In 2018, Lubbock voters passed a $130 million bond to create the new Agri-STEM Center, a state-of-the art facility aimed at providing Lubbock ISD students with industry-based certifications and agricultural experiences.  

 In partnership with Texas Tech University, the Agri-STEM Center opened its doors in 2024 and now serves as a hub for all five LISD schools. Located on the corner of Fourth Street and Quaker Avenue near the Texas Tech campus, the  center is focused on providing career- 
building opportunities for students, many of whom are economically disadvantaged. 

Zach Brady, an at-large member of the Lubbock ISD school board and a 1995 graduate from Texas Tech, was an advocate for the center from the start.  

It is a world-class facility for high school agriscience instruction, and it would not have been possible without the partnership of Texas Tech.

Zach Brady

“It is a world class facility for high school agri-science instruction, and it would not have been possible without the partnership of Texas Tech,” Brady said.     

Brady said the convenient, central location within the city was a crucial factor when planning out the center. 

“That location is important to Lubbock ISD from a practical standpoint because it allows students from each of our five high schools to easily access that building,” Brady said.    

Brady said the COVID-19 pandemic and construction cost inflation suspended the building process. Despite the delays, the center opened its doors for students for the first time in the  
fall 2023.      

Experiential learning is a core purpose of the Agri-STEM Center in how it provides curriculum and hands-on experiences for high students, Brady explained. At the center, students are active participants in a vibrant ecosystem of discovery.   

Whether it is engaging in hands-on activities, collaborating on research projects with Texas Tech faculty, or delving into outdoor labs focused on soil conservation, every experience at the center is designed to give high school students innovative learning opportunities.    

“These programs are very practical and will be very career-oriented for students,” Brady said.     

Scott Burris, Ph.D., chair for the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, has served on the advisory board for LISD. Burris, who is a professor in agricultural education and a former high school agriculture science teacher, said he knew the Agri-STEM Center could open the door for many collaborative opportunities between the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech and LISD students.     

“We have got a lot of support rallied around the Agri-STEM Center and a lot of engagement in what is happening out there,” Burris said. “It makes me really happy to see these relationships take place and how much of impact we can have at the center.”       

Building a Foundation    

The Agri-STEM Center has a staff dedicated to nurturing student growth and fostering valuable learning opportunities within students. Connor McKinzie, a 2021 animal science graduate from Texas Tech, is the Talkington FFA Advisor and on staff at the Agri-STEM Center. McKinzie teaches a horticulture course where students learn about sustainability efforts during plant growth.    

In McKinzie’s classroom, a self-sufficient hydroponic garden tower stands in the corner of the classroom by a window and propagation stand. The tower and seedlings allow for hands-on learning activities in the classroom and students work together to maintain the health of the plants.   

As a teacher, McKinzie said he follows the high impact learning model he experienced as a student in the Davis College.  

“My model of teaching is the more hands on we can be with students and the more engaged we can get them to be in the lesson, hopefully, the more that’s going to stick and the better they’re going to be moving forward,” 
McKinzie said.  

Through hands-on lessons and interactive activities, McKinzie says his students are more engaged in the classroom. He challenges students to interact in open discussion and empowers them to participate in creative classroom and lab activities, such as planting seedlings in the hydroponic tower and having students make their own greenhouses with popsicle sticks.   

McKinzie said he tries to foster an environment where curiosity thrives and learning transcends traditional boundaries.     

“Getting to do stuff like that is really neat, and being inside a new building like this helps us provide a top of the line experience,” McKinzie said. “It is extremely nice, functional and spacious.”    

McKinzie said in fall of 2024, he will be teaching a meat science course where students will get to interact with meat products in the lab at the Agri-STEM Center.   

McKinzie said he wants to leave an impact on students when they leave the program. He wants students to appreciate the opportunities they had as a student at the Agri-STEM Center.     

“As a recent graduate from Texas Tech, I feel like I am uniquely positioned to kind of bridge that partnership with Tech,” McKinzie said.   

McKinzie said having a Tier One research institution like Texas Tech next door has been critical because it has helped open doors to countless research opportunities in his classes and for his students. McKinzie has taken his horticulture class to conduct hands-on labs with Russ Plowman, senior lecturer for horticulture in the Department of Plant and Soil Science.    

McKinzie said working with students is his favorite part about being an agricultural educator because he gets the privilege of working with a variety of students enrolled in all five schools across LISD. The students at the Agri-STEM Center come from a variety of backgrounds and are diverse in every aspect of life.  

Agri-STEM students share the same appreciation for diversity as McKinzie and say their friendships are deeper because of their differences.   

