CISC HBCU Fellowship Program
a man and a woman posing for a photo

Developing
the Next Generation
of Black Ag Professionals

A new partnership between the Carver Integrative Sustainability Center (CISC) of Tuskegee University’s College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences and the Inter-Institutional Network for Food, Agriculture, and Sustainability (INFAS hosted by UC Davis) will enhance Tuskegee University’s efforts to develop the next generation of Black Ag Professionals. This fellowship is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Selected candidates attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are pursuing graduate degrees in food systems, agriculture, natural resources, or related fields receive $6,000 along with mentoring and professional development opportunities as part of this program. The development of this opportunity is part of CISC’s efforts to leverage partnerships with various entities to meet mutual goals around the development of the Black agriculture sector. We have selected applicants who have completed at least one quarter or semester of a Master’s or Doctoral program and who currently attend a HBCU.

The Partnership Between CISC and INFAS

  • Pairs students with faculty and collaborators to support the development/refinement of food systems research
  • Leverages networks to identify strategic presentation and extracurricular opportunities inclined towards student goals
  • Hones best practices for institutional and organizational partnerships designed to
  • Cultivates the next generation of Black leaders in food and agriculture

2022-23 Pilot Year

The 2022-23 pilot year brought a talented applicant pool of 27 scholars from 11 HBCUs. Our fellowship acceptance rate for 2022-23 was 29.6% with a 44% rate of scholarship recognition via our CHFP Fellow and Honoree awards.

In total, the CISC selected 8 fellows and 4 honorees. Our fellows represent 7 different HBCU’s, 6 disciplines, and include 1 PhD candidate and 7 masters candidates. Our honorees represent different 3 HBCU’s, 4 disciplines and include 3 PhD candidates and 1 masters candidate. Honorees and Fellows presented their research via poster and oral presentations at the Professional Ag Workers Conference (PAWC) in November 2022 with expenses paid by the CHFP Fellowship. One of our honorees, Chinedu Ahuchaogu of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, won third place in the Gamma Sigma Delta Student Competition.

Email Us: chfp@tuskegee.edu

The 2024–2025 CHFP Fellows are sowing bold futures in Black agriculture, even as the soil grows more contested.

Across HBCU campuses and the food systems they study and serve, these fellows rise — graduate students who are researchers, organizers, storytellers, and visionaries. From rural development to urban food equity, from soil science to food sovereignty, their scholarship is rooted in lived experience and their leadership shaped by community accountability.

This year’s CHFP cohort brings together Master’s and PhD students from across the South and beyond — each pursuing degrees in agriculture, food systems, and natural resources. They’ve been selected not only for academic rigor, but for a commitment to transforming food and land systems through a lens of equity, history, and hope.

Through the Carver Integrative Sustainability Center (CISC) at Tuskegee University and the Inter-Institutional Network for Food, Agriculture and Sustainability (INFAS) at UC Davis, this fellowship provides financial support, mentorship, and a platform for these students to amplify their research and roots. With guidance from INFAS faculty mentors and CISC’s ongoing professional development, these Fellows engage a year-long journey that deepens their impact and hones their vision.

In a time when land, labor, and liberation are under threat, the 2024–2025 CHFP Fellows are defining what comes next — for Black farmers, for HBCUs, for food justice movements across the nation. And they’re not waiting for permission to lead.

Additional Information

  • Dr. Lindsey Lunsford
  • Dr. Natilee McGruder-Kyle
  • 2024-2025
  • CHFP 2025
  • CHFP 2025
  • CHFP 2025
  • CHFP 2025

Register here

Castanea HBCU Fellowship Program | 2024–2025 Cohort

Digital Stories

Digital Stories | Fellows | Honorees | Mentors | Program Team

Current Fellows 2024–2025

The 2024–2025 CHFP Fellows are emerging leaders spanning legal, scientific, and community disciplines, committed to transforming food systems through research, policy, and advocacy. They bring diverse expertise to tackle challenges in equity and sustainability.

