Tuskegee University announced on Apr. 23 the launch of a new partnership with the City of Dothan and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology to provide paid summer internships for students in Dothan. The initiative, called the Career Advancement, Research, Vision and Entrepreneurial Readiness (CARVER) BioTrain Internship Program, aims to give Tuskegee students hands-on experience in administration, entrepreneurship, economic development and research.
The program is designed to align academic training with workforce needs in Alabama’s Wiregrass region and beyond. It offers students exposure to both public- and private-sector environments while fostering professional skills and entrepreneurial thinking.
Tuskegee University President Dr. Mark A. Brown joined Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and Dean Mitchell from HudsonAlpha to unveil the collaboration. Brown said, “This partnership reflects the powerful connection between the Wiregrass and Tuskegee University, one that isn’t new.” He continued: “Tuskegee’s Renaissance Era honors the influence George Washington Carver continues to be. Through CARVER BioTrain, our students will gain paid, professional experience that prepares them to lead, innovate and change the world.”
Delvick McKay, Personnel Director for the City of Dothan and a Tuskegee alumnus who helped organize the partnership said: “This partnership represents the best of the City of Dothan and the innovative vision of HudsonAlpha… I am excited about what comes next for these students as they learn, grow and make an impact in the world.” Two inaugural interns—Amell Stovall IV from Texas and Diarra Diagne from Virginia—shared their enthusiasm about gaining practical skills through this opportunity.
The CARVER BioTrain initiative pays tribute to George Washington Carver’s legacy at Tuskegee University by advancing agricultural science while promoting economic stability for Black communities across Alabama. The program also included a tour of HudsonAlpha’s facility where participants viewed a historic photo showing Carver speaking at Dothan’s first National Peanut Festival in 1938—a festival which still draws more than 160,000 people annually.
Brown concluded by saying: “We continue to redefine Carver’s vision for the modern age—where education, innovation and service converge to shape a better world.” He emphasized that this agreement marks an ongoing commitment rather than just a single internship cohort.
