Wendell Scales, a U of A doctoral student in agricultural, food and life sciences, was one of eight students from across the country selected to present at the first Farm Foundation Round Table meeting led entirely by Ph.D. students during the summer.

The theme of the conference was Automation for a Resilient Future for Agriculture: Technology, Tools and Trends.

Scales, whose Ph.D. concentration is agricultural leadership in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, brought a distinct voice rooted in community, youth development and the urgent need to reimagine how the next generation of agricultural leaders is prepared.

Scales is a graduate assistant in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology, and co-adviser of U of A's Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences student organization.

His presentation focused on the vital role of statewide partnerships in building AgriSTEM pathways through youth development. His work is grounded in one belief: the future of agriculture depends not just on innovation in the field, but on intentional investment in people, especially youth.

He challenged land-grant institutions to take responsibility for leading this effort.

"Shaping the future of work in agriculture requires more than updated curriculum or access to technology," he said. "It demands dedicated advocates and champions who are cultivating bold, pre-college pathways that reach first-generation and rural students where they are early, often and with purpose. From middle school mentorship to high school engagement, youth development must be central to the conversation."

Scales was a member of the Farm Foundation July 2025 Cultivators group, which also included Natalie Espinoza and Jordan Knapp-Wilson from the University of Georgia, Duplicate Sambani of the University of Florida, Jared Tusk from Purdue University, Yasin Yildirim from North Dakota State University and Ike Inniss from Southern University.

To help nurture the next generation of industry leaders, Farm Foundation selects up to eight university students to attend each Farm Foundation Round Table meeting. Cultivators are selected from a competitive pool of applicants from accredited North American colleges or universities. Each cultivator is connected with a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow who acts as a mentor for the meeting. Cultivators are expected to participate in all aspects of the meeting and present a poster representing a key aspect of their studies. Students are nominated by their college dean or department head.

Farm Foundation is an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture. It leverages collaboration between food and agricultural stakeholders with diverse perspectives to spark beneficial solutions advancing agriculture in positive ways. It combines the trust and reliability of a "think tank" with the impact and urgency of a "do tank," helping turn ideas into action.

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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 $3 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 few 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 and Economic Development News.