2018 Wallace-Carver Fellows

The prestigious USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship offers the most promising college students in America the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned scientists, policymakers and public servants through paid fellowships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In the summer of 2018, thirty fellows are stationed at USDA research centers and field offices across the country to analyze agricultural and economic policy; assist in the management of food, nutrition and rural development programs; and take part in groundbreaking field and laboratory-based research.


Macy Alexander	Parker Bartz	Alexandria Brown
University of Arkansas	Vassar College	Tuskegee University
Placement: Auburn, AL Agricultural Research Service Aquatic Animal Health Research Unit	Placement: Ames, IA Agricultural Research Service National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment: Soil, Water & Air Research Unit	Placement: Logan, UT Agricultural Research Service Forage and Range Research Unit
"I had the opportunity to see firsthand how diseases are impacting catfish farmers and the aquaculture industry. I helped develop new vaccines and management practices with the goal of controlling, and ultimately abolishing, these devastating diseases."	"I helped study soil aggregates, cover crops, and plant biomass in relation to preventing soil erosion and increasing crop yields. I analyzed soil nutrients, soil microbes, and particulate organic matter, and conducted many experiments with the growth of crops in different conditions."	"I ran DNA and RNA extractions on several different types of Bermuda grass cultivars and researched which varieties were salt and drought tolerant to help develop improved crops for farmers in semi-arid climates."

Molly Carlson	Eric Chen	Daria Clinkscales
Wake Tech Community College	Yale University	Virginia State University
Placement: Baton Rouge, LA Agricultural Research Service Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics & Research Laboratory	Placement: Washington D.C. Office of the Secretary Office of the Chief Economist	Placement: Athens, GA Agricultural Research Service U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Poultry Microbiological Safety & Processing Research Unit
	"I built trade models to assess the impact of international trade wars on our nation’s farmers, and organized an agency-wide conference on blockchain in agriculture. This fellowship highlighted the critical role of agriculture in international relations, and gave me valuable experience at the intersection of innovation, agriculture and economics."	"As a Fellow, I helped create a vaccination for Salmonella in chickens. We manipulated DNA proteins in order to test antibiotic resistance in commercial chicken populations. Not only did this summer experience help to define and enhance my lab skills, but it has broadened my insight into the incredible opportunities in research."

Elaina Conrad	Lauren English	Mikayla Eppert
Iowa State University	University of Notre Dame	University of Iowa
Placement: Washington D.C. Foreign Agricultural Service Office of Civil Rights, Office of Agreements and Scientific Affairs	Placement: Poplar, MS Agricultural Research Service Southern Horticultural Research Unit	Placement: Peoria, IL Agricultural Research Service National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Functional Foods Research Unit
"Conducting policy research with the Foreign Agricultural Service provided me with an incomparable opportunity to engage with senior USDA officials and participate in meaningful work to improve US farmers' trade access to international markets."	"During my fellowship, I conducted molecular biology research, including DNA and RNA extractions, on different blueberry species in order to develop a hybrid with higher antioxidant content for better health and higher economic value."

Rachel Ganson	Jade Gerlitz	Nicholas Grandstaff
Boston University	Iowa State University	University of Iowa
Placement: Washington D.C. Economic Research Service Structure, Technology and Productivity Branch	Placement: Ames, IA Agricultural Research Service National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment, Agroecosystems Management Research Unit	Placement: Washington D.C. Economic Research Service Diet, Safety & Health Economics Division
"I compiled data and analyzed trends in precision agriculture, focusing on the companies involved in the development, manufacture, and distribution of technologies with the potential to reduce inefficiency and waste in the food supply chain while increasing sustainability, yield, and profitability for farmers."	"This summer I studied soil nitrate loss and the effect of climate change on cover crop management practices. This research will help reduce the harmful effect of nitrates on aquatic ecosystems and human health in the Gulf of Mexico."	"I was given the opportunity to work alongside USDA economists to analyze the accessibility of the Supplemetnal Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the U.S. In addition to my research, ERS provided seminars that expanded my perspective and understanding of our food system."

