Perdue Farms, through its Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has awarded a $50,000 grant to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) to provide support for student scholarships.
“These scholarships would support students studying agriculture, business, construction management technology, hospitality and tourism, engineering, and more,” said David Balcom, UMES’ vice president for university relations. “Perdue scholars will pursue their degrees in their chosen field, and many will also help to advance research in areas such as food science and technology innovation.”
University of Maryland Eastern Shore – Perdue Scholarships will be awarded to students of outstanding character with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and will help students complete their degrees, minimize student debt, and advance their careers.
“Graduating an ever-increasing number of students will produce promising new employees for private industry and help to stimulate the economy both on and off the Eastern Shore,” Balcom said. “A number of these students will also be engaged in research initiatives helping to advance knowledge and create new innovation benefiting private industry and the general welfare.”
Dr. Parker W. Hall, Perdue’s vice president for research and development, said the company relies on well-trained and motivated college graduates to keep it competitive in the marketplace.
“In all key areas,” Parker told a WMDT reporter, “from production agriculture, which is the business we’re in, from farming all the way through further processing, which all takes place here.”
Many UMES undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college and half are unable to afford tuition, which makes scholarship support like that from the Perdue Foundation the highest priority for the university.
“A scholarship of this nature really makes it a major thing for our students to be able to come to college and have a four year experience and get the experience of a dream of an education,” UMES President Dr. Heidi M. Anderson said in an interview with WMDT.
“Perdue Farms is very happy and honored to provide assistance towards the creation of the UMES Perdue Scholarships,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation. “We hope these scholarships will help to attract new students, retain them and ultimately graduate them.”
Anderson noted in the TV news interview that UMES’ mission as a public, historically black land-grant institution is preparing graduates who can make the agriculture industry more efficient, productive and environmentally sensitive.
For example, she said, “there may be drone technology that comes in. We call it precision agriculture — because that’s a whole new way of making sure you’re getting more and better crops.”
About the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture®.
