Oceanography Awards

Due to our generous donors, Oceanography can offer a broad spectrum of scholarship support

Undergraduate Awards

We award numerous undergraduate scholarships including:

Need-based awards that provide a significant fraction of yearly in-state tuition
Merit-based awards
Competitive achievement awards

Graduate Awards

Student Travel and Educational Experience Funds

We encourage our students to attend professional conferences. It's a great opportunity to present your research and learn about the research of others. Both graduate and undergraduate students within the School of Oceanography are eligible. The School has limited funds available to support student travel. This includes travel for conference presentations or research purposes that cannot otherwise be supported on research grants or through other funding opportunities available through the College, University, or relevant professional societies.

You can find information and multiple travel funds here.

Community Awards

Distinguished Teaching Award
- The Distinguished Teaching Award was established in the School of Oceanography to honor a faculty who excels in the commitment to, and effectiveness of teaching. It comes with $500 award.
  - 2024 Recipient: Sasha Seroy
Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- The School of Oceanography recognizes annually community members who contribute to DEI activities. The Communications Committee receives nominations and selects the winners so that DEI committee members are not in conflict over selecting recipients in case they are among the nominated. The winners are then identified and honored at the fall Convocation. The award includes a $500 payment. If there is more than one awardee, the award is split equally.
  - 2024 Recipient: Rick Rupan
  - 2023 Recipient: Zho Ragen
  - 2022 Recipient: Mikelle Nuwer
Mentorship Award
- The Mentorship Award recognizes SoO community member or members who go above and beyond in mentoring. SoO members should submit a nomination to the Director's Team with an explanation of why this person or team deserves the award. The Director's Team will then evaluate based on the strength of the nominee. This is a $500. If an awardee is a team, the award is split equally among the team members.
  - 2024 Recipients
    - Shannon Gilmore
    - Katy Christensen
  - 2023 Recipients: GAMP Leadership
    - Zinka Bartolek
    - Natalie Kellogg
    - Song Sangmin
    - Haila Schultz
    - Amy Wyeth
School of Oceanography Distinguished Staff Award:
- This award recognizes outstanding service to the School. Recipients are chosen by the Director of the School based on years of service and exceptional dedication to the mission of the School. This award is $500 for each awardee.
  - 2024 Recipient: Kirk O'Donnell
  - 2023 Recipients: Kathy Newell and Su Tipple
  - 2022 Recipient: Kitty Tucker

Leo Cup

Starting in 2021, one student or team was awarded the Leo Cup and received its generous financial award while also being recognized in the first-floor lobby of the Ocean Sciences Building, alongside the Leo Cup and a plaque commemorating Leo. The Leo Cup awardee(s) received $40,000 to pursue their innovative project, and these funds provided stipends for students to execute their idea, cover fieldwork expenses, project-related travel, research support, and support to pursue additional project funding over a longer time frame.
- 2023 Recipients: Morgan Palmer and Dr. Kendall Valentine
- 2022 Recipients: Iris Kern and Dr. Anitra Ingalls
- 2021 Recipients: Georges Kanaan, Dr. Jody Deming and Dr. Jodi Young