Oklahoma State Master of International Agriculture Program

🌍Where in the world are MIAP students🌍
MIAP student, Calla Regier, completed her internship with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Read below to see what Calla had to say about the experience!

"This has been such an incredible internship experience with the Foreign Agricultural Service. From reporting on export market conditions to engaging with stakeholders in the rice industry and promoting U.S. agriculture through marketing events and social media initiatives – it’s been such a rewarding summer. Exploring the rich culture and history of Vietnam further enriched my experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to promote the interest of U.S. agriculture abroad while expanding my horizons."

We're very proud of Calla for being selected for this internship and hope she had a wonderful summer in Vietnam!

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🌍Where in the world are MIAP students?🌍
Lydia Martins just wrapped up her internship at the USDA Foreign Ag Service in Bangkok! Here's what she had to say about her experience:

"I have had such an amazing summer filled with new experiences and opportunities here in Thailand! I am learning so much about the Foreign Agricultural Service and the hard work that is put into fostering the relationship between the US and Thailand - especially in the ag industry. The entire experience has been nothing but great, but a few highlights include:

🌍Meeting with the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advocate for US biofuels
🌍Attending THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2024 as a part of the US pavilion and helped promote US food companies to the global market
🌍Accompany the US International Trade Commission on a global rice industry study
🌍Provided support at "California Cheese - 190 Years & Beyond Luncheon to Celebrate US-Thai friendship, held at US Ambassador Robert F. Godec's residence
🌍Partake in a week-long crop travel around central and northern Thailand and met with corn producers, feed mill coops, farmers, agricultural officers, and crop specialists

My favorite part of this summer has been making connections with Thai people and learning from the locally employed staff here in the Bangkok office. I have also been very fortunate to work under Foreign Service Officer, Mrs. Kelly Stange, and share the passion that she has for US agriculture!"

We are so proud of Lydia and all she has done! Stay tuned to hear about MIAP student, Calla Regier's experience as a USDA Foreign Ag Service intern in Vietnam!

Wishing our a happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸

🤠Join us in congratulating another group of MIAP graduates! 🤠
We were able to celebrate 3 of 7 spring/summer 2024 MIAP graduates (and 1 honorary MIAP student from the Ag Ed Department) with a small luncheon before the graduation commencement ceremony on May 10th. We couldn't be more excited to see where their MIAP degrees take them. A special thanks to Dr. Clary for stopping by to give a few words of wisdom.

Graduates pictured with Dr. Karl Rich and Pam Bay: Ronald Camarena, Cody Shick, and Claudine Padilla
Other graduates: Amy Hiser, Christina Ollison, Marissa Blankenburg, and Nene Gamby
Honorary MIAP student: Newlin Humphrey

Last week, Dr. Rich was in the Cook Islands with Dr. Joshua Ringer from Langston University to better understand the similarities and differences between climatic mitigation strategies and perceptions as related to/affecting agriculture in sovereign nation settings. See below what Dr. Rich had to say about the trip!

"Oklahoma, with its 38 recognized sovereign tribal nations, and the Cook Islands, with its unique sovereign status that was recognized by the United States last year, are interesting cases for this topic. While here, we will meet with a number of groups to share and learn from collective experiences and work on developing partnerships for collaboration and exchange among practitioners, students, and other interested parties.

This work is funded by the US Embassy in Auckland and their support is greatly appreciated. Te Puna Vai Marama here in the Cook Islands is coordinating activities locally in this project. We are grateful for their assistance and look forward to deeper collaborations in the future.

On Monday, we had an extended stakeholder discussion to identify and discuss a number of shared issues between sovereign nations. The preservation and maintenance of traditional knowledge was identified as a key issue locally, and whether platforms for knowledge sharing through the educational curriculum are sufficient for dissemination. With respect to climate change, indigenous knowledge plays a potentially important mitigation role that could be amplified by the targeted use of technology. Oklahoma's experience in seed preservation of indigenous food varieties is one exciting area of joint interaction and where we hope to engage in more discussions this week about shared experiences and avenues to collaborate further. There is also much to gain from potential student exchanges, which from a MIAP perspective would be an excellent pathway for learning for our students and hopefully in hosting ones from here. Still a lot to learn and more meetings this week, but it is energizing to learn about this fascinating place and culture!"

We will be hosting a delegation from the Cook Islands later this year in Oklahoma - stay tuned for more details on that visit.

New Adventures!
Next on our list of Fall 2023 graduates is Camden McCulloch! He went to Puebla, Mexico for his international experience and recalled his favorite moments there.
"My most memorable moment while doing the international experience was going to the safari zoo, and seeing the animals."
Currently Camden is applying to law school and hopes to attend law school at Texas A&M or Louisiana State University! Congratulations and good luck, Camden.

🌍Where in the world are MIAP students?🌍
Dalton Nichols is currently in Lincoln, New Zealand. Dalton is the first student to be a part of our exchange program with Lincoln University. He is spending the entire semester there and will return to the U.S. in June. Here is the first glance at his time there.

