NextGen NRCS Pros Fellows: How the 2025 Cohort is Helping People and Helping the Land?

NextGen NRCS Pros Fellows: How the 2025 Cohort is Helping People and Helping the Land?

Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Texas A&M University has launched the NextGen NRCS Pros program. Spearheaded by Dr. Rafael Landaverde, Dr. Gary Wingenbach and Dr. Jun Wang, this initiative is designed to prepare the next generation of agriculture and natural resources professionals. In its inaugural year, NextGen has welcomed 17 talented fellows into its first cohort—students from different majors and Texas A&M System Universities passionate about agriculture, conservation and natural resource management.

The NextGen NRCS Pros program offers an exciting blend of professional development and hands-on professional experience. Aligning with NRCS’s core mission to “Help People Help the Land,” the program provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience through paid summer internships. Fellows can intern at any organization that focuses on conservation, research, agriculture, science, technology, or natural resources, allowing them to tailor their experiences to their career aspirations.

What makes this program unique is its immersive learning model, which spans one year, in which fellows participate in a variety of enriching activities, including:

• Cohort Retreats and Leadership Workshops

• Professional Development Sessions

• Distinguished Ceremonies

• A Research Symposium and Final Presentations of their learning outcomes.

  
  

Throughout the program, fellows gain invaluable knowledge, develop crucial skills and receive mentorship from experts in the field. They emerge as well-prepared, motivated individuals ready to contribute to the future of agriculture and natural resources conservation.

The  2025 NextGen NRCS Pros fellows are:

Zubair Ali- Texas A&M University

Rogelio Carillo- Texas A&M University

AJ Dedmon- Texas A&M University

Emily De La Fuente- Texas A&M University

Arturo Espana- Texas A&M University

Mykah Gallaher- Texas A&M University

Chaney Graham- Texas A&M University

Luis Liera- Texas A&M University

Vanessa Luviano- East Texas A&M University

Etienne Ndem- Texas A&M University

Karla Pedraza- Texas A&M University

Madison Quiroz- Texas A&M University

Nicole Ross- Texas A&M University

Jenna Sanders- Texas A&M University

KeAna Tatum- Texas A&M University

Peter Thompson- Texas A&M University

Adelynn Todd- Texas A&M University