Professor and Rolland Starn Endowed Chair in Agriculture Oluwarotimi Odeh has been awarded a 2023-2024 Fulbright Scholar Award to teach abroad.
Odeh’s fellowship will begin in January 2024, and he will spend eight months in Nigeria. While there, he will collaborate with host faculty members to teach agribusiness entrepreneurship and broaden his understanding of the country’s developing agricultural business. He plans to integrate what he learns into his agribusiness entrepreneurship classes at Stan State.
“Dr. Odeh’s exceptional accomplishments, particularly his commitment to sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurial innovation, have fittingly distinguished him as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Fellow,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Richard Ogle. “At Stanislaus State, we value global perspectives and champion innovation as integral components of academic excellence. We take immense pride in Dr. Odeh’s achievement, and we look forward to the valuable insights, knowledge and expertise he will bring back, further enhancing the University’s commitment to academic excellence.”
“This opportunity will help me broaden my current agribusiness entrepreneurship course,” Odeh said. “I want to enrich the students’ education while expanding their knowledge of the global market and the international systems in agricultural business. It will help them see how entrepreneurs in developing countries bootstrap their way into building successful businesses in the face of challenging economic situations.”
Born and raised in Nigeria, Odeh immigrated to the United States several years ago. He most recently visited his home country in the summer of 2022. Odeh said Nigeria has “experienced significant changes to its educational system, the economy and witnessed advancements in technology.”
When comparing the climate and landscape of Nigeria to the Central Valley, Odeh notes that the Valley has a lot more in common with Nigeria than most people would believe.
“A major similarity between them is their dependence on agriculture,” Odeh said. “While Nigeria is considered an oil producing country, a significant percentage of the population depends on agriculture.”
-Oluwarotimi Odeh, Professor and Rolland Starn Endowed Chair in Agriculture
Learning about Nigeria’s agricultural landscape can provide valuable insights that can be applied to Odeh’s courses, enhance agricultural practices and support local farmers in the Central Valley.
This is Odeh’s first Fulbright award, and he hopes the opportunity will enhance his experiences as a professor. In addition to exploring the agricultural landscape of Nigeria as a developing country, Odeh plans to provide students with a new perspective of international business in agriculture.
“My hope is that the experience and the opportunities the Fulbright program offers will lead to greater international co-publication,” Odeh said. “I’d love for this wonderful international exchange to continue with wider opportunities both at home and abroad for Stan State’s agriculture program and the Stan State community.”
This exposure aims to empower students with a renewed appreciation for the resources and opportunities available to them and inspire them to seek innovative solutions in the field of agribusiness.
“I am excited for this prestigious and competitive fellowship that provides unique opportunities for scholars,” Odeh said. “I am also grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with host faculty members on ways we can improve our pedagogies and explore high impact instructional practices to enhance student learning in agricultural entrepreneurship in both developed and developing economies.
“By enriching the curriculum with international perspectives on agricultural business and global market opportunities, students will develop a deeper understanding of agricultural systems in developing countries and the resilience of entrepreneurs facing challenging economic situations.”
Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbright scholars also play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations. Alumni of the program include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across the private, public and non-profit sectors.