“We are a very diverse group,” Amarachi Uche-Eboh said, a junior horticulture student at LISD. “You would never think we would be as close as we are.”   

 Agri-STEM staff members, like Michelle Pieniazek work to provide experiential learning opportunities to LISD students.   

Michelle Pieniazek, the district coordinator of agricultural education for the Agri-STEM Center, said her journey into agricultural education was deeply rooted in her family history. Her father’s three-decade-long tenure as an agricultural educator sparked her own passion for the field.  

With nine years of being an ag teacher under her belt, Pieniazek said she was primed to seize the opportunity presented by the Agri-STEM Center.    

“I was an ag teachers’ kid and then I became an ag teacher,” Pieniazek said.   

Pieniazek said after learning about the unique program starting at the Agri-STEM Center and the mission and values it holds, she immediately applied for the district coordinator position.    

“Fortunately, they chose me so it was very humbling that they would want me to lead such a big charge,” Pieniazek said.    

Brady was involved in the interview process with Pieniazek, and he said they were extremely lucky to get her on the team to help contribute to the Agri-STEM Center success.    

“The hiring of Michelle Pieniazek was incredibly important,” Brady said. “Having somebody who always thinks about our overall agri-science program from the time she wakes up in the morning till she goes to bed at night; I can’t overstate the importance of having her on our team.”  

Pieniazek said the Agri-STEM Center’s impact extends beyond the high school level. While leading a tour of the center for LISD fifth graders, she asked students how many of them were involved with agriculture.   

“Not many hands went up,” Pieniazek said. “I think that exhibits the underlying misconception in agriculture.”  

She explained to the fifth graders that if they eat or wear clothes, they are always involved with agriculture.     

“You may not be the producer, but you are a consumer, and you are the endpoint of everything that the producer is making,” Pieniazek said. “So, you are very much a valuable part of the agricultural industry.”     

Pieniazek said teaching students about agriculture at a young age is crucial. The Agri-STEM Center serves as a catalyst to reach a lot of students in the Lubbock community to help them understand their connection agriculture.   

Pieniazek said most students at LISD do not come from traditional agricultural backgrounds and only 14% of their students are involved in showing animals. Additionally, 73% of the students at the center are on free and reduced lunches.    

Pieniazek said they try to expose students to the variety of ways they can be engaged with agriculture as a career opportunity.     

“We want to inform students about the wonderful opportunities involved with agriculture,” Pieniazek said. “Whether students decide to go straight to the workforce or pursue a post-secondary degree, they can do that as well.”   

Expanding Horizons  

The Agri-STEM Center offers five different pathways students can take to shape their coursework and projects. McKinzie said students can choose animal science systems, plant systems, environmental natural resource systems, food science and technology, and soon they will be able to consider agricultural communications, business and leadership pathways.   

Each pathway available at the center is accompanied by a variety of courses that complement the subjects and prepare students for their potential future careers.     

“There are a ton of opportunities for students to really find their niche and their passion and not just be someone who starts a pathway, but is able to carry on and complete it,” McKinzie said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening here, and I think as we continue to grow and expand, those course offerings will only continue to grow as LISD students hear about the wonderful things their classmates are doing at the Agri-STEM Center.”     

Before LISD students embark on their agricultural journey at the Agri-STEM Center, they must complete the Principles of Agriculture course at their home LISD campus, McKinzie said. This course serves as a springboard for their time at the Agri-STEM Center where they are immersed in a rich foundation of experiential learning and hands-on exploration.    

 Texas Tech’s partnership with the Agri-STEM Center amplifies the educational experience, providing students with unparalleled opportunities for academic and professional growth. Through collaborations with Texas Tech faculty, LISD students gain invaluable insights and hands-on experience in their chosen pathway,  while being exposed to higher education opportunities.    

Hannah Stuart, a senior horticulture student at LISD, said her horticulture classes regularly participate in hands-on lab activities at the Texas Tech Horticulture Gardens and Greenhouse Complex.    

“We are always doing hands-on things in Mr. McKinzie’s horticulture class,” Stuart said. “Getting to do lab activities at Texas Tech is a lot of fun.”  

Other Davis College faculty who are working collaboratively with students at the Agri-STEM Center include Department of Plant and Soil Science faculty Scott Longing, Ph.D., associate professor of entomology, and Vikram Baliga, Ph.D., an assistant professor of practice.  

Longing been working with classes at the Agri-STEM Center to plant native grasses behind the facility with hopes they will attract pollinators in the spring. Baliga, who is also the manager of Texas Tech’s Horticulure Gardens and Greenhouse Complex, has been working with the Agri-STEM Center’s horticulture career pathway to teach students about various greenhouse techniques.     

