CANR student club grants fuel experiential learning opportunities
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EmailMade possible by gifts to the CANR Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, student club grants deliver annual financial support for student groups pursuing experiential learning projects and events.
For nearly 20 years, student organizations at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) have benefited from financial support provided by the CANR Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.
The CANR Alumni Board awards funding twice a year to eligible student organizations for special projects, conferences, research symposiums and other impactful learning opportunities. This fall, over $9,000 in student club grants were awarded to nine CANR student organizations. These grants ranged from $500-$2,500.
Students club grants are made possible by gifts to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. In addition to contributions from alumni and friends, generous support from Michigan Farm Bureau has made additional grants available during the 2025-2026 academic year!
As part of MSU’s annual Give Green Day initiative on Tuesday, March 10, CANR is launching a campaign aimed at raising $15,000 for the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. Reaching this fundraising goal will help the Alumni Board expand grant funding opportunities for student organization and keep this vital resource available for future CANR Spartans.
Thanks to a challenge gift provided by Michigan Farm Bureau, CANR will match the first $5,000 in gifts to the student club grants project on Give Green Day.
“Michigan Farm Bureau is proud to partner with the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in support of Give Green Day and the grants provided to student clubs.” said Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCross. “These student organizations play a vital role in developing the next generation of agricultural leaders, offering hands-on experiences that complement the outstanding education students receive in the classroom. Many of these young leaders go on to become our members, interns, employees and valued partners across Michigan’s agricultural community. We’re honored to invest in their success.”
Empowering the next generation
Receiving a fall 2025 student club grant from the Alumni Board helped the Forestry Graduate Student Organization host their 11th annual research symposium.
For Parker Hopkins, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Forestry, receiving a student club grant from the Alumni Board represented a meaningful investment from the CANR community in the next generation of professionals and researchers.
In addition to being a valuable educational experience, Hopkins said this event helped club members foster a stronger sense of the forestry community on campus and connect their current work to alumni leaders in the field.
“Receiving this financial support directly enabled several of our graduate students to present their research for the first time,” said Hopkins. “Your generosity makes it possible for us to take our research outside the university and into the professional spaces where it can influence real-world forest management."
Fall 2025 student club grants supported a variety of undergraduate and graduate led initiatives, including:
- Agronomy Club — Pre‑Career Fair Mixer
- Animal Science Undergraduate Research Student Association — Animal Science Undergraduate Research Forum
- CANR Student Senate — Small Animals Day
- The Food and Nutrition Association — Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference
- Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) Graduate Student Association — FSHN Spring Research Forum and Awards Ceremony
- Forestry Graduate Student Organization — 11th Annual Forestry Graduate Student Organization Symposium
- Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) — 40th MANRRS Annual Training Conference and Career Expo
- Pre‑Veterinary Medical Association — American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association Symposium
- Student Horticulture Association — National Collegiate Landscape Competition
Animal Science Undergraduate Research Student Association (ASURSA) President Charlotte Ludorf (’26, Department of Animal Science) said student club grant funding has helped club members gain hands-on research experience, expand their animal science knowledge and practice presenting at a research conference.
The experience has also had a profound impact on her own academic and career trajectory. “After joining multiple research projects through ASURSA, I discovered how passionate I am about improving animal health and welfare through research,” she said. “I am now planning on staying at MSU and getting my masters, focusing on non-ruminant nutrition and finding alternatives to antibiotics.”
To date, the CANR Alumni Board has awarded nearly 250 student club grants, totaling more than $175,000 in funding. Approximately 15 student clubs benefit annually from awards provided through the CANR Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.
To learn more about how you can make a difference on Give Green Day, visits CANR’s featured student club grants project page. Details on how to apply for student club funding can be found here.Thank you to our partners at Michigan Farm Bureau for their generous support of student club grant funding.
