Category: Research

(From Left to Right) Sen. Lankford, State Rep. Talley, Sen. Boozman, President Jackson, and Dean Whittaker at the E. (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research.

Senators Lankford, Boozman Visit Langston University to Discuss Agricultural Research, Extension

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LANGSTON, Okla.––Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and John Boozman (R-AR) visited Langston University to tour the school’s agricultural research facilities and discuss the work the university does to help small farmers in Oklahoma and around the world through agricultural extension and research.

The Senators met with representatives of the university’s administration during their visit to the Langston campus on Friday, including newly appointed president Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson and the dean of the Sherman Lewis School of Agricultural and Applied Sciences, Dr. Wesley Whitaker. Joining the tour was Oklahoma Representative John Talley (R-Stillwater).

During their visit, the Senators toured the Dairy Herd Information Lab for Goats and the Central Lab before visiting the E. Kika de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research’s Main Farm, where Sen. Lankford and Sen. Boozman were able to tour the Kid Barn.

Senators Lankford and Boozman discuss Langston University's beekeeping program with honey beekeeper Hank Baker.
Senators Lankford and Boozman discuss Langston University’s beekeeping program with honey beekeeper Hank Baker.

“This was truly a high impact visit by two prominent American senators,” Dr. Whittaker said. “The enthusiasm they expressed in seeing the quality and quantity of our work was truly palpable, and it will go a far way in helping to tell the success stories of Langston University and the 1890 land-grant community.”

Langston University is one of three land grant universities in Oklahoma, along with Oklahoma State University and the College of the Muscogee Nation. As an 1890 land–grant institution, one of the Langston University’s key missions is to conduct necessary research to support and promote agriculture accessibility, continued food security, and cooperative extension to provide resources and education to communities and farmers throughout Oklahoma and beyond. Many of Langston’s research programs aim to help small rural farmers make better use of their resources in innovative ways and solve problems facing the agriculture industry.

Prior to their visit to Langston University, Sen. Lankford and Sen. Boozman hosted the Senate Farm Bill Agriculture Stakeholder Roundtable in Oklahoma City, which was moderated by Secretary of Agriculture and Regent for the Oklahoma A&M System, Blayne Arthur. Sen. Boozman is the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee.

“We are honored to host Senator Lankford and Senator Boozman at Langston University’s Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences,” Dr. Jackson said. “Their support highlights the significance of our work in agricultural education and research in food security and small farming. We are proud to showcase the talents and innovations of our students and faculty.”

A goat at the E. (Kika) de la Garza American Institute of Goat Research.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY RECEIVES TWO GRANTS TOTALING $5.6 MILLION FOR RESEARCH

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By Langston University Office of Public Relations

LANGSTON, OKLAHOMA – Langston University (LU), a historically Black college/university (HBCU), has been awarded two grants by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NDILRR), Administration for Community Living totaling $5.6 million: (1) Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Advancing Employment Equity for Multiply Marginalized People with Disabilities ($4.6 million over 5 years) and (2) Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Solutions-Focused Translational Research to Enhance Equity in Employment Outcomes and Experiences Among Multiply Marginalized Persons of Color with Disabilities ($1 million over 5 years). Dr. Corey L. Moore, Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, will serve as Principal Investigator/Director for both grants.

“These major RRTC and post-doctoral ARRT grants help to position LU as a preeminent national leader on the frontier of cutting-edge employment and wealth equity research for multiply marginalized persons with disabilities and developing the future cadre of culturally competent under-represented equity research leaders, especially those with disabilities, available to study and generate translational solutions to these issues” said Moore, who is also the Principal Investigator the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities at LU.

The first award, “RRTC on Advancing Employment Equity for Multiply Marginalized People with Disabilities” involves a consortium of researchers at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies (IHDPS) at the University of Kansas, Gallaudet University, Center for Transition and Career Innovation for Youth with Disabilities (CTCI) at the University of Maryland, College Park, Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities (RIIC) at the University of Montana, Kessler Foundation, and Institute on Disability (IoD) at the University of New Hampshire. The goal is to reduce employment disparities and wealth inequities experienced by multiply marginalized persons with disabilities as defined by race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ status, poverty status, and rural locale.

One of the key studies will be carried out in partnership with the Beginning Business Incubator and Fund Company (ITB) in the Hampton and Hampton Roads Virginia, Greensboro North Carolina and Monongalia West Virginia areas, training and mentoring multiply marginalized entrepreneurs with disabilities through small business start-up incubators (i.e., hybrid verses virtual incubator) to assess entrepreneurial outcomes. The new center will link ITB with the Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurial Institute, Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services to recruit, train, and/or mentor these entrepreneurs as study participants.

The second award, “Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Solutions-Focused Translational Research to Enhance Equity in Employment Outcomes and Experiences Among Multiply Marginalized Persons of Color with Disabilities” will train and mentor 4 to 6 post-doctoral fellows in collaboration with Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ([NC A&T] HBCU), South Carolina State University (HBCU), and the Kessler Foundation. The goal is to enhance fellows’ research skills (i.e., methods and grant-writing) through mentorship, advanced research methods training seminars, and hands-on employment equity research and set them on course for stellar academic and research careers. The National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC) will partner across both grants in helping to facilitate grant-writing trainings targeting underrepresented researchers, especially those with disabilities.

