Buckeye Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), and Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) introduced bicameral legislation that would increase the number of authorized Centers of Excellence (COEs) at 1890 Land-Grant Institutions to 10. The 1890s Advancing and Building Leadership and Excellence Opportunity Act of 2023, known as the ENABLE Opportunity Act of 2023, would add four new Centers of Excellence, focusing on climate change, forestry reliance and conservation, food safety and bioprocessing and value-added agriculture, and transdisciplinary social science.

“Centers of Excellence at 1890 Land-Grant Institutions have fostered generations of African American students, farmers, and scientists in our communities for years,” said Senator Brown. “By expanding the number of Centers of Excellence, we will ensure institutions like Central State University can continue training the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

“Georgia is better off when more students from all backgrounds are getting the skills and training they need to bolster our agriculture industry and rural economies,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation that will boost the transformative work that is already underway at 1890 Land-Grant Institutions to train the heads and hands of our future agriculture leaders.”

“The 1890 Land-Grant HBCUs contribute billions of dollars to their local economies and serve as gateways to opportunity for tens of thousands of students every year. As a proud alumna of NC A&T State University, which hosts the 1890 Center of Excellence for Student Success and Workforce Development, I know how transformative these institutions are,” said Congresswoman Adams, founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. “Already, the Center of Excellence at NC A&T has assisted over 2,200 students. The 1890s Advancing and Building Leadership and Excellence Opportunity Act of 2023 would expand on the proven success of the Centers of Excellence, create even more opportunities for students, and further prepare our workforce for the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. I am proud to continue to partner with Senator Brown to create new jobs and opportunities for HBCU students.”

“In order to increase Black representation in the STEM and agriculture industries, we must invest in Black students and develop successful career pipelines at the university level,” said Rep. Strickland. “As a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, I’m proud to lead the Centers of Excellence bill that will support equitable opportunities for HBCU students in industries where they are historically underrepresented.”

“Our 1890 land-grant institutions, like Fort Valley State University, help ensure that U.S. agriculture remains on the cutting edge, developing and utilizing the talents of a culturally diverse STEM workforce. The Centers of Excellence they host will resource capacity building for them to help assure that America continues to produce the highest quality, safest, most abundant, and most economical food, fiber, and fuel in the world with their valuable input and work product,” said Rep. Bishop. “I am proud to join my colleagues in support of this legislation.”

The ENABLE Opportunity Act of 2023 would also increase the discretionary appropriations authorization for Centers of Excellence in order to provide funding for new centers and increased funding for current centers.

Centers of Excellence help:

• Increase profitability and rural prosperity in underserved farming communities.
• Address critical needs for enhanced international training and development.
• Increase diversity in the science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and mathematics (STEAM) pipeline.

The 1890 land-grant institutions are historically black universities that were established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) 1890 land-grant institutions programs are intended to strengthen research, extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Institutions. Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio is one of the 19 universities part of the 1890 land-grant system.

With this bill, Brown is pushing for Central State University to receive a Center of Excellence to continue and expand on the university’s research.

“I want to thank Senators Brown and Warnock and Representatives Adams and Bishop for introducing this legislation to reauthorize our Centers of Excellence at 1890 Universities,” said Dr. Paul Jones, Chair of the 1890 Universities Council of Presidents, and President of Fort Valley State University. “The six Centers that have been created as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill are growing flagships among our Universities and are producing real research and extension results as we had envisioned.”

“The Centers of Excellence at 1890 Universities have enabled Central State University to attract and retain students from underserved and rural areas,” said Dr. Morakinyo Kuti, Interim Dean of the John W. Garland College of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Agriculture at Central State University and Director, 1890 Land Grant Programs. “Senator Brown’s leadership on the Farm Bill across the board and especially on both the Centers of Excellence and 1890 Scholarship program have been critical to our success.”

“The Centers of Excellence at 1890 Universities have been a tremendous success,” said Dr. Mortimer Neufville, President of 1890 Universities Foundation. “These Centers were first promised to the 1890 Universities over 30 years ago but thanks to the outstanding work of Representative Adams, Senator Brown and their staffs, we were able to get them included in the 2018 Farm Bill. While the pandemic slowed some of our start-up work, we are making strong progress across the 1890 system.”

In 2018, Brown helped secure a provision in the 2018 Farm Billto create six Centers for Excellence and Leadership, on campuses like Central State University, was included in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Brown’s amendment was based on the bipartisan REAL Opportunity Act, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3).

Bill text can be found HERE.

Original source can be found here.