 32.5% over 6 years. The graduation rate of TAMUK STEP UP transfer students at 2 years (93%) and 4 years (90%) was compared to non-STEP UP transfer students at 2 years (29%) and 4 years (68.5%). These data demonstrate that the STEP UP program intervened in multiple ways that made a difference in graduation rates and GPA. Several STEP UP graduates responded to a poll of, where are you now? Three students reported working for federal agencies, including the BLM, the USGS (Hydrologic Tech), the US CBP (Agriculture Specialist) and USDA ARS (Lab Tech). Other respondents mentioned Texas-based agencies, including the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (3 respondents), Texas General Land Office (2 respondents - Natural Resource Specialists), TAMUK-Kingsville Citrus Center (3 respondents - Lab Techs). Respondents were also working for private business, including Cargill (agricultural production/services), Fesco LTD (oil testing), and Incell (biomed). Many respondents were pursuing graduate degrees, including 2 respondents who were enrolled in Ph.D. programs (Plant Genetics Texas A&M; Environmental Chemistry UT El Paso), 7 respondents working on MS program, another + 30 students waiting to hear about acceptance to graduate school or responses to job applications. Although this was not an inclusive survey, the results give insight into the aspirations and concrete actions of STEP UP participants to move outside of their comfort zones and feel competent and successful in the world outside of the Rio Grande Valley. It is important to note that the effects of this grant not only changed the lives and career paths of students, but also gave STEP UP faculty members an enhanced vision for mentoring and guiding students, as well as a transformational perspective of what is possible for students from the Rio Grande Valley through the USDA and its opportunities. This can be seen from the comments of 21 students and six faculty members who were interviewed about their experiences. Dr. Shad Nelson, STEP UP PD, when asked what to date had been STEP UP's greatest accomplishment, responded, we do more than we say we are going to do. We get many students and expose them to positive experiences. Another faculty member explained, STEP UP changed the way business is conducted and faculty do their jobs. STEP UP has gotten me more invested in getting students into internships. Previously, I would find internships for only 1 or 2 students. Lastly, a faculty member shared, STEP UP has made me aware of the importance of students seeing other students branch out. STEP UP has allowed us to meet HSIs outside of Texas, which has broadened our influence on where we send our students. Testimonials from students demonstrated the powerful changes that students experienced over the life of the grant. Several students mentioned that the internship elevated their educational and career opportunities, allowed them to see their own potential, and helped them to see opportunities in agriculture. A student reported that, without the STEP UP program, she wouldn't have thought to go for an internship, particularly out-of-state. Another student said, STEP UP helped give me insights into USDA and helped me realize where my interests intersected with the USDA. One student related, Being a part of this research project with a USDA scientist, Dr. Goolsby (Research Scientist, Research Entomologist, USDA ARS) has increased my awareness of the water pandemic due to an invasive species. I was involved in a very important research project for our local environment.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Kissoon, K., M. Suntravat, E. Sanchez, and J. Halcomb. Expression and Purification of Recombinant Hellermines (5J11 and 3M19). CCURI Regional and Conference November 20-23, Charlotte, NC (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vulgamore, J., S. Park, and J.M. Dyer. Identification of Putative Proteins Interacting with Lipid Droplet Associated-Proteins. CCURI Regional and Conference November 20-23, Charlotte, NC (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vulgamore, J., S. Park, and J.M. Dyer. Identification of Putative Proteins Interacting with Lipid Droplet Associated-Proteins. AAAS 2015 Annual Meeting, February 12, 2015, San Jose, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vulgamore, J. L., S. Park, and J. M. Dyer. Identification of putative proteins interacting with lipid droplet-associated proteins using two-hybrid yeast system. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology, March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ramirez, R., J. L. Vulgamore, C. D. Frontera, V. Chubukov, D. Zhang, J. R. Hatherill, and T. Torok. Bacterial Growth Dynamics in Response to Incubation Conditions and Analysis of Fatty Acid Profiles. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session  August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S. King, S.D. Nelson, J. Jifon, G. Schuster, and A. Volder. 2015. Salinity evaluation for watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grafted with different rootstocks. Subtrop. Ag & Environ. 66:1-6.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vulgamore, J. L., S. Park, and J. M. Dyer. Identification of Putative Proteins Interacting with Lipid Droplet-Associated Proteins Using Two-Hybrid Yeast System. 2014 ATE Principal Investigator Conference Student Booth 601, October 22-24, 2014. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vulgamore, J. L., *M. C. Speed, D. Zhang, and J. R. Hatherill. Assigning Cluster to Archived Non-sequenced Bacteriophage by Single Gene Amplification. 2014 ATE Principal Investigator Conference Student Booth 601, October 22-24, 2014. (poster)


Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The STEP UP project is designed to engage undergraduate and graduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences in activities intended to enhance experiential learning, and to expose these students to research and attendant careers in the agricultural sciences. During Year 4, the distribution of the 88 students participating in the grant included 45% male, 55% female, and 77% who identified as Hispanic. Eighty students were undergraduates, while seven were graduate students working on their M.S. degrees and one Ph.D. student. Students expressed that the most important opportunities that STEP UP has given them included spending more time with professors, meeting scientists, and making contacts that opened up doors of opportunity. Several students mentioned that the internship elevated their educational and career opportunities, allowed them to see their own potential, and helped them to see opportunities in agriculture. A student reported that, without the STEP UP program, she wouldn't have thought to go for an internship, particularly out-of-state. Another student stated, "This is a great program... I am more confident in myself". Lastly, a student reported that STEP UP helped give her insights into USDA and helped her realize where her interests intersected with the USDA. Many of the students could not have afforded an internship without STEP UP funding. One student reported, "I was from the valley and there are not any ag schools in the valley, so I came to TAMUK - with blinders on, set on vet program. Without this internship, I would not have had the opportunity to see what else I would be good at or interested in (taking courses to see if I like something isn't possible - too expensive and can't waste money). Consequently, this internship experience helped shape my studies". The internships changed the educational goals and career aspirations of many participants. Several students are considering getting their M.S. degree and one is thinking about working toward a Ph.D. in the agricultural sciences. A student reported, "I didn't have a precise view of agriculture. I was preparing for my future in general and looking for a small school to fit in. By working in a lab, I now perceive the research culture in a different way". Another student related, "This internship put me more on a path of being a research biologist. I now plan on getting my master's. Because of the internship, I have connections with the University of Florida". A third student said, "I wanted to be a game warden, but my internship opened my mind to other possibilities. The ideas at APHIS grasped me and got my attention". Lastly, a fourth student related, "I went from animals (vet prep) to dirt (soil sciences). The internship taught me how to obtain a job, present myself, and gave me opportunities to share and explain findings". For this diverse and economically disadvantaged population of students from South Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the STEP UP project has given them expanded educational and career opportunities. Today, most parents and their children believe that a college degree is necessary for obtaining stable and meaningful work (Schneider and Stevenson, 1999). Even though youth and their parents may share high educational aims, their aspirations do not necessarily mean enrollment in higher education. This is especially the case for Hispanic high school students, particularly those whose parents have not attended college (Nuñez, Cuccaro-Alamin, and Carroll, 1998). Consequently, an additional major outcome regarding the STEP UP target population, in addition to facilitating students' enrollment and completion of 4-year degrees, is that more students are not only pursuing internships in and out of state, but many when queried, say they will consider job opportunities away from home. During Year 4 of the STEP UP grant, 19 students completed the internship away from Texas, including as far away as Alaska, California, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Maryland, Indiana, Utah, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Year 4 of the STEP UP project gave 80 students - 35 TAMUK, 15 UTPA, 6 TSTC, 9 STC, and 15 Del Mar - the opportunity to intern with scientists/mentors who specialize in a wide variety of disciplines, including environmental science, agricultural science, biology and biotechnology, genomics, entomology, plant breeding/physiology, soil conservation, natural resources conservation, nutrition research, and wildlife/wetland management, among others. Involvement with these research scientists helped the students develop their research skills in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related research. This illustrated that through this project, underrepresented students can become confident and knowledgeable research partners with important research findings to share. One student shared that the internship made him realize he was a good candidate for science and research classes and careers, and also stated "I am a science person, but need a personal, humanitarian, and well balanced approach". Another student reported that her internship in Alaska boosted her confidence and now her plans are to obtain a master's degree in Wildlife Science, with a strong GIS component. The internship experiences allowed both of these students and many others to boost their confidence and solidify their future plans to advance in the scientific and research realms. Eighty (80) STEP UP students completed surveys regarding the various activities of their internships and reported that the expectations for them as an intern were made clear by both the sending institution, as well as by the receiving agency.The duties and tasks of interns included participating in training events, assisting the project director or scientist, gathering samples, hands on experience with plants or animals, and extension work/lab. Students highly rated (90% and above) the availability of internship agency staff in answering any questions, and appreciated the supervision and guidance from their supervisors. The vast majority of students (over 90%) believe that the internship assignment(s) gave them new skills and knowledge, that the internship was helpful to their educational and career plans, and that it was a positive experience that they would recommend to other students. The students highly rated (over 90%) their own effectiveness in the areas of teamwork, reliability and responsibility, self-discipline, ability to work independently, and communication. Finally, many students (95% and over) appraised several skills as highly or very highly developed, including working independently, confidence in their abilities to learn science, and their appreciation for Agricultural Sciences. Students rated their abilities to connect theory and practice, their understanding of how scientists think about and work on real problems, and their abilities to analyze data and other information slightly lower, but still within the effective range. Additionally, students completed a retrospective pre and posttest of their internship experiences, including the growth of their knowledge and skills, and the tests indicated an improvement in all areas assessed. Of note, knowledge and skill levels regarding interns' understanding of the research process in the fields of their internships, the ability to connect theory to practice, and their understanding of how scientists think about and work on real problems was rated over 40% higher posttest than pretest, going from moderate or below to high or very high. Regarding the appreciation for agricultural sciences, laboratory skills, readiness for more demanding research, and the ability to analyze data and other information, students rated their pre to posttest knowledge gain between 30% and 40%. Students reported that specific college classes helped them prepare for their internships, including Biology I and Biology II. As one student wrote, "I found these courses beneficial in my internship because they were a great foundation for my position".Another student commented, "During my spring semester, I took a microbiology class and it was great because it really proved the importance of being precise when following the protocols...Thanks to microbiology and my BioChem course, I learned to isolate DNA from bacteria and to never assume my work is clean". Other courses that were mentioned included Intro to Plant Science Production, Intro to Soil Science, Plant Physiology, Entomology, Chemistry, GIS, Genetics, and Livestock Management. One student chose an internship completely out of his comfort zone and said, "The animal science classes I took gave me the foundation for any pursuit scientifically. They taught me how to organize my research and the process of basic intelligence gathering in regards to disproving or solidifying theories in a research environment". Obviously, these classes and many others too numerous to list, gave students an appreciation for how organisms work and gave them the needed background in dealing with scientific facts. Fifty internship supervisors returned surveys regarding the activities of each intern and the effectiveness of the interns' skills. Internship supervisors reported