USDA Awards $800,000 to Tuskegee University, University of Ga. for International Veterinary Fellowships

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding nearly $800,000 to Tuskegee University and the University of Georgia to help improve veterinary education and research across Africa through the Faculty Exchange Program, administered by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

“Both Tuskegee and the University of Georgia are first-time program participants, reflecting USDA’s commitment to expand the reach of its programs and also promote equity and inclusion,” said FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley. “Tuskegee in particular exemplifies these efforts being the first of our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to receive funding through the Faculty Exchange Program, something we hope will inspire other HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to learn about and apply for our programs.”

FAS will provide $400,000 to Tuskegee and $395,605 to the University of Georgia to host fellowships for visiting agricultural and veterinary educators from Africa. The fellows will focus on curriculum development and research in areas including animal health, feed quality and safety, phytosanitary measures, and grading and standards.

“USDA’s international fellowship and exchange programs allow us to partner with some of the United States’ leading academic institutions to help developing countries strengthen their agricultural sectors,” said Whitley. “The colleges of veterinary medicine at Tuskegee and the University of Georgia serve as excellent examples of these partnerships and we look forward to leveraging the knowledge and expertise of their diverse and talented researchers and faculty to support African veterinary educators. They, in turn, will use that knowledge to support agricultural development and trade in their home countries.”

The Faculty Exchange Program was established in 1995 and has provided training opportunities for hundreds of agricultural educators across the developing world. Since 2016, the program has specifically focused on veterinary science in Africa, providing training to 54 faculty members from colleges in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda through partnerships with Iowa State University, Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee. More information about the program is available at: https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/faculty-exchange-program.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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