The AAPG Foundation recently announced the awarding of more than $100,000 to undergraduate students, geoscience student-led groups and seven military veterans, all part of its initiative of supporting geoscience education.
Specifically, the awards were presented through the Foundation’s L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant and the Deana and Paul Strunk Military Veterans Scholarship programs.
Providing funds annually for geoscience education around the world is a significant part of the Foundation’s mission, especially those that “directly and indirectly benefit the geologic profession and the general public.”
L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant Program
The Foundation’s L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant Program provides $500 grants to geoscience students and local student-led groups — typically, student chapters and similar organizations — that are intended to support their “educational endeavors,” including tuition.
The grants also are intended to help students gain access to “important experience via field trips, field work, field equipment and professional society attendance to support their education.”
It also demonstrates “the importance of professional society involvement in their careers.”
Ron Nelson heads the committee tasked with determining the awardees, which this year received nearly 300 applicants.
The end result: LAW awarded $85,000 to 170 students and student organizations around the world.
A complete list of LAW recipients can be found on the Foundation website, at foundation.aapg.org/students.
Deana and Paul Strunk Military Veterans Scholarship Program
Now in its third year of existence, the Deana and Paul Strunk Military Veterans Scholarship Program promotes education and career opportunities for veterans who are transitioning to a career in the geosciences.
The MSVP Committee, headed by Heather Anderson, this year awarded a total of $20,000 to six full-time and one part-time students.
They are:
- Nicholas Ferry, E-4, U.S. Marine Corps (Northern Illinois University)
- Nicholas Shaw, E-4, U.S. Army (Western Michigan University)
- Margarita Wilhelm, E-5, U.S. Army (Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas)
- Matthew Brice, E-5, U.S. Army (University of Texas at San Antonio)
- Ryan Rea, E-7, U.S. Navy (North Carolina State University)
- Jahleel Stone, E-4, U.S. Air Force (University of South Carolina)
- Roberta Thompson, E-8, U.S. Air Force (University of Tulsa)
The Foundation funds that make both of the above programs possible were started by the generosity of people such as L. Austin Weeks, Marta Weeks-Wulf and Deana and Paul Strunk — but they continue through the contributions of many others who also want to help ensure the future of geoscience education.
For more information on the programs or how to contribute to the funds, visit the Foundation website at foundation.aapg.org.
(Editor’s note: Also contributing to this report was Tamra Campbell, AAPG Administration Team coordinator.)