The Altman Family Scholarship was created in 2015 by Ken and Deena Altman — possessor of Altman plant — as one of the legion efforts supported by the couple to improve education and enquiry for the industry . The scholarship provides $ 5,000 to attend to in funding the education of full - prison term alum students ( MS or Ph.D. ) who will become leading floricultural scientists and educators . Ken Altman has been actively involved in AFE ’s Education and Scholarship Committees and has serve on the AFE Board for more than a decennium , presently in an Emeritus status .
This year , the Altman Fund is confirm three graduate students currently recruit in superior programs at take mental hospital . All three not only are already engage in meaningful research , but demonstrate qualities of leadership and allegiance to the industry , along with splendid communication skills . Paul Cockson , North Carolina State UniversityPaul became interested in industrial plant skill well before he was an undergrad at North Carolina State University , where he is presently enrolled in the Masters of Horticulture Science program . A summer internship , form on a projection relating to tobacco - plant nutrient disorder , turned into two years of undergraduate work . The task ultimately resulted in five articles in match - review daybook , two award for Paul ’s body of work at national and international conferences , four popular insistence magazine articles , and over twenty elongation publications — an astonishing turnout of productivity .
One of Paul ’s current inquiry projects is aimed at one of the flowered industriousness ’s trendiest and most in - requirement mathematical product : succulent . With the use of industrial plant ontogenesis regulator , he hopes to enhance yield of new shoot in dissimilar species , reducing the time it takes for a passel to fill out . Later in the twelvemonth , he and an undergraduate mentee will grow poinsettia cultivars mail by dissimilar companies and will expect members of the public to rate them , gathering useful market data point . Yiyun Lin , Ohio State UniversityWhat could be more of import to the flowered industriousness than enquiry on flower length of service ? At Ohio State University , Yiyun Lin ’s graduate inquiry is focalise on unlock the key to what get petals to wilt and die , in damage of physiology and genetic science .
She has also been active in crusade to reach out to young people who might have an pastime in horticulture careers . Yiyun has been an activity chemical group leader for a scientific discipline didactics upshot aimed at mediate schoolers , introducing them to greenhouse crop production , and a team loss leader for another event design to help high shoal bookman key out succeeding careers . Yiyun is also a fellow member of AFE ’s Young Professionals Council .
Yiyun ’s finish are eminent : she aims at nothing less than becoming a pioneer in ergonomics research as it use to floriculture crops . “ What help me the most , ” she affirms , “ is being beleaguer by really awesome , passionate people who are trying to make an impact in the world . ”David Tork , University of Minnesota – Twin CitiesDavid is work with two cultivars : one with long , unbranched unfolding stem , another with short , highly branched base and dense foliage . “ By quantify the vase life potential , and by identify idealistic cut blossom plant substance abuse , ” he write in his scholarship app , “ we will be able to take and breed strain which are ideal candidates for the cut - prime industry . ”This July , David will be present the result of his field of study at the 2019 Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science . to begin with this year he participated in the National Floriculture Forum , a meeting supported by the American Floral Endowment that brings together academic , governance scientist , and industry drawing card .
“ My advisor always joked with me when I begin , ‘ You ’ll know when you ’re plugged into this and you ca n’t turn it off , because you start have dreams about it . ’ That does commence to befall after a while . ”
Those are good dreams to have — dreaming that will soon turn into realities to benefit all of us who have a professional passion for flush and plants .
For more informationAmerican Floral EndowmentT : +1 ( 703 ) 838-5211www.endowment.org
