UW student Jack McKinley, of Oxford, Ohio, works in a Crop King controlled environment agriculture facility during his summer internship in Ohio. (Crop King Photo)
This fall, the University of Wyoming is launching the Controlled Environment Agriculture
(CEA) Network, a transformative initiative to accelerate workforce development, research
and innovation in one of agriculture’s fastest-growing sectors.
“The CEA Network connects people, ideas and resources to build a thriving ecosystem
for innovation and workforce development in Wyoming and beyond,” says Parag Chitnis,
UW vice president for research and economic development. “By fostering collaboration
among industry, academia and communities, we’re preparing students for the jobs of
the future while advancing CEA technology.”
CEA is a modern approach to food production in which crops are grown in controlled
environments to optimize growth and yield year-round. Leveraging UW’s Plant Growth
and Phenotyping Facility, the network will provide hands-on training, industry partnerships
and a place to test new technologies.
The CEA Network is part of the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, a state-led initiative
to diversify and modernize Wyoming’s economy, and aligns with UW’s Center for CEA
within the Science Initiative. Although other CEA groups have been launched around
the United States, the UW network’s focus on workforce development and active collaboration
among all members is novel.
The network connects industry partners and other CEA stakeholders so that they can
collaborate on projects, share knowledge and engage in joint research and discussions.
Participants will help drive CEA workforce development by exposing students to CEA
technologies and providing hands-on experiences and internships. Participants can
collaborate on grant-writing efforts and use UW’s Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility
as a testbed for research and development.
The initiative was created and coordinated by Carmela Rosaria Guadagno, director of
the facility and newly appointed director of UW’s Center for CEA.
“The CEA Network emerged organically from the growing momentum around CEA at UW, around
the state and across collaborating states,” Guadagno says. “It has been fueled by
significant state investments, which have been instrumental in advancing infrastructure,
research and workforce development in this rapidly expanding field.”
UW’s focus on workforce development and active collaboration between companies is
unique among other CEA groups. Michael Baldwin, assistant research scientist and facility
manager of UW’s Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility, has been instrumental for industry
recruitment, bringing a valuable business perspective that complements academic expertise.
Early partners include Vertical Harvest, in collaboration with Central Wyoming College,
as well as Wyoming-based farms Papa Joe’s Produce and Tén Galon; established CEA companies
such as Crop King and RAYN Growing Systems; and startups, including Harvest Today,
Rooted Robotics and PAGE Technologies. International companies, including European
Photon Systems Instruments and Bluelab from New Zealand, also have joined the network.
“This represents a true win-win, where companies not only provide valuable exposure
and hands-on opportunities for our students, but they also connect with one another
to address the pressing challenges in this rapidly evolving industry,” Guadagno says.
“The enthusiasm from industry partners has been truly inspiring.”
The CEA Network welcomes participation from businesses, academic institutions and
other organizations. To join or learn more, email Guadagno at cguadagn@uwyo.edu.
