July 06, 2009 — Virginia Key, FL — Over the past three years, eight University of Miami (UM) students have received prestigious National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings scholarships for their achievements in marine and environmental sciences, with five undergraduate scholars in 2008 alone. Most recently, Meteorology, Applied Mathematics, and Physics student Ken Dixon, and Marine Science and Biology major, Megan Morris were among the awardees announced nationwide this April.
Administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the Ernest F. Hollings scholarship was created as a tribute to the former South Carolina senator of the same name; a vocal, 36-year member of Congress who pushed for marine and environmentally beneficial legislation as well as the creation of NOAA itself. Requirements for award recipients include U.S. citizenship, a minimum GPA of 3.0, full-time junior or senior student status, and a related major in marine and atmospheric sciences
Originally from Naperville, Illinois, Dixon, a sophomore at the University, is currently working in UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Professor Shuyi Chen’s laboratory, assisting with analysis and verification of hurricane forecast model output. He is considering seeking his internship at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK, or at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, FL. Dixon is an active participant in UM’s Atmospheric Science Club and Miami's basketball pep bands, and this fall he will become a peer counselor for the undergraduate Marine and Atmospheric Science program.
Morris, also a sophomore, recently spent her spring break on the island of Dominica conducting reef surveys with Rosenstiel School instructor, Dr. Jill Richardson, and is currently working on a manuscript based on the data collected on that trip. She plans to spend her Hollings internship in Hawaii or American Samoa conducting research on the corals and reef fish there. At the University of Miami, Morris is a trip leader for the outdoors club; a member of the University of Miami’s undergraduate Marine and Atmospheric Science Honor Society, Rho Rho Rho; and member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Originally from Lemont, Illinois, Morris is working toward attending graduate school at either the Rosenstiel School or the University of Hawaii for her Ph D.
This scholarship program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to a maximum of $8,000 per year) for full-time study during the 9-month academic year; a 10-week, full-time internship position ($650 per week) during the summer at a NOAA facility; and, if reappointed, academic assistance (up to a maximum of $8,000) for full-time study during a second 9-month academic year. The internship between the first and second years of the award provides Scholars with ''hands-on',' practical educational training experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities.
NOAA's scholarship program was designed to increase undergraduate training, research, and education in atmospheric and marine sciences, to increase societal awareness of and involvement in these sciences, to recruit and prepare students for careers in related fields, to garner public support for such students and research, and to create multidisciplinary training opportunities for student involvement in related sciences.
About the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School Founded in the 1940’s, the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world’s premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, please visit www.rsmas.miami.edu.
