LaGuardia Community College Students Complete Inaugural Animal Science Discovery Program with Rutgers-New Brunswick
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (July 31, 2024) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY students recently concluded a three-week intensive in the field of animal science at the Douglass Student Center at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
The learning experience was part of the inaugural USDA NIFA NEXTGEN Animal Science Discovery Program’s (ANSCId) Summer Experiential Learning Program (SELP) and Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), a three-week intensive, residential experience for LaGuardia students who are interested in Animal Science and other agriculture-related fields.
The joint initiative between LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) and Rutgers University is made possible with funding in the amount of $4.5 million awarded by the USDA NIFA NEXTGEN grant.
Leading the ANSCId program are Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Environmental Science program at LaGuardia, and Dr. Aparna Zama, Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Program in Animal Sciences at Rutgers.
Through the ANSCId program, students are supported through paid summer residencies, peer-mentorship, career development opportunities, and a fully funded scholarship program between LaGuardia and Rutgers which serves as pipeline for inner-city high school students in NYC to careers in food, agriculture and natural resources, (FANH) that are currently unavailable to them near their homes. The ANSCId program gave LaGuardia students the opportunity to work at the Rutgers University farm and research laboratories; engage with peer mentors, and explore USDA career opportunities.
The closing program, presented on July 3, continued with student presentations that outlined their experiences at Rutgers, and the impact they had on their intended career paths. Several SELP students learned that becoming a veterinarian is not the only path to a career working with animals, and the SURE students shared what they learned from delving into research with Rutgers graduate students.
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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