De la Torre Scholars Significantly Contribute to College Programs

During the 2018 - 2019 academic year, three outstanding students were selected for the de la Torre award. Each of them made a substantial contribution to Ag2Americas programming.

Juan Francisco Iturralde Martinez, Ecuador, Plant Pathology
Juan Francisco coordinated a visit at Penn State for a delegation from two Colombian universities, UTADEO and Areandina. He also presented his research to the visiting faculty, students, and administration. This exchange is part of a project funded by the Partners of the Americas as part of the 100k Strong in the Americas Program.

Terry Torres Cruz, Costa Rica, Plant Pathology
Ms. Cruz worked with Paul Esker and Melanie Foster to design the INTAD 820 travel to Costa Rica on Spring Break. As a native of Costa Rica, Terry assisted in in designing an experience that provided INTAD graduate students with a wide range of exposure to educational, agricultural and environmental organizations. Most notably, she worked with her alma mater, Tecnologico de Costa Rica, on an experience that consisted of shared presentations and networking with students and faculty. Terry also served as a guide and interpreter in country, as she answered student questions about the country and culture of Costa Rica, and assisted with technical and scientific translations that our official translator struggled with. She was a great asset to the class, and students are still talking about the impact that she had on their experience.

Mario Novelo, Mexico, Entomology
Mario Novelo and Jaime Prudencio are working on contributions to the Spanish4Ag Initiative. Mario will be presenting three talks where he will be introducing himself, his country of origin and his research in the Spanish for the Agricultural Sciences program. These talks will help to better showcase different dialects, accents, and vocabulary used in Spanish from Mexico and Spain. Also, he will assist with recording 360 video and creating canvas activities to be used in Spanish for the Agricultural Sciences coursework.