By Ben DuBose, News Editor, AMPP Publications

In one of this week’s flagship events, the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) celebrated the industry’s future at Tuesday’s Scholarship Awards Ceremony and EMERGing Leaders Bash.

Since Tuesday was St. Patrick’s Day, this year’s celebration featured a green-themed “Shamrock Social.” With support from several key sponsors, the event honored scholarship recipients with well-deserved recognition, and it allowed attendees to eat, drink, and mingle while celebrating the next generation of leaders.

Later on, the Tilluride Band — a red-dirt country band influenced by traditional country, heavy metal, and blues —brought live music and dancing into the mix.

Featuring students, mentors, and professionals all under one roof at the House of Blues Houston, the night was all about celebrating and spotlighting the bright talent rising within the materials protection industry.

The Scholarship Awards featured BP as its signature sponsor, while the Emerging Leaders Bash had Sherwin-Williams as its signature sponsor and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) and the AMPP Arizona Chapter as copper sponsors.

The full list of award winners can be found below, with photos available in our exclusive gallery.

‍

2026 EMERG STUDENT OUTREACH SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

American Innovations Paul Lucco Memorial Scholarship

• Brooke Lastinger, University of Florida

• Garrett Hutson, West Virginia University

AMPP Academic Scholarship

• Rafi Widyan Rasyidan, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University

• Brooke Lastinger, University of Florida

• Prastuti Upadhyay, Drexel University

AMPP Arizona Chapter Scholarship

• Connor Sullivan, Northern Arizona University

AMPP Central Florida Chapter Academic Scholarship

• Prakirti Singh, University of South Florida

• Sevil Ozsut, University of Miami

• Wesley Vitor Dantas de Carvalho Bezerra, University of South Florida

AMPP Georgia Chapter Academic Scholarship

• Cam Cook, Kennesaw State University

• Leilani Co, Georgia Institute of Technology

AMPP Great Lakes Chapter Scholarship

Anton Kalesnikav, University of Michigan

AMPP North Florida Chapter Corrosion Scholarship

• Aila Matthews, Florida State University

• Brooke Lastinger, University of Florida

AMPP Past Presidents and Chairs Scholarship

Liam Pattison, University of Florida

AMPP Philadelphia Chapter Liberty Bell Academic Scholarship

Prastuti Upadhyay, Drexel University

AMPP Prairie Chapter Academic Scholarship

Ashton Elliott, University of Saskatchewan

AMPP SoCal Chapter Scholarship

Raymond Higuera, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

AMPP West Virginia Chapter Scholarship

Garrett Hutson, West Virginia University

AUCSC - Dave Krause Academic Scholarship

• Garrett Hutson, West Virginia University

• Kirstin Roane, West Virginia University

• Noelle Cunningham, West Virginia University

• Tia Rhoades, West Virginia University

Gordon Rankin Corrosion Engineering Scholarship

• Cam Cook, Kennesaw State University

• Kiera Boone, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Liam Pattison, University of Florida

Graduate Book Award

• Kamila Turganova, Ohio University

Graduate Book Award

• Prakirti Singh, University of South Florida

Graduate Book Award

• Zhuldyz Zhigulina, Ohio University

Hans Schmoldt Scholarship in Cathodic Protection

• Prakirti Singh, University of South Florida

Melvin J. Schiff Fellowship Fund

• Wesley Vitor Dantas de Carvalho Bezerra, University of South Florida

MTI Bert Krisher Memorial Scholarship

• Julia Leng, University of Saskatchewan

MTI Robert Sinko Memorial Scholarship

• Sydney Stacklin, University of Akron

Oliver Moghissi Memorial Scholarship

• Joshua Lake, Auburn University

Sherwin Williams Protective & Marine Coatings Academic Scholarship

• Muhammad Rizky Nurzaman, University of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa

• Keira Boone, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

‍