Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the department of forest…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the department of forest resources at abraham baldwin agricultural college (ABAC) seeks a regular grant to support an education project aimed at building internal capacity to teach current innovative technology (priority 1 for USDA science and research strategy) of adopting drone technology for remote sensing in its natural resource management baccalaureate degree program (discipline code C). This project aligns with the funding program's purpose of expanding the capacity to conduct education in renewable resources and will address four of the six education need areas identified by the nifa RFA: 1) curriculum design and materials development, 2) scientific instrumentation, 3) experiential learning, and 4) professional development for faculty members. Proposed course improvements and creation have experiential learning opportunities in the form of outdoor labs and a field-based internship program at ABAC's school forest. The project will provide faculty and students with modern equipment and software for instruction to support outdoor labs. Professional development for faculty members through formal training and conference attendance is included to enhance subject matter expertise in technology applications, including operation and maintenance of drones. The enhanced capacity will address a critical need for technology content, a GAP identified in ABAC's current natural resources curriculum with the help of stakeholders. Expected project outputs include enhanced teaching capacity, an independent evaluation of instruction effectiveness on student learning outcomes, environmental benefits due to more efficient monitoring of conditions, and ultimately improved outcomes for graduates, including higher starting pay and greater employer satisfaction.