The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology

Vue selected for USDA honor

(July 22, 2023) -- Nancy Vue, the Jordan College's coordinator of internships and professional experiences, who was one of 30 faculty and staff nationally that were selected to the USDA's 2023 E. Kika De La Garza Fellows class.

Recipients also attended a conference in Washington, D.C. in July to learn more about U.S. Department of Agriculture services and programs that will benefit them and their students.

Honorees are part of the network of 500 HSI higher education institutions (each with a campus Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or more) that together serve more than 2 million students nationally.

The program, which was established in 1998, is part of USDA’s commitment to advance equity in professional development opportunities as well as build a more diverse pipeline into public service and the agricultural sector.

2023 USDA Kika De La Graza Fellows Vue oversees career development and industry services for all six Jordan College academic departments while collaborating with various campus and industry organizations.

She received her master's degree in higher education administration and leadership from Fresno State and a bachelor's degree from UC Merced. Prior to her current positions she served as an academic coach, advisor and mentor at UC Merced, Fresno State and Clovis Unified School District.

Fresno State chemistry and biochemistry assistant professor Dr. Kalyani Maitra received a similar honor as one of eight USDA Kika De La Garza Science Fellows selected nationally (and invited to attend the same D.C. event).

Maitra, who also works on various research projects with students in the Jordan Agricultural Research Center, was invited to spend an additional week collaborating with top scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) or the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Soil Survey Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.