UTIA team wins grant to advance AI education and career preparation

Selected students will test curriculum in drones, robotics and other smart agriculture technologies

2024-12-06

(Press-News.org) Future farmers and leaders in agriculture need to understand and implement technologies that use artificial intelligence. A team of University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture faculty are working toward creating new curriculum to train the next generation of agriculture students.

Led by Hao Gan, assistant professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, the team won a four-year grant for $741,102 from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The project, “Development of a Smart Agricultural Experiential Learning Program for Youth,” will create hands-on curriculum about using drones, ground robots, computer vision systems, and other AI-related technologies. The team will recruit 10-12 youth participants, ages 15-20, each year for four years to participate in a four-week hands-on learning experience, starting in 2025.

“The ultimate goal of our team is to establish the Smart Agriculture Education Center at the University of Tennessee,” Gan said. “We believe this curriculum also will improve the perception of working in agriculture, enhance the future workforce and bring about the adoption of more smart agricultural technology to produce more food.”

The experiential learning program will be developed in collaboration with Tennessee 4-H Youth Development, UT AgResearch and Education Centers and Rocket Drones, a Memphis-based company that provides drone training programs.

The team also includes Lori Duncan, assistant professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science; Hongping Zhang, clinical assistant professor in the UT Knoxville Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management; and Lynne Middleton, Extension specialist for 4-H Youth Development.

“I am excited to recruit 4-H members from across the state who will participate in this annual four-week initiative to be held on the UT campus in Knoxville,” Middleton said. “The youth chosen will hone their skills in coding, drone-work, and robotics. They will walk away with new skills that support the smart ag industry, and hopefully, decide on their future career path.”

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.

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UTIA team wins grant to advance AI education and career preparation

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