Who knew a bowl of chili could make such a difference?
On February 9, 2012, Brewer Science, a technology company headquartered in Rolla, Mo., held its Annual Chili/Soup Luncheon for the 8th time. Don’t let the name “Luncheon” deceive you; the event, open to the hundreds of Brewer employees in Central Missouri, is a fierce and fun cook-off competition that raises money annually for the Dr. Norman Dobson Memorial Scholarship, which is available to students at Missouri State University.
All employees are invited to cook up their best soup or chili concoction to compete head-to-head or they can just attend and sample all of the offerings. A panel of judges selects “Taste Winners” in both a Chili and Soup Category, but attendees get to help choose a “Crowd Favorite” by contributing money to the container in front of their favorite mix. All winners receive prizes and (often more important) the pride of besting their co-workers. All proceeds benefit the Dobson Scholarship.
This year’s fundraising haul from the Luncheon helped push the endowment for the Dobson Scholarship over $100,000.00. The scholarship, established in 2005, benefits Missouri State University students that are seeking degrees in the applied sciences that also have a demonstrated interest in small business and entrepreneurship. Since its creation the scholarship has awarded nearly $11,000 in financial aid to some of the campus’s brightest, technology-minded students.
The late Dr. Norman Dobson, for whom the scholarship is named, served as Managing Director of Research and Development for Brewer Science, and was instrumental in building the relationship between Missouri State University’s Center for Applied Science and Engineering (CASE) and Brewer. His close work with CASE helped develop policies to better serve small businesses and the advanced technology sector, and he helped with the development and creation of Missouri State’s Jordan Valley Innovation Center in downtown Springfield, Mo.
Dr. Dobson lost his battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in the spring of 2005, and the scholarship was established to keep his passion for education and innovation alive. The fund grows every year, and with it more and more students will benefit from the legacy left by Dr. Dobson.
Dobson’s wife, Wanda, two sons, Aaron and Anthony (a 2005 Missouri State University Alum), and daughter-in-law, Heather, were on hand to join in the festivities. Though they stayed mum about which crockpot around the room held their favorite recipe they did speak to the crowd about “Norman’s Secret Ingredient”, his love of whipping up a good pot of chili, and how his passion for people could have asked for no better tribute than the Annual Chili/Soup Luncheon. Above all they expressed their deep gratitude for an opportunity to develop Missouri’s next generation of innovators in memory of their husband and father, Dr. Norman Dobson.
Learn more about contributing to the Dr. Norman Dobson Memorial Scholarship:
- Click here to donate to the Dr. Norman Dobson Memorial Scholarship
Learn more about Brewer Science:
- Click here to explore Brewer Science
Learn more about Jordan Valley Innovation Center (home to CASE):
- Click here to explore Jordan Valley Innovation Center
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