URI sophomores get NOAA scholarships

TWO UNIVERSITY of Rhode Island sophomores have won Ernest F. Hollings Scholarships from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the study of marine sciences.
TWO UNIVERSITY of Rhode Island sophomores have won Ernest F. Hollings Scholarships from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the study of marine sciences.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Two University of Rhode Island sophomores have won Ernest F. Hollings Scholarships from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the study of marine sciences.
Marine biology major Jessica Freedman of Falmouth, Mass., and ocean engineering major Jamie Schicho of Sterling, Mass., will receive a total of $16,000 toward tuition in their junior and senior years at URI plus a paid summer internship at a NOAA lab anywhere in the country during the summer after their junior year, the university said in a press release.
Since 2009, URI students have been awarded 18 Hollings Scholarships, the most of any institution in New England and the second most among public universities in the United States.
The scholarship program aims to boost interest in oceanic and atmospheric science, support for environmental stewardship, and recruiting of students to public service careers at NOAA and other governmental science agencies.
“We are so proud of the achievements of both of these students. The Hollings Scholarship will provide them with unique research opportunities and will open so many doors for them,” said Jacqueline Webb, professor of biological sciences and coordinator of the URI Marine Biology Program.
The students will learn which internship lab they are assigned to next winter.
Eighteen other URI students also were awarded grants from the Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellows fund to travel overseas next year. Demers, who taught foreign languages, left $4 million to the Rhode Island Foundation after her death in 2007 to establish the fund.
One of the 18, however, chose not to accept the award because his plans changed, a spokesman for URI said.
The 17 award winners share a total of $220,000 to study and work in Germany, France, Spain, China, Brazil and Ecuador. The fellowships cover the cost of tuition, fees, travel, housing and living expenses.
The students are: Jeric Rodriguez, Andrea Ayala, Shane Kirkland, Brenden Smerbeck, Sarah Rheault, Rachel Andronowitz, Joseph Armendarez, Emily Collins, Caleb Gross, Claudia Krah, Kevin Murray, John Nielsen, John Paquet III, Jose Perez, Angela Reisch, Christopher Salazar, and Michael White. The 18th student chose to remain anonymous.

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