“The new RRTC and ARRT program are critical to the university and its unique HBCU status in contributing toward lessening the national burden of employment and economic inequality affecting people with disabilities from underserved communities through research and building the next generation of research leaders”, said Dr. Kent J. Smith Jr., President of Langston University.

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center grants fund coordinated, integrated and advanced programs of research, training, and information dissemination in topical areas specified by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). These centers conduct research to improve rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems, improve health and functioning; and promote employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training grants provide advanced research training to eligible individuals to enhance their capacity to conduct high quality multidisciplinary disability and rehabilitation research to improve outcomes for people with disabilities across health and function, employment and community participation domains.

Dr. Edward O. Manyibe, Research Associate Professor and Capacity Building Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) received the 2018 Bobbie Atkins Research Award from the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC) on July 13, 2018.

DR. EDWARD O. MANYIBE WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AT ANNUAL REHABILITATION CONFERENCE

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LANGSTON, Okla. – Dr. Edward O. Manyibe, Research Associate Professor and Capacity Building Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) received the 2018 Bobbie Atkins Research Award from the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC) on July 13, 2018.

Dr. Manyibe was honored for his production of a significant volume of exemplary research and associated publications, research related to multiculturalism and disability, and development of research which has or will make a difference in thinking and/or practice in the multicultural arena.

It was the research and publication of Bobbie Atkins, the person after which the award was named, that provided the impetus for increased awareness surrounding the special issues impacting persons of color with disabilities. Her landmark research, “Vocational Rehabilitation of Blacks: The Statement,” published in the Journal of Rehabilitation in 1980, disclosed the inherent inequities for blacks served by the public vocational rehabilitation system.

Since her publication, Dr. Atkins has been a leading educator, publisher, researcher and trainer, grant developer, and spokesperson on multicultural, gender and other issues in rehabilitation.

The NAMRC is a diverse group whose purpose is to advocate for the rehabilitation needs of multicultural persons with disabilities. The NAMRC promotes and advocates a greater understanding of the needs of multicultural populations with disabilities, and assists multicultural populations to become self-sufficient and reach their highest level of attainment in society.

Langston University (LU) is a public Historically Black University enrolling a close-knit community of under 3,000 students. Langston University is recognized as a top institution of higher learning for affordability by afforableschools.net and bestvalueschools.com. Founded in 1897, LU is located in rural Logan County and has urban campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Langston offers more than 40 associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs across six academic colleges. Visit us online at http://www.langston.edu.

NEW LANGSTON UNIVERSITY STUDY AIMS TO IMPROVE STATE AGENCIES SERVICE TO MINORITY IMMIGRANTS

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LANGSTON, Okla. – The Langston University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (LU-­RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities released findings that will help state and federal agencies better predict and adapt to changing needs of minority immigrants.

Dr. Corey Moore, professor and chairman of the Langston University’s Department of Rehabilitation Counseling and Disability Studies (DRCDS) led a study comparing two forecast models to judge their accuracy in predicting minority immigration trends. The results provided a superior model that will be used in further studies.

The next step will be to use these findings to guide the future direction of larger studies,” Moore said. “One of which is currently examining vocational rehabilitation agencies’ perspectives capacity to serve minority legal permanent residents and new U.S. Citizens.

The study conducted by Moore and Dr. Ningning Wang, which was recently published in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, extracted nine years of case record data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration and then sampled through both forecast models to test performance.

Langston University’s DRCDS administers three different academic serving programs and the LU-­‐‑RRTC. The Department averages an annual student enrollment of about 120 students. The academic units include graduate programs in Rehabilitation Counseling and Visual Rehabilitation Services, (Orientation and Mobility [O&M] and Rehabilitation Teaching) and an undergraduate Rehabilitation Services Program. The Rehabilitation Counseling Program is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) and helps prepare students to become certified rehabilitation counselors.

A baby goat, otherwise known as a kid, is bottlefed by a Langston University student.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY RECEIVES $1.5 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR AGRICULTURE RESEARCH

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By Christina Gray, Media Relations Specialist

LANGSTON, Okla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) partners with Langston University to monitor trends in agriculture education and the future of agriculture-related careers.

“We are ideally positioned to provide new insight into the rapidly developing field of agriculture,” said Marvin Burns, Ph. D., Dean of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Langston University. “We are grateful for the financial support of this important research and look forward to sharing the results next year.”

The research conducted by grantees will provide important data relating to the sustainable control of greenhouse gas emission by ruminant livestock; students with disabilities; food and agricultural science career pathway awareness and opportunities; the establishment of a state-of-the-art centralized laboratory to reinforce agriculture classes; enhancing health and productivity of dairy goats using smart technology, and the comparison of biological control of red cedar with goats to conventional methods of control.

Grants were awarded to the following individuals:

Project Director: Arthur Louis Goetsch, Ph. D.; The School of Agriculture

Project Director: Steve Zeng, Ph. D.; The School of Agriculture

Project Director: Terry Gipson, Ph. D.; The School of Agriculture

Project Director: Steve Hart, Ph. D.; The School of Agriculture

Project Director: Phillip D. Lewis, Ph. D.; The School of Education

Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, OK. Langston offers more than 38 degree programs, including 5 masters degrees and one doctoral program. The Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources aims to familiarize students with modern agriculture, encourage personal development and prepare them to successfully address environmental, rural, urban and general community needs. Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, Oklahoma. For more information on the School of Agriculture at Langston University, visit http://www.langston.edu/academics/school/agriculture-and-applied-sciences/.