After five years of the reeu (research and extension experience for undergraduates)summer program at the university of maryland eastern shore (umes), which started during the pandemic, and based on…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Maryland Eastern Shore $750,000 on April 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program to deliver an enhanced Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (REEU) summer program in agriculture and food sciences.

The program operates as a hybrid combining online webinars and academic-year activities with a ten-week summer internship, six weeks of which are on-campus with hands-on experience. Curriculum includes three thematic weeks of sequenced activities, practicums, and field trips. Students receive leadership training and professional development, including instruction in interacting with high school students and teachers in existing FANE and ACS SEED programs, outreach activities to farmers and local communities, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills. Participants from existing FANE and ACS SEED programs shadow REEU students' research activities for several days throughout the summer and participate in joint webinars that replicate tiered teaching sessions during the academic year. The summer experience concludes with student presentations and team-written research reports, with select students invited to present at conferences. Top performers are invited to return for an additional ten-week summer research experience. The program trains students in agricultural technology, drones, small and smart agricultural devices, and precision irrigation, creating a pipeline from undergraduate education to graduate school and agricultural STEM careers.

The award runs through March 31, 2031, with performance at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus in Princess Anne, Maryland. Jookender Community Initiatives, Inc. received a subaward of $243,550 as of April 16, 2026.

After five years of the reeu (research and extension experience for undergraduates)summer program at the university of maryland eastern shore (umes), which started during the pandemic, and based on experience with post-pandemic students, we came up with an elevated program design, addressing both the rising demand for stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)professionals in agriculture and food sciences, and the need to attract stem students to the field. The program is a hybrid of online webinars and activities during the academic year and a ten-week summer internship, six of which are on campus, with hands-on experience. IT includes three thematic weeks of sequenced activities, practicums, and field trips. Leadership training and professional development are provided, including training on interacting with high school students and teachers in existing fane and ACS seed programs, outreach activities to farmers and local communities, and skills in working in interdisciplinary groups. Participants from existing fane and ACS seed programs will shadow reeu students' research activities for several days throughout the summer program and participate in several joint webinars, replicating tiered teaching sessions during the academic year, to build a community of motivated learners at all levels. The summer experience ends with a presentation and a team-written research report. Further opportunities to present at conferences are offered. The best students will be invited to return for another ten-week summer of research experience. The project will create a pipeline from college to graduate school and to an agricultural stem career for students. The program will also retain best practices developed in the five years of the completed afri-EWD-reeu program and the current afri-EWD-fane program. To address current agricultural science priorities, we will train students in agricultural technology, drones, small and smart agricultural devices, precise irrigation, biotechnology and microbiomics, sensory science, and horticultural phytochemistry, and practice AI-assisted learning.