Michigan State University Assistant Professor Jeta Rudi Polloshka was awarded over $700,000 to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in research and extension projects with a focus on data analytics to address agricultural finance, food safety and food insecurity.

Students accepted into the program will work with peers and faculty to undertake their own research. Upon completion of the program, they will present at the annual Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s summer conference — with the larger goal of taking what they’ve learned into the workforce.

This work is supported by the Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates, grant no.  2024-67037-43455 /project accession no. 1032406 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grant is one of 17 projects worth $11.6 million for research and experiences for undergraduate students.

Polloshka, a professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is working with counterparts at Auburn University, Oregon State University and the University of Georgia to create this model exchange program.

“This program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to work in groups with peers and faculty at other academic institutions to research important, industry-relevant, and policy-relevant topics,” Polloshka said.

Students are invited to apply in the fall of every year through an application process. A total of 60 students will be accepted into five cohorts during the five-year project. The first cohort will start in January 2025 with the final one starting in January 2029.

Student recruitment is focused on underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students, including second-year community college students who transfer to one of the four participating institutions.

Each institution will contribute students, who then will be paired with faculty who best meet their interests. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to connect with external mentors from the food and agriculture industry, who will assist them with job applications, graduate school applications and leadership skills.

Students will attend lectures, complete group research and extension projects, gain experience in data collection and analytics, as well as present their work to a national conference. The extension portion offers many ways for students to engage with stakeholders.

An example of a program is developing partial budgets for alternative livestock management practices where students would work on management practices focused on disease management, housing options and feeding routines. Students will then evaluate the potential differences in costs and benefits between alternative practices.

Throughout the program, participants will receive ample feedback through surveys, assessments and experiential learning evaluations.

The goal of the project is to prepare students for successful careers but also contribute to solutions addressing challenges of national significance in the agricultural and food industry. The total grant of $720,978 will be used to fund the project through 2029.

Polloshka and her colleagues hope the project will lead to more opportunities for undergraduate research.

“This experience will help students strengthen their communication, data analytics, problem-solving and stakeholder-engagement skills. Whether students decide to pursue a graduate degree or start their careers in industry after graduating from college, they will be better prepared to succeed and make an impact in their chosen field after participating in this program,” she said.