Genetic Formula to Grow Potatoes and a Science Scholarship
When 9-year-old Anna Tilghman needed a subject for her elementary school science report, she chose the potato.
“Considering who her grandfather was, it didn’t surprise me a bit,” said Betty Hanneman, Anna’s grandmother.
Betty Hanneman established the Robert Hanneman Memorial Scholarship in 2003 in memory of her husband, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and U.S. Department of Agriculture geneticist whose discoveries have proven to be among the most important in U.S. agriculture—especially to fans of the potato.
Endosperm Balance Number was Hanneman’s trademark tool. This genetic formula was an effective method for determining how to best crossbreed economically efficient wild potatoes. Its discovery was a boon to growers. Thanks to Hanneman, they were able to use species already flourishing in their area instead of slogging through the complicated cross-breeding process. Today, Endosperm Balance Number is an industry mainstay that has also been adapted for other plant families. This measuring tool is taught to nearly every horticulture science student in the country.
Hanneman Hall
“I was always thankful he loved his job so much,” Betty Hanneman said of her husband, who died in 2002. Hanneman Hall, Maranatha’s primary science and nursing class facility, is named after him.
Hanneman was saved at age 8 at a summer Bible camp. He was a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown and spent 12 years on Maranatha’s Board of Trustees (1990-2002). The Hannemans’ two children both graduated from Maranatha Baptist Academy.
“At least one of his colleagues and one of his students have told me they accepted Christ because of Bob’s testimony,” Betty Hanneman said.
Betty Hanneman established the Memorial Scholarship in her husband’s memory. It provides up to $1,000 each year for a junior or senior “who has made a commitment to making Bible-based science a significant part of his or her ministry,” according to the scholarship’s qualifications.
“I really wanted to help students who had a need and were genuinely interested in scientific work,” Betty Hanneman said.
Congratulations to the 2017 recipients Daniel Kroll, a senior Biology major, and John Zockoll, a junior Biology Pre-Med track major.