Two Penn State Students Receive Scholarships from Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program
December 19, 2025 | 3 min to read
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program provides two scholarships each year for college students with an interest in dairy product marketing and innovation.
The Pennsylvania Dairy Innovation Scholarship is administered through Penn State University and was presented at the College of Agricultural Science’s annual awards banquet this fall. The recipient was Henry Hottenstein of Hereford, Maryland, a second-year food science student. He is an undergraduate research assistant for food science professor Dr. Federico Harte who focuses on dairy processing and food engineering.
Hottenstein was a research and development intern at Fuchs North America, a global custom seasoning and spice company, and studied food technology abroad at Perrotis College in Thessaloniki, Greece, a division of the American Farm School. At Penn State, he is president of the Penn State Food Chemistry Club and involved in the Food Science and Blooms and Shrooms clubs.
Sara Kennedy of Colombia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania, received the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program scholarship for students interested in dairy product marketing. She is a junior at Penn State with a dual major in animal science and nutritional sciences with plans to become a registered dietitian to focus on dairy production and promoting the nutritional benefits of milk to build trust with consumers.
Kennedy was involved in Tioga County dairy promotion and was an intern with the Center for Dairy Excellence. At Penn State, she is a nutrition intern for Penn State Football Performance Nutrition, active in the Penn State Dairy Science Club and plays clarinet in the Penn State Blue Band.
“These outstanding students demonstrate a passion for dairy product research and innovation,” said Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program Chair Lolly Lesher. “Providing these scholarships is an investment in our industry and it’s exciting to know students like Henry and Sara are and will continue contributing to the future of the dairy industry.”
For additional information, contact American Dairy Association North East at 315.472.9143.
About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 8,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com.