Two students from the University of Hawaii at Hilo majoring in Marine Science have been named to the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program’s Class of 2014 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Education.
Two students from the University of Hawaii at Hilo majoring in Marine Science have been named to the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program’s Class of 2014 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Education.
Katherine “Kate” Carroll and Emily Wallingford will both be juniors this fall. Carroll has concentrated her studies on marine debris and micro plastics, while Wallingford’s independent Marine Option Program (MOP) project has focused on shark ecology.
The Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides awards that include academic assistance (up to $8,000 per year) for two years beginning in September and running through May 2016, with a full-time summer internship position in 2015 ($650 per week) at a NOAA facility, subject to academic performance.
Carroll plans to attend graduate school to earn a masters degree and possibly a Ph.D. She also plans to conduct research and is considering careers in teaching at a university or working in a conservation-related field.
“This is one of the best opportunities to happen to me,” Carroll said. “I plan to use this scholarship to gain research experience.”
Wallingford plans to use the scholarship to gain field experience with NOAA, career networking, and to narrow the area of marine science she’ll study in graduate school.
“Receiving this scholarship is very exciting,” Wallingford said. “I’m especially looking forward to the 10-week internship with NOAA, which will help me become a more experienced and knowledgeable marine scientist.”
Both students will attend a mandatory, one-week orientation at NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., where they will meet the agency’s administrator, senior program managers, and scientists from NOAA’s organizations.
For more information about the Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program, visit http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/scholarships/hollings.html#page=program.