Fisheries science majors Andrew Shamaskin of Midlothian, Va., and Brendan Runde of Mechanicsville, Md., each received a $16,000 Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The scholarship provides academic assistance for full-time study and a 10-week summer internship position at a NOAA facility. “The Hollings Scholarship is a competitive and prestigious award,” noted Eric Hallerman, head of thehttp://fishwild.vt.edu . “Recipients often go on to graduate studies and noteworthy careers in marine resources management.”

Both students are searching for an internship that will best suit their interests. “I am interested in working on population dynamics of marine resources and setting regulations for our oceans’ highly migratory species,” Shamaskin said. Runde hopes to find an internship in Key West or Miami. “The job would likely include scuba diving on coral reefs and conducting research pertaining to fish and/or coral populations,” he said.

Kara Dodson

Kara Dodson, an environmental resources management major from Lynchburg, Va., is one of 80 students, and the only Virginian, to receive a 2011 Udall Scholarship. Recipients are selected on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, health care, or tribal public policy; leadership potential; and academic achievement. “The Udall is a prestigious national award and a major accomplishment for Kara,” said Dean Paul Winistorfer. “I was flattered,” Dodson said. “It’s hard to imagine myself as accomplished as other Udall scholars.”

Dodson, a member and past president of the Virginia Tech Environmental Coalitionand a student representative on the University Energy and Sustainability Committee, hopes to work with the Watershed Alliance, a global movement of advocates who patrol and protect over 100,000 miles of waterways.

Kristen Miller
Kirsten Miller

Kirsten Miller, a geography major from Malvern, Pa., received one of five scholarships from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars for her commitment to integrity. “I can relate to the topic of integrity,” said Miller. “A lot of the world is about getting to the top, but to me, having integrity is about more than that.”

“I was very impressed with Kirsten’s essays,” said Bailey Kasten, Scholarship Review Committee member, of the two essays Miller submitted on embracing integrity. “Kirsten thoroughly explained how integrity plays a vital role in her daily life.” Miller used the scholarship to go to Africa last summer to work with The Zambia Project, which supports many community improvement and education projects. “The experience taught me so much about how to better serve my own community and those not at all like mine,” she observed.