STMA SAFE Scholarship

SAFE annually awards scholarships to students who are planning a career in the sports turf industry. Since its inception, the SAFE Foundation has presented more than $225,000 in scholarships and travel to the STMA Conference and Exhibition to more than 120 students.

Each year, SAFE awards several named scholarships: the Dr. James Watson Graduate Scholarship, the Dr. James Watson Undergraduate Scholarships, the Dr. James Watson two-year Scholarships, and the Dr. Fred Grau Scholarship. The Watson Scholarships are named in honor of long-time green industry researcher and consultant Dr. James Watson, are funded by the Toro Giving Program, and are presented to the top graduate and undergraduate scholarship recipients. The top recipient from a two-year program receives the Dr. Fred Grau scholarship, which is named in honor of the first turfgrass extension specialist in the United States. There is not a separate application for these named scholarships; they are awarded to the top graduate and undergraduate applicants.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for the scholarships. Simply complete the online application, request your references from your faculty adviser and employer and submit it to the SAFE Scholarship Committee. The applicants are judged on academic preparation, cumulative grade point average, experience in sports turf management, and references provided by student advisers and previous or current employers. They are also evaluated on their contributions to their school, department, and organizations to which they belong, as well as their career objectives.

YEAR RECIPIENT
1998 Ryan Kaspitzke
1999 Jeffrey Limburg
  John Sorochan
2000 N/A
2001 Joseph Damico
2002 Greg Elliott
  Matt McQuaid
  Timothy Van Loo
2003 Loyd Bowman
  Jason Henderson
  Stephen Wood
2004 Tim Hackett
  Tim Vanini
2005 Matthew Anderson
2006 N/A
2007 Amy French
  Kared Knoodle
  Brian Sayers
2008 Russell Bray
  Marshall Brice
2009 Alexander Kowalewski
  Brian McDougal
2010 Brian  McDougal
2011 Tyler Carter
2012 N/A
2013 Tylor Meppelink
2014 Joshua Alleman
2021 Keith Koch