---

 

 

Twenty-five Kentucky State University undergraduate and graduate students thought they knew what modern agriculture looked like. A four-day visit to Purdue University shattered those assumptions.

Why it matters: The May 27-30, 2025, educational tour revealed how technology is revolutionizing farming in ways that surprised even agriculture majors, potentially reshaping career paths and research interests.

The reality check

Students from Kentucky State's College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources encountered agricultural innovations that defied their expectations during visits to Purdue's research facilities.

"I was overwhelmed with information and visuals of machines and things that I didn't understand were even created," said junior psychology and social work major Shaneice Brown.

The tour included stops at controlled environment facilities, food science labs, the phenotyping center, agricultural and biological engineering facilities, and research farms.

Game-changing discoveries

For undergraduates: The technology-agriculture connection proved eye-opening. Agribusiness student Dshia Turner discovered that farming's "combination with the technology and engineering industries has resulted in a variety of inventions to help and understand the wildlife or the food production, consequently reducing the amount of labor that is required on the farm."

Freshman Megrael Ngudia, an agriculture food and environment major, called it "an eye-opening experience that highlighted the importance of research and what can be done when a large number of resources are available."

For graduate students: The experience sparked immediate research applications. Graduate student Sudha Bhandari said she was "especially impressed by the scale of investment and the depth of innovation in agricultural sciences at Purdue. This experience has equipped me with new ideas, knowledge, and motivation that I'm looking forward to applying in my academic and research."

Prabina Bhujel made crucial professional connections: "I was able to get access to and connect with relevant professors in my research interest, and they gave me insights into what to do next for my future academic career."

Shifting perspectives on digital agriculture

The tour challenged traditional farming concepts. Graduate student Eric Murwanashyaka said the trip "renewed my belief in the importance of integrating digital technology into agriculture to enhance crop productivity and ensure better harvests."

Graduate student Mona Bhandari described the experience as "not only insightful but truly transformative. From advanced laboratories to expansive research farms and high-tech facilities, every aspect of their agricultural program reflects a dedication to solving real-world problems."

What's next

The student enthusiasm is already generating concrete opportunities. Kentucky State faculty met with Purdue's agriculture dean and associate dean to establish ongoing collaborations.

Future partnerships include:

• Student and faculty summer internships
• Kentucky State access to Purdue research labs and fields
• Collaborative grant development for Eastern Kentucky research on surface coal mines, landscape restoration and economic development

Dr. Buddhi R. Gyawali, Kentucky State professor of geospatial technology and environment, said the University plans to build on "the momentum of this visit" for expanded collaboration. This will involve Dr. Bernard Marcus, dean of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources at Kentucky State, meeting with his counterpart at Purdue University, Dr. Bernie Engel, dean of the College of Agriculture.

The bottom line: What began as an educational tour became a career-defining experience that challenged assumptions about modern agriculture. For these 25 students, the future of farming looks nothing like what they imagined — and that's exactly what makes it exciting.

KSU faculty and staff participants: Drs. Buddhi R. Gyawali, Maheteme Gebremedhin, Jyotica Batra, Theoneste Nzaramyimana, and Liang Yu, Frederick Bebe, and Ms. Cora Teets.

Funding: The tour was supported by a USDA/AFRI grant focused on enhancing farm productivity through geospatial technology (Award # 2019-68006-29330), Geospatial-Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Curriculum for Minority Serving Institutions (GAEC-MSI) (Award # DE-EM0005308), and Generating and Sustaining the Next Generation of the Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences Workforce through International Experiential Learning, Outreach, and Engagement (KSU subaward # UMES/NEXTGEN/Kentucky-01-5208630; USDA Award # 2023-70440-40145), with Dr. Gyawali as project director.