ERDC Alumni Association Awards Scholarships to Area Graduates

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Alumni Association has awarded nine high school graduates with $1,000 scholarships each, recognizing their academic achievements and future aspirations.

Five of the recipients were honored during a recent reception at ERDC, which included tours of the Information and Technology Laboratory, Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, and Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory.

“There are so many bright students in our ERDC community, and we want to help support them in their education,” said Ernie Smith, an ERDC retiree and past president of the Alumni Association. “There will always be challenging problems to tackle, and students like these will be the ones to solve them in the future.”

The 2025 scholarship recipients are:

• Laura Bailey, Warren Central High School graduate, received the Kimmy Melton Memorial Scholarship for her generosity and leadership. She plans to major in biological sciences with a medical emphasis at Louisiana State University. She is the daughter of Susan and Steven Bailey.
• Marley Bufkin, Porters Chapel Academy graduate, will study biological sciences at Mississippi State University. She is the daughter of Mary and Mickey Bufkin.
• Ryan Davidson, St. Aloysius High School graduate, will attend the University of Mississippi with a focus on education. He is the son of Ashley and Jeff Davidson.
• Samantha Edwards, also from St. Aloysius, will study mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University. She is the daughter of Lulu and Micael Edwards.
• Charles Trent Ellison, River City Early College High School graduate, plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University. He is the son of Kellie and Chuck Ellison.
• Joshua Kitchens, another graduate of St. Aloysius, will pursue mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University. He is the son of Teresa and Steve Kitchens.
• Kennedy Mullins, from River City Early College High School, plans to study psychiatry or clinical psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is the daughter of Anne and Kenneth Mullins.
• Peyton Rainer, St. Aloysius graduate, received the Sills Engineering Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding student entering a STEM field. She will study neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Honors College. She is the daughter of Amy and Andrew Rainer.
• Julia Tuminello, also from St. Aloysius, will major in sports medicine and athletic training at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is the daughter of Patricia Tolley.

“Being able to give back through these scholarships is very rewarding,” Smith said. “I’m happy the scholarship recipients were able to see some of the incredible research happening at ERDC, which might interest them in pursuing a career there.”

Founded in 2017, the ERDC Alumni Association supports the ERDC community and promotes opportunities for local students. Since launching its scholarship program in 2019, the Association has awarded $46,500 in scholarships under its “Pay it Forward” motto.