that their interns were involved with training events, assisting project directors/supervisors, visiting work places, gathering samples, participating in lab work, farm maintenance, and hands on experiences with plants and animals. The interns were rated as effective to highly effective (75% and above) regarding self-discipline, reliability/responsibility, communication (listening, speaking, writing), preparedness for internship, ability to work independently, and teamwork. Areas that were rated as needing more development included laboratory and research skills, analysis/problem solving, and initiative. The supervisors relayed that the interns' work was important, productive, and useful. A majority of the internship supervisors (84%) were satisfied with the intern's work and most (92%) would readily take another intern from the STEP UP program. Most supervisors (86%) agreed that their intern managed his/her responsibilities in a professional manner. Forty-five of the 50 surveyed internship supervisors agreed that they would provide a letter of recommendation for their intern for jobs in the future. Forty-two of the 50 surveyed supervisors (84%) would hire their intern for a job in the future if a position was available to do so. The comments from supervisors identifying areas in which students can improve included scientific writing skills, attentiveness to project and task details, more assertiveness in asking questions, more disciplined follow through, and timely submission of required documents. Lastly, supervisors reported that they were impressed by the students' commitment to their assigned projects, their enthusiasm, work ethic, curiosity, receptivity, response to positive feedback, and their solid basic science knowledge. Lastly, the summer camp short courses also provided important training opportunities, as well as the multiple experiential college courses that prepared STEP UP students for work in the field of agricultural sciences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination of this multi-institutional project has been promoted through various means during Year 4 of the project, Websites highlighting the program have been established at TAMUK and UTPA to document the program direction, purpose, and student progress and achievements. Additionally, the STEP UP project was mentioned in a Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine article, From Farm to Data Table: Students Use GIS to Boost Crop Yields, as well as in an AG Magazine article, Cover Crops: Helping Farmers Today and in the Future, and in a USDA-NRCS News Release, 09.2015.The research results of the students' independent research projects are primarily disseminated at professional meetings and conferences, and in various publications (see Products section). As part of their internships and STEP UP experiences, students attended multiple conferences, such as the Entomological Society of America 63rd Southwestern Branch Meeting in Tulsa, OK, and the National Agri-Science Education Conference in Miami, FL (see Product section). The summer camp short courses also provided important training opportunities for which the students got to go back and relay to their home institutions. After the summer internships and research experiences, 24 summer interns shared their USDA lab, office, and field experiences in a poster presentation offered on the TAMUK campus. At the same event, 15 summer interns described their experiences through power point presentations. More than 100 faculty members, administrative staff, and students attended this beneficial event that allowed interns the professional experience of presenting in front of an audience and validated their summer experiences as valuable and instructional for others. Finally, the following participating institutions and agencies multiply the avenues for dissemination: Academic Institutions: TAMUK, UTPA, STC, TSTC, Del Mar College USDA Agencies: USDA-NRCS (-PMC), -ARS, -APHIS (-PPQ), -AMS, -FS; -FSIS. Texas State Agencies: Texas A&M University; Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension; Texas Parks and Wildlife, TAMUK Citrus Center; Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Texas Animal Health Commission. Partner Organizations: Incell Corporation; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; RGV Sciences; Purdue University. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The STEP UP program has been exceeding its stated goals over the past 4 years. During Year 5, STEP UP will use the remainder of its funding to support as many students as possible in internship and graduate school opportunities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A major accomplishment of this project is the number of students prepared with the academic credentials and coursework needed to obtain employment with USDA agencies upon graduation. Objective 1, to form a collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic South Texas students annually was surpassed again in Year 4 by serving 88 students who participated in and received stipends from the STEP UP grant. These STEP UP efforts have maximized the number of underrepresented students in the agricultural and biological science based careers who are now considering careers with USDA agencies, as well as graduate school opportunities. Twenty STEP UP students were expected to graduate this year withBS degrees, five students with an Associates Degree in the discipline of biology, and four masters students.The majors that the Year 4 BS degree students pursued included Biology, Animal Science, and Environmental Science. Additional students continued their worktoward degrees inPlant and Soil Science, Range and Wildlife Management, Agribusiness, and Agriculture Science. Seventy five percent of the 88 STEP UP students taking part in this project in Year 4 self-identified as Hispanic (institutional ranges of 53% to 95%). A collaborative effort was realized among the five academic institutions, three research stations, six USDA agencies, and five additional entities that include research and education in USDA related fields. During Year 4, Objective 2 was met on May 28, 2015 at the summer short-course session conducted for 28 STEP UP undergraduate participants (19 students (68%) were Hispanic), including seven students from Del Mar College, 10 students from Texas State Technical College, six students from South Texas College, and five students from the University of Texas Pan Am. Ten faculty members and graduate students guided 28 community college students who attended the May 28, 2015, summer short course in discovering the resources available at a four-year college. The students were given information regarding various USDA agencies, and had hands-on experiences with wildlife ecology, livestock marketing, integrated pest management, food safety and meat science, soil science, venomous toxins research, and ungulate research. Results of a retrospective survey given after the summer short course indicated that students increased their knowledge from pretest low-moderate levels to posttest high-very high levels in the areas of understanding how scientists work on real problems; knowledge and appreciation of field applications in agricultural sciences - specifically soil, plant, animal, and wildlife sciences; food safety laboratory procedures; awareness of the USDA; and knowledge of education requirements for jobs within USDA. Most of the students who attended the summer camp came in with a moderate to high level of confidence in their ability to learn science and left with a very high level of confidence. When asked which part of the summer camp made the biggest impression on them, students reported being impressed by the volume of projects that researchers are conducting and the ease of participating in the short course (appreciated the hands on rather than lecture). Students also mentioned being impressed by the research with snake venom (e.g., combatting blood clots in stroke patients) and the food safety and meat sciences, which was an area with which they had little experience (they loved participating in the process of making sausage). The summer short course was a great success as many students viewed the experience as a motivator. One student mentioned, "I can see how exciting college can be". Another student commented "I am ready to join this program", while another stated "I'm more excited to transfer". Also, during the 4th year of the project, the STEP UP faculty worked unceasingly to place STEP UP participants in either USDA internship opportunities or in mentored scientist and/or faculty research directed projects. Consequently, 80 internships/research projects were completed with USDA agencies and partners, which surpassed the number for Objective 3 - to provide a minimum of 50 summer undergraduate internship experiences with agricultural-related USDA agencies as fast track preparation for USDA careers. Five USDA research or service centers, including Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), US Forest Service (FS), provided 41 internship opportunities. Additional partner institutions, including Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Weslaco, Texas A&M University Kingsville Citrus Center - Weslaco, Texas Animal Health Commission, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Purdue University, RGV Sciences, Incell (Biopharmaceutical) Corporation, as well as researchers at South Texas College, Del Mar College, University of Texas - Pan American, and the TAMUK Farm, provided 39 undergraduate and graduate students with research, field trip, and internship opportunities, for a total of 80 students involved in life changing internship experiences. In Year 4, 100% of STEP UP participants were retained in school and continued their progress towards graduation (target of 80% of undergraduate/grad/Ph.D.). At STC, TSTC, and DMC, the two-year institutions retained all 38 STEP UP students, UTPA 15 (13 undergraduate and 2 masters of science), and TAMUK all 35 students (29 B.S., 5 M.S., 1 Ph.D.). Additionally, 100% of Year 4 STEP UP participants from TAMUK and UTPA were enrolled in disciplines applicable to USDA jobs. Student interns received stipend support, primarily to help alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education, as well as to begin their journey as part of a professional team. For example, Travis Trevino participated in STEP-UP as an undergraduate (TAMUK) and then completed his MS by being paid by STEP-UP. These experiences gave underrepresented students the necessary skills and training to continue their degree studies, and become viable candidates for agriculturally related employment with USDA agencies or other partners and industry leaders. The internship experiences, coupled with research experience under the direction of faculty mentors, provided students with a firm foundation and understanding of what their career opportunities are in the agricultural and biological sciences.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Carmona, G., K.A. Wise, C. Woloshuk, G. Schuster, and S.D. Nelson. Effect of Geography and Crop Rotation on Aspergillus flavus Soil Populations in Indiana National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Garcia, A., G. Burow, J. Burke, C. Woloshuk, G. Schuster, and S. Nelson. Molecular Techniques for Genetic Analysis of Sorghum National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Contreras-Barragan, B.A., A. Kusakabe, J.C. Melgar, and S.D. Nelson. Understanding partial rootzone drying in citrus. International Biotechnology Conference. Nov. 10-14, 2014. Shizouka, Japan. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Cantu, L., S. Nelson, D. Flores, and M. Setamou. Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Host Plant Quality and on the Development Parameters of Asian Citrus Psyllid and its Nymphal Parasitoid Tamarixia radiata. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Conference. Feb. 6, 2015. Weslaco, TX (1st place winner- poster/oral competition).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Fuentes, C., J. Enciso, S. Nelson, J. Anciso, and M. Setamou. Comparing Water Use Efficiency in South Texas Furrow and Drip Irrigated Watermelon. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Conference. Feb. 6, 2015. Weslaco, TX (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ball, J., C. Simpson, S.D. Nelson, and M. Setamou. Nutrient Application to Citrus and its Interaction with Asian Citrus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Liviidae) Populations. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Conference. Feb. 6, 2015. Weslaco, TX (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Reyes, A., M. Brewer, D. J. Anderson, A. L. Cartwright and J. Halcomb. Evaluating Pest Risk in Cotton by Using Spatial Mapping Tools. Entomological Society of America, 2015 63rd Southwestern Branch Meeting. February 23-26, 2015. Tulsa, OK. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ahrens, T.W., M. Brewer, D. Anderson, and J. Halcomb. Sugarcane Aphids: An Invasive Species on Sorghum in South Texas. Entomological Society of America, 2015 63rd Southwestern Branch Meeting. February 23-26, 2015. Tulsa, OK. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Flores, D., T. Groesser, J. R. Hatherill, and P. Cooper Investigating the Role of 53BP1 in DNA Repair. The AAAS Community College Forum: Innovations that prepare students for STEM Careers Student Poster Panel. AAAS 2015 Annual Meeting. February 12, 2015 San Jose, California. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Aguilar, A., B. Summers, J. L. Vulgamore, M. C.Speed, R. D. Overath, and J. R. Hatherill.Isolation and Annotation of Mycobacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of Lysin-Producing Genes. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bucciarelli, A., Dimas, D., L. Ramos, M. C. Speed, and J. R. Hatherill. Isolation and Annotation of the Novel Bacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of HNH Endonuclease. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Edwards, N., K. Kissoon, C. Speed, J. Vulgamore, and D. Zhang. Annotation of Genes 46 and 48 of Mycobacteriophage Scorpia. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ho, K., K. Cochrane, M. C. Speed, J. L. Vulgamore, D. Zhang, R. Overath, and J. R. Hatherill. Investigating Tail Structures of the Novel Bacteriophage Scorpia. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ramirez, J., S. Mullenax, J. Vulgamore, C. Speed, J. Hatherill, and D. Zhang Exploration of Genetic Factors Involved in Bacteriophage Temperate Life Cycle by Isolation and Annotation of Novel Mycobacteriophage Chupacabra. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pray, R., M. C. Speed, J. Vulgamore, R. D. Overath, D. Zhang, and J. R. Hatherill Annotation of the Novel Mycobacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of the Conserved Gene RecB-like Exonuclease. 