Breanna Magee

Breanna Magee
Southern University Law Center

🔹 Breanna Magee is a second-year law student whose research focuses on integrating environmental justice frameworks into agricultural policy to support marginalized communities. Through legal clinics and community organizing, she advocates for equitable food access and sustainable resource management across underserved regions.
Christiana O. Ugbem

Christiana O. Ugbem
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Christiana O. Ugbem is a first-year master’s candidate investigating plant-based bioactive compounds in metabolic health. Through laboratory analysis and community outreach, she develops nutrient-dense interventions aimed at improving health outcomes in underserved populations.
Sherman Cravens

Sherman Cravens
Alabama A&M University

🔹 Sherman Cravens is an M.S. candidate studying value-added products from regional crops. His research emphasizes sustainable processing and quality optimization to enhance shelf life and nutritional profiles, aimed at boosting economic viability for small-scale producers.
Eboni Major

Eboni Major
Alabama A&M University

🔹 Eboni Major, a CISC HBCU Fellow with degrees in Food Science and Chemistry, develops innovative product formulations and sensory analyses in collaboration with distilleries to inform whiskey-based foods, advancing sustainable ingredient sourcing and consumer engagement.
Joel O. Alabi

Joel O. Alabi
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Joel O. Alabi, a PhD candidate in Animal Science, employs multi-omics to optimize feed efficiency and health outcomes. Through computational modeling and field trials, he enhances livestock productivity and promotes sustainable resource management.
Johnpaul Kagulire

Johnpaul Kagulire
Tuskegee University

🔹 Johnpaul Kagulire researches dietary mycotoxin mitigation in maize through biochemistry and toxicology. His work in controlled feeding trials develops safe, locally sourced complementary foods for vulnerable communities in East Africa.
Mariam Marafa

Mariam Marafa
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Mariam Marafa, a nutritionist, examines social determinants of health and food insecurity in urban settings. Through epidemiological research and community workshops, she creates nutrition education programs to improve food access and health equity.
TreDarious Clifton

TreDarious Clifton
Alcorn State University

🔹 TreDarious Clifton, a PhD candidate in Entomology, focuses on integrated pest management and pollinator intercropping. His extension outreach promotes sustainable cropping systems that enhance ecosystem services and farmer resilience.

Previous CHFP
2023–2024 | 2022–2023

Current Honorees

Our Honorees advance food sovereignty, equity, and justice through groundbreaking research and leadership across microbiology, agroecology, and nutrition.

Emmanuel Kuufire

Emmanuel Kuufire
Tuskegee University

🔹 Emmanuel Kuufire investigates genetic markers of foodborne pathogens using molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics. His collaborations with public health agencies and training initiatives strengthen food safety protocols to protect community health.
Sandesh Chapagain

Sandesh Chapagain
University of Maryland Eastern Shore

🔹 Sandesh Chapagain studies zoonotic pathogens in poultry, examining antimicrobial resistance and transmission dynamics. Through field sampling, lab assays, and collaborative workshops, he develops interventions to reduce contamination risks.
Juliana Noi

Juliana Noi
Lincoln University of Missouri

🔹 Juliana Noi evaluates goat silvopasture systems for ecosystem services and biodiversity. Her collaborative field research designs sustainable models integrating livestock grazing with forest conservation to bolster rural livelihoods.
Kwadwo Antwi-Wiafe

Kwadwo Antwi-Wiafe
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Kwadwo Antwi-Wiafe uses econometric modeling to assess AGOA trade impacts on smallholder farms. His policy-focused research informs strategies to enhance market access and drive rural economic development.
Omowunmi Odeyomi

Omowunmi Odeyomi
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Omowunmi Odeyomi analyzes crop insurance adoption barriers among small-scale farmers through statistical modeling and workshops, developing extension strategies to bolster financial resilience and sustainable agriculture.
Peter Owolabi

Peter Owolabi
Lincoln University of Missouri

🔹 Peter Owolabi examines climate-smart agriculture adoption with mixed-methods research and capacity building. His frameworks empower youth and communities in Nigeria to implement sustainable practices and enhance food security.
Olabisi Somefun

Olabisi Somefun
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Olabisi Somefun develops real-time irrigation scheduling tools for tomato production using sensors and analytics, optimizing water use efficiency. Her on-farm validations and grower training support sustainable horticultural systems.
Matthew O. Akindoyin

