WALPA Lake Scholarship for work on Lakes and Watersheds
The Washington State Lake Protection Association (WALPA) announces scholarships to support undergraduate and graduate students in their pursuit of degrees specializing in the fields of Environmental Science.
WALPA is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 by a group of volunteers concerned for the future of Washington Lakes. WALPA has grown to include lakeside residents, lake associations, recreationists, scientists, educators, legislators, and local and state agencies. Through WALPA, separate entities with diverse interests speak with a united voice. WALPA members financially support the WALPA Scholarship.
WALPA will award one $1000 scholarship and one $750 scholarship. The $1000 scholarship is an honorary scholarship dedicated to the remembrance of Nancy Weller. Nancy Weller worked for Washington State Department of Ecology for 13 years, eight of which were in the Eastern Regional Office. Nancy was very dedicated and interested in working with people on lakes, aquatic plants and improving the environment.
Scholarship funds may be used by recipients to cover the costs associated with education and/or research expenses. Eligible applicants must be enrolled as a part or full time, undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited college or university and be completing course work or research related to biology, hydrology, ecology and management or restoration of lakes and watersheds in Washington or Idaho. Anyone qualified is encouraged to apply. However, a preference may be given to those not awarded the WALPA scholarship in the past. The guidelines for applying are described below.
Both scholarship recipients will additionally receive a one-year membership in WALPA and a waiver of registration fees for the next upcoming conference. Scholarship recipients will also be invited to give a presentation on their research at the annual conference.
A committee consisting of a mix of academic, industry, and agency representatives will judge applications. Judging will not be done by individuals with a personal or institutional affiliation with the applicant. Winning applications will be chosen based on the quality of research topic, its significance to the fields of Environmental Science, particularly limnology and hydrology, and relevance to the applicant’s interests and career goals.
Application Procedure
Applicants must provide a statement of interests, including: research interests and explain why their research is of importance to the field of limnology and/or watershed management, career goals, and intended use of scholarship funds (one-page limit); a one-page resume; and recent transcripts of all college/university course work. A recommendation from someone in the applicant’s field of study is encouraged, but not required.
Past Recipients
2011 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Ellen Preece, Washington State University
Award: $1000 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: Accumulation of cyanobacteria toxins in species of fish consumed by humans.
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Recipient: Chelsie Strowbridge, University of Washington Tacoma
Award: $750
Project: Model nutrient sources and sinks for Spirit Lake at Mount St. Helens National Monument.
2010 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Bo Li of the University of Washington
Award: $1000 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: The impact of advanced nutrient removal on phosphorus bioavailability.
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Recipient: Carmen Welch of Western Washington University
Award: $750
Project: The diet of the recently introduced redside shiners (Richardsonius balteatus) in Ross Lake, North Cascades National Park.
2009 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: MarySutton Carruthers of Western Washington University
Award: $1000 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: MarySutton Carruthers is currently working on her MS in Environmental Science at Western Washington University. Her thesis work is focused on examining the viability of using salmon analogs (dried fish pellets) as a replacement for salmon carcasses in streams where carcasses cannot be used due to insufficient supply or concerns over pathogens. Overall, this research compares nutrient movement and assimilation by periphyton, bryophytes, and leaf pack communities in streams treated with carcasses and with analogs.
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Recipient: Timothy Caldwell of the University of Idaho
Award: $750
Project: Timothy Caldwell is currently pursuing his MS of Fisheries Resources at the University of Idaho. His current research is focused on examining the role of the non-native opossum shrimp, Mysis relicta, in the nutrient dynamics of Lake Pend Oreille. The ultimate goal will be to make recommendations that will contribute to the restoration of the lake ecosystem.
2008 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Eric Larson of the University of Washington
Award: $1000 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: Invasive benthic invertebrates in WA lakes: Distribution, landscape scale habitat associations, and potential range expansion.
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Recipient: Karoline Lambert of the University of Idaho
Award: $750
Project: Development of a reliable, cheap, and comparatively rapid allelic discrimination assay to identify Eurasian and hybrid watermilfoil.
2007 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Kelley Turner of Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University
Award: $750 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: Differences in aquatic insect communities between glacial and non glacial lake outlets in the North Cascades
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Recipient: Mel Johnson of the University of Idaho
Award: $500
Project: Protecting corridor function; the role and influence of zoning and stakeholder education
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Recipient: Brittany Wilmot of Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University
Award: $500
Project: Elwha Dam removal project in Port Angeles; studying the lake, river and wildlife of the Elwha River Watershed
2006 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Karl Mueller of Western Washington University
Award: $750 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: Shelter competition between native signal crayfish and non-native red swamp crayfish
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Recipient: Brooks Miner of the University of Washington
Award: $500
Project: Study of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in nature
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Recipient: Elizabeth Seminet-Reneau of the University of Idaho
Award: $500
Project: Lakewide impacts of residential shoreline development on large deep lakes
2005 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Joe Ravet of the University of Washington
Award: $500 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship
Project: Biochemical and Elemental Food Quality Limitations in Aquatic Food Webs
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Recipient: Hans Berge of the University of Washington
Award: $250
Project: Limnological Influences on Fish Distribution and Implications for Trophic Interactions in Lake Sammamish, Washington
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Recipient: Sarah Spotts of the University of Washington
Award: $250
Project: Research on Lake Chaplain drinking water filter clogging
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Recipient: Jenny Newell of the University of Washington
Award: $250
Project: Behavioral Patterns on Sockeye Salmon in Lake Washington
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Recipient: Chris Goodman of Clover Park Technical College
Award: $250
Project: South Prairie Creek TMDL Process
2004 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners
Recipient: Tessa Francis of the University of Washington
Award: $500
Project: Interface dynamics between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
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Recipient: Ann Richter of Washington State University
Award: $250
Project: Effectiveness of alum microfloc using enclosures at Newman Lake
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Recipient: David Christensen of Washington State University
Award: $500
Project: Interaction between fisheries management and water quality
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Recipient: Rebecca Dugopolski of the University of Washington
Award: $250
Project: Impacts of alum treatment on water quality of Green Lake