Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund awards grant for “Project Hatch”

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund recently awarded Concordia Nebraska Assistant Professor of Agricultural Science Dr. Kimberly Clark a grant for $5,000 to begin “Project Hatch” at Concordia, which would introduce students to real-life small livestock management.  

Clark said that “Project Hatch” was created with the desire to grow the university’s agriculture program, which currently focuses primarily on crop and large livestock management.  

“When considering additional hands-on opportunities for the agriculture students on campus, incubating and hatching poultry seemed to be the next logical approach,” she said. “Much of our curriculum focuses on crops and large livestock animals and Project Hatch provides students of all interests with hands-on learning opportunities. Project Hatch merges classroom curriculum and small-scale livestock management. Attracting students with interests in poultry production from beginning a layer or broiler operation to backyard production also contributes to the growth of the agriculture program and Concordia.”  

Concordia Nebraska’s agricultural programs include the agricultural science major, K-12 agricultural education major and the agribusiness concentration.  

“We are looking forward to watching this project guide the growth and development of the agriculture program at Concordia University,” Clark said.  

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund was developed as part of Concordia’s SALT and LIGHT strategic plan to encourage and celebrate faculty and student scholarship, with a particular focus on how different disciplines intersect with the Christian faith. Learn more about the fund her