UW-Green Bay awards Natural and Applied Sciences Scholarships to 16 students
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay honored some of its top science and math scholars Friday, Feb. 1, presenting Natural and Applied Sciences scholarships worth nearly $16,000 to 16 students during an afternoon reception.
Flanked by parents, faculty members and donors, students were recognized for high grades, outstanding scholarship, innovative research and overall academic excellence. NAS introduced one new scholarship, the Morgan/Macaluso Family Endowed Scholarship in Natural Sciences, and welcomed as special guests donors Mike and Gloria Morgan.
Award recipients are as follows:
Nicholas Bergeron, senior from Green Bay, received the $500 Science and Mathematics Scholarship. Bergeron, who also earned a Science and Mathematics scholarship as a junior, is a Mathematics major with an Education minor who is actively involved with the UW-Green Bay Phuture Phoenix program for students from low-income schools. A member of the Math Club who has assisted with faculty research on student teaching placements in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Bergeron also was selected to serve as a member of the UW-Green Bay Search and Screen committee for an Associate Professor in Education. He has earned numerous awards and scholarships.
Jesse Cahill, senior from De Pere, earned the $640 Nancy J. Sell Memorial Scholarship. Cahill, a Chemistry and Human Biology double major, has served as a teaching assistant for UW-Green Bay’s Targeted Opportunities for Success in the Sciences (TOSS) program, designed to bridge the achievement gap between multicultural students and those from non-multicultural backgrounds. He served as a summer adjunct library teacher for microbiology, and has had a broad array of undergraduate research experiences. During summer 2013, Cahill will undertake two lab-based research experiences, involving microbiology and biochemistry, respectively.
Andrew Docter, senior from Markesan, received the $1,050 Alfred O. and Phyllis E. Holz Scholarship. An Environmental Science and Biology major with an emphasis in Ecology and Conservation Biology who also is pursuing a Certificate in Environmental Sustainability and Business, Docter has had numerous undergraduate research experiences dating back to his freshman year. He has worked closely with faculty on a variety of projects, and has participated in travel courses in Costa Rica and Panama. Docter has helped with campus landscaping projects and is the president of the Camping and Climbing Club. He also has received numerous scholarships, including two NAS awards last year.
Corinne Grossmeier, senior from Mukwonago, also received the $1,050 Alfred O. and Phyllis E. Holz Scholarship. A Biology and Environmental Science major with minors in Chemistry and German, Grossmeier has held internships at the Wildlife in Need Center in Oconomowoc and the Nature Conservancy: Mukwonago River Watershed Project. She is active on campus, serving as a resident assistant in a freshman-dominated residence hall and implementing academic, community building and personal development programs in that role. She also works with the Phase I Community Council, which works to implement programs for all campus residents; and is a Girl Scout Gold awardee.
Hanne Guthrie, senior from Chanhassen, Minn., earned the $1,440 First Year Engineering Scholarship. An Environmental Science and Spanish and Engineering Preprofessional Program major who is minoring in Urban and Regional Studies, Guthrie maintains a 3.597 grade point average and is a member of UW-Green Bay’s Nordic ski team who has competed on the varsity travel and Midwest Junior Olympics teams. A member of two honor societies, the Spanish Club and Ski Club, Guthrie is lauded by faculty members who praise her clear, concise work in difficult problem-solving situations, and also her ability to help classmates learn.
Kaila Hanke, sophomore from Green Bay, also earned the $1,440 First Year Engineering Scholarship. An Engineering Preprofessional Program major who maintains a 3.857 GPA, Hanke plans to finish her engineering degree at UW-Madison (she is considering a specialization in mechanical engineering) after her undergraduate program is complete. She has volunteered with the Baird Creek Preservation Foundation and the Green Bay Linus Project, the latter of which makes and provides blankets and scarves for disaster relief programs. She was actively involved in her high school, participating in Art Club, Orchestra and National Honor Society. She is described as a conscientious, self-motivated student with a good deal of natural ability and a strong work ethic.
Marina Hauser, sophomore international student from Switzerland, received the $3,200 Second Year Engineering Scholarship. An Environmental Science and Engineering Preprofessional Program major, Hauser’s goal is to “make it possible to produce energy that is sustainable for society and the environment.” She is active on campus, part of the International Club who also serves as co-president of the German Club. Hauser also is a German tutor and loves sports, especially curling. She also loves soccer and plays on a campus intramural team. She is described as having a high level of maturity and a detail-oriented academic plan, along with a positive, hardworking attitude.
Jessica Joniaux, junior from Casco, was awarded the $400 Bradford Cook Memorial Scholarship. A Biology major and Business Administration minor with a 4.0 grade point average, Joniaux just completed her first semester at UW-Green Bay after transferring from UW-Eau Claire. While there, she was active in numerous clubs and activities, including serving as treasurer for the Pre-Vet Club. She is a member of three academic honor societies and an avid volunteer who has given time to the Bay Area Humane Society, Eau Claire Humane Association and the NEW Zoo, among other organizations. Joniaux is applying to the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and is interested in small animal care.
