Three ENSP Students Named NOAA Hollings Scholars

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) annually awards Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarships to roughly 120 students across the country, providing recipients with up to $19,000 in academic assistance over two years, plus a full-time, 10-week paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer between their first and second scholarship year. 

This year, six University of Maryland students were named NOAA Hollings Scholars: Maguire Ballard, Daniel Oberholtzer, Jonah Pereyra, Courtney DeLoatch-Hill, Alana Ginsburg, and Jason Manzon. Three of them, Pereyra, DeLoatch-Hill, and Ginsburg, are all sophomores majoring in Environmental Science and Policy (ENSP), a multi-disciplinary undergraduate major administratively housed in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and co-sponsored by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) and the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences (CMNS).

As part of their degree requirements, each ENSP major must select a concentration, and Pereyra, DeLoatch-Hill, and Ginsburg have all selected one that requires them to take BSOS courses—Marine and Coastal Management (GEOG), Environmental Policy and Politics (GVPT), and Global Environmental Change (GEOG), respectively. 

“As someone who is passionate about protecting our natural resources, I am honored to receive this award and I am grateful to the Hollings program for its support,” said Pereyra, an Atmospheric and Oceanic Science double-degree student. “This scholarship will provide me with research experience to build my skill set while working for NOAA and the opportunity to have an impact on my community.”

Pereyra isn’t yet sure what NOAA office he would like to intern with in summer 2023, however, he’s most excited about the opportunity to potentially study coral reefs, specifically, “to better understand the causes and contributing factors to coral bleaching.” 

DeLoatch-Hill, who will spend this coming summer participating in Environmental Justice Summer Scholars Internship Program at the University of Maryland’s Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, & Health, is likewise looking forward to exploring her internship options and making an official selection later.  

“As a woman and minority in STEM, I am excited to bring a new perspective to this program,” said DeLoatch-Hill. “I am particularly interested in the scope of environmental policy and hope to mitigate the environmental injustice happening behind the legislative process …  this scholarship will help me develop a career in environmental law, by fostering research in the technology and the processes of environmental science—two critical components in minimizing human environmental impact.”

Ginsburg shares DeLoatch-Hill's interest in working at the government level, hoping to one day earn her Ph.D., then, she said, “work as a federal scientist to prepare for, protect against and manage the impacts of climate change and increased weather variability.”

“I am so excited to have been selected for this program because working for NOAA has been a goal of mine since high school,” Ginsburg, who hopes to intern with the National Weather Service or the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, went on. “As a recipient of this scholarship, I hope to use my interests in programming and environmental justice work to contribute to a project that will give me a better understanding of the science, inputs and stakeholders involved in solving these problems.” 

Check back here to learn more about the 2022 class of NOAA Hollings Scholars. 

Main photo caption: From left to right, Jonah Pereyra, Courtney DeLoatch-Hill, and Alana Ginsburg

Published on Wed, Apr 13, 2022 - 12:51PM