Nine graduate students representing six institutions are starting their fall semester as Real Pork Scholars. Through the National Pork Board-sponsored program, students will receive professional mentorship, the opportunity to build a strong peer-to-peer network and professional training to help communicate technical information.

The two-year program focuses on three pillars:

Supporting the future of the swine industry

The Real Pork Scholars program is an evolution of NPB’s Pork Scholars program, which primarily focused on supporting academic research related to pork production. NPB CEO Bill Even said the new program aligns with the current needs of the industry and the students involved.

“The U.S. pork industry is connected to many different areas of study and cultural aspects – nutrition, economic development, environmental studies, consumer trends and more. We have designed the Real Pork Scholars program to support students in many of those subject areas, which will help our industry gain valuable insights and create meaningful connections with these next generation leaders by helping them grow in areas outside the lab or classroom,” Even said.

Representing multiple fields of study

Members of the inaugural 2023 Real Pork Scholars cohort, their university, and area of study are as follows:

In the first year of the program, scholars will meet regularly with a mentor currently working in a segment of the pork industry relevant to the scholars’ interests and area of study. In addition to mentorship, the scholars will receive hands-on experiences to learn more about the pork industry. The program’s second year will continue the mentorship experience and focus on its communication training component.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to create a strong win-win experience for these students and our industry,” Even said. “We will gain knowledge and insights from the outstanding representatives of the next generation of leaders, while they will gain training to help them advance their careers and relationships that will benefit them for years to come.”

As the 2023 cohort begins its work, NPB will start recruiting for the next class of Real Pork Scholars, opening applications on Nov. 1.