A critical need exists to attract high-caliber individuals to agricultural degree programs and prepare qualified food and agricultural sciences graduates to enter the workforce

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) $600,000 on December 15, 2025, under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216) to strengthen experiential learning, recruitment, retention, and outreach in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences and UMES Extension.

The award funds four core activities: establishing a Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences Agricultural Mentoring and Research Experience Program for undergraduate students; establishing a Veterinary Science Clinical Skills Lab to provide hands-on training to pre-veterinary students preparing for accredited veterinary medical colleges and professional schools; recruiting locally through a collaborative partnership with the Math, Science, and Leadership Symphony Program to serve as a pipeline into agricultural programs; and offering travel scholarships to undergraduate students participating in the research experience program and academic scholarships to students enrolled in UMES agricultural programs.

The period of performance runs from December 15, 2025, through December 14, 2028. Work is performed in Princess Anne, Maryland. The project addresses declining enrollments in colleges of agriculture nationally by building human capacity and strengthening students' academic and professional experiences to prepare qualified graduates for professional school, graduate school, and the agricultural workforce.

Despite growing opportunities for college graduates in the food and agricultural sciences, enrollments in colleges of agriculture nationally continue to decline. Although enrollment numbers have increased slightly within the umes department of agriculture, food and resource sciences (dafrs), there is a great need to recruit larger numbers of high-caliber students to agricultural degree programs, provide innovative ways to retain students, and enhance their educational experiences. This proposal aims to strengthen experiential learning, recruitment, retention, and outreach in the department and umes extension by 1) establishing a dafrs agricultural mentoring and research experience program for undergraduate students (REU); 2) establishing a veterinary science clinical skills lab to provide hands-on experience and training to enhance pre-veterinary students' skills, competencies, and competitiveness to prepare them for accredited veterinary medical colleges and other professional schools; 3) recruiting locally by establishing a collaborative partnership with the math, science, and leadership (MSL) symphony program to serve as a pipeline program into our agricultural programs; and 4) offering travel scholarships to undergraduate students participating in the REU program, and academic scholarships to MSL students who enroll in the umes dafrs. This proposal aims to bridge the gaps and enhance the department's learning and engagement, recruitment, and retention by building human capacity, strengthening students' academic and professional experiences, and preparing qualified graduates for professional and graduate school and the future agriculture workforce.