Agriculture industry partnerships with Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences provide new scholarships

The Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has announced new scholarships to support minority and underrepresented students in their academic success and future careers in the food and agriculture industries.

Global agriculture industry leader Cargill will provide scholarships through its Cargill University THRIVE program to students in the College. Revolver Brewing will offer the Brewing Education Scholarship to minority students pursuing a degree in food science and technology

Achieving more diverse and inclusive career paths

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has approximately 6,500 students; 58.5% are female and 33.3% come from underrepresented minority populations. Cargill has a longstanding history of hiring students from the College. Its THRIVE program will give these students a high-impact experience to expand their leadership and career-readiness skills beyond the classroom. The first cohort of 50 THRIVE scholars will be selected this fall semester.

The Cargill University THRIVE program will:

• Support 50 undergraduate students, with the majority being freshmen and 80% being women and/or minority. Qualifying students must be involved in student and professional organizations and have demonstrated leadership abilities. 
• Award stipends annually to help with tuition. These stipends will include $2,500 stipends for 30 freshmen and $4,000 stipends for 20 sophomores through seniors to recruit elite students to Texas A&M.
• Provide first-class enrichment activities. The Freshman Scholars program will include a first-year experience course, a student mentoring program and a monthly community series. In the Cargill Scholars Development Program, students will participate in an agricultural leadership seminar, regional trips, an interview for a Cargill internship, a student mentoring program and leadership opportunities in a monthly community series.

“We look forward to working with Cargill on this transformational and impactful educational opportunity for our students,” said Chris Skaggs, Ph.D., associate dean for student development in the College. “The Cargill University THRIVE program embraces the diverse cultural perspectives of our student body by enhancing student learning, growth and career readiness as they prepare for leadership roles in twenty-first century agriculture and life sciences industries.”

Enhancing diversity and leadership in the food science industry

The Brewing Education Scholarship from Revolver will help minority students prepare for a career in the craft brewing industry. Molson Coors Beverage Company, the parent company of Revolver, will donate $50,000 to endow the award, and each recipient will receive $2,500 annually. The scholarship is funded by the Molson Coors social justice initiative, which supports organizations focused on social justice, community building, equality and empowerment.

The scholarship is available to students who identify as Hispanic, Black/African American, American Indian, Asian, Pacific Islander and/or LGBTQ+ and will pursue a career in fermentation and brewing sciences after completing their degree at Texas A&M University.

“While the craft brewing industry is an incredible place to work, it’s woefully short of diverse voices,” said James Gleaves, president of Revolver, in the announcement. “We hope this scholarship will knock down barriers and provide opportunities for minority students to work in the industry, ultimately creating a more inclusive environment.”

Scholarship recipients can interview with and potentially complete a paid summer internship at the Revolver brewery in Granbury.  

“We are excited to partner with Revolver Brewing to continue making strides that shape the future of the food science profession,” said Bhimu Patil, Ph.D., interim head of Texas A&M’s Department of Food Science and Technology. “The scholarship from Revolver Brewing will provide our students with enhanced educational and professional opportunities in an effort to best prepare and empower diverse voices to lead the industry.”