By Blake Jackson
Kentucky State University’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources recently advanced its land-grant mission by hosting an intensive training workshop on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+) through its Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Environmental Security.
The five-day program, held August 25-29, took place in both the GIS Laboratory in Hunter Hall and the computer lab at the Cooperative Extension Building.
The workshop was conducted in partnership with Texas A&M University AgriLife Research, where the SWAT model was originally developed.
SWAT+ is a basin-scale, process-based tool widely used to simulate surface and groundwater systems. It enables scientists and practitioners to evaluate land use impacts, model runoff and sediment flows, and assess the effectiveness of conservation practices.
The software also supports watershed planning, land use change analysis, and environmental impact assessments at regional and global scales.
Participants included graduate students, faculty, researchers, and early-career professionals from Kentucky State and the University of Kentucky. In total, 30 individuals attended: 18 graduate students, six research associates, three faculty members, two doctoral students, and one additional researcher.
At the closing ceremony, attendees reflected on their experiences.
“This training opened my mind to many things I didn’t know before,” said Samuel Oshikoya, a Kentucky State research associate. “It makes a whole lot of sense now that I can utilize SWAT and QGIS for future research projects.”
Jordan Spears, a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky, added, “SWAT has a steep learning curve, and this workshop helped fill that gap. Calibration and decision tables were completely new to me and very helpful.”
Dipesh Oli, a KSU research associate, noted, “This course equipped me with essential calibration and simulation skills.”
Organizing support from Ife Familusi, research associate in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, was key to the workshop’s success.
“The way this program was designed, we wanted participants to run into problems that’s how graduate students really learn,” Familusi said. “Navigating and troubleshooting data is as important as running the model itself.”
Dr. Buddhi Gyawali, principal investigator, highlighted how the workshop aligns with Kentucky State’s land-grant mission. Dr. Marcus Bernard, dean of the college, added, “This is not just about software, it’s about connection and collaboration. The knowledge you gained will help drive solutions for Kentucky agriculture and beyond, which is the real outcome of this program.”
Photo Credit: kentucky-state-university-
Categories: Kentucky, Education, Rural Lifestyle, Sustainable Agriculture