Five Georgia Piedmont Technical College students are among 20 students, from across the U.S., recently awarded the Clifford H. "Ted" Rees Jr. Scholarship from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute - a national organization of industry organizations.

The following students, enrolled in GPTC's Industrial and Occupational Technologies Division programs, received AHRI scholarships:

Errol Davis Jr., $2,000; Michael Littles, $2,000; Odelia Parsell, $2,000; Camie Townes, $1,500; Adolph Youmans, $2,000.

The Institute's Clifford H. "Ted" Rees Jr. Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of Ted Rees, a former president of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) - a predecessor organization to AHRI -for his efforts to encourage heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration manufacturers to provide support to strengthen vocational and technical school education nationwide. The scholarship of up to $2,000 is awarded to qualified students who are enrolled in an HVACR program at an accredited institution.

"We are extremely proud of these students, who individually reflect the wide spectrum of academic achievers around the country pursuing their diplomas and degrees in technical education today," said GPTC air conditioning technology faculty member Jeryll McWhorter. "Honors bestowed upon our students by organizations such as AHRI is just another indication that technical education works."

Georgia Piedmont Tech's Division of Industrial and Occupational Technologies HVACR programs include Air Conditioning Technology, Building Automation Systems, Commercial Refrigeration, and the Green Technologies Academy.