Preparing the next generation of agricultural and STEM scientists

July 12, 2023

2022 E. Kika De La Garza Fellow Meet Sandya Kesoju, Ph.D., Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco, Wash. As the Director of Agricultural Education, Research and Development, she oversees the administrative activities and operations of the Department of Agriculture. Among the many duties in this role, she leads efforts to provide experiential learning to students. and collaborates with local industries, universities, federal agencies, K-12 partners and the community to support programs in science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics (STEAM). She teaches courses such as applied agricultural research, agricultural practicum and biochemistry laboratory.

The USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship gave her the opportunity to collaborate with educators and scientists from other Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

“I represent a field of study rarely seen in collaboration with STEAM fields,” she said. “In addition to providing our students with a new vision for their futures in agriculture and STEM fields, this is an important step in fostering a deeper dialogue between different disciplines.”

In addition to a wealth of information and networking, the fellowship helped her identify grant funding opportunities and USDA career opportunities, allowing her to prepare her students with relevant skills as the next generation of agricultural and STEM scientists.

Sandia continues to work at CBC with a better understanding of current USDA services and resources.

Sandhya, as E. Thank you for participating, fellow Kika de la Garza!