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SCHOLARSHIPS

CARL JOHNSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Carl E. Johnson was a prominent professional surveyor from southwest Florida who was a strong proponent of education. After his passing in 1973, his descendants established the scholarship in his name at the University of Florida.

Awardees: Jesse Boyd, Marco Krieger, Chelin Lauer, Grace Plass, Ronald Strickland

CHARLES ANDREGG MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Charles H. Andregg served as civilian leader of the US Defense Mapping Agency, and served for many years on the Geomatics program advisory committee. This scholarship recognizes meritorious undergraduate students studying surveying and mapping.

Fall Awardees: Michael Blaize, Thomas DiMauro, Zoey Holden, Kaitlyn Maynard

Spring Awardees: Zoey Holden, Kaitlyn Maynard, Lane Underhill, Leo Willett

CYNTHIA A. MELNICK ENDOWMENT

In memory of their daughter, Cynthia A. Melnick, this fund was established by Nicholas and Elizabeth Melnick in 2005. Cynthia was born March 2, 1966 in Hamilton, Ohio, and was raised in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Melnick earned her master’s degree in 1995 at the University of Florida. What distinguished Melnick from her peers was her unusual approach of using engineering to understand biology. Melnick saw a unique parallel between the fields, and it characterized her research on the composition of stone crab shells in relation to their pigmentation at UF. Although for most of her career she worked as a Professional Engineer in Florida and the Caribbean, she most recently worked as a Senior Engineer and Marine Biologist for Applied Technology and Management, Inc. of West Palm Beach. Melnick passed away October 9, 2004.

Awardees: Elizabeth Duermit Moreau, Michael Espriella

DAVID CONSER COOPERATIVE FORESTRY ASSISTANCE SCHOLARSHIP

David Conser is a Senior Forester with the Florida Forest Service in Alachua County. This scholarship was established in 2014 by an anonymous donor to support SFRC juniors interested in working as a Cooperative Forestry Assistance Forester.

Fall Awardee: Milo Neelands

Spring Awardee: Emily Martin

DAVEY FOUNDATION ARBOR GRANT PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Davey Tree was founded in 1880 and has been employee-owned since 1917. They are currently the ninth-largest employee-owned company in the nation, providing environmental services to both residential and commercial properties. For 25 years, the Davey Foundation has awarded Arbor Grant scholarships to 50 undergraduate students pursing a career in the green industry.

Awardee: Samuel Schatz

FLORIDA SURVEYING & MAPPING SOCIETY

This scholarship was established in 1990 by FSMS to support students seeking degrees in Geomatics. The FSMS supports the Geomatics program, as well as the SFRC, with a variety of contributions.

Fall Awardees: Thomas Blythe, Scott Edenfield, Timothy Jaskiewicz, Marco Krieger, Betty Morris, Grace Plass

Spring Awardees: Michael Blaize, Tevin Cruz, Scott Edenfield, Betty Morris, Mary Voor

J.B. ADKINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

James Bruce Adkins began his professional career in 1909 as an engineer working to build railroads through the Southeast. During the Great Depression he and his wife Dorothy helped keep her family’s timber business afloat by expanding the business into the “new technology” of wire-bound boxes; a container used to ship a variety of fruit and vegetables before the advent of the corrugated box. Eventually, Adkins became the President of the Wire-Bound Box Association. In recognition, the Wire-Bound Box Association established this scholarship in 1952.

Fall Awardees: Jacqueline Bourdon, Mitchell Capps, Barbara Cory, Taylor Henley, William Kaklis, Ryan Krammes, James Murray, John Norton, Garret O'Donnell, George Percifield, Samuel Schatz, Aaron Smith, Gabriela Sullivan, Emily Von Blon

Spring Awardees: Mary Barnett, Cassie Morris, Susan Reams, Stephen Scully, Micaela Studstill

JIM AND JOH LYBASS FOREST LANDOWNERS SCHOLARSHIP

Jim and Joh-Nana Lybass exemplify the best attributes of family forestland owners. The Lybass family are stewards of significant tracts of forestland in Florida. An enduring legacy of the Lybass family will be their sale of two tracts of land for conservation purposes, including the Mill Creek Preserve, the first acquisition by the Alachua County Forever program, and the Longleaf flatwoods reserve in eastern Alachua county, a key element in the Lochloosa Forest / Levy Prairie connector project. Mr. Lybass was a member of the Forest Landowners Association, and provided advice and guidance for SFRC programs by serving on the School’s Advisory Board.

Awardees: Lauren Bonich, Eric Brubaker, Ethan Church, Jesse Crawford, Natalia Medina Irizarry, Cameron Mitchell, Evan Mosley, Jason Nastovski, Karl Novak, Ailee Odom, Christopher Saley, Aunna Williams

LAFONTAINE FELLOWSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND

Harry LaFontaine was Danish by birth. During World War II he was an active member of the Danish Resistance, helping to evacuate 8,000 Jewish people to Sweden in 1944. His wartime experiences led to a position in charge of special effects for the James Bond series of movies. From 1976-80, he ran and operated a Lincoln stretch limousine on wood gas for the U.S. Department of Energy. He and his wife traveled to dozens of colleges and universities in this car, lecturing on biomass energy. His wife, Dr. Edith H. LaFontaine, founded the scholarship in 1994.

