“Just the idea of being able to help with some really impactful research is amazing,” says Genevieve Longmire, a Stetson sophomore majoring in Aquatic and Marine Biology.  

The Daytona Beach native was one of only 120 students from across the country chosen to receive the prestigious Hollings Scholarship, named for Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings of South Carolina, who was a champion of ocean policy and conservation. The scholarship was established in his honor to bolster undergraduate training in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mission sciences and to increase environmental literacy.

Longmire will head to Silver Spring, Maryland, in the first week of June for her program orientation. During her junior year, she will learn which NOAA lab and location she will be assigned to begin her work.

“We get to pick options from research projects that are currently underway anywhere in the country,” she says. “I am so excited about this opportunity ahead.”

The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to $9,500 per year) for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid ($700 per week) internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.

The internship between the first and second years of the award provides the scholars with hands-on, practical experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management and education activities. Awards also include travel funds to attend the mandatory NOAA Scholarship Program orientation and the annual Science & Education Symposium, scientific conferences where students present their research, and a housing subsidy for scholars who do not reside at home during the summer internship.

Associate Professor of Biology Corie Charpentier, PhD, encouraged Longmire to apply for the scholarship.

“I was a Hollings Scholarship recipient myself, so I always let my students know about the opportunity,” Charpentier says. “I am Genevieve’s academic advisor, and she was also a student in my Introduction to Biology class. She is genuinely curious, has lots of questions and always wants to learn more. She also has the best sense of humor, and I think she’ll have a lot of fun in whatever adventure she gets into.”

Longmire’s scholarship and internship perfectly align with the Hatter Ready initiative, which emphasizes immersive experiences for Stetson students. Hollings alumni report that the experiences influenced their academic and career paths, expanded their professional networks, and strengthened their skills in NOAA mission fields.

“I saw my own Hollings Scholarship mentor a few years ago at a conference,” Charpentier adds. “The internship is definitely the first step in building a professional network. In addition to the fun involved, students make so many more connections than they would otherwise.”

The Hollings Scholarship

The NOAA Hollings Scholarship program is designed to:

• increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education, and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities;
• increase public understanding and support for stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere, and improve environmental literacy.
• recruit and prepare students for public service careers with NOAA and other natural resource and science agencies at the federal, state, and local levels of government;
• recruit and prepare students for careers as teachers and educators in oceanic and atmospheric science, and improve scientific and environmental education in the United States.

-Renee Garrison