Page 14 - NCAT Magazine Fall 2018

caMPUs highlights

CAES Breaks Ground on $5M Farm Pavilion
the Most affordable
caMpus iN NortH caroliNa
The College of Agriculture and Environmental The University Farm was created in 1904 to provide
(Money Magazine’s Best Colleges for Your Money 2018)
Sciences at North Carolina A&T broke ground July 11, food to the fledgling university’s cafeteria. The 492-
for a $5 million pavilion at the University Farm, which acre farm is now the largest classroom on campus, a
is located at 3136 McConnell Road in Greensboro. laboratory for agricultural research and a showcase of
the latest farming resources and technology.
The CAES Extension and Farm Pavilion will expand
the farm’s capacity for education, research and Continued development at the University Farm is in
outreach. Funded by USDA’s National Institute keeping with strategic goals of the university and the
google in reSidence PrograM PlaceS for Food and Agriculture, the 17,000-square-foot CAES to promote excellence in research, strengthen
structure will include an auditorium, laboratories, a community engagement and outreach, and foster
veteran engineer at n.c. a&t thiS fall demonstration kitchen, a 50-person classroom and a entrepreneurial success. The expansion also portends
400-person conference room. economic and development benefits for the East
Greensboro corridor where it is located.
A Google engineer with Dave Foulser usually leads “ n.C. a&t’s reputation for excellence USDA-NIFA will provide financial support for three One of the farm’s greatest advocates is its
additional projects in the next four years. The
28 years’ experience a team of more than 25 subsequent projects are an amphitheater, student superintendent, Leon Moses, who started working
will teach classes, share engineers at Google’s is strong, and I look forward to and community gardens, and a community and urban at the farm when he was an undergraduate.
insights with students and office in Cambridge, inspiring students there to go even food complex with a dairy, research labs, classrooms
trade ideas with faculty Massachusetts, but has and a small business incubator.
as part of the Google in taken a leave of absence further in their understanding and
Residence program that and is now leading love of computer science and software
debuted this semester at undergraduate courses
North Carolina A&T. at N.C. A&T. He is also development. ” — Foulser
holding office hours where college of science and technology
Launched in 2013, the he meets one-on-one A&T’s Robin Coger, dean “We’re working together secures competitive $1m nsf s-stem grAnt
Google in Residence with students and plans of engineering, said, “While on problems that are
program aims to improve to take up tutoring and every discipline has key important today even as
diversity in the tech career counseling, including fundamentals students we prepare to take on the The College of Science and Technology “We are very much excited about this The institutional goal of the SciTech
industry by embedding helping students prepare must master, the speed problems of tomorrow.” (CoST) has been awarded a $1 million opportunity to recruit outstanding Scholars project is to develop and test
engineers at historically for internship interviews. in which industry moves grant from the National Science and talented students to join our a model for student success that can
black colleges and constantly evolves how While Google has made Foundation under the Scholarships in CoST’s community of scholars. The be duplicated across the university
universities and Hispanic “N.C. A&T’s reputation those fundamentals are strides in improving Science, Technology, Engineering and SciTech Scholars program will increase to mentor underrepresented minority
serving institutions. for excellence is strong, applied. We are looking the diversity of early Mathematics Program (S-STEM). The the number of students majoring in and economically underprivileged
Expanding the pool of and I look forward to forward to the examples pipeline talent—this year, grant will fund the college’s SciTech four STEM areas of national need,” students in STEM disciplines. The
technologists is core to inspiring students there and experiences Dave its summer internship Scholars Enrichment project: Advancing said Abdellah Ahmidouch, dean and program seeks to diversify the STEM
Google’s strategy to have to go even further in their brings to our computer program welcomed Academically Talented Students in principal investigator for the project. workforce, develop an understanding of
representation of black understanding and love science department, the largest-ever cohort Science, Technology and Mathematics “One of the goals of the project is the challenges that low-income STEM
and Latinx Googlers in of computer science and and the value of those from underrepresented Degree Programs. to make sure that these students students encounter at historically black
the United States reach or software development. I perspectives to the backgrounds, with 49 graduate in a timely manner and are colleges and universities, and build upon
exceed the available talent also want to open doors education of our students. percent of Google’s global The project will award 100 scholarships very well prepared for and succeed in the teaching skills of underrepresented
pool at all levels of the to opportunity in the interns identifying as black, over a five-year period to support graduate studies and/or gain immediate minority faculty members.
company and is one way tech job market to these “In today’s world, the Latinx and/or women, undergraduate students in the placement into the STEM workforce.”
the company is looking students who are from complexities of the the company knows it is national need disciplines of chemistry, SciTech Scholars will be immersed in
to attract and hire more underrepresented groups problems we solve require important to continue to electronics technology, mathematics Ahmidouch added that N.C. A&T’s CoST’s active learning environment
diverse Googlers to truly in tech, whether African partnerships between invest in tomorrow’s talent, and physics. Scholarships will be status as a historically black university while residing in a living-learning
reflect the diversity of American, women or universities, companies and which is why programs awarded to high-achieving students places this project in a unique position community and receiving guidance
their users. Latinx,” said Foulser, who governments. The Google like Google in Residence with a demonstrated financial need. to make a significant contribution to from mentors and participating in other
joined Google in 2007. in Residence program is continue to be critical to diversity in higher education and the proven community-building activities,
an example of that. making the tech industry STEM workforce. leadership development, and student
more diverse. persistence initiatives.

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