USDA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 1890 NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM Release No. 0433.97 Laura Trivers (202) 720-4623 laura.trivers@usda.gov Martha Cashion (202) 720-3310 martha.cashion@usda.gov USDA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 1890 NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its 1890 National Scholars Program for the 1998 school year. The program is aimed at undergraduate students studying agriculture or related subjects at the 17 historically black 1890 land-grant universities, with the goal of placing successful graduates into career positions at USDA. "USDA is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for our nation's young people through the 1890 National Scholars Program," Glickman said. "We partner with the 1890 institutions in an effort to interest these students in careers in agriculture, food, natural resources, or related disciplines. And the employment component of the program, where the students join our workforce, helps bring diversity to USDA." USDA provides students in the program with full tuition, fees, books, use of a personal computer, software, employment, and employee benefits for each of the four years they are pursuing a bachelor's degree. The institutions provide the scholarship recipients with room and board for each year. Students must sign a service agreement to work one year at USDA for each year of the scholarship. The current 1997 school year marks the sixth year of this program. To date, 151 students have been selected as USDA/1890 national scholars. The retention rate of students is 92 percent. USDA's goal is to add 34 undergraduate scholarships each year. Applications for the 1998 school year must be received by Jan. 15, 1998. In addition to the undergraduate program, USDA also sponsors a graduate fellowship program in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, a non-profit educational foundation. The graduate fellows are rising juniors selected from USDA/1890 national scholars enrolled in one of the 1890 universities. They complete special summer enrichment programs prior to graduation and entrance into a masters or doctoral program. They are obligated to one year of service at USDA for every year they are enrolled in the graduate fellowship program. The 31 students selected for the class of USDA/1890 national scholars which began this year are as follows: Student USDA Agency University 1. Sahr Abu Farm Service Agency Delaware State Univ. 2. Jayme Ames Rural Utilities Service Virginia State Univ. 3. Shena Ashley Natural Resources Tennessee State Univ. Conservation Service 4. Allen Ayers Natural Resources University of Maryland - Conservation Service Eastern Shore 5. Lemuria Carter Food and Consumer Service Virginia State Univ. 6. Shamina Draper Forest Service North Carolina A&T State University 7. Cherie Edwards Forest Service Alcorn State University 8. Tynetta Fletcher Forest Service Lincoln University 9. Aundrea Givens Natural Resources Lincoln University Conservation Service 10. Terrence Gregory Forest Service Virginia State Univ. 11. Alex Handcock Animal and Plant Health University of Arkansas- Inspection Service Pine Bluff 12. Hakeem Hartman Forest Service Tuskegee University 13. Don Harris Natural Resources Fort Valley State Univ. Conservation Service 14. Ebony Horry Food and Consumer Service Virginia State Univ. 15. Todd Johnson Departmental Administration University of Maryland - Eastern Shore 16. Derek Jones Rural Housing Service South Carolina State University 17. Tevis Kirkling Food Safety and Inspection North Carolina A&T State Service University 18. Shana Love Grain Inspection, Packers Lincoln University & Stockyards Administration 19. Crystal Lowe Rural Housing Service University of Arkansas- Pine Bluff 20. Antonio McLaren Cooperative State Research, Virginia State Univ. Education, and Extension Service 21. Ryan Mendes Forest Service Alabama A&M University 22. Sam O'Bryant Agricultural Research Service Alcorn State University 23. Demetria Payne Natural Resources Tennessee State Univ. Conservation Service 24. Shiressa Pittman Agricultural Research Service Prairie View A&M Univ. 25. Louie Rivers III Forest Service Kentucky State Univ. 26. Charles Smith Farm Service Agency Prairie View A&M Univ. 27. Kristal Southern Food Safety and Inspection Tuskegee University Service 28. Candice Thomas Forest Service Lincoln University 29. Larry Whaley National Agricultural Tennessee State Univ. Statistics Service 30. Robert Williams Natural Resources Florida A&M University Conservation Service 31. Cathy Wright Animal and Plant Health Southern University Inspection Service The following five scholars were selected for the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Program beginning in 1997: Fellows USDA Agency University 1. Tiffany Armstrong Natural Resources Alabama A&M University Conservation Service 2. Jason Ben Natural Resources Southern University Conservation Service 3. Jaclyn Davis Agricultural Research Service Delaware State University 4. Alfred Ojukwu Farm Service Agency Lincoln University 5. Michelle Parker Foreign Agricultural Service South Carolina State University For more information about the 1890 National Scholars Program or the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Program, contact Della Streaty-Wilhoit, USDA, (202) 720-1164. #