Skip to main content
Skip to main content

OPPE


Veteran Finds New Mission Through DOD SkillBridge and USDA’s MVAL Assistance

September 06, 2023 Melissa Blair, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

The transition from military to civilian life can be challenging, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Military Veteran Agricultural Liaison (MVAL) offers assistance to veterans that can lead to permanent employment or help in starting an agriculture-related business.

Equity Initiatives

Thurgood Marshall College Fund Internship Program Provides Future Career Opportunities

August 29, 2023 Melissa Blair, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

For Kourtney Graves, a political science major at Jackson State University in Mississippi, her U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) summer internship has inspired insight into future career options.

Equity Initiatives

USDA Helps Alaskan Communities Meet Sustainable Food System Goals

August 22, 2023 Mariela Castaneda, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

In Alaska, where most food is imported, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping local Alaskans and Alaska Natives grow their own fresh food. As a 2022 recipient of a USDA 2501 grant, the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute (KALI) is expanding access to USDA programs and connecting...

Equity Farming

Thurgood Marshall College Fund Interns Gain Real World Experience with USDA

August 15, 2023 Melissa Blair, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

This summer 64 students who were selected for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Internship Program gained real world experience at USDA agencies and offices across the United States. The TMCF Internship Program is one of many that enable USDA to recruit a diverse workforce while helping...

Equity Initiatives

Hard Work and Perseverance Pay Off for USDA/1890 National Scholar

August 07, 2023 Melissa Blair, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

California native Floyd D. Harris III knows that perseverance and hard work pay off. A recent graduate of Southern University, an 1890 land-grant university in Louisiana, Harris applied several times to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/ 1890 National Scholars Program.

Conservation Initiatives

Making a Difference through Service: A Veteran’s Path from the Navy to USDA

August 01, 2023 Mariela Castaneda, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

Virginia native Michael Reese wanted to see the world, meet new people, and secure funding for college. Following in the footsteps of his father and brother, he served in the United States Navy for 30 years from 1989 to 2019.

Initiatives

New USDA Internship Program for Students from Migrant and Farmworker Backgrounds

July 27, 2023 Joyce El Kouarti, Communications Director, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new internship program for students from migrant and farmworker backgrounds this summer.

Equity Initiatives

USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Makes Collegiate and Agricultural Careers a Reality

July 20, 2023 Melissa Blair, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected 100 students for this year’s USDA/1890 National Scholars Program out of a record number of applications received through the new online application process. The new online portal is part of USDA’s efforts to improve accessibility to USDA programs...

Equity Initiatives

Preparing the Next Generation of Agriculture and STEM Scientists

July 12, 2023 Mariela Castaneda, USDA Public Affairs Specialist, and Sandya Kesoju, director for Agriculture Education, Research and Development, Columbia Basin College

Meet 2022 E. Kika De La Garza Fellow Sandya Kesoju, Ph.D., from Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco, Wash. As the director for Agriculture Education, Research and Development, she oversees the agriculture department’s administrative activities and operations. Among her many duties in this role...

Initiatives Research and Science

USDA Connects Veterans to Resources for Beginning Farmers

June 22, 2023 Mariela Castaneda, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

United States veterans have endured extreme hardships to protect our country and its values, often by putting their lives on the line. But when their service is complete, many find reentering civilian life to be challenging.

Equity Initiatives
Subscribe to OPPE