Ohio Ag Connection - OSCF Announces Scholarship Recipients for 2010-11

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OSCF Announces Scholarship Recipients for 2010-11
Ohio Ag Connection - 03/15/2010

The Ohio Soybean Council Foundation (OSCF) announced the scholarship recipients of the OSCF Scholarship Program for the 2010-2011 academic year. Undergraduate scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded to Julia Faeth, Dustin Homan, Justin Rismiller and Abby Snyder. Rachel Yoho is the recipient of the $5,000 undergraduate Bhima Vijayendran Scholarship, named in honor of a Battelle researcher who has made tremendous contributions to the soy-based bioproducts industry. Graduate scholarships of $5,000 will be awarded to Ryan Hottle and Hehe Wang.

This is the third year for the OSCF Scholarship Program, which was created to encourage undergraduate students to pursue careers in agricultural science and/or technology, as well as to support ongoing graduate-level research. The scholarships were awarded on a competitive basis to full-time students enrolled in an Ohio college or university.

"There were a large number of scholarship applicants this year and they were all very impressive students making it a tough competition," said Tom Fontana, OSCF director of programs and development. "We are very pleased with the winners who represent a wide variety of academic disciplines and universities."

Julia L. Faeth of New Riegel, Ohio is majoring in Chemical Engineering at the University of Dayton and will be a senior in the fall of 2010. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She is currently working as an undergraduate research assistant at the University of Dayton Research Institute. Faeth is interested in pursuing a graduate degree with a focus on research in energy alternatives such as biofuels and bioproducts in an effort to reduce dependence on petroleum products.

Dustin Homan of Botkins, Ohio is majoring in Agricultural Education at The Ohio State University (OSU) and will be a junior in the fall of 2010. He is active in the Agricultural Education Society where he serves as the Farm Science Review committee chair, and currently works as a student assistant at the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center. He has been very active in the Ohio FFA, including serving in several officer positions. Homan plans to pursue a career in agricultural education at the collegiate level or as an educational specialist in the private sector.

Justin Rismiller of Rossburg, Ohio is majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics at OSU and will be a senior in the fall of 2010. He is an OSU College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Ambassador and a member of the Agribusiness Club and National Agri Marketing Association marketing team. He will intern with Cargill in Sidney, Ohio this upcoming summer as a commodity merchandiser. Rismiller plans to pursue a career in commodity merchandizing or product development while continuing to farm part-time.

Abby Snyder of Kingston, Ohio is a triple major in Food Science, Chemistry and English at OSU and will be a junior in the fall of 2010. She is an ambassador for the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, is a member of the Food Science Club and works as a laboratory technician in the Food Microbiology Lab. She is a former state officer for the Ohio FFA and organized the state level food science contest for the Ohio FFA Association. Snyder plans to pursue her Ph.D., conduct research and teach at the collegiate level.

Rachel Yoho of Galena, Ohio is majoring in Biology with a concentration in Biotechnology at Capital University and will be a junior in the fall of 2010. She has served as the student representative to the State of Ohio STEM Program Advisory Committee, and received the Most Outstanding Presentation distinction during the Mid-Atlantic Undergraduate Research Conference. Rachel plans to attend graduate school and pursue her interests in biotechnology research, particularly in the application of microbial fuel cells.

Ryan Hottle of Granville, Ohio is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Science with a concentration in Carbon Sequestration in Soy-Maize Agricultural Systems at OSU. He is a recipient of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Environmental Fellowship and has previously worked as an intern at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Ryan's current research includes examination of a cutting-edge technique for soil health management and carbon sequestration in soy-corn rotations.

Hehe Wang of Wooster, Ohio is a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Pathology at OSU. She is a member of the American Phytopathological Society, OSU Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association and is a teaching assistant for an Agricultural Genomics course. She has presented in several international and national conferences and served as a collaborator in a key project on International Agricultural Cooperation. Hehe's current research is focused on the reduction of soybean yield losses to Phytophthora root and stem rot through genetic mapping and use of marker-assisted breeding.

"It was a pleasure to be a part of the scholarship selection committee and have the opportunity to meet such impressive students," said David Black, Ohio Soybean Council board member and OSCF scholarship selection committee member. "We are very proud of the scholarship recipients who will undoubtedly contribute to a successful future for the Ohio soybean industry."