AFE announced the recipient of the 2017 Beca Paul Ecke, Jr..
Kaylee South, a Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University – OARDC, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship ($5,000 for two consecutive years).
“There were a record number of applications this year, which shows the growing interest and need for AFE scholarships. The high quality of students is a testament to their exceptional determination and passion, and I am confident these future leaders will help the industry progress,” said Dwight Larimer, AFE Chairman and Education Committee Chair.

Kaylee South

Kaylee is pursuing her Ph.D. in agriculture and is researching botrytis in floriculture crops. Her focus is isolating bacteria that has beneficial qualities in floriculture crops that can be successfully applied to control botrytis.
“I am striving to reach my professional goals which include not only learning in classes and working in the lab, but also presenting my work, research and results in conferences and other meetings,” said Kaylee.
Her future career goal is to work at a land-grant university teaching and working in research with floriculture crops.
“I want to pass on the knowledge and passion that my agriculture teachers and college instructors gave to me. Because of the opportunities I have had to travel, learn and meet new people, I have been given what I need to bloom where I have been planted,” she said.
In 2015, Kaylee received her Bachelor of Science in agriculture at the University of Georgia, where she was also a member of the school’s Horticulture Club and Pi Alpha Xi, which is a floriculture, landscape, horticulture and ornamental horticulture honors society.
She also performed a Vic & Margaret Ball Internship at The Sun Valley Group in Arcata, Calif. in 2014.

Paul Ecke, Jr.

La beca Paul Ecke, Jr. se estableció en 2010 y rinde homenaje al difunto Paul Ecke, Jr., quien hizo contribuciones significativas a la industria florícola y creía firmemente en la investigación y la educación. Él reconoció que se necesitan científicos y educadores creativos para liderar la industria floral en el siglo XXI y más allá.
Esta prestigiosa beca basada en el mérito ha sido financiada mediante contribuciones de la industria y la familia Ecke para ayudar a financiar la educación de estudiantes de posgrado en floricultura (maestría o doctorado) en instituciones de concesión de tierras, quienes se convertirán en científicos y educadores líderes en floricultura.
The 2016 Ecke recipient, Kellie Walters of Michigan State University (MSU), will receive her second year of funding this year.
She is working toward her Ph.D. in the Department of Horticulture at MSU, and her career goals include becoming a professor and providing research-based solutions to floriculture problems.