Learn more about the Land-Grant System from the National Education Association by reviewing their overview.
University of Tennessee (UT)
The University of Tennessee Knoxville is the flagship university of the state of Tennessee. UT Knoxville includes the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) as a part of the larger UT campus with an Extension office in all 95 Tennessee counties. The Institute includes AgResearch which manages seven cow-calf research and education centers (RECs) located across the state and veterinary entomology scholars will conduct research at the RECs to experience different ecoregions and cattle practices in the state. Scholars will visit farms including the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center’s Precision Livestock Facility and the recently renovated UTIA Little River Dairy REC which is a modern-robotic milking dairy. Scholars will also have opportunities to meet with leaders at the University of Tennessee Center for Veterinary Medicine. Learn more about the University of Tennessee, the Institute of Agriculture, and the City of Knoxville.
University of Georgia (UGA)
The University of Georgia campus has three campuses across the state (Athens, Griffin, and Tifton) and eight RECs with beef cattle. VESs will have a unique opportunity to visit the UGA Poultry Research Facility to learn differences between breeder, broiler, and layer flocks as well as processing (from conception through meat packaging and marketing) and tour the only black fly rearing facility in the world. The university is home to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study and the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Learn more about the University of Georiga and the city of Athens, GA.
Kansas State University (KSU)
In 1863, Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University) became the nation’s first operational land-grant college and the first to admit women. Today, Kansas State University maintains a strong agricultural research and extension mission with three campus locations and multiple Extension agent offices. Large animal research facilities at the Manhattan campus include the Beef Stocker, Cow-Calf, Dairy and Feedlot units together with many field branch locations which provide the opportunity to conduct research under real-world settings. VESs will be able to visit the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Arthropod-borne Animal Disease Research Center (USDA-ARS ABADRU) and Foreign Arthropod-borne Animal Disease Research Center (USDA-ARS-FABADRU). Learn more about K-State and the city of Manhattan, KS.
Texas A&M University (TAMU)
Texas A&M includes the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent offices in 252 (99%) of the 294 counties and 9 RECs with livestock to allow VESs to conduct research. When not at livestock markets and beef facilities, VESs will have the opportunity to also learn about dairy production and grassland ecology at the Stephenville REC and be given an opportunity to visit the USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit in Kerrville, TX (USDA-ARS LIRL). Learn more about Texas A&M and Stephenville, TX.