Wednesday, April 11, 2007
PRINCESS ANNE, MD—Francis OkinyihOrech, a doctoral student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, is the spring 2007 recipient of a $5,000 Perdue Farms Scholarship for Food Science and Technology.
“The University of Maryland Eastern Shore thanks the A.W. Perdue Foundation and the Research and Development Department of Perdue Farms, Inc. for its generosity in establishing this scholarship award to support our doctoral students in Food Science and Technology,” said Dr. Thelma B. Thompson, president of UMES.
“We realize to stay on the cutting edge of new-product development, we need to encourage individuals to pursue the specialized training necessary to be successful in the future,” said Dave Owens, vice president of research and development at Perdue Farms. “It is our honor to encourage academic excellence in the field of food science and technology and to show our support for UMES’ doctoral program.”
The Perdue Scholarship for Food Science and Technology is a competitive award based on the merit of the applicants, with preference given to UMES students.
Orech, a second year Ph.D. candidate in the UMES Center for Food Science and Technology, is a native of Kenya who previously earned a postgraduate diploma in research methodology from Denmark’s Institute for Health Research and Development. Last year’s initial recipient of a Perdue Scholarship was SivaranjaniPagadala. Perdue anticipates making another $5,000 award to a UMES Food Science and Technology graduate research assistant this fall.
The UMES Center for Food Science and Technology, through its teaching, research and outreach programs, is committed to enhancing the safety, quality and availability of foods important to the Eastern Shore region, including poultry, seafood, produce and small farm animals. Dr. Jurgen Schwarz is director of the doctoral program, part of the UMES School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences. Dr. Carolyn Brooks is dean of the school.
Perdue Farms is the No. 1 brand of fresh chicken in the Eastern United States. Ranked third in sales the poultry industry, Perdue is a leading international food and agriculture business, providing quality products and services to customers in more than 70 countries.
Privately held and family-run for three generations, the company employs more than 22,000 associates and partners with 15,000 independent farm families-all who share in the commitment to quality, service and reliability that has guided the company since its founding in 1920.
For more information about the Perdue Scholarship for Food Science and Technology or the UMES Center for Food Science and Technology, please contact Suzanne Street, UMES director of public relations, at 410-651-7773 or sstreet@umes.edu.
####
Gains Hawkins Jr., vice president, UMES Division of Institutional Advancement, 410-651-7773, ghawkins@umes.edu.
Contact: Suzanne Waters Street, director, UMES Office of Public Relations, 410-621-2355, sstreet@umes.edu.
Photo by Matthew Whittaker: Pictured left to right are Dr. Cax
