AMES, IA – Twelve scholarships were given to Eleven Iowa State University (ISU) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) students at the 2022 Iowa Agribusiness Showcase and Conference on February 9, in Des Moines, Iowa. Nine Iowa Seed Association (ISA) Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded. One of ISA awarded students was selected as the Manjit Misra Outstanding Scholar Award and received an additional $500 scholarship. The $1,000 Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship and the $1,000 Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial Scholarship were also awarded at the ISA ceremony.
Bill Latham was a former president of the Iowa Seed Association, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA), and was a former President of his family company, Latham Seed. Bill passed away in 2015.
This is the sixth year the “Lisa Shepherd Jenkins” Memorial Scholarship was awarded by the ISU Seed Science Center to an undergraduate student engaged in seed science and seed technology. The $1,000 scholarship honors Lisa who served as Seed Health Testing Coordinator for the Seed Science Center and as Director of the Administrative Unit of the National Seed Health System. Lisa headed one of the most active phytosanitary seed testing programs in the country and served as a chair on committees for both the American Seed Trade Association and the American Phytopathological Society. Lisa passed away in 2015.
ISA Scholars:
Ashley Althaus is a Junior from Sublette, Illinois, majoring in Agricultural Systems Technology and minoring in Agronomy. Ashley’s parents are Steven and Deborah Althaus. Her dream is to incorporate agronomic principles into the latest technological advancements to better the agriculture industry by looking for ways to increase yields while reducing equipment costs. She believes that part of the solution involves the science and genetics of the seed and wants to be at the forefront of that progress.
Wyatt Bailey is a Junior from Mitchellville, Iowa majoring in Agronomy with a secondary major in Seed Science. Wyatt’s parents are Dwayne and Kimberly Bailey. Tending the family vegetable gardens sparked his passion for seed science. Through his studies, he hopes to secure a successful future for everyone involved in the seed science industry: breeders, technicians, salespersons, farmers, and consumers. Wyatt has worked as a crop scout at Key Cooperative and will work at Beck’s Hybrids as a corn breeding research intern this coming summer.
Alexander Coughlin is a Junior from Watertown, Wisconsin majoring in Agronomy with plans to minor in seed science. Alexander’s parents are Christ and Kristie Coughlin. Alexander hopes to become a part of the seed industry as a product agronomist with a seed company interested in making specific hybrid selections for the area where he is assigned. His gold is to help farmers have access to better genetics to produce more crops and feed the ever-growing population.
Tori Hlas is a Junior from Belle Plaine, Iowa majoring in Agricultural Studies and minoring in both Agronomy and Agricultural Systems Technology. Tory’s parents are Jim and Sheila Hlas. Tori is interested in a seed sales career and the advancement of the agriculture industry. Growing up in a small community and on a farm, she says agriculture played a major role in her life. Tori makes it a point to seek out leadership roles and set both short and long-term goals to achieve success.
Matisyn Howell is a Junior from Osseo, Michigan, majoring in Agronomy and Animal Science. Matisyn’s parents are Jeremy and Erin Howell. Matisyn grew up with a love for animals, specifically cattle, but a crop consultant she heard speak at Ag Career Day in high school opened her eyes to where she wanted her future to go. On her college advisor’s advice, she took a tour of the ISU Seed Science Center, which sparked an interest in seed. She currently works at the SSC and hopes to have opportunities through the Agronomy department to study abroad.
Lydia Johnson is a Junior from Bondurant, Iowa majoring in Agricultural Communications and Journalism and minoring in International Agriculture. She says her passion for agriculture comes from growing up on her family farm and leadership roles, including 4H and the Iowa and Global youth institutes with the World Food Prize. She has interned with News Radio 1040 and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
Alexandra Osborn is a Junior majoring in Agriculture and Society and minoring in Agronomy from Wellington, Missouri. Alexandra’s parents are Scott and Amy Osborn. Alexandra has worked at the ISU Seed Science Center as an assistant seed analyst, where she says her passion for seeds was sparked. Alexandra has also interned at Beck’s Hybrids and will intern at Bayer Crop Science this summer. She hopes to use her degree to educate the public about the seed industry.
Hallie Sandeen is a Junior from Washington, Iowa majoring in Agronomy. Hallie’s parents are Ralph and Cherry Sandeen. Hallie’s interest in seed science began as a child whose father was a seed salesman for Pioneer. She has interned at Dryland Genetics, harvesting millet panicles and cleaning and sorting seeds for purity of lines. This coming summer, she will intern at Corteva AgriScience, where she hopes to return after graduation for their two-year management program. Hallie also hopes to pursue a master’s degree.
Melinda Zubrod is a Junior from Merrill, Iowa majoring in Agronomy. Melinda’s parents are Dennis and Nancy Zubrod. Melinda plans to pursue a Ph.D. in plant breeding. Melinda has interned with Corteva AgriScience and currently works for the Singh soybean breeding program preparing seed for spring planting. Last semester she presented an independent research project as a Golden Opportunity Scholar which examined the elemental Nitrogen in the mature seed of soybean plants in correlation to the nodulation in early growth stages.
Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Scholarship
Alex Bray is a Junior from West Des Moines majoring in Microbiology with a passion for plant pathology. Alex’s parents are Mike and Nancy Bray. Alex currently works at the Mueller Labs at Iowa State as a research assistant assisting graduate researchers with creating fungal inoculums, cultures, identifying disease on soybean seeds, and helping around with various preparation and cleaning tasks.
Latham Scholar
Rebecca Noe is a Junior from Eureka, Illinois, majoring in Agronomy with a secondary major in Seed Science. Rebecca’s parents are Andy and Jenny Noe. While she knew her interests lay in agronomy and seed science when she started her college career, it wasn’t until she had a few classes that she developed an interest in seed
ISA and Manjit Misra Outstanding Scholar Award
Sara Dudley is a Junior from Colfax, Iowa, majoring in Agronomy and Seed Science. Sara’s parents are Brett and Amy Dudley. Her love for agriculture was sparked when she joined FFA. Before attending ISU, Sara completed the Agribusiness program at DMACC as a Mark Person Scholar. She first became involved with the seed industry as an intern at Heartland Cooperative treating soybean seed for customers. She will be an intern at PowerPollen this summer, a company that focuses on research and development to create solutions to enhance the future of seed production. After graduation she hopes to work at a seed company and advocate for the agriculture industry.
