The Department of Defense often goes out of its way to recognize and support the education of America’s future scientists, one of which is Turlock resident Edwin Betady. The former Merced College student will be continuing his education at Cal Poly Pomona this fall after receiving the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation, or SMART, Scholarship – an extremely competitive award that provides recipients with not only fully-paid tuition, but also guaranteed employment with the DoD. The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program offers scholarships to undergraduate, masters and doctoral students who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for excelling in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields. Students are also provided opportunities to continue their research in DoD civil service roles following graduation.