Contact: Maridith Geuder
Two retail floristry management students at Mississippi State University are receiving the first scholarships honoring a longtime MSU professor.
Juniors Ragan Stout of Arlington, Tenn., and Sara Beth Berryman of Florence, Ala., are receiving $1,000 Ralph Null Scholarships, named in honor of the Columbus resident who taught at the university 1967-92.
Null currently is chief financial officer of the American Institute of Floral Designers Foundation and an MSU professor emeritus.
The scholarship program that honors him was established with a gift from Vicksburg business owner Geni Fulcher, a 1983 floral management graduate.
"The scholarship is an investment in our floristry leaders of tomorrow," said the owner of The Ivy Place, a retail floristry and gift shop. Null's work has brought national and international recognition to MSU's floristry program, she added.
Null's floral creations have been featured at locations ranging from the White House to major retail stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's. He has exhibited in London, Sydney and Tokyo, as well as at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He also has authored three books, "Spring Arrangements from the Southern Garden," "A Florist's Guide to Successful Weddings" and "A Christmas Collection," as well as publishing widely in floral trade publications.
Stout, the daughter of Dottie and Barry Stout, is a President's Scholar and a member of the student chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers.
Berryman, daughter of Paula and William High, is a Phi Theta Kappa honoree. She is a member of Gamma Beta Phi and a member of the student chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers.