Advanced technologies such as computers, electronics and communications, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have begun to fundamentally change the agricultural and food industry in the US. All stages of agricultural production require extensive knowledge of sophisticated technologies and engineering, as well as basic knowledge of entrepreneurship, management, economics and finance. Advanced technologies and the agricultural market have created significant needs for engineers trained in a variety of technical and business fields. We present an intership program initiative for educating Hispanic students from the Central Valley of California to prepare them for the new agricultural industry.
The program was funded by a joint grant from USDA (US Department of Agriculture), NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) and HSI (Hispanic Serving Instritutions). This project develops an innovative modular approach to enrich the Mechanical Engineering curriculum by introducing advanced technologies to Hispanic (as well as non-Hispanic) students. The program will prepare our students with a broad range of skills, focusing on advanced technologies, so that they will be able to serve the agricultural and food industries in Central Valley and around the country. The program follows USDA Educational Strategies. Further, the long term outcome of this project serves a number of NIFA priorities including Food Safety and Water Quality. Check our intern experience at this YouTube Channel.
