��Ƶ hosts high school students eager to feed the world

Group photo of World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute participants — Twenty high school students took part in the World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute Friday [April 1] at ��Ƶ. Pictured, front row from left, is Caroline Kobia, assistant professor in ��Ƶ’s School of Human Sciences; high school student Haley Shaw, Clear Moore, Director for Academic Affairs, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science; high school students Chloe Dobbins, Danielle McConnell, Piper Conrad, Evan Ballard, Newt Thomas, Jackson Walters, Jonah McCrory, Ashton Watson, Jaiden Laughlin, and Audrey Gully; Ben Blackburn, biochemistry master’s candidate at ��Ƶ; high school student Jaden Johnson, and Priya Basu, assistant professor in ��Ƶ’s Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology. Pictured on the back row, from left, is Paul Williams, supervisory research geneticist with USDA-ARS; Dan Reynolds, associate vice president for international programs and executive director, ��Ƶ International Institute; high school students William Carter, Drew Williams, Josh Word, Rett Keenum, Fleming Archer, Kade Smith, Katie Keenum, and Emma Claire Markham; and Scott Willard, dean of ��Ƶ’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. (Photo by David Ammon)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A group of bright Mississippi youth once again convened at ��Ƶ to fight food insecurity at the World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute on Friday [April 1].

Twenty students from Starkville Academy, the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Mendenhall High School and the Hamilton Attendance Center presented research papers that tackled specific problems impacting food security in developing countries across the globe.

At the event, hosted by ��Ƶ’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the students were designated as Borlaug Scholars.

Scott Willard, CALS dean and director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, spearheaded the establishment of the Mississippi Youth Institute in 2017. Willard said providing a forum for high school students to engage in meaningful dialogue with global food security experts benefits more than the students.

“These scholars represent the future of global food security. As the world population grows, their ideas and insight will contribute to solutions to feed, clothe and fuel the world,” Willard said.

Susie Wall, a Starkville Academy science teacher, has brought students to the Mississippi Youth Institute since its inception. This year, 16 students from the school were designated as Borlaug Scholars.

“This program is great for students because it helps them think outside the box and focus on other people from different parts of the world instead of just focusing on their inner circle,” Wall said. “Hopefully, the experience inspires them to go into fields that will allow them to do some work to secure food sources for the world, whether that’s in agriculture or life sciences or simply by engaging in a study abroad where they learn about food security challenges in other places.”

She said the experience pushes students out of their comfort zone in a good way.

“I’ve been very blessed that my students have done amazing work in the past couple of years, and we’ve had some scholarship winners from Starkville Academy. I think it’s an awesome experience that challenges students to tackle difficult questions through hard work and research,” she said.

Starkville Academy sophomore Piper Conrad presented on reestablishing traditional diets to reduce obesity and malnutrition in the Philippines. As a first-time participant, she said the experience increased her interest in global food security.

“The most exciting part was learning about the culture of a country I otherwise wouldn’t have researched. The process really opened my eyes to how western influences have impacted traditional diets in the Philippines,” she said.

In addition to Conrad, participating Borlaug Scholars and their presentation topics included (by hometown):

BRAXTON—Jaden Johnson, of Mendenhall High School, improving food safety in India.

HAMILTON—Haley Shaw, of Hamilton Attendance Center, the roles of agricultural education and emergency response systems in food security in Haiti.

LEAKESVILLE—Chloe Dobbins, of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, climate change in China.

OLIVE BRANCH—Danielle McConnell, of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, improving industry and infrastructure in Liberia.

STARKVILLE—(All students of Starkville Academy) Fleming Archer, reducing malaria in Nigeria; William Carter, sustainable agricultural practices in Somalia; Audrey Gully, climate volatility in Uganda; Jaiden Laughlin, water and sanitation issues in Yemen; Katie Keenum, improving industrial growth in Zambia; Rett Keenum, improving agricultural practices and education in Haiti; Emma Claire Markham, the human rights crisis in Afghanistan; Kade Smith, improving education in the Dominican Republic; Newt Thomas, addressing political unrest and introducing tax incentives to reduce malnutrition in the Central African Republic; Jackson Walters, agricultural innovation in Chad; Ashton Watson, addressing gender equity to improve food security in South Korea; Drew Williams, improving political disarray in North Korea; Josh Word, food access and climate change in Bolivia.

STURGIS—Jonah McCrory, of Starkville Academy, water and sanitation issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Evan Ballard, of Starkville Academy, how the Ukraine conflict contributes to food insecurity.

Top students from the Mississippi Youth Institute will be invited to October’s Global Youth Institute in Iowa. Participating students also are eligible to apply for the Borlaug Ruan International Internship and the USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship. Anyone interested in the World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute should contact Darrell Sparks at (662) 325-5307 or darrell.sparks@msstate.edu. For more on the Mississippi Youth Institute, visit .

The Mississippi Youth Institute is hosted by ��Ƶ with the generous support of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Barry L. and Lana B. Knight and the Madison Charitable Foundation.

��Ƶ is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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