UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Olanrewaju Shittu, a doctoral candidate in the Penn State Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, has been named a Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Fellow for 2022-2025.
The foundation established the FFAR Fellows Program to provide professional development and career guidance to the next generation of food and agriculture scientists to better prepare them for a career in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce. The foundation aims to break down disciplinary silos and increase the focus on professional development and essential skills, resulting in more well-rounded graduates.
By providing early career support to graduate students, the program cultivates supportive relationships between graduate students and industry peers to equip students with the skills needed to facilitate their transition to the workforce and prepare future leaders for food and agriculture.
Fellows will be co-mentored over the three-year program by university and industry representatives and engage with their peers in professional development programming both virtually and at the annual one-week residential sessions.
As a fellow of the foundation, sponsored by North Carolina State University, Shittu will participate in four of the five in-person residential sessions. The first two of these are required and will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, in August 2022 and April 2023. He also will participate in 90% of the monthly webinar conferences, create a three-minute lightning talk in year one or two of the program, submit an annual professional development plan and updates, and stay in contact with two mentors.
The FFAR professional development fellowship costs will be covered by FFAR and an industry sponsor. In Shittu’s case, Bayer is the industry sponsor that has committed to providing financial support and a mentor for him in this program.