Faculty mentor: Michael D. Schulman
Graduate student or Postdoc mentor: Andrew Smolski
Lab Name: No name
Introduction and Proposal: We are part of the Southern Agricultural Exchange Network (SAgE), a USDA-funded collaboration of researchers, extension agents, non-profit professionals, and government personnel working to provide assistance for farm and ranch stress. Our role in the network is with the Applied Research Team, collecting and analyzing data on farmers, especially limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers, and how they navigate financial and emotional distress. The summer project will involve database management by cataloging existing financial and mental health resources provided by organizations in North Carolina. The farm stress resource database will be used to develop programming for farmers by members of SAgE and the North Carolina Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. In addition, and subject to completion of IRB certification and training in qualitative research provided by the mentors, interviews with selected service providers about how they approach farmer mental health will be conducted by the undergraduate intern. This will provide an undergraduate student interested in working in extension or in agricultural communities an understanding of current issues affecting farm households and an introduction to applied research methods.
Typical work and research environment: This will be a library/computer intensive project: excellent computer skills, including experience with database, excel, and mapping software, are an asset. Space in Brickhaven for the intern will be requested. The interviews with service providers will require completion of IRB/Human Subjects in Research Training at intern’s university prior to internship.
