Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants promote and strengthen programs that attract, retain and graduate students capable of enhancing the nation’s food, agricultural, natural resource and human sciences workforce.
That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced the availability of $8.8 million in funding recently to support agricultural science education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
“Hispanic students earn only eight percent of the degrees awarded in science, technology, engineering, and math,” said National Institute of Food and Agriculture director Sonny Ramaswamy. “Investments help Hispanic-Serving Institutions promote STEM education and agricultural industry careers to all their students, including Hispanic students.”
One five-year project with Texas State University helped boost its completion rate to 92 percent. A NIFA grant to New Mexico Highlands University designed to increase the number of Hispanic students earning a Bachelor of Science degree has helped more than 1,100 students since 2009.
Currently, more than 400 HSIs are located in 21 states and Puerto Rico, serving more than 2 million students.
Past projects have included a Texas State University project that encourages female and Hispanic military Veterans to earn bachelor’s degrees in agriculture and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs. A project at Texas A&M University-Kingsville encourages students from underrepresented groups to pursue STEM degrees and careers as leaders in agriculture through training and internships at USDA agencies.
NIFA support for the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel have resulted in discoveries that are improving and sustaining rural economic growth, addressing water availability issues, increasing food production, finding new sources of energy, mitigating climate variability and ensuring food safety.
To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts
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