October 26, 1999
Greensboro, NC: Four members of the North Carolina A&T School of Agriculture faculty have been notified that their projects will receive funding from USDA's 1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants Program.
Projects led by Drs. Anthony Yeboah, Abolghasem Shahbazi, John Allen and Geraldine Ray will receive funding totaling $703,967.
Funded projects include:
Enhancing the Information Technology Capabilities of the School of Agriculture, a project directed by Dr. Anthony Yeboah of the A&T Department of Agricultural Economics, Education and Rural Sociology, was funded for a second consecutive year, and will build upon the project’s previous success.
Under the project, faculty will further develop the capacity of the A&T School of Agriculture’s computer laboratories to facilitate computer-assisted teaching and Web-based distance education. In the project’s first year, Internet access was extended through the School of Agriculture, and faculty training in distance education took place. Funding in the second year will help faculty begin teaching on the Internet and using computer laboratories as classrooms.
This project also involves John Paul Owens of the A&T Department of Agricultural Economics, Education and Rural Sociology. It received $178,684 in funding from the Capacity Building Grants Program.
Development and Delivery of Four Web-Based Courses, a project directed by Dr. Abolghasem Shahbazi of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, will focus on strengthening the existing curricula of the School of Agriculture by designing and delivering interactive course modules over the Internet.
To do this, faculty involved with the project will adapt four current classes to a Web-compatible format and then monitor the success of those classes. The project will receive funding for two consecutive years, with the first year dedicated to faculty training and course development, and the second year, to the use and evaluation of the Web-based courses. Once implemented, these courses will be taught online so that students and professionals at remote sites can register to take them.
This project also involves Drs. Godfrey Uzochukwu, Jill Henson-Upshaw and Kevin Sherman of the School of Agriculture faculty. It received $179,958 in funding from the Capacity Building Grants Program.
Enhancement of the Laboratory Animal Science Program, a project directed by Dr. John Allen of the A&T Department of Animal Science, will allow the 18-year-old program to expand student experiences and update equipment for newer areas of study, such as biotechnology.
The resources of the project will help to provide faculty training and financial support for student involvement in research and professional seminars.
The project also involves Drs. Tracy Hanner and Jill Henson-Upshaw, and will receive $165,359 from the Capacity Building Grants Program.
Strategies to Increase the Pool of Minority Teachers, a project directed by Dr. Geraldine Ray of the A&T Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences, will enhance A&T's ability to prepare students for teaching careers in family and consumer sciences, and birth through kindergarten and agriculture programs.
Under the project, faculty will develop a series of multimedia tutorials to help aspiring teachers meet certification requirements, establish a student-to-student mentoring program and increase library holdings in the focus disciplines.
This project also involves Dr. V. Rajaravivarma from A&T's Electronic and Computer Technology Department and Dr. Genevieve Williams from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. It received $179,966 in funding from the Capacity Building Grants Program.
The USDA 1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity Building Grants Program provides grants for teaching and research projects in high-priority areas. Project coordinators are encouraged to seek matching support from non-federal sources, and cooperation with one or more USDA agencies is required. It is designed to strengthen collaboration among the 1890 institutions, and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and private industry. Other goals include advancing cultural diversity in the food and agricultural fields, and enhancing the quality of teaching and research programs at historically black land grant institutions.
The Capacity Building Grants Program is competitive, and is administered by the Higher Education Programs office in the Science and Education Resources Development division of the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
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For more information, contact the Dean's Office, NC A&T School of Agriculture, (336) 334-7979.