Historically Black Howard University in Washington, D.C., has announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) that will create a new fellowship program with the goal of increasing diversity in the FAS. USDA foreign service officers serve American agriculture interests at U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions around the globe.
The new fellowship will provide funding and support for selected students to receive master’s degrees in agribusiness or agricultural economics at the accredited U.S. university of their choice. Fellows will participate in domestic and overseas internships with FAS and will be offered extensive mentoring and professional development opportunities.
Daniel Whitley, the administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, stated that “FAS is proud to launch this program in partnership with Howard University, one of the nation’s premier historically Black colleges and universities, to provide a path for outstanding minority students to become foreign service officers and support our mission of promoting trade and food security around the world. Howard University has a proven track record of developing students from all backgrounds into diplomatic representatives and global leaders. The promise of this collaboration will strengthen USDA’s commitment to ensuring its foreign service team reflects the diversity of our country.”
Whitley holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Louisiana State University.
