The 20 fellows, highly accomplished faculty members at Hispanic-Serving Institutions from across the nation, were selected based on the compatibility of their research interests with USDA mission areas and the value their experience with the Department would add to their institution's curriculum.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions are accredited and degree-granting institutions of higher education with a full-time Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or more. Through a partnership fostered by this fellowship program, USDA and HSIs are better prepared to address educational challenges faced by the Hispanic community and to promote services and employment opportunities offered by USDA agencies while diversifying the Department's workforce.

The 12th class of the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship is divided into three categories, each specially tailored to meet the interests of fellows and provide them with an enriching experience. The education and high school fellows experience first-hand the policymaking process by meeting with USDA personnel and connecting with federal agencies such as the Department of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of State. The science fellows collaborate with leading scientists from USDA's Agricultural Research Service-one of the world's premier scientific organizations-and learn about state-of-the-art agricultural research that solves problems affecting the Hispanic community on a daily basis.

The 2009 E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellows are:

High School Fellows - 2

Adewale Alonge, Homestead High School, Homestead, Fla.; Judy Newman, Southwest High School , San Antonio, Texas

Science Fellows - 5

Dora Maul, Saint Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Fla; Rudy Ortiz, University of California, Merced, Merced, Calif.; Mariel Perez-Velez; Universidad Del Este, Carolina, P.R.;Garth Schultz Riverside Community College, Riverside, Calif.; Sylvia Vetrone, Whittier College, Whittier, Calif.

Education Fellows - 13

Ricarda Cerda; Fresno City College - Fresno, Calif.; Martha Garcia, Imperial Valley College, El Centro, Calif.; S. Aaron Hegde, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, Calif.; Thavery Lay-Bounpraseuth, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.; Neil Ledford, Hartnell College, Salinas, Calif.; Eric Lopez; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.; Lora Lopez, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, Calif.; Lorena Ochoa, Victor Valley College, Victorville, Calif.; Maria Poviones-Bishop, Miami-Dade College, Miami, Fla.; Enrique Renteria, Merced College, Merced, Calif.; Carmen Velasquez, Palo Alto College, San Antonio, Texas; Maria Villanueva, The National Hispanic University, San Jose, Calif.; and Beatriz Zay, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, P.R.

For more information on the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship program, visit: http://www.hsi.usda.gov/Programs&Services/fellowship.htm.