Students recognized for excellence in support of ag industry

Four Fresno State students in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology were recently recognized with ag scholar awards at the Jordan Agricultural Research Center.

Graduate students Katherine Nathania (Surabaya, Indonesia) and Amy Suarez (Dos Palos), senior Oswaldo Escobar (Mendota) and junior Erica Mattingly (Turlock) were selected for the honor based on their passion, growth and innovation in various industries. 

The annual awards, which started in 2015, were presented at a ceremony on April 19, when each student received a $500 scholarship from Eighth District State Assemblyman Jim Patterson.

Escobar has worked with the campus plant science club and its community vegetable plot, which donates produce to Amendola Family Student Cupboard and local food shelters. With the club, he has shared his knowledge of agronomy through farm demonstrations with 4-H and elementary students. Through its added industry outreach and professional enhancement activities, the club received the President’s Trophy national award as the nation’s top student organization at the Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) national conference last November. He was also selected for the Agriculture Future of America student leadership training program and has worked with professionals to positively shape the future of agriculture. After receiving the Greenfield Scholar award from the American Society of Agronomy last summer, he hopes to receive his pest control advisor license after graduation this May. 

Mattingly has participated in student recruitment and outreach activities as a campus ag ambassador through FFA Field Day contests, 4-H livestock judging practices and the FFA state convention. She has volunteered for outreach events and helped organize events for the Sigma Alpha Sorority tied to elementary classroom ag presentations, breast cancer awareness, a campus milk drive and food shelter donations. In prior years, she worked as a nursery intern at Modesto Junior College where she participated in food, milk, coat and bed-building drives for those in need as its Young Farmers Club president. She also served as the horticultural department superintendent at the Merced County Fairgrounds and worked with community, 4-H, FFA and community gardener programs. She received her American FFA Degree - the organization’s highest honor - which demonstrates a student's passion and dedication to the agricultural industry, and includes earning $2,000.00 and spending 2,250 hours on supervised agricultural experience projects.

Nathania has continued her work with the campus Food Science and Nutrition Department as a graduate student focused on developing innovative dairy products and more sustainable practices. Her master’s project is developing a beer that utilizes whey, a by-product of cheese-making, as an ingredient to reduce waste disposal costs and increase revenue for dairy processors. Last year she worked as an intern with the California Dairy Innovation Center and campus Institute for Food and Agriculture to develop an upcycled, coffee-flavored cheese product. She has shared her research, experience and passion in these areas at the World Dairy Expo, World Ag Expo and campus ag kids camp. A Summa Cum Laude graduate last year as a senior, she received the Distinguished International Undergraduate Award for her research and academic excellence.

Suarez has been a leader on campus through the ag ambassadors program, where she has served as a tour guide, student recruiter and FFA Field Day judge. The ag education graduate student and former Jordan College Honors Cohort member has been active with developing Fresno State’s Agricultural Career Readiness Skills for the 21st Center (ACRS21) program. She also developed lessons for the nationwide program to enhance the soft skills that are important for high school and college students careers, and presented her related research at the West regional agricultural educators conference. Her broad array of experience includes additional roles as an ASI campus senator, Jordan College Student Leadership Council chair, National Teach Ag ambassador, Sigma Alpha president and campus Ag One Foundation student employee. She has been active in the community through donation, food and toy drives and as a volunteer at the Dos Palos Community Ag Farm and Valley Children’s hospital. Her love of agriculture started at a young age by helping her grandfather raise a variety of livestock animals and riding horses. She has continued his memory by continuing to breed Boer goats in state, county and local fairs.

For more information on the awards, contact Matt Ostott at Matt.Otstot@asm.ca.gov or 559.446.2029.