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WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

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DIVISION OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION DIVISION OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION

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WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY TO LEAD USDA GRANT TO SUPPORT PROGRAM TRAINING STUDENTS
IN ‘SMART AGRICULTURE’

November 20, 2024

With the help of a nearly $750,000 USDA grant, Dr. Sara Masoud will create
learning opportunities for Michigan middle and high schoolers focused on smart
agriculture.

DETROIT — A new program supported by a four-year, $749,991 grant from the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) will use data to study the future of agriculture and train
students to better understand how to keep people fed in an ever-changing world.

The project, “Nonformal Training of Michigan Youth on Intersection of
Agriculture and Data Science,” will be led by Sara Masoud, Ph.D., assistant
professor of industrial and systems engineering in Wayne State University’s
College of Engineering.

Agriculture experts say that arable land per person is projected to decrease by
two-thirds of the current available capacity by 2050. This drastic reduction is
associated with climate change, reduction in freshwater supply and population
growth. Smart agriculture has proven to be highly productive, water and
land-efficient, and protective of the environment. Thus, it may play a crucial
role in climate-resilient food production.

“There are significant concerns that we may not be producing enough food to meet
future global demands,” said Masoud. “Smart agriculture is a promising solution
to global food production challenges, especially as land becomes scarce.
Innovative methods like vertical farming and urban gardens, combined with
technologies such as sensors, drones, and AI, can improve resource efficiency
and yields. However, its widespread adoption is limited due to cost and skill
gaps. Expanding its use requires education that equips the workforce with
knowledge in both smart farming tools and data science, which is increasingly
essential for optimizing agricultural practices and addressing future
challenges.”

The project proposes an experiential learning program to expose and attract
youth to smart agriculture, provide hands-on experiential learning regarding
smart agriculture, and align industry and academic partnerships. This project
will familiarize 200 Michigan middle and high school students with data science
and artificial intelligence in agriculture.

 “Our plan is to run a summer camp featuring focused on indoor and outdoor
farming, sensors and sensor networks, data collection and processing, and
machine learning and artificial intelligence,” said Masoud. “The camp will
include classroom sessions followed by hands-on activities such as planting,
working with sensors, coding to develop predictive models, and more.
Additionally, students will have the opportunity to tour local smart agriculture
facilities.”

“This program will give young students an opportunity to learn more about areas
of science that they may not have considered as a future career,” said Ezemenari
M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research & innovation at Wayne State
University. “It is an excellent example of how Wayne State University faculty
are cultivating the next generation of innovators by creating new knowledge that
combines sustainable practices and technology to tackle a global challenge.”

The award number for this grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and
Agriculture is 2024-67037-42800.

# # #

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research
universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to
research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry
and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and
improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and
throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State
University, visit research.wayne.edu.

Wayne State University’s research efforts are dedicated to a prosperity agenda
that betters the lives of our students, supports our faculty in pushing the
boundaries of knowledge and innovation further, and strengthens the bonds that
interconnect Wayne State and our community. To learn more about Wayne State
University’s prosperity agenda, visit president.wayne.edu/prosperity-agenda.

 


CONTACT INFO


JULIE O'CONNOR

Director, Research Communications
Phone: 313-577-8845
Email: julie.oconnor@wayne.edu

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DIVISION OF RESEARCH

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(313) 577-5600
(313) 577-3626 fax
research@wayne.edu



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