Press release Davis, CA

ASEV Presents 25 Students With $107,500 in Scholarships

Meredith Persico (left) and Yiliang Cheng (right)

DAVIS, Calif., August 23, 2023… Over $100,000 in scholarships were awarded to 25 students throughout North America by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV). The ASEV’s scholarship program seeks to support students pursuing scientific research and advancement in enology or viticulture.

“Year after year, we see the passion and commitment of scholarship recipients exceed our expectations,” says Anna Katharine Mansfield, associate professor at Cornell University and chair of the ASEV Scholarship Committee. “With their knowledge, dedication and drive, they’re poised not only to make their mark but also to shape a bright future in the wine and grape industry.”

ASEV’s traditional scholarship program is available to students pursuing a degree in enology, viticulture, or in a curriculum emphasizing a science basic to the wine and grape industry. The ASEV Presidents’ Award for Scholarship in Enology and Viticulture awards $12,500 each to two students who exceed the expectations of the traditional program. Yiliang Cheng of Iowa State University, Ames, received the 2023 award for enology and Meredith Persico of The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, received the award for viticulture.

Twenty-three additional students from the United States and Canada were awarded traditional scholarships (photos are available on the website):

  • Rajasekharreddy Bhoomireddy – North Dakota State University, Fargo
  • Arpa Boghozian – University of California, Davis
  • Jonathan Brumley – Washington State University, Prosser (ASEV’s Dennis Martin Scholarship)
  • Elia Castellanos – University of British Columbia, Canada
  • Pin-Jui Chen – University of British Columbia, Canada
  • Michael Cook – Texas A&M University, College Station (ASEV’s James Wolpert Scholarship)
  • Hava Delavar – North Dakota State University, Fargo
  • Briann Dorin – York University, Canada
  • Achyut Duwadi – Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Bernadette Gagnier – Washington State University, Prosser
  • Alex Gapinski – Iowa State University, Ames
  • Bijaya Ghimire – North Dakota State University, Fargo
  • Alex Heger – Michigan State University, East Lansing
  • Venkateswara Rao Kadium – Montana State University, Bozeman
  • Santosh Kalauni – Washington State University, Prosser
  • Lik Xian Lim – University of California, Davis
  • Cassandra Marbach – Texas A&M University, College Station (ASEV’s Mike Vail Scholarship)
  • Jennifer Neubauer – Cornell University, New York
  • Stephen Onayemi – Washington State University, Prosser
  • Demetra Perry – Cornell University, New York
  • Malin Petersen – University of British Columbia, Canada
  • Ramesh Pilli – Washington State University, Prosser
  • Roy Wallfish – University of California, Davis

The ASEV Scholarship Committee reviews scholarship applications and provides recommendations to the ASEV Board of Directors on award winners. The committee includes: Chair Anna Katharine Mansfield from Cornell AgriTech in New York; Torey Arvik from Jackson Family Wines in California; Karen Block from University of California, Davis; Howard Bursen, winemaking consultant in Connecticut; Bob Coleman from Treasury Wine Estates in California; Jeri Hoover from Koppert Global in California; JT (John) Jaeger from Jackson Family Wines in California; Thayne Montague from Texas Tech University, Lubbock; Jennifer Russo from Cornell Lake Erie Research Extension Laboratory, New York; and Joe Shirley from Trinchero Family Estates in California.

For more information about the ASEV scholarship programs, visit asev.org/scholarship-programs. Scholarship applications are accepted annually by March 1.

Founded in 1950 by a group of researchers and winemakers, ASEV is dedicated to the interests of enologists, viticulturists and others in the fields of wine and grape research and production throughout the world. For more information, visit www.asev.org.