USDA awards grant to Clemson University to support multicultural scholars

Published: October 1, 2012

CLEMSON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a five-year, $439,920 grant to Clemson University to partner with Orangeburg-Calhoun and Trident Technical colleges to establish a program in food science and technology for students from multicultural backgrounds.

“Feeding a growing global population is a major challenge in the 21^st century,” said Clemson University President James F. Barker. “Education to equip a new generation to meet this challenge will require innovative and collaborative approaches. Critical to the success of these efforts will be the participation of under-represented populations. This program will be a model to attract and retain minority students in our agriculture and food science and technology programs.”

The partnership between the colleges will be the framework for recruiting, training and mentoring students throughout the program. Students will complete two years at one of the technical colleges, then transfer to Clemson to complete their Bachelor of Science degrees in food science.

“Not only is this another unique opportunity to give our students a clear pathway to a baccalaureate degree, it's consistent with our focus on promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers in South Carolina, meeting the employment needs of local industry and contributing to the knowledge economy in our state,” Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College President Walter Tobin said. “I look forward to additional relationships between our institutions in the future.”

Students will learn about food science career choices that offer professional advancement opportunities and will enable them to make a difference in their communities. Faculty mentoring, student support services, industry internships and study-abroad experiences also will be part of the program.

“This is an exciting time to be involved in food science," said Trident Technical College President Mary Thornley. "Each day we learn more about the effects of food on health, and with an increasing population the need for a sustainable and affordable food supply is critical. We look forward to working with Clemson to educate the next generation of food researchers whose work will shape the future of South Carolina¹s agribusiness industry.”

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