BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In keeping with its commitment to grow opportunities and provide recognition for women in the agribusiness sector, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has announced that nominations and applications are now being accepted for its 2021 award and scholarship programs.
Now in its ninth year, the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence recognizes women who have achieved excellence in their field and/or who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the agribusiness industry. The WIA Scholarship Program – which last year saw nearly 30 ag students benefit from the generosity of sponsors like Hancock Natural Resource Group, Motif FoodWorks and Rabobank – provides the potential to make life-changing industry connections, explore the many ag career options, and gain firsthand knowledge of the trends and issues facing the industry today.
“Over the years, we have grown our Women in Agribusiness community to expand much farther than simply hosting an annual event, though that is the very popular stronghold of our offerings,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, event director and chief operating officer of HighQuest Group, the parent company of Women in Agribusiness. “We have nurtured the opportunities and grown them to include membership, global year-long meet ups, a career center, a resource center and a weekly blog. We have come to be full circle in elevating women in the industry, such that those already at a certain rung are lifting others while they climb. The Demeter Award and Scholarship program are indicative of this as well.”
2021 WIA Demeter Award of Excellence
Nomination forms for the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence are available on the WIA website. There is no limit to the number of entries, which will be accepted through Saturday, July 10, 2021, and self-nominations are permissible as well. Up to three nominees will be chosen and each recipient will be invited to accept her award at the 10th anniversary 2021 Women in Agribusiness Summit in Minneapolis this year, September 21-23.
Criteria for nomination for the award, includes.
- Woman with a minimum of 10 years of experience in the ag and/or food industry;
- Woman who is a positive example to other women in the industry;
- Woman who breaks down barriers and serves as a resource for others; and
- Woman who consistently exemplifies professionalism.
Last year’s recipients were Ponsi Trivisvavet, an agtech pioneer and entrepreneur; Priscila Vansetti Machado, a decades-long contributor to the ag sector, notable for numerous “firsts” for women in the industry; and Amy Wu, an award-winning journalist turned author and agtech advocate for women.
Student Scholarships
WIA Student Scholarship applicants must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students attending an accredited college or university, and majoring in agribusiness or a related field. Sponsorships from industry companies, such as AgIS Capital, Cargill, Mitsui & Company and Nutrien make these scholarships possible. Students, who receive assistance with the costs for attending the WIA Summit, hail from colleges such as Florida A&M University, Texas A&M University and the University of Saskatchewan.
Applications, which are available here, are being accepted until Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Learn more at womeninag.com. Follow us @Womeninagri, like us on Facebook, and visit us on LinkedIn.
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About Women in Agribusiness
Women in Agribusiness is a business unit of HighQuest Group, a global agribusiness consulting, events and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness initiative took root in 2012, and now includes WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, WIA Career Connector, WIA Resource Center and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.