CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University (DSU) celebrates the achievements of its environmental science students and faculty, who coauthored a prominent article in the Fall 2025 issue of the Plant Science Bulletin. This accomplishment highlights the exceptional opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in meaningful research, develop leadership skills, and contribute to real-world scientific advancements within the Division of Mathematics and Sciences.
The article, titled “INBRE Grant Promotes Student Leadership in Testing Manmade Chemicals on Weedy Plants in the Mississippi Delta,” showcases how DSU students take active roles in innovative projects. Coauthored by December 2025 graduates Donald Coleman and Olivia Pharr, alongside faculty members Dr. Nina L. Baghai-Riding, Dr. Severine Groh, and Dr. William Katembe, the piece emphasizes student-driven contributions to botanical and environmental sciences. Through a 2024 Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Research Initiation Grant, led by Baghai-Riding as principal investigator with Groh, Katembe and Dr. Chuck Smithhart, students gained hands-on experience using sophisticated equipment and mastering advanced concepts typically reserved for graduate-level or professional settings.
At the 2025 Botanical Society of America conference in Palm City, California, Baghai-Riding presented a poster on the project, authored by Coleman, Pharr, and the faculty team. The poster drew praise from Dr. Carolina M. Siniscalchi, editor of the Plant Science Bulletin and Assistant Professor Data Science Coordinator at Mississippi State University Libraries. Impressed by the undergraduates’ procedures, methods, and command of complex topics, Siniscalchi encouraged submission of a manuscript focusing on the skills and results gained by the students. The resulting article, submitted by Baghai-Riding and accepted for the Fall 2025 issue, graces the journal’s cover page.
This recognition from the Botanical Society of America’s widely circulated peer-reviewed forum underscores DSU’s commitment to fostering undergraduate research that extends beyond classrooms. Students like Coleman and Pharr not only coauthor publications but also investigate pressing issues affecting the Mississippi Delta and beyond. These experiences equip them with practical skills in fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and collaborative problem-solving, preparing them for careers in science, veterinary medicine, and environmental health.
Coleman, an Environmental Science and Biology (pre-veterinarian) major from Greenville, reflected on his involvement. “This project has been a satisfying experience that has given me an opportunity to improve my ability to work with others and gain hands-on experience in both the field and the laboratory.”
Pharr, an Environmental Science and Biology major from Charleston, shared her perspective. “Working on this project has provided skills and knowledge that are used to investigate problems and threats to human, animal, and plant health. This includes researching the impact of pesticide exposure within local agricultural communities in the Mississippi Delta and the state of Mississippi. I am blessed to have good mentors who have taught and trusted me to perform complicated procedures and use expensive equipment that I wouldn’t have otherwise learned or used until graduate school or within a government or corporate lab setting.”
The Plant Science Bulletin serves as an informal platform for sharing innovative teaching methods, career development, and societal relevance of plant sciences, making it an ideal venue for highlighting DSU’s student-centered approach.
The featured article is available at https://botany.org/home/publications/plant-science-bulletin.html.
For more information on the Environmental Science degree program at Delta State University, contact Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding at nbaghai@deltastate.edu.
