MCC faculty named U.S. Department of Agriculture E. Kika De La Garza Fellow

Michael Gaspar, Mesa Community College sustainable agriculture and landscape horticulture program director, was named a 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture E. Kika De La Garza Fellow, one of 32 faculty and staff chosen from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts across the nation.

“I am deeply honored to be selected as a Kika De La Garza Fellow,” Gaspar, a resident of Tucson, said in a release. “Ultimately I will incorporate what I learn into my curriculum and share it with the broader community through outreach programs empowering urban farmers and raising awareness of helpful USDA initiatives.”

Gaspar recently joined other fellows for a week of meetings with leaders from different USDA agencies in the Washington, D.C. area to learn more about national and regional issues, policy making and research; and learning how USDA services and programs can benefit students, programs and the community.

“Being from Yuma, the winter lettuce capital of the world, I grew up around agriculture spending many summers working alongside my family at my grandmother’s peach tree and cattle ranch in Mexico,” said Gaspar. “These experiences and what I learned being active in Future Farmers of America, helped shape my desire to educate others and prepare students for agriculture careers.”

At MCC, Gaspar teaches students, among other things, essential farming principles and practices, plant growth and development; sustainable crop production, hydroponics and integrated pest management.

“MCC’s dedication to hands-on agriculture education and my vision to utilize the fellowship to further enhance our programs and outreach initiatives will directly benefit our students,” he says. “This enriched curriculum will equip my students with the most advanced sustainable agriculture practices and relevant skills for careers and access to opportunities such as USDA grants and loans to start their own businesses,” he says.

Gaspar is a candidate in Murray State University’s Ed.D. Program in P-20 and Community Leadership. He has a master’s degree in career and technical education from Eastern New Mexico University and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural technology management and education from the University of Arizona.

Learn more about the MCC landscape horticulture/sustainable agriculture programs, Center for Urban Agriculture and state-of-the-art teaching greenhouse at https://mesacc.edu/programs/landscape-horticulture.