CASFER Launches Future Engineering Academic Leaders (CFEAL) Scholars Program

Outcome/Accomplishment

Educators with the Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER)’s Future Engineering Academic Leaders (CFEAL) Scholars Program recruited nine doctoral-candidate students for the program’s inaugural class.  CFEAL implements comprehensive training in research methodology, pedagogy, scientific writing, inclusive leadership, and mentoring practices. The students were drawn from Texas Tech University (TTU), CASE Western Reserve University, and Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), institutions where the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded CASFER Engineering Research Center (ERC) is based.

Impact/Benefits

NSF CASFER’s Engineering Workforce Development team trains the next generation of engineers and technical workforce with skills at the intersections of engineering, agricultural sciences and environmental science. The CFEAL Scholars Program provides professional development from graduate level training through early career stages, creating a sustainable pipeline of engineering faculty prepared to advance sustainable agriculture technologies.

Explanation/Background

CFEAL is a three-year program that requires participants to attend monthly hands-on activities offered in hybrid mode. Designed to give doctoral students intentional experiences in developing leadership skills, CFEAL affords knowledge and discovery to future leaders in emerging NSF CASFER fields.

Components of the CFEAL program include opportunities for participants to grow leadership traits, develop vision and goals, develop professional skills, design a leadership project and create a network. The program provides access to a leadership mentor, career coaching and more. The leadership project is developed during the first two years with project implementation during year three.  During year three, CFEAL students enhance their ;leadership skills by engaging as mentors to the next cohort.

During the inaugural CFEAL program, leaders from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science participated in the curricula, providing additional opportunities for the doctoral students to advance effective scientific communication through professional development skills.

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Location

Lubbock, Texas

e-mail

casfer@ttu.edu

Start Year

Energy and Sustainability

Energy and Sustainability Icon
Energy and Sustainability Icon

Energy and Smart Infrastructure

Lead Institution

Texas Tech University

Core Partners

Case Western Reserve University, Florida A&M University, Georgia Tech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Outcome/Accomplishment

Educators with the Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER)’s Future Engineering Academic Leaders (CFEAL) Scholars Program recruited nine doctoral-candidate students for the program’s inaugural class.  CFEAL implements comprehensive training in research methodology, pedagogy, scientific writing, inclusive leadership, and mentoring practices. The students were drawn from Texas Tech University (TTU), CASE Western Reserve University, and Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), institutions where the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded CASFER Engineering Research Center (ERC) is based.

Location

Lubbock, Texas

e-mail

casfer@ttu.edu

Start Year

Energy and Sustainability

Energy and Sustainability Icon
Energy and Sustainability Icon

Energy and Smart Infrastructure

Lead Institution

Texas Tech University

Core Partners

Case Western Reserve University, Florida A&M University, Georgia Tech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Impact/benefits

NSF CASFER’s Engineering Workforce Development team trains the next generation of engineers and technical workforce with skills at the intersections of engineering, agricultural sciences and environmental science. The CFEAL Scholars Program provides professional development from graduate level training through early career stages, creating a sustainable pipeline of engineering faculty prepared to advance sustainable agriculture technologies.

Explanation/Background

CFEAL is a three-year program that requires participants to attend monthly hands-on activities offered in hybrid mode. Designed to give doctoral students intentional experiences in developing leadership skills, CFEAL affords knowledge and discovery to future leaders in emerging NSF CASFER fields.

Components of the CFEAL program include opportunities for participants to grow leadership traits, develop vision and goals, develop professional skills, design a leadership project and create a network. The program provides access to a leadership mentor, career coaching and more. The leadership project is developed during the first two years with project implementation during year three.  During year three, CFEAL students enhance their ;leadership skills by engaging as mentors to the next cohort.

During the inaugural CFEAL program, leaders from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science participated in the curricula, providing additional opportunities for the doctoral students to advance effective scientific communication through professional development skills.