3 days ago
IUN professor receives USDA fellowship to help agriculture opportunities
One year ago, Jenny Fisher wasn't aware of the U.S. Department of Agriculture fellowship for university faculty nationwide. Now, the Indiana University Northwest professor is one of eight educators nationwide participating in the science program.
'More and more people are finding out about it and applying,' said Fisher, associate professor of biology. 'I am very surprised and thankful that they chose me, which I'm still kind of amazed they did.'
The USDA selected Fisher as one of the 2025 E. Kika De La Garza science fellows. The E. Kika De La Garza program is part of the department's Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program, according to its website.
Fisher first learned about the program last fall, after a former USDA employee and regional contact told her about it. She applied in March and learned she was awarded the fellowship in May, Fisher said.
With changes in federal government funding, Fisher didn't know if the program would continue.
'When everything was kind of being shut down by the government for a while was when I had applied,' she said. 'They paused it, and then we thought it would be canceled for sure, but they reinstated it, which is awesome.'
Since initial worries, government funding changes haven't affected Fisher's fellowship, she said.
The program partners with Hispanic-Serving Institutions nationwide to support the agricultural workforce through professional development, workforce development and exposure to opportunities for faculty, staff and students.
'To develop agricultural leaders in both the public and private sectors, HSIs must take positive steps to engage and create partnerships to build capacity,' Lisa Ramirez, director of USDA's Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, said in a statement.
IUN has been a Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2020, according to Post-Tribune archives, which means at least 25% of the school's full-time equivalent undergraduate enrollment is Hispanic.
IUN is the most diverse of the Indiana University campuses, and about 30% of its students are Hispanic or Latino, according to the university. Through the designation, the university can receive more grant funding and opportunities.
The E. Kika De La Garza program has three fellowships: education, high school education, and science. The program is named after former U.S. Rep. Eligio 'Kika' de La Garza of Texas.
Through the fellowship, Fisher traveled to Washington, D.C. and Columbus to meet with USDA officials and collaborate in the department's Agricultural Research Service in the Soil Drainage Laboratories.
Fisher has also met the other educators in the program, which she said has been helpful as she plans for the upcoming school year.
'We sort of all became fast friends and have been communicating about things as we've left for our homes or other places,' Fisher said. 'Building those relationships was an unexpected benefit of this experience.'
With the fellowship, Fisher hopes to show students what career and internship opportunities are available through USDA. She also wants students to have more of an appreciation for agriculture.
Through her work, she hopes students learn there is more to agriculture than farming.
'In my first year seminar, I teach them about agriculture and have them think about how it touches their life, how much we take for granted, how complex the process really is and how it's connected to almost every aspect of their lives. There are so many facets of it to consider.'
