The Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance Foundation announced it has awarded seven $10,000 scholarships that will be used towards completing the winners’ respective degrees within the meat sciences discipline. The scholarship winners are:

  • Taylor Price, Oklahoma State University
  • Jennifer Vuia-Riser, University of Tennessee
  • Cole Perkins, Texas Tech University
  • Hannah Williams, Kansas State University
  • Thomas Fletcher, Texas Tech University
  • Luke Fuerniss, Colorado State University
  • Brianna Britton, Purdue University

“The MISA Foundation is proud to announce the list of outstanding scholarships winners for the 2019-2020 school year” stated Bob Grote, Chairman of the MISA Foundation and CEO of Grote Company. “The success of the FPSA Auction this year, due in large part to the contributions of MISA members, has allowed us to continue in the spirit of giving, enabling us to award these extraordinary students and their accomplishments. The Foundation Board congratulates all the winners and wishes them the best in the upcoming school year and all future endeavors. Finally, I would like to thank our members and participants of the FPSA Auction for their overwhelming support with their donations and purchase of auction items where we raised over $155,000.”

David Seckman, President and CEO of the Food Processing Suppliers Association stated: “These MISA Scholarships are an integral part of our Association’s “Giving Back” program. “These scholarships highlight MISA’s commitment to creating future leaders in the meat industry. Working with these students and universities is important to us because we know that the industry will benefit from these amazing graduates when they enter the work force.”

“Thanks so much and receiving the MISA scholarship is truly an honor. The scholarship will allow me to finish my Ph.D. at Purdue University without the financial stress often associated with graduate school. This will give me the opportunity to focus on my research and identify career opportunities within the meat industry during the coming academic year.”
Brianna Britton
Purdue University

“Thank you for the MISA Scholarship. My passion for agriculture is within me. This is what guided me to Texas Tech for my bachelor’s where I focused on the meat science side of the industry through both my major and the extracurricular activities within the meat science program.”
Cole Perkins
Texas Tech University

“Thank you so much to the Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance (MISA) for selecting me as a recipient for this scholarship. I feel extremely blessed to be recognized for all of my time and effort put towards pursuing a graduate degree in Meat Science. The tremendous burden and stress removed off my shoulders allows me to fully engage myself into finding new and innovative ways to produce more high-quality protein to supply a growing world population.”
Tommy Fletcher
Texas Tech University

"I am humbled and honored to be selected as a MISA scholarship recipient. This scholarship will ensure that I have the financial assistance needed to complete my PhD in Food Science prior to obtaining a career in meat science. I am truly grateful to everyone who has contributed to these scholarships and to my career aspirations of becoming a part of the next generation of the meat industry."
Jennifer Vuia-Riser
University of Tennessee

“I am humbled to be selected as part of the MISA Foundation Scholarship Program. I admire the generosity of the donors that make this opportunity possible, and I am appreciative of their commitment to encouraging and supporting students pursuing careers within the meat industry. I am very thankful to have received a 2019 MISA Scholarship.”
Luke Fuerniss
Texas Tech University

"Thank you to the MISA Foundation for this humbling opportunity to receive such a prestigious scholarship. I am excited to further my education in meat science with hopes to be a beneficial contributor in the industry upon graduation. I am thankful for the gracious donors of the MISA Foundation who have made this scholarship possible."
Hannah Williams
Kansas State University

“I am extremely grateful and blessed to receive this scholarship. I will be starting my Master's degree at Oklahoma State University, focusing on beef research with Dr. Ramanathan, and am so excited to learn more about the meat industry. This scholarship will allow me to continue to pursue my education and remain an involved and passionate student of meat science, and I will continue to work hard for continuous improvement of our industry.”
Taylor Price
Oklahoma State University

Source: MISA Foundation