Fresno State seniors William Dowling, Bryan Mendoza Torres, and Mariela Pérez-García have received the Golden Opportunity Scholar Awards from the American Society of Agronomy. This recognition is the highest student honor given by the society and was presented at its annual meeting in Salt Lake City from November 9 to 12.
This year, Fresno State had more award recipients than any other university. The awards were given to 15 students nationwide who demonstrated strong academic records, service on campus and in their communities, research involvement, work experience, career ambitions, graduate school plans, and research interests.
William Dowling of Fresno has worked at the campus horticulture nursery and gained practical experience through classes and community events. He is a member of the Horticulture Club and previously received the Agriculture Future of America Scholar honor. He intends to pursue a career in horticulture after graduating in December 2025.
Bryan Mendoza Torres from Cantua Creek works as a field technician with Pacific Agronomics Inc., assisting crop consultants. He has also interned with Nutrien Ag Solutions and worked as an irrigation technician. After graduating in 2026, he plans to attend graduate school and obtain his certified crop adviser license.
Mariela Pérez-García of Kerman completed an internship at Bayer Crop Science’s Fresno research station last summer. She conducted trials and collected data on pest populations in various crops. After her graduation in 2026, she aims to pursue a master’s degree in plant science.
Dowling and Pérez-García also attended last year’s conference and are active members of the Plant Science Club at Fresno State. The club donates produce grown on campus to the Amendola Family Student Cupboard. Both students contributed to regional team victories for the soil judging team in 2024 and 2025, as well as participation at this year’s national soil judging event.
In addition to receiving their awards, they competed alongside five other Fresno State students—Andrea Contreras Cisneros, Luke Alexander Fernandes, Cristian Gutierrez, Fatima Arellano Rodriguez, and Alberto Tamayo—in soil judging, crop judging, and quiz bowl contests at the conference.
The American Society of Agronomy covered travel expenses for award recipients attending the event. The meeting was held jointly with the Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America and brought together thousands of professionals from across fields related to plant science.
Dr. Sangeeta Bansal, assistant professor specializing in soil health and sustainability practices at Fresno State, accompanied the group. She organized a graduate student oral research competition at the event and served as a judge for a poster contest focused on soil physics and hydrology.
For those interested in supporting initiatives like these or staying informed about university achievements or opportunities for involvement or giving can visit leadwithpride.fresnostate.edu.
