USDA Collaborative Pathway Fellowship Program (2024-2028)
Overview
At the Marilyn Magaram Center (MMC) at CSUN, we are committed to advancing professional development and opportunities for students through a USDA-funded program. The USDA Collaborative Pathways Program (2024–2028) cultivates the next generation of leaders in nutrition, food science, and dietetics, particularly among underrepresented groups.
Program Components
Fellowships & Financial Support: Funding for undergraduate and graduate fellows in form of scholarship, up to $5,000.
Mentorship & Advising: Pairing with faculty, Peers and Professionals for ongoing guidance in academic and career development.
Experiential Learning: Helping bridge the gap between classroom knowledge with real-world application. Students in nutrition, dietetics, and food science engage in hands-on experiences that prepare them to become innovative, community-focused professionals. Through active participation in applied research, community outreach, and professional training, students develop practical skills and leadership abilities essential to your future careers. Here is a link to current opportunities for fellows.
Professional Development & Training: Workshops on leadership, communication, and career mentorship. Students will also have the opportunity to participate and complete ServSafe training, Cultural Humility Training, Bod Pod Certification, InBody 270 Training , ESHA Training, and Healthy Growers Training.
Eligibility & Application
Open to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in nutrition, dietetics, food science, or related fields. Priority will be given to students majoring in nutrition, dietetics, and food science. To apply, students should submit an application form through Qualtrics, and email their most recent resume along with two letters of recommendations (i.e. Faculty, mentor, supervisor, etc.).
Timeline (2025-2026)
Application Opens: August 2025
Deadline: September 8, 2025
Fellowship Start: October 1, 2025
Program Duration: 2025-2026
Note: Applications for 2025-2026 academic year have CLOSED. Applications for the 2026-2027 program year will open August 1, 2026.
Events
The MMC celebrated the end of the school year with a Pinning Ceremony for students who had completed their programming and internships. The Peer Mentoring Program invited both mentees and mentors to showcase their recipes which they had developed as part of the program.
Mentors
 Visetana Ong |
 Kimberly Aparicio |
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 Pardis Payami |
 Jessica Cabot |
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 Maribel Briones Gonzalez |
 Megan Barcelos |
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 Aracely Siordia |
 Adrian Rubalcava |
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 Beatriz Viduarre |
 Leslie Marquez |
Staff
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Annette Besnilian
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|---|---|
 |
Rebecca Callo
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Karmen Ovsepyan, MS, RDNProgram Coordinator |
Possible Job & Internship Locations
- Consulting Nutritional Services
- Chef Ann Foundation
- MEIRxRS Food Smart Strategies
- Project Angel Food, and more!
Resources
Publications
CSUN Today
Magaram Center Nationally Recognized for Efforts to Promote Diversity in Nutrition Careers
CSUN USDA Pathway Students Continue to Shine and Persevere
Graduate and undergraduate fellows in the “Pathways to Success” program attended the 15th annual conference for the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) in Costa Mesa, California on March 5th-7th with Annette Besnilian, Executive Director of the Marilyn Magaram Center (MMC).
Pathways to Success Wins National Award at UEDA Summit
We are thrilled to announce that the Marilyn Magaram Center’s “Pathways to Success” program was selected as the winner in the Talent + Place category for the University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) 2020 Awards of Excellence!
Get Involved
To learn more about our programs or to participate in upcoming events, please contact us at magaram.center@csun.edu
This work is supported by Nutrition and Food Workforce Pathways for Underrepresented Students [grant no. 2023-67037-40097] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.