Fall Awardees: Daisy Andrews, Makayla Barlow, Caroline Barnett, Cayley Buckner, Lorea Jackson, Latisa Ledbetter Kish, Katherine Rose, Natalie Stephens

Spring Awardees: Caroline Barnett, Evangelene Iavarone

LEIGH A. WALKER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship honors Leigh Walker, an SFRC alumnus with a strong love for forests and forestry. It was established in his memory by his parents, Dr. Robert L. and Tanya P. Walker in 1983, to support students with a similar enthusiasm for the profession of forestry.

Awardee: Taylor Henley

LOUIS F. CONDE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Conde worked as a “free-lance botanist” with UF’s Botany Department, the USDA Forest Service, and SFRC. An expert on cacti with a wide knowledge of southeastern plants, he worked on a variety of research projects and publications, but is best remembered for his work ethic, warm personality, and droll sense of humor. The scholarship was established in his memory by his mother, Augusta Conde; mother-in-law, Ruth Gordon; sister-in-law, Judith Feagin; and other friends and family members.

Awardees: Brianna Benitez, Elizabeth Miller, Christopher Saley

MARK ECKL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Mark Eckl joined our Gator Geomatics family in 1991, earning his BS and MS degrees in 1993 and 1999, respectively. While at UF, Mark distinguished himself by selflessly dedicating substantial time to helping others. Tragically, Mark’s life was cut short by a vehicle accident in 2014. In order that Mark’s spirit of giving will continue in perpetuity, the Mark Eckl Memorial Scholarship has been established to recognize those UF Geomatics students exhibiting Mark’s character of unselfish giving in order to benefit others.

Awardee: Zoey Holden

NEWINS-ZIEGLER AWARDS

Dr. Harold Newins was the first forestry professor at UF, arriving in 1935 after a career with the USDA Forest Service and serving in the Army during World War I. He co-founded the School in 1937, and served as its first Director. Dr. Edwin Ziegler was the first professor of forest management, joining the School in 1937 after previously working for the USDA Forest Service and at Penn State University. The School’s building on campus is named after both – Newins-Ziegler Hall.

GPA Award: Kelly Gallagher, Gabriela Sullivan, Emily Von Blon

Leadership Award: Hope Miller

RAYONIER SCHOLARSHIP TO SUPPORT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OPERATIONAL FORESTRY

This scholarship is offered for students wishing to pursue careers in operational forestry and who exhibit one or more of the following attributes: demonstrated commitment to making meaningful contributions to a pluralistic community and the continuation of a diverse student body; commitment to learning to better communicate and provide an inclusive and welcoming culture across the social lines of gender, race, generation, geography, and class; academic merit and leadership potential.

Awardee: Olivia Johnson

ROLAND T. STERN UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

Roland T. Stern always worked in some form of "timber" business. In 1985 he was one of a group of men that formed Great South Timber, Inc. He retired from Great South Timber and Lumber, Inc. as president in 2015. He passed away in January 2017. His wife, Lucinda, created the Roland T. Stern Scholarship Endowment in fall 2017 to provide annual scholarships to an undergraduate student and a graduate student.

Awardee: Chad Ward

SHARON FITZ-COY SCHOLARSHIP

Sharon Fitz-Coy, senior biologist with the UF/IFAS SFRC Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program for the past 23+ years, unexpectedly passed away on 27 February 2016.

Sharon dedicated her life to family and community. She made lasting impacts on countless youth through the Fishing for Success program. She likely introduced more children to fishing than any other person in Florida. Sharon’s family, friends and colleagues created this scholarship endowment to recognize and support students who demonstrate her passion for making a difference for youth in their communities.

Awardees: Hannah Henry (Undergradute Award), Elizabeth Webb (Graduate Award)

WILLIAM P. SHELLEY, SR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

W. Paul Shelley Jr., his wife, Erin, and other members of the Shelley family established this endowment in honor of his father. The fund provides financial assistance to students in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation. Shelley Jr. graduated from the UF School of Business with a B.S.B.A. in 1937 and earned his law degree from UF in 1939. He practiced law in Tallahassee before entering World War II for four years. In 1947, he began six years on the staff of U.S. Sen. Spessard L. Holland. A loyal alumnus, he is a former president of UF’s Alumni Association (1958) and received the UF Distinguished Alumnus Award (1973). Erin Shelley served as a civilian employee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and as personal secretary to former Florida Govs. Dan McCarty and LeRoy Collins.

Awardees: Daisy Andrews, Joseph Nieves, William Yarley