November 15, 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding nearly $800,000 to the veterinary colleges at Tuskegee University and the University of Georgia to improve veterinary education and research across Africa through the Faculty Exchange Program, administered by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

“Both Tuskegee and the University of Georgia are first-time program participants, reflecting USDA’s commitment to expand the reach of its programs and also promote equity and inclusion,” FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley said in a Sept. 9 press release.

“Tuskegee in particular exemplifies these efforts being the first of our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities to receive funding through the Faculty Exchange Program, something we hope will inspire other HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to learn about and apply for our programs.”

FAS will provide $400,000 to Tuskegee’s College of Veterinary Medicine and $395,605 to UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine to host fellowships for visiting agricultural and veterinary educators from Africa. The fellows will focus on curriculum development and research in areas including animal health, feed quality and safety, and measures for the control of plant diseases.

The Faculty Exchange Program was established in 1995 and has provided training opportunities for hundreds of agricultural educators across the developing world. Since 2016, the program has specifically focused on veterinary science in Africa, providing training to 54 faculty members from colleges in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda through partnerships with Iowa State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Tennessee.

“We have always had a strong focus on global animal health and production and how to prepare the next generation of veterinarians for work in this arena,” said Dr. Corrie Brown, principal investigator and professor at Georgia’s veterinary college, in a press release.

“This program will allow our students and faculty even more opportunities to learn from their international colleagues and vice versa—it is a win-win situation,” Dr. Brown said.

The FAS Faculty Exchange program is expected to begin this coming spring.