Alcorn Department of Agriculture hosts Piney Woods High School

Alcorn Department of Agriculture hosts Piney Woods High School

Alcorn State University Department of Agriculture hosted students and faculty members from Piney Woods High School in Piney Woods, Miss., Nov. 14.

During their visit, sophomores, juniors and seniors were introduced to the department’s programs including two major areas of animal sciences and environmental sciences. They’ve also learned about admissions requirements and scholarships.

Dr. Jairo Diaz, director of the Mississippi River Research Center at Alcorn, and his team of researchers and graduate students led the environmental science session.

“During the demonstration, students performed a soil water infiltration experiment using a minidisc infiltrometer in four different soils,” said Diaz. “In addition, students gained knowledge on how to use computers to help analyze soil water infiltration experiments.”

Dr. Cassandra Vaughn, university veterinarian, and her team presented the animal science demonstrations. Students were introduced to the various animal species and husbandry aspects, and had a chance to feed and groom the animals.

Dr. Daniel Collins, department chair, spoke to the students concerning careers in agriculture and the various degree programs, scholarships and Alcorn’s summer agricultural camp for high schools students.

Terry Cannon, program coordinator, Piney Woods High School, stated, “Our students enjoyed their educational visit to Alcorn State. Programs like this help boost their interest in agriculture and motivate them to get involved."

Alcorn graduate Tyron Haley, chairman of the Mathematics Department at Piney Woods, added, “The students gained a better understanding of what Alcorn can provide for their future career paths. They learned that the University is committed to provide the best college experience for underrepresented students in agriculture, environmental and animal sciences.”