Southern University Ag Center and College of Agriculture: October 2020

Thursday, October 29

SU Ag Center & community partners to hold Hurricane Relief Distribution in Lake Charles

Event Flyer

Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center, its partner Ilera Holistic Healthcare, along with Medicis Pharmacy, Good360, Greater St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church, and the Louisiana Home & Foreign Missions Baptist Convention (LHFMBSC) Health Awareness Team (HAT) will hold a Hurricane Relief Distribution in Lake Charles, La.

The event will be held on Friday, October 30 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Greater St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church, 1401 Moeling Street.

Participants will receive free blood pressure screenings and health information along with a relief package which will include shampoo and conditioner, sanitary wipes, active apparel, hand sanitizer, diapers, deodorant, toothbrushes, children’s activity kits, CBD bath bombs, and storage containers. The relief package will be distributed while supplies last.

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Wednesday, October 21

SU Department of Urban Forestry hosts Virtual Administration & Park Management Training for students

Training will provide career readiness information to students

Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources will host a virtual administration and park management training from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Oct. 21.

The training, which is a part of the Department’s Career Readiness Virtual Training Project, will be held via Zoom and will cover the topics of Urban Forestry Program Administration at the governmental level and at nonprofit organizations, as well as information on Park Management and Administration.

College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS) alums Beattra Wilson, Lionel Bradford and Dr. RaHarold D. Lawson will serve as speakers during the training.

Wilson is the Assistant Director of Cooperative Forestry and national lead for Urban and Community Forestry at the USDA Forest Service in Washington, D.C. She oversees program policy, budget, partnership development and strategic delivery of national, regional and state urban and community forestry programs. Wilson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Forestry from Southern University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Kennesaw State University.

Bradford is the President and Executive Director of The Greening of Detroit, a non-profit organization devoted to creating sustainable growth of a healthy urban community through trees, green spaces, healthy living, education, training, and job opportunities. He oversees strategic planning, program development and management, staff supervision, grant writing and acquisition, and management of the organization’s $3 million budget. He serves on the advisory board for the Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors at Wayne State (CURES at WSU) and The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (SFRES) at Michigan Technical University. Bradford earned a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Forestry from Southern University.

Dr. Lawson is the Director of Park Operations for the Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission (BREC). He provides leadership in carrying out the mission of park operations, which is to efficiently and constantly maintain and provide exceptional parks and open spaces that are safe, functional, and esthetically pleasing. He is responsible for over 180 parks located through the East Baton Rouge Parish landscape, including conservation lands, recreational grounds, sports fields, neighborhood parks, and BREC’s crown jewel, Community Parks. Dr. Lawson is also tasked with the functional operation of the $13 million park operations budget. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Forestry in 1999, a Master of Science Urban Forestry in 2001, and a Ph.D. in Urban Forestry in 2018, all from Southern University.

To participate in the training use Zoom Meeting ID: 895 6658 8241 with passcode: 6DMUT8.

2020 Career Readiness Virtual Training Project

The “Career Readiness through Urban Forest Management and Leadership Skill Training” project is funded by the USDA Forest Service. The project is led by Dr. Zhu Ning, Department Chair of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources and Dr. Renita Marshall, Vice Chancellor/Associate Dean of the CAFCS. The project team members are Beattra Wilson, Assistant Director of Cooperative Forestry and national lead for Urban and Community Forestry at USDA Forest Service in Washington, DC.; Dr. RaHarold Lawson, Director of Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission (BREC) and Dr. Brian Watkins, Assistant Director of Park Operations for BREC.

For additional information about the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Career Readiness Virtual Training Project, contact Dr. Ning at zhu_ning@subr.edu.

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Tuesday, October 20

SU Ag Center to hold a ‘Virtual Livestock Experience’ due to COVID-19

SU Ag Center's statement regarding its 2021 Livestock Show.

Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center has released the following statement regarding its 2021 Livestock and Poultry Show.

Upon the recommendation of the administration, the Southern University Ag Center will host a Virtual Livestock Experience for 2021 instead of the traditional Livestock and Poultry Show. Animals will not be a requirement to participate in this upcoming event. To keep our exhibitors, supporters, and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, this Virtual Experience is the best way to accomplish this goal. We appreciate your willingness and cooperation with this matter and look forward to sharing more information soon.

We hope that as we overcome this global pandemic, we will all be together in person celebrating our 79^th Annual Livestock and Poultry Show in 2022.

