Students Get Schooled by Schools of Fish

From the USDA:

Posted by Damon Thompson, Communications Director, Research, Education, and Economics, on January 27, 2015 at 4:00 PM

USDA Under Secretary Cathie Woteki reviews the hydroponic garden at Food and Finance High School in New York City, which is fed nutrients from sediment collected in Dr. Warner’s basement fish tanks and pumped up four floors to the garden.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

Schools of fish may be common things to see, but watching some fish school high school students from a basement in Manhattan’s West Side is a different experience altogether. Cathie Woteki, USDA’s Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, observed such a program recently during a visit to Food and Finance High School in New York.

There on West 50th Street, Cornell University operates laboratories that represent the latest in scientific technology to raise fresh, clean fish in addition to garden produce in a sustainable urban setting. Renowned Cornell scientist and educator Philson Warner developed a system for continuously re-circulating and reconditioning water to raise more than 10,000 tilapia and other fish at a time in the basement lab. The nutrient-rich water from the fish is then transferred to a hydroponic garden located a few floors up on campus. That garden produces nine types of lettuce, Chinese cabbage such as bok choi, and a variety of herbs that include sweet basil, oregano, thyme and parsley. The plants then clean the water, which is sent back to the fish.

Cornell University scientist and educator Philson Warner shows USDA Under Secretary Cathie Woteki his system of nutrient-enriched fish tanks in which he raises 10,000 tilapia at a time from the basement of Food and Finance High School in Manhattan.

Food and Finance High School is a specialized institution that offers its students a hands-on introduction to the restaurant business and food industry. As a part of that experience, student interns spend 4 to 8 hours a week working as lab technicians in Dr. Philson’s facility, donning white lab coats and clipboards to monitor and maintain its production. The students are able to do independent studies in chemistry and other sciences based on their work in the lab. Dr. Philson says every single intern who has worked with him over the last three years has gone on to college.

A few of the tilapia being raised in Dr. Warner’s indoor tanks.

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Directions to a Prosperous Rural America

From USDA:

Posted by Dr. Richard Derksen, Program Coordinator, Office of the Chief Scientist, on December 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

If you’re like me, the holidays are a time to pack our bags and set off to visit family members and loved ones.  When my family goes on a road trip — with what seems like half the country doing the same thing — the driver is always asked helpful questions like, “Do you know where you’re going?” or “Are we there yet?” At USDA, we’re often revisiting the same questions and potential solutions as we develop plans to strengthen the rural economy.

Tackling the problems rural America faces is not unlike a family road trip.  Directions are needed to help steer USDA programs supporting rural America toward our goals:  “Do you know where you’re going?”  As it turns out, the answer to this question is an enthusiastic, “Yes!”

The 2010 “A Roadmap for USDA Science” expressed a vision for delivering the research, tools, and statistical data needed to meet the needs of USDA agencies and the country. The 2014 Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Action Plan further develops the vision outlined in the Roadmap and provides direction for the REE Mission agencies.

In response to the changes rural America has experience over the last century, the REE Action Plan provides direction for effective research, education, and extension that inform public and private decision-making in support of rural and community development.  One important contribution to sustainable, healthy rural communities is access to timely, reliable data and information that allows rural citizens and entrepreneurs to make informed business and personal decisions.

The REE Action Plan supports expansion of the bioeconomy by supporting development, production, and consumption of renewable energy and biobased products which will help create prosperous rural communities that are self-sustaining, re-populating, and economically thriving.   Another priority is developing strategies to support pollinator health which is critical to agricultural production across the country.

“Are we there yet?”  Impact-driven agricultural science is critical to the future of our country.  Having defined direction for USDA science and implementation of the REE Action Plan ensures that resources are being used to achieve the goals in the most efficient manner. Regular, frequent progress checks will be made within the mission area, and on an agency level, to make sure we’re on track to support rural America.

Hope your travels get you safely to your destination. See you on the roads!

Coming Together to Improve Human Nutrition

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Isabel Walls, Senior Advisor, Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, on April 1, 2014 at 3:00 PM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

During the month of April we will take a closer look at USDA’s Groundbreaking Research for a Revitalized Rural America, highlighting ways USDA researchers are improving the lives of Americans in ways you might never imagine. For example, USDA research into behavioral economics as part of nutrition research to improve diet and health.

We’ve heard it all before: you are what you eat.  We’re fueled by what we consume, so it’s important to provide our bodies with nutritious food.  That’s why the agencies within USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area brought together some of the brightest minds at the Federal Government Nutrition Research Workshop last month. USDA Scientists joined forces with scientists and policy makers from other USDA agencies, Health and Human Services agencies, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Agency for International Development to discuss the importance of nutrition research.

