A multidisciplinary team from Purdue University, led by Dharmendra Saraswat, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, along with co-project directors: Dennis Buckmaster, Ankita Raturi, and Somali Chaterji, professors in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE); James Krogmeier and Aaron Ault in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE); Neil Knobloch in the Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication (ASEC); and Mark Daniel Ward in the Department of Statistics, secured funding from USDA-NIFA’s Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program to develop a curriculum in agriculture informatics. Collaborating with the University of Kentucky and Tuskegee University, Purdue University is expanding access to these courses. The curriculum integrates computational thinking and software development skills, preparing agriscience students for data-driven roles in agriculture.

The HEC grant from USDA-NIFA has resulted in Purdue Engineering to offer new courses in agriculture informatics to prepare agriscience graduates for practical, data-driven work in the agricultural industry, on individual farms, and in academia. Collaborating with Joseph Dvorak and Tanya Dvorak from the University of Kentucky along with Joseph Essamuah-Quansha and Fall Souleymane from Tuskegee University, Purdue University is expanding access to these courses.

Twelve existing undergraduate courses at Purdue University, the University of Kentucky, and Tuskegee University now incorporate a two-week module on agriculture informatics. Additionally, three semester-long courses focus on building career-specific competencies in computational thinking and software development for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Using problem-based learning and an inverted classroom approach, these courses emphasize active student participation, communication, team building, leadership, and independent learning. The project aims to foster a collaborative environment and cultivate open-source communities in agriculture through experiential learning, professional development, and the publication of open-source materials. Ultimately, this initiative enhances teamwork among agriscience students, expands their networks, and better prepares them for careers in agriculture informatics.