The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) awarded its 2020 Phillip L. Turner Fire Protection Scholarship to University of Maryland student Genevieve Tan. Genevieve was selected to receive the $5,000 scholarship in recognition of her outstanding educational accomplishments and commitment.
Tan graduated high school with an Associate Degree in General Engineering. She originally enrolled in the University of Maryland’s Bioengineering program but, found the emphasis on micro-scale processes to be too disconnected from serving humanity. When she discovered the Fire Protection Engineering program, she immediately knew it was a perfect fit. A career in fire protection will allow her to help people through improving safety.
To gain more exposure in disaster mitigation and improve her fire protection research skills, Tan is currently working with a social scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In 2019, Tan participated in a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at NIST where she gained great experience in lab procedures and drafting technical notes.
Tan’s future plans include pursuing a master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering and possibly working to ensure codes are up to date with best practices and research for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or International Building Code (IBC). For her thesis, she is planning to research human behavior in fire situations.
The Phillip L. Turner Scholarship is awarded annually by FAMA and has been sponsored since 2009 by FAMA member Akron Brass Company, a worldwide marketer and manufacturer of high-performance life safety, firefighting and emergency rescue equipment.
“As a leader in innovative fire suppression products for over 100 years we understand the importance of education and the role it plays in the advancement and progression of our industry. The Akron Brass Company is pleased to continue our longstanding commitment to FAMA and the Phillip L Turner scholarship program and are thrilled to recognize Genevieve Tan as this years’ scholarship recipient,” stated Brian Houk, Vice-President, IDEX Fire & Safety.
David Williamson, FAMA Education Committee Co-Chair, stated, “Tan was selected to receive the scholarship because of her determination, academic performance, and future impact to the fire service; all of which are truly impressive.”
On behalf of FAMA, we wish Genevieve great success in her future.
About FAMA:
The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) is a non-profit trade association organized in 1946. Members of FAMA are committed to enhancing the quality of the fire apparatus industry and emergency service community through the manufacture and sale of safe, efficient fire apparatus and equipment.