2015 Spring Meeting of the Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 26-28, 2015, New Braunfels, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Nelson, S.D., M. Young, C.R. Simpson, J.C. Melgar, M. Setamou. Improving Orchards Irrigation Management Practices at the On-Farm Level: A 10 Year Case Study of Collaboration between Scientists and Citrus Producers. ASHS Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. Aug 4-7, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S.D. Nelson, A. Kusakabe, B. Contreras, S. Chaudhary, J.C. Melgar, and M. Setamou. On-Farm demonstrations of novel planting strategies: Working with growers to optimize soil environments, reduce water loss, and manage pests and diseases. ASHS Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. Aug 4-7, 2015.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Fuentes, C., J. Enciso, S.D. Nelson, J. Anciso, and M. Setamou. Irrigation scheduling: a water balance approach to improve water efficiency for South Texas horticultural crops. ASHS Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. Aug 4-7, 2015 (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Perea, B.O., S.D. Nelson, O.J. Alabi, and V. Ancona. Inoculum Sources of Phytopthora nicotianae in South Texas Nurseries and Groves. ASHS Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. Aug 4-7, 2015. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Aguilar, A., B. Summers, J. L. Vulgamore, M. C.Speed, R. D. Overath, and J. R. Hatherill. Isolation and Annotation of Mycobacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of Lysin-Producing Genes. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bucciarelli, A., Dimas, D., L. Ramos, M. C. Speed, and J. R. Hatherill. Isolation and Annotation of the Novel Bacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of HNH Endonuclease. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Edwards, N., K. Kissoon, C. Speed, J. Vulgamore, and D. Zhang. Annotation of Genes 46 and 48 of Mycobacteriophage Scorpia. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ho,K., K. Cochrane, M. C. Speed, J. L. Vulgamore, D. Zhang, R. Overath, and J. R. Hatherill. Investigating Tail Structures of the Novel Bacteriophage Scorpia. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ramirez, J., S. Mullenax, J. Vulgamore, C. Speed, J. Hatherill, and D. Zhang. Exploration of Genetic Factors Involved in Bacteriophage Temperate Life Cycle by Isolation and Annotation of Novel Mycobacteriophage Chupacabra. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pray, R., M. C. Speed, J. Vulgamore, R. D. Overath, D. Zhang, and J. R. Hatherill. Annotation of the Novel Mycobacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of the Conserved Gene RecB-like Exonuclease. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Reyes, A., M. Brewer, D. J. Anderson, A. L. Cartwright and J. Halcomb. Evaluating Pest Risk in Cotton by Using Spatial Mapping Tools. Del Mar College Student Research Day. May 1, 2015. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Alfonso, A., A. Goins, E. Grilli, E. Sanchez, S. Lucena, M. Suntravat, and D. Zhang.Partial Characterizations of Dimeric Snake venom Disintegrins Isolated from the Venom of the Trans-Pecos Copperhead. CCURI Spring 2015 Colloquium. May 20-21, 2015. Portland, Oregon. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Almanza, R., and N. Gracia. In Vitro Tissue Culture of Two Lemon Varieties. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Edwards, N., K. Kissoon, C. Speed, J. Vulgamore, and D. Zhang. Annotation of Genes 46 and 48 of Mycobacteriophage Scorpia. CCURI Spring 2015 Colloquium. May 20-21, 2015. Portland, Oregon. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ramirez, J., S. Mullenax, J. Vulgamore, C. Speed, J. Hatherill, and D. Zhang. Exploration of Genetic Factors Involved in Bacteriophage Temperate Life Cycle by Isolation and Annotation of Novel Mycobacteriophage Chupacabra. HHMI SEA PHAGES 7th Annual Symposium June 12-14, 2015 Ashburn, Virginia. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Casas, I., M. Setamou, and R. Saldana. Improving Tree Health through Stress and Nutrition Management to Mitigate the Impact of Huanglongbing in Citrus. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Diaz, R., and V. Ancona. Finding a Relationship Between Tylenchulus semipenetrans and Phytophtora nicotianae in Citrus Infected Plants. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ortiz, J., and D. Thomas. Testing the Effect of Various Chemical Agents Against the Cattle Fever Tick. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Perez, A., and S. Chaudhary. A Survey of Phytophthora Inoculum Level in the Citrus Groves of the Rio Grande Valley Region. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Silva, S., and C. Avila. Nesidicoris tenuis: a New Friend and Foe for Tomato Production in Texas. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vargas, P., and V. Ancona. Testing Various Microorganisms as Potential Biocontrol Agents Against Phytophtera. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Villegas, C., and O. Alabi. Characterization of a New Begomovirus Associated with a Bright Yellow Mosaic Disease of Sida spp. In south Texas. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Zarzosa, K., and N. Barr. Testing Methods of DNA Extraction for Use in Identification of Anastrepha ludens by PCR. 2015 STEP UP Student Presentations at TAMUK-Citrus Center. Weslaco, TX. Aug. 20, 2015. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Aguilar, A., C. Ramos, M. Goldrick and D. Zhang Developing Standards for the NEXTflex" Library Quantification Kit. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pray, R., M. C. Speed, J. Vulgamore, R. D. Overath, D. Zhang, and J. R. Hatherill. Annotation of the Novel Mycobacteriophage Scorpia and Investigation of the Conserved Gene RecB-like Exonuclease. CCURI Spring 2015 Colloquium. May 20-21, 2015. Portland, Oregon. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ramirez, J., S. Mullenax, J. Vulgamore, C. Speed, J. Hatherill, and D. Zhang. Exploration of Genetic Factors Involved in Bacteriophage Temperate Life Cycle by Isolation and Annotation of Novel Mycobacteriophage Chupacabra. CCURI Spring 2015 Colloquium. May 20-21, 2015. Portland, Oregon. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ahrens, T.W., M. Brewer, D. Anderson, and J. Halcomb. Evaluating the Effects of Insecticides on Natural Enemies of Sugarcane Aphids on Grain Sorghum. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Alfonso, A., L. Jech, J. J. Hull, J. Dyer and D. Zhang. Engineering Lipid Droplet Formation in Cultured Insect Cells. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bucciarelli, A., M. Gonzales, J. Hatherill and X. Gonzales. The Catecholamine Norepinephrine Reduces Lung Epithelial Cell Adhesion of Streptococcus pneumonia. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Deleon, L., I. Esquivel, M. Brewer and J Halcomb. Cotton Flea Hopper and Verde Plant Bug Pest Risk to South Texas Cotton Fields. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Frontera, J., D. Seay and D. Zhang Characterization and Identification of Bacterial Isolates Indigenous to South Texas from Environmental & Steer Blood Samples. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Southard., J.M., and D. Dimas. Synthesis of 2 phenolic bio-active compounds (-4 & 5, isolated from the roots of Lindera fruticosa). Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Edwards, N., J. Lopez, M. P. Moyer and D. Zhang. Creating SOPs for the Validation of Raw Material using GMP. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Frontera, C., J. F. Ramirez, J. L. Vulgamore, J. R. Hatherill, V. Chubukov, D. Zhang, and A. Mukhopadhyay. Engineering NADPH production in E. coli with modified lipoamide dehydrogenase. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ho, K., N. Gordon and D. Zhang. An examination of nitrification in distribution systems during the summer season. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Hughes, L., E. E. S�nchez, M. Suntravat, A. Rodriguez-Acosta, T. J. Helmke and E. D. Cuevas. Expression and Purification of ECD-Disintegrin Isoform 581 from Bothrops colombiensis Viper cDNA Library. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Mullenax, S., J. Lopez, M. P. Moyer and D. Zhang. GMP Validation of Raw Materials to Meet FDA Requirements: The Science of Compliance. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pray, R., R., O. Yurchenko, J. Dyer, and D. Zhang. Engineering Plants to Produce Petrochemical Alternatives in Vegetative Tissues. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Reyes, A., M. Brewer, D. J. Anderson, A. L. Cartwright and J. Halcomb. Evaluating Pest Risk in Cotton by Using Spatial Mapping Tools. Natural Sciences 10th Annual Del Mar College Student Poster Session. August 27, 2015 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Texas A & M University Kingsville- http://www.tamuk.edu/anschsi3/index.html.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: University of Texas Pan American - http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/cosm_home/usda_home.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: South Texas College - http://biologygrants.southtexascollege.edu/participating-research-facilities/.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S. King, S.D. Nelson, J. Jifon, G. Schuster, and A. Volder. 2015. Salinity evaluation for watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grafted with different rootstocks. Subtrop. Ag & Environ. 66:1-6.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Enciso, J., S.D. Nelson, H. Perea, V. Uddameri, N. Kannan, and A. Gregory. 2015. Impact of residue management and subsurface drainage on non-point source pollution in the Arroyo Colorado. Sustainability of Water Qual. and Ecol. 3-4:25-32.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ruiz, A., C.C. Parra, J.V. daGraca, B. Salas, N.S.A. Malik, and M. Kunta. 2014. Molecular characterization and pathogenicity assays of Colletotrichum acutatum, causal agent for lime antracnose in Texas. Revista Mexicana de Fitopatologia. Vol. 32:52-61.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Cantu, L., M. Setamou, S.D. Nelson, J. da Graca, and D. Flores. May 2015. Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Host Plant Quality and on the Developmental Parameters of Asian Citrus Psyllid and its Nymphal Parasitoid Tamarixia radiata. Thesis: Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Dept of Agriculture, Agribusiness & Environmental Sciences, M.S.: Plant & Soil Science. pgs: 61.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Fuentes, C., J. Enciso, S. Nelson, J. Anciso and M. Setamou. 2014. Comparing water use efficiency in South Texas furrow and drip irrigated watermelon. Proceedings: Irrigation Show and Education Conference. Phoenix, AX. Nov. 17-21.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Abreu, A., C.F. Williams, and S.D. Nelson. Sorption of the human drug carbamazepine to soil in the presence of other trace organics. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Nov. 3-6, 2014. Long Beach, CA. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Alfonso, A., S. Alaniz, M. J. Robertson, M. C. Speed, D. Zhang, J. R. Hatherill.Isolation of the Novel Mycobacteriophage Cresent and the Annotation of Gengar. 2014 ATE Principal Investigator Conference Student Booth 601. October 22-24, 2014. Washington, D.C. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Alfonso, A., A. Goins, E. Grilli, E. Sanchez, S. Lucena, M. Suntravat, and D. Zhang. Purification and Isolation of Dimeric Disintegrins from the Venom of Broad-Banded and Trans Pecos Copperheads and Their Effects on Blood Platelets. 2014 ATE Principal Investigator Conference Student Booth #601  October 22-24, 2014, Washington, D.C. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Matias, Rachelle., Gladis. Saenz, D. Kim, B. Smith, D. St. Pierre, K. R. Summy, and R. Mazariegos. Distribution of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) in the spoil island chains of the Lower Laguna Madre of Texas. GIS Day Conference, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX. November 19, 2014. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Madeleine K. Sano, Luis M. DeSantiago, Thalia Rios,Selina Urbina, Elyssa R. Garza, Yessica E. Cerino, Florestella Ruiz, Fritzie J Into Amery Yang, Michelle J. Lo, Jennifer J. Bunagan, Heather M. Hernandez, Matthew D. Terry, Erin L. Schuenzel, Jason G. Parsons, Michael W. Persans Exploration of Metal Tolerance Mechanisms Present in Non-accumulator and Hyperaccumulator Plants of the Brassicaceae Family NIFA USDA-HSI Project Directors Meeting Miami FL., November 19-22nd, 2014.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Goins, A., A. Alfonso, E. Grilli, S. Lucena, E. Sanchez, M. Suntrvat and D. Zhang. Partial Characterizations of Dimeric Snake venom Disintegrins Isolated from the Venom of the Trans-Pecos Copperhead. CCURI Regional and Conference Poster Session. Nov 20-23, 2014. Charlotte, North Carolina. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ahrens, T.W., M. Brewer, D. Anderson, and J. Halcomb.Sugarcane Aphids: An Invasive Species on Sorghum in South Texas. CCURI Regional and Conference Poster Session. November 20-23, 2014 Charlotte, North Carolina. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Flores, D., T. Groesser, J. R. Hatherill, and P. Cooper. Investigating the Role of 53BP1 in DNA Repair. CCURI Regional and Conference Poster Session. November 20-23, 2014. Charlotte, North Carolina. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ahrens, T.W., M. Brewer, D. Anderson, and J. Halcomb. Sugarcane Aphids: An Invasive Species on Sorghum in South Texas. 26th Annual Texas Plant Protection Conference. December 10-11, 2014 Brazos Center, Bryan, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Donato-Molina, C., R. Stanko, S. Nelson, T. Machado, and G. Schuster. Engaging Underrepresented Students through Ag-Related Career and Research Training in the STEP UP to USDA Career Success Program National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Lujano, G., and S.D. Nelson. Internship Experience at APHIS Florida Field Station National Wildlife Research Center National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Fuentes, C., J. Enciso, S.D. Nelson, and J. Anciso. Comparing Water Use Efficiency for Furrow and Drip Irrigated Watermelon National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Pena, P., G. Sample, R. Stanko, S. Nelson. STEP UP Summer Internship with USDA-ARS Veterinary Animal Research Service National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Cantu, L., M. Setamou, and S.D. Nelson. Effect of Nitrogren Fertilization on Host Plant Quality and on the Development Parameters of Asain Citrus Psyllid and its Nymphal Parasitoid Tamarixia radiata National Agri-Science Education Conference. Nov. 19-22, 2014. Miami, FL. (poster).


Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: The STEP UP project is designed to engage undergraduate students that are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences in activities intended to enhance experiential learning and to expose these students to research and attendant careers in the agricultural sciences. Starting at the community college level, the intent of this project is to increase the number of students who obtain a four-year degree in the agricultural and biological sciences, ultimately qualifying students for careers within USDA agencies, especially the USDA-NRCS. The distribution of the 58 undergraduate students participating in the grant in Year 3 included 43% male, 57% female and 66% Hispanic. The seven graduate students were 100% Hispanic, and 4 of 7 were female. The following comments from a student encompasses the thoughts other students had about their internships and describes the students this grant serves: I would never have thought a career in research science would ever be possible. I was presented with a lifetime opportunity I could never repay; This internship was so helpful in my scholastic career by exposing me to techniques and procedures that completely complemented my classwork. In addition, I was afforded the ability to troubleshoot, explore, and take an idea from start to finish with more ease and confidence than I ever thought was possible. I believe a lot of the sciences (excluding the medical sciences) go unexplored because of the lack of exposure. Additionally, this internship is the perfect stepping stone for students who like science, but do not know what to do with it besides go into a medical branch of study. Thank you for this opportunity. It was a life changing internship, and I hopefully will repay its merits by working in a research facility improving on techniques that I learned as a STEP UP participant. In an interview regarding the STEP UP program in general, another student described the following: I did migrant work when I was younger, coincidentally at one time within a few miles of Purdue University (where he did his internship). As I packed for the internship in Indiana, my mother reminded me to pack my field hat, my water thermos, and other items I would need for working in the fields. I explained to her that I was on the other end of the process now. Such a powerful moment to realize how far I had come. The STEP UP project has given educational and career opportunities for a diverse and economically disadvantaged student population, A graduate student related: STEP UP allowed me to spend time with advisors rather than just follow a degree plan. Motivated me – I learned my new potential for how far I can get. I see where I can be. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Year 3 of the STEP UP project gave 26 TAMUK, 12 UTPA, 10 TSTC, 8 STC, and 9 Del Mar students the opportunity to intern with scientists/mentors who specialize in a wide variety of disciplines, including environmental science, agricultural science, biology, genetics, entomology, plant breeding/physiology, soil conservation, natural resources conservation, veterinary services, wildlife/wetland management, and horticulture, among others. Involvement with these research scientists helped the students develop their research skills in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related research, illustrating that, through this project, underrepresented students can become confident and knowledgeable research partners with important research findings to share. Student interns received stipend support, primarily to help alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education, as well as to begin their journey as part of a professional team. These experiences gave underrepresented students the necessary skills and training to continue their degree studies and become viable candidates for agriculturally related employment with USDA agencies or other partners and industry leaders. The internship experiences, coupled with research experience under the direction of faculty mentors, provided students with a firm foundation and understanding of what their career opportunities are in the agricultural and biological sciences. Students attended multiple conferences, such as the American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida and the Javelina Research Symposium in Kingsville, Texas (see Product section). STEP UP students completed surveys regarding the various activities of the grant and reported an increase in their scientific understanding, knowledge of educational opportunities, and the realization that they are good candidates for science and research classes and careers. Internship supervisors were surveyed and rated the effectiveness of the interns’ skills. The interns were rated as effective to highly effective (80% and above) regarding self-discipline, reliability/responsibility, communication (listening, speaking, writing), laboratory skills, analysis/problem solving, and teamwork. The supervisors relayed that the interns’ work was important, productive, interesting, and useful. A majority of the internship supervisors (90%) were satisfied with the intern’s work and most (90%) would readily take another intern from the STEP UP program. All but one of the surveyed internship supervisors agreed that they would provide a letter of recommendation for their intern for jobs in the future. A majority of supervisors would hire their intern for a job in the future if a position was available to do so, with six supervisors declining to do so. The comments from supervisors who responded no to this query identified communication (listening, oral, and written) skills, people (soft) skills, handling critiques of work, more research experience, and greater knowledge of the agriculture/research field as areas to improve before they would hire their intern. The duties and tasks that interns were given included participating in training events, assisting the project director or scientist, gathering samples, hands on with plants or animals, and extension work/lab experience. Eighty eight percent of supervisors agreed and strongly agreed that the interns managed their responsibilities in a professional manner. Lastly, supervisors were impressed by the dependability of the interns, as well as their motivation to understand and complete assignments and their ability to work as part of a team. Fifty-nine STEP UP student interns completed internship surveys, rating their experiences as important, productive, interesting, and useful. Their perceptions of the duties and tasks of the internship mirrored the activities listed by their supervisors. The students reported that the expectations for them as interns was made clear by their university/college, as well as their internship supervisors and both were available to answer the interns’ questions. The students, reported that their assignment was relevant to their academic course work and that they had regular supervision by their internship supervisors. Ninety five percent of the interns reported that they agreed or strongly agreed that they learned new skills/knowledge, that they managed their responsibilities in a positive manner, and that the internship was a positive learning experience. Over 90% also agreed and strongly agreed that their internship assignments were relevant to their educational/career plans, that they would recommend the internship to other students, and that they would consider applying for and taking a job with the internship agency/company after graduation. After the internship, the majority of students believed they were effective or very effective regarding their initiative, self-discipline, reliability/responsibility, communications skills, and their abilities to work independently or as part of a team. Students rated their laboratory and research skills, analysis/problem solving skills, and preparedness for the internship slightly lower, but still within the effective range. Additionally, students completed a retrospective pre and posttest of their knowledge and skills, and improved their knowledge in all areas assessed. Of note, knowledge and skill levels regarding interns’ understanding of the research process in the fields of their internships was rated 54% higher posttest than pretest. In the areas regarding readiness for more demanding research, the ability to connect theory and practice, and the ability to analyze data and other information, students rated their knowledge and skills a minimum of 40% more highly posttest (post internship), going from moderate or below to high or very high. For the areas of skill in interpreting results, understanding how scientists think about and work on real problems, laboratory skills, and confidence in the ability to learn science, students rated their knowledge and skills a minimum of 30% more highly posttest (post internship), going from moderate or below to high or very high. Students reported that specific college classes helped them prepare for their internships, including plant pathology - helped me understand the importance in agriculture and in the field, genetics - made me understand the importance in diversity, and microbiology - made me understand the different kinds of pathogens and the importance of following procedures. Another student mentioned plant physiology, microbiology, and organic chemistry – these classes helped me prepare for research by teaching me to deal with lab equipment, the importance of sterilizing tools, and also giving me a background on nutrients, plant life, and microbial life. Biotech 1 and 2 were also mentioned – prepared me by teaching me discipline and hard work. Lastly, a student reported that the classes he or she found particularly helpful were all of the Agribusiness related courses because they gave an introduction to many terms and problems encountered in this internship. These classes and many others too numerous to list, gave students an appreciation for how organisms work and gave them the needed background in dealing with scientific facts.. In September of 2014, 33 summer interns shared their USDA lab, office, and field experiences in presentations offered on the TAMUK campus. The interns’ presentations allowed them the professional experience of presenting in front of an audience and validated their summer experiences as valuable and instructional for others. The summer camp short courses also provided important training opportunities, as well as the multiple experiential college courses that prepared STEP UP students for work in the field of agricultural sciences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Dissemination of this multi-institutional project has been promoted through various means during Year 3 of the project, Websites highlighting the program have been established at TAMUK and UTPA to document the program direction, purpose, and student progress and achievements. The research results of the students’ independent research projects are primarily disseminated at professional meetings and conferences and in various publications (see Products section). Lastly, the following participating institutions and agencies multiply the avenues for dissemination: Academic Institutions: TAMUK, UTPA, STC, TSTC, Del Mar College USDA Agencies: USDA-NRCS (-PMC), -ARS, -APHIS (-PPQ), -AMS, -FS Texas State Agencies: Texas A&M University; Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension; Texas Parks and Wildlife. Partner Organizations:; Caesar Wildlife Research Institute at Texas AM University-Kingsville; Purdue University; King Ranch; US Bureau of Reclamation; Poplar Hill Dairy Goat Farms, Scandia, MN; San Antonio, TX Zoo; Goats Farm, Australia; Center for African Resource: Animals, Communities and Land Use (CARACAL, Chobe, Botswana; Hubert Vet Hospital, Kingsville, TX; Hill Country Equine, Boerne, TX; Alamo Area Vet Clinic, Castroville, TX; Kingsville Veterinary Services, Kingsville, TX; Purdue University, Indiana; Morocco and Cordoba, Spain. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The STEP UP program has been meeting its stated goals. However, during Year 4, we plan to have specific training regarding USAJOBS.GOV from Texas State USDAD-NRCS reps on how to navigate and utilize the government website to try and increase the number of paid summer internships through the USDA’s Pathways program. We also plan on replacing the summer camp experience with a USDA facilities travel tour for targeted TAMUK students well suited and prepared for USDA jobs upon graduation and prior to their summer 2015 internship. This multi-state tour will include stops to USDA-ARS research stations, Forest Service and Agricultural Marketing Service field locations, and USDA-NRCS offices so that students can get to know a variety of career options open to them.,

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A major accomplishment of this project is the number of students prepared with the academic credentials and coursework needed to obtain employment with USDA agencies upon graduation. Objective 1, to form a collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic south Texas students annually was surpassed again in Year 3 by serving 58 undergraduate and 7 graduate students who participated in and received stipends from the STEP UP grant. Consequently, USDA agencies will have a pool of well qualified candidates to select from for employment that represent persons who are underrepresented in the agricultural and biological science based careers. The majors that the Year 3 students are pursuing include Animal Science, Plant and Soil Science, Range and Wildlife Management, Agribusiness, and Agriculture Science. Seventy one percent of the 65 STEP UP students taking part in this project in Year 3 self identified as Hispanic (institutional range of 56% to 88%). A collaborative effort was realized among the 5 academic institutions, 3 research stations, and 6 USDA agencies in activities such as internships, summer camp teaching and learning, mentoring of students, scientific meetings, research projects, and the transfer of students from a STEPUP two year institution to a four year institution. This strengthened cooperation and collaboration among educators, scientists, and federal agency representatives has provided a strengthened structure for promoting the career development of underserved Hispanic students of south Texas. Objective 2, to provide undergraduate students with intensive short-courses based in soils, biotechnology, livestock and meat grading, agribusiness and environmental sciences that prepare them for soils, biological, animal agriculture, and natural resource science-related careers, was met in Year 3 during the June 4-6, 2014, summer short-course session conducted for 28 STEP UP undergraduate participants (19 students (68%) were Hispanic), including seven students from Del Mar College, 10 students from Texas State Technical College, six students from South Texas College, and five students from the University of Texas Pan Am. Seven (7) master’s level STEP UP participants from TAMUK, two undergraduate TAMUK students, as well as nine (9) collaborating researchers, professors, and instructors, provided hands-on experiences in environmental soil science, integrated pest management, plant science, grading and reporting of market livestock and agribusiness principles, meat grading, research opportunities in livestock nutrition, reproduction, and genetics, tools and techniques of range and wildlife management, financial aid opportunities, and USDA agency information session on qualifying requirements. During the 3rd year of the STEPUP project, the STEP UP faculty worked unceasingly to place STEP UP participants in either USDA internship opportunities or in the mentored scientist and/or faculty research directed projects. Consequently, 65 internships/research projects were completed with USDA agencies and partners, which surpassed the number for Objective 3) to provide a minimum of 50 summer undergraduate internship experiences with agricultural-related USDA agencies as fast track preparation for USDA careers. Four USDA research or service centers and agencies, primarily Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Plant Materials Centers (PMC), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), provided 24 internship opportunities, with additional partner institutions, including Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center – Weslaco, Texas A&M University Kingsville Citrus Center – Weslaco, as well as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the San Antonio Zoo, several veterinary hospitals and clinics, Hill Country Equine, Purdue University, two goat farms in Australia, and the Center for African Resource: Animals, Communities and Land Use (CARACAL) in Chobe, Botswana, providingstudent internships. One PhD student studied the multi-cultural aspects of Arabian legacy in the Hispanic culture that was brought to the U.S. from Spain and Morocco. These agencies, plus researchers at STC, Del Mar and UTPA, and the TAMUK Farm, provided 18 undergraduate and graduate students with research, field trip, and internship opportunities. Additional students participated in experiential learning (research) mentoring at the various collaborating institutions. 