LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) has awarded the first Air Products Women of Gases & Welding Scholarship to Emilee Brittain, a welding engineering technology major at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. Brittain will receive $2,500 toward her tuition for the current Fall semester.

The scholarship recognizes Brittain as an exemplary student who is eager to start her career in the welding industry. "The passionate ones are the ones who get the task done with an extra shine on it," Brittain wrote in her scholarship application. "The most I want out of my career is to be happy, inspire others around me, and make a positive influence in the welding world."

Air Products Women of Gases & Welding Scholarship was inspired by the Women of Gases & Welding (WGW), an organization under the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) that was launched in 2011 for the advocacy, recruitment, and professional development of females in the gases and welding industry. The $50,000 scholarship program, which was jointly established with the American Welding Society (AWS), is one of the company's latest endeavors to promote careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The scholarship will be awarded annually to an applicant who, after meeting certain criteria, is chosen by the AWS Education Scholarship Committee.

"Air Products is both proud and eager to help women, like Emilee, pursue their technical careers," said Sue Reiter, regional distributor sales manager at Air Products and member of WGW's strategic committee. "Promoting STEM careers in this way helps increase the female talent pool from which Air Products—and other U.S. manufacturing companies—can draw the skilled and diverse workforce that is so critical to our ongoing success."

For more information about the Air Products Women of Gases & Welding Scholarship, including online application process, visit www.aws.org/foundation/scholarships/air_products.html.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) is a leading industrial gases company. For nearly 75 years, the company has provided atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and related equipment to manufacturing markets including metals, food and beverage, refining and petrochemical, and natural gas liquefaction. Air Products' materials technologies segment serves the semiconductor, polyurethanes, cleaning and coatings, and adhesives industries. Over 20,000 employees in 50 countries are working to make Air Products the world's safest and best performing industrial gases company, providing sustainable offerings and excellent service to all customers. In fiscal 2014, Air Products had sales of $10.4 billion and was ranked number 276 on the Fortune 500 annual list of public companies. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

SOURCE Air Products

Media Inquiries: Debbie Bauer, tel: (610) 481-8061; email: bauerda@airproducts.com, or Investor Inquiries: Simon Moore, tel: (610) 481-7461; email: mooresr@airproducts.com.