Elizabeth Nalepa An Honors Tutorial College sophomore from Hubbard, Ohio, Liz is carrying majors in math and French. The Hollings Scholarship will allow her to broaden her experience and further develop as a scholar. “It’s pretty rare to find opportunities for internships for a math major and I was looking for projects that would let me develop my skills,” she says. Liz completed an apprenticeship in a genetics lab last summer, focusing on a project with implications for cancer research. She spends time volunteering in local schools, including tutoring gifted and talented elementary students, and participates in the fencing club.
“She’s very polished in her way of learning; she’s not just a one-dimensional student. She’s very interested in mathematics, but she has a lot of interests.”
Jeff Waters A College of Arts and Sciences sophomore from Gaithersburg, Maryland, Jeff is majoring in geography and meteorology. The Hollings Scholarship award will strengthen his field experiences and ultimately enhance his professional opportunities. Jeff recently signed on to work as a research assistant at Scalia Lab, an Ohio University service that provides weather forecasts. He hopes to go to graduate school and eventually have an impact on speeding up experts’ ability to warn people of a weather disaster in time to better prepare for it. Jeff’s OHIO pride is evidenced through his membership in many university organizations, including the Meteorology Club and Water Ski Team as well as the Snowcats Ski and Snowboard Club. He recently was elected vice president of the O-Zone.
“He has a social consciousness, and that came out early in his application. To really care so much about the impact on people, for him to cross over to the social human side—for that to be so foremost in his mind—is really special.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship recognizes outstanding students interested in oceanic and atmospheric science with academic assistance for the final two years of study (up to $8,000 per year) and a paid 10-week internship in the summer between academic years.
The program is designed to: (1) increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities; (2) increase public understanding and support for stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere and improve environmental literacy; (3) recruit and prepare students for public service careers with NOAA and other natural resource and science agencies at the federal, state and local levels of government; and (4) recruit and prepare students for careers as teachers and educators in oceanic and atmospheric science and to improve scientific and environmental education in the United States.
If you are a prospective student and would like to find out more about the opportunities available at Ohio University, please visit our admissions Web site.
