Department of Animal & Food Sciences Associate Professor of Practice Alejandro Echeverry
Alejandro Echeverry, an associate professor of practice in food safety and food microbiology with Texas Tech's Department of Animal & Food Sciences, has been selected as a 2026 E. Kika De La Garza Fellow, joining a nationally recognized U.S. Department of Agriculture program designed to strengthen partnerships between Hispanic-Serving Institutions and the nation's agricultural agencies.
'As both a food safety educator and a Texas Tech HSI Fellow, I believe this experience will enhance my ability to connect students — particularly Hispanic and first-generation students — with meaningful educational, internship and career opportunities.'
Echeverry is among a select group of faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions participating in the weeklong fellowship in Washington, D.C., July 13-17. The program provides participants with direct access to USDA leadership, scientists and policymakers while offering an in-depth look at the department's research priorities, public service mission and career opportunities.
For Texas Tech, the appointment reflects both the university's growing role in agricultural research and its commitment to preparing students for careers that address some of the nation's most pressing food and public health challenges.
“As both a food safety educator and a Texas Tech HSI Fellow, I believe this experience will enhance my ability to connect students -- particularly Hispanic and first-generation students -- with meaningful educational, internship and career opportunities offered by the USDA and other federal agencies,” Echeverry said. “I look forward to sharing what I learn and helping students envision future careers in public service and agriculture.”
Echeverry's participation in the fellowship underscores Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources’ expanding engagement with national agricultural priorities while creating new opportunities for collaboration with USDA scientists and leaders.
“This is a critical national recognition not only for Dr. Echeverry but also Davis College,” said Darren Hudson, Davis College Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment and the Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness in the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics.
“He joins a growing list of Davis College faculty receiving this honor and demonstrates the growing national prominence of our college and our faculty,” he said.
With more than two decades of experience in food microbiology and food safety systems, Echeverry has built a career focused on protecting the nation's food supply. His work spans foodborne pathogen detection, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)-based food safety systems, and the validation of intervention strategies for meat, poultry and seafood products.
Much of his current research supports the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, a collaborative federal effort that tracks antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens. His work includes collecting and analyzing retail food samples, isolating pathogens and using whole genome sequencing to help federal scientists better understand emerging antimicrobial resistance threats.
Beyond the laboratory, Echeverry works closely with food processors and industry partners, providing expertise in food safety systems, hygienic facility design and process controls that strengthen food production while helping companies meet regulatory expectations.
In the classroom, Echeverry emphasizes practical, hands-on learning that mirrors the challenges graduates will encounter in the food industry. Students in his Food Microbiology and Hygienic Design of Food Processing Plants courses develop processing facility layouts, evaluate product and personnel movement, apply contamination control principles and conduct feasibility analyses grounded in modern food safety standards.
He also leads field-based courses that take students inside food processing facilities, giving many their first exposure to commercial food production and introducing them to potential employers across the agriculture and food sectors.
The E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program was established by USDA in 1998 to strengthen relationships between the department and Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Named in honor of the late South Texas congressman E. "Kika" De La Garza, the program has hosted more than 300 faculty and staff members from institutions across the country.
An attorney and longtime public servant, De La Garza served six consecutive terms in the Texas House of Representatives before spending 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his congressional career, he helped shape major agricultural policy through reforms involving agricultural lending, federal crop insurance, commodity futures regulation and the reorganization of USDA.
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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