Texas Tech’s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources turned the spotlight on faculty scholarship this month, highlighting work across disciplines at the Industry, Research & Innovation Summit’s second annual Davis College Research Conference.
The event, held Thursday (Oct. 9) at the university’s International Cultural Center, brought together faculty, graduate students and industry leaders for a day of presentations, networking and collaboration.
“This conference is a great opportunity for forging connections, sparking collaborations and encouraging new ideas,” said Noureddine Abidi, interim associate vice president for research and innovation and associate dean for research in Davis College. “It also gives our graduate students a platform to share their work in a competitive, concise format.”
One of the conference’s highlights was a keynote address by Jill McCluskey, director of Washington State University’s School of Economic Sciences. A nationally recognized scholar in food and resource economics, McCluskey is president of the International Association of Agricultural Economists and a fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association.
Additionally, nine faculty members presented projects supported through the Prime Grand Challenges Catalyst Grant Competition, a program that provides up to $500,000 in funding from longtime benefactors Gordon and Joyce Davis of Lubbock. The initiative is aimed at advancing research that addresses complex issues with lasting impact through transdisciplinary approaches.
Among the program’s scheduled catalyst grant Outcome presentations were:
- How Science Guides Policy: Making Your Research Have Impact | Lowell Randel | Executive Director | Agricultural Policy Advocacy Program | Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics
- Engaged Teaching and Research: Engaging Students at All Levels to Increase Scientific Literacy | Jhones Sarturi | Associate Professor of Beef Cattle Nutrition & Metabolism | Department of Animal & Food Sciences
- Merging Social and Hard Sciences for Impact: Integrating the Human Dimension in Scientific Research | Laura Fischer | Associate Professor | Department of Agricultural Education & Communications
- Environmental Design for Optimizing Companion Animal Welfare and Human Health | Anastasia Stellato | Assistant Professor of Companion Animal Science | Department of Animal and Food Sciences
- Developing the Next-Generation Workforce for Water Conservation | Krishna Jagadish | Interim Chair | Department of Plant & Soil Science
- Advancing Biodiversity Research to Support Trans-Disciplinary Conservation Innovation in Texas’ Ecosystems | Scott Longing | Associate Professor of Entomology | Department of Plant & Soil Science
- Davis XR Innovation Center | Muntazar Monsur | Associate Professor | Department of Landscape Architecture
- A Trans-Disciplinary Study of Agronomic Biofortification of Vegetables | Catherine Simpson | Associate Professor of Sustainable/Urban Horticulture | Department of Plant & Soil Science
- Math and Ecology for Agriculture Network | Matthew Barnes | Associate Professor | Department of Natural Resources Management
The day also featured a series of student three-minute talks moderated by Stephen Devadoss, the Emabeth Thompson Endowed Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics.
Among the departments represented were:
- Agricultural & Applied Economics: Colter Pohlman, a senior agricultural economics and finance major from Hereford, Texas; and Shin Naing, a senior agricultural economics and general business major from Plano, Texas
- Agricultural Education & Communications: Lance Nicholas, a senior agricultural education major from Brookshire, Texas
- Animal & Food Sciences: Jana Edwards, a senior animal science major from Katy, Texas
- Natural Resource Management: Ryan Thornton, a senior natural resource management major from Cooper, Texas
- Plant & Soil Science: Koby Nichols, a junior agricultural education major from Big Springs, Texas
- Veterinary Sciences: Olivia Nelson, a senior animal science major from Forney Texas
CONTACT: Noureddine Abidi, Interim Associate Vice President for Research & Innovation and Davis College Associate Dean for Research, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or noureddine.abidi@ttu.edu
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