From the fields of North Andros to the pages of an international journal, Aaron Francis is proving that impactful, globally relevant research can begin in The Bahamas. A graduate of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), Francis has authored his first scientific publication “Efficacy of Neem Extract and Cydectin Used as Treatments for the Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Sheep.”
The study appears in Volume 15 of the Open Journal of Animal Sciences. The research began as part of Francis’ senior directed study at BAMSI, which required students to design, carry out and present an original experiment. Although
he was not an animal science major, Francis worked under Dr. Ashton Stanley, who headed BAMSI’s Animal Science division, to investigate parasites in sheep. His goal was to find a natural alternative to synthetic deworming medicines, which can cost as much as $50 a bottle. Neem, readily available on the BAMSI farm, became the focus
of his study.
“I wanted to see if something we already had growing on the farm could work just as well as expensive imported medicines,” Francis said. “Neem was right there, free and easy to access.”
For Francis, the directed study provided a strong foundation in research methodology. “During my directed study at BAMSI I really got a good foundation of what research was like. The scientific method as well as how to take a project from concept to execution was clearly defined. Actually, for the first part of the class we had to do a proposal: defining research objectives, hypotheses, how it would be done and things like that. I had to organize almost everything regarding my research.
One thing that the senior researchers that have worked with me and mentored me noticed about me is that I am ‘very driven and dedicated to the work.’”
With planning, testing and analyzing, the research quickly grew from a class requirement into a study with real-world applications, producing results that could benefit small-scale farmers across the region. According to Dr. Stanley, who served as Francis’ research mentor, the project demonstrated how resourcefulness and scientific discipline can combine to address agricultural challenges in The Bahamas.
“Aaron’s research reflects the kind of innovation urgently needed in Caribbean agriculture—rooted in local resources yet guided by rigorous scientific methods,” Dr. Stanley said. “His exploration of neem as a sustainable alternative to costly anthelmintics speaks not only to his academic discipline but to his commitment to empowering small-scale farmers across The Bahamas.”
BAMSI President Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna said Francis’ success reflects the Institute’s mission. “Aaron’s success is a powerful example of the talent being cultivated at BAMSI. His story affirms the vision of BAMSI as a center for innovation, where students aren’t just learning—they’re contributing to scientific knowledge that can transform agriculture in The Bahamas and beyond.”
After completing the study, Francis had no plans to publish and focused on finishing his degree at BAMSI, graduating in 2020. Two years later, as a student at Florida A&M University (FAMU), he shared the research with Dr. Dawn Lewis, professor of biology, and Dr. Charlemange Akpovo, faculty in the Department of Physics. Recognizing its value, they urged him to pursue publication rather than let the work remain on the shelf, pushing him to refine the manuscript, update the data, and submit it to a peer-reviewed journal. Their encouragement set in motion a lengthy revision process for the original 2019 paper, including updated references, new statistical analysis, and multiple rounds of peer review.
“It was really a fun experience,” he said. “You’d get comments, decide whether to accept or reject them, make revisions, and then resubmit. When they told me it was accepted, that was a great moment.”
Retired Dean and Professor of the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences at FAMU, Dr. Robert W. Taylor, who is familiar with Francis’ work, commended the achievement, noting that it is uncommon for undergraduate students to publish in a peer-reviewed journal. “It is outstanding, indeed, that an undergraduate student in the first two years of his training as an agriculturist is able to complete research work and publish that work later in his senior year in an open access scientific journal,” he said. “It should be noted that the work was done in the Bahamas while he was a
student at BAMSI.”
Dr. Taylor also noted that Francis is one of two BAMSI students awarded a scholarship through the Cornelius A. Smith and William F. Pickard Friendship and Alliance Scholarship Fund.
Francis also attributed his success in part to BAMSI’s small, close-knit environment, which he said played an important role in his academic development. “BAMSI was a good mix of hands on learning and in class learning. There were only a few students and lecturers, and we didn’t have the facilities of a larger university, but we made a
small community who knew each other well. It was like having a good sized family,” he said. “Dr. Stanley was a good mentor that never let me wander in the dark. He was a big advocate for lecturers being available for their students. He was a hard lecturer, but he was also a good tutor.”
Francis, who will graduate from FAMU in December, is preparing a second manuscript on Spanish moss as a bioindicator of air quality and plans to pursue a graduate degree before returning home to help shape national agricultural policy — a goal that, according to Dr. Hanna, reflects the very mission of BAMSI.
Kenya to learn about solutions to food insecurity. Part of the research included
testing mangoes for vitamin C and vitamin A. The international project showcased
both his precision in the lab and his commitment to global agricultural research.
as a bioindicator of air quality at FAMU’s Spring Undergraduate Research
Symposium. He is pictured here with his poster display.