Participants are encouraged to visit the SU Ag Center’s Livestock Show page for up-to-date information about the virtual event.

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Tuesday, October 13

Join Chancellor- Dean Dr. Orlando F. McMeans during the Louisiana Land-Grant Coffee Chat

Join Chancellor-Dean Dr. Orlando McMeans during the Louisiana Land-Grant Coffee Chat. The coffee chat will be the concluding event during the CAFCS Virtual Ag Career Prep Week.

Baton Rouge, La. – SU Ag Center Chancellor and Dean of the Southern University College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS) Dr. Orlando F. McMeans is inviting all Agricultural students, faculty, staff, alumni and prospective students to join him during the Louisiana Land-Grant Coffee Chat at 9 a.m. on Oct. 16.

The Coffee Chat will be the concluding event during the Virtual Louisiana Land-Grant Ag Career Prep Week, which is co-hosted by the CAFCS and the LSU College of Agriculture.

Dr. Philip H. Elzer, Executive Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and Department Head of Animal Sciences at LSU, will serve as a panelist along with Dr. McMeans.

The virtual Louisiana Land-Grant Ag Career Prep Week will be held October 13-16, 2020 and will provide the agricultural students from the state’s two Land-Grant Institutions with an opportunity to gain professional development skills and network with potential employers.

The week will also include a Virtual Agriculture Career Fair, Roundtable discussions on Ag Careers and a Virtual Speed Networking Social.

To register for the Coffee Chat or other events occurring during the Virtual Louisiana Land-Grant Ag Prep Week visit, https://bit.ly/3iUJ5Mu.

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SU Ag Center continues its Virtual Training Sessions on the Dangers of Tobacco Use

The Communities of Color Network will extend its 'Conversation with Communities of Color Network...Tobacco and You' Facebook Live Series until December.

Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center’s Communities of Color Network will continue its Facebook Live Series, ‘Conversation with Communities of Color Network…Tobacco and You.’

The goal of the series is to explain the effects of tobacco use on the body as well as provide tips to help individuals kick the habit. The live streams will be broadcasted on the Southern University Ag Center’s Facebook page at 11 a.m. on the following dates:

· Oct. 13 Are Toes Really Necessary?

· Oct. 15 Beauty Mark! Smoking Is Not That Pretty!

· Oct. 20 Cost of Tobacco!

· Oct. 22 Recovery, It Can Happen!

· Oct. 27 Don’t Trash Your Smile!

· Oct. 29 Recipe for a Cigarette!

· Nov. 3 How Your Tobacco Use Impacts Those Around Them!

· Nov. 5 Trust, What?

· Nov. 10 Fire in Your Bones!

· Nov. 12 Black Lungs Matter!

· Nov. 17 Components Added to Tobacco!

· Nov. 19 But, There’s No Smoke!

· Nov. 24 Coughing and Don’t Have a Cold!

· Dec. 1 Types of Tobacco Products

· Dec. 3 We Have Come a Long Way, But Still Have Far to Go!

· Dec. 8 How Do I Stop the Cravings?

· Dec. 10 How Do you Like Your Air?

· Dec. 15 Too High to Smoke!

The Communities of Color Network provides support and technical assistance to African-American communities to ensure they are well-informed about the dangers of tobacco, and understand how to protect themselves from unhealthy exposure.

Its mission is to eliminate health inequalities caused by or related to tobacco use among Louisiana communities of color by building coalitions, increasing awareness of the dangers of tobacco, and reducing tobacco consumption and secondhand smoke exposure.

For additional information about the Communities of Color Network or to find a representative in a region near you, email linda_brown@suagcenter.com.

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Monday, October 12

SU Dept. of Ag receives National Science Foundation grant to aid middle and high schoolers

Project to bring virtual reality experiences to students in rural and urban schools

Baton Rouge, La. – Southern University’s Department of Agricultural Sciences, along with the Department of Science and Mathematics Education (SMED), College of Sciences and Engineering, and the School of Education, will bring virtual reality experiences to middle and high school students and teachers through the ‘Building Environmental and Educational Technology Competence and Leadership Among Educators: An Exploration in Virtual Reality(VR) Professional Development (BEE-Tech) project.

The project, which is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, will leverage the Department of Agricultural Sciences’ virtual reality projects to provide the teachers and students of rural and urban middle and high schools with local virtual reality experiences. Often these schools are lacking resources for field trips and the VR project will allow students to be immersed in simulated field experiences.

