[484] MTSU alumnus brings agriculture to life abroad on ‘MTSU On the Record’

MURFREESBORO — An MTSU alumnus who is trying to help drought-stricken farmers in India will be the guest on the next edition of the “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Aaron Shew will air from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, June 1, and from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, June 7, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org).

Shew, a Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native who graduated from MTSU in 2011 with bachelor’s degrees in global studies and international relations, has received a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship as a doctoral student at the University of Arkansas.

The three-year grant will support Shew’s research into changing drought patterns across India and the implications for agriculture production and agrarian communities. Shew said his work will include several trips to India.

“I just spent a year in India studying Hindi,” Shew said. “For me, graduate school is research. It is a lot of data and computer work. But all of that, to me, seems useless if I can’t talk to the farmer on the ground and have some impact at that level.”

At MTSU, Shew received an MTSU study abroad grant in 2008 and a critical languages scholarship in 2009 and 2010, as well as the Harry Horne International Relations Scholarship. While at MTSU, his studies took him to Thailand, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Mexico and India.

Upon graduating from MTSU, Shew worked for SALT International, a nonprofit organization that assists farmers in developing countries. He helped farmers in northern Iraq and Afghanistan learn how to grow and process soybeans.

In 2013, Shew received the Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Arkansas to pursue a doctoral degree in environmental dynamics. He completed his master’s degree in geography, learning about the applications of geographic information systems in assessing food insecurity issues.

To listen to previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to www.mtsunews.com and click the “more” link under “Audio Clips.”

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.