ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is now accepting applications for the new Altman Family Scholarship, and the Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship, for graduate students who have the skills and passion to become leading floricultural scientists and educators.
The application deadline (available online) is Feb. 1.
The Altman Family Scholarship was created in 2015 by Ken and Deena Altman – owners of Altman Plants – who support numerous efforts to improve education and research for the industry.
The Altmans are highly appreciative of the field of horticulture and enjoy giving back. They established the Center for Applied Horticultural Research as an effort to help the industry. Ken Altman has also been actively involved in AFE's Education and Scholarship Committees for a decade.
"We're privileged to have Ken on our board. His experience has been undoubtedly beneficial for AFE as we continue to advance the industry, and his commitment to improving educational efforts is commendable," AFE Chairman-Elect and Education Committee Chairman Dwight Larimer said.
The Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship honors the late Paul Ecke, Jr., who made significant contributions to the floriculture industry and believed strongly in research and education.
Ecke was concerned about the future of floriculture and recognized that innovative researchers and educators are necessary for the continued success of the industry.
"Support from the industry is a very meaningful and appreciated honor. I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to help the industry move forward," 2015 Ecke recipient Daniel Klittich said.
One student will be selected for each scholarship.
Applicants must be in the process of successfully completing either a bachelor's or master's degree in horticulture or a related field, (e.g., agricultural engineering, entomology, agricultural marketing and economics, plant pathology, etc.) and must have the intention of pursuing an MS or Ph.D. degree on a full-time basis.
Applicants attending land-grant universities will automatically be considered for the Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship. All others will qualify for the Altman Family Scholarship.
More information about the scholarships and how to apply is available at Endowment.org.
About AFE
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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 $850,000 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: American Floral Endowment