1890 SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

The objectives of this proposal are to increase student enrollment, improve retention, and support degree completion in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Science (FANH) degree programs in the School of Agriculture, Fisheries & Human Sciences (SAFHS) at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). Over the next several years, a remarkable number of professionals will retire from the food and agricultural sciences industries. Highly-skilled young professionals will be needed to fill these vacant positions. Food and agriculture professionals rely on research-based knowledge to develop and extend innovative solutions to serious problems facing our nation's agriculture markets. A long-term goal of UAPB is to develop and contribute to the next generation of scientists trained in FANH fields. One approach to accomplishing this goal is by introducing students to the FANH sciences early in their collegiate careers to address this critical workforce deficiency. Specifically, the 1890 Scholarships Program proposed herein seeks to address critical workforce needs by expanding opportunities to university students across multiple academic disciplines for career development in the FANH industries. Between 1/1/201520, it is expected that there will be an average of 57,900 openings in these areas annually. However, only 35,400 students with agriculture-related degrees are expected to graduate during this period, leaving a 39% gap of jobs unfilled (Goecker et al. 2015). The lack of a trained workforce in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, environmental, and human sciences will greatly limit the industry's ability to feed 9.8 billion people worldwide by 2050. Therefore, a concerted effort should be made to introduce high school graduates and college freshmen to degrees, careers, and opportunities in the FANH and related sciences. To achieve this end, 1890 Land Grant institutions will play a vital role in preparing the next generation of FANH scientists, especially with those students from underrepresented groups. The 1890 institutions offer a broad array of agriculture and food industry majors and have the opportunity to introduce students to the many opportunities available in these fields.