This week we spotlight our second of two MIAP students to be selected as USDA Foreign Ag Service interns! Calla Regier is Oklahoma native in her first year at MIAP and currently works as a graduate teaching assistant. She completed her undergraduate studies in agricultural economics at Oklahoma State. Calla will be Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
When asked about the internship Calla said, "I’m excited to work with the FAS again and gain valuable experiences and connections. I’m also looking forward to learning about coffee, cotton, and rice production and trade in Vietnam and promoting U.S. agriculture. Being immersed in the Vietnamese language and culture will be a transformative experience that will push me to step out of my comfort zone, adapt to a new environment, and develop more independence." We are so proud and hope you have a wonderful experience, Calla! Congratulations!

New Adventures:
Congratulations to Kirstin Wickett for completing her degree with MIAP! Kristin was an online student who completed her degree while also working full-time for AGCO Corporation! She was very dedicated to school and her career as she recalls her most memorable moment:
"My most memorable moment was hopping into a tractor cab at a farm show because it was the only quiet place to record a presentation! The presentation centered on what I viewed to be the future of marketing for the brand of tractor I was sitting in. I felt so proud of how far I had come in MIAP, and so excited to continue using the education that MIAP facilitated in my professional career."
Congratulations, Kirstin!

Today we spotlight our first of two MIAP students to be selected as USDA Foreign Ag Service interns! Lydia Martins is an Iowa native in her first year at MIAP and currently works as a graduate teaching assistant under Dr. Edwards in Agricultural Education. She completed her undergraduate studies in animal science at Iowa State University.
When asked about the internship, Lydia said, "I'm super excited to learn about the tangible impact the Foreign Ag Service has on agriculture in foreign countries. Coming from a small, rural, agricultural community and family, I am looking forward to comparing the production and trade of Thailand's agricultural products to what we know back here in the US. I hope to bring new ideas and experiences to the FAS team in Bangkok while taking advantage of the professional and career-building adventures I'm sure to experience!" See the photos for the full press release from USDA. Congratulations and have fun in Thailand, Lydia!

We had a great time last week at the Oklahoma State University all-majors career fair! Thank you to all of the students who stopped by to chat about what future in MIAP would look like! Our door is always open at 545 Ag Hall for anyone on campus who has any questions.

Meet MIAP:
We are very proud of all of our students and love to highlight them! This week we are highlighting, Stephanie Gripp. Stephanie completed her B.S. in Animal Science at OSU in May 2023. She then joined MIAP this past summer with a focus area in rural development and entrepreneurship.
When asked why she chose MIAP, Stephanie said, "I loved my time at Oklahoma State during undergrad and knew I wanted to stay. When I found the Master of International Ag Program, I knew that that's where I belonged. The flexibility and practicality of the program made it an easy choice."
Stephanie is also a graduate assistant in our office! Outside of her studies and work, Stephanie is a member of the OSU Ranch Horse Team and the OSU Equestrian Team.

Follow along as we highlight more students in our program!

Onto New Adventures:
Join us in congratulating Fall 2023 graduate, Angela Hurst!

During her time at MIAP, Angela was a Field of Hope Fellow in Uganda.
Here is what Angela had to say about the program:
"My favorite part of being in MIAP is the friendships and connections made with cohort members and Faculty. My piece of advice for incoming MIAP Students is to take as many classes as you can to explore the options MIAP has. If you have an idea of where you want to be post-grad, take classes that will give you applicable tools and knowledge for that field."

Good luck on your next journey, Angela!

Onto New Adventures:
This week we are spotlighting Fall 2023 graduate, Alexandria Cox! Alex was an online student in the MIAP program and since graduation has remained in her role with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry as their Farm to School Coordinator.

Here is a little more information on her international experience:
"Over the last several months, I had the privilege to virtually teach three 9th-grade classes at Benešov, Dukelská Elementary School in the Czech Republic. For 9 weeks (September 26th - November 22nd), I taught a variety of agriculture literacy-based lessons.

Being that agriculture literacy was the foundation for this project, I wanted these students to learn how heavily our world relies on agriculture and how the U.S. is contributing to that. I also felt it was important to share the Oklahoma ag industry as well. Not only did I get to physically teach and engage with these students, I had the freedom to create my own curriculum and bring it to life during each class session.

During my project, I created three agriculture literacy lessons that focused on different agriculture topics. Each of these lessons had a variety of objectives and outcomes that each student learned. All three lessons were about 30 minutes in length with about 15 minutes for questions, discussions, and/or technology issues. "

Congratulations, Alexandria!

In December, we celebrated some outstanding new MIAP graduates! Keep an eye out for alumni bios to see where they are at now!
The group pictured (left to right): Faidat Ibrahim, Camden McCulloch, Angela Hurst, Kirstin Wickett, and Alex Cox.

Happy New Year from everyone at MIAP! We can't wait to see what 2024 has in store!

We will be cheering on Oklahoma State Cowboy Football tonight in the Tax Act Texas Bowl. Keep an eye out for first year MIAP student, Jake Schultz!

