Three LSU agriculture students who received scholarships from the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association on Feb. 11 are, from left, Ph.D. student Maryam Shahrtash, master’s degree student Matthew Foster, and undergraduate student Luke Habetz with LACA President Randy Richard. Photo by Rick Bogren

News Release Distributed 02/12/15

MARKSVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association presented $2,000 scholarships to three LSU College of Agriculture students during the Louisiana Agricultural Technology & Management Conference on Feb. 11.

The undergraduate scholarship was presented to Luke Habetz, of Crowley, La. Habetz is an agribusiness major in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. His scholarship was funded by Young and Young Farms represented by Ray Young, RiceTec represented by Cullen Minter, and CPS represented by Joe Pankey.

Matthew Foster, who graduated from LSU in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil systems, received a graduate student scholarship. He is pursuing a master's degree in agronomy with a concentration in weed science under the direction of LSU AgCenter weed scientist Jim Griffin at LSU. His scholarship was funded by Dow AgriScience represented by Brooks Blanche.

The Ph.D. scholarship was presented to Maryam Shahrtash, who is studying plant health in the LSU Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology with LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Melanie Lewis Ivey.

Shahrtash’s scholarship is funded by the Louisiana Land Bank, ACA, represented by Stephen Austin, CEO.

Rick Bogren