The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) is proud to announce it has awarded an unprecedented $278,000 in scholarships to 71 exceptional students for the 2025/2026 academic year. This milestone marks the largest total in MHEFI’s history and underscores its commitment to supporting the next generation of material handling professionals.Scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduate students pursuing studies in material handling, logistics, and/or supply chain management. To qualify, recipients were required to maintain at least a “B” average in their major. Awards ranged from $1,500 to $6,000 and must be applied toward tuition, fees, or textbooks related to the students’ academic programs.MHEFI would like to congratulate the following scholarship recipients: Colleen Andrews, Michigan State University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Aaron Ayodeji, Washington and Lee, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Erin Barker, Louisiana State University, Rack Manufacturers Institute Honor Scholarship Sponsored by ASG Services, $5,000 Hunter Bent, Bradley University, Hanel Storage Systems Honor Scholarship, $2,000 Baker Bertrand, University of Kearney, Liz Richards Honor Scholarship Sponsored by MHEDA , $5,000 Griffin Bittel, Auburn University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Jonanthan Blatt, Oklahoma State University, Rack Manufacturers Institute Honor Scholarship Sponsored by ASG Services, $5,000 Ethan Blesie, North Dakota State University, Lift Honor Scholarship, $2,850 Blake Bollow, University of Wisconsin - Platteville, Hoist Manufacturers Institute/Monorail Manufacturers of America Honor Scholarship, $2,300 Kasey Boukhong, Virginia Tech, Frazier Industrial Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Mason Bowers, Ohio State University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Lilly Chado, University of Maryland, The Mike Laurent Honor Scholarship Sponsored by The Donald Revels Memorial Fund, $2,000 Boutaina Charrat, Western Illinois University, Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems Honor Scholarship, $5,500 Cammy DeFeo, Virginia Tech, The Donna Varner Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Alexis Denny, Michigan State University, Scan Label Apply Manifest (SLAM) Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Luke Diener, Oklahoma State University, Expert Crane Honor Scholarship, $2,250 Rachel Endsley, University of Tennessee, Mobile Automation Group Honor Scholarship, $4,400 Clarissa Escobar, Texas A&M University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Aleia Frye, University of Pittsburgh, Gorbel, Inc. Honor Scholarship, $3,000 Davis Gillen, Texas A&M University, Southworth International Group, Inc. Honor Scholarship, $2,500 Kai Halpin, UC Irvine, Seizmic, Inc./LAMHMS Honor Scholarship - CA School, $2,000 Sophia Han, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Rack Manufacturers Institute Honor Scholarship Sponsored by ASG Services, $5,000 Sofie Hancock, Auburn University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Adam Hartman, Oklahoma State University, Automation Controls Electrification (ACE) Honor Scholarship, $3,000 Aliona Heitz, Stevens Institute of Technology, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Jackson Hill, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Bastian Family Scholarship, $2,500 Joan Jaiyeoba, Texas Tech University, Ergonomic Assist Systems & Equipment Honor Scholarship, $3,300 Jacob James, Purdue University, James Galante Memorial Scholarship Sponsored by Southworth International Group, $1,500 Augusta Jones, Auburn University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Ayla Julien-Vinuela, University of South Florida, The Robotics Group Honor Scholarship, $4,400 Viraj Kothari, University of North Carolina - Asheville, The Dan Quinn Honor Scholarship Sponsored by The Donald Revels Memorial Fund, $2,000 Alexandra Laskonis, Miami University, Willard P. Heddles Memorial Scholarship, $5,000 Chloe Lin, University of Pennsylvania, The George W. Prest Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Emmett Looman, University of Cincinnati, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 William Lovell, University of Arkansas, Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association Honor Scholarship, $3,000 Michael Macharia, Wright State, Automation Controls Electrification (ACE) Honor Scholarship, $3,000 Toju Maku, Penn State University, Loading Dock Equipment Manufacturers Honor Scholarship, $3,100 Youssef Mansour, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Elliott Mascena, University of Tennessee, The Bill Capps Honor Scholarship Sponsored by The Donald Revels Memorial Fund, $2,000 Dayton McCall, Oklahoma State University, The Robotics Group Honor Scholarship, $4,400 Elanor Mehen, Oklahoma State University, Brian McNamara Honor Scholarship Sponsored by Southworth International Group, $1,500 Tienna Mensah, Purdue University, Crane Manufacturers Association of America Honor Scholarship, $6,000 Theodore Miller, Oregon State University, Steel