SW New Mexico News

New Mexico State University Regents professor Cynthia Bejarano was among 32 faculty and staff welcomed by the United States Department of Agriculture to Washington, D.C. earlier this month as part of the 2024 class of E. Kika De la Garza Fellows. The group was selected from Hispanic Serving Institutions and Hispanic Serving School Districts across the country.

“The USDA offers numerous opportunities for NMSU students, particularly in the form of internships and potential employment after graduation. There also are an array of federal resources available to help rural communities in New Mexico,” said Bejarano, who is also the principal investigator of NMSU’s College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). “I am enthusiastic about community partnership opportunities that are now in the works with the USDA, thanks to this week-long fellowship. I'm humbled and grateful for the opportunity, and the information that I am bringing back to NMSU and southern New Mexico.”

Bejarano has identified several opportunities that would serve as a perfect fit for CAMP students along with funding streams through USDA and USDA Pathways, the National Science Foundation, and the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. These collective possibilities hold great promise for NMSU students and faculty.

This effort is part of the USDA’s commitment to advance equity in professional development opportunities and build a more diverse pathway into public service and the agricultural sector. Fellows spent one week meeting with leaders from different USDA agencies at their Washington, D.C. headquarters, learning more about national and regional issues, policy making, and research.

“This year’s class of fellows is the largest so far and a testament to the program’s success,” said Lisa R. Ramírez, Director of USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

Since its establishment in 1998, more than 400 faculty and staff have participated in the E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program as part of an effort to strengthen relationships with Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

“I will be working with the USDA’s Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, local USDA community liaisons, the College of Arts and Sciences’ dean's office as their current community engagement fellow, and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences to partner with the Rural Partnership Network, among others. I am excited at the prospect to continue serving rural communities through these existing partnerships by building long-term relationships based on trust and mutual respect.”

-30-

CUTLINE: Cynthia Bejarano (center) receives her Education Fellow certificate from Lisa R. Ramírez (left), director of USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement; Roberto Velasco II (right), chief financial officer at U.S. Forest Service; during Thursday's ceremony on July 11 for 2024 E. Kika De La Garza Fellows ceremony (USDA photo).

CUTLINE: New Mexico State University Regents professor Cynthia Bejarano (front row second from left) listens to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsackin Washington D.C., alongside other members of 2024 class E.Kika De La Garza Fellows(USDA photo).