PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (February 6, 2025) – Ram Ray, Ph.D., P.E., a leading researcher and professor in the College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources at Prairie View A&M University, has been awarded more than $80,000 in grant funding by Texas A&M AgriLife Research through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grant will support his work in developing climate-smart cotton farming practices to address climate change in the U.S. Cotton Belt.
Ram Ray, Ph.D.
Ray will lead PVAMU’s efforts to advance sustainable agriculture by mentoring two undergraduate students each year from the second through fifth year of the project. His research will involve hands-on training at the PVAMU research farm, where students will learn precision agricultural techniques and regenerative farming practices tailored to cotton production.
Through a summer internship program, Ray will recruit and mentor students, guiding them in research, report preparation, and presentations. He will also participate in project meetings and provide progress reports to the principal investigator. Beyond individual mentorship, his work will impact approximately 100 undergraduate students through hands-on demonstrations, incorporating emerging technologies such as drones to enhance learning and application in the field.
By training future agricultural leaders and promoting climate-smart farming methods, Ray’s initiative will help strengthen sustainable cotton production in southern Texas and beyond.
By Joe McGinty