“The Louisiana wetlands is an example of one of our nation's most vulnerable ecosystems that exist near communities where there are little to no STEM training opportunities for teachers and students in K-12 schools,” said Dr. Harold Mellieon, Jr., chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences. “Focusing on these threatened natural environments and their connection to flooding will put STEM concepts in a real-world context that is relatable to students living in these areas while integrating innovative virtual reality technology into their learning.”

Dr. Nastassia Jones, an Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Mathematics Education (SMED), is the lead Principle Investigator of this interdisciplinary, three-year grant. Drs. Christopher Chappell, Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources; Dr. Christopher Guillory (SMED); Emily Jackson-Osagie Department of Curriculum and Instruction; and Harold Mellieon, Jr., Department of Agricultural Sciences, all from Southern University, are Co-Principle Investigators on the grant.

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Friday, October 9

Southern University Ag Center Prepares Youth to Thrive During the New Normal

The Southern University Ag Center's 4-H Youth Development Team conducted a Zoom series called, “Giving Youth H.O.P.E." from June – August 2020. The series provided youth with social and cognitive support to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baton Rouge, La. – In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, life as we once knew it abruptly changed and posed a major shift in the way we interacted with each other. Many uncertainties around the virus likely caused a significant amount of unrest in our communities. Across the globe, youth and their families missed pivotal moments in their lives such as prom, face-to-face interaction with friends, graduation ceremonies, and celebrations. Naturally, this was likely stressful and unsettling for adults and more so on our youth.

Dealing with an international pandemic was new to everyone and holistic adjustments were made emotionally, physically, and mentally. Therefore, to provide a foundation for support, the Southern University Ag Center’s 4-H Youth Development team developed a series of five sessions to provide social and cognitive support services to youth, along with high school students who were directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The series, called Giving Youth Healthy Options that Promote Excellence (H.O.P.E.), was conducted via Zoom from June – August.

The sessions were provided in partnership with a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and were strategically designed using a progressive learning strategy. The first session was, “Dealing with Disappointment.” Ideally, the intent was to acknowledge the feelings of the youth and offer therapeutic solutions to cope with the unprecedented circumstances. Other sessions included:

Preparing for My Tomorrow: What’s Next for Me? – Making adjustments and setting attainable goals.
Vision Board Party – Putting their visions on paper and discussing ways their goals may be attained. Feeling accomplished but, understanding it is ok to adjust their vision to refocus on the original goal.
Social Distancing and Teens – As students prepared to return to school after the summer break, being quarantined and/or isolated, youth learned the importance of self-management and their responsibility in helping to stop the spread of infectious diseases.
I Made It! – Youth closed the series with a new outlook on how to safely reengage in their “new normal.”

The team is working to develop more series for youth and young adults and intends to partner with more faith and community-based entities to provide meaningful services to youth in Louisiana.

Southern University Ag Center’s 4-H Youth Development team is led by Tiffany Franklin, Ph.D., Associate Youth Specialist and Program Leader, with Assistant Area Agents Kayla Fontenot and Chelsea Hammond.

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SU Department of Ag Sciences receives a $139,500 grant from the La. Board of Regents

Southern University's College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences Logo

Grant will be used to develop a virtual reality lab for students

Baton Rouge, La. – Southern University’s Department of Agricultural Sciences has received a grant to establish a virtual reality laboratory named the JAG’s DEN.

The laboratory will assist students in courses within the department and be used as a recruitment tool for the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS).

“The JAG's DEN will allow the department to enhance the global competitiveness of our graduates by creating more diverse learning opportunities while they are in the program,” said Dr. Harold Mellieon, Jr., chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences. “The JAG’s DEN will be used as a reinforcement space to enhance the content in course lectures and labs by supplementing with virtual reality.”

The lab was funded by the Louisiana Board of Regents’ Journeys in Agricultural Science Developing Educational Networks grant for $139,500.

Dr. Mellieon is the Principle Investigators for the grant with Co-Principle Investigators Drs. Renita Marshall, Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Services/ Associate Dean of the Southern University CAFCS, Nastassia Jones, Associate Professor and Francesca Mellieon-William with the SU Science and Math Education Department (SMED).

For additional information about the JAG’s DEN virtual reality laboratory, contact Dr. Harold Mellieon, Jr. at harold_mellieon@subr.edu.

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Friday, October 2

Students to learn about USDA job opportunities during an Informational Webinar

Event Flyer

The webinar will provide students with information on USDA internships and employment opportunities

Baton Rouge, La. – Southern University’s College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS) will hold a USDA Informational Webinar on Oct. 8 at 4:30 p.m. on Zoom.