King Industries Honor Scholarship, $2,000 Chibuzor Nwaeme, Widener University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Zachary Orvis, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, The John Nofsinger Honor Scholarship Sponsored by The Donald Revels Memorial Fund, $2,000 Parshv Patel, Stanford University, Conveyor & Sortation Systems Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Rushang Patel, Texas A&M University, UNEX Manufacturing Honor Scholarship, $2,250 Mira Patel, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Ridg-U-Rak Honor Scholarship, $2,000 Jacob Plotts, Sam Houston State University, Richard Dilling Memorial Scholarship, $5,000 Cole Pollard, Texas A&M University, Liz Richards Honor Scholarship Sponsored by MHEDA, $5,000 Rajnish Poudel, Mississippi State University, Al Wurz Scholarship $5,000 Lynnlin Qiao, University of Washington, The Tom Carbott Honor Scholarship Sponsored by The Donald Revels Memorial Fund, $2,000 Nicole Quiram, Virginia Tech, Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association Honor Scholarship, $3,600 Grace Renk, University of Minnesota, Al Wurz Scholarship), $5,000 Grant Robertson, Virginia Tech, Rack Manufacturers Institute Honor Scholarship Sponsored by ASG Services, $5,000 Hailey Ruddick, Michigan State University, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Rahul Sah, Mississippi State University, Conveyor & Sortation Systems Honor Scholarship, $3,250 Esteban Salas Serrano, University of Michigan, Richard Dilling Memorial Scholarship, $5,000 Jude Sanborn, Virginia Tech, Daniel Clapp Memorial Scholarship Sponsored by RMI, $5,000 Nathan Schlegel, West Virginia University, Bastian Family Scholarship, $2,500 Sophia Schneider, Iowa State University, Solutions Community Honor Scholarship, $2,750 Andrew Schultz, University of Tennessee, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Riley Scott, Texas A&M University, Liz Richards Honor Scholarship Sponsored by MHEDA, $5,000 Jackson Shellhaas, Wright State, Crane Manufacturers Association of America Honor Scholarship, $4,600 Anna Sidoti, University of Tennessee, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Maaya Tsukada, University of South Florida, Storage Manufacturers Association Honor Scholarship, $3,300 Beverly Ukoha, University of New Haven, Crane Manufacturers Association of America Honor Scholarship, $6,000 Satchel Vaughn, University of Tennessee, Material Handling Education Foundation Honor Scholarship, $5,000 Ella Webb, University of Tennessee, St. Onge Company Honor Scholarship, $2,500 Sarah Witte, University of Arizona, Irving M. Footlik, PE Memorial Scholarship, $3,000 Aaron Zapolin, University of South Carolina, Solutions Community Honor Scholarship, $2,750Thank you to the generous companies and donors who support MHEFI’s vision to empower the future generation of supply chain leaders and have made these scholarships possible. For more information about the scholarships, contact Mary Alyson Ammons, MHEFI Executive Director, at mammons@mhi.org.About MHEFIThe Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) is an independent charitable organization that was established in 1976. Since 1976, our programs have supported over 1,000 students and educators seeking pathways to quality educational programs and fulfilling careers. The demands of today’s global economy and fast-paced technological change reinforce the need to draw top talent to sustain and strengthen material handling and supply chain businesses for the future. Learn more at mhi.org/mhefi.About MHIMHI is an international trade association that has represented the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry since 1945. MHI’s over 1,000 members include material handling and logistics equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers and third-party logistics providers. MHI offers education, networking and solution sourcing for their members, the members’ customers, and the industry as a whole through programming and events. The association sponsors the ProMat and MODEX expos to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing and supply chain professionals. The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) is a division of MHI and provides education and research to the warehousing, distribution, and logistics community.

The Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) has published a blog to supplement its latest video on safety at pick modules. The video can be viewed at mhi.org/progma/videos.Here at ProGMA, we have produced a series of educational videos on protective guarding equipment in the material handling industry. ProGMA members provide fixed protective guarding products to protect personnel, equipment, and inventory in industrial facilities. A variety of such items are designed for installation at pick modules, which are multi-level structures typically constructed out of pallet rack that allow multiple pallets of product to be stored, broken down, picked, and packaged into specific orders for shipping.Our video is targeted at end users, system integrators, material handling warehouse