WASHINGTON, May 6, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program office today announced the 21 members of the 2011 class of E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship participants.

The 21 fellows, highly accomplished staff and faculty members at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) from across the nation, were selected based on the compatibility of their research interests with USDA mission areas, as well as the value their experiences will add to their institutions' educational capacities during the fellowship.

HSIs are accredited and degree-granting institutions of higher education with a full-time Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or more. Through partnerships fostered by the fellowship program, USDA and HSIs are better prepared to address educational challenges faced by the Hispanic community and to promote services and employment opportunities offered by USDA agencies while diversifying the Department's workforce.

The 14th class of the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship is divided into three categories, each specially tailored to meet the fellows' interests and provide them with an enriching experience. The Education and High School Fellows experience first-hand the policymaking process by meeting with USDA personnel and connecting with federal agencies such as the Department of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and the National Science Foundation. The science fellows collaborate with leading scientists from USDA's Agricultural Research Service--one of the world's premier scientific organizations--and learn about state-of-the-art agricultural research that solves problems affecting the Hispanic community on a daily basis.

The 2011 E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellows are:

Education Fellows - 13

James Bedard, Adams State College, Alamosa, Colo.; Maria Bhattacharjee, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, Texas; Marie Byrd, Reedley College, Reedley, Calif.; Jihan Ejan, California State University-Monterey Bay, Seaside, Calif.; Lourdes Espana, Miami Dade College - North Campus, Miami, Fla.; Sharon Halford, Phoenix College, Phoenix, Ariz.; Neida Hernandez-Santamaria, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Ill.; Diane Podolske, California State University-San Bernardino, San Bernardino, Calif.; Christine Remenih, South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, Ariz.; Louis Santiago, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, Calif.; Daniel Tome, CUNY - City College, New York City, N.Y.; Marisol Velazquez, Morton College, Cicero, Ill.; Megan Wise de Valdez, Texas A&M - San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.

Science Fellows - 6

Angel Custodio, University of Puerto Rico-Utuado, Utuado, Puerto Rico; Rosa Chavez Jauregui, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; Javier Macossay, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas; Lynette Orellana, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; David Still, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Pomona, Calif.; Felix Torres, Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German, San German, Puerto Rico.

High School Fellows - 2

Carlos R. DeJesus, Pedro Albizu Campos High School, Chicago, Ill.; Brenda Marquez, Coachella Valley Unified School District, Thermal, Calif.

For more information on the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship program, visit: http://www.hsi.usda.gov/HSIs/fellowship.htm.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.