The virtual event, hosted by the University’s United States Department of Agriculture Liaison – Allison Johnson, will provide Southern University Ag students with information on internships and employment opportunities available within the agency.

According to the USDA and its Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) agency, 600 internship and full-time position openings will be available starting on October 13.

"Events like these are another way we can make sure our students put forth their best effort and are successful when they are selected for internships and employment in their field,” expressed Dr. Harold Mellieon, Jr., Department Chair of Agricultural Science in the CAFCS. “It also allows our students to ask questions to professionals in the field about how they should prepare not only their resume, but how to research the jobs they are applying for, either full-time or an internship,” add Mellieon.

The informational is scheduled to last 30 - 45 minutes and can be accessed at https://sus.zoom.us/j/98056436145, with Meeting ID: 980 5643 6145.

For additional information about the USDA Informational, contact Dr. Mellieon at harold_mellieon@subr.edu.

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Thursday, October 1

Southern University Ag Center Launches Medical Cannabis Product Line for Autism

Erica Daniels, founder of Hope Grows for Autism, is pictured with her son Leo. Daniels developed the formulation for HOPE™ with Zelira Therapeutics.

HOPE™ is the state’s first Medical Cannabis Product scientifically formulated for Autism patients of all ages

Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, with Ilera Holistic Healthcare today announced the statewide launch of the HOPE™ line of medical cannabis tinctures based on groundbreaking scientific research on using cannabis to treat the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in both children and adults.

Grown, cultivated, processed and packaged in Louisiana, HOPE™ products are available exclusively through state-licensed medical marijuana pharmacies and available to all Louisiana patients and families through a doctor's prescription.

"After seeing the success of HOPE™ in Pennsylvania, we were determined to bring it to patients of Louisiana, a state where we exceed the national percentage of autism diagnoses--while at-risk and under-served patients still struggle to receive safe and effective healthcare," says Ilera Holistic CEO Dr. Chanda Macias. "Louisiana families deserve full access to all the benefits that cannabis medicine can provide, and we are thrilled to have HOPE™ in this market and available to everyone."

Scientific research shows cannabis to be safe and effective on patients (including children) to treat ASD, and patients who use it have reported significant improvement in their quality of life, mood, and sleep--and less reliance on other medications.

HOPE™ is the brainchild of Erica Daniels, founder of Hope Grows for Autism, a nonprofit aimed at improving the lives of families affected by autism through research, education and advocacy of medical marijuana.

"The autism community in Louisiana is blessed to have a partner in Ilera Holistic Healthcare to bring HOPE™ to families affected by ASD," says Daniels. "Now more than ever, patients are struggling with the symptoms associated with autism. I am so thrilled that Ilera Holistic Healthcare is bringing HOPE™ to so many Louisiana patients who need it!"

"HOPE™ is another product with which we are proud to be associated," said Janana Snowden, director of the Southern Institute for Medicinal Plants at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. "The work we do aims to not only provide valuable research but to also provide potentially beneficial and accessible treatments for symptoms due to conditions that thousands of people live with daily, like autism."

HOPE™ was formulated by Zelira Therapeutics a leading global therapeutic medical cannabis company with access to the world's largest and fastest growing cannabis markets. The company's focus is on developing branded cannabis products for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions including insomnia, autism and chronic non-cancer pain.

HOPE™ is gluten, dairy, soy and nut-free; scientifically formulated, lab tested, and pesticide free; and only available in the state of Louisiana at licensed cannabis pharmacies. HOPE™ will be available in two formulations: "HOPE1," a 1:1 THC:CBD tincture, and "HOPE2", a 5:1 THC:CBD tincture.

View the list of Louisiana Licensed Dispensaries.

About the Southern University Ag Center

The Southern University Ag Center is the fifth campus of the Southern University System. The mission of the Center is to conduct basic and applied research and disseminate information to the citizens of Louisiana in a manner that is essential in addressing their scientific, technological, social, economic and cultural needs of its clientele.

About Ilera Holistic Healthcare

Ilera Holistic Healthcare is a fully integrated medical marijuana company that fuses science and innovation to discover life-changing therapies. In Louisiana, we partner our world-class cultivation and extraction methods with Southern University's to expertly create and deliver consistent, high quality medicines. From seed and soil to dispensary shelves, Ilera is committed to providing a superior health and wellness experience.

Information from Ilera Holistic Healthcare was used in the development of this press release.

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