WCMA Supports Dairy Industry’s Future Leaders With Scholarships

The cheese sector holds a lot of weight in the dairy industry, especially in Wisconsin. In a bid to support the dairy industry’s next generation of leaders, The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and Center for Dairy Research (CDR) have announced this year’s round of scholarships, totaling over $17,000 in awards.

“WCMA members recognize education as a key factor in the strengthening and growth of the dairy industry,” said John Umhoefer, WCMA Executive Director. “Our organization is honored to invest in the next generation of dairy leaders.”

According to a press release, dairy processors and their family members are eligible for the WCMA Myron P. “Mike” Dean Cheese Industry Student Scholarship. Winners of the 2020 Mike Dean Scholarship are:

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• Mary Kawleski, a product development employee at Agropur and graduate student in the Master of Food Technology program through the University of Georgia-Athens. Kawleski hopes to continue her career in food science to advance the possibilities of food applications
• Ashlyn Schnell, a research and development intern at Schreiber Foods and biology major and chemistry minor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Schnell plans to pursue a Master of Food Science degree and work as a lead food and research scientist in the dairy industry

Winners of the 2020 WCMA Cheese Industry Supplier Student Scholarship are:

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• Samantha Hawkey, an Administrative Assistant at Kelley Supply and business management student at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin
• Theodore Jacoby IV, a former intern at Agropur and current dairy manufacturing major at South Dakota State University. Jacoby plans to pursue a job with Agropur or obtain a master’s or doctorate degree related to the dairy industry after graduation
• Morgan Knapp, a food technology intern at Agropur and chemistry major with a business concentration at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

For more information on these scholarship winners, click here.

WCMA and CDR also announced that University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student Lauren Sipple has been awarded the 2020 Norman F. Olson Family Scholarship. Both WCMA and CDR contributed $1,000 to the annual scholarship, awarding Sipple with a total of $2,000 to continue her studies relating to the dairy processing industry.

“WCMA is proud to play a role in the academic enrichment of the next generation of leaders in the dairy processing industry,” Umhoefer said. “Lauren Sipple is a standout graduate student, applying her intelligence and work ethic to advance the dairy industry, and we are pleased to support her research.”

According to the press release, Sipple is now pursuing a doctorate at UW-Madison, studying the physical properties of ice cream. Sipple is also serving on a CDR-trained sensory panel, evaluating dairy samples for general research and industry projects.

“Lauren Sipple is an excellent student who is aiming her professional career at serving the dairy processing industry,” Director of the Center for Dairy Research Dr. John Lucey said. “We’re pleased to join with WCMA to confer the Norm Olson Scholarship to this future PhD in dairy.”

Congratulations to this year’s winners!