USDA Scholars
The USDA Scholars program is funded by a Higher Education Challenge Grant awarded to co-principal investigators HNFE Associate Professor Deborah J. Good, Associate Director of Honors Program, Christina McIntyre and CALS Associate Dean Mary Marchant.
The USDA Scholars Program has five objectives: (1.) to increase undergraduate research opportunities for students in HNFE through a formal faculty-mentored program; (2.) to provide guidance to faculty on effective mentoring of undergraduate students; (3.) to provide effective peer mentoring in the Senior Seminar and Methods of Human Nutritional Assessment Courses; (4.) to provide opportunities for USDA Scholars to present their ideas, problems, and progress to peers and mentors; and (5.) to establish a multi-institutional annual symposium for undergraduates and faculty involved in research to discuss undergraduate research, network and form collaborations.
The USDA Scholars Program at Virginia Tech is a collaborative effort within HNFE to mentor undergraduate researchers through a summer and senior-year research project. As shown below, the USDA Scholars Program draws on intellectual and experiential resources across the university, including the newly formed office of the Special Assistant to the Provost for Undergraduate Research. In addition, the Vice Provost’s office has recently applied for membership in the National Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR), establishing Virginia Tech as one of the CUR member institutions. These connections will increase awareness of campus-wide and external resources of all involved in the proposed program. These innovations make the USDA Scholars Program unique in integrating and utilizing resources and services that are already in place at Virginia Tech.
If your are interested in being a USDA Scholar for summer 2008, please submit the application, your transcript and one letter of recommendation from a Virginia Tech faculty member to Sherry Saville, 338 Wallace Hall, no later than 5 PM on Friday, January 25, 2008.