Willard Harman Student Scholar Award
The New York State Federation of Lake Associations is pleased to announce the formation of the Willard Harman Student Scholar Award. This award is established in honor of Dr. Willard Harman for his decades of work and dedication to NYSFOLA and the lake communities across New York State.
The Willard Harman Student Scholar Award (WHSSA) is designed to identify and reward outstanding students with an affinity for work and studies related to water ecology, in and around lake environments. This award will support a graduate or graduate degree candidate, with demonstrated academic excellence and a dedication to pursuing a career in environmental sciences relating to limnology, water quality, or watershed management.
HOW IT WORKS
Eligible applicants must currently be enrolled in a NYS institution of higher education that provides accredited graduate-level, environmental programs of study. Applications from institutions outside NYS may be considered if the student is working with lakes in New York State.
This is a competitive award. NYSFOLA will provide a one-time award of $2,000.00 which must be applied to the student scholar’s educational endeavors. While this is not a research grant, the fund may be applied to a student’s research project or related expenses. The student scholar will be expected to present at the Annual NYSFOLA Conference in May and provide an article for the NYSFOLA newsletter. Both the NYSFOLA Annual Conference in May and the Waterworks article will provide opportunities for the student to engage with the NYSFOLA community, developing relationships and contacts across the state.
Criteria for the presentation and the article are included in the application. Students working on projects of study relating to lake management and those lake management stakeholders will have an advantage in the selection process.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Candidates must be referred to the NYSFOLA Gift and Scholarship Committee using the NYSFOLA Willard Harman Student Scholar Award Application provided at the NYSFOLA website www.nysfola.org or by contacting Dave Carr at dcarr@nysfola.org.
Applications must be completed and signed by the student’s academic advisor or a recognized teaching professor, at the applicant’s current college. The signatory must be well acquainted with the student, having worked directly with the student in the environmental study areas of focus.
Applications must be completed and filed with the NYSFOLA office by February 1st. The selection process will be completed by March 15th at which time the student scholar will be chosen by select members of the NYSFOLA Board of Directors.
The New York State Federation of Lake Associations, Willard Harman Student Scholar Award
APPLICATION – Your Application must be completed ONLINE with all of the requested information.
1/ Personal Information
Your First and Last Name – Email – Phone number – Best contact address.
2/ Academic information
Institution of Learning – Area of Graduate Study – Years in program of study – Anticipated completion date
Copy of current transcript
3/ Personal Statement describing your experiences, goals, and proposed use of scholarship funds. (LENGTH suggestion 500-1,000 words)
4/ Copy of recent recorded presentation, article, or research paper relating directly to the area of study.
5/ REFERRING PROFESSIONAL and Letter of Reference
First and Last Name – Email – Phone number – Best contact address.
Referring professional’s position, including:
Institution of Learning – Division/School – Position and relationship to you.
Letter of Recommendation (LENGTH suggestion 200 – 300 words)
NOTE – Students will be scored in the following areas:
The strength of their Student Letter as it relates to the award.
The strength of the Letter of Recommendation.
The overall presentation and completion of the application packet.
The quality of any presentations/articles or other authored documents submitted.
Academic achievement.
A bonus will be applied based on work/study with NYS Lakes.
 Link to online APPLICATION
More on Dr. Harman at this link- BIO – Â and www.NYSFOLA.org