Alejandro Echeverry, an Associate Professor of Practice in Food Microbiology & Food Engineering within Texas Tech University’s Department of Animal & Food Sciences has been selected for induction into the university’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Fellows Program.
“I am deeply honored and excited to have been selected for the HSI Fellows Program, because it is a wonderful opportunity to help me to better engage and support Hispanic, first-generation and underserved students at the university,” Echeverry said.
“This program aligns perfectly with my passion for fostering academic and professional success among all students and reduce any barriers they might encounter in their professional development,” he said.
Echeverry objectives for his fellowship include helping undergraduate and graduate students to realize their full potential by establishing mentorship programs, career coaching, integrating a diverse curriculum to the teaching materials for his classes.
In addition, he wants to help in providing professional development and experiential learning activities in the areas of STEM education in food science, as well as help and contribute to the advancement of all the university initiatives that help with his students’ education and professional development.
The HSI Fellows Program is a great experience for our faculty and an important honor, said Darren Hudson, Davis College Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment, and the Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness.
“The program allows faculty from varied backgrounds to contribute to our mission as a Hispanic Service Institution and to mentor young graduate students and develop the next generation of scientists and leaders,” he said.
Over the years, Echeverry has focused his research efforts on improving, validating and implementing antimicrobial interventions to improve the safety of beef products, especially in developing countries, with the goal to increase their ability to export to the U.S.
Earlier in his career he worked as a food safety consultant and quality control supervisor in Colombia, post-doctoral research associate at Texas Tech, and Texas Tech Research Assistant Professor in Food Microbiology. He received his bachelor’s degree in food engineering from the Corporación Universitaria Lasallista in Medellín, Colombia. His master’s degree in food sciences and doctorate in animal sciences are from Texas Tech.
Echeverry is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, International Association for Food Protection, and the American Meat Science Association, and served as reviewer for the Journal of Food Science, the Journal of Food Protection, and Meat Science.
According to program officials, the HSI Fellows program is a one-year cohort-style commitment. Participants meet monthly for up to two hours per meeting with optional activities in between meetings. In addition, each fellow is matched with a graduate student to help mentor for the duration of their fellowship.
Texas Tech was designated a HSI university in 2019. The federal designation enabled Texas Tech to apply for grant funding to better resource, access, retain, and graduate Hispanic students. While this designation is centered on minoritized, rural, low-income, and Pell-eligible students, the funding from these grants creates broader resources benefiting all students.
CONTACT: Clint Krehbiel, Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or Clint.Krehbiel@ttu.edu
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