As these connections continue to flourish, Burris envisions a future where the Agri-STEM Center serves as an unmatched gateway to academic and professional success.     

“We hope that over time, we will have more and more connections where Texas Tech faculty are taking programs to the Agri-STEM Center, exposing those students to career pathways, academic opportunities, and with hope of seeing students back at Texas Tech in a couple of years,” Burris said. 

Blossoming Success  

At the Agri-STEM Center, the hallmark of success extends beyond its faculty and staff to include the remarkable success of its students. Among them are two standout individuals who have spearheaded projects aimed at advancing agricultural sustainability efforts within agricultural practices.     

Hannah Stuart and Amarachi Uche-Eboh, both driven by a shared passion for environmental stewardship, have embarked on ambitious initiatives to foster sustainability within the agricultural landscape. Their dedication to the cause has not only garnered recognition, but has also become emblematic of the center’s commitment to cultivating innovation and responsibility among its student body.     

Stuart is a senior at Talkington School for Young Women Leaders and will be attending Texas Tech in the fall. Stuart said in the first semester of the project, they drafted a research paper over a specific topic and learned how to navigate the research process.     

“That was a big learning curve, but I am glad I got to figure that out before I go to college,” Stuart said.    

Stuart said in the second semester, they will make a product based on the topic they chose to write about in their research paper.     

Stuart’s paper focused on the economic and environmental effects of plastic pollution on farming, and how it will affect farming in the future. For the project, she created biodegradable plastics by worked with Kalavathy Rajan, Ph.D., an assistant professor for the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute at Texas Tech.     

“It is made from ionic liquid, which is a vinegar-based salt in some recycled paper, and we mix that together through either convectional or microwave heating,” Stuart said. “When we heated up the ionic fluid it just kind of evaporated away and so it just left with that recycled paper. Basically, the biodegradable plastic is just like paper, which I find pretty cool.”     

Stuart said once she got all the films she made, she worked with Texas Tech Plant and Soil Science faculty members, Russell Wallace, Ph.D., and Thayne Montague, Ph.D.      

Stuart said she has used different pots with strawberry plants to watch how micro-plastics impact growth and health. Commercial strawberry farms use plastic over the plants, which often gets tilled into the soil and leads to micro-plastics. Stuart said she was inspired by this practice to work toward a better solution: biodegradable plastic.   

“We are supposed to have a population of 10 billion come by 2050, which is the most people we have ever had with the least number of resources we have ever had,” Stuart said. “Using biodegradable plastics would be a good alternative compared to using commercial polyethylene plastics.”    

So far, Stuart is seeing success as strawberries flower with the biodegradable plastics. This development proves suggests it can lead to more sustainable farming practices in the future. When there is a larger population, feeding a hungry world while practicing safe, practical farming efforts will rely on innovations like Stuart’s.   

 Uche-Eboh is a junior at Talkington School for Young Women Leaders and has been working on her project since her sophomore year in high school. Uche-Eboh said she got the idea for her project from her family’s background being from rural Nigeria.     

“They do not have adequate amounts of electricity where my family is from,” Uche-Eboh said. “I wanted to create something that was renewable, but also produced efficient amount of energy, which is how I came up with bio thermal energy by taking methane gas from pig manure and cow manure turning that into a trustee by replacing it with natural gas.”     

Uche-Eboh said she has been working with Jhones Sarturi, PhD., an associate professor in beef cattle nutrition and metabolism at Texas Tech. Uche-Eboh said she has been able to measure methane production through facilities at Texas Tech and she has been able to present her project at the regional science fair competition.     

“In the future, I hope I can present my project for the FFA at state convention and talk about how we can not only fight environmental degradation but provide energy to least developed regions,” Uche-Eboh said.     

Stuart and Uche-Eboh said Texas Tech’s partnership with the Agri-STEM Center has provided plentiful resources and connections for their research on their ecological-conscious projects. Stuart said working with Texas Tech faculty and researchers has not only been great for networking, but it also made her want to put extra effort into the project she created.     

“When meeting professors at Texas Tech, you get a glimpse about college life – the research opportunities that are available and the classroom opportunities – before actually going into college,” Uche-Eboh said.  

Ambitions and Aspirations  

 Looking forward, the Agri-STEM Center hopes to continue as a collaborative hub for education, innovation and community engagement.   

“We want to expose people, educate people, and empower people to feel good about agriculture and know more about if they have questions to seek what we are doing to help teach the next generation,” McKinzie said. 

Cade Millenbine, Lead Writer; Emma Taber, Photo Director; Macey Edwards, Design Coordinator; Rachyl Kitten, Digital and Advertising Manager

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