Hailey Hampton	Morgan Hasler	Abbigail Hoffman
Utah State University	University of Kentucky	Iowa State University
Placement: Geneva, NY Agricultural Research Service Grape Genetics Research Unit	Placement: Fargo, ND Agricultural Research Service Animal Metabolism-Agricultural Chemicals Research Unit	Placement: Peoria, IL Agricultural Research Service National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Functional Foods Research Unit
"I tested drought tolerance in apple trees using aeroponic technologies. This allowed me to expand my knowledge in a new field that I haven’t previously had experience in, and I’m excited to keep expanding my horizons and learning more in the future."	"My main focus this summer has been conducting assays to discover new methods for detecting meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat livestock, that is outlawed in meat for human consumption. Our goal is to create a safe, portable, and user-friendly way of detecting the drug to protect the food supply."	"I investigated ways to produce the highest yield of corn oil from corn fiber, a byproduct of ethanol. Normally, corn fiber is used as animal feed, but because corn oil from the fiber is high in healthy fats and other components, it can be used as a dietary supplement to lower cholesterol and fight other cardiovascular diseases."

Jerome Jacobsen	Emma Lynne Johnson	Lavina Kalwani
Colombia University	The Ohio State University	Rice University
Placement: New Orleans, LA Agricultural Research Service Southern Regional Research Center, Food and Feed Safety Research Unit	Placement: Beltsville, MD Agricultural Research Service National Agricultural Library	Placement: Washington D.C. Office of the Secretary Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement
"I analyzed a fungus that commonly infects crops during transport and storage, and researched novel techniques to control the fungus's production of aflatoxin, a powerful carcinogen associated with tens of thousands of new cases of liver cancer each year."		"As a Wallace Carver Fellow, I had the incredible opportunity to analyze the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 and review the proposed House and Senate “Farm Bill” legislation to evaluate its impact on local and regional food systems."

Sharon Mills	Mya Mitchell	Priyanka Naithani
University of Maryland	Fort Valley State University	Clark University
Placement: Washington, D.C. Office of the Secretary Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement	Placement: Tifton, GA Agricultural Research Service Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory	Placement: Washington, D.C. Office of the Secretary Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement
"I developed social media content and materials to capture the attention of young people and help shape how they think about and understand agriculture today. These efforts are incredibly important as we engage and prepare the next generation of young leaders to address the critical challenges they will face in the next fifty years."

Harper Martin	Madeline Poole	Alyssa Schaeffer
Arkansas State University	University of Illinois	University of Iowa
Placement: Oxford, MS Agricultural Research Service National Sedimentation Lab, Water Quality & Ecology Research Unit	Placement: Washington, D.C. Foreign Agricultural Service Office of Global Analysis, International Production Assessment Division	Placement: Ft. Collins, CO Agricultural Research Service Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Water Management Research Unit
"I studied phosphorus absorption and desorption in lake beds sediment samples in order to better understand nutrient flux rates and develop healthier and more sustainable agricultural systems."	"Through this experience, I learned how remote sensing, agronomy, and economics are applied to policymaking that affects our global market and everyday life. This fellowship solidified my desire to pursue plant sciences and international development."

Josie Slovut	Hunter Smith	Stone Warfield
University of Minnesota	Johnson County Community College	University of Kentucky
Placement: Las Cruces, NM Agricultural Research Service Range Management Research Unit	Placement: Houston, TX Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center	Placement: New Orleans, LA Agricultural Research Service Southern Regional Research Center, Food and Feed Safety Research Unit
"I used statistical software to contribute to a study on vesicular stomatitis, an insect-spread virus that affects cattle and horses. Research of this virus is crucial to stabilizing agricultural economies, since trade restrictions on infected animals have a significant impact on farmers and ranchers."	"I assisted in a neonatal nutrition study, testing the effects of probiotics on necrotizing enterocolitis rates in a piglets and analyzed how bile acids impact nutrition associated liver disease."	"I conducted experiments to better understand the growth of aspergillus flavus, a fungus that produces aflatoxin, a carcinogen that attacks the liver."

Elizabeth Weyer	Kelli Wicks	Gillian Wilkins
Drake University	Iowa State University	Augustana University
Placement: Ames, IA Agricultural Research Service National Animal Disease Center, Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit	Placement: Ames, IA Agricultural Research Service National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment Soil, Water & Air Research Unit	Placement: Fargo, ND Agricultural Research Service Insect Genetics & Biochemistry Research Unit
"This summer, I researched bovine digital dermatitis, the leading cause of infectious lameness in cattle worldwide. I learned about bacterial diseases and the role government scientists play in improving animal health around the globe."	"I researched soybean plant biomass and organic soil matter in order to help farmers improve their farming systems and technologies."	"I sought to identify control genes that remain unchanged in alfalfa leaf-cutting bees during the winter. Once found, these genes will provide a template against which other genes can be compared, helping researchers understand the behavior of these bees."