design consultants / engineers, distributors, and safety professionals in manufacturing and distribution centers in the material handling industry, as well as students studying the sector. Many household and industrial goods we interact with every day were once stored or passed through a pick module. At the distribution centers of companies like CVS Pharmacy and Rite Aid Corporation, for example, goods are stored before being repackaged and shipped to individual stores.As the 2:23min-long video says at the outset, pick modules can have several elevated levels of materials that are handled by both automation and personnel. Although everything in the material handling industry is becoming more automated, separation of full stored cases into smaller, individual shipments is still being completed manually. The size of pick modules has been increasing over the years; in the past, you may have seen a floor plus one level system, then a floor plus two levels, and now it is not uncommon to see three or even four elevated levels. This increases potential hazards.As the video continues, it is of paramount importance that proper guarding is used from the ground up to protect structures, the product they hold and, most importantly, the people working within and around them. Rack upright columns can be difficult to replace and costly to repair because often the area has to be closed off, product has to be removed, and multiple sections need to be disassembled. These components are all dependent upon one another, so if one part fails, the entire system can fail.The video highlights three “easy and affordable” solutions: Free-standing pallet rack column protectors Post cushions Bumper guardsHowever, ProGMA members offer a variety of products for ground-level protection including guardrails, bumper guards, column protectors, bollards, rack guards, and product containment enclosures  (i.e., wire mesh or netting); and for upper-level protection, such as side and back product containment enclosures (wire mesh or netting) to prevent products from falling below.What does ANSI say?The video continues, and quotes American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 6.4.3, which states that “…any gate that provides an access opening through the guards for the purpose of loading and unloading material onto a work platform shall be designed such that the elevated surface is protected by guards at all times. Gates that swing open, slide open, or lift or leave an unprotected opening in the guarding are not acceptable.”However, it is important to note that there are many mezzanines that were installed before the ANSI standards were created that used more conventional gates, such as removable, sliding, or swinging systems—and that is the same for pick modules. Systems can be retrofitted to achieve conformity with current standardization. There is no grandfather clause for ANSI (or OSHA) so all systems whether new or old should follow their guidelines. Note that many of the protective guarding products found in the video and on the ProGMA site are easily retrofittable to these older systems.As the video stresses, only dual-gate systems should be used. The same gates used on a pick module are also the preferred method for securing all elevated pallet drop areas whether they are in pick modules, on mezzanines, or on elevated work platforms such as storage or production / blending areas. The ANSI standards that recommended the use of dual-gate systems were written specifically for elevated work platforms and since a pick module is a type of elevated work platform that should be applied.The video demonstrates how a dual-gate system uses two counterbalanced and interconnected gates that are configured so when the first gate at the ledge is open, the second gate behind the pallet is closed. Fixed guarding on the sides—often the frame of the pallet rack in a pick module—prevents access into the side of the areas. This allows material to be loaded into the area while keeping employees a safe distance from the ledge and the material. When the rear / operator gate is opened, the ledge gate automatically closes, maintaining a barrier at the ledge while the pallet is accessed and picked. This creates what ProGMA calls a controlled-access area so there is always a barrier between the worker and the ledge.For information, ProGMA members that manufacture such solutions include Mezzanine Safeti-Gates Inc., Wildeck, and Heartland Engineered Products. Although companies still provide swing gates for pallet drop areas where a single pallet is loaded and staged, they are not an acceptable solution according to ANSI and could potentially create a situation where they are in violation of OSHA code.A self-closing swing gate, also featured in the video, should only be used when integrated with pallet flow lanes where multiple pallets are loaded into the system. The pallet flow lanes are pitched so the pallet rolls into the storage area. This allows the gate to immediately close once the pallet is loaded.  