The University of Arkansas chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences was invited to visit the Arkansas Department of Agriculture recently, and several students took advantage of the opportunity.

Students spent the afternoon of Nov. 16 in Little Rock where they had lunch, and were welcomed and given an overview of the department by Wes Ward, Arkansas secretary of agriculture and a U of A graduate with a master's degree in agricultural economics, and his Juris Doctor and Master of Law degrees.

"Visiting the Department of Ag was truly a unique learning experience," said Jimena Rodriguez. "We were able to meet with not only Secretary Wes Ward, but we also talked to the different division managers or supervisors. They each went around explaining what their division covers and heavily emphasized the need for workers. During this time, Secretary Ward mentioned the agriculture industry is not only sustained by farmers, but by engineers, communicators, foresters and even computer scientists. With the introduction of new technologies they need more 'young people' to know how to operate these resources, which was very encouraging. They were very genuine and answered every question we had."

Rodriguez is president of U of A's MANRRS chapter. She is an animal science major in the pre-professional science concentration from Fort Worth, Texas.

The group visited with Joe Fox, director of the Forestry Division; Patrick Fisk, director of the Livestock and Poultry Division; Chris Colclasure, director of the Natural Resources Division; Scott Bray, director of the Plant Industries Division; Cynthia Edwards, deputy secretary of Shared Services; and William Summers, director of Laboratory Services.

"We got a tour of the building and all of the labs housed in that particular building," said Rodriguez. "It was interesting learning about the lab tests that were being conducted, and the amount of samples that are tested yearly, which is in the thousands for each lab. Overall, each member enjoyed the day. A key takeaway from the day was Secretary Ward saying the only thing constant about the agricultural industry is change and that we are the right generation to handle it."

"The purpose of this visit was for our students to meet with the leadership team and to gain better understanding of the workings of the department, and hopefully develop some great networking relationships," said Jacquelyn Wiersma-Mosley, professor of human development and family sciences, and club advisor.

MANRRS promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agriculture, natural resources and related sciences; initiates and participates in activities and programs that ensure ethnic minorities will be involved in and associated with agricultural sciences and related fields; and pledges to work for the inclusion, achievement and advancement of all people in agricultural sciences.

U of A's MANRRS chapter offers academic support, networking opportunities and career development. It is housed in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, but is open to all majors and students on campus.

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.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.