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Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Fellowship​

The Cereals & Grains Association Elvira A.Tarleton Fund supports student and early career engagement opportunities in the association, permanently endowed since 2009.

Elvira Anderson Tarleton (“Andy” to her friends), was born in 1924 in southern Minnesota. She graduated as a registered nurse from St. Mary’s Hospital (now part of the Mayo Clinic) in Rochester, MN, U.S.A., in 1945, and then moved to St. Paul, MN. She first met her future husband, Ray Tarleton, on a blind date and the couple were engaged in 1948 and married just two years later.

Andy worked as a hospital nurse until 1952 when she joined the St. Paul school system as a school nurse. She served in both junior and senior high schools and as a city-wide supervisor until her retirement in 1986. Her husband Ray served as AACCI vice president for 41 years. Officers and board members of AACCI had frequent opportunities over the years to enjoy Andy’s hospitality and her warm personality.

Following her retirement, Andy was able to join Ray in his many travels on business and the Tarletons continued to travel extensively after his retirement in 1991. Eventually, Andy and Ray settled in Tucson, AZ, and looked forward to warm winters and a long retirement. Unfortunately, shortly after the Tarletons purchased their “retirement” home, Andy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed away in January 2003.

After Ray’s retirement, he and Andy wanted to give back to the profession that meant so much to their family. They decided to include the AACCI Foundation in their estate plan, and soon after Andy passed away, the AACCI Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Fellowship was established to help worthy students achieve an education in the grain science field. The first fellowship was awarded in her name in September 2009.

Previous Award Winners

2015

Divya Ramchandran
University of Illinois
$2,500 Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Student Fellowship

2014

Bin Zhang
University of Queensland
$2,500 AACCI Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Student Fellowship

2013

Jelena Medic
Iowa State University
$2,500 AACCI Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Fellowship

2012

Rachel Kyllo
University of Minnesota
$2,500 AACCI Elvira A. Tarleton Gradate Fellowship

2011

Tom Jondiko
Texas A&M University
$2,500 AACCI Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Fellowship

2010

Jelena Medic
Iowa State University
$2,500 AACCI Elvira A. Tarleton Graduate Fellowship