The Washington Wine Industry Foundation awarded $41,000 in scholarships to seven students pursuing higher education in viticulture and enology. The awards were made from five funds:
- Albert Don Memorial Scholarship – Established in 2021 by the Don Family to honor Washington’s respected agriculture and grape innovator Albert Don.
- Foundation Scholarship – Established in 2013 by the Foundation Board of Directors, combined with funds honoring Charles Lill, Michael Manz, Glenn Coogan, and John Farmer.
- George and Susan Carter Scholarship – Established in 2017 by the Carter Family to honor WSU researcher and winemaker George Carter and his wife Susan.
- Horse Heaven Hills Scholarship – Established in 2005 by members of the Horse Heaven Hills Wine Growers group who are dedicated to promoting education of the grape growing and wine producing industries in Washington.
- Walter J. Clore Scholarship – Established in 1997 by the Washington Winegrowers Association to recognize and honor the research and lifetime achievements of Walter J. Clore, a pioneering Washington vintner.
The 2021 scholarship winners are:
- Annette Loring grew up on a small farm North of Pasco, WA. From the time she could walk, she was helping her family on the farm. After 18 years working as a dental hygienist, she is working her way back to agriculture by becoming a full-time student at Washington State University Tri-Cities studying viticulture and enology. Annette is combining her love of the land and science to learn about and contribute to the wine industry. When she is not studying, she enjoys spending time with her three teenagers, and working as an internship at the Wine Science Center. Annette was awarded the Walter J. Clore Scholarship and a Foundation Fund Scholarship.
- Danielle Fox grew up in Sarasota, FL, and went to Florida State University for her B.S. in Chemistry. In her final year of college, Danielle started working on phenotypical research with Muscadine grapes and French-American hybrids for Florida Agricultural, Mechanical University’s Grape, and Small Fruit Research Center. It was this experience that led her to apply for graduate schools focusing on viticulture and enology. She has lived in WA for the past four years working on a PhD involving enological studies on wine aroma and alcohol content with Washington State University Tri-Cities. Danielle was awarded a Horse Heaven Hills Scholarship and a Foundation Fund Scholarship.
- Bailey Hallwachs is a PhD student at Washington State University. Bailey received her bachelor’s degree in Agroecology with a minor in Horticulture from University of Wyoming. In her undergraduate, Bailey received an EPSCoR grant to develop transgenic grapes that grow in Wyoming’s salty soils and harsh climate. She began her master’s degree with Washington State University in 2020 and transitioned to a PhD in the summer of 2021. Bailey is studying the implications of Grapevine Red Blotch Virus on grapevine physiology and cellular structure using various electron microscopy techniques. Bailey was awarded a Foundation Fund Scholarship.
- Heather Carbon, born and raised in Moses Lake, WA, is pursuing an M.S. in Food Science under Dr. Charles Edwards at Washington State University. Her thesis focuses on studying the effects of isolated non-Saccharomyces yeasts from Washington vineyards in various fermentation conditions. Prior to her studies at WSU, Heather graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Food Science. Heather was awarded a Foundation Fund Scholarship
- Salvador Jimenez grew up in the agricultural suburbs of Northern California. Soon after entering New York City’s wine industry, his passion for lesser-known wine regions was established following a tasting of Baja California wines produced from 120-year-old own-rooted vines. Jimenez is now in his final year of his enology-viticulture degree at the Institute for Enology & Viticulture in Walla Walla. His first cellar apprenticeship in Washington was at Doubleback in 2020, and this year at L’Ecole No. 41. In addition to producing his own wine in the near future, Jimenez hopes to become the first dual Master Sommelier / Master of Wine of Mexican descent. Salvador was awarded a Foundation Fund Scholarship.
- Bernadette Gagnier, otherwise known as Bernie, was born and raised near Woodinville, WA, and is an active-duty Marine Corps Veteran. Currently, she is working towards a PhD in Horticulture at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser. Bernadette’s research specializes in alternative strategies for nematode management in wine grape systems. Bernadette was awarded the George and Susan Carter Scholarship, the Albert Don Memorial Scholarship, and a Foundation Fund Scholarship.
- Alexa McDaniel grew up in WA and studied in the heart of the industry. She is a third-year PhD graduate candidate in the Horticulture department, located at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser. Alexa’s research focuses on alternative sprayer management programs for pest control of powdery mildew and grape mealybug in vineyards. Along with her academic duties, Alexa actively serves in the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) as the Research and Extension Graduate Senator. Alexa was awarded a Horse Heaven Hills Scholarship and a Foundation Fund Scholarship.
The Washington Wine Industry Foundation provides solutions for the wine industry’s challenges, including the need for a future workforce that is well-educated and prepared to do great work. The Foundation’s Scholarship Program establishes, coordinates, manages, and promotes scholarships for students pursuing degrees in industry-related fields. The Scholarship Program is made possible thanks to generous supporters in the wine industry. To learn more, visit: washingtonwinefoundation.org.
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