The Washington Cornhuskers have a long tradition of support for scholarships to UNL through the University of Nebraska Foundation. Washington Cornhuskers members who have a student who attends or will be attending UNL should contact Lynne Cobb, scholarship chair through our contact page. All our members’ UNL students will be considered for our local club’s scholarships!
Our chapter’s focus on scholarships was started by Jan Lightner and Roxy Elliott in 2000. We now have two fully funded scholarships, so the funds we add to them only increase the amount or number of scholarships given each year. In 2012-2019 we funded the Legends Scholarship until that program was disbanded. All our scholarships are given to deserving Washington State students who are attending UNL, UNO or UNK. Below are more details of the scholarships we support and past recipients:
1. Robert & Ruth Paine Scholarship – started in 2000
The late Bob Paine was an early leader of the Washington Cornhuskers in the formative years of the club. He was a retired USAF Lt. Colonel before he went to work for Boeing. As an undergraduate, he was president of his fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, and a member of Innocent’s Society.
Recent recipients include:
- Vincent L., Enumclaw, WA, studying Mechanical Engineering
- Carson M., Gig Harbor, WA, studying Computer Science
2. Jan & Gene Lightner Scholarship – started in 2011
The late Jan Lightner was our first Scholarship Chair. Both Jan & her late husband Gene received the Distinguished Service Award from the Nebraska Alumni Association. Gene Lightner was a Chemical Engineering major at UNL, where he received his BSc and MSc. He was active in his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, and AIChE. He served in the USArmy and received his first patent (it’s what is now called FoamCore) in 1964. He went back to school (University of Idaho) for his Ph.D. and has been involved in research ever since and currently holds ~40 US plus several foreign patents.
His most recent ones involve alternative fuels from bio-mass. He decided several years ago to donate his patents to the University of Nebraska Foundation. They offer them to professors for further development. He is recognized as a Senior Member of the Instrument Society of America, he won an IR 100 Award, he won the Alumni Achievement Award from NAA, he participated in Master’s Week at UNL (sponsored by Mortar Board and Innocents), and has served as President of UNL alumni chapters in St. Louis, MO, and Philadelphia, PA.
Recent recipients include:
- Mason Baker, Mercer Island, WA, studying Business Admin
- Peyton Thomas, Newcastle, WA, studying Sports Media & Communication
- Alex Evenson, Sammamish, WA, studying Biological Systems Engineering
- Megan Pecha, Bellevue, WA, studying Civil Engineering
- Madison C., Marysville, WA, studying Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Bailey R., Des Moines, WA, studying Forensic Science