Graduate Studies
The CULTIVAR Project
Dr JoAnn Canales will be the PI on The CULTIVAR Project: Connecting Underrepresented Latinos To Integrate Values and Academic Resources, a USDA funded grant award to recruit young Hispanic scholars to pursue a professional and or academic career in the food and agricultural sciences. Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi has partnered with the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) and the USDA- National Institute of Food and Agriculture to sponsor a Master's Thesis Award Program to be awarded at the annual AAHHE meeting in March as well as sponsor a Career Preparation Institute. The Cultivar Project is innovative in its synergistic approach to combining award programs, graduate fellows programs, mentoring programs, career preparation institutes, and internships. The program is intended to nurture 50 individuals, over the course of two years, from a graduate degree program to the doctoral and or workplace program with emphasis on preparing the professionals for their career.
Important Deadlines:
- August 24, 2012- First Deadline for Submission
- Early Bird Registration for AAHHE Conference - TBD
- 8th Annual AAHHE Conference, March 28 - 30, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio, TX
The CULTIVAR (Connecting Underrepresented Latinos To Integrate Values and Academic Resources) project addresses the need to attract outstanding, underrepresented students and prepare graduates capable of enhancing the Nation's food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce. It will identify, select, and cultivate master's degree level students in food and agricultural sciences disciplines through an outstanding thesis award competition focused on USDA priority areas of Food Safety Climate Change, Sustainable Energy & Childhood Obesity. Fifty fellows, including the thesis award winners, will participate in a Career Preparation Institute networking with senior faculty researchers and USDA agency representatives and create a leadership plan focused on developing human capital relevant to meeting the USDA labor force needs.
The CULTIVAR Project Partners:
- AAHHE-American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education
www.aahhe.org- TAMUCC-Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
http://gradschool.tamucc.edu/index.html- USDA-United States Department of Agriculture
http://usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome
Who: 25 invited Hispanic graduate students currently enrolled in programs targeting USDA priority areas of Food Safety, Climate Change, Sustainable Energy, and Childhood Obesity. When: Eighth Annual AAHHE Conference, March 28 - 30, 2013 Where: Hyatt Regency - San Antonio, TX Career Preparation Institute Topics:
- Employment opportunities and application processes in USDA agencies
- Internship opportunities and application processes in USDA agencies
- Current research to practice in USDA priority areas-Food Safety, Climate Change, Sustainable Energy, and Childhood Obesity
- Effective presentation techniques to communicate science
- Strengths identification and leadership plan development
- Networking strategies and opportunities with USDA representatives and scholars in the food and agricultural sciences
2013 Career Institute Application Form & Title Page
2013 Career Preparation Institute Guidelines
Please send the completed form to Research & Graduate Office at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi or email Dr. JoAnn Canales at joann.canales@tamucc.edu
1st Annual USDA Graduate Fellows Career Preparation Institute
2012 USDA Graduate Fellows
Corey De Leon
B.S. Psychology and Nutrition
M.S. Human Nutrition
Food Safety/Childhood Obesity
Texas State University
Diana Del Angel
B.S. Environmental Science
M.S. Environmental Science
Climate Change
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Juanita Escamilla
B.S. Nutrition and Foods
M.S. Human Nutrition
Childhood Obesity
Texas State University
John Montoya
B.S. Biology
M.S. Agricultural Education
Ph.D. Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences
Climate Change (ip)
University of Hawaii
Karla Gutierrez
B.S. Industrial Engineering
M.S. Industrial Engineering
Ph.D. Environmental Sciences (ip)
Sustainable Energy
The University of Texas at El Paso
Luz Eliana Pinilla
B.S. Food Science and Technology
M.S. Cereal Quality
Ph.D. Agricultural International
Development Education (ip)
Sustainability/Climate Change
Texas A&M
Maria Isabel Quintero
B.S. Agro-industrial Production Engineer
M.S. Food Science and Technology
Ph.D. Food Science and Technology (ip)
Food Safety
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Martha A. Ramirez
M.S. Animal Science
Texas A&M University- Kingsville
Mirna Calderon
B.S. Agronomy
M.S. Plant Science (ip)
Climate Change
Cal Poly Pomona
Olivia Moreno
B.S. Industrial Engineering
M.S. Industrial Engineering
Ph.D. Environmental Science and Engineering (ip)
Sustainable Energy
University of Texas at El Paso
Phillip Lujan
B.S. Agricultural Biology
M.S. Agricultural Biology (ip)
Global Food Security and Hunger
New Mexico State University
Stefanie Ann Ramirez
B.S. Management- Marketing, Management, Latin American Studies
M.S. Human Ecology
Ph.D. Apparel Design (ip)
Sustainable Energy
Louisiana State University
Xiomara Elias-Argote
B.S. Biochemistry
M.S. Agriculture
Food Safety
Cal Poly
Click on the link to download the forms:
Guidelines
Thesis Announcement
Application & Title Page
