The Iowa State University Seed Science Center (SSC) and Iowa Seed Association (ISA) awarded scholarships to 11 students at the Agribusiness Showcase and Conference. The awards included ISA scholarships of $1,000 each, the $1,000 Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship, the $1,000 Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial Scholarship, and the $500 Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholarship. “The Seed Science Center is excited to help fund these scholarships for ISU students,” said Manjit Misra, Director of the Seed Science Center. “We realize the financial hardships the students may be facing and hope this will help relieve some of the financial stress they may be experiencing.”
Bill Latham was a former president of the Iowa Seed Association, the American Seed Trade Association, the Independent Professional Seed Association, and his family company, Latham Seed. Bill passed away on July 31, 2015.
The Seed Science Center awards the Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial Scholarship to an undergraduate student to honor Shepherd Jenkins, who served as Seed Health Testing Coordinator for the Seed Science Center and as Director of the Administrative Unit of the National Seed Health System. Lisa headed one of the most active phytosanitary seed testing programs in the country. She also served as a chair on committees for both ASTA and the American Phytopathological Society. Lisa passed away on July 1, 2015. Professor Susana Goggi, who worked closely with Lisa, says this scholarship is very special to everyone at the Seed Science Center. “Lisa was an important member of our professional family who was taken away from us at a very early age,” said Susana. “She was a brilliant young woman who knew the importance of science-based testing and providing seed industry service through accurate and timely results. This scholarship rewards students interested in research and service, two of Lisa's lifetime commitments.”
Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship
Tori Hlas is a Senior from Belle Plaine, Iowa majoring in Agricultural Studies and minoring in both Agronomy and Agricultural Systems Technology. Tory’s parents are Jim and Sheila Hlas. Tori is interested in a seed sales career and the advancement of the agriculture industry. Growing up in a small community and on a farm, she says agriculture played a major role in her life. Tori makes it a point to seek out leadership roles and set both short and long-term goals to achieve success.
Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Scholarship
Rebecca Noe is a Senior from Eureka, Illinois, majoring in Agronomy with a secondary major in Seed Science. Rebecca's parents are Andy and Jenny Noe. While she knew her interests lay in agronomy and seed science when she started her college career, it wasn't until she had a few classes that she developed an interest in seed. Rebecca works as a Seed Health Lab Assistant at the ISU Seed Science Center. After graduation Rebecca plans to work on biological seed treatments while attending graduate school. She hopes to one day teach others at the university level.
Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholarship
Caitlyn Bruntz is a Senior from Baxter, Iowa majoring in Agronomy and Seed Science with minors in Genetics and Data Science. Caitlyn’s parents are Jordan and Crystal Bruntz. Caitlyn hopes to work in the plant breeding, bringing new innovations to provide nutritious food to people around the world. Caitlyn believes this can be done through breeding crops that need less fertilizers and pesticides applied while improving yield. Her goal is improved water and soil quality, a decrease in the cost of inputs to the farmer, reduced soil compaction due to less field traffic, a decrease in consumer cost, and an increase in arable land for production. Caitlyn is also the recipient of the Iowa Seed Association Scholarship.
ISA Scholarship Winners
Ashley Althaus is a Senior from Sublette, Illinois, majoring in Agricultural Systems Technology and minoring in Agronomy. Ashley's parents are Steven and Deborah Althaus. Ashley’s dream is to incorporate agronomic principles into technological advancements to better agriculture by increasing yields while reducing equipment costs. She believes that part of the solution involves the science of the seed and wants to be at the forefront of that progress.
Alex Bray is a Senior from West Des Moines, Iowa majoring in Microbiology with a passion for plant pathology. Alex’s parents are Mike and Nancy Bray. Alex currently works at the Mueller Labs at ISU as a research assistant assisting graduate researchers with creating fungal inoculums, cultures, identifying disease on soybean seeds, and helping with preparation and cleaning tasks.
Alexander Coughlin is a Senior from Watertown, Wisconsin majoring in Agronomy and Seed Science. Alexander’s parents are Chris and Kristie Coughlin. Alexander hopes to become a part of the seed industry as a product agronomist with a seed company interested in making specific hybrid selections for the area where he is assigned. His goal is to help farmers have access to better genetics to produce more crops and feed the ever-growing population.
Madelyn DeJong is a Senior from Montezuma, Iowa majoring in Agronomy and Agricultural Business. Madelyn’s parents are Cory and Holly DeJong. Madelyn says she has always had a passion for agriculture and would beg her dad to take her on field visits to learn more about agronomy when she was a child. Madelyn is currently a research assistant for the Weed Science Department at ISU.
Lauren Goldsmith is a Junior in Agronomy with a minor in Animal Science from Earlville, Iowa. Lauren’s parents are Jim and Kristi Goldsmith. Lauren has spent three semesters working in the Seed Science Center germination lab. After graduation, Lauren wants to work in agronomy focusing on forage planting, management, harvest, and storage. She says to be successful in this field, you must understand the importance of quality seed.
Gabby Hackley is a Senior in Agronomy and International Agriculture from Clarion, Iowa. Gabby’s parents are Terry and Melissa Hackley. Gabby worked at the Seed Science Center Germination Lab preparing seeds for cold or warm germination tests. This experience sparked a greater interest in seed science. After graduation, Gabby hopes to focus on conservation practices within agriculture.
Kaitlynne Henriksen is a Senior in Agricultural Systems Technology from Avoca, Iowa. Kaitlynne’s parents are Tyler Parkhurst and Karley Davis. Kaitlynne works at the Seed Science Center in seed conditioning where she says she has learned a lot! Kaitlynne is involved in many ISU clubs and activities and is a student member of the American Seed Trade Association. Kaitlynne says after graduation she hopes to work in sustainable agriculture.
Andrew Hokanson is a Senior in Agronomy from Bemidji, Minnesota. Andrew’s parents are Thomas Hokanson and Miriam Rivera-Hokanson. Andrew currently works at the USDA Plant Introduction Station as a plant genetics research aide. After graduation, Andrew plans to attend graduate school at ISU to study Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, or Seed Technology and Business.
