DETROIT — A new program supported by a four-year, $749,991 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will use data to study the future of agriculture and train students to better understand how to keep people fed in an ever-changing world.

The project, “Nonformal Training of Michigan Youth on Intersection of Agriculture and Data Science,” will be led by Sara Masoud, Ph.D., assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering in Wayne State University’s College of Engineering.

Agriculture experts say that arable land per person is projected to decrease by two-thirds of the current available capacity by 2050. This drastic reduction is associated with climate change, reduction in freshwater supply and population growth. Smart agriculture has proven to be highly productive, water and land-efficient, and protective of the environment. Thus, it may play a crucial role in climate-resilient food production.

“There are significant concerns that we may not be producing enough food to meet future global demands,” said Masoud. “Smart agriculture is a promising solution to global food production challenges, especially as land becomes scarce. Innovative methods like vertical farming and urban gardens, combined with technologies such as sensors, drones, and AI, can improve resource efficiency and yields. However, its widespread adoption is limited due to cost and skill gaps. Expanding its use requires education that equips the workforce with knowledge in both smart farming tools and data science, which is increasingly essential for optimizing agricultural practices and addressing future challenges.”

The project proposes an experiential learning program to expose and attract youth to smart agriculture, provide hands-on experiential learning regarding smart agriculture, and align industry and academic partnerships. This project will familiarize 200 Michigan middle and high school students with data science and artificial intelligence in agriculture.

 “Our plan is to run a summer camp featuring focused on indoor and outdoor farming, sensors and sensor networks, data collection and processing, and machine learning and artificial intelligence,” said Masoud. “The camp will include classroom sessions followed by hands-on activities such as planting, working with sensors, coding to develop predictive models, and more. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to tour local smart agriculture facilities.”

“This program will give young students an opportunity to learn more about areas of science that they may not have considered as a future career,” said Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research & innovation at Wayne State University. “It is an excellent example of how Wayne State University faculty are cultivating the next generation of innovators by creating new knowledge that combines sustainable practices and technology to tackle a global challenge.”

The award number for this grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is 2024-67037-42800.

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About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit research.wayne.edu.

Wayne State University’s research efforts are dedicated to a prosperity agenda that betters the lives of our students, supports our faculty in pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation further, and strengthens the bonds that interconnect Wayne State and our community. To learn more about Wayne State University’s prosperity agenda, visit president.wayne.edu/prosperity-agenda.