Clarissa Justmann, senior from Mayville, received the $500 Moose Lodge Rod and Gun Club Scholarship. An Environmental Science major and Geoscience minor, Justmann will graduate in May and join the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for a second summer of work as a Deputy Warden-Water Guard, educating the public about aquatic invasive species. Justmann has conducted undergraduate research and is a member of Tribeta, the National Biological Honor Society, participating in multiple community and service projects and activities on campus. She also is a resident assistant, and is involved off campus, as well, completing service projects with the NEW Community Shelter and other organizations.
Tawnni Lasee, senior from Green Bay, received the first-time $500 Morgan/Macaluso Family Endowed Scholarship in Natural Sciences. A Biology major and Environmental Science minor, Lasee worked with classmates to develop and present a management plan for the Point au Sable natural area, and also will work this semester with classmates and a faculty adviser to research the relative abundance of fox and coyote on campus and at Point au Sable. She has participated in a travel course to Costa Rica and has applied to participate in a travel course to Australia. Lasee also donates her times to several off-campus volunteer organizations, and is applying for internships at the NEW Zoo and Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.
Jacob Leigh, senior from Green Bay, also received the $1,050 Alfred O. and Phyllis E. Holz Scholarship. A Biology and Environmental Science major, Leigh has worked as a student worker in the Environmental Department at Integrys Energy Group, where his responsibilities include field studies, lab work and analytical data entry. He is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, having entered UW-Green Bay with 26 credits through AP courses and exams. Leigh will conduct research this semester on mussels in the Green Bay watershed, and he also maintains a strong record of on- and off-campus community service.
Amanda Nothem, senior from Campbellsport, also received the $640 Nancy J. Sell Memorial Scholarship. A Chemistry major and Education minor, Nothem plans to teach and share her passion for the sciences with her students. This semester, she will be a research assistant for Physics Associate Prof. Heidi Fencl, and she also has received a Teach Grant for being an academically successful student attaining a teaching license in a high-need field, and because she has agreed to work in a low-income school for the first four years of her teaching career. Nothem is a community advisor for Residence Life, and is a member of Campus Crusade for Christ and Unchained, an organization that promotes awareness about human trafficking and present-day slavery.
Lauren O’Dell, junior from Janesville, also earned a $640 Nancy J. Sell Memorial Scholarship. A Chemistry major and Human Biology minor, O’Dell has served as a tutor for Math 104 and is currently a Student Assistant for Math 94. She has received five scholarships during her academic career, and in December 2012 was named to the list of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges. She has a passion for math and science, especially organic chemistry, and also is a leader outside the classroom. O’Dell serves as a student ambassador, is a member of two academic honor societies and also volunteers for March of Dimes and at Mercy Hospital in Janesville.
Mary Quade, junior from Green Bay, received the $500 Ganga and Elizabeth Nair Scholarship. An Environmental Science and Biology major with an emphasis in Field Biology and Ecology, Quade is a nontraditional student who is pursuing a career change and hopes to attend graduate school and eventually teach at the university level. She is a member of Tribeta, the National Biological Honor Society, and also of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association. Quade participated in a January 2013 travel course to Costa Rica, and has applied for an August 2013 travel course to Australia. She is working this semester on an independent study examining the bryophytes of the Northeastern Wisconsin forest ecosystem, and she is an active community volunteer.
Roberta Reif, freshman from Peshtigo, earned the $900 Carol R. DeGroot Scholarship in Environmental Science. A Biology major (emphasis in Ecology and Conservation) and Environmental Science minor, Reif graduated fifth in her high school class with a 3.751 grade point average, was inducted into the National Honor Society, and was a mentor in the school’s Mentorship Program. She plans to volunteer at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary and is planning ahead with the hopes of earning a DNR field internship as a junior. She plans to join Tribeta, the National Biological Honor Society, when she qualifies for membership, and Reif has been active in numerous community service organizations in Peshtigo. She also was a varsity softball player who earned several high school academic honors.
Rachel Van Dam, junior from New Richmond, received the $1,530 James E. Casperson/Environmental Science Alumni Scholarship. An Environmental Science and Biology major with an emphasis in Field Biology and Ecology, Van Dam has worked with the Fisheries Department of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at its Green Bay Field office. Last summer, she assisted with population surveys of the Karner Blue Butterfly, an endangered species, and also volunteered as a camp counselor at a conservation-themed camp for middle school students. A member of three honor societies, Van Dam also has received numerous scholarships. In January 2012 she participated in a travel course to Costa Rica; and in January 2013, in a travel course to Panama.
More information about Natural and Applied Sciences is available at www.uwgb.edu/nas. To learn more about UW-Green Bay scholarships, visit www.uwgb.edu/scholarships/.
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