The first annual conference of minorities in agriculture and natural resources was held in East Lansing, Michigan, on the campus of Michigan State University. The theme of the 1986, April 4-5 meeting was Progressive Agriculture in the Eighties. A primary focus of the conference was the problem of how to organize student disciplinary interests groups on university campuses. The basic format for future conferences, even after MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) came on the scene, was set at this first meeting. It featured a role model keynote speaker, various workshops, and corporate/graduate school information/recruitment activities. Much emphasis was also placed on informal networking among students and professionals from disciplines in the agricultural sciences and from different geographic locations. Over 40 students and faculty from six colleges participated (Michigan State University, The Pennsylvania State University, Fort Valley State College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Prairie View A&M University, and the University of Idaho, Moscow).
Currently, MANRRS conferences include a general session, formal meals with keynote speakers, various cutting edge workshops, student contests, professional scientific presentations, business meetings, and a Career Fair that focuses on corporate/graduate school information and recruitment activities.
Just as it was in the beginning, MANRRS still places much emphasis on informal networking among students and professionals with diverse agricultural and related science backgrounds from different geographic locations throughout the United States.
MANRRS CONFERENCE TIMELINE
Conference Dates, Locations, Partners, & Themes
March 29-31, 2007 Birmingham, AL "MANRRS: Innovation, Exploration and Discovery”
Tuskegee University, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
March 30-April 1, 2006 St. Louis, MO “MANRRS: The Signature of Success”
Monsanto, University of Missouri-Columbia, USDA Farm Service Agency
March 31-April 2, 2005 Pittsburgh, PA "Encouraging Innovation, Promoting Diversity, Achieving Excellence"
The Pennsylvania State University, DuPont Crop Protection, USDA APHIS-Veterinary Services, USDA Farm Service Agency
March 25-27, 2004 Des Moines, IA "Building on the Past, Embracing the Present, And Shaping the Future"
Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc, Iowa State University, John Deere, Cargill
March 27 - 29, 2003 Atlanta, GA "MANRRS - Pursuing Excellence in Leadership, Scholarship, and Service”
University of Georgia, USDA Forest Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Fort Valley State University
April 4-6, 2002 Portland, OR “Developing One Nation: Bringing Together Culture, Diversity and Technology”
USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon State University, Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Washington, University of California at Davis, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
March 30 - April 1, 2001 Washington, DC “MANRRS in the Millennium - Remembering Our Past and Embracing Our Future”
Region V, Purdue University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
March 30 - April 1, 2000 Lexington, KY “MANRRS 2000: Making Today's Dreamers Tomorrow's Leaders” Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky
April 8-10, 1999 Roanoke, VA “MANRRS: A Diversity of Cultures, A Diversity of Opportunities”
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, North Carolina A&T University
April 2-4, 1998 Des Moines, IA “Science and Information Technology For Tomorrow”
Iowa State University
April 3-5, 1997 Baton Rouge, LA “MANRRS - The Catalyst for Change: Empowerment for the Future” Southern University and A&M College and Louisiana State University and A&M College
March 28-30, 1996 College Station, TX “Networking in the Information Age"
Texas A&M University
March 30-April 1, 1995 East Lansing, MI “MANRRS 2000 - A Global Vision “
Michigan State University
April 7-8, 1994 Sacramento, CA “MANRRS: A Mosaic in the Making” USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the University of California at Davis
April 1-3, 1993 Huntsville, AL “Facing the Challenges of Agriculture Now and in the 21st Century”
Alabama A&M University
April 3-4, 1992 West Lafayette, IN “The Changing Face of Agriculture”
Purdue University
April 5-6, 1991 Gainesville, FL “Diversity: The Key to Excellence”
University of Florida, USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region, USDA Soil Conservation Service, the 1890 Association of Research Directors, and the Ford Foundation.
April 5-7, 1990 College Park, MD “Preparing for Our Future and Building on Our Past”
USDA Soil Conservation Service and the University of Delaware College of Agricultural Sciences
April 21-23, 1989 Fort Valley, GA “Graduate Education: Your Key to a Secure Future”
Fort Valley State College
April 8-10, 1988 Princess Anne, MD “Agricultural Sciences: The Place To Be”
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
April 10-11, 1987 University Park, PA “Linkages: Uniting to Face the Challenges of the Future”
The Pennsylvania State University
April 4-5, 1986 East Lansing, MI “Progressive Agriculture in the Eighties”
Michigan State University