aGES Undergraduate Research Assistantships
aGES offers undergraduate research assistantships to Geology and Environmental Science students. Awards are made based on nominations by faculty members of aGES, who vote on the recipients of the awards. The number of funded URAs varies by year based on funding, and awards may be given to an aGES student at any point in their career. URAs are awarded primarily on the basis of superior academic performance and promise as a professional. Awardees are given $1000 per semester and are expected to (1) do mentored research for at least 5 hours per week, (2) attend the weekly aGES seminar and (3) be active in the department. Awardees must also remain in good academic standing while holding the URA. Once supported by a URA, awardees typically hold these assistantships until graduation as long as expectations are met.
Fred Webb, Jr. and Barbara Haynes Webb Endowed Scholarship for Geology Summer Field Course
This award goes to a junior or senior geology major who is attending a field geology course outside of North or South America. The student must have a GPA or 2.8 or higher, have significant academic potential, and demonstrated sustained dedication to the profession of geology. The awardee must submit a letter of application. The award amount varies in accordance with investment performance.
Loren A. Raymond Student Research Scholarship Endowment
This scholarship goes to support field-based research by a junior or senior in the broad fields of petrology, structural geology, stratigraphy and geologic mapping. The awardee must supply a project proposal, a budget and a letter of support from a faculty member, who will be the student’s research advisor. The award amount varies in accordance with investment performance.
Lloyd L. Hobbs Memorial Scholarship for the Physical Sciences
This scholarship goes to rising juniors or seniors majoring in an area of the physical sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences. GES awards two of these scholarships, one to a geology major and one to an environmental science major. Nominations are made by a GES faculty member, who also vote on the recipients. Nominees must demonstrate and maintain satisfactory academic progress and have at least a 3.0 GPA. The award amount varies in accordance with investment performance.
Mark DeBroder Memorial Scholarship Endowment for Geology
This scholarship was started by Mr. Glen DeBroder in memory of his son, Mark, who opened the Espresso News coffee shop in downtown Boone. Geology faculty, staff and students were such regulars at the shop when it opened in 1994 that Mark was named an honorary member of the department. The scholarship is typically awarded to a rising senior. The award amount varies in accordance with investment performance.
McKinney Paleontology Scholarship Fund
The McKinney Paleontology Scholarship was established in 2011 in honor of Dr. Ken McKinney’s contributions to paleontology and the Department of Geology at Appalachian. The award varies based on fund availability.