Second Annual “Home for the Holidays” Ag College Student Mixer at WGCIT in Salinas
Posted on December 22, 2017 13:46 PM by WGCIT
The Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT) hosted its second annual “Home for the Holidays” mixer in Salinas. All college students that returned to the Salinas Valley for their holiday breaks were invited to this professional mixer on Tuesday, December 19, 2017. With nearly thirty students from CSU Monterey Bay, Hartnell, UC Davis, Cal Poly Pomona and Fresno State, the “Home for the Holidays” mixer was a huge success.
During the event, students had the opportunity to meet industry leaders and mingle with other agricultural students from around the state. Additionally, they learned about the latest trends in agricultural technology and the career opportunities for current agricultural students. Dr. Karen Rial-Lovera, an agricultural engineering and technology expert, was the keynote speaker and shared key insight about agtech jobs of the future and her current research that brought her to the Salinas Valley from Europe. At the end of her address, Dennis Donohue, director of the WGCIT, moderated a riveting Q&A session where students had the chance to ask in-depth questions about Dr. Rial-Lovera’s career path and research.
Agtech professionals from Hartnell’s Ag College, Steinbeck Produce and Taylor Farms were on-hand to mingle with the students. WGCIT startups, including SWIIM, HeavyConnect, GeoVisual Analytics, AgTech Industries, TracMap, and iTrade Network also participated and enjoyed speaking with the students. The involvement of the startups added an important element for the current college students, as students were able to hear about the experience of these knowledgeable entrepreneurs and technologists
The event was free to students and hosted by Western Growers (WG). WG would like to thank everyone that helped make this such a successful event and extend a special thank you to all of the current college students that attended. The future of agtech is bright!