Students Christina Rumbley and David Inman Recipients of Tidewater Enviornmental Health Association Scholarships

SALISBURY, MD--Salisbury State University seniors Christina Rumbley, a chemistry major from Cambridge, MD, and David Inman, an environmental health major from Harwood, MD, were recently presently $1,000 scholarships by the Tidewater Environmental Health Association(TEHA).

TEHAÍs Wallace Q. French Scholarship Golf Tournament raised $4,061 this year, bringing the total raised since 1987 for SSUÍs environmental health students to nearly $75,000.

In establishing the scholarship program, TEHA helped create the first undergraduate environmental health major at a university in Maryland.

A Somerset County native, French worked in environmental health in both Wicomico and Worcester counties, as well as served as regional director or water and sewer for the Eastern Shore. In 1987, a year after his death, TEHA inaugurated the annual French Scholarship Golf Tournament in his memory.

Dr. John Molenda, an SSU biology professor, knew of the local health communityÍs need for well-trained professionals. With TEHAÍs assistance, he began developing proposals for an environmental health major. The Maryland Higher Education Commission cited the strong local support by the environmental health community as demonstrated by the French scholarship in granting approval to MolendaÍs proposal for a new undergraduate major at SSU.

According to Dr. Tom Jones, dean of SSUÍs Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, Salisbury StateÍs environmental health major today is booming, with graduates being snatched up by employers and graduate schools.