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For more information,
contact: Wally Hinkle, Vice President, The Ag Agency (512) 465-1829 |
| Tuskegee Dean Honored by Farm Credit Bank of Texas | |
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AUSTIN, Texas - Dr. Walter A. Hill, dean of the College of Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Sciences at Tuskegee University, received the highest honor awarded by the Farm Credit Bank of Texas when he was inducted into the bank's Academy of Honor on March 31. Dr. Hill, who also is the director of the George Washington Carver Agricultural Experiment Station, was one of two recipients selected for the honor, which recognizes significant contribution and service to agriculture. James A. McCarthy, a farmer from Rio Hondo, Texas, also was inducted into the Academy. In addition to his positions at Tuskegee, Dr. Hill serves as director of the Southern Food Systems Educational Consortium and the NASA Center for Food and Environmental Systems for Human Exploration of Space. He serves on the board of the American Distance Education Consortium and chairs the board of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference. He received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Lake Forest College, a master's degree in teaching chemistry from the University of Chicago, a master's in soil chemistry from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in agronomy and environmental chemistry from the University of Illinois. He also holds an honorary doctorate of science from Lake Forest College. Dr. Hill is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and a member of several honor societies. He has earned numerous awards and honors and is active in professional organizations, his community and his local church. Hill and his wife, Jill Harris Hill, have three sons. Throughout his career, he has faithfully worked to provide opportunities for underrepresented minority students in the agricultural sciences. His efforts have resulted in innovative partnerships that enhance education and development opportunities for underrepresented minorities, rural communities and developing countries. As part of the Academy of Honor recognition, the Farm Credit Bank of Texas provided a $10,000 scholarship fund in Hill's name. The money was presented to the George Washington Carver Society Endowment Fund at a ceremony April 1. The Farm Credit Bank of Texas provides funds and services to 21 financing cooperatives in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas, plus four Other Financing Institutions. These organizations, in turn, provide financing to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness firms, country homeowners and other rural landowners. |
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