STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP OVERVIEW

Student Scholarship Program

The GEC Student Scholarship Program provides college students the unique opportunity to showcase their research on timely environmental issues and network with a wide range of environmental professionals from throughout the Southeast and beyond.

Finalists are invited to attend the Georgia Environmental Conference (August 23-25, 2023 | Jekyll Island) and present their research via a poster session. Finalists are granted full conference registration, and three nights lodging. Finalists are expected to provide their own travel to and from the conference. Additional Eligibility & Conditions are listed below.

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

Evaluation Criteria

Pre-judging – Applicants will be evaluated based on the following relative to their research:

Scientific rigor
Innovation
Importance/relevance of research to the environmental field
Communication/delivery of information via the application

During the conference – Finalists will be evaluated on:

Oral presentation and ability to communicate research project details clearly
Clarity of poster

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 2023 semester.
All applicants must complete the electronic application, which includes an abstract of their research topic, and have their major professor/research advisor submit a reference (online Reference Form link below) by the stated application deadline.

Research topic must be related to a timely environmental issue that is relevant to the Southeast Region or beyond.

Upon an initial review of the applications by the Student Scholarship committee, finalists will be selected for invitation to attend the conference. The finalists will be notified via email, and will be invited to prepare and submit a research poster. If a selected finalist declines the invitation to attend the conference and continue in the poster competition, an alternate student may then be selected as a finalist. Upon acceptance, guidance for the format of the poster including the size will be provided to the finalists. Posters should 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. A monitor will be provided during the poster session and in the Exhibit Hall for the electronic poster displays during the conference. (Posters do not need to be printed.)

Finalists will participate in a poster session with the scholarship committee on Wednesday, August 23 at 9 a.m. This session will also be open to all Early Session attendees.

Finalists should also be available as directed (conference schedule will be provided) to speak with conference attendees and the scholarship committee during the conference. Finalists may be asked to give a “flash” presentation during one of the conference General Sessions. Instructions will be provided.

Finalists are expected to participate in the conference by attending topic sessions.

Finalists are expected to attend the evening Scholarship Awards Reception on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Schedule

Application submission deadline – 5 p.m. on MAY 31, 2023
Prejudging of applications – June 2023

Finalists announced – mid July, 2023
Poster Presentation Session – 9 a.m. on Weds., Aug. 23, 2023
Finalists’ posters displayed in Exhibit Hall – Weds., Aug. 23 and Thurs., Aug. 24, 2023
Scholarship award recipients announced at the conference evening reception at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 24, 2023

Application & Reference

Click here: Student Scholarship Program application form

Click here: Faculty/Advisor reference form

Student Scholarship Committee

Scott Anderson, Haley & Aldrich (Chair)
Jessica Brown, University of Georgia
Keith Cole, Ramboll
Patrick Krechowski, Balch & Bingham
Nicole Stuhr, Geosyntec Consultants

2023 Student Scholarship Program Contributors

Student Scholarship Program Sponsor:
Student Scholarship Program Contributors: