Frank A. and Joan April Blazich Scholarship Award

The Frank A. and Joan April Blazich Scholarship Award supports the hopes and dreams of promising young horticulturists, as well as strengthening the Department of Horticultural Science and the NC State chapter of Pi Alpha Xi, which Dr. Blazich served faithfully for over 30 years.

Pi Alpha Xi, the national Horticulture Honor Society, established its Iota chapter on the NC State campus in 1957. Dr. Blazich served as their faculty advisor from 1981 until 2012 when he retired. Over parts of four decades, his diligent work developed the NC State chapter into one of the strongest in the nation, benefitting thousands of local gardeners with its annual plant sale fundraisers. His dedication to the chapter was recognized in 2007 with the Pi Alpha Xi National Fellows Award for “marked service or excellence” in the field.

In recognition of Dr. Blazich’s deep dedication to horticulture and to the education of young scientists, the scholarship will be awarded each year, on the basis of merit, to a graduate student who is an active member of Pi Alpha Xi.