CALS Students Named FFAR Fellows

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) today announced 17 inaugural recipients of the FFAR Fellow award. As part of the program, graduate students from across the U.S. gathered at North Carolina State University for a weeklong training course designed to prepare them for successful careers in food and agriculture science.

“The future of agriculture relies on training a strong scientific workforce,” said FFAR Executive Director Sally Rockey, Ph.D. “The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is pleased to support the next generation of food and agriculture researchers and I am excited to see how the FFAR Fellows will grow through this program.”

The $2.7 million FFAR grant was matched by a consortium of industry leaders dedicated to preparing the agricultural workforce to optimize impact on the future of agriculture science. The program will award two additional cohorts of students in 2019 and 2020. A team at North Carolina State University manages the FFAR Fellows program.

John Dole and Rebecca Dunning of NC State commented on the FFAR Fellows: “Selected from over 100 wonderful applicants, the 17 FFAR Fellows are an impressive group of Ph.D. students who we know will have a lasting effect on food and agriculture. The FFAR Fellows program will give them the tools and training to hit the ground running and make an impact from day one in their future positions.”

The FFAR Fellows Program pairs doctoral candidates with academic and industry mentors to equip students with the skills needed to facilitate their transition to the workforce. Awards were granted in two funding categories. Stipend and Professional Development Fellows receive fully-funded support for three years to pursue research projects and interdisciplinary training. Professional Development Fellows have support secured for academic studies and will use the FFAR Fellow award to participate in the three-year interdisciplinary training program.

Learn more about the program and how to apply to be a 2019 FFAR Fellow: https://ffarfellows.org

The following NC State students received a 2018 FFAR Fellow award:

Lindsey Becker is a Professional Development FFAR Fellow in the Plant Pathology Department at NC State. Her research examines the beneficial relationship between Mortierella elongate, a fungus that breaks down organic matter in soil, and tomato plants. Becker’s industry sponsor is Novozymes.

Alison Deviney is a Stipend and Professional Development FFAR Fellow in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at NC State. Her research aims to improve manure management in livestock operations through nitrogen recovery and understand barriers to adoption of sustainable technologies. Deviney’s industry sponsor is Waste 2 Green, LLC.

Camilo Parada Rojas is a Stipend and Professional Development FFAR Fellow in the Plant Pathology Department at NC State. His research aims to develop sweet potato varieties that are resistant to black rot, a devastating disease threatening producers across the U.S. Rojas’ industry sponsor is The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission.

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