MSPB invests in activities to maintain strong soybean research program

 Mississippi is home to two great agricultural research providers: Mississippi State University (MSU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) facility in Stoneville. These organizations attract some of the best minds in agriculture to the Midsouth and farmers in the state undoubtedly benefit from their work.

However, the continued success of the state’s soybean farmers in part relies on the continuation of strong research and extension programs in the state. And a strong research and extension program relies on the continued output of qualified soybean scientists, particularly in the areas of plant and soil sciences. MSPB recognizes the importance of attracting the next generation of these individuals and has therefore increased its focus on encouraging today’s students to consider careers in agricultural science.

The board funds several ongoing projects to achieve this goal at both the high school and college levels.


High School Recruitment


Several recent projects of the board aim to help high school students answer the question, “What do you plan to do after you graduate?” The board believes that reaching students at this stage of their education is important as they make decisions in preparation for college. MSPB first produced a careers brochure that describes four agriculture professions. It then took the guide one step further and created videos that feature a researcher from each of those professions.

Both the brochure and the videos are designed to offer high school students insight into the advantages of pursuing agricultural science degrees, as well as the job opportunities for people with both bachelor’s and post-graduate degrees. They feature commonly considered professions, such as agronomy, along with others not often associated with agriculture, like bioinformatics. In the video, the following professionals discuss their respective agricultural disciplines:

• Tom Eubank, Ph.D., agronomist, Mississippi State University Extension Service


• Jeff Ray, Ph.D., plant physiologist, USDA-ARS Research Facility, Stoneville, Miss.


• Brian Scheffler, Ph.D., bioinformaticist, USDA-ARS Research Facility, Stoneville, Miss.


• Rusty Smith, Ph.D., plant breeder, USDA-ARS Research Facility, Stoneville, Miss.

 


Although the professionals featured all obtained their doctorate degrees, they also explain career opportunities for professionals with bachelors and masters degrees. MPSB partners with Missisippi’s FFA program to distribute copies of the video and the brochure to high school ag teachers and advisors throughout the state.


Soybean Doctoral Fellowships

To encourage and further the education of those already pursuing degrees in agricultural science, MSPB established the T.S. Bufkin, Alan Blaine and Ed Hester soybean doctoral fellowships at MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. These fellowships promote the educational development of soybean scientists, especially in the area of production agronomy.

The program is designed to attract high-quality doctoral candidates who will advance his or her education toward improving ways to grow soybeans. Funds for this fellowship are made available by MSPB.  The fellowship provides an annual stipend of $30,000 plus tuition and fees for up to three years, plus a funded research project not to exceed $30,000 per year for that period, provided that satisfactory progress toward degree completion occurs. The board’s total financial commitment to each of these three-year fellowships is over $200,000.


Graduate Research Assistantships

During the 2013-2014 project year, MSPB is funding over $416,000 in graduate research assistantships that are a portion of the approved funds for 17 of the board’s funded research and extension projects. It is hoped that these projects will not only result in results that improve soybean production practices for Mississippi farmers but also encourage those conducting the research to continue their work in the public sector after the completion of their degree.