Tag Archive for: Scholarship

SOU Environmental Studies Majors Receive National Science Foundation Research Scholarships

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(Ashland, Ore.) Environmental Studies majors Paula Richter and Sarah Rudeen have both been selected as recipients of the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Scholarships.
Richter was awarded the scholarship which allowed her to conduct applied scientific research in conjunction with the University of Idaho.  Richter is co-author of a scientific manuscript to be published in the journal Crop Science entitled “Characterization of Poa supina (supine bluegrass) from the Italian Alps with AFLP markers and correlation with climatic variables.”
Rudeen will be conducting her senior capstone research this year at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, on a project studying the interactions between plants, herbivores, herbivore mutualists, and predators.  She will be working with the Mooney Laboratory from UC-Irvine, which focuses on uniting community, evolutionary, and conservation ecology.
According to Dr. John Gutrich, SOU Associate Professor of Environmental Science, “The National Science Foundation REU Scholarships are highly competitive programs and often include more than 100 applicants for ten scholarships at research laboratories across the United States.  Paula and Sarah are examples of exemplary SOU students with interdisciplinary environmental scientific training that has been acknowledged by NSF and premier scientific research laboratories.”
 

New Scholarship for SOU Study Abroad

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The Friendship Force of Southern Oregon creates a summer study abroad scholarship
(Ashland, Ore) The Southern Oregon University Foundation received a study abroad annual scholarship from the Friendship Force of Southern Oregon. The organization’s annual gift will provide a summer study abroad opportunity for an SOU student. Junior Christina Burns is the 2011 recipient and will travel to Oviedo, Spain.
“I am honored to receive this scholarship,” said Burns. “Friendship Force of Southern Oregon’s mission is to create relationships with other countries, and learning about other cultures is so important.  I am happy to be a part of this mission.”
An organization rooted in cultural exchange, the Friendship Force of Southern Oregon promotes global understanding across the barriers that separate people through the values of mutual respect, cultural diversity and cultural exploration.
“Sending a student like Christina abroad supports our mission in the best possible way,” said Friendship Force President Amy Lepon. “We want to change the way students see the world.”
For more information about the Friendship Force of Southern Oregon Study Abroad Scholarship and other study abroad opportunities, visit the SOU International Programs website www.sou.edu/international/.  More information about the Friendship Force of Southern Oregon can be found at www.ffsoregon.org.
 

SOU ROTC Program Tops Nation in Guard Scholarships

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rotc-gold (1)(Ashland, Ore.) –National Guard Officer Strength Management in Washington, DC has named the ROTC GOLD program at Southern Oregon University top program for Guard and Reserve scholarship awards.  ROTC programs at more than 140 colleges and universities offer Guard and Reserve scholarships- SOU has surpassed all in “Citizen Soldier” scholarship offers.
SOU has eleven cadets with scholarship awards in the year 2013 group, the most of any college participating.
“I would like to thank President Mary Cullinan and SOU for making this possible,” says Lt. Col. Keith Ensley, the head of SOU’s ROTC program. “This is a tremendous achievement and will increase our national visibility.” As a result of the award, the SOU cadre will be featured in an upcoming issue of Guard Experience, the National Guard magazine.
A year ago Army ROTC awarded three SOU students the first ROTC scholarships at SOU in more than 20 years. ROTC was discontinued at SOU in the early 1990s due to the Army’s reduction in forces.
SOU now has the only ROTC program between Sacramento and Eugene.
Most ROTC scholarships available at SOU are full tuition, three-year scholarships worth more than $18,000 per year.
ROTC is the U.S. Army officer program available through the Military Science program at SOU. Enrollment requires a military service obligation – in the active Army, National Guard, or Army Reserve. ROTC is not an undergraduate degree program; it is a program that runs parallel to a student’s academic major.  Every student enrolled in ROTC receives a minimum college scholarship starting at $5,000 per year.
ROTC students training to become Army officers also take courses in other subjects such as political science, history, and philosophy. These courses help to broaden their understanding and prepare them to be better officers.

Major Bequest Creates Scholarships for Nontraditional SOU Students

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James and Betty Akerill Memorial Scholarship provides full in-state tuition and fees
(Ashland, Ore) The Southern Oregon University Foundation has received more than $1 million for scholarships from the estate of the late Betty and James Akerill. The gift will provide scholarships for nontraditional students. Both Akerills received degrees in education from Southern Oregon College and became teachers.

“The unusual feature of this scholarship is the focus on ‘nontraditional students’,” says SOU President Mary Cullinan. “Five years ago students age 26 and older were one fourth of our student body. This fall one third of our enrollment will be nontraditional students, the highest proportion in SOU’s history. Older students may have tremendous talent and capacity, but they may lack the financial resources to attain a university degree. This gift presents an opportunity for students who pursue higher education later in life.”

James Akerill was a nontraditional student from Grants Pass, Ore. who served in the U.S. Navy in 1945 directly after high school. Using GI Bill benefits, he attended Southern Oregon College, and then taught at Hoover Elementary School in Medford for 35 years.  Betty Akerill was from Klamath Falls and taught at Lincoln and Briscoe Elementary Schools in Ashland.

“This generous gift honors the memory of the Akerills and will impact the lives of many students,” says Sylvia Kelley, VP for Development and Executive Director of the SOU Foundation. “We are so grateful that this gift will support students who may not otherwise be able to obtain a college education.”

The James and Betty Akerill Memorial Scholarship is available beginning fall 2010 to nontraditional students with financial need, based upon competitive applications.
For more information or to apply for the Akerill scholarship, contact Sarah Kassel at (541) 552-6127 or kassels@sou.edu.