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NEIU and USDA Collaborate to Foster Workplace Diversity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Anna Cannova
June 23, 2010 (773) 442-4240
a-cannova@neiu.edu
NEIU and USDA Collaborate to Foster Workplace Diversity
and Increase Opportunities for Latinos
Laura Sanders, professor, earth science at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), has been named a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) E. (Kika) de la Garza Science Fellow for 2010. The fellowship program gives faculty and staff from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), such as NEIU, the opportunity to collaborate with the USDA on scientific research and initiatives to address the challenges faced in the development of a well-prepared Hispanic workforce.
Sanders, whose area of expertise is environmental geology, said, "As a science fellow, I will learn about ongoing scientific research of the USDA and will share what I learn with the NEIU community. This will help connect NEIU students with new scientific ideas, new research opportunities, and new pathways to careers with the USDA or other scientific agencies."
Starting June 22, Sanders will spend a week at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., getting to know the department, the program and other fellows. From there she will head to her research placement at the Soil Drainage Research Unit in Columbus, Ohio, where she will develop practical environmentally sound ways for farmers to find and use water.
Sanders said that one of the USDA's intriguing research projects looks at what happens to water quality in an agricultural watershed when it becomes urbanized. "If we can apply this research in northeastern Illinois, which has some of the most rapidly growing communities in the nation, it could help us figure out how to protect our streams and lakes even as we change the way we use land," she said.
She added that the USDA scientists also research how to retain nitrogen in the soil, preventing it from washing away when crops are irrigated. "When nitrogen washes into Midwestern streams and rivers, it can be carried over a thousand miles to the Gulf of Mexico, where it contributes to 'dead zones,' areas of the Gulf so overloaded with nutrients that it becomes impossible for fish to survive. We need to find better ways to keep the nitrogen in the soil instead of washing it into streams."
Because NEIU is a Hispanic Serving Institution, the USDA established a cooperative partnership with the University in August 2009. The USDA E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship Program is an example of the USDA’s mission to cultivate knowledge and develop leaders through mutually beneficial partnerships between the USDA and HSIs. The USDA provides participating universities with professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, engages in ongoing dialogue on the educational challenges of Hispanics, and increases awareness of the current demands of the federal workplace.
Julio Puentes, USDA-HSI regional director for Illinois and the Midwest, said of Sanders, "Laura has been very helpful and supportive of our program. Once our fellowship was announced she was immediately energetic and intrigued. She’s been very receptive to what the programs are and has explored all the opportunities. It’s been a perfect match."
Sanders added, "I'm excited about the whole thing, from the orientation meetings in Washington, D.C., to working in a lab, to doing fieldwork. It’s quite an honor to be selected, and I'm looking forward to learning how to help NEIU students connect to the USDA."
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