TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Ynhi Thai, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Long Beach, Miss., was recently awarded several national scholarships, including two from the Society of Plastics Engineers and one from the National Academy for Nuclear Training. These scholarships recognize Thai’s outstanding academic achievement.

Thai was one of 120 students awarded a $2,500 annual scholarship by the National Academy for Nuclear Training Scholarship Program. The Society of Plastic Engineers Foundation awarded Thai with a Polymer Modifiers and Additives Division Scholarship, which presents three undergraduate students with an annual $4,000 award. She also received a Gulf Coast Hurricane Scholarship, a new scholarship that awards $3,000 to deserving students.

In addition to these honors, Thai is a recipient of the prestigious and highly competitive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2007-2008. She is a member of several honoraries at The University of Alabama, including Phi Eta Sigma, Tau Beta Pi and Alpha Lambda Delta. Thai is involved in UA’s Honors Program and the department of chemical and biological engineering honors program. She serves as vice president of membership for the Society of Women Engineers.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.