INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 17, 2020) – AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to fuel growth in the state’s agbioscience economy, announced today the Field Atlas Ambassadors program, a peer-to-peer program that enables college students to explore a variety of agbioscience careers. This program is a function of Field Atlas, the career exploration platform announced earlier this week that informs high school and college students about the kinds of diverse professions in the growing agbiosciences industry.

Field Atlas Ambassadors will connect the dots between courses of study and the opportunities in the agbiosciences. The ambassadors will talk with students, professors and academic advisors about career paths in the agbioscience industry. Depending on their location, an ambassador may represent more than one college campus.

For the 2020-2021 school year, Field Atlas has selected these students to represent the program:

  • Abby Celentano – Junior, Purdue University
  • Caitlyn Lewis – Freshman, Huntington University
  • Hannah McGee – Senior, Butler University
  • Kyle Walker – Senior, University of Notre Dame
  • Kennedy Walton – Junior, Hanover College
  • Jill Zurcher – Sophomore, Purdue University

“Our Field Atlas Ambassadors provide a powerful peer-to-peer amplification to our online Field Atlas career exploration platform,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “These students represent diverse backgrounds, diverse courses of study and enable us to inspire and enable students to engage with Field Atlas and see first hand the incredible careers available in agbioscience – from biologist to data scientist.”

While Indiana’s talent in core agbiosciences occupations is aligned with demand, the industry struggles to attract talent in allied occupations, such as business and technology, according to the 2016 AgriNovus and TEConomy Partners study, “Indiana Agbiosciences: Ensuring a Sustainable Workforce for our Future”.

The site is also available for universities and employers. Universities can use Field Atlas to improve job placement by understanding what types of jobs are available at different agbioscience companies and provide additional context for agbioscience careers. Employers using the site gain the opportunity to share more information about their company, what they do, their company culture and the types of careers they offer.  

To experience Field Atlas, visit www.myfieldatlas.com.

The launch of Field Atlas comes less than two weeks after AgriNovus Indiana launched its first-ever Producer-Led Innovation Challenge. Presented by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Challenge is designed to create new solutions that solve critical gaps in farm management software defined by a panel of three progressive Indiana farmers. Learn more about the Challenge online at www.AgriNovusIndiana.com/Challenge.

About AgriNovus Indiana 

AgriNovus Indiana is the state’s initiative focused on advancing the agbiosciences sector as a nationally recognized leader through education, research and talent development; strategic collaborations among corporations, industry associations, government and universities; the creation and support of new companies; and branding and targeted promotions to elevate the sector. AgriNovus Indiana is part of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), an effort dedicated to the region’s continued prosperity and growth. To learn more about AgriNovus Indiana, visit www.agrinovusindiana.com.