Students Selected for 2008 NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarships 

May 12, 2008

NOAA has awarded scholarships to 111 students from 36 states through the agency’s 2008 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship program.

Named after retired South Carolina Senator Ernest F. Hollings who promoted ocean and atmospheric study and research, the scholarships provide hands-on training and experience to encourage undergraduates to pursue study in the NOAA fields, such as atmospheric or oceanic science, research, and technology.

“These young men and women, majoring in science, engineering, and education, represent some of the best and the brightest of our nation’s students," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "This program represents one of NOAA's proudest and most visible achievements in the promotion of environmental literacy.”

Scholarship students will be eligible for up to $8,000 of academic assistance per year for full-time study during their junior and senior years, a 10-week, paid internship of $650 per week during the upcoming summer, including a housing subsidy, round-trip travel to the internship site, and travel expenses to the Hollings program conference in Silver Spring, Md. A list of the Hollings scholars is available online.

“We are very pleased with the quality of students selected this year,” said Louisa Koch, director of NOAA’s Office of Education, which funds the $3.7 million program. “Each year the applicants come from more diverse backgrounds and we look forward to working with these students next summer at NOAA.”

Since its inception in 2005, the Hollings Scholarship has been awarded to 433 students. To be eligible, students must be a U.S. citizen, a full-time sophomore at an accredited college or university within the United States or U.S. territories, and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale) in all completed undergraduate courses and in the major field of study.  Majors must be in a discipline area related to oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, or education, and supportive of the purposes of NOAA's programs and mission, such as the biological, social, and physical sciences; mathematics; engineering; computer and information sciences; and teacher education.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.