BROOKINGS Nearly 100 South Dakota State University undergraduate students showcased their ag industry internship experiences at Precision Connect 24 on Nov. 14 at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center. This is the fourth annual Precision Connect event, started in conjunction with the 2021 opening of the center.
Students in two departments within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering participated.
An industry internship is a critical component of a students education, said Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Klingbeil-endowed department head and distinguished professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Combined with the classroom and hands-on education our students receive within their SDSU degree programs, an opportunity to learn in the field provides unique perspectives and real-world experience that enhance their knowledge and contributions to agriculture.
Also participating are students from the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science. Students in both departments earn class credit for their internships and are placed with industry partners whose businesses match their individual interests.
We are very grateful for the agricultural industry partners who work with our students, said Joseph Cassady, South Dakota Corn-endowed dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. This type of collaboration benefits our students tremendously, providing a networking opportunity that is helpful for both the students and businesses that may be their future employers.
Registration began at 12:30 p.m. at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center. The event began at 1 p.m. in the atrium with students presenting posters showcasing their internship experiences. At 2 p.m., the crowd moved to the high bay area of the center to hear guest speaker Don Norton. Norton is the executive director of Ag United for South Dakota and the former CEO of agricultural leadership programs in both South Dakota and Illinois. Nortons topic was Learn to Lead! Following the presentation, guests were treated with SDSU ice cream, and tours of the center followed.
Students, faculty and the public were all invited to attend.
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