WORTHINGTON – Lauren Mellott, of Butler, is the recipient of two scholarships from a unique field.
One scholarship is from the Ohio Soybean Council Foundation and one from the Ohio Soybean Association.
Mellott, a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying agriscience education, received a $3,000 undergraduate scholarship from the Ohio Soybean Council Foundation and the first-ever $1,000 scholarship from the Ohio Soybean Association.
In its 15th year of programming, the Ohio Soybean Council Foundation is awarding 13 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students in Ohio. The OSCF Scholarship Program was created to encourage undergraduate students to pursue degrees in one of the many academic fields that support the future of the soybean industry, as well as to support ongoing graduate-level research.
Since 2008, the OSCF scholarship program has awarded over $400,000 in scholarship funds to students studying agriculture or a related field at Ohio colleges and universities.
Undergraduate scholarships of $3,000 each were awarded to Mellott, Rachel Barrett, Alec Bollinger, Kearsten Kirby, Lindsey Okuley, Ryan Patton and Paige Teeters.
The annual $5,000 Bhima Vijayendran Scholarship, named in honor of a Battelle research scientist who has made tremendous contributions to the soybean industry, was awarded to Laura Wilker. The Robinson W. Joslin Scholarship was awarded to Bethany Starlin. This annual $3,000 scholarship was created to honor a long-time leader in the soybean industry both in Ohio and nationally, who passed away in May 2016.
Graduate scholarships of $4,000 were awarded to Christian Vargas Garcia, Seth Kannberg, Melanie Medina and Stephen Riley.
“Congratulations to all of the 2022-2023 scholarship winners,” said Bob Suver, Clark County soybean farmer and OSCF scholarship committee member. “This was my first year on the scholarship committee and I was beyond impressed with the students we met.
“The dedication these students have for agriculture and more specifically the soybean industry is remarkable.”
Acting as the membership and policy voice for Ohio soybean farmers, OSA decided to create a scholarship program to support students interested in advocating for the future of soybeans.
The Ohio Soybean Association’s inaugural $1,000 scholarship was awarded to OSCF scholarship recipient Lauren Mellott.
“We found that supporting students like Lauren will create a greater future for the soybean industry,” said Jennifer Wilson-Oechsle, Van Wert County soybean farmer and OSA scholarship committee member. “Lauren is an excellent choice for this scholarship because of her genuine interest in the soybean industry and desire to educate the next generation.”
OSCF Undergraduate Winners
Lauren Mellott, of Butler, is a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying agriscience education.
Rachel Barrett, of Rockford, Ohio, is a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying food science and technology.
Alec Bollinger, of Sycamore, Ohio, is a junior at Marietta College studying environmental and petroleum engineering.
Kearsten Kirby, of Piqua, Ohio, is a junior at Wilmington College studying agricultural communication.
Lindsey Okuley of Wapakoneta, Ohio, is a junior at The Ohio State University studying agricultural communication.
Ryan Patton, of Logan, Ohio, is a junior at The Ohio State University studying agriscience education.
Bethany Starlin, of Logan, Ohio, is a junior at The Ohio State University studying agricultural communication.
Paige Teeters, of Hillsboro, Ohio, is a sophomore at Wilmington College studying agricultural education.
Laura Wilker, of St. Marys, Ohio, is a junior at University of Dayton studying chemical engineering.
OSCF Graduate Winners
Christian Vargas Garcia is pursuing his doctorate in horticulture and crop sciences at The Ohio State University. His research area focuses on plant breeding to identify Phytophthora Root Rot resistant genes in soybean plants.
Seth Kannberg is pursuing a master’s in crop science at The Ohio State University. His research analyzes the effect of planting dates on seedling survivability and soybean yields.
Melanie Medina is pursuing her doctorate in plant pathology at The Ohio State University. Her research looks at the association between communities of fungi in soils and their potential to suppress the effects of soybean cyst nematode in soybean fields.
Stephen Riley is pursuing his doctorate in polymer engineering at the University of Akron. His research concerns the mechanical and electrical effects of charred soybean hulls and their use as an alternative for carbon black in industrial products.
About OSA
The Ohio Soybean Association is governed by a volunteer farmer board dedicated to education and promotion, as well as to uniting producer interest through support of legislative activities beneficial to the Ohio soybean industry. www.soyohio.org/membership
About OSCF
Established by the Ohio Soybean Council in 2007, the Ohio Soybean Council Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the soybean industry through the support of scientific research and education. www.soyohio.org/scholarship
About OSC
Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program’s primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development, education and promotion projects through the investment of farmer-contributed funds (checkoff). www.soyohio.org.