3) Significant Results Achieved (major findings, developments, conclusions) In Year 3, 97.5% of STEP UP participants were retained in school and continued their progress towards graduation (target of 80% of undergraduate/grad/Ph.Ds). At STC, TSTC, and DMC, the two-year institutions retained 26 of 27 students, UTPA 12 of 12 students (10 undergraduate and 2 masters of science), and TAMUK retained all 31 students (26 B.S., 4 M.S., 1 PhD). Additionally, 100% of Year 3 STEP UP participants were enrolled in disciplines applicable to USDA jobs. Since the start of this program, 13 community college students have transferred to TAMUK after receiving Associate degrees. At TAMUK, 5 graduate students had received M.S. degrees by the end of Year 3, with qualifications to be employed by the USDA. Students completed a retrospective pre and post knowledge survey regarding the activities of the summer camp. Results of the survey indicated that students increased their knowledge from pretest low-moderate levels to posttest high-very high levels in the areas of understanding how scientists work on real problems, knowledge and appreciation of field applications in agricultural sciences – specifically soil, plant, animal, and wildlife sciences, food safety laboratory procedures, awareness of the USDA, and knowledge of education requirements for jobs within USDA. Most of the students who attended the summer camp came in with a moderate to high level and left with a very high level of confidence in their ability to learn science. When asked which part of the summer camp made the biggest impression on them, students reported that the dirt pit activity made them realize how important dirt is to the agricultural process, that going out in the fields and interacting with the animals was great, and they learned a great deal from the molecular biology science lab and the ag science corn and insects activities. Additionally, the students felt that the way they were treated by the faculty and graduate students was amazing, and that they really enjoyed all of the planned activities. Students were also asked how the summer camp impacted the way they view college. Many reflected on the enthusiasm of the faculty, instructors, and graduate students in working and helping students one on one, that it can be fun while learning, that there are many options for biology majors, and that there are many real world problems that need to be addressed. The summer camp was a great success, as several students felt more motivated and confident about achieving their educational and career goals.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S.D. Nelson, A. Volder, and J.C. Melgar. 2014. Growth response of grafted and non-grafted citrus trees to saline irrigation. Scientia Horticulturae. 169:199-205.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Nelson, S.D., M. Setamou, D.E. Garza, J. Raygoza, and M. Esparza. 2014. Nutritional Metalosate� supplements with calcium that reduce pest pressure in citrus production. Albion Minerals Annual Conference. Park City, UT. Jan. 13-16.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Cantu, L., M. Setamou, and S.D. Nelson. 2014. Life History Parameter of Tamarixia radiata nymptial parasitoid of Asian citrus psyllid as affected by host plant nitrogen fertilization. Javelina Research Symposium. Kingsville, TX. April 29. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Contreras-Barrangan, B., A. Kusabe, J.C. Melgar, and S.D. Nelson. 2014. Partial-Rootzone Drying an Effective Water Saving Strategy in Citrus. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Annual Conference. Weslaco, TX. Feb 21. (poster, 1st place winner).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Contreras-Barrangan, B., A. Kusabe, J.C. Melgar, and S.D. Nelson. Partial-Rootzone Drying an Effective Water Saving Strategy in Citrus. Javelina Research Symposium. Kingsville, TX. April 29. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Contreras-Barrangan, B., A. Kusabe, J.C. Melgar, and S.D. Nelson. 2014. Partial-Rootzone Drying an Effective Water Saving Strategy in Citrus. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. July 28-30. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Donato, C., S. Nelson, G. Schuster, R. Stanko and T. Machado. 2014. Preparing Hispanic Students to be Leaders in their Communities. NACTA Annual Conference. Bozeman, MT. June 25-28.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Dupnik, M., C. Woloshuk, S. Nelson, G. Schuster, and K. Wise. 2014. Effects of Low Oxygen on the Growth of Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxin Production. ASA Southern Branch 2014 Annual Meeting. Dallas, TX. Feb. 2-4. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Dupnik, M., C. Woloshuk, S. Nelson, G. Schuster, and K. Wise. 2014. Growth of Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxin Production under Low Oxygen Conditions. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Annual Conference. Weslaco, TX. Feb 21. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Fuentes, C., J. Enciso, S.D. Nelson, M. Setamou, R. Lopez, and J. Anciso. 2014. Comparing Water Use Efficiency in South Texas Furrow and Drip Irrigated Cabbage. Javelina Research Symposium. Kingsville, TX. April 29. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Fuentes, C., Enciso, S.D. Nelson, M. Setamou, R. Lopez, and J. Anciso. 2014. Comparing Water Use Efficiency in South Texas Furrow and Drip Irrigated Cabbage. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL. July 28-30. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Lewis, A., G. Schuster, S. Nelson, and J.C. Melgar. Vermicompost Solution as a Nutrient Source in Hydroponic Crop Production. ASA Southern Branch 2014 Annual Meeting. Dallas, TX. Feb. 2-4. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Lewis, A., G. Schuster, S. Nelson, and J.C. Melgar. 2014. Vermicompost Solution as a Nutrient Source in Hydroponic Crop Production. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Annual Conference. Weslaco, TX. Feb 21. (poster, 2nd place winner).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Rivas, R.C., P. L. Mills, K.D. Jones, and S. Nelson. 2013. Multifunctional Reactor Engineering for Galacturonic Acid (GA) Production: Enzymatic DePolymerization of Pectin-Rich Biomass with Simultaneous Adsorption of GA onto Anion Exchange Resins. AIChE 2013 Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. Nov. 3-8. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Romero, M., Gentry, S.D. Nelson. 2013. Accelerated Solvent Extraction of the Herbicide Mesotrione from Soils. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Nov. 3-6. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Schuster, G., B. Bextine, J.Munyaneza, S. Nelson, A. Ochoa, and J. Lopez. 2014. Impact of potato planting time on zebra chip incidence in south Texas. 29th International Horticultural Congress, Brisbane, Australia. Aug. 17-22. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Simpson, C.R. 2013. Using Halophytes to Mitigate Salinity Stress on Watermelons. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Nov. 3-6. (poster, 3rd place grad competition).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Simpson, C.R., J. Franco, A. Volder, S.D. Nelson, G. Schuster, and S. King. 2014. Intercropping with halophytes to mitigate salinity stress on watermelons. 29th International Horticultural Congress, Brisbane, Australia. Aug. 17-22. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S.D. Nelson, A. Volder, G. Schuster, J.C. Melgar, J. Jifon, and S. King. 2014. Grafting reduces salt tolerance in citrus. 29th International Horticultural Congress, Brisbane, Australia. Aug. 17-22. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Simpson, C.R., S.D. Nelson. 2013. Physiological Effects of Salinity Stress on Grafted and Non-Grafted Fruit Trees. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Nov. 3-6. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Stanko, R.L., S.D. Nelson, T.J. Tanner, G.L. Schuster and C. Donato-Molina. 2014. Engaging Underrepresented Agriculture Students through Research and Job Training in the STEP UP to USDA Career Success Program. NACTA Annual Conference. Bozeman, MT. June 25-28.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: F.J. Dirrigl Jr., T. Thomas, and I.M. Torres. 2013. Water Quality Relationships among CDOM, Physicochemical Parameters, and Nutrients in an Irrigation Canal System, Hidalgo County, Texas. Pp. 243-256 in The Agriculture/Urban Water Interface-Conflicts and Opportunities (G.A. Gibbens, L.A. Garcia, and S.S. Anderson, Editors). United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Denver, Colorado.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: F.J. Dirrigl Jr., T. Thomas, and I.M. Torres. Fall 2013. Water Quality Relationships among CDOM, Physicochemical Parameters, and Nutrients in an Irrigation Canal System, Hidalgo County, Texas. United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Denver, Colorado. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: M. Bazaldua, C. Huston, M. Villarreal, and F.J. Dirrigl Jr. Spring 2014. Surface Water Quality Assessment of a Stormwater Canal System, Edinburg, Texas. 117th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Sciences, Galveston, Texas. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Nelson, S.D., B.A. Contreras-Barragan, A. Kusakabe, and J.C. Melgar. 2014. Efficient use of partial rootzone-drying in citrus in semiarid areas. 29th International Horticultural Congress, Brisbane, Australia. Aug. 17-22. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Nelson, S.D., M. Setamou, D. Garza and M. Esparza. 2013. Reduction in Psyllid Populations Using Supplemental Calcium to Trees Grown in High Calcareous Soils. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Tampa, FL. Nov. 3-6. (oral).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Alfonso, Andrea, A. Goins, E. Grilli, E. Sanchez, S. Lucena, M. Suntravat, and D. Zhang. 2014. Purification and isolation of dimeric disintegrins from the venom of Broad-Banded and Trans-Pecos Copperheads and their effects on blood platelets. National Natural Toxins Research CenterTAMUK. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Matias, R., G. Saenz, D. Kim, B. L. Smith, D. St. Pierre, F. Frank Judd, R. Mazariegos, and K. R. Summy. 2014. Distribution of Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) in the Spoil Island Chains of the Lower Laguna Madre of Texas. Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society Annual Conference. Feb. 21. Weslaco, TX. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Elyssa R. Garza, Yessica E. Cerino, Florestella Ruiz, Fritizie J Into, Madeliene K. Sano, Luis M. DeSantiago, Thalia Rios, Amery Yang, Michelle J. Lo, Jennifer J. Bunagan, Heather M. Hernandez, Matthew D. Terry, Erin L. Schuenzel, Jason G. Parsons, Michael W. Persans*. (2014) Exploration of metal tolerance mechanisms present in non-accumulator and hyperaccumulator plants of the Brassicaceae family. American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting Portland OR. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ahrens, T. William, M. Brewer, D. Anderson, and J. Halcomb. 2014. Sugarcane Aphid: An Invasive Species on Sorghum in South Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Research Service, Corpus Christi, TX. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Elkhalili, Alia, R. Carfi, R. Knippel, K. Cornell, J. Halcomb, and D. Warner. 2014. Antimicrobial Properties of Anthracyclines and Aziridinomitosenes. Boise State University, ID. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Flores, Desirey, M. Goldrick, J. Halcomb, and D. Zhang. 2014. Applications of Qpcr on GMO Gene Detection and rRNA depletion for Next Gen Sequencing. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Goins, Amber, A. Alfonso, E. Grilli, S. Lucena, E. Sanchez, M. Suntravat, and D. Zhang. 2014. Partial Characterizations of Dimeric Snake Venom Disintegrins Isolated from venom of the Trans-Pecos Copperhead.National Natural Toxins Research CenterTAMUK. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Harris, Christine, T. Griffiths, C. Ramos, J. Halcomb, and D. Zhang. 2014. Optimizing the Co-Transfection of pAcGFP-1-Tublin and pDsRed-Monomer-Actin in HEK293 Cells. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College. 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Kissoon, K, M. Suntravat, E. Sanchez, and J. Halcomb. 2014. Expression and Purification or Recombinant Helleramines (5J11 and 3M19).National Natural Toxin Research CenterTAMUK. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Lopez, A., J.R. Hatherill, J. Halcomb, and S. Crivelli. 2014. CASP 11  The maintenance of the WeFold Gateway. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CA. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Lopez-Johnston, J. C., D. Zhang, D. Hunt, and M.P. Moyer 2014. An alternative method for estimating viscosity to Non-Newtonian fluids. Incell, San Antonio. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, TX. 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Martinez, J., D. Seay, J. Halcomb, and D. Zhang 2014. Gene expression analysis of FAD2-3 and CPA-FAS1 using greenhouse cotton. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College. 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Mojica, J., J. Halcomb, C. Martinez, S. Nelson, D. Ruppert, and J. Southard 2014. The Development of a Stable Transfection Cell line HEK293 using vector pAcGFP-1-Tublin. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College. 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: T. Thomas, I. Torres, and F.J. Dirrigl Jr., Spring 2013.Water Quality Gradients of Nutrients, CDOM, and Phytoplankton along an Irrigation Canal. Texas Academy of Science 116th Meeting. (Oral presentation)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Morgan, Kristofer, 2014. Determination of Phosphate fixed to Amorphous Iron and Aluminum Oxides in Maryland Agricultural Ditches. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College. 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28,(poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vulagomore, J.,S. Park, and J. Dyer 2014. Identification of putative Lipid-Droplet Associated Proteins (LDAPs) interacting proteins. USDA-ARS, Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, AZ. Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College, 9th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session. Aug. 28, (poster).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Melgoza, F.J., A. Kusakabe, S.D. Nelson, and J.C. Melgar. Exogenous applications of abscisic acid to increase freeze tolerance in Citrus trees. International J. of Fruit Sci. 14:376-387.


Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: The STEP UP project is designed to engage undergraduate students traditionally underrepresented in the sciences in activities intended to enhance experiential learning and to expose these students to careers and research in the agricultural sciences. Starting at the community college level, the intent of this project is to increase the number of students who obtain a four-year degree in the agricultural and biological sciences, ultimately qualifying students for careers within USDA agencies, especially the USDA-NRCS. The distribution of the 58 undergraduate students participating in the grant in Year 2 included 43% male, 57% female and 66 percent Hispanic. During Year 2, the STEP UP project acted as a catalyst for building important relationships with professors, researchers, and peers that helped underrepresented students integrate into the social and academic fabric of the college and of the research community. The project served as a useful strategy in helping underrepresented college students persist and earn degrees. The summer camp short courses, the research exposure, and internships of the project provided educational and career opportunities for a diverse and economically disadvantaged student population, without jeopardizing the affordability of that education. Through the summer internship and mentoring process, this project offered students an optimized learning experience, along with a stipend, which is important in the world of budget decreases and a student population that has to work throughout the summer to afford school in the winter. Paying a stipend to the students during their summer research elevated them to the status of being real researchers, which shifted the way they think about themselves. The project raised awareness and appreciation of research in general and agriscience in particular for students who otherwise may not have had these rich research opportunities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The STEP UP project gave 23 TAMUK, 10 UTPA, 3 TSTC, 8 STC, and 9 Del Mar students the opportunity to intern with scientists/mentors who specialize in a wide variety of disciplines, including environmental science, agricultural science, biology, genetics, entomology, plant breeding/physiology, soil conservation, natural resources conservation, veterinary services, wildlife/wetland management, and horticulture, among others. Involvement with these research scientists helped the students develop their research skills in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related research, illustrating that, through this project, underrepresented students can become confident and knowledgeable research partners with important research findings to share. Internship supervisors were surveyed and rated the majority of interns as effective to highly effective regarding self-discipline, reliability/responsibility, preparedness for internship, communication (listening, speaking, writing), laboratory skills, research skills, analysis/problem solving, initiative, ability to work independently, and teamwork. The supervisors relayed that the interns’ work was important, productive, interesting, and useful. All of the internship supervisors were satisfied with the intern’s work and most would readily take another intern from the STEP UP program. All surveyed internship supervisors agreed that they would provide a letter of recommendation for their intern for jobs in the future and all but one supervisor would hire their intern for a job in the future if a position was available to do so. The only supervisor who responded no to this query explained that he thought the intern needed more research experience and that, as the intern developed those skills, he would become immediately employable. Internship supervisors were impressed with many characteristics and skills of their interns, including the initiative of the students to learn the methods to solve research problems, their dependability and responsibility to the job, their adaptability in working independently as well as in a team, the knowledge they brought to the table and their willingness to learn more, and their respectful and positive demeanors. Areas in which the students could improve included reporting and presentation skills, self confidence, experience in agricultural research, and communication – including asking more questions about lab work and experiments. Each STEP UP student completed an internship pre and post survey and agreed and strongly agreed that their internship assignments were a positive experience and relevant to their coursework and educational/career plans, that they learned new skills and knowledge, that they would recommend the internship to other students, and that they would consider applying for and taking a job with the internship agency/company after graduation. After the internship, the majority of students believed they were effective or very effective regarding their initiative, self-discipline, reliability/responsibility, communications skills, analysis/problem solving skills, and their abilities to work independently or as part of a team. Students rated their laboratory and research skills slightly lower, but still within the effective range. Pre internship to post internship, students’ ratings improved regarding their understanding of the research process, skill in interpreting research results, and readiness for more demanding research. They also improved, pre to post internship, in their ability to connect theory and practice, to understand how scientists work on real problems, in lab skills and working independently. Finally, their perceptions pre to post showed growth in their confidence and ability to learn science and to appreciate agricultural science. Students reported that specific college classes helped them prepare for their internships, including biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, and biological writing; plant and soil sciences; computer technology; environmental science and environmental regulations and impact analysis; agriculture business; and entomology. These classes and many others too numerous to list, gave students an appreciation for how organisms work and gave them the needed background in dealing with scientific facts. Comments that students wrote about the internships related how much they had learned, the high caliber of scientists that they were privileged to work with, and the sense of direction for the future that the internship experience gave them. During their summer internships, at least 80% of the students had the opportunity to assist a scientist, participate in training events, gather samples and perform samples research, and work hands-on with plants. At least one-third of the internship students experienced hands-on research with animals, extension laboratory work, and visiting other work sites. The summer camp short courses also provided important training opportunities, as well as the multiple experiential college courses that prepared STEP UP students for work in the field of agricultural sciences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Dissemination of this multi-institutional project has been promoted through various means during Year 2 of the project, including the Project Directors’ meeting in Puerto Rico in summer 2013 with Project Officer Irma Lawrence. Websites highlighting the program have been established at TAMUK and UTPA to document the program direction, purpose, and student progress and achievements. The research results of the students’ independent research projects are primarily disseminated at professional meetings and conferences and in various publications (see Products section). The following participating institutions and agencies multiply the avenues for dissemination: Academic Institutions: TAMUK, UTPA, STC, TSTC, Del Mar College USDA Agencies: USDA-NRCS (-PMC), -ARS, -APHIS (-PPQ), -AMS, -FS Texas State Agencies: Texas A&M University; Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension; Texas Animal Health Commission Partner Organizations: Cargill; Caesar Wildlife Research Institute at Texas AM University-Kingsville; Purdue University; King Ranch; US Bureau of Reclamation; Poplar Hill Dairy Goat Farms, Scandia, MN; Brownsville TX Zoo; Chattanooga TN Zoo. Collaborative efforts among the 5 institutions has increased the number of transfer students from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and South Texas State College in Harlingen Texas transferring to TAMUK to obtain 4 year degrees in the agricultural sciences. South Texas College also has students transferring to the University of Texas-Pan American to finish a 4-year degree in the biological sciences after they finish an Associates degree. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The STEP UP program has been meeting its stated goals. However, during Year 3, we plan to increase advertisement efforts for the STEP UP program during hosted FFA competitions with high school students during fall and spring semesters at TAMUK.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Major Activities Completed The STEP UP grant proposed to serve a minimum of 50 undergraduate and 5 graduate Hispanic students annually and surpassed that again in Year 2 by serving 58 undergraduate and 9 graduate students who participated in and received stipends from the STEP UP grant. The participants were 43% male and 57% female, and 66% of these undergraduates and 89% of these graduate students identified as Hispanic. Project Director Shad D. Nelson and Co-Project Directors Randy L. Stanko, TAMUK; Michael Persans, UTPA, Edinburg, TX; Debora Villalon, STC, Weslaco, TX; and Judith Ybarra (Armando Duarte left TSTC in early 2013), TSTC, Harlingen, TX; and Jonda Halcomb, DMC, Corpus Christi, TX, spent a minimum of 960 hours in Year 2 to positively increase the competitiveness of South Texas undergraduate and graduate students for the job market within USDA agencies and the agricultural sciences. Additionally, six USDA research or service centers and agencies, primarily Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS); Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS); Plant Materials Centers (PMC); Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); and Forest Service (FS), provided 19 internship opportunities, while additional partner institutions, including Texas AgriLife Research, Cargill, TAMU Citrus Center, Texas A&M Forest Service Nursery and Seed Industry, plus researchers at STC, Del Mar and UTPA, and the TAMUK Farm, provided 34 undergraduate and graduate students with research, field trip, and internship opportunities, for a total of 53 internship opportunities in Year 2. In Year 2, there was a 94% student retention rate with STC, TSTC, and DMC retaining 30 of 31 students, UTPA 10 of 12 students, and TAMUK retaining all 30 students in Year 2 (23 B.S., 6 M.S., 1 PhD). STEP UP students completed surveys regarding the various activities of the grant and reported an increase in their scientific understanding, knowledge of educational opportunities, and the realization that they are good candidates for science and research classes and careers. 2) Specific Objectives Met The collaboration among the 5 academic institutions, 3 research stations, and 6 USDA agencies is serving as a model by which highly qualified underrepresented college graduates who have the training and experience to become successful USDA specialists and scientists are produced. In Year 2, we once again surpassed STEPUP Objective 1: To form a collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic south Texas students. During Year 2 of the project, to address the USDA/NIFA educational need areas e and f, which are aimed at providing student experiential learning and student recruitment and retention, 67 students, 68 percent self-identified as Hispanic, were a part of this project, which allowed them to attend scientific meetings, complete internships, and participate in research projects. Objective 2, to provide undergraduate students with intensive short-courses based in soils, biotechnology, livestock and meat grading, agribusiness and environmental sciences that prepare them for soils, biological, animal agriculture, and natural resource science-related careers, was met in Year 2 during the June 6-8th, 2013, summer short-course session conducted for 35 STEP UP undergraduate participants. Ten (10) master’s level STEP UP participants from TAMUK, as well as 15 collaborating researchers, professors, and instructors, provided hands-on experiences in environmental soil science, integrated pest management, plant science, grading and reporting of market livestock and agribusiness principles, meat grading, research opportunities in livestock nutrition, reproduction, and genetics, tools and techniques of range and wildlife management, financial aid opportunities, and USDA agency information session on qualifying requirements. Students completed a pre and post knowledge survey regarding the activities of the summer camp. Results of the survey indicated that students increased their knowledge from pretest low-moderate levels to posttest high-very high levels in the areas of understanding how scientists work on real problems; knowledge and appreciation of field applications in agricultural sciences – specifically soil, plant, animal, and wildlife sciences; food safety laboratory procedures, ability to analyze data; awareness of the USDA and knowledge of education requirements for jobs within USDA. Most of the students who attended the summer camp came in with a high level and left with a very high level of confidence in their ability to learn science and their readiness for more demanding research. When asked which part of the summer camp made the biggest impression on them, students reported that the dirt pit activity made them realize how important dirt is to the agricultural process; that the enthusiasm and passion of all of the faculty and graduate students was amazing, and that they really enjoyed being on a 4-year university campus. Students were also asked how the summer camp impacted the way they view college. Many stated that the camp opened their minds to different possibilities and opportunities in agricultural sciences, reinforced the idea that college is an important part of success, and made them aware of the many possible jobs in USDA. The summer camp was a great success, as two students realized that nothing in life is impossible because the camp made them feel more confident in their knowledge and abilities. 3) Significant Results Achieved (major findings, developments, conclusions) In Year 2, 94% of STEP UP participants were retained in school and continued their progress towards graduation (target of 80% of undergraduate/grad/Ph.Ds). The number of students in experiential learning (research) mentoring totaled 50 out of 53 students in summer research related mentoring, and 9 in graduate research projects. Additionally, 100% of Year 2 STEP UP participants were enrolled in disciplines applicable to USDA jobs. Since the start of this program, 9 community college students have transferred to TAMUK after receiving Associate degrees. At TAMUK, 5 graduate students had received M.S. degrees by the end of Year 2, with qualifications to be employed by the USDA. 4) Key Outcomes or Other Accomplishments Realized (changes in knowledge, action, or condition) Objective 3 of this project is to provide an underserved student population with the opportunity to experience firsthand exposure to research in agricultural or natural resource sciences through faculty-mentored projects, or the opportunity to have a USDA career training experience during a 10-wk summer internship. The STEP UP faculty worked unceasingly to place 53 STEP UP participants in either USDA internship opportunities or in the mentored scientist and/or faculty research directed projects. Students graduated while in the STEP UP program, including two Master’s students who graduated in Year 2 from TAMUK in Plant and Soil Sciences and have degree credentials sufficient to work for USDA. Two students from UTPA graduated with BS degrees in Biology and have applied or are accepted to graduate school for academic year 2013-14.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., McLarty, M., Balderas, L., and Sanchez, E. 2012. Isolation, Expression and Purification of Crotamine in Escherichia coli BL21Cells, and its Effects on Murine Myoblasts and Melanoma Cells using Microcell Culture. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept. 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., McLarty, M., Balderas, L., and Sanchez, E. 2012. Isolation, Expression and Purification of Crotamine in Escherichia coli BL21Cells, and its Effects on Murine Myoblasts and Melanoma Cells using Microcell Culture. American Society of Microbiology Poster Presentation Baylor College Waco, TX. Oct 18-20th 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., McLarty, M., Balderas, L., and Sanchez, E. 2012. Isolation, Expression, and Purification of Recombinant Crotamine in Comparison with Native Crotamine. American Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting Poster Presentation Boston, MA. Feb. 14-18 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., McLarty, M., Balderas, L., and Sanchez, E. 2012. Isolation, Expression, and Purification of Recombinant Crotamine in Comparison with Native Crotamine. 