Aletris Neils named 2013-2014 Carson Fellow by the Institute of the Environment

Congratulations to SNRE PhD Student Aletris Neils who has been named a 2013-2014 Carson Fellow by the Institute of the Environment. Her mentors are Dr. Melanie Culver and Dr. John Koprowski.

Carson Scholarship Program

The Institute of the Environment Carson Scholars Program cultivates and advances interdisciplinary environmental scholarship at the University of Arizona. The program is designed to build a network of graduate students and faculty devoted to furthering knowledge and awareness of Earth?s natural environment and its interactions with people. The program also encourages individual initiative, innovation, and communication. Carson Scholars, through their emphasis on excellence in interdisciplinary environmental scholarship, problem-solving, and communicating science to a broad audience, will become leaders in the advancement of collaborative solutions to environmental challenges among the public, private, NGO, and academic sectors.

The program is dedicated to the vision created by Rachel Carson who, through her writings and work, alerted the world to the dangers of chemical pesticides and launched our modern environmental movement.

About the Scholarship

Carson Graduate Scholarships are designed to support outstanding University of Arizona (UA) graduate students and their research. The scholarships are awarded through a competitive process to current UA students who are committed to interdisciplinary research and communication. Grants of $5,000 per year are awarded to each of the Scholars to support their research.

Additionally, Carson Scholars are assigned faculty mentors who provide training and other resources to help the students develop skills, strategies, and products to effectively convey the value of their research for people and the planet. At the end of the academic year, the Scholars put their training to work, completing a video, exhibit, public presentation, website, blog, or other communication project.

They also join a growing network of researchers interested in a range of issues related to ecology, earth, and environmental sciences, including environmental and energy policy, environmental governance, climate science, solar and renewable energy, environmental education, global change, water, sustainability, wildlife and natural resources conservation, the intersection of arts and culture and the environment, and outreach to stakeholders.