Skip to main content

NC State Extension

Food Animal Practicum

en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲
Food Animal Practicum
The Career Pathways Lab is leading the project, “Designing a Capstone Practicum to Educate the Next Generation of Food Animal Agricultural Professionals.” Joseph Donaldson serves as PI and project director, and the team members are: Jay Cheng  (CALS Biological and Agricultural Engineering), Juliana Ferreira (CVM Population Health and Pathobiology), Liz Joseph (CALS NC State Extension Livestock Area Agent), Susan Kelly (CALS NC State Extension Administration), Lingjuan Li (CALS Biological and Agricultural Engineering), Joy Morgan (CALS Agricultural and Human Sciences), Currey Nobles (CALS Animal Science), Carrie Pickworth (CALS Animal Science), Saifur Rahman (CALS Agricultural and Human Sciences), and Joe Sagues (CALS Biological and Agricultural Engineering). Dennis Duncan (Tennessee Technological University) serves as the group’s facilitator and key resource for curriculum development.
Overview

A survey of more than 2,000 agricultural and allied sciences employers found a need for new hires who had completed internships and practicums. College students need quality, in-depth practicums to build or refine skills in understanding career pathways and making career decisions. We propose a Food Animal Practicum, a capstone residency for NC State undergraduate and graduate students. The Food Animal Practicum will provide a transdisciplinary, systems-based approach to modern animal agriculture. Students will engage in experiential learning in multiple disciplines, supervised by faculty experts and other qualified professionals. Using the Forefront Farm, students will gain practical experiences in animal health, animal nutrition, financial management, problem-solving, and communicating with the public. We will establish a plan for the Food Animal Practicum reflective of current strengths and gaps in human resources, feasibility, funding, curriculum, and facilities. Our plan of work includes: (a) a comprehensive needs analysis, (b) engagement with experts and industry leaders, and (c) case studies to delineate student learning objectives and curriculum alignment. Our plan of action will capitalize extramural funding for the Food Animal Practicum. The ultimate goal is to produce a highly skilled workforce for optimizing North Carolina’s food animal systems and future proofing the food system.

News and Updates
Outputs
Preliminary Report (coming November 2025)
Final Report (coming March 2026)
Day in the Life Video (coming March 2026)