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By Rita Okoye
While many talk about empowering young women in STEM, Elizabeth Ogar has spent over a decade turning vision into action.
As a Nigerian agricultural extension professional, global mentor, and now a Purdue University doctoral scholar, Ogar has created pathways for underprivileged girls and rural students to pursue careers in science and agriculture, not just in words, but through hands-on initiatives, scholarship funding, and national mentorship programs.
In 2013, she founded a scholarship program in Nigeria to help young girls in underserved communities access education in agriculture, STEM, and environmental sciences.
That work has since grown into a personal movement, one that continues today through her role as a mentor with the YANU Agricultural Mentoring Program, where she has helped guide dozens of first-generation students into academic and professional careers across Africa and beyond.
Now based in the United States, Ogar has expanded her impact. She currently serves as a graduate fellow and leader at Purdue University, where her advocacy for inclusive agricultural education is recognized by peers and faculty alike.
Her leadership role in Purdue’s Agricultural Science Education and Communication Graduate Student Organization is only one example of her campus-wide and national presence.
Ogar’s most recent contributions reflect her growing status as a national voice in agricultural youth development. In 2025, she was selected to serve as a State Science Day Judge for the Ohio Academy of Science, a position typically reserved for top experts in science education and outreach.
Her presence among the judging panel reinforced her commitment to encouraging scientific curiosity among youth and offering representation that inspires girls and underrepresented students in STEM fields.
Additionally, she has collaborated with the National FFA Organization, helping to design training and outreach strategies that build leadership, innovation, and technical skills among high school students involved in agriculture and science. Her work with FFA aligns directly with her mission to build a more inclusive and technology-driven future for agriculture.
“Whether I’m mentoring a student from a farming village or judging a science fair in the U.S., my goal is the same: to plant confidence, opportunity, and curiosity,” Ogar explains.
Her journey, which now spans three continents, multiple languages, and a multitude of learning environments, is driven by one unshakable vision: an agricultural future that is inclusive, innovative, and grounded in science.
As she continues her doctoral studies at Purdue and contributes to national extension programming, Ogar remains focused on the one thing that has always guided her: creating space for young people, especially girls, to see themselves as leaders, scientists, and changemakers
