BASF Awards $10,000 in Fall Scholarships to Four LSU Engineering Students

November 21, 2016

GEISMAR, LA, November 21, 2016 – BASF awarded $10,000 in scholarships to four engineering students at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge. This is the fourth year BASF has provided annual scholarships through the BASF Team Chemistry Scholarship Program to students as part of the company’s education outreach and workforce development efforts.

"BASF scholarships provide direct financial support to LSU students to help them continue their degree programs and fulfill their dream of becoming engineers," said Tom Yura, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the BASF site in Geismar, Louisiana. "Through our continued partnership with LSU's College of Engineering, we also promote career opportunities that are available at BASF and provide hands-on learning and mentoring opportunities for students.”

Each student received a $2,500 scholarship from BASF. In addition to maintaining excellent grade-point averages, scholarship recipients are active in campus and community organizations.

Emily Bergeron is a sophomore chemical engineering major from LaPlace, Louisiana, who graduated as salutatorian from St. Charles Catholic High School. She works at the LSU Women's Center and is actively involved in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta.

Nathan Brignac is a junior electrical engineering major from Denham Springs, Louisiana, who graduated from Denham Springs High School. He is an LSU Dean’s List scholar, SELU President’s List scholar and recipient of the Chevron scholarship of electrical engineering. He has worked part-time in the restaurant industry as a certified trainer for servers throughout his college career. When not studying or working, he enjoys playing piano, writing music and more recently helping rebuild his parent’s flood-damaged home.

Seth Collins is a junior mechanical engineering major from Prairieville, Louisiana, who was home-educated throughout high school. He currently works as a student mentor at the Chevron Center for Engineering Education. Seth is an avid musician and plays trombone in the Istrouma Baptist Church orchestra.

Amanda DiVittorio is a sophomore chemical engineering major from New Orleans and a graduate of Mount Carmel Academy. She is actively involved on campus as a member of Delta Gamma Sorority, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Christ the King Catholic Church. She volunteers at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired and as a coach for Bengal Gymnastics.

“BASF has played an integral role in the development of our LSU engineers and in the growth of our college,” said Mary Julia Wornat, Interim Dean of the LSU College of Engineering. “As a result of the company’s continued support, our students have been afforded the opportunity to learn in state-of-the-art facilities, and to receive the financial assistance needed to succeed in the classroom – and beyond.”

BASF’s manufacturing presence near LSU includes operations in Geismar, the corporation’s largest site in North America, Zachary and Vidalia. BASF sites in Louisiana employ a workforce of around 2,000 people and invest nearly $300 million in the state through annual payroll, purchases, taxes and charitable contributions. Visit www.basf.us/la for more information.

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About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.4 billion in 2015. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

For more information contact:
Blythe Lamonica
BASF Corporation
Tel: (225) 339-7453
Email: blythe.lamonica@basf.com

Elizabeth Canfield
BASF Corporation
Tel: (225) 339-7333
Email: elizabeth.canfield@basf.com