Ryan McCoy Awarded Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

By Brian Laubscher
October 8, 2024

Ryan McCoy, assistant professor of environmental studies at Washington and Lee University, has been awarded a two-year, $75,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA grant provides two summers of funding for an undergraduate research position to analyze survey data and provide summary reports for individual services and project phases at the USDA Midwest Climate Hub (MCH). McCoy will collaborate with Kristine Micheletti, a doctoral student at Iowa State University and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow at the MCH, and W&L student Tetiana "Tania" Kozachanska '26. He hopes to add another student research position through the W&L Summer Research Scholars program.

"Having worked with the MCH before my appointment at W&L, I am excited to continue this partnership and research," said McCoy. "I'm also excited to share the critical work on climate change and food systems being performed at the USDA with our students at W&L."

The USDA Midwest Climate Hub produces, translates and utilizes climate information and knowledge to aid in decision making that can serve to minimize climate-related risks to agricultural production. This timely and tailored information is a critical resource for bolstering climate resiliency and adaptation to avoid disruptions to food systems and food security.

"Climate services are an indispensable tool for providing farmers and other agricultural stakeholders with the information they need to adapt to climate changes and mitigate broader social risks," said McCoy. "Our study will address how climate services from the Midwest Climate Hub have impacted the $76 billion agricultural industry in the Midwest and highlights ways to improve these services. This research will likewise provide a framework for other USDA Climate Hubs across the country to conduct similar assessments with hopes of bolstering climate resiliency across the nation."

McCoy's team seeks to provide a baseline measure of the value of MCH services and identify areas for improvement in service delivery and development. The project will work with current MCH partners in the Midwest and Plains regions to review climate services products and consult stakeholders who have used them to determine specific impacts on the agricultural sector.

McCoy joined the W&L faculty this fall after earning a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Kentucky. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Belmont University and a Master of Arts in philosophy from Georgia State University.

The USDA Midwest Climate Hub is located within the National Laboratory for the Agriculture and Environment on the Iowa State University campus in Ames, Iowa. It strives to become the leader in guiding climate-informed decisions that will generate sustainable agroecosystems in the Midwest.

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