Virginia State University President to Testify Before Congressional Hearing on 1890 Land Grant Institutions
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, VA- (June 15, 2021) – Virginia State University President, Dr. Makola M. Abdullah will testify at a Congressional Hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture. Dr. Abdullah will provide testimony and answer questions from Members of the Committee regarding the hearing titled “1890 Land Grant Institutions: Investing for Agricultural Resiliency, Equity, and Global Impact”. The virtual hearing will take place on June 16th at 10:00 am ET.
President Abdullah is also the Chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council of 1890 Universities. The purpose of the Council is to represent collectively the interests of 1890 land-grant institutions while seeking to maintain, insure and increase funding, to present a unified approach for presentation of views regarding these institutions, and to serve as a forum to share ideas and resources.
“This opportunity to present before the Committee on Agriculture allows me to express appreciation for their investments to the 1890s in the 2018 Farm Bill and in the American Recovery Plan. They have been critical in allowing us to grow our academic programs, conduct important agricultural research, and extend our university-based knowledge beyond our campus walls so communities can prosper and grow,” says VSU President, Dr. Makola M. Abdullah. “It also gives me an opportunity to seek their continued support on behalf of all of our 1890s Universities.” Three other 1890s’ presidents will also testify.
“1890s Land Grant Universities are some of our largest and most impactful Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and this hearing makes that clear,” said Congresswoman Alma Adams, Vice Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. “Yet, these institutions still face major issues regarding state matching funds and insufficient infrastructure on campus to conduct cutting edge agriculture research. As Vice Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, it is a priority of mine to make sure the 1890s continue to have the resources to unlock the potential of millions of students across the country.”