F ood Safety & A groterrorism T raining:

1. Food Safety & Agroterrorism Training: Educating Our Future Workforce Texas State University Dr. Doug Morrish – Project Director Dr. Ryan Saucier – Co-Project Director Laredo Community College Dr. Nora Garza – Co-Project Director Palo Alto College Northwest Vista College

2. Project Justification • September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks • Much attention by the USDA and Texas Department of Agriculture has been put on agroterrorism and the safety of our food supply (House Research Organization, 2001). • Agroterrorism is a subset of bioterrorism, and is defined as the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing economic losses, and/or undermining social stability (CRS Report for Congress, 2007) • Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Food and Nutrition Service

3. Project Objectives • Create and implement a Joint Admissions Agreement . • Encourage Hispanic community college students to develop early linkages with USDA and Texas State University through newly established University Transfer Centers, summer camps, and experiential learning activities. • Develop early linkages and a strong pipeline for K-12 students by visiting 10 schools per year. Conducted by the newly established MANRRS organization. • Train 50 USDA fellows in the course entitled Preparing Communities for Agroterrorism. • Place and retain USDA fellows in internship opportunities within USDA agencies. • Graduate 50 Hispanic students who are well trained and ready to enter employment in the food safety inspection areas within APHIS, FSIS, or other USDA agency. • Graduate 6 graduate students who have completed a thesis allowing them to be competitive for USDA employment. • Form Academic Research Clusters to create a mentoring component and allow students to collect data and present their findings at a national research conference.

4. Recruitment • Recruitment of outstanding Hispanic scholars from Laredo Community College, Palo Alto College, and Northwest Vista College. • Formation of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) organization. • Maintained by three bilingual graduate students and undergraduate students.

5. Recruitment (cont.) • Students selected by panel consisting of members at each institution. • Laredo Community College – 13 slots ($5,000 per year) • Palo Alto College – 13 slots ($5,000 per year) • Northwest Vista College – 13 slots ($5,000 per year) • Texas State University – 11 slots ($8,000 per year) • Funding in the form of scholarships (tuition, fees, and books).

6. Creation of University Transfer Centers • Two University Transfer Centers will be established (Palo Alto College and Laredo Community College) • Transfer assistants provided at each site. • One stop shop to gain information about Texas State University and employment opportunities within the USDA agency. • Brochures • Applications • Multiple computer workstations

7. On-Campus Agroterrorism Training • 50 USDA fellows participate in a one week summer camp on Texas State University campus. • Trained in the agroterrorism course and become certified. • Experiential learning activities offered (guest lectures from Department faculty, field trip to Freeman Ranch, tours of campus, guest speakers from APHIS, FSIS, Texas Department of Agriculture, etc) • Housed in University dorms, eat in dining halls, and explore the college atmosphere.

8. Academic Research Clusters • 5-7 students will work with an assigned faculty member on a research project. (mentor group) • Research results presented at the local level and at the regional and national levels. • Students participating will receive a $500.00 research stipend to collect and analyze the data during the project. • Faculty members who agree to mentor the students on the research project will receive a $1,500 stipend for their time.

9. Travelling Classroom • One week trip to Las Cruces, NM to visit the Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center. • Instructor Bios (18): • Veterinarians • Food Safety Consultants • Dairy owners • Plant pathologists • Agriculture inspectors

10. Travelling Classroom (cont.) • Students will visit, experience, and reflect (IPAD): • Western Dairy Transportation • United States/Mexico Livestock Border Crossing • “Dairy Row” • Challenges facing the food production industry • Cheese processing plant • Bovine necropsy procedures • Spices and specialty food processing facility

11. Job Shadowing and Internships • In the students’ 3rd and 4th year of the program, they will be required to complete job shadowing and internships with agencies within the USDA. • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) • Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) • Agriculture Research Service (ARS) • Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) • Farm Service Agency (FSA) • Food and Nutrition Service (FSN) • Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) • Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

12. Evaluation Procedures • External evaluation using identified baselines included in the objectives, timelines, and proposal. • Continual data collection using follow-up surveys, interviews, and post-tests. • Total number of internships • Total number of students served and degrees awarded • Research activities and publications • K-12 activities (recruitment to majors complementing USDA) • Percent retention (undergraduate / Master’s)