The SPE Foundation announced its 2026 scholarships, awarding a total of $266,625 in support to students pursuing degrees in plastics and polymer-related fields. This year's program included 102 individual scholarships to 71 students, representing 40 universities across 21 states and 3 countries. The average award was $2,614, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.

The awards were made possible through 57 distinct scholarships and funds, reflecting the depth of donor generosity that continues to empower the Foundation's mission of supporting the next generation of plastics engineers and researchers. These funds are provided not only by the SPE Foundation, but by a wide network of supporters, including SPE Chapters, corporate partners, individual donors, the Plastics Pioneers Association, the Plastics Hall of Fame, and the Western Plastics Pioneers.

"Every scholarship we award represents a donor's belief in the future of our industry and in the students who will lead it," said Eve Vitale, Executive Director of the SPE Foundation. "This year's results show just how deep that commitment runs, both in the number of students we're able to reach and in the strength of the students themselves."

Many Students, Multiple Awards

Twenty-six students — more than a third of all recipients — received more than one scholarship this year, a sign of how many donor funds are converging to reinforce support for the same standout students.

Top multi-award recipients included:

• Melanie Butenhoff (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities) — 4 scholarships totaling $9,500.
• Nathan Zook (Pennsylvania College of Technology) — 3 scholarships totaling $9,500.
• Mandy Zheng (Case Western Reserve University) — 3 scholarships totaling $8,500.

Joseph Chorazy (University of Wisconsin-Stout) received the single largest award of the year — $10,000 from the Donald McCoy Chicago SPE Scholarship.

Carmen Byerly Dunn (University of Southern Mississippi) also reached $10,000 in total support, combining the Dr. Jackie Rehkopf Scholarship and the Lew Erwin SPE Extrusion Division award.

Five additional $5,000 awards went to students at Penn State Behrend, Virginia Tech, and Case Western Reserve University.

Academic Reach

This year's recipients span every class level, from freshmen to PhD candidates, including 25 doctoral students — underscoring strong support for advanced plastics and polymer research.

The top fields of study represented among recipients were:

• Plastics Engineering (11 students)
• Chemical Engineering (10 students)
• Plastics Engineering Technology (8 students)
• Mechanical Engineering (7 students)
• Polymer Materials Engineering (6 students)

The full list of 2026 scholarship recipients can be found here.