A Creative Inquiry (CI) project looking at one of the biggest crops in the U.S. — soybeans — has been named the Carr Family Endowed CI for 2026. The endowment, which was established with a gift from Chalmers and Lori Anne Carr, owners and operators of Titan Farms, provides support for CI projects related to fruit and vegetable crop production, agriculture industries and rural economic development.
The project, titled “Dissecting Plant Complexity: From Arabidopsis Mutants to Soybean Drought Mechanisms,” is led by Shahid Mukhtar, professor of genetics and biochemistry. It gives students hands-on research experience focusing on soybean anatomy and physiology under stress, such as drought.
Students gain training in specialized technical skills such as tissue sectioning, advanced microscopy and histological analysis to assess plant anatomy. Students analyze how drought and other stressors alter plant tissues, helping them gain a better understanding of how environmental pressures affect agricultural systems.
“The Carr Family Endowed Fund will allow us to provide students with a richer, more immersive research experience as they investigate how soybean plants respond to environmental stress,” said Mukhtar. “This support will expand access to advanced microscopy, imaging, and anatomical analysis techniques that help students connect fundamental plant biology with real-world agricultural challenges.”
The CI project ties in with Mukhtar’s National Science Foundation-funded research studying how heat and drought affect soybeans.
Mukhtar received the 2026 Phil and Mary Bradley Award for Faculty Mentoring in Creative Inquiry in recognition for his work as a mentor to undergraduate researchers.
