ASTA Welcomes 2024 Summer Interns

Amaka Ifeduba and Mary Diaz have joined the ASTA team as 2024 summer interns.

Amaka, ASTA’s Ag Marketing/Communications intern, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, where she works as a Research Assistant in the Potato Breeding & Variety Development Program. Her research focus is understanding potato heat tolerance mechanisms to develop climate-smart varieties that can adapt to extreme global temperatures. Amaka has received several honors and awards for her work from her institution and national organizations like the National Association of Plant Breeders, Potato Association of America, Crop Science Society of America, and private companies like Bayer and Corteva. Beyond her research, Amaka is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation and dedicates her time to organizing outreach initiatives tailored to aspiring Graduate students in underdeveloped and developing countries.

She hopes this internship will hone her writing skills, science communications, and social media marketing. She also hopes to gain experience in international seed business to equip her for her future goals. After completing her Ph.D., Amaka aspires to work with an agricultural company in the United States, specifically in product development, branding, marketing, advocacy, international outreach, and science communications.

Mary, ASTA’s Government Affairs intern, is entering her senior year at Marymount University in Arlington, VA as a politics major. Born and raised on a family ranch in Sussex County, NJ, Mary grew up amidst a thriving agricultural environment with hundreds of animals. Her early life, spent riding horses and competing professionally in rodeos, deeply ingrained a passion for the agricultural lifestyle. The family’s horseback riding business, spanning over five thousand acres of national wildlife refuge trails, showcases the vital importance of farming and agricultural sustainability. This upbringing, richly intertwined with agriculture, inspired Mary to blend her agricultural roots with an emerging interest in politics. She looks forward to applying her unique perspective to the legislative aspects of agriculture, attending House and Senate hearings, and tracking key legislation that impacts the industry. Mary aims to deepen her understanding of policy formulation and its impact, contributing significantly to ASTA’s efforts. Through this internship, Mary is eager to bridge the gap between her personal experiences and professional aspirations, enhancing her practical understanding of policy within the context of agriculture.

Amaka and Mary will be supporting our team at the Leadership Summit in Nashville, so if you see them around, please stop them to say hello and introduce yourself!