12th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, TX. Mar. 2, 2013 (2nd place) (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., McLarty, M., Balderas, L., and Sanchez, E. 2012. Isolation, Expression, and Purification of Recombinant Crotamine in Comparison with Native Crotamine. Texas American Society of Microbiology Regional Meeting Poster Presentation. New Braunfels, TX. April 4-6, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., McLarty, M., Balderas, L., and Sanchez, E. 2012. Isolation, Expression, and Purification of Recombinant Crotamine in Comparison with Native Crotamine. Del Mar College Student Research Day Poster Presentation. Corpus Christi, TX. April 26, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Beach, A., Halcomb, J., Trejo, C., Vaidya, J. and DMello S. 2013. Investigating Protein Levels in the Valproic Acid Model of Autism. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept. 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Buentello, M., Horn, P., James, C., Zhang, D., Halcomb, J. and Chapman, K. 2012. Characterization of Avocado Lipids and Proteins Involved in Lipid Droplet Formation. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Calles, B., Seay, D., Yildirim, Y., Halcomb, J. and Zhang, D. 2013. The Isolation and Characterization of Mycobacteriophage CGFrank. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Cochran, K., John, R., Hunt, D., Halcomb, J. and Moyer, M.P. 2013. Durability and Quality Testing of M3:10 Media using a variety of Mammalian Cell Lines. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Dupnik, M., Field, K., Schuster, G., Nelson, S. and Halcomb, J. 2012. Isolation of Bacteria from Cotton Bolls in the Costal Bend and Rio Grande Valley. (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ganceres, A., Yurchenko, O., Park, S., Mason, C., Shockey, J., Halcomb, J. and Dyer, J. 2013. Metabolic Engineering of Plant Leaves for Production of Biofuels. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Garcia, A., Zhang, D., Halcomb, J., Dearing, M., Horn, P., Auld, D. and Chapman, K. 2012. Characterization of Low-Palmitic EMS Mutants in Gossypium hirsutum. /D. Auld. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Gonzalez, R., Fernandez, C., Correa, C., Landivar, J., Mirkov, E., Dickman, M. and Halcomb, J. 2013. Drought Tolerance of Sugarcane: A preliminary study for assessing the water economy of transgenic varieties. Del Mar College Student Research Day Poster Presentation. Corpus Christi, TX. April 26, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Gonzalez, R., Fernandez, C., Correa, C., Landivar, J., Mirkov, E., Dickman, M. and Halcomb, J. 2013. Drought Tolerance of Sugarcane: A preliminary study for assessing the water economy of transgenic varieties. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hall, P., Jia, Y., Halcomb, J. and Sanchez, E. 2013. Bacterial Expression, Affinity Purification and Functional Analysis of Recombinant Distintegrin. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Kellogg, B., Cantu, E., Scott, A., Pinion, T., Torres, F., Chintalapati, S., Zhang, D. and Sanchez, E. 2012. The Cloning, Expression, and Purification of a Functional Snake Venom C-Type Lectin from the Southern Prairie Rattlesnake with Potential Antimetastatasic Activity. 12th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, TX. March 2, 2013 (Honorable Mention) (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Biediger, E., Silguero, R., Clayton, M., Yarta, B., Gonzales, G., Stanko, R., and Nelson, S. Supplemental Requirements for Beef Cattle Fed Native and Improved Forage using Fecal Analysis. Texas Section Society of Range Management. Fredericksburg, TX. Oct. 10-12, 2012. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Dupnik, M., Schuster, G., Nelson, S., and Halcomb, J. Incidence and Prevalence of Bacterial Boll Rot in Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley Cotton Production. 67th Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. Weslaco, TX. Feb 15, 2013. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 65 (published poster abstracts)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Godfrey, S., Stanko, R., Nelson, S., and Gladney, K. USDA Livestock and Grain Market News. USDA/NIFA HSI Project Directors Conference, Washington, D.C. Oct. 19, 2012. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Rivas, R., Jones, K., Mills, P., and Nelson, S. Utilization of Citrus Processing Waste as a Renewable Feedstock for Biorefinery Applications: Technical Advances, and Analysis of Engineering Challenges for the Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis Steps. American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting. Pittsburg, PA. Oct 28- Nov 2, 2012. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Silguero, R., Biediger, E., Clayton, M., Lyons, R., Montemayor, E., Martinez, H., Stanko, R., and Nelson, S. Invasive Tanglehead Management Using Broadcast Herbicide Applications. Texas Section Society of Range Management. Fredericksburg, TX. Oct. 10-12, 2012. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Silguero, R., Biediger, E., Clayton, M., Lyons, R., Montemayor, E., Martinez, H., Stanko, R., and Nelson, S. Invasive Tanglehead Management Using Broadcast Herbicide Applications. USDA/NIFA HSI Project Directors Conference, Washington, D.C. Oct. 19, 2012. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Teran, C., Mendoza, F., Adames, C., Goolsby, J., Thomas, D., Nelson, S., Davey, R., Perez de Leon, A., Strickman, D., and Stanko, R. Development of Field Sampling Methods for Cattle Fever Ticks for Use in the Permanent Quarantine Zone. USDA/NIFA HSI Project Directors Conference, Washington, D.C. Oct. 19, 2012. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Trevino, J., Schuster, G., Nelson, S., and Bextine, B. Evaluating the Impact of Planting Dates on Pysllid Populations and ZC Disease Incidence in Pearsall, TX, 2012 SCRI Zebra Chip Annual Reporting Session, San Antonio, TX. Oct. 30-Nov 2, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Kellogg, B., Cantu, E., Scott, A., Pinion, T., Torres, F., Chintalapati, S., Zhang, D. and Sanchez, E. 2012. The Cloning, Expression, and Purification of a Functional Snake Venom C-Type Lectin from the Southern Prairie Rattlesnake with Potential Antimetastatasic Activity. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Lardner, K., Halcomb, J., Hatherill, R., Fedynich, A., Nelson, S. and Henke, S. 2012. Assessment of the Feasibility of Exposure of Song Birds to Potentially Aflatoxin Contaminated Grain by Observation of Ground and Perch Feeders. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Lardner, K., Halcomb, J., Hatherill, R., Fedynich, A., Nelson, S. and Henke, S. 2012. Assessment of the Feasibility of Exposure of Song Birds to Potentially Aflatoxin Contaminated Grain by Observation of Ground and Perch Feeders. American Society of Microbiology Poster Presentation Baylor College Waco, TX. Oct 18-20th 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Cartwright, A., Anderson, D., Halcomb, J. and Brewer, M. 2013. Landscaping and Cropping patterns as Indicators of Insect Intensity in Cotton along the Texas Gulf Coast. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Lentz, T., Wang, H. and Jenks, Matt. 2012. Characterization of Arabidopsis Mutant Defective in Cuticle Formation. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Lentz, T., Wang, H. and Jenks, Matt. 2012. Characterization of Arabidopsis Mutant Defective in Cuticle Formation. 2013 Beltwide Cotton Conference Poster presentation San Antonio, TX. Jan. 7-10, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Perez, M., Zhang, D., Dovalina, S., Halcomb, J. and Hatherill, R. 2012. Mycobacterium smegmatis Bacteriophage Gene Annotation and Study of Host Specificity Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as alternative hosts. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept. 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Perez, M., Zhang, D., Dovalina, S., Halcomb, J. and Hatherill, R. 2012. Mycobacterium smegmatis Bacteriophage Gene Annotation and Study of Host Specificity Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as alternative hosts. American Society of Microbiology Poster Presentation Baylor College Waco, TX. Oct 18-20th 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Pruter, L., Halcomb, J., Brewer, M., Anderson, D. and Nelson, J. 2012. Regional Cropping and Landscape Analysis Applied to Cotton Pest Management: Risk Assessment of a sucking bug. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept. 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Pruter, L., Halcomb, J., Brewer, M., Anderson, D. and Nelson, J. 2012. Regional Cropping and Landscape Analysis Applied to Cotton Pest Management: Risk Assessment of a Sucking Bug. 2013 Beltwide Cotton Conference Poster presentation San Antonio, TX. Jan. 7-10, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Rahman, T., Yildirim, Y., Seay, D., Halcomb, J. and Zhang, D. 2013. Transformation of OMRI and RidA Genes to Arabidopsis thaliana via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Seay, D., Bollam, S., Park, S., Zhang, D., Halcomb, J. and Dyer, J. 2012. Characterizing the Role of Comparative Gene Identification-58 in Arabidopsis thaliana Under Stress conditions. Del Mar College 7th Annual Natural Sciences Student Poster Session Corpus Christi, TX. Sept. 7, 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Seay, D., Bollam, S., Park, S., Zhang, D., Halcomb, J., Hatherill, R. and Dyer, J. 2012. Using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain Y2H-Gold to characterize the Role of Arabidopsis thaliana Comparative gene Identification  58. American Society of Microbiology Poster Presentation Baylor College Waco, TX. Oct 18-20th 2012 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Seay, D., Bollam, S., Park, S., Zhang, D., Halcomb, J., Hatherill, R. and Dyer, J. 2012. Characterizing the role of the Alpha/Beta Hydrolase Comparative Gene Identification -58 in Arabidopsis thaliana. American Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting Poster Presentation Boston, MA. Feb. 14-18 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Seay, D., Bollam, S., Park, S., Zhang, D., Halcomb, J., Hatherill, R. and Dyer, J. 2012. Characterizing the role of the Alpha/Beta Hydrolase Comparative Gene Identification -58 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Del Mar College Student Research Day Poster Presentation. Corpus Christi, TX. April 26, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hernandez, H., Navarro, A., Persans, M., and DeYoe, H. Enhancement of Lipid Production of the Marine Green Microalgae Nannochloris sp. 116th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science, Kerrville, TX March, 2013. (Poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Velez, A., Summy, K., Goolsby, J., Osbrink, W., and D. Thomas. Evaluation of Ant Diversity and Phrenology at Field Sites for the Biological Control Program for Arundo donax on the Rio Grande. 61st Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America and the Annual Meeting of the Society of Southwestern Entomologists. Las Cruces, NM. February 25-28, 2013, (UTPA, first place winner, poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Velez, A., Summy, K.,. Goolsby, J., Osbrink, W., and Thomas, D. Evaluation of Ant Diversity and Phrenology at Field Sites for the Biological Control Program for Arundo donax on the Rio Grande. (UTPA) 67th Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. Weslaco, TX. Feb 15, 2013. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 65 (published poster abstracts)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Young, B., Biles, S., Schuster, G., and S. Nelson. Economic Thresholds for Boll Feeding Bugs in Cotton. 67th Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. Weslaco, TX. Feb 15, 2013. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 65 (published poster abstracts)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Alaniz, A., Castro, R., Allen, W., Lucena, S. and Sanchez, E. 2013. Anti Proliferative Activity of Recombinant Disintegrins r-Mojastin and r- Vridistatin on Human Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells (BXPC-3). Del Mar College 8th Annual Natural Science Poster Session. Corpus Christi, TX. Sept 5, 2013 (poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ortiz, S. , Chapa, M., Summy, K., Judd, F., and A. Kuang, A., 2013. Enhancing Rooting Success of Black Mangrove Propagules on Texas Coastal Islands. 2013 Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society, Weslaco, TX, February, 2013. (poster).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Thomas, T., Torrez, I., and Dirrigl Jr., F. Water Quality Gradients of Nutrients, CDOM, and Phytoplankton along an Irrigation Canal. 116th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science Kerrville, TX March, 2013. (Oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Dirrigl, F. Jr., Thomas, T., and Torres, I., 2013. Water Quality Relationships among CDOM, Physicochemical Parameters, and Nutrients in an Irrigation Canal System, Hidalgo County, Texas. in The Agriculture/Urban Water Interface-Conflicts and Opportunities. United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Denver, Colorado.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Ortiz, S. , Chapa, M., Summy, K., Judd, F., and A. Kuang, A., 2012. Survivorship and growth of black mangrove under laboratory conditions. 2012 Undergraduate Research Conference, The University of Texas  Pan American, November, 2012.(poster)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Martinez, E. 2012. Importation and Processing of Arundo Scale for Biological Control of Arundo Donax; An Invasive Weed of the Rio Grande Basin. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Ortega, O. 2012. Genetic Engineering of Sugarcane, an Emerging Bioenergy Crop for Biomass Production. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Ortega, S. 2012. Genetic Engineering of Sugarcane to Enhance Cold Tolerance. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Barbosa, A. 2013. EMS dosage test for drought tolerance grass. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Bordan, J. 2012. Flower Development and Sex Chromosome Evolution in Papaya. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Guerra, D. 2012. Identification of Host Genes Interacting with a Viro Protein. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Guerra, T. 2012. In Vitro Propogation and Molecular Sex Determination in Papaya. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Gutierrez, A. 2013. Creation of a transgenic hermaphrodite variety in Papaya. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ortega, S. 2013. "Engineering Sugarcane to Enhance its Tolerance to Abiotic Stress". (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Ruiz, A. 2012. Use of Molecular Techniques to Effectively Diagnose Citrus Tristeza Virus and Citrus Tatter Leaf Virus. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ruiz, A. 2013. Lime Antrachnose in the Rio Grande Valley. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Tanguma, J. 2013. Developing Sugarcane as a Biofactory for Pharmaceutical Proteins. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Trevino, J. 2013. Following the population of Asian Citrus Psyllid. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Rich, B. 2013. A Survey of Native Ground Beetles in Arundo donax. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Rodriguez, V. 2013. Biocontrol of Arundo donax using R. donacis. (oral)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Mays, T., Schuster, G., and Nelson, S. Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis Against Helivoverpa Populations in Cotton Varieties Grown in the Upper Coastal Bend of Texas. 67th Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. Weslaco, TX. Feb 15, 2013. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 65 (published poster abstracts)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Melgoza, F., Kusakabe, A., Melgar, J., and Nelson, S. Understanding and Improving Cold Tolerance in Citrus. 67 Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. Weslaco, TX. Feb 15, 2013. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 65 (published poster abstracts) (2nd place winner)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ortiz, S., Chapa, M., Summy, K., and Judd, F. Enhancing Rooting Success of Black Mangrove Propagules (UTPA)) 67th Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. Weslaco, TX. Feb 15, 2013. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 65 (published poster abstracts)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2012 Citation: Rivas, R., Mills, P., Jones, K., and Nelson, S. Adsorption of Galacturonic Acid onto Anion-Exchange Resins to Enhance the Enzymatic Hydrolysis in a Proposed Citrus Processing Waste Biorefinery. (oral) American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting. Pittsburg, PA. Oct 28- Nov 2, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Biediger, E., Silguero, R., Clayton, M., Yarta, B., Gonzales, G., Stanko, R., and Nelson, S. Supplemental Requirements for Beef Cattle Fed Native and Improved Forage Using Fecal Analysis. USDA/NIFA HSI Project Directors Conference, Washington, D.C. Oct. 19, 2012. (poster).


Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Science, Technology and Environmental Programs for Undergraduate Preparation to USDA Career Success (STEP UP) grant is a regional collaboration project involving 5 educational, Hispanic Serving Institutions, 6 USDA research or service centers and agencies, and 4 additional partner institutions. In Year 1, we surpassed STEPUP Objective 1: To form a collaborative effort to provide undergraduate education and hands-on training to a minimum of 50 underrepresented Hispanic south Texas students. During Year 1 of the project, to address the USDA/NIFA educational need areas e and f, which are aimed at providing student experiential learning and student recruitment and retention, 70 students, 70 percent self-identified as Hispanic, were a part of this project, which allowed them to attend scientific meetings, complete internships, and participate in research projects. Over 20 students attended conferences, such as the Sustainable Ag Meeting; the Subtropical Plant Science Meetings in Feb, 2012, while 6 students presented their work or attended the Texas Irrigation Expo in McAllen, TX. Additionally, 15 students visited research facilities at the Weslaco Organic Farm; the APHIS USDA Research; the Texas A&M Agrilife Research and Extension Center; and the Texas A&M Kingsville Citrus Center in Feb 2012. Summer camps are a recruiting and retention tool for students from community colleges and high schools to learn about the advantages of agriculture-related careers. In June, 2012, 24 students from STC, TSTC, UTPA and DMC and 25 Area X South Texas High School students attended two summer camps instructed by TAMUK graduate students and faculty. Students exhibited an increase in knowledge on a pre/post survey of the Summer camps, including an increase in field applications of soil sciences, wildlife field techniques, and laboratory procedures. Regarding internships, 58 undergraduates received USDA summer internships or research assignments (20 USDA and 24 state agencies and businesses), and attended safety training at respective research facilities. Five STEP UP project directors and project faculty attended the Project Director's 2012 Conference at UTPA on May 30, 2012. Also, 53 out of 58 undergraduates participated in summer experiential learning (research) mentoring and 9 students participated in graduate research projects. During Year 1, 7 students presented at conferences, and all STEP UP students were enrolled in disciplines applicable to USDA jobs. Four students, 5 B.S., graduated by August, 2012, 3 of whom had worked on USDA internships, 2 are starting M.S. programs at TAMUK, and 1 was hired by NRCS after graduating. Five TSTC and 2 DMC students transferred to TAMUK during Year 1. In Year 2, there was a 94% student retention rate with STC, TSTC, and DMC retaining 30 of 31 students, UTPA 10 of 12 students, and TAMUK retaining all 27 students in Year 2 (19 B.S., 7 M.S., 1 PhD). Students completed surveys regarding the various activities of the grant and reported an increase in their scientific understanding, knowledge of educational opportunities, and the realization that they are good candidates for science and research classes and careers. PARTICIPANTS: The purpose of this project is to bring together a collaboration comprised of faculty at five regional HSI institutions located in South Texas to educate, train, and prepare a new generation of Hispanic students for careers with the USDA. Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is the lead academic institution in this project, along with an additional 4 year university, University of Texas - Pan American (UTPA), and three community colleges, including Del Mar College (DMC), South Texas College (STC) and Texas State Technical College (TSTC)- Harlingen. TAMUK faculty and scientists from the Departments of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences, and of Animal, Rangeland & Wildlife Sciences collaborate with STC, DMC, TSTC, and UTPA in research projects involving university and community college students from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Project Director Shad D. Nelson was responsible for all aspects of the project during Year 1. Co-Project Directors Randy L. Stanko, TAMUK; Michael Persans, UTPA, Edinburg, TX; Debora Villalon, STC, Weslaco, TX; Armando Duarte; TSTC, Harlingen, TX; and Jonda Halcomb, DMC, Corpus Christi, TX, along with PD Nelson, spent a total of 1000 hours in Year 1 to positively increase the competitiveness of South Texas undergraduate and graduate students for the job market within USDA agencies and the agricultural sciences. Additionally, six USDA research or service centers and agencies, primarily Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS); Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS); Plant Materials Centers (PMC); Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); and Forest Service (FS), provided internship opportunities, while additional partner institutions, including Texas AgriLife Research, Cargill, TAMU Citrus Center, Texas A&M Forest Service Nursery and Seed Industry, plus research at STC, Del Mar and UTPA, and the TAMUK Farm, provided undergraduate and graduate students with research, field trip, and internship opportunities. Lastly, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) is an external evaluation partner in the STEP UP grant. IDRA is conducting a meta-evaluation of the USDA NIFA collaborative projects funded through the Hispanic Serving Institutions grants program. At the conclusion of Year 1, two STEP UP institutions, TAMUK and STC, have had their Internal Review Board applications for this meta-analysis study approved. TARGET AUDIENCES: A large majority of the rising generation in South Texas are first generation college Hispanic American students who are underrepresented in the food and agricultural sciences labor force of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Making provision for experiential learning ensures positive experiences and enhances the professional growth of Hispanic American underrepresented students interested in the agricultural- and natural resource-related sciences and potential careers in USDA. The STEP UP grant proposed to serve a minimum of 50 undergraduate and 5 graduate Hispanic students annually and surpassed that in Year 1 by serving 60 students who participated in and received stipends from the STEP UP grant. The participants were 57 percent male and 43 percent female and 70 percent Hispanic. The educational levels of the STEP UP students included 14 freshmen, 26 sophomores, 13 juniors, 8 seniors, 8 master's, and 1 PhD candidate. Regardless of the chosen path within this project experience, all participating STEP UP students have the chance to hone their professional skills, which are most critical to their career success in an ever-increasingly demanding and competitive science and technology based job market. Drs. Nelson and Stanko, over the past nine years, have illustrated that inclusion of undergraduates in research and internships under qualified mentors is the key to the retention of Hispanic American students. The mentoring experiences by the STEP UP faculty and graduate and the internship experiences were overwhelmingly positive and affirming for all STEP UP participants. The students have had the opportunity to demonstrate their academic and research training, which has increased their confidence in their educational abilities. This will serve them well as they apply for jobs and other educational opportunities. Through the STEP UP project, Hispanic and other underrepresented students are identifying themselves as researchers and feeling empowered in the world of higher education and research. Students commented on the effect that the STEP UP activities, particularly the internship and research activities, have had on them during the past year: In my internship, the amount of focus each day on one research project made an impression on me... I enjoyed knowing I could show up and hone in on a single research area. The different areas that USDA works in were a big shock to me, in particular the molecular aspect of USDA research. It was very interesting because it showed me the value of research experience in regards to obtaining a job related to my degree. The research aspect of the USDA STEP UP program is having the most impact on me. I now have a better understanding on my future career, and can tailor my education to better fit my future decisions. I did not know anything about agricultural sciences until I went to Ag College Week at TAMUK. I found a new respect for agricultural sciences and obtained a good amount of educational knowledge. It impacted my college career by showing me that there are other routes and careers, especially in fields that I never would have thought to investigate. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: There were no major changes in approach during Year 1, only the addition of a new meta-analysis external evaluator. However, this project has continued funding through August 31, 2013 with year 2 funding approval.

Impacts
The collaboration among the 5 academic institutions, 3 research stations, and 6 USDA agencies is serving as a model by which we can produce highly qualified underrepresented college graduates who have the training and experience to become successful USDA specialists and scientists. To better prepare students for opportunities in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related internships within USDA (STEP UP Objective 2), targeted summer short-courses in the soil-, animal-, or natural resource- sciences were conducted during Year 1, including workshops focusing on the insertion of a jellyfish gene and a firefly gene into bacteria; isolation of bacterial chromosomal DNA; PCR-based identification of own DNA; and isolation of bacterial extra chromosomal (plasmid) DNA. All participating students will describe their experimentation at a local scientific symposium sponsored by STC in November, 2012. A student research poster contest was held in conjunction with the 2011 Texas Irrigation Expo. In the high school/college undergraduate student category, Lea Garcia, TAMUK STEP UP participant, won the cash 1st Place for her work on Nutrient Load Trends in Six Kleberg County Texas Streams; 2nd Place was won by STEP UP participant, James Fullingim, UTPA, for Preliminary Investigation of Nutrient Transport and Water Quality in Irrigation Canals of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. In the graduate school category, STEP UP participants won 1st and 2nd place cash prizes - 1st Place: Francisco Melgoza, TAMU-Kingsville Citrus Center Flooding Can Cause Changes in Cold Tolerance in Grapefruit Trees; and 2nd Place: Miguel Gomez/C. Simpson, TAMUK, Saline Irrigation Water Impacts on Grafted and Non-Grafted Citrus Trees. Objective 3 of this project is to provide an underserved student population with the opportunity to experience firsthand exposure to research in agricultural or natural resource sciences through faculty-mentored projects, or the opportunity to have a USDA career training experience during a 10-wk summer internship. The STEP UP faculty worked unceasingly to place 58 STEP UP undergraduates in either USDA internship opportunities or in the mentored faculty research projects. Undergraduate students Ana Navarro and Heather Hernandez, working with mentor Michael Persans, analyzed freshwater and saltwater algae species for their potential for bioremediation and bio-fuel production. Also mentored by Dr. Persans is graduate student, Yessica Cerino, who is currently cloning and analyzing genes from non-accumulator and metal hyperaccumulator plants. These students made a poster presentation at the 2012 USDA-HSI Project Directors conference in Edinburg TX and the 2012 American Society of Plant Biologists meeting in Austin TX. Involvement with these research projects, internships, and presentations, in combination with undergraduate and graduate student education, helps students develop research skills in agricultural- or natural resource sciences-related research, illustrating that, through this project, underrepresented students are becoming confident and knowledgeable research partners with important research findings to share.

Publications

  • TAMUK 2012 website is located at: http://www.tamuk.edu/anschsi3/index.html.
  • F. Melgoza, A. Kusakabe, S.D. Nelson, and J.C. Melgar 2012. Foliar and Ground Application of Abscisic Acid to Increase Cold Tolerance in Citrus. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference. Miami, FL. 07/31/2012 (poster).
  • D.E. Garza, S.D. Nelson, and M. Setamou 2012. Foliar Applications of Micro and Macro Nutrients to Control ACP in Citrus. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference. Miami, FL. 07/31/2012 (poster)
  • F. Melgoza, A. Kusakabe, S.D. Nelson, and J.C. Melgar 2012. Foliar and Ground Application of Abscisic Acid to Increase Cold Tolerance in Citrus. Project Directors Conference. USDA/NIFA HSI Grants Program. 05/30/2012, (poster).
  • Garza, D., Nelson, S. and Setamou, M 2012. Effects of Micro and Macro Nutrients on Major Citrus Pests in Texas. Southeastern/Southwestern Joint Annual Branch Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Sharing Insect Science Globally. Little Rock, Arkansas 03/04/2012.
  • UTPA 2012 website is located at: http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/cosm_home/usda_home. STC developed
  • STEP UP 2012 website for progress reports on student success http://biologygrants.southtexascollege.edu/
  • Nelson, S.D. , Esparza, M., Garza, D.E. , Setamou, M., and Young, M. 2012. Potential Benefits of Supplemental Calcium Additions for Sustaining Citrus Production and Quality. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference. Miami, FL. 07/31/2012.
  • C.R. Simpson, S.D. Nelson, A. Volder, G. Schuster, S. King, J. Jifon, and J.C. Melgar 2012. Water Quality Effects on Grafted and Non-Grafted Citrus. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference. Miami, FL. 07/31/2012.
  • Garza, D., Nelson, S. and Setamou, M 2012. Effects of Micro and Macro Nutrients on Major Citrus Pests in Texas. Sixty-sixth Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. 02/29/2012. Weslaco, TX. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 64. (poster).
  • Melgoza, F., Kusakabe, A., Melgar, J.C., and Nelson, S.D. 2012. Abscisic Acid Increases Cold Tolerance in Citrus. Sixty-sixth Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. 02/29/2012 Weslaco, TX. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 64. (poster).
  • Trevino, J., Schuster, G. Nelson, S. Bextine, B. and Munyaneza, J. 2012. Effects of Potato Planting Timing in Texas on Zebra Chip Incidence and Liberibacter Infection Rate in Potato Psyllids. Sixty-sixth Annual Meeting of the Subtropical Plant Science Society. 02/29/2012 Weslaco, TX. Subtrop. Plant Sci. Vol. 64. (poster).
  • Gomez, M., C. Simpson, S. Nelson, A. Volder, S. King, J. Melgar and G. Schuster 2011. Salinity Impacts on Growth and Physiology of Grafted and Non-Grafted Citrus Trees. Ninth Annual Texas A&M System Pathways to the Doctorate Symposium, College Station, TX. 11/11/2011. (poster).
  • Garcia, L., and S. Nelson 2011. Nutrient Load Trends in Six Kleberg County Texas Streams. Ninth Annual Texas A&M System Pathways to the Doctorate Symposium, College Station, TX. 11/11/2011. (poster).
  • Vargas, D., and S. Nelson 2011. The TAMUK Southern Live Oak Tree Survey Ninth Annual Texas A&M System Pathways to the Doctorate Symposium, College Station, TX. 11/11/2011. (poster).
  • Trevino, J., G. Schuster, S. Nelson, B. Bextine, and J. Munyaneza 2011. Effects of Potato Planting Timing in Texas on Zebra Chip Incidence and Liberibacter Infection Rate in Potato Psyllids. Ninth Annual Texas A&M System Pathways to the Doctorate Symposium, College Station, TX. 11/11/2011. (poster).
  • Garcia, L., and S. Nelson 2011. Nutrient Load Trends in Six Kleberg County Texas Streams. 2nd Annual Texas Irrigation Expo, McAllen, TX. 12/08/2011. (1st place undergraduate winner, poster).
  • Melgoza, F., Kusakabe, A., Melgar, J.C., and Nelson, S.D. 2011. Abscisic Acid Increases Cold Tolerance in Citrus. Second Annual Texas Irrigation Expo, McAllen, TX. 12/08/2011. (1st place Graduate winner, poster).
  • Gomez, M., C. Simpson, S. Nelson, A. Volder, S. King, J. Melgar, and G. Schuster 2011. Salinity Impacts on Growth and Physiology of Grafted and Non-Grafted Citrus Trees. 12/08/2011 (2nd place graduate winner, poster).