| NFPA has awarded scholarships to four students for contributions to fire safety |
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Safety Education Memorial Fund has made it a tradition to award students each year with scholarships to recognize their pursuit of careers in fire safety. This year four scholarship recipients have been selected based on their contributions to fire safety activities, as well as their academic achievements and leadership abilities.
Justin Perry, a junior in the Fire Protection Engineering program at the University of Maryland, was awarded the Arthur E. Cote Scholarship. Perry, who is currently working toward a combined bachelor's and master's degree, serves as one of the Clark School of Engineering ambassadors. He will be participating in fire protection analysis at Dominion Energy this summer and plans to become a professional engineer. This scholarship, which was established in 2006 in honor of Cote's retirement from NFPA, recognizes and offers support for students pursuing careers in fire protection engineering.
Yaqiang Jiang, a master's student at the University of Science and Technology of China, received the David B. Gratz Scholarship for his work in the college's State Key Laboratory of Fire Science program. Jiang has completed a research project involving smoke control in tunnel fires, and some of his results have been published in scientific journals. After receiving his master's, Jiang plans to study at the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh for his Ph.D. The David B. Gratz Scholarship is named after NFPA's first executive director for international operations, a position Gratz held for 22 years, and recognizes the international growth of fire science and fire engineering programs.
Gregory Gorbett, the recipient of the John L. Jablonsky Scholarship, has earned bachelor's degrees in both forensic science and fire science and has received a master's degree in executive fire service leadership. He is currently earning a master's degree in Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has maintained a 4.0 GPA while volunteering as a firefighter. Gorbett plans to continue his career path as a professor and fire and explosive investigator. This scholarship honors the valuable contributions of John L. Jablonsky, both on the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control and in numerous positions with NFPA, and is designed to aid those with similar convictions to develop careers of service to mankind.
Beau Stevens, a student at Oklahoma State University's Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology program, was awarded the George D. Miller Scholarship. Currently a training officer intern at Stillwater Fire Department in Oklahoma, Stevens has also been a consistent recipient of the Dean's and President's Honor Roll and has been an active student leader in on-campus fire protection and safety activities. In the future, he hopes to progress through a career as a firefighter, training officer and fire marshal. The George D. Miller Scholarship, named in honor of the former NFPA president and chief executive officer, is granted to students in fire service or public administration programs.