Oregon State University gets $1 million to train ‘diverse’ agricultural workforce

Oregon State University will invest in the creation of a “diverse workforce” for agriculture with the assistance of over $1 million in federal taxpayer dollars.

OSU’s “Multicultural Scholars Program” received the money with the assistance of U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.

“One thing I’m hearing is the need for a more skilled and diverse workforce,” Senator Wyden, a Democrat, stated in the news release. He said the grant came after hearing from agricultural leaders in the state.

The multicultural scholars program will use the $250K grant “to provide scholarships to recruit, engage, retain, mentor, and train multicultural scholars who will earn STEM-focused baccalaureate degrees from OSU College of Agricultural Sciences.”