Thirty seven students from across the country have been confirmed for the prestigious Wallace-Carver Fellowship. The fellowship, made possible with the support of The World Food Prize Foundation and The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), offers exceptional college students the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned scientists and policymakers through paid summer internships at leading USDA research centers and offices across the United States.

“The Wallace-Carver Fellowship exposes the best young minds in agriculture to the wide variety of opportunities available to them through civil service,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Their experiences as Fellows will prepare these exceptional young leaders to carry out the vital research and innovation we will need to address the challenge of feeding a growing global population.”

49 million Americans are food insecure today, and one in nine people on the planet go hungry each day. Food security remains a critical issue as the world population continues to grow. Sec. Vilsack and Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of The World Food Prize, created the Wallace-Carver Fellowship to inspire the next generation of American scientific, agricultural, and humanitarian leaders.

“These students are among the brightest and most passionate young people in the country, and we are thrilled to connect them with these opportunities that put them on track for promising careers in agriculture and international development,” Amb. Quinn said. “I am sure they will be the leaders of the future in global food security.”

The Fellowship includes a culminating week-long, high-level leadership symposium at the USDA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., which is hosted by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The Fellows will participate in a series of high-level briefings, tours and discussions around Washington DC with key government officials, congressional and humanitarian leaders engaged in the fight against hunger.

A full list of the 2016 Fellows can be found here.