UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four students in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences were recently awarded the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to advance their research ambitions.
The Schreyer Honors Scholars are Jackie Kiszka, Asha Spencer and Mallory Wickline, all third-year students majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science, and Bridget Reheard, who is a third-year student double majoring in geosciences and wildlife and fisheries science.
Recipients are awarded up to $9,500 of academic assistance per year for two years of full-time study and a paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer. Positioned between the first and second year of the scholarship, the internship is a chance for students to gain hands-on, practical experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management and education activities. Awards also include travel funds to attend a mandatory NOAA Scholarship Program orientation and the annual Science & Education Symposium, where students present their research.
Wickline said the scholarship puts her closer to her dreams of becoming a research scientist on pressing planetary issues such as solar radiation and atmospheres. She credited opportunities such as Campus Weather Service and an engaged faculty for giving her the edge for the scholarship.
“Penn State has allowed my interests to flourish in all directions,” Wickline said. “I could have never imagined that I would have the opportunity to explore as many new and exciting things as I have already in my first two years at college.”
Reheard, who is also a Millennium Scholar, credited her research in multiple labs at Penn State for helping her stand out. She said she wants to earn a doctorate in marine science, focusing on geochemistry and genetics related questions to fisheries resources, one day developing solutions to environmental problems while helping conserve aquatic animals.
“This gives me the resources to get hands-on research experience in ocean science that may make me a more qualified candidate for marine programs,” Reheard said. “NOAA also offers Hollings scholars a better opportunity for employment for up to two years after an undergraduate or graduate degree, so I may choose to pursue a career at NOAA following a doctoral program.”
Spencer said she’s weighing different career paths in STEM fields and engaging in hands-on research with NOAA will help her solidify those plans.
“This scholarship will help me towards my life goals by allowing me to explore some of the different career paths and opportunities that NOAA, and my degree in general, have to offer,” Spencer said.
Spencer worked at a NOAA facility over the summer — through the Lapenta Internship Program — where she produced sea ice climatology records at the U.S. National Ice Center.
Kiszka said she knew when she was 9 years old that she wanted to be a meteorologist but her focus on research came later. She sees herself working for an organization such as NOAA or possibly academia. She said Penn State’s highly ranked program and several research opportunities gave her a leg up for the scholarship.
NOAA’s mission of “science, service and stewardship” also aligns with her career goals. She said she wants to work in areas that are important to society at large and also excel in science communication, areas also important to NOAA.
“Being able to find or even create a project to work on at a NOAA facility that matches my interests is a dream come true, in addition to the incredibly valuable connections that will be made by working with such accomplished and well-respected scientists,” Kiszka said.