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THE 2020-2021 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED. Please check back in October 2020 for information on the 2021-22 scholarships.

The Ohio Soybean Council Foundation is pleased to offer $44,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Scholarships are available to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies related to the soybean industry and the field of agriculture.

Please contact Julia Brown at jbrown@soyohio.org with any questions.

The Ohio Soybean Council Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports scientific research and educational opportunities to the benefit of the soybean industry.

Undergraduate Scholarships

  • Seven undergraduate scholarships of up to $3,000 each
  • One $3,000 Robinson W. Joslin Scholarship, which was established to recognize a student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership potential
  • One $5,000 Bhima Vijayendran Scholarship, named to honor Dr. Vijayendran’s contributions to the soybean industry through his scientific research and commercialization activities at Battelle. This scholarship was founded to support those pursuing a degree related to science, technology or soybean research.

Applicants must be Ohio residents enrolled as full-time students at an Ohio college or university, having attained at least sophomore status by the fall of 2020, with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Eligible majors include: Agricultural business, agricultural communications, agricultural education, biochemistry, bioenergy, bioengineering, biofuels, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, crop science, engineering, environmental science, food science, molecular biology, or any of the agricultural disciplines or related fields.

Graduate Scholarships

Three scholarships of up to $5,000 each are available to students who are enrolled as full-time graduate students at an Ohio college or university.

Applicants must be conducting research in:

  • bioproducts
  • biotechnology
  • biobased materials
  • bioengineering
  • biopolymers
  • another related field

The research must be focused on advancing the soybean industry. Applicants must have proof of legal residency in the U.S.

2020-2021 Scholarship Recipients

Undergraduate Winners

Kevin Fruth of Fostoria, Ohio, a junior at the University of Toledo studying chemical engineering.

Courtney Heiser of Attica, Ohio, a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying agricultural communication. (Robinson W. Joslin)

Chyann Kendel of Eaton, Ohio, a sophomore at Wilmington College studying animal science and education.

Wyatt Kissell of Mount Vernon, Ohio, a freshman at The Ohio State University studying agronomy.

Alex Kutz of Valley City, Ohio, a junior at The Ohio State University studying agricultural systems management.

Sarah Lehner of Delaware, Ohio, a junior at The Ohio State University studying animal sciences and agribusiness and applied economics.

Holly Schmenk of Leipsic, Ohio, a sophomore at The Ohio State University studying animal science and agribusiness and applied economics.

Anna Tobler of Galloway, Ohio, a junior at The Ohio State University studying chemical engineering. (Bhima Vijayendran)

Jacob Wuebker of Versailles, Ohio, a sophomore at Wright State University studying agricultural business.

Graduate Winners

Tu Huynh of Vietnam, who is pursuing her doctorate in horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University. Huynh is studying the genes that control oil and protein components in soybeans to in order to breed soybeans with better composition without sacrificing yield.

Asritha Nallapaneni of India, who is pursuing her doctorate in polymer engineering at the University of Akron. Her research consists of developing a multi-functional coating with polymers derived from soybean oil.

Christian Vargas Garcia of Puerto Rico, who is pursuing his doctorate in plant breeding and genetics at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on breeding soybeans that are resistant to phytophthora root rot. His hope is to allow farmers to decrease their input costs for fungicides while meeting consumer demand for reduced use of chemicals in farming.

Blaire Volbers of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who is pursuing her doctorate in chemical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Her research consists of developing higher-value products from raw soybeans, including the oil, meal and leftover plant matter. Her research will also include creating lesson plans for high school students that demonstrate how local crops such as soybeans can be processed into other products.