TOMRA Fresh Food CEO Geoff Furniss says he is proud to be supporting STEM students and encouraging more females into the industry.
A new scholarship has been established to support female students studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects at the University of Waikato.
Female STEM students who will be entering their second or third year of study in 2022 can apply for the new scholarship, the TOMRA Fresh Food Scholarship for Women in STEM, which has been generously funded by Hamilton-based BBC Technologies.
TOMRA Fresh Food, which is the parent company of BBC Technologies, specialises in advanced optical sorting and grading of fresh produce utilising artificial intelligence, imaging and sensor-based technologies.
Applications for the scholarship are being accepted now for 2022 and will be awarded to one second-year student and one third-year student currently studying in a STEM programme at the University of Waikato.
Each scholarship is worth $7,500 and also includes an opportunity for a work placement with TOMRA Fresh Food.
CEO Geoff Furniss says TOMRA Fresh Food is proud to be supporting STEM students and encouraging more females to seek careers in the industry.
“Our goal is to support future leaders in technology and to encourage more women to make their mark on the industry.
“We are proud to be partnering with students at the University of Waikato. STEM subjects are at the heart of innovation and product development, and we are pleased to support emerging talent focused in these areas.”
University of Waikato Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Bryony James, also a professor in engineering, welcomes the support from TOMRA Fresh Food.
“It is great to see industry support the future generation of students in this way. Ultimately these students will be contributing to our society’s future through their innovative designs and problem-solving, so we are very grateful for this support to nurture emerging STEM talent.”
Students who wish to apply for the TOMRA Fresh Food Scholarship for Women in STEM must meet the following criteria:
- Identify as female in the personal details listed in the applicant’s MyWaikato Portal
- Have achieved a B+ grade average in the previous year of study
- Have made, or show strong potential to make, an impact on women in the STEM industries.
Further scholarship information is available.
About TOMRA Fresh Food
With the merging of industry leaders, BBC Technologies and Compac Sorting Equipment, TOMRA Fresh Food offers innovative, post-harvest technology and solutions to the global fresh fruit industry.
TOMRA Fresh Food specialises in advanced optical sorting and grading of fresh produce utilising artificial intelligence, imaging and sensor-based technologies. They provide scalable, integrated solutions for all-sized operations which include gentle and accurate filling and packing systems through to traceability.
