Gabriel Acevedo (ENST ’23) grew up on an island in the center of the hurricane belt where the impacts of climate change are very real and close at hand. His home country, the Dominican Republic, is already facing increasingly frequent and damaging storms, rising sea level, hotter temperatures and more intense dry-season droughts.
Acevedo understands deeply the value of an education in environmental sciences. But he didn’t always see the value in his unique position as a young Dominican poised to help his country through the coming years.
Then he applied for the Edward R. Landa and Judith A. Johnson Endowed Scholarship in Environmental Science and Technology (ENST), and something changed.
“I believed that I was not unique and that the person next to me was always a better candidate for receiving scholarships,” Acevedo said. “However, [being selected for the award] confirmed that I possess strengths that others may not have, and that I have qualities that make me stand out compared to my peers.”
Receiving the merit-based scholarship, which supports juniors and seniors pursuing an undergraduate degree in ENST, helped Acevedo focus on his coursework, and on learning to apply environmental science to the challenges Caribbean Islanders face.
It also gave him the confidence to pursue other scholarships and opportunities, like being a member of the university’s National Collegiate Soils Contest championship team.
“It has been great to see Gabe so engaged in soil judging and other activities in the department,” said Edward Landa. “Judith and I are both products of land-grant universities, and this scholarship is our chance to pay it forward to another generation. The commitment to equity and inclusion, mentorship, and environmental stewardship that is foundational within ENST made it our natural choice.”
Acevedo first learned about the scholarship through his membership in the organization Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resource and Related Sciences (MANRRS), which he said was instrumental in his success at AGNR.
“Being part of such an organization has given me a sense of comfort, knowing that there is an increase in diversity in my field and that there are people who share my passion for contributing to the betterment of the environment,” Acevedo said.
Acevedo intends to bring that passion to further studies, possibly even a PhD program, with the ultimate goal of developing restoration projects in the Dominican Republic. But it’s clear he also plans to tend to the roots he’s put down at UMD.
“I am committed to remaining an active alumnus of my university,” he said, adding that it’s important for alums to support future Terps, whether financially or through volunteering to mentor or serve on advisory boards.
“Your support can make a significant impact on the future of AGNR and the success of its students. It can make people like me who grew up in least developed countries with limited resources and climate vulnerability contribute to the change that you want to see.”
