MANHATTAN, Kan. — With a passion for agriculture and research, the 2019 recipient of the Herb Clutter Memorial Scholarship is Jorja Elliott of Pratt. This $500 scholarship will help Elliott pursue her degree in biology with an emphasis in botany at Fort Hays State University — where she has already been taking courses through the Kansas Academy of Math and Science.

“This scholarship is ultimately allowing me to pursue the agricultural research I want to do as a career,” Elliott said.

She has already been active on the agricultural research scene. Elliott is involved with studying the effects of toxins, like ethanol, lactic acid and sulfide on various crops around Kansas. The goal is to see how much of these toxins the plants can be exposed to before they cause damage to the plant. She is working to have a publication that would summarize the research published this summer.

Raised in rural Kansas, Elliott knew agriculture was just a part of the fiber of her being. She grew up in a farming family, as did her friends. She wanted to be a part of agriculture and has a passion for research and science.