Stipends & Scholarships

• Graduate Stipends
• Scholarship Application
• Hall-Bonner Minority Scholars
• External Scholarships/Fellowships

Graduate Stipends

The Department of Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Old Dominion University awards stipends (including tuition waivers) on a competitive basis to students admitted to the graduate program. We grant degrees in ocean and earth science (M.S.) and oceanography (Ph.D.); both feature specialization in physical, geological, chemical, and biological tracks. Our faculty and students carry out research projects that range geographically from the Arctic to the Antarctic and thematically from micro- to global-scale processes. We operate a 55-foot research vessel, R/V Fay Slover, in lower Chesapeake Bay and on the mid-Atlantic coast. Our graduates have found employment in federal, state, and local governments, in colleges and universities, and in private industry. Our program provides opportunities to work with interdisciplinary teams on real-world problems at the cutting edge of science.

Additional information at http://sci.odu.edu/oceanography/
or contact:

Dr. Peter Sedwick
Graduate Program Director
OEAS, ODU, 4600 Elkhorn Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23529
Email: psedwick@odu.edu

Start your on-line application at: http://admissions.odu.edu/

Old Dominion University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution.

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Scholarship Application

The Department is pleased to announce its annual competition for graduate-student scholarships. The scholarships are described below. 

Students wishing to make application for these scholarships:

1) Must be a full-time* graduate student in Old Dominion University's Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. (*except for the Dorothy Brown Smith Scholarship, for which half-time students are eligible)

2) Must meet any specific requirements called for in the scholarship description, e.g., "open to M.S. students only"

3) For the Zaneveld, Kelley, and Entsminger Scholarships, applicants must submit a written application, consisting of:
a) a resume (or curriculum vitae)
b) an unofficial copy of her/his ODU transcript
c) a letter of recommendation from his/her major advisor
d) a proposal - define the research question you are addressing ( 2-page maximum)
e) an itemized budget, with a paragraph of justification, including an explanation as to why the student's advisor cannot or will not provide the funds from grants (1-page maximum)

4) For the Smith Scholarship, applicants must submit an abstract accepted for an oral or poster presentation at a scientific meeting, a summary travel budget (transportation, food and lodging, registration and abstract fees, as applicable), and a letter of support from your faculty advisor. The application must be submitted at least one month in advance of the meeting.

The Zaneveld, Kelley, and Entsminger scholarships are available once a year. In 2013, the deadline for submission of those applications will be July 5^th at 5 pm. Applications for the Smith awards will be accepted throughout the year until funds are exhausted. Applications are to be delivered to the Department's Administrative Assistant, Jill Keeney.

Evaluation will be based primarily on merit, but some consideration will be made to need.

Students may apply for more than one scholarship at a time.

Finally, please note the Zaneveld, Kelley, and Entsminger scholarships are to be provided in addition to the recipients' regular GTA or GRA stipends.  The Smith scholarship is designated, effective immediately, for travel awards (up to $2,500 each) to support students' participation at scientific meetings.

Jacques S. Zaneveld Endowed Scholarship

• One recipient per competition
• Must demonstrate financial need for funding in the preparation of his/her dissertation in the field of biological oceanography by completing a current FAFSA (Financial Aid Form) to qualify
  
• Student is selected by the Graduate Program Director and candidate selection is forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies

Awardees
2012 Brittany Widner
2011 Stacy Beharry
2008 Frank Thomson, III
2007 Frank Thomson, III
2006 Michelle Watson
2000 Keun-Hyung Choi
1997 Lisa Drake

Neil and Susan Kelley Endowed Scholarship Fund

• Open to students pursuing a Master of Science in oceanography
• Awarded on merit
• May be renewed annually, for a period covering the Master's degree only, if recipient has and maintains a 3.0 GPA 
• Student is selected by the Department Chair and candidate selection is forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies

Awardees
2012 Meredith McPherson
2011 Meredith McPherson
2010 Amy Pitts
2009 Amy Pitts
2008 Danna Palladino
2007 Matthew Botzler
2006 Maria Andrea Pinones
2005 Paula Zimmerman

Dorothy Brown Smith Scholarship

• Open to students majoring in oceanography
• Must be enrolled at least half-time 
• Student(s) selected by the Department Chair and candidate selection is forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies

Awardees
2012 Cory Staryk
2012 Jason Ferguson
2012 Wenda Li
2012 Meredith McPherson
2012 Manju Nagarajan
2012 Brittany Widner
2011 Brittany Widner
2011 Chris Schweitzer
2011 Danielle Morgan
2009 Malee Jinutuya
2008 Danielle Morgan-Smith
2007 Hussain Abdullah
2005 Joy Davis

Lee Entsminger Scholarship for Coastal Geology

• Student must meet or exceed the University's academic requirement of maintaining no less than a 3.0 average
• Preference given to a student emphasizing the geosciences; if no such student is available, the department chair may recommend any student in the department

Awardees
2012 Wesley Myers
2011 Matthew Richardson

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Hall-Bonner Program for Minority Doctoral Scholars in Ocean Sciences

In partnership with Hampton University and The School of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS), the Hall-Bonner Program for Minority Doctoral Scholars in the Ocean Sciences is part of ODU's graduate offerings in Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. The overall program seeks to increase the diversity of students earning doctoral degrees in the ocean sciences.

In addition to support provided by the Department in the form of graduate research and teaching assistantships, Hall-Bonner Scholars receive additional funding (salary and tuition) for the summer prior to matriculation to facilitate their transition to graduate school and to begin exploring research opportunities. Thereafter, H-B Scholars participate in enrichment and career-building activities that include special seminars, teaching, community outreach, academic employment preparation, and attendance at scientific society meetings. These activities are designed to help H-B Scholars become successful ocean scientists. Funds for research-related travel such as for field work and research supplies are also available to H-B Scholars.

For more information on the Hall-Bonner Program, including application (students apply for regular enrollment in the Ocean and Earth Sciences Graduate Program at ODU; Hall-Bonner is only a funding source for attending ODU): http://science.hamptonu.edu/mes/hall_bonner.cfm

To learn more about the Hall-Bonner Program in the Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at ODU , contact: Dr. Gregory Cutter, ODU Hall-Bonner Director, gcutter@odu.edu

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External Scholarships/Fellowships (Also see Student Opportunity Page)

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