ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has named three students as recipients of the 2017 Altman Family Scholarship. Each student will receive $5,000 in funding from this scholarship.Matthew "Travis" Higginbotham, Virginia Tech
- Nathan Jahnke, North Carolina State University
- Emily Teng, University of Hawaii at Manoa
The Altman Family Scholarship was created in 2015 by Ken and Deena Altman (owners of Altman Plants) and assists in funding the education of floriculture graduate students (MS or Ph.D.), who will become leading floricultural scientists and educators.
"It was difficult to narrow down to just one winner, since the applicants were very impressive this year," said Ken Altman.
"There were a record number of applicants and they were extremely well-qualified. Our industry's future is in good hands with these outstanding students," he said.
Travis Higginbotham is currently pursuing a master's degree in horticulture, and will subsequently obtain his Ph.D., at Virginia Tech. In addition, he is working full time as the Research and Development Manager at Battlefield Farms.
While he was in college working toward his bachelor's degree in environmental horticulture at Clemson University, he worked at Metrolina Greenhouses as its first Research and Development Intern. In addition, he managed a retail nursery and managed his own small landscaping business with commercial and residential contracts.
"I believe, if given the right tools and earned support, I can work with others to help make this industry better and more efficient than it was yesterday," said Higginbotham.
His future goal is to help environmentally influence the industry in a positive, progressive and practical way.
"I would love the opportunity to have the industry's ear in regard to environmental practices in the future," he said.
Nathan Jahnke is a graduate student at North Carolina State University working toward a master's degree in horticultural science.
His interest in floriculture surged at 13 years old, when he measured and compared plant height for a science fair project. This led to creating his own business, Nathan's Greenhouse. There, he and his father worked together to grow flowers and vegetables for neighbors and the community.
"It helped me learn the importance of hard work, perseverance, communication and investing in people," said Jahnke.
His internship at Ball Horticultural Company cemented his desire to focus on floriculture. He will concentrate on botrytis and postharvest handling of floriculture crops as he obtains his Ph.D., and once he graduates, he plans on becoming a university professor.
"I will be an ambassador and connection point between academia, industry and the public," he said. "Collaborating with the people I research for and the people that are affected by plants is one of the most important aspects in securing the future of horticulture."
Emily Teng is pursuing her Ph.D. in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
She began working at Pang's Nursery in 2007 and learned about producing poinsettias, which she describes as her "greatest challenge and greatest accomplishment." Her doctoral research will focus on analyzing anthocyanins in poinsettias.
"It is very important to me that my research, in addition to being scientifically significant, is practical and useful for real-world growers," said Teng.
"Applying my experience with the knowledge and research skills I will obtain while pursuing my doctorate will poise me for a position in which I can help the floriculture industry improve, grow and thrive," she said.
After completing her degree, she wants to work in the private sector for a few years, and hopes to work at one of the larger floriculture breeding companies doing research that directly impacts growers. In the future, she expressed interest in becoming an educator.
About AFE
Watch Our New Videos Promoting Floriculture Successes!
The American Floral Endowment is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the floriculture and horticulture industry through funding research, educational grants and scholarships. Since 1961, more than $15 million has been funded in research and educational projects, and more than $1.5 million has been funded in scholarships and internships designed to attract and retain the future leaders of the industry. To learn more about AFE or make a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.endowment.org.
Source: The American Floral Endowment