The National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) is recognizing 12 outstanding students for the 2019 class of NAPB Borlaug Scholars:
NAPB Borlaug Graduate Scholars
- Zaki Afshar, Colorado State University
- Jessica Chitwood, University of Florida
- Heather Manching, University of Delaware
- Stephanie Sjoberg, Washington State University
- Daniel Sweeney, Cornell
- Caio Canella Vieira, University of Missouri
NAPB Borlaug Undergraduate Scholars
- Tannis Anderson, University of Minnesota
- Adrienne Blakey, Oklahoma State University
- Adam D’Angelo, Rutgers
- Elizabeth De Meyer, Cornell
- Jordan Knapp-Wilson, University of Arizona
- Sarah Marsh, Texas A&M University
The NAPB Borlaug Scholarship awards are given to exceptional students aspiring to a career in the field of Plant Breeding and Genetics and who have a strong desire to contribute to the improvement of the plants that we all depend upon for our daily needs. This is especially critical in this age of continually increasing populations, climate change, and uncertain global food security, all things that Dr. Norman E. Borlaug cared deeply about. Plant Breeding uniquely addresses these challenges through applied research and improving technologies.
These awards include a travel grant (valued up to $1500) to attend the 2019 NAPB Annual Meeting at Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, August 25-29, 2019, plus participation in a professional development mentoring program that connects these scholars with experienced NAPB professional members. Awards come with a gratis new student membership in NAPB and complimentary registration for the conference. The students were selected from an impressive field of nominees with strong recommendations from professors and advisors through a rigorous national competition. NAPB invites all plant breeders and colleagues to congratulate and support these outstanding future scientists, leaders, and professional colleagues!
The NAPB Borlaug Scholarship awards were initiated last year with an inaugural class of eight students, who attended the first internationally held NAPB Annual Meetings in Guelph, Canada. Due to extraordinary success and interest in the program, we experienced a 25% increase in quality nominations for 2019. In response to the increased excitement around NAPB Borlaug Scholars, the selection committee increased the number of awards by 50%, exceeding the original goal.
This program is continually funded by generous gifts of any amount to the NAPB/ASF Borlaug Scholars Fund by individuals and institutional donations. Continued donations from colleagues and institutions who support our motto “Improving Plants to Improve Lives” will ensure that we can continue to encourage and nurture future generations, much as Dr. Borlaug during his career. Continued support will allow NAPB to grow the NAPB Borlaug Scholars Program so that we can recognize more of these outstanding young people and the universities that educate them.
