The American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI), Elmhurst, Ill., said it selected three recipients for the 2018 Jim Page Memorial Scholarship. Adiar Pech from Appleton, Wis., Brandon Carter from Raleigh, N.C., and Jennifer Moehring of Cleveland, Wis., will each be presented with a $2,000 scholarship at the upcoming ADPI/ABI Annual Conference on April 30 in Chicago.
A full-time student pursuing a degree in electrical engineering technology at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, Pech also works full-time as a maintenance technician at Agropur in Little Chute, Wis. Pech, who already earned two associates degrees from the Fox Valley Technical College, praised Agropur, as the company has allowed him to work a flexible schedule and provided encouragement as he has worked to achieve goals both in life and education, ADPI said.
Upon graduation, Pech's goal is to become a controls engineer in the dairy industry. He foresees technology revolutionizing the dairy industry, ADPI said, and looks to take part in marking these changes and hoping to create new or improved current ideas for the future in controls.
Carter received a bachelor's degree in foods science from Brigham Young University in 2015 and is currently pursuing a master's degree at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on developing new analytical methods to track processing efficiencies, improving the flavor and functionality of liquid and powdered protein ingredients, and improving filtration efficiency in whey protein isolate manufacture.
Carter has completed internships at Bolthouse Farms and Glanbia Nutritionals, working with whey protein beverages and flavor departments. He currently manages the dairy pilot plant at North Carolina State. He has participated in several poster competitions and received first place honors in the 2016 IFT Dairy Foods Division Poster competition. He also presented at the 2017 Global Cheese Technology Forum on the "Efficiency of Whey Protein Passage during Ceramic Microfiltration for the Production of Whey Protein Isolate." Carter’s ultimate goal is to work in the industry and help innovate the future of dairy ingredients and technology.
Jennifer Moehring never saw college in her future; however, through the continual encouragement from her employer, Sargento Foods, she found the confidence to continue her education, ADPI noted. Today she holds an associate's degree in global business and is working towards her bachelor's degree in business with an international emphasis.
Moehring’s education has allowed her to accept a promotion within Sargento Foods as demand planning coordinator. Her goals include increasing her roles and responsibilities at Sargento and working within the world of exports and the challenges that come with exporting dairy products, ADPI stated.
"A dedicated honors student, a full-time employee at Sargento Foods and mother of four, Jennifer Moehring, still finds time to volunteer and give back to her community," said Tiffany Feller, demand planning manager – Consumer Products Division for Sargento Foods.”
Jim Page Memorial Scholarships are awarded to a dependent of an employee or to an employee of an ADPI member. Scholarship applicants must currently be in good academic standing at a nationally accredited college or university, pursuing a course of study that will lead to a bachelor's degree; have completed at least one full semester; and have maintained a GPA of at least 3.0 using the standard 4.0 scale. The award may be used for any educational expenses that a student may have in furthering his/her education, ADPI said.
The Jim Page Memorial Scholarship was created in memory of James J. Page, who enjoyed a distinguished marketing career in the dairy industry and demonstrated exceptional leadership skills while serving as the CEO of ADPI from 2002 through 2008. If you would like to make a contribution to the Jim Page Memorial Scholarship — or if you are a dependent of an employee or an employee of an ADPI member company and would like more information about the scholarship — please visit www.adpi.org.
