06/15/2026
UMKC business student researcher Jackie Gildo and her mentor Angela Cottrell are helping make fresh produce more accessible with a new undergraduate certificate in controlled-environment agriculture!
What began as a single hydroponic growing system in Flarsheim Hall has already produced and donated more than 180 pounds of lettuce to the Kangaroo Pantry in the Dr. Raj Bala Agrawal Care Center.
The certificate provides students with hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture, food systems and workforce development. It is supported by a $730,000+ USDA-NIFA-funded, multi-university initiative between UMKC, Mizzou, Kansas State University and Kansas State University Olathe.
Learn how this UMKC student-staff duo is advancing solutions to food insecurity while creating new educational pathways: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/june/umkc-student-staff-duo-launch-agriculture-certificate-to-address-food-insecurity.html