UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With a $12,500 gift to Penn State, Doebler's Inc. will establish a new scholarship in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
The Jersey Shore-based seed company will fund the Doebler's Inc. Scholarship, which will provide $2,500 in annual financial support to students over a five-year period. First preference for funds will be given to full-time students majoring in Plant Sciences, under either the major's Agroecology option or the Crop Production option.
Students enrolled in the Agribusiness Management major may receive secondary consideration for the scholarship.
For many years, Doebler's has been a strong supporter of Penn State agronomy and plant science research.
"Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences provides excellence in research, innovation, education and service to support farmers and advance agriculture," said Ed Brown, Doebler's general manager. "Doebler's respects our relationship and wishes to continue our support of Penn State through this scholarship program. As we continue to rapidly grow our business over the next several years, Doebler's hopes to be able to hire more of Penn State's quality graduates and interns to service our grower customers."
Doebler's, which began as a small family farming business in 1935, is now a major regional contender in the seed industry, serving growers in the eastern United States. The company -- recognized for having one of the most extensive research and seed-testing programs in the East -- focuses on a "genetics first" selection process to commercialize only those corn, soybean, alfalfa and grass seed lines that will consistently out-perform other seed companies' products under Eastern growing conditions.
Penn State's alumni and friends are invaluable partners in fulfilling the University's land-grant mission of education, research, and service. Private gifts from alumni and friends enrich the experiences of students both in and out of the classroom; expand the research and teaching capacity of our faculty; enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain top students and faculty; and help to ensure that students from every economic background have access to a Penn State education.
The University's colleges and campuses are now enlisting the support of alumni and friends to advance a range of unit-specific initiatives.