Despite the snowy weather, Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for REE Cathie Woteki kicked off the conference of eager participants.  Through a series of short talks and discussion, the group shared information on key topics affecting the diet and health of Americans.

A major emphasis is to investigate how Federal dietary guidelines can promote health, and reduce the risk of chronic disease and obesity. REE research is using cutting edge techniques to study this challenge. The research findings will help us understand individual responses to nutrition, for example, why some people lose weight faster than others on the same diet.  This will help develop new education strategies for improving diet and health.

Good eating habits are challenging for most of us.  So, the meeting participants paid close attention to the role of behavioral economic strategies in improving consumer choices for healthy foods.  And for young people, the decision may be even more difficult.  For example, how do we encourage children to choose healthy lunch options rather than eating candy from a snack machine?  Our research suggests that making healthier foods more visible and accessible to kids, having shorter lines/faster service for healthier choices and giving catchy names like “Rockin Broccoli” can all help encourage kids to eat more healthy foods.

Interagency working groups will continue the discussions started at the conference and improve collaborations among US Government Scientists.  “It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange information and plan for future collaboration,” noted Cheryl Jackson Lewis from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.

USDA Chief Scientist Answers Your Questions on STEM and Agricultural Science Degrees; Join Our Twitter Chat Using #StudyAgScience

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USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Justice Wright, Research, Education, and Economics, on August 22, 2013 at 12:45 PM

Join @ScienceAtUSDA for a Twitter chat on STEM & Agricultural Science education tomorrow at 2pm ET. Use #StudyAgScience to participate.

Do you have questions about why there is a big push for students to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Or what jobs, in addition to farming, are available for graduates with agricultural science degrees? USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Dr. Catherine Woteki will host a live Virtual Office Hours session on Twitter this Friday, August 23, 2012 at 2 p.m. EDT to answer your questions about what USDA is doing to make sure we are keeping the pipeline filled with promising students.

If you have questions like:

Why do we need more students to study STEM subjects?
What career opportunities are available to me with agricultural science degrees?
What is USDA doing to help students that are interested in studying agricultural science?
How do I encourage my child to study STEM subjects?

Join us on Twitter tomorrow and use the hashtag #StudyAgScience to keep up with conversation. Please use the #StudyAgScience hashtag in all of your tweets. You can tweet questions, comments or just follow along.  We will answer as many as we can in one hour from the @ScienceAtUSDA Twitter account. See you tomorrow at 2pm EDT.

The Foundation is in the STEM

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Karen Hunter, Research, Education, and Economics, on August 20, 2013 at 9:40 AM

This post is part of the Science Today feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

When I look at tree leaves, the stems always strike me as remarkable.  Although typically slender, they’re pretty resilient, firmly anchoring the leaves to the branches to withstand the extreme whims of Mother Nature.

In the same way that stems provide a sturdy foundation so that the leaves can make food for the tree, science, technology, engineering, and math (frequently referred to as STEM) education provides a strong base for a wide range of activities.

The recent report on agricultural preparedness by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology detailed a critical need for graduates in STEM fields.  For many people, myself included, interest in STEM starts as an innate curiosity, refined over time with more specific guidance and instruction.

In high school, I dabbled with courses in agricultural science and horticulture, biology and chemistry, physics and calculus.  When my senior independent study aquaculture project went horribly wrong and all of my trout ended up in Davy Jones’ locker, I learned firsthand that sometimes research doesn’t turn out the way you plan it—but that’s OK.  Success or failure, every experiment is a learning opportunity.  And by the time I graduated, I was hooked on science and eager to continue my STEM education in college.

I finished college with degrees in agricultural education, animal science, and environmental science.   My coursework ran the gamut from statistics and research methods to biochemistry, nutrition, and physiology.  The diverse background prepared me well for a job at USDA.  From food security to bioenergy, STEM-related issues are at the crux of the Research, Education, and Economics mission area.  On a daily basis, I draw upon the knowledge and skills gained from my STEM courses.

Even as a parent, my STEM background makes it easier to field my sons’ countless questions.  I can explain why grass is green, how plants use water, what happens when a seed pops through the soil. I’m thrilled to be able to cultivate and nourish my boys’ curiosity and hope that it leads to their pursuit of STEM degrees.

Editors Note: Do you have questions about why you should study STEM subjects?  Ever wondered about the career possibilities of agriculture science degrees?

Join us for an important Twitter chat and tweet in your questions and comments throughout the event.  Please use the #studyagscience hashtag in all of your tweets. You can tweet questions, comments, or just follow along. See you Friday at 2 pm ET!