Scholarship Program Overview

Introduction

The Annual Georgia Environmental Conference is the largest and most comprehensive environmental conference in the Southeast, aimed at providing cutting edge information to more than 600 environmental leaders. They represent state, local, and federal government, business and industry, attorneys, consultants, engineers, developers, land owners, architects, agribusiness, energy experts, water planning districts, academia, public health, solid waste, recycling, environmental nonprofits, and HR recruiters.

Student Scholarship Poster Competition

The Student Scholarship Poster Competition is intended to provide students the opportunity to present their research on timely environmental issues to a wide range of environmental professionals. Six student finalists will have the opportunity to attend the Annual Georgia Environmental Conference (August 21-23, 2019 | Jekyll Island) and participate in the final round of the poster competition. The finalists will be granted full conference registration, three nights lodging, and have the unique opportunity to showcase their research ideas to conference attendees from throughout the Southeast and beyond. (Student finalists are expected to provide their own travel to and from the conference, and are responsible for the printing of their posters for display at the conference. Additional Eligibility & Conditions are listed below.)

Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded after the final round of judging at the conference. In addition to the monetary award, each scholarship recipient will be recognized on the conference web site and will be offered a complimentary registration for the Georgia Environmental Conference for the following year.

Judging Criteria

Eligibility & Conditions

• Eligible applicants must be degree-seeking students enrolled at an accredited higher education institution in the Southeast Region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), with a graduation date not prior to the spring 2019 semester.
  
• All applicants must complete the electronic application, which includes an abstract of their poster topic, and have their major professor/research advisor submit a reference (online Reference Form – see “Students” menu) by the stated application deadline.
• Poster topic and abstract must address a timely environmental issue that is relevant to the state of Georgia and/or the Southeast Region. For ideas regarding topics, applicants may visit the GEC Repository and view past finalists’ posters. The GEC Repository is available in the GEC Lounge link under the “About” tab on this website.
• Upon review of the applications by the Student Scholarship committee, six students will be selected to move forward as finalists in the poster competition. The finalists will be notified via email, and will be invited to prepare and submit a poster design. If a selected finalist declines the invitation to attend the conference and continue in the poster competition, an alternate student will then be selected as a finalist. Upon acceptance, guidance for the format of the poster including the size will be provided to the finalists. The posters must be designed in a solution-oriented manner instead of merely stating the issue.
• Finalists will submit an electronic (.pdf) copy of their poster prior to the conference.
• Finalists will be expected to format their poster in accordance with the guidelines as provided (to finalists), and bring a printed copy of the poster to the conference for display. An easel will be provided for poster display at the conference.
• Finalists will be expected to set up their poster on Wednesday, August 21, and should be available as directed (conference schedule will be provided) to speak with conference attendees and the judging panel. Finalists will participate in a poster session with the scholarship judges and will give a “flash” presentation to all conference attendees during one of the conference General Sessions. Instructions will be provided.
• Finalists will be expected to participate in the conference by attending topic sessions.
• Finalists will be expected to attend the evening Scholarship Awards Reception on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

Schedule

• Application submission deadline – 5 p.m. on FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2019
  
• Prejudging of applications – June 2019
• Finalists announced – mid July, 2019
  
• Finalists participate in Poster Presentation Session – 9 a.m. on Weds., Aug. 21, 2019
  
• Finalists’ posters displayed in Exhibit Hall – Weds., Aug. 21 and Thurs., Aug. 22, 2019
  
• Scholarship award recipients announced at the conference evening reception at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 22, 2019
  

2019 Student Scholarship Committee

• Scott Anderson, HRP Associates (Chair)
• Jeffery Bernard, Kennesaw State University
• Keith Cole, Ramboll
• Patrick Krechowski, Jimerson & Cobb
• Ganesh Krishnan, Geosyntec Consultants
• Cliff Lewis, Georgia EPD
• Laurel Royer, Exponent
• John Spinrad, Arnall Golden Gregory
• Reggie Taylor, USDA

2019 Student Scholarship Program Contributors

Student Scholarship Program Sponsor: Georgia Brownfield Association
Student Scholarship Program Contributors:
Bartlett Controls Matt Bartlett
CETCO Matthew Geary
Pine Environmental Patricia Scrudellari
Southern Company Gas Ian Skelton

For More Information

Dr. Jill Geraghty
678.630.3275
JGeraghty@CentergyGroup.com