Biology student named to USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program
Senior Biology major Cassandra Tice was recently chosen for the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program. Tice is one of 30 university students who attended the USDA 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum as representative members of the program.
Members of the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program participated in a weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss career opportunities in agriculture, attend the USDA 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum, and meet with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
Tice applied to the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program after Assistant Professor JP Dundore-Arias advertised the program in class. Dundore-Arias encouraged her to write her personal statement on her motivation to support veterans through understanding agriculture. Tice says her leadership experience with the Bureau of Land Management made her more eligible for the opportunity with the USDA.
Tice is pursuing a career in plant science to support veterans who use agriculture as therapy. As an intern for the Bureau of Land Management, Tice maintains and monitors plant habitats at Fort Ord National Monument. She also works with Dundore-Arias to research Pythium wilt disease in lettuce.
“She’s gaining hands-on experience in different microbiology and plant pathology techniques with the ultimate goal of having a better understanding of how these pathogens infect plants and how they survive in the environment with the idea of finding alternatives to fumigation, which is a great challenge for the industry here in the Salinas Valley,” Dundore-Arias said.
Tice will finish her undergraduate degree next year, and hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in plant pathology. To learn more about Cassandra’s accomplishment, check out the Monterey Herald article “CSUMB student named to USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program”.