By comparison, when used for a single pallet position without flow rails, the staged pallet would hold the swinging gate open, preventing it from closing.For securing multiple deep pallet flow lanes, a dual-gate system is the preferred safety method because not only does it make sure a barrier is in place all times for fall protection, but it also keeps people out of the pallet flow lanes when pallets are being loaded. The two types of incidents we see in these areas are falls from the ledges and pallets being pushed into the legs of employees who have entered the lane. Only the dual-gate system keeps people out of the lanes when the lane is being loaded. The self-closing swing gate, however, does secure the ledge for fall protection.Hand in gloveOftentimes, a safety aspect can be used to increase productivity. For example, the self-closing swinging gate on pallet flow lanes will allow pallets to be quickly loaded into the system. Any time the lift truck operator wants to load a pallet into the area, they just push the pallet through the swinging gates. The dual-gate system has the potential of the gates being in the incorrect position for loading, meaning that the ledge gate is closed when the lift truck is trying to replenish pallets into the area. So they can go to load but a barrier is in place preventing them from doing so.A user can power operate these gates for remote operation but often this isn’t feasible due to the number of areas. Manual operation can actually create a safer and faster environment. The position of the gates in a dual-gate system can be used as a signal between the picker up on the platform and the lift truck operator below. In other words, when the ledge gate is closed that means the picker is picking from the pallets or the area doesn’t need to be replenished.When the picker has finished in that bay or when they notice the pallets need to be replenished in that bay, they just manually close the gate near them, which opens up the ledge gate. Now the lift truck operator can look up and see which areas are safe and ready to be replenished. This is an example of a safety system helping communications among the different workers.In conclusion, it’s evident that, despite automation, people remain at the center of activity in and around pick modules. ProGMA and its members are a one-stop-shop for leading safety solutions, whether it be for preventing hazards associated with falling boxes, product, or workers; or structural protection of the system itself from impact. As the video serves to reiterate, even in automated systems there are still people moving around the facility, either on ground level or on the elevated levels. Even if people are not used for the picking of material, there are areas where empty pallets or totes are removed that need to be guarded.The product-centric video doesn’t feature specific brands, but free-standing pallet rack column protectors, post cushions, and bumper guards are available from ProGMA members including Adrian’s Safety Solutions, A-Safe USA, Bluff Manufacturing, Boplan, DamoTech, Folding Guard, Husky Rack & Wire, Heartland Engineered Products, Jesco, McCue, Slowstop Guarding, SpaceGuard Products, Steel King, Troax, VisiPlas, Wildeck, and WireCrafters.Costs range from inexpensive, light-duty products to more expensive, heavy-duty solutions. Importantly, talking with the manufacturer about the application will help source the right product/s for the facility. No two pick modules or applications are completely alike and that’s what the member companies of the ProGMA are here to help with.The ProGMA website—mhi.org/progma—features details of 22 member companies and hundreds of solutions to help companies with older systems find protective guarding solutions to update / upgrade their pick module system.See the latest video and others in the series at mhi.org/progma/videosShould you be using a ProGMA member to enhance the safety and productivity of your pick modules?About ProGMAThe Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) members are the industry’s leading suppliers of fixed protective guarding products designed to protect personnel, equipment, and inventory in industrial facilities. Member companies meet regularly to review, discuss, and revise the standards for design and performance of protective guarding products used in the material handling industry. ProGMA member companies are committed to the development, maintenance, and publishing of industry standard specifications for these systems. Visit the website at mhi.org/progma.About MHIMHI is an international trade association that has represented the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry since 1945. MHI members include material handling and logistics equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers and third-party logistics providers. MHI offers education, networking and solution sourcing for their members, their customers and the industry as a whole through programming and events. The association sponsors the ProMat and MODEX expos to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing and supply chain professionals.Contact for editorial enquiries: Ashley Skidmore, askidmore@mhi.org or 704-676-1190