2019 Wallace-Carver Fellows

The prestigious USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship offers the most promising college students in America the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned scientists, policymakers and public servants through paid fellowships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In the Summer of 2019, thirty fellows are stationed at USDA research centers and field offices across the country to analyze agricultural and economic policy; assist in the management of food, nutrition and rural development programs; and take part in groundbreaking field and laboratory-based research.

Broward College

ANDREIA BELEAIR

Placement: Auburn, AL
Agricultural Research Service
Aquatic Animal Health Research Unit

“I developed a vaccine by combining catfish antibodies with a protein to treat fish affected by a bacterial infection.”

Purdue University

NICK BOWSER

Placement: Washington, DC
Foreign Agricultural Service
Office of Capacity Building & Development

“I worked with program analysts on the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program to provide support to our government’s school feeding and literacy programs in over 30 developing countries around the world.”

Purdue University

MOLLY CARROLL

Placement: Geneva, NY
Agricultural Research Service
Plant Genetic Resources Research Unit

“I identified antioxidant properties in different varieties of tart cherries to study the diversity of the species, which has implications for improving human health.”

Texas A&M University

BRIANNA CHEEK

Placement: St. Paul, MN
Agricultural Research Service
Cereal Disease Lab

“I studied stem rust disease resistance in a wild relative of wheat in order to transfer the resistance into the plant genome.”

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

RHIANNON COBB

Placement: Washington, DC
Office of the Secretary of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

“I organized the inaugural American Diversity Month showcasing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s diversity and how it contributes to the ONE USDA mission.”

University of Texas – Austin

OLIVIA CONWAY

Placement: Fargo, ND
Agricultural Research Service
Cereal Crops Research Unit

“I studied genes in wheat related to protein content and disease resistance in order to improve the performance of this essential staple crop.”

Rowan University

KATIE DRISCOLL

Placement: Davis, CA
Agricultural Research Service
Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit

“I characterized thirty strains of soilborne tumor-inducing bacteria isolated from walnut varieties, in order to develop methods to protect California’s $1.6 billion dollar walnut industry.”

University of Notre Dame

LAUREN ENGLISH

Placement: Washington, DC
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition

“I analyzed, identified, and prioritized the most promising research opportunities in agriculture and life sciences over the next decade, and advised the National Institute of Food and Agriculture on its strategic funding priorities in order to improve the USDA’s scientific research agenda.”

Pitzer College

LILY FILLWALK

Placement: Peoria, IL
Agricultural Research Service
Functional Foods Research Unit

“I evaluated the characteristics of gluten-free flour alternatives in consumer products to inform efforts to improve nutrition for individuals with Celiac Disease and other gluten intolerances.”

Vanderbilt University

HERMELA GEBREMARIAM

Placement: Athens, GA
Agricultural Research Service
Bacterial Epidemiology & Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit

“I researched the effects of soil on bacterial populations of zucchini squash to reduce food-borne diseases and improve public health.”

Harvard University

BRIDGER GORDON

Placement: Washington, DC
Office of the Secretary of Agriculture
Office of the Chief Economist

“I created statistical models to estimate the damage caused by current international trade disputes on American agriculture and the economy.”

North Carolina State University

MIKAYLA GRAHAM

Placement: Lexington, KY
Agricultural Research Service
Forage-Animal Production Research Unit

“I tested the impact of supplementing cows’ diets with red clover and its impact on gut microbes, and found that it can ultimately improve animal nutrition, increase meat production, and result in increased income for farmers.”

University of Wisconsin – Madison

EMMA HANISKO

Placement: Madison, WI
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center

“I analyzed the biological structures in heirloom cranberries to determine if they provide health benefits for both humans and animals.”

Macalester College

NICK JACOBSON

Placement: Reno, NV
Agricultural Research Service
Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit

“I conducted research on insects that attack cheatgrass and other biological control methods to contain the flammable invasive grass responsible for many wildfires each year, including last year’s deadly Camp Fire in California.”

Cornell University

HANNAH JO

Placement: Ithaca, NY
Agricultural Research Service
Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit

“I identified species of bacteria infecting lavender plants in floral nurseries around the US so that future research can be done to prevent these infections, improve plant health, minimize economic loss in the multi-billion dollar horticultural and nutraceutical industries, and promote ecological stability.”

Grinnell College

NICOLE KREIDER

Placement: Washington, DC
Economic Research Service
Markets and Trade Economics Division

“I created a high-level policy briefing on the economic implications of African swine fever, which reached China in 2018 and currently threatens a significant portion of the global pork supply.”

Iowa State University

CHASE KRUG

Placement: West Lafayette, IN
Agricultural Research Service
Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit

“I tested a water mold that causes soybean root rot in order to develop viruses that can be used as a biocontrol method.”

Messiah College

JAIRUS KUPLEN

Placement: Washington, DC
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community

“I reformed the Request for Funding Applications (RFA) for 2020-2021 of the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Grants Program, which seeks to strengthen agricultural education programs in HSIs, and the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program for Education and Workforce Development.”

Texas Tech University

AUNDREA LAWSON

Placement: Washington, DC
Agricultural Research Service
Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit

“I digitized the preserved plant specimens at the U.S. National Arboretum Herbarium, to make the collection accessible to researchers around the globe.”

Rollins College

CHARLES MAHONEY

Placement: Washington, DC
Economic Research Service
Food Assistance Division

“I developed a database of state school food policies to inform best practices on national-level food assistance programs and improve children’s nutrition and health in America.”

University of North Texas

GEORGETTE MBENGUE

Placement: Fargo, ND
Agricultural Research Service
Animal Metabolism-Agricultural Chemicals Research Unit

“I developed a test to identify major pesticides that are detrimental to bee health and the ecosystem.”

University of Iowa

ARACELY MIRON-OCAMPO

Placement: Athens, GA
Agricultural Research Service
Poultry Microbiological Safety & Processing Research Unit

“I helped develop a chicken vaccine to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella food poisoning by combining the DNA of Salmonella and E.coli to identify proteins and induce an immune response.”

Salem College

ERIN NOWAK

Placement: Poplarville, MS
Agricultural Research Service
Southern Horticultural Research Unit

“I developed a DNA extraction protocol to extract high-quality genes from blueberry leaves that can be used for sequencing in order to improve the quality, productivity, and disease-resistance of the fruit.”

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

JAMES PINKNEY

Placement: Davis, CA
Agricultural Research Service
Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit

“I studied the diversity of A. tumefaciens isolated from walnuts produced in California to help develop methods to manage and prevent the tumor-producing bacteria that causes Crown Gall Disease.”

Texas A&M University

TREY RICHARDSON

Placement: Washington, DC
Foreign Agricultural Service
Office of Operations and Budgeting

“I helped to maximize efficiency and optimize accountable government spending at the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service by revamping the standard operating procedures used to educate and train employees.”

Columbia University

INDIRA ROY

Placement: Washington, DC
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
International Services, Trade and Capacity Building

“I analyzed international agricultural trade policy and identified factors that could predict future trade disputes with key countries.”