Agricultural Sciences

Secretary Of Agriculture To Speak At Governor's School Opening

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Samuel E. Hayes Jr., Pennsylvania's secretary of agriculture, will be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony June 29 at 3 p.m. in Room 112, Kern Graduate Commons, for the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences, held on the University Park campus, June 29 to August 2.

Hayes, who was named acting secretary of agriculture in May, is a former member of the state House of Representatives. Hayes played an instrumental role in establishing and bringing the Governor's School to Penn State in 1986.

"Sam Hayes has been a leading advocate for our program over the past 11 years," says Marianne Fivek, university director of the school and assistant professor of agricultural and extension education. "The Governor's School has successfully attracted some of the state's best and brightest young scholars to professions in the food, agricultural and natural resource sciences."

Each summer, 64 of the state's top high school juniors and seniors spend five weeks at Penn State, learning about agricultural sciences such as animal and plant science, natural resources and the environment, and food science and agricultural engineering. The students work on research projects with professors and have access to college facilities, including specialized libraries and laboratories.

More than 700 students have attended the school since its inception. Nearly all of them have gone on to college, and many have chosen to attend Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Governor's School helps students from all backgrounds see that agriculture is deeply intertwined with all aspects of living, from the food system to conservation of natural resources."

Between 70 and 100 College of Agricultural Sciences faculty and staff members take part in the program each year, teaching such subjects as contemporary issues in animal agriculture, entrepreneurism in agribusiness, genetics of domestic animals, natural resource management and engineering, insects and agriculture, and wood engineering. The students take core courses in 11 areas and choose four elective courses from 12 areas. The scholars also can choose to participate in more than 50 independent research projects.

During the program, students take field trips to agricultural businesses and federal and state agencies and get hands-on experience working in laboratories, greenhouses and farms. Planned activities include visits to Longwood Botanical Gardens, Hershey Foods, the New Bolton Veterinary Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the State Capitol and Shaver's Creek Environmental Center.

At the end of the school, participants receive a special state certificate. The students are not graded or ranked, leaving them free to learn without pressure.

The Governor's School is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the state's intermediate units and Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Pennsylvania Governor's Schools also are offered in the arts, sciences, health care, education and international studies.

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Contacts: John Wall John_Wall@agcs.cas.psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax

Last Updated March 19, 2009