WILBERFORCE — More than $50,000 in scholarships were awarded to Central State University students pursuing manufacturing engineering or environmental engineering degrees as a part of program to develop a highly qualified agriculture/engineering applicant pool.
Central State, part of the Ohio Land-Grant system, presented scholarships to 33 students April 24, in a ceremony held on campus. The scholarships represent excellence in engineering and the promise of greatness in the students. The students ranged from sophomore to seniors.
“Through my hard work and perseverance I appreciate being recognized for my achievements,” said Bobby Gist, a junior majoring in manufacturing engineering.
The funding is part of a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service to support the development of a diverse student agriculture/engineering applicant pool for NRCS and the United States Department of Agriculture. The departments support the integration of disciplines that apply engineering science and technology to agricultural production, conservation, and processing.
“These scholarships are investments by Central State and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to increase the human capital, particularly underrepresented minorities, necessary to provide food and to conserve natural resources in the United States and globally,” said Dr. Morakinyo A.O. Kuti, Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research. “Scholarship awards were made to scholars with a demonstrated a level of academic excellence.”
Alisha Helm, a sophomore environmental engineering major is taking 18 credit hours this semester. She believes the hard work has been worth it.
“I’m overjoyed,” Helm said. “This recognition motivates me to work even harder.”
The grant has three components:
— Scholarships for undergraduate students engaged in agriculture/engineering science disciplines.
— Pre-college outreach pipeline programs to support the goal of producing students with integrated knowledge and experience.
— Participation of students, faculty, and staff at conferences and experiential learning events that support the agricultural sustainability, natural resources conversation, and agricultural production.
The selection of the presidential scholars generally is made on a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and above. Close to one-third of the scholars are female.
