World Food Prize Foundation Selects 16 Students for Distinguished Borlaug-Ruan International Internship

The World Food Prize Foundation announced today that it will send 16 students abroad for the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship program at renowned international research centers and NGOs this summer.

These exceptional students hail from six U.S. states, Honduras and The Netherlands. The 2025 Borlaug-Ruan intern cohort will delve into issues related to global food security, sustainability and development during their eight-week internships at leading international research centers and development organizations in Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Mexico, China and Taiwan.

This is the 27th year of this unique program. Inaugurated in 1998 by Dr. Norman Borlaug and John Ruan, Sr., this program enables high school and early career college students to engage in projects alongside esteemed experts at top agricultural research and development institutions worldwide. Through this initiative, students gain first-hand exposure to scientific research, development projects and policy making related to critical global food security issues. They actively contribute to projects, immersing themselves in lab work, field work, data collection, qualitative research, interviews, policy analysis and more.

"This internship has been the most transformative experience of my high school years." said Riya Kalluvila, 2024 Borlaug-Ruan intern at the World Vegetable Center in Hyderabad, India. "Coming from a rural background, it opened my eyes not only to scientific research but also to the vibrant culture of India. The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship gave me an unique opportunity to immerse myself in both aspects that allowed me to expand my knowledge and skills in my chosen career field. I embraced every chance to learn, especially in such a diverse cultural setting, making the experience heartfelt. No other internship has allowed me to grow in this way-both scientifically and personally."

The program has grown significantly over the past 27 years, initially sending just two students overseas. At the culmination of this year, 447 changemakers will have taken part in the internship, which has had a profound influence on their educational paths and career decisions.

These young hunger fighters determined to tackle world food security issues are truly inspiring," said Mashal Husain, President, World Food Prize Foundation. "The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship is a foundational part of our Foundation Youth Programs that empowers aspiring food and agricultural leaders with research opportunities early in their careers. These emerging scientists are able to have invaluable experiences that will prepare them for the future."

Borlaug and Ruan, Sr. envisioned and established an environment where young students participating in hands-on hunger-fighting research through the youth education programs of the World Food Prize could be inspired to pursue academic and professional paths in agricultural science, food technology, sustainability, international development and natural resource conservation.

The interns are involved in a multitude of projects such as: agricultural development in rural communities; closing production and distribution 'vegetable gaps;' implementation of poverty alleviation policies; expansion of food security in semi-arid tropics; comprehensive internal support for small farmers; and research on plant biofortification and diversity.

Any student who is at least 17 years old and has participated in, volunteered for or has had other involvement with a World Food Prize Foundation youth program is eligible to apply.

"Now that I have found out I received the honor of being the 2025 intern headed to EARTH University in Costa Rica, I am beyond excited and can not wait to increase my knowledge and meet so many new people," said Maya Sande, a senior at Minnetonka High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. "This will be such a phenomenal opportunity for me to gain experience doing research while also working to aid the World Food Prize Foundation's mission to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all."

Many of the Borlaug-Ruan Interns will return to Des Moines and attend the annual Global Youth Institute in October. During this week-long academic conference, students have the opportunity to engage with their peers from across the world while deepening their understanding of global food security, agriculture and sustainability. Additionally, student delegates will present their research to global leaders, participate in interactive workshops, attend the Borlaug Dialogue and more.

The 2025 Borlaug-Ruan International Intern Cohort is:

Mariana Alvarenga | Güinope, Honduras | M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India

Siena Brown | Iowa City, Iowa | International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, Mbita, Kenya

Gavin Egeland | Nevada, Iowa | International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya

Hope Hauck | Wake Forest, North Carolina | Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences - Graduate School, Beijing, China

Anne Gu | Phoenixville, Pennsylvania | China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, Changsha, China

Pranav Mettu | Rocky Mount, North Carolina | China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, Changsha, China

Isabell Olsasky | Milo, Iowa | International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico

Ariadne Pappa | College Station, Texas | International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad, India

Yuki Qian | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | GrowIndigo, Jalna, India

Divya Ramadugu | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, Mbita, Kenya

Adithi Radhakrishnan | Cary, North Carolina | China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, Changsha, China

Maya Sande | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | EARTH University, Guácimo, Costa Rica

Jacob Savela | Farmington, Minnesota | World Vegetable Center, Tainan, Taiwan

Isaac Vosburg | Hampton, Iowa | S M Sehgal Foundation, Gurugram, India

Andrew Zhang | Norman, Oklahoma | World Vegetable Center, Tainan, Taiwan

Yixiao (Dessiy) Zhang | Doetinchem, Netherlands | World Vegetable Center, Hyderabad, India