A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture will help launch a new program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
The grant is a collaboration between the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Maria E. Velez-Hernandez, Assistant Professor of Biological and Health Sciences, is the principal investigator and director of the project. Dr. Shad Nelson, dean of the College of Agriculture, and Dr. Tanner Machado, associate professor, are Co-Principal Investigators in the grant.
The grant in the amount of $275,000 is to be used in four years.
The AgriCULTURE program (Agriculture Connections to USDA: Lifestyle and Training of Undergraduates through Real world Experiences in Texas and Puerto Rico) is expected to start in Fall 2020.
The new teaching program will consist of an experiential learning opportunity for undergraduate students to enhance educational diversity for recruitment into the USDA, Dr. Velez-Hernandez said.
The Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico, Texas A&M-Kingsville and USDA agencies in Puerto Rico will work together to provide training in biotechnology, Spanish, bioethics and USDA careers in various cultural environments. Through the program, students will obtain novel insights on how to serve a diverse community.
