Subteams

Agricultural Technology Program Team

This team is dedicated to creating a certificate program to bring more technology to the rural agricultural sector in Alabama. The main goals of this Agricultural Technology Certificate are listed below:

1. This program will produce a workforce that is prepared for the current and future challenges facing the agricultural sector.   
2. This program will provide the residents of Alabama with the skills needed to secure high-quality, well-paying jobs in the agricultural sector.
3. This program will ensure that agricultural businesses and owners will have access to skilled professionals needed to adopt new technologies and improve productivity.

Industrial & Systems Engineering Team

This team, led by Dr. Gregory Harris, is exploring the use of sensors to track continuous improvement projects in three sectors.

1. In the poultry and forestry industries, sensors are being placed to track various stages of processing. This information will be used to implement further improvements to each phase of the process to optimize the final product. This will be turned into a standard operating procedure that can be used at different facilities throughout rural Alabama.
2. Sensor will be used to monitor portions of the milling process of the forestry industry. This information will be used to optimize the continuous improvement of the machines to prevent downtime.
3. This team is also building a request for proposal (RFP) program that will be available to academia and industry. The goal is to fund great projects from different groups that can have a positive impact on technology in the poultry and forestry industries in rural Alabama. 

Cyber Security Team

This team, led by Jonathan Sherk and Tucker Simpson from the McCrary Institute, is dedicated to addressing the cybersecurity risks that come with introducing new technologies to the forestry and poultry industries in Alabama. They have extensive experience in offensive and defensive cyber operations, policy expertise, and workforce training to mitigate these risks.

1. The cyber team is investigating operational technology used in forestry, poultry, and rural water industries to identify specific cybersecurity risks and help these rural industries in Alabama understand the impact of cybersecurity incidents and improve their resilience.
2. The team will assess past, present, and future technologies to understand current attack surfaces in these environments and to prevent future incidents
3. The cyber team is working to build trust with industries, engaging in discussions of part cybersecurity incidents, and offering consultancy services such as open-source intelligence, vulnerability assessments, policy support, training, and guidance on cyber security solutions.

Biosystems Engineering Team

This team is led by Dr. Brendan Higgins and their goal is to develop profitable and sustainable solutions for poultry wastewater and dissolved air flotation (DAF). A few ways they are working to assist rural Alabama are listed below:

1. The team is working to develop a new applications for the poultry wastewater and DAF that could increase the nutritional value in soil.

2. Dr. Iris Erramuspe is developing biosensors to provide real time data for processes in the poultry industry.

3. They are working to develop ways to lower the odor of the wastewater, which would allow the waste to be used in more applications.

Social Science Team

This team, led by Dr. Mykel Taylor and Dr. Kelli Russell, is dedicated to supporting rural Alabama through a three-pronged approach: 

1. They have been conducting in-person interviews with sawmill owners, managers and procurement personnel to document the challenges facing the forestry products industry in rural Alabama. A similar process will take place for the poultry industry after the forestry interviews have been completed.
2. They are developing a farm poll, set to launch in the Winter of 2025, which will be distributed across the southeast every two years. This poll will focus on the outlook and perspective of the farmers.
3. Additionally, they are creating a rural poll that will be launched this fall, which will also be distributed biennially. The goal of this survey is to gather information on workforce issues as well as community belonging and staying behavior.

Forestry & Poultry Team

This team, led by Dr. Jo Daniel and Dr. William Dozier, is focused on educating the workforce by creating hands-on technology and studying the environmental impacts of machines and equipment used in the poultry and forestry industries.

1. Safe operation of equipment is vital to any industry. This team is working to develop forestry simulators. The simulators will train operators to safely and efficiently operate harvesters, forwarders, wheeled feller bunchers and skidders.
2. The use of machinery in forestry creates emissions. This team is working to study emissions associated with the machines and with the trucking transportation of the cut trees.
3. This team is also studying the emissions associated with the transport of live poultry.