Research Collaborative Announces Seed Grants to Interdisciplinary Teams
Agriculture, engineering and business colleges collaborate
By Jennifer P. Cook – Jul. 30, 2025
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A University of Arkansas System research collaborative has awarded seed funding to eight interdisciplinary research teams that will enable them to pursue research ideas over the next year that have strong potential to secure future external funding.
The collaborative was developed by Jean-Francois Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station; Jeff Edwards, dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; Sandra Eksioglu, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering; and Brian Fugate, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The group hosted 60 faculty members for a workshop in March and April to discuss research opportunities in such areas as digital agriculture, biosensing, food supply chain, robotics in agriculture, environmental sustainability and health and nutrition. The goal was to encourage faculty to build teams and work together on the proposals.
“We were thrilled the workshop attracted so many faculty researchers, and the discussions that took place in our small group sessions were interesting and productive,” Eksioglu said.
After the workshop, the collaborative accepted 17 proposals and chose eight for funding. Below is a list of the research project titles, principal investigators and co-principal investigators:
- “From Plastic to Protein: Exploring Fungal Bioconversion for Sustainable Food Production,” by Sun Ferreira, assistant professor in the department of food science, with Bob Beitle, professor in the chemical engineering department.
- “Design and Development of a Bio-Inspired Robot for Rice Storage Monitoring,” by Wan Shou, assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department. His collaborators are Dongyi Wang, assistant professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department, and Griffiths Atungulu, professor in the department of food science.
- “The Role of Micronutrient Methyl Donors in Mitochondrial DNA Methylation,” by Joanna Fiddler, assistant professor in the department of food science, with Chris Nelson, assistant professor in the biomedical engineering department.
- “Establishing a Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Stormwater Management on Sociohydrological Systems,” by Becca Muenich, associate professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department. Her collaborators are Andy Brownback, associate professor in the department of economics; Shannon Speir, assistant professor in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences; Brian Haggard, professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department; Jenn Campbell, assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department; and Rob Curry, assistant professor in the industrial engineering department.
- “Reimagining Rice: Unlocking Regional Market Potential by Challenging Ingredient Perceptions,” by Scott Lafontaine, assistant professor in the department of food science. His collaborators are Andy Brownback, associate professor in the department of economics, and Brandon McFadden, professor in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department.
- “Linking Onsite Adoption of Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Consumer Motives, Messaging, and Sociability,” by Nick Johnston, assistant professor in the School of Human Environmental Sciences. His collaborators are Lafontaine, and Daniel Villanova, assistant professor in the department of marketing.
- “Developing Commercialization Strategies for 3D Food Printing Technology for the Delivery of Micronutrients,” by Ali Ubeyitogullari, assistant professor of food engineering with the food science and biological and agricultural engineering departments. His collaborators are Shannon Younger, assistant professor in the department of strategy, entrepreneurship and venture innovation.
- “Co-Fresh: A Community-Driven Collaborative Digital Platform to Improve Food Access Through AI and Local Resource Coordination,” by Suman Mitra, assistant professor in the civil engineering department. His collaborators are Janeth Gabaldon, teaching assistant professor in the department of supply chain management, and Samantha Robinson, associate professor in the School of Human Environmental Sciences.
In addition to establishing research collaborations, the initiative is also intended to assist researchers in developing proof-of-concept research outcomes and to grow expertise in identified areas.
Edwards said most of the Bumpers College faculty members conduct research through the college and as part of dual appointments through the experiment station. Many faculty members in the department of biological and agricultural engineering also hold dual appointments with the Division of Agriculture.
Many of these projects are joint initiatives with faculty in the same department and across disciplines in the college, but this seed grant program encourages all University of Arkansas researchers to extend collaborative efforts across campus, Edwards said.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on 𝕏 at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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