Four Iowa State agriculture students visited Tuskegee University for an educational and agricultural exchange as part of this year’s George Washington Carver Celebration.

The students made their way to Tuskegee, Ala., Saturday and returned to Ames Wednesday with newfound insight into the life of ISU’s first African American graduate.

The participating students were Sarah Denburger, senior in agricultural education; Abdullah Othman, senior in animal science; Byron Sleugh, graduate student in agronomy; and Timesa Rigby-Williams, graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering.

Danette Kenne, coordinator of graduate studies in the Department of Economics, and Marvin Hayenga, professor of economics, accompanied the students.

Kenne said agriculture students were chosen because agriculture was a “natural match.” She said the department already has connections with Tuskegee University.

The students participated in many activities while in Tuskegee, including meeting faculty members and students, touring campus and participating in hands-on events.

The students saw firsthand the differences between Tuskegee’s small campus and ISU’s campus, Kenne said.

“There was a lot of interaction in terms of faculty playing multiple roles with the students, even to a greater extent at Tuskegee University because of its size,” she said.

Rigby-Williams said the professors worked “one-on-one” with the students.

“If you miss class, you have to go see the professor,” she said.

The students also learned about George Washington Carver and Tuskegee University’s historic background. The students visited the George Washington Carver Museum, Carver’s laboratories and Booker T. Washington’s home.

In addition to seeing Carver’s laboratories, the students saw Tuskegee’s functional labs. They were able to see research pertaining to their fields of study, Rigby-Williams said.

Kenne said future exchanges will be educational for both institutions.

“We can benefit from their areas of expertise, and they can benefit from ours,” she said. “We can learn from the ideas generated and the good discussions we had.”

Tuskegee University students will visit ISU April 4-6.

“It’s our hope that this is something we can continue in the future,” Kenne said. “It was truly a great experience for all the people that traveled, as well as the people we met down there.”