The International Association of Wildland Fire Scholarships
Scholarship Program for 2009
In 2009 the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) will be again awarding two graduate-level scholarships each valued at $2,500USD to IAWF members who are Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Ph.D. students studying wildland fire or wildland fire-related topics. These scholarships are not intended for Masters of Forestry degrees in wildland fire or for non-thesis graduate programs. One of the two scholarships will be awarded to a student from the United States or Canada, and the other will be awarded to an individual from outside of these two countries. The application period will open January 15 and close March 31, 2009. Award winners will be announced the following May.
Scholarship recipients in 2008
The International Association of Wildland Fire is pleased to announce that it has awarded two scholarships to students in Canada and The Netherlands. These scholarships, each worth $2,500 USD, are designated for Master of Science or PhD. students studying wildland fire or wildland fire-related topics.
Kara Yedinak, a PhD. Student at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, received one of the scholarships. Kara has worked, for the last four years, on laboratory experiments and model development which look at answering some of the fundamental questions in fire behavior science. Her PhD. research will involve evaluation and application of a coupled atmosphere-fire model to better understand the role of fire with regards to air quality.
Cathelijne R. Stoof, 
a PhD. student at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, received the other scholarship. Cathelijne has been working on soils and hydrology combining field, lab and modeling approaches in the Netherlands and abroad. In her PhD research she uses a multiscale approach to explain post-fire erosion and flooding events by studying the effects of fire on soil water movement.
We received many excellent applications from students that are engaged in first class research. The selection panel had a difficult task selecting only two scholarship recipients.
The IAWF is exploring ways to expand the scholarship program in 2008 to also include students enrolled in undergraduate wildland fire programs.
Scholarship recipients in 2007
The International Association of Wildland Fire awarded two scholarships to students in 2007, each worth $2,500 USD.
Sean T. Michaletz, a PhD. student at the University of Calgary in Canada, received one of the scholarships. Sean has developed models for deciduous and coniferous mortality following low intensity fires, and has also worked with crown scorch models. His PhD. research will concentrate on combining some of his individual tree models into stand and landscape level models.
Andrew Sullivan, a PhD. student at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, received the other scholarship. Andrew has been working on the development of fire spread simulation software, was co-author of a book on grass fire behavior and management, and conducted field experiments in Australian forests. His PhD. research focuses on the role of the competitive thermokinetics of cellulose thermal decomposition and combustion in patterns of bushfire spread.
