Agroecology Program to award more than $330,000 in scholarships


The FIU Agroecology Program is granting 15 scholarships to train students for careers in agriculture, food and natural resources sciences.

The scholarships, worth up to $24,000 each, can be used to fund lab research, presentations, service-learning activities, engagement projects, internships and professional development workshops. It also offers the opportunity to receive an 18-credit hour Agroecology Program certificate.

“With these scholarships, the program will give students solid training in varied agriculture sciences so that they’re dynamic enough to be successful in careers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies,” said Stephany Alvarez-Ventura, Agroecology Program manager.

The funding for the scholarships is part of a $3.2 million grant given to the Florida-Caribbean Consortium for Agriculture Education and Hispanic Workforce Development (FCCAgE) program, a mutli-insitutionsal consortium funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants Program. It is made up by FIU, Miami Dade College, St. Thomas University, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and other not-for profit and government agencies, including Earth Learning and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

“FIU is continuously working to advance education and careers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields,” said Mahadev G. Bhat, lead project director and Agroecology Program co-director. “The university is also dedicated to serving underrepresented communities and promoting diversity. The FCCAgE program will, not only put the Agroecology Program on the national map, but it’ll allow us to further accomplish our university-wide goals.”

The scholarships are open, but not limited, to current and prospective FIU students in the biological sciences, earth and environment, chemistry and biochemistry, dietetics and nutrition and sociocultural studies majors. Applicants also need to be United States citizens and of Hispanic origin.

Applications for the FCCAgE scholarships are due by December 15. For information, visit the Agroecology Program’s website or email the program director at bhatm@fiu.edu.