CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT: ACCELERATED INTROGRESSION OF SYNTHETIC HEXAPLOID DERIVED DIVERSITY INTO AN APPLIED HARD WINTER WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM

Advances in DNA sequencing and data analysis have transformed the field of food microbiology and agricultural sciences. The increasing need for a workforce with competencies in microbiology and data science highlight a shortage of leaders who have both a solid microbiology background and the ability to work with large datasets while being able to communicate the impacts of such work. To address this need and transform food microbiology education at the graduate level, we propose a graduate student fellowship program that will initiate this long-term effort by training four M.S. students under TESA "Food Science, Human Sciences, and Human Nutrition" and "Data Science", in the Relevant Discipline "Food Science/Technology/Manufacturing/Safety". Fellow recruitment will leverage the strong relationship between our Food Science Department and underrepresented minority-serving institutions, along with other programs in the Department and College of Agricultural Sciences that have a proven track record of recruiting underrepresented students. Recruited fellows will pursue degrees in Food Science advised or co-advised by faculty specialized in food microbiology and sequencing data analyses. Training will follow our "Data-Development-Decisions" (3D) framework.