2019 FFAR Fellows Cohort Announced

August 13, 2019

Seventeen Doctoral Candidates Receive Fellowships to Further Food & Agriculture Research

RALEIGH and WASHINGTON (August 13, 2019) — Developing the food and agriculture scientists of tomorrow starts by investing in them today. The Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR) is excited to announce the second cohort of FFAR Fellows, a unique three-year fellowship that prepares the next generation of food and agriculture scientists for the workforce by providing hands-on support and mentoring from industry. FFAR awarded the 2019 FFAR Fellowship to seventeen doctoral candidates across the country who are conducting research that supports one of FFAR’s six Challenge Areas.

Employers agree that U.S. universities could better prepare a career-ready STEM workforce by enhancing professional development opportunities and teaching “soft skills” to create well-rounded graduates. Furthermore, many food and agriculture research students are not exposed to the many career opportunities available to them outside of the laboratory.

The FFAR Fellowship, established in 2018, addresses these needs by funding research and professional development opportunities for 48 students over three years. The FFAR Fellows Program pairs doctoral candidates with academic and industry mentors to equip them with professional development and critical workforce skills. Each industry sponsor matches FFAR funding to double the investment in early-career scientists workforce development.

Fellows also engage with their peers in professional development programming both virtually and at the annual one-week residential session, which is taking place this week at North Carolina State University. Throughout the Fellowship, participants learn team building, project and time management and science communication from their mentors and one another.

The FFAR Fellows Program provides selected students with hands-on mentorship and valuable professional development experience. This fellowship not only invests in the research conducted by the students; it better prepares them for the scientific careers of the futures by broadening their skill sets. Sally Rockey, Ph.D.
Executive Director Emeritus

The FFAR Fellowship program is led by the Academic Programs Office at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.

“The Fellows are an impressive group of Ph.D. students whom we know will have a lasting effect on food and agriculture,” said Dr. John Dole, who manages the program at North Carolina State University. “The FFAR Fellows program will give them the tools and training to hit the ground running and make an impact from day one in their future positions.”

The following students comprise the 2019 FFAR Fellow cohort:

Alex Batson, Washington State University
Scott Cosseboom, University of Maryland
Maria Gannett, Cornell University
Natalie Goh, University of California-Berkeley
Sihui Ni, North Carolina State University
Nate Korth, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Miriam Martin, Kansas State University
Kelsey Peterson, University of Minnesota
Linda Beckett, Purdue University
Gwen Donley, Case Western Reserve University
Karlinton Flores, North Carolina State University
Danielle Gelardi, University of California-Davis,
Annemarie Krug, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Krista Marshall, University of California-Davis
Dhruv Patel, University of California-Berkeley
Inocent Ritte, Tuskegee University
Danielle Stevenson, University of California-Riverside

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

Connect: @FoundationFAR | @RockTalking

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