WASHINGTON – On Monday October 15th, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah will visit Howard University where he will attend an event with Howard University President Dr. Sidney Ribeau, students and faculty to discuss how the university community can get involved with USAID and the opening of the USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program.

The Payne Fellowship will seek to support individuals interested in creating a more secure, healthy and prosperous world through engagement in international development work and a career in USAID’s foreign service.

The USAID Donald Payne Development Fellowship, which is modeled after the U.S. Department of State’s Rangel Fellowship program, will provide students with support for graduate school, professional development and entry into USAID’s Foreign Service.

At Howard, Dr. Shah will also talk about how USAID is working to address the most pressing global challenges in international development—poverty, hunger, violence, injustice and environmental degradation. 

USAID works with many public and private institutions in pursuit of its mission, including U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A strong partnership between USAID and the higher education community is vital to achieve broad global development objectives and HBCUs are uniquely well-positioned to partner with USAID. In developing countries, HBCUs have brought the same passion and vision that propels them in their work with indigenous and underrepresented communities in the United States.

For more information about the USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship, visit paynefellows.org

For more information about USAID’s Fall Semester, visit www.usaid.gov/fallsemester