Elroy Webster Cooperative Studies Scholarship Recipients

Kayla Braggs, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) with a B.S in Food Science and a minor in Agribusiness and Michigan State University where she received a M.S. in Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. Currently, she is a 1st-year PhD student at the University of Florida studying Agriculture Communications. Her research focuses on producer-centered policy education efforts for small and medium-scale farmers while also looking at how federal agricultural policy plays a role in agribusiness decisions. 

 

Kayla has been an active member of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) since her freshman year at FAMU. Nationally, she served as the Region II Undergraduate Student VP, National Undergraduate Student President, Past National Undergraduate Student President, Region V Graduate VP and current National Graduate Student President.

 

While completing her masters, Kayla once again hit the ground running. Kayla was selected as an Agriculture Scholar with the Farm Foundation, a featured speaker at a joint MSU DEI Conference in Marrakech, Morrocco, Council of Graduate Student Representative, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) DEI Representative, and one of eight speakers for the inaugural TEDxFAMU talk at her alma mater in January 2023.

 

After graduating with her PhD, Kayla plans to move to DC to work in the corporate agri- food industry in government and stakeholder relations. Kayla’s ultimate goal is to become the Secretary of Agriculture for the U.S. and create a sustainable but equitable environment for all farmers and ranchers.
 

Luiza Lucena is a natural resources scientist pursuing her Ph.D. in Natural Resources Science and Management at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, with minors in Business Management and Development Studies and Social Change. Her research focuses on advancing sustainability within global value chains and strengthening the livelihoods of forest communities, particularly through the development and application of voluntary sustainability standards in the Maya Forest region spanning Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala.

 

Partnering with the Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM), The Food Industry Center (TFIC), the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change (ICGC), and the Rainforest Alliance, Luiza conducts fieldwork with community forest enterprises and cooperatives to investigate whether these standards align with community needs and interests. 

 

Through her research, Luiza is gaining firsthand insights into the challenges faced by communities. Her preliminary findings highlight the important role of improved governance and resource management in supporting sustainable forestry and community resilience.

 

Luiza’s professional aspirations include advocating for sustainable food production and cooperative development, with a focus on market access for small producers and policy change to support rural development. 
With extensive experience in Latin American cooperatives and forest communities, she has developed projects to support market access for sustainable products, from agroecological cooperatives in Brazil to community forestry groups in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve.

 

Luiza envisions a career that combines research, education, and advocacy, focusing on inspiring the next generation of leaders in sustainable development while advancing policies that empower cooperatives and small-scale producers.

Summer Santillana, from Leoti, Kansas, is a first year master’s student at Cornell University pursuing a degree in Applied Economics and Management with a focus in food and agricultural sciences.

 

Prior to beginning her masters, Summer served as the Diversity Programs Coordinator for the Kansas State University College of Agriculture from 2021-2024. She has a background in Agricultural Economics, graduating with a bachelor's from Kansas State University in 2021. 

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At Kansas State, Summer was named an Outstanding Senior by the Department of Agricultural Economics, and she received the David and Susan Barton Cooperative Scholarship from the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, she had served as Vice President (2019) and President (2020) of the Alpha of Clovia Cooperative Leadership 4-H House. 

 

Given her background, she has a strong desire to give back to the cooperatives community and has begun to conduct research within the industry under the direction of Dr. Todd Schmit.