KINGSVILLE (August 20, 2024) — Dr. Maria Consuelo Donato Molina, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Assistant Professor of Research and Instruction for the Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences, was one of 32 individuals recently welcomed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as one of the 2024 USDA E. Kika De La Garza (EKDLG) Fellows.
Fellows come from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and school districts who were invited to Washington D.C. last month to learn how USDA services and programs can benefit them, their students and their communities. The EKDLG is part of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program, which is committed to supporting a 21st century agricultural workforce through professional development, workforce development and exposure to opportunities for faculty, staff and students.
For Donato Molina, who also serves as advisor to the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grants Program for the Dick and Mary Lewis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the fellowship is a sort of validation for her and the program.
“Every year, we place an average of 50 students for different summer internship opportunities and research opportunities,” Donato Molina said. “For A&M-Kingsville and myself, this fellowship says that the USDA is recognizing that I have been doing an effective job supporting Hispanic students advance in their careers.”
Fellows were selected in three categories that included Education, High School Education and Science. Donato Molina was selected on the Education track and was selected by the other fellows to represent them at the Fellowship Program Recognition Ceremony.
The Fellows spent time meeting Washington D.C.’s USDA agency leaders and learning about national issues, policy making and research. They also spent time collaborating with top scientists from the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service.
“It was valuable to me to meet the different agencies and learn about what they do in and out of the country,” Donato Molina said. “Even though I have worked with these programs for many years, there is so much updated information that we don’t get here locally. We learned where we can apply for grants, how we can place students for summer internships with them and how we can work closely with the USDA. That Getting that information first-hand was very important to me.”
Donato Molina said she also used the time to connect and exchange information with Hispanic-Serving institutions and has put in motion collaborations for potential future grants.
