October 21, 2013--On Tuesday, November 5, 2013, five teachers and fifty students from local Tampa high schools will participate in an international scientific conference at the Tampa Convention Center. They will get a first-hand look at careers, research opportunities, college admission requirements, and minority outreach programs in the agricultural and environmental sciences.

“We are excited our students will have this opportunity,” says Pam Walden, supervisor of the Agriculture and JROTC programs with the Hillsborough Public School District. “We appreciate the Societies offering our students the ability to take part in the Gateway Scholars program so that they can see first-hand the opportunities available to them in the Agronomy, Crop, and Soil Science fields of study.”

The conference is the annual meetings of more than 4,000 scientists and professionals in the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). The students are participating in the Societies’ Gateway Scholars program. The 2013 International ASA, CSSA, SSSA Annual Meetings takes place Nov. 3-6 at the Tampa Convention Center. The theme of this year’s conference is “Water, Food, Energy, & Innovation for a Sustainable World”.

The Societies’ Diversity in Agronomy, Crops, Soils and Environmental Sciences Committee, designed the program to attract students to degrees and careers in the agricultural and environmental sciences, especially students from minority groups that are currently underrepresented in these fields.

The five local Tampa high schools with students and teachers attending the conference are:

• Middleton High School
• Freedom High School
• East Bay High School
• Armwood High School
• King High School

Students and staff were hand-picked by school administrators to participate in the Gateway Scholars Program. As such, they receive complimentary registration and full access to the conference, including research presentations, products, and services on display in the Exhibit Hall, and lectures by industry leaders.

Students will also learn about the variety of careers available in agronomy, crop, soil, and environmental sciences; find out about the various university programs in these disciplines, including admissions and scholarship programs; and interact with scientists in these fields.

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Members of the media receive complimentary registration to the joint meetings. One of the best times to meet the Gateway Scholars is at a session from 10:30 to 11:30 am on Tues., Nov. 5, when they will be meeting and talking with minority graduate students who are presenting their research projects at the meetings. For further information, contact Susan Fisk, 608-273-8091, sfisk@sciencesocieties.org