I spy a MIAP student! Congratulations Jake Schultz for being named a Big 12 Student-Athlete of the Month!

Faidat has sent another update back from the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan! She has been busy growing Okra, celebrating World Veg's Golden Jubilee (commemorating 50 years), and celebrating Vegetable Science Day.

Here are some words about her time from Faidat:
"Today I got to experience the joy of every farmer, I finally harvested my first Okra pods. The entire journey has been great, from nurturing the seedlings to transplanting and, at last, witnessing the fruition of my experiment. Today, I recorded the first yield data for all my treatments and replications, marking a significant milestone in my research.
The path to this point was not without its challenges. Starting the experiment later than planned due to typhoons and climate changes, managing with fewer workers on the field, and overcoming hurdles post-transplanting were all part of the process. However, seeing my Okra plants flower and bear fruit has made every hardship worthwhile."

🌍Where in the world are MIAP students?🌍
Friday Ibrahim has spent a month in Taiwan with the World Vegetable Center! Here is an update from her:
"It has truly been an incredible journey of personal growth and learning. I've finally mustered the courage to explore the city on my bicycle and even mastered the art of using chopsticks.

To my project so far, we started off by ensuring the tillage worker helped till the plots assigned to conventional tillage and reduced tillage at different depth. We added fertilizer and compost to each plot, then we had to add mulch to the field manually, but it was quite interesting. I also had the opportunity to transplant my okra seedlings into the field, marking a significant milestone in my research.

During the weekends, I've been exploring nearby cities with fellow international students, creating memories that I'm sure will last a lifetime. One of the most enriching aspects of this journey has been networking and connecting with people from all over the world, which has opened me up to trying various cuisines from different parts of the globe."

I also witnessed a very destructive typhoon (strong winds) here last week and that was my scariest moment over here, thankfully it was not the worst."

🌎Where is the world are MIAP students?🌎
MIAP student,Angela Hurst,is still in Uganda! See her latest blog post below!

We spy a MIAP student! Stephanie Gripp, a first year MIAP student and office graduate assistant, was recognized as part of Oklahoma State Cowgirl Equestrian’s 2023 Big 12 Championship team during the OSU vs. Kansas State football game.

We loved meeting so many prospective students during the Career Fair a couple weeks ago! If you have any questions feel free to stop by 545 Ag Hall!
In the meantime, Dr. Karl Rich is on the move! He will be visiting career fairs at:
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📍 .tech
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He is excited to meet future cowboys looking to join MIAP!

New Week, New Adventures! Summer graduate, Hailey Rose Viars is our feature this week. Of MIAP, Hailey says, "One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Terry Russell. "Adventure is not in the guidebook and beauty is not on a map. Seek and ye shall find." The MIAP program reminds me of this quote because one of my favorite parts about the MIAP program is the chance to "choose your own adventure." The program takes your existing interests and experiences into mind, allowing you to choose your own concentration and international experience. "
Good luck in your next steps, Hailey!

🌍Where in the world are MIAP students?🌍
Faidat Ibrahim is currently in Taiwan working with the World Vegetable Center. She is working with trainees from around the world including India, Guatemala, and Australia. Of her experience so far Faidat says, "Taiwan has been a great experience so far. I have started biking to the organization and am getting used to the new environment and food." Enjoy these photos she has shared!

Where in the world are MIAP students?🌍

Angela Hurst is currently in Uganda with Field of Hope. Please see the the post below and pictures for an update on her travels! We are so glad Angela is having a great time!

"Week 4-6 was all about farm camp and teachers training. If you read my last blog, you will have learned some about farm camp, but the baseline is that it is similar to 4-H camp. Except it’s all about agriculture. It was fun to recall my Dairy nutrition and reproduction knowledge to assist this facilitation. 🐮
Teachers Training is all about equipping Ugandan Agriculture Teachers with curriculum and techniques to use in the classroom. The goal is to motivate and inspire students about agriculture. 🧡 Between the amazing Ugandan FOH staff and the rock star US volunteers and staff, the training went really well. Look out for my next blog to learn more!!
Between trainings, Deep End Safaris helped our team take a much needed weekend to relax and have fun in Jinja, Uganda. We took a boat ride on Lake Victoria and crossed over to the Source of the Nile, where the Nile River starts. We also got to enjoy tubing on the Nile while eating fresh pineapple and quad biking through the scenery!"

New Week, New Adventures! This summer, Quincy Lamp completed his degree with us. Quincy traveled to New Zealand for his international experience and had some pretty excited people to greet him upon his return. He is continuing his service in the U.S. Navy as a commissioned officer. Congratulations, Quincy!

Welcome back, MIAP! We are so excited for the first day of the fall semester! Our doors are always open in Ag Hall 545!

New week, new adventures: Time to celebrate another Spring 2023 MIAP graduate! Cole Spain traveled to Zimbabwe and India for his international experiences. He is now the Regional Manager of Product Services in Iowa for the National Pork Producers Council. Congratulations, Cole!