UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society has provided a $50,000 gift to create a scholarship endowment that will support students in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences who have demonstrated financial need.
First preference for the Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society Trustee Scholarship will go to students who enroll in the Crop Production option of the plant sciences major.
"The Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society represents numerous business, agency and academic interests that recognize the need for more graduates with good working knowledge in crop and soil sciences," said John Rowehl, president of the society. "The demand for new employees has never been stronger, and it is our hope that this scholarship will encourage more students to pursue a degree in the crop production sciences."
The purpose of the Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society is to facilitate educational programs that provide members with the newest information on products and services that help farmers sustainably produce high-yielding feed, food, forage and energy crops in the northeastern United States and beyond. The society encourages cooperation among all agricultural industries, private service organizations, universities and governmental service and regulatory agencies in promoting economical and efficient use of agricultural inputs by Pennsylvania farmers and related businesses.
Since 1965, the society has supported Penn State students by funding an annual scholarship. This most recent gift creates an endowment so the society's scholarship can be offered in perpetuity.
"The Department of Plant Science is grateful for the many years of support from the Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society and for this new scholarship," said Rich Marini, department head and professor of horticulture. "During the next few decades we will have to produce food and fiber more efficiently to support a growing population. Contributions such as this are invaluable to our students and will enable them to learn the most advanced practices for sustainable crop production.
"With this scholarship, the agronomic industries also have demonstrated a willingness to invest in their future by helping us train the next generation of farmers, consultants, researchers and other employees," he added. "This is a wonderful example of the close relationship between our agricultural industries and Penn State, and we both benefit from this relationship."
While most members of the Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society live and work in Pennsylvania, nearly a dozen hail from bordering states. The group promotes the dissemination of useful and practical information about all forms of plant food, soil amendments, plant protectants, plant genetics, biotechnology, soil conservation and the economics of new technology and its application to crop production. The society encourages the use of cultural practices designed to improve crop productivity, enhance farm profitability and maintain environmental quality.
Penn State's alumni and friends are invaluable partners in fulfilling the University's land-grant mission of education, research and service. Private gifts from alumni and friends enrich the experiences of students both in and out of the classroom; expand the research and teaching capacity of our faculty; enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain top students and faculty; and help to ensure that students from every economic background have access to a Penn State education. The University's colleges and campuses are now enlisting the support of alumni and friends to advance a range of unit-specific initiatives.