The Foreign Service Journal, April 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2021 69 AFSA NEWS APH I S OF FERS FORE I GN SERV I CE FEL LOWSH I P The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is funding a new Foreign Service Fellowship Program to attract and prepare outstanding individuals for Foreign Service careers with APHIS. Based on the fundamental principle that diversity is a strength in U.S. engagement with the world, the program welcomes applications from members of minority groups historically underrep- resented in USDA, women and those with financial need. The program provides graduate fellowships to qualified individuals who will be attending Tuske- gee University in the 2021-2022 academic year and matriculating in either the agriculture or vet- erinary sciences/medicine programs, and who are committed to joining the APHIS Foreign Service. The fellowships provide financial support for graduate studies at Tuskegee University in Ala- bama, two summer internships (one domestic and one overseas), mentoring from a Foreign Service officer and professional development activities. Howard University in Washington, D.C., admin- isters the APHIS Foreign Service Fellowship Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. APHIS is the lead U.S. government agency that keeps American agriculture healthy. APHIS comprises more than 8,000 employees across the United States and around the world, working together to secure the future of American agricul- ture. APHIS FSOs protect and expands the integrity of American agriculture. They find solutions to complicated issues, such as collaborating with local ministry and international organizations to eradicate a medfly infestation in the Dominican Republic; collaborating with animal health authori- ties overseas to combat transboundary animal diseases; ensuring that avocados from Colombia are safe to import into the United States; releasing California cherries to India; and much more. Please visit http://afsfprogram.org for more information. n NEWS BRIEF