UAPB Students Win Research Awards at Professional Agricultural Workers Conference

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Fourteen students from the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff attended the 81st Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, which was held recently in Montgomery, Alabama. Four of the students took home awards after taking part in the conference’s student research competition.

In the undergraduate oral presentation category, Morgan White won first place for a presentation on the discoverability and accessibility of soil health management systems for cotton growers.

“When conducting my research, the aspects I found interesting were learning about the biological, physical and chemical aspects of soil and how they all correspond with each other,” White said. “This research project was rewarding because I was able to gain knowledge on how much information is accessible to farmers, which created a new outlook for my career with regulation and policies in agriculture.”

In the undergraduate poster category, Che Rochford won second place for research about improving sweetpotato production in Arkansas through the UAPB Sweetpotato Foundation Seed Program.

“The most interesting part of my research was the transplanting of the sweetpotato plantlets from the tubes to the pot in the greenhouse,” Rochford said. “A great level of attention and care is necessary to ensure the plants survive in the new environment and grow healthy.”

In the graduate oral presentations category, Shermaine Critchlow won second place for a presentation on quantifying the effect of sweetpotato viruses on different generations of the Beauregard variety.

“New knowledge is rewarding when it explains a unique pattern of nature,” Critchlow said. “I’ve been able to harness the skills for molecular analyses of pathogenic viruses that infect sweetpotato orange-flesh varieties under the tutelage of Dr. Sathish Ponniah. I’m thoroughly intrigued by the mechanism of virus infections in vascular plants while investigating any decline in its internal constituents, particularly fiber and beta-carotene in the Beauregard variety. As a result, I aspire to continue research on the role of viruses and epidemiology in field crops.”

Also in the graduate oral presentations category, Annette Williams-Fields won the third-place prize for a presentation that examines the barriers to recreational fishing that people of color in Arkansas face.

“I was always aware that there were numerous prospects in agriculture, but after attending the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, I can envision myself as an urban farming entrepreneur in the near future,” Fields said.

Rochford said the conference was a great networking opportunity that showed just how many opportunities there are in the field of agriculture. And according to Critchlow, the conference presents a unique opportunity for passionate students to share their work with each other.

“This conference always sets the bar for presenting to a diverse group of panel judges who challenge your background and innovation,” she said. “Answering questions honestly and confidently, staying on course, and keeping the audience engaged are key attributes to deliver with prowess.”

The students were accompanied by Dr. Christopher C. Mathis, assistant dean for research/associate research director, and staff advisors Dr. Tomekia White and Dameion White.

“Having our students win awards at this prestigious conference is a testament to the talented students, faculty and staff within UAPB’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences,” Dr. Mathis said. “Their success is evidence that we are succeeding in training the next generation of undergraduate and graduate students in food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences. These students will go on to provide innovative solutions in real-world contexts, especially as it applies to limited-resource, socially disadvantaged and underserved farmers in the U.S. and across the world.”

According to its website, the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) is a forum committed to a world that values and promotes equal opportunity and equitable access to information and technology for the sustainable development of communities and natural resources. The conference began in 1942, mainly with Tuskegee University and local and state support and participation. It is now national in scope, including representatives from the national land grant community and the state, federal and private sectors.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.