The Food Processing Suppliers Association’s (FPSA) Dairy Council said it awarded three $3,500 scholarships that will be used toward completing the winners’ respective degrees within the dairy or food science disciplines. The winners of the inaugural Tom Imbordino Memorial Dairy Science Scholarship, named after the long-time publisher of Dairy Foods, are:

• Kritika Gaba, South Dakota State University.
• Jacinda Leopard, Mississippi State University.
• Brianna McBride, Iowa State University.

“The FPSA Dairy Council is proud to announce the list of outstanding scholarship winners for the 2021-2022 school year,” stated Martin Lutz, chairman of the FPSA Dairy Council and CEO of ProLeiT Corp. “The council congratulates these winners and wishes them the best in the upcoming school year and in the future of what we are confident will be productive careers.

“The crop of applications we received for this year, our inaugural launching of the Tom Imbordino Memorial Dairy Science Scholarship, was extremely impressive both in terms of quantity and quality,” he added. “The council firmly believes that there is much talent in our nation’s dairy science programs and look forward to the achievement they will all bring to our industry. Tom Imbordino, who was a strident supporter of both the dairy industry and of higher education, would be especially proud of these winners, as well as all the applicants.”

David Seckman, president and CEO of McLean, Va.-based FPSA, noted that the scholarship is an important part of FPSA’s “Giving Back” program.

“[It] is made possible thanks to the generous contributions of members of the association and the Dairy Council,” he said. “As such, I would like to thank these members and participants of the FPSA Auction for helping us to support deserving students in following their education and career goals. These scholarships help them to pursue advanced studies which will ultimately deliver new methods, new techniques and new knowledge to our industry for the betterment of all.”

The FPSA Dairy Council is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors, who take an active role in the review and selection of scholarship winners. For more information about the FPSA Dairy Council, contact Andy Drennan at 703-663-1201 or adrennan@fpsa.org.