Bumpers College and Division of Agriculture Release New Issue of Discovery Research Journal

Fred Miller. Cover design by Gail Halleck

The Discovery 2019 cover features Bumpers College student Laura Wasson alongside the Seeds That Feed mobile food pantry that was the focus of her research on the effectiveness at increasing low-income residents' access to fresh produce through local mobile pantries. Wasson was the recipient of the 2019 Arkansas Outstanding Dietetics Student Award.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 2019 edition of Discovery, the undergraduate student research journal of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, produced by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is available online.

 Visit scholarworks.uark.edu/discoverymag to check it out.

The articles in Discovery detail the students' research conducted under the guidance of the Division of Agriculture's Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, and other University of Arkansas faculty mentors.

The 11 articles in this issue were written by undergraduate student authors representing five departments, working with 18 mentors from Bumpers College, the Division of Agriculture, and other University of Arkansas departments.

This issue showcases a variety of topics representing diverse fields of study and cross-disciplinary collaborations:

• Feasibility study of implementing a small scale, home-based aquaponic system in a small greenhouse to produce fresh produce and fish protein.
• Investigation of the impact of treating rough rice with selected infrared wavelengths at different intensities and heating durations to combat mold and bacteria formation on the grain.
• Observations and applications of husbandry methodologies on a backyard poultry farm in Dangriga, Belize.
• Effects of fish oil supplements on brown fat growth and fetal development.
• Study of the stability of different food products made with anthocyanin-rich freeze-dried blueberry powder.
• Risk assessment of tick-borne illnesses in Arkansas counties.
• Assessment of the diversity of terrestrial mammals surrounding a waterfall at Billy Barquedier National Park in Belize.
• Identification of food insecure areas in Arkansas that are best suited for and in the most need of peer-to-peer food redistribution programs.
• Evaluating rice straw as a substitute for barley straw in inhibiting algal growth in farm ponds.
• Effectiveness at increasing low-income residents' access to fresh produce through a local mobile pantry.
• Determination of optimum harvest date for winter malting quality barley in Northwest Arkansas.

Bumpers College Dean Deacue Fields said about the journal, "One of our goals is to prepare students to be responsible leaders with strong communication skills and problem-solving abilities. Inside this issue, you will find studies that highlight and exemplify those qualities in our student researchers and future leaders."

Jennie Popp, associate dean of the Honors College and co-chair of the Service Learning Initiative, said, "Thank you, students, for your dedication to these sometimes unconventional research experiences. You're showing Arkansans what we already know here at the University of Arkansas: that when the university and communities come together to address a need through research, great benefits can be generated for all."

Discovery maintains its presence on ScholarWorks@UARK, the institutional repository for the University of Arkansas. This allows undergraduate research to reach a broader, worldwide audience.

Gail Halleck, a publications editor in Division of Agriculture Communications, is the journal's managing editor. For information about submitting manuscripts for the 2020 edition, please email her at ghalleck@uark.edu.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at ArkAgResearch.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @UAEX_edu.

About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses. 

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.   

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.