Four students from Pellissippi State Community College are working alongside University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture faculty this summer as part of an effort to grow the pool of women and minorities seeking advanced degrees in science and other STEM fields.
Students Ivy Hoig, Adam Fields and Sarah Slaton, along with Shihyun Ahn – who earned an associate degree at Pellissippi State and is transferring to UT Knoxville this fall – are participating in a six-week program and studying with Herbert College of Agriculture professors Amy Fulcher, Brandon Borvath and Agustin Rius.
The partnership came about through the Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fields grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. A three-year $200,000 grant awarded to the University of Tennessee and Texas Tech University is enabling both schools to work with partner community colleges to train students and establish chapters of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences.
During the six-week fellowship, Slaton is studying the impact of protein feed on dairy cows with Rius, an expert in physiological, metabolic and molecular changes elicited by heat stress in cows and calves.
“This program has connected me with people at UT and in the field who showed me that I really can pursue a career in animal sciences – like I can actually do it,” she said.
Hoig is learning how soil moisture sensors assist growers in irrigation decision making while Fields and Ahn are focusing on turfgrass science and management.
The student fellows, chosen from 48 applicants based on their interests and fit for the program, are learning about networking, preparing for job interviews, practicing public speaking and honing their leadership skills. They will also have the opportunity to become involved with a Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences chapter at their colleges and travel to the organization’s 2025 national conference in Memphis.
Hoig said she appreciates the encouragement and resources the program provides.
“I applied because I get jazzed up about science,” she said.