Matthew O. Akindoyin
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Matthew Olaniyi Akindoyin researches milk quality and antimicrobial strategies for mastitis prevention using microbiological assays. He collaborates with veterinarians to develop best practices and extension resources for dairy herds.
Yvette Mukunzi

Yvette Mukunzi
Delaware State University

🔹 Yvette Mukunzi investigates nutritional properties of indigenous African crops, coupling lab analyses with community nutrition surveys to improve diet quality among immigrant populations through participatory education programs.
Sara Gutierrez Diaz

Sara Gutierrez Diaz
Tuskegee University

🔹 Sara Gutierrez Diaz integrates hydrological modeling and social equity frameworks in water resource management. Her community-engaged research in Alabama’s Black Belt advances sustainable infrastructure to improve access and environmental justice.

Previous CHFP
2023–2024 | 2022–2023

Current Mentors

Our dedicated mentors guide the CHFP Fellows with expertise in food systems, policy, and sustainability to ensure their success.

Dr. Christopher Bacon

Dr. Christopher Bacon
Santa Clara University

🔹 Dr. Christopher Bacon examines migration, environment, and social justice through participatory research, mentoring in climate resilience projects and facilitating policy dialogues to drive sustainable food systems and environmental equity.
Dr. Collins Bugingo

Dr. Collins Bugingo
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

🔹 Dr. Collins Bugingo researches post-harvest technology to reduce food loss. His work integrates food quality analysis with extension programs to boost farm incomes and enhance supply chain sustainability.
Ebony Woodruff, JD

Ebony Woodruff, JD
Southern University Law Center

🔹 Ebony Woodruff is a clinical instructor specializing in food law and regulatory compliance. She advises on equitable food access policies and trains emerging leaders to navigate legal frameworks for food justice.
Emily Reno

Emily Reno
Sustainability Consultant & Educator

🔹 Emily Reno leads agroecology workshops and supply chain transparency initiatives, advising NGOs and governments on resilience strategies to fortify local food systems against climate and economic shocks.
Dr. Kareem Usher

Dr. Kareem Usher
Ohio State University

🔹 Dr. Kareem Usher develops public health nutrition interventions, integrating community-based research to improve food access and dietary quality in underserved populations through multi-sector collaboration.
Dr. Kim Niewolny

Dr. Kim Niewolny
Virginia Tech

🔹 Dr. Kim Niewolny leads participatory research with small-scale farmers, fostering health equity and resilience in Appalachian agriculture through collaborative methodologies and policy advocacy.
Dr. Kristin Reynolds

Dr. Kristin Reynolds
Yale University & The New School

🔹 Dr. Kristin Reynolds analyzes urban food policy impacts on equity, designing inclusive city food systems that address justice and sustainability through interdisciplinary research and stakeholder engagement.
Dr. Megan Govindan

Dr. Megan Govindan
University of Dayton

🔹 Dr. Megan Govindan integrates plant physiology and social science to develop community garden models, empowering youth engagement and promoting urban agriculture as a tool for social change.
Michelle Miller

Michelle Miller
University of Wisconsin–Madison

🔹 Michelle Miller teaches food processing and product development, collaborating with cooperatives to scale sustainable startups and promote equitable economic growth in rural communities.
Dr. Raymon Shange

Dr. Raymon Shange
Tuskegee University

🔹 Dr. Raymon Shange specializes in food safety microbiology and extension, mentoring students to translate research into community programs and build scalable food safety initiatives.

Previous CHFP
2023–2024 | 2022–2023

CHFP Program Team

Our program team supports the fellowship through curriculum design, outreach, and evaluation to ensure a transformative experience.

Natilee McGruder Kyle

Natilee McGruder Kyle
Food Systems Consultant, Growing Green LLC

🔹 Natilee McGruder Kyle advises on sustainable food system design and equity-focused program development, connecting research insights with impactful community initiatives.

Previous CHFP
2023–2024 | 2022–2023

Tuskegee University is a top ranked HBCU!

Apply Now
Back To Top