The Board of Directors of the Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) is pleased to announce the creation of a scholarship for Master鈥檚 students, which will be funded by donations from the Garbageman鈥檚 Invitational, an industry golf tournament and social event. The EREF scholarship program awards and recognizes excellence in master鈥檚 and doctoral solid waste management research and education. Existing EREF master鈥檚 and doctoral awards are also made in memory of Francois Fiessinger, P.E., Ph.D., a graduate of Rutgers University, a founding director of the foundation, and additional scholarships were made possible by the late Robert P. Stearns, P.E., DEE of SCS Engineers, former Chairman of EREF and Robert J. Riethmiller of PTR Baler and Compactor Company. Most recently EREF established the Waste Industries Scholarship Honoring Lonnie C. Poole, Jr., an EREF founder and Director Emeritus, and the Carl J. Apicella Scholarship.
The Garbageman鈥檚 Invitational was founded in 2010 by Kerry Holmes (Vice President of Sales, Consolidated Fabricators), Mike Melideo (Owner, Consolidated Fabricators) and Ray Burke (Vice President, Clean Energy). These three men set out to create a unique annual networking event for their customers and prospects in the solid waste and recycling industry throughout the United States and Canada. The 2016 Garbageman’s Invitational will be held April 26 鈥� 28 at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, CA. The sponsors of the Garbageman’s Invitational felt strongly that there should be an element of “giving back” to the industry. 鈥淎s the leader in solid waste research and education, EREF was an easy choice as the charity to benefit from the event,鈥� said Kerry Holmes. 鈥淓REF, with its presence throughout North America, is well aligned with the Garbageman’s Invitational鈥檚 goal to attract more industry leaders throughout the United States and Canada.鈥�
EREF Scholarships recognize graduate students pursuing excellence in solid waste management research and education. Recipients are chosen based on credentials and potential contributions to the solid waste industry and its scientific community. 鈥淢ore than 50 students have been EREF scholars, many of whom are now in key academic and professional positions across the U.S.,鈥� said Bryan Staley, EREF President and CEO. 鈥淭he addition of the Garbageman鈥檚 Invitational Master鈥檚 Scholarship means that 100% of any donations made to the Garbageman鈥檚 Invitational will fund graduate students pursuing excellence in solid waste management research and education.鈥�
For more information as well as a link to the scholarship application, visit .