The USDA Invests in Biology Education

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) might not come to mind when biology educators are searching for funding to support innovative projects, but the agency turns out to be a welcome partner in the field. In early 2013, the USDA joined other federal agencies and private funders in supporting the second Vision and Change in Biology Education conference. As Muquarrab Qureshi, assistant director of the USDA's Institute of Youth, Family, and Community, explained in an opening presentation, the USDA is concerned about the disparity between the high level of interest in science among younger students and the low number of college graduates who actually pursue science careers. Although the USDA's programs are aimed at ultimately attracting students to careers in the food and agricultural sciences, said Qureshi, focusing biology courses on such topics can help make science relevant to all students. Of particular interest to educators is the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which provides extramural education funding to its academic partners. The USDA's participation in the conference reflects federal efforts to increase interagency collaboration. Such collaboration is crucial if the future of undergraduate biology education, as it has been envisioned in multiple reports published over the last few years, is to be realized. During his plenary talk, James P. Collins, professor of natural history and the environment at Arizona State University, emphasized the...
Source: Eye on Education - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news