About Jenna

Jenna Rodriguez - 2012 W.D. Farr Scholarship Winner

What are you doing now? I recently completed my PhD qualifying exams (May 2014!) and coursework.  I am now in my last stage, working on my dissertation. My husband and I are also expecting our first child, due November 29, 2014. 

How did the W.D. Farr Scholarship help you achieve your goals? The WD Farr scholarship allowed me to complete my data collection and also supported the necessary software and research technology to accomplish my research endeavors.  The Farr scholarship also supported my travel to the Denver, Colorado U.S. Society of Irrigation and Drainage Conference to present my preliminary findings and work with other leaders in agricultural water conservation.

What advice do you have for students to be successful? Stay involved - staying involved holds your focus on what farmers and ranchers need today, and foresee what will be needed tomorrow.  Knowing where agriculture's needs lie also fuels the fire to continue forward and keep working, even when the research hours seem never-ending.

What do you think was W.D. Farr's most important trait? Farr's involvement in multiple groups enabled him to keep a broad perspective of what was needed by multiple groups. Farr kept engaged and involved, bringing forward new ideas and innovative solutions.