June 20, 2024

PMMI Foundation awards nearly $200,000 in scholarships

The PMMI Foundation, the charitable arm of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has awarded nearly $200,000 this year in educational scholarships to students pursuing careers in the packaging and processing industry.

“The PMMI Foundation’s commitment to supporting education is a cornerstone of our mission. We are pleased to empower these talented students who represent the future of our industry,” Kate Fiorianti, PMMI director of workforce development, said in a news release. “Our scholarships not only reward academic excellence but also encourage the innovative spirit and dedication necessary for the packaging and processing sector to thrive.”

Each year, the PMMI Foundation provides academic scholarships to students studying packaging, food processing, engineering and mechatronics.

This year, $75,000 in PMMI Member Family Scholarships were awarded to immediate family members of PMMI member company employees interested in packaging and processing careers. Fifteen students received $5,000 annual awards:  

  • Wyatt Cook, Widener University, robotics engineering
  • Makenzie Dick, Iowa State University, chemical engineering
  • Christian Hall, Milwaukee Area Technical College, business management
  • Ian Hohn, Colorado State University, computer engineering
  • Caroline Keeley, Xavier University, undeclared
  • Ruby Levy, Tulane University, digital media studies
  • Esteban Martinez, Michigan State University, packaging engineering
  • Molly McKee, Drexel University, product design
  • Ryan Monroe, University North Carolina at Charlotte, electrical engineering
  • Jarod Parsons, University of Wisconsin-Madison, chemical engineering
  • Jamie Stensgard, Hennepin Technical College, automation robotics engineering technology
  • Alexa Stierwalt, Marian University, graphic design and marketing
  • Lucas Stierwalt, Marian University/Purdue University Indianapolis, graphic design and mechanical engineering
  • Natasha Vibhakar, University of South Florida, supply chain management
  • Robert Wall, Purdue University, mechanical engineering

Additionally, $4,000 scholarships were awarded to North American technical college students in honor of Claude S. Breeden, Glenn Davis, and Art Schaefer. The PMMI Memorial Scholarship recipients: 

  • Daniel Chow, Columbus State Community College, electromechanical engineering technology
  • Declan Couch, Manhattan College, electrical/computer engineering
  • Moses Gbetuwa, Hennepin Technical College, mechatronics
  • Pheng Lee, Hennepin Technical College, automation robotics engineering technology
  • Joseph Phillips, Hennepin Technical College, mechatronics

The six recipients of $5,000 PACK EXPO Scholarship, awarded to students attending a North American college or university, are:

  • Morgan Bartholomew, Pennsylvania College of Technology, polymer & plastics engineering
  • Amy Foo, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, industrial technology and packaging
  • Matthias Fowler, Hennepin Technical College, mechatronics
  • Madison Roberts, Michigan State University, packaging science
  • Ethan Sawyer, Tennessee Technological University, mechanical engineering
  • Blake Strickland, Cape Fear Community College, industrial engineering technology

Individual awards

  • Marcos Delgado from Worcester Polytechnic Institute received the $5,000 Electrical Engineering Scholarship.
  • Lia Grammer, studying packaging science at Rochester Institute of Technology, received $5,000 the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network Scholarship.
  • Gavin Coley, studying mechanical engineering at East Carolina University, received the $5,000 Mechanical Engineer Scholarship.
  • Elen Huang, studying food science at the University of Illinois, received the $5,000 Processing Scholarship.
  • Timothy Oeser, studying packaging science at Clemson University, received the $5,000  Chuck Yuska Scholarship, named in honor of PMMI’s former president and CEO of 28 years.




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