This summer, the three students worked on a team to operate drones for Gripp. Hokey, who is interning with Gripp for a second year, serves as the drone operation teams manager while Liebermann and Ziehm are drone operation interns. Although the interns may have different titles, the work they do is similar.

Hinton appreciated the culture and inclusivity she found at P&G. Her teammates were welcoming and encouraged her to ask questions. “In just 12 weeks, I got to know all of these different people in different roles and business units. I learned how to troubleshoot by asking other people for help. That take away is something that is going to help me not only in industry but in my personal life."

Farmers have too much water during the planting season and must figure out ways to drain the excess. Then they’re left with dry fields during the blazing summer months. One solution is better water storage: Reserve spring rainwater to use in the summer using storage ponds, storage ditches or controlled drainage systems.

While examining “Spatial Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for Indian Agriculture,” Saraswat will design knowledge-building activities and develop a framework for an early-warning rice-disease forecasting system. He will be hosted by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India.

She hasn’t only been researching food security. Last summer, she traveled to Kenya where she was an intern for two months. This experience allowed her to immerse herself in a culture experiencing food insecurity.

Patel, a senior studying agricultural and biological engineering, spent the summer working for Land O’Lakes as a crop protection marketing analyst intern. He was based in Minneapolis at Land O’Lakes’ headquarters as a returning intern.

“We have nothing to deal with that at all, and I think that’s an area we have to deal with.”

Frankenberger’s concern is shared by some state lawmakers.

Future SPARK application rounds are not yet on a definite schedule, but the next round is anticipated at the end of summer, assuming the availability of funds. For comprehensive SPARK information, including program format, eligibility, application process and evaluation criteria, visit the SPARK website.

“We don’t have enough data. One of the issues is the lack of appropriate measurement technology,” Ni said.

Somali Chaterji and Caitlin Proctor, assistant professors of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, share their experiences and how they became inspired to pursue their careers motivated by role models and early passions. They also explain why it is important for the field to be more representative and how they connect to this year’s theme, offering advice to early-career engineers.