Extending a tradition of excellence, over 35 students participated in the SBAR Retreat hosted at the University of Arizona, and more than 25 participated in the student poster contest. Students from each component and partnering institution presented posters that highlighted their specific work and how it is helping to achieve the SBAR project goals. Students discussed their research and its unique contribution to the whole with researchers, Advisory Board members, educators, and other students.

VeeAnder Mealing, a Civil & Environmental Engineering PhD student at Mines was awarded the top prize in the poster competition at the The American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) XVIII Conference held in Fort Collins, Colorado. VeeAnder presented her research on the environmental footprint of guar agriculture, and her work seeks to improve guar feedstock sustainability.

Hadiqa Maqsood, a Biosystems Engineering PhD student at the University of Arizona working with Dr. Peter Waller, was awarded the top prize for the “Best Environmental Presentation” at the 2019 GRAD SLAM. Hadiqa presented her research on irrigation modeling for improving guar crop production in New Mexico and guayule crop production in Arizona.

Over 30 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the inaugural SBAR Retreat hosted at the University of Arizona, and more than 20 participated in the student poster contest.

The 2018 SBAR Retreat took place at the University of Arizona in Tucson in early August, and showcased on-going research that is advancing the project’s outcomes. Researchers, Extension professionals, students and leaders interested in building a sustainable bio-economy in the arid Southwest around guayule and guar crops were in attendance and participated in lively discussions, generated new ideas for future questions, and used the time to network with project colleagues.

SBAR faculty and industry collaborators will serve as mentors for some of the best and brightest high school seniors and college freshman this summer as part of Project Puente. Translated to “bridge” in Spanish, Project Puente engages the next generation of scientists in STEM principles over an intensive 8-week internship. Students are matched with a faculty mentor and imbedded into their research programs, working side by side with faculty, staff, students and industry to solve SBAR research questions.

The SBAR Research Team completed the first guayule plantings in April 2018. Three field locations in Arizona (Eloy, Maricopa, Tucson) and one field location in New Mexico (Las Cruces) were planted and will be monitored over the next few years.