Resources

GES Scholarships

To apply for these Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences scholarships, please login to the NinerScholars Portal.

Lola Miller Olsen Endowment for Meteorology and Climatology

To honor the incredible life of Lola Miller Olsen, her children, Olee Joel Olsen and Sperry Olsen Krueger, established the Lola Miller Olsen Endowment for Meteorology and Climatology. Lola graduated from Michigan State University in 1966 and earned her master’s degree from UNC Charlotte in 1972. While in Charlotte, Lola raised her children, taught Earth Sciences at UNC Charlotte, coached swimming, earned her pilot’s license and studied Climatology at UNC-Chapel Hill.

In 1986, she moved to Greenbelt, MD, to work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. There, she served as the Project Manager for the Global Change Master Directory, a unique resource that makes valuable satellite data available worldwide. She also pursued doctoral studies and taught at the University of Maryland.

She was a meteorologist, climatologist and teacher whose students and interns were influenced by her passion and energy for science.

This scholarship will be awarded annually to:

  • Meteorology Majors
  • Junior or Senior
  • College GPA = 3.25-4.00
  • Recipient must have completed or be enrolled in the course of Global Environmental Change (ESCI 3101)
  • Preference for applicants from populations historically underrepresented in Meteorology or Climatology who have a demonstrated commitment to promoting gender equality within the Meteorology program

Tyrel G. Moore Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship honors the life, legacy, and contributions of Tyrel “Tink” G. Moore, Professor Emeritus of Geography and Earth Sciences. Dr. Moore trained students to observe the communities around them and elevate community voices, especially from underrepresented marginalized individuals, to advance policy work aimed at solving real world problems. Dr. Moore was a scholar of the South, an advocate for equity, a gifted teacher, and was very proud of the relationships he maintained with nearly all who crossed his path. He was a tireless ambassador for students. One of his legacies is that many students he trained continue to work as planners and geographers, advancing quality of life within the Charlotte region and beyond. The scholarship is to be awarded to an outstanding MA student concentrating in urban planning, geography or a closely related field conducting applied, place-based research. Students from diverse backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility requirements: 1) Meritorious record of academic achievement and professional potential; 2) Students in first year of MA in Geography program who have completed at least 6 credit hours in Geography; 3) Preferences: First generation college students, students proposing research anchored within the Charlotte region.

Kirk S. Ashton Memorial Scholarship Award

Carla and Kirk Ashton graduated from UNC Charlotte in the 1970s with degrees in Geography. In 2002, Carla Ashton established the Kirk S. Ashton Memorial Scholarship in memory of her husband to promote the training of future generations of geographers and, specifically, to encourage women who pursue careers in Geography by recognizing their academic achievements.

Eligibility:

Major(s): Geography, Environmental Studies, and Earth and Environmental Science
Level: Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Masters or Doctoral
Credit Hours: Must have completed a minimum 12 credit hours in Geography coursework
Preferences: Applicants with demonstrated financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid; Full time students

Dennis Bunker Land Group Scholarship

This award was established by Dennis Bunker and his wife Kathy. Their award grew out of an awareness of the value of Geospatial Analysis in Economic Geography as it pertains to commercial real estate development.

Eligibility:

Major(s): Geography
Level: Junior, Senior, Masters or Doctoral
Credit Hours: Must have completed a minimum 12 credit hours in Geography coursework
Preferences: Students with professional interests and concentrated study in location analysis and preference given to applicants from Charlotte region and North Carolina

Will and Cara Harman Scholarship

The Will and Cara Harman Scholarship is awarded to a graduate student in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences MS Earth Sciences program or an Infrastructure and Environmental Systemsd (INES) PhD student whose primary supervisor is a faculty member housed in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences. The students research focus will be in the area of water resources, ideally related to Applied Fluvial Geomorphology. Funds can be used for tuition assistance and/or professional development related to conference registration fees.

Eligibility:

Major(s): Earth Sciences
Level: Masters or Doctoral
Credit Hours: Must have completed a minimum 12 hours in Earth Sciences coursework
Preferences: Students research focus will be in the area of water resources, ideally related to Applied Fluvial Geomorphology
GPA: 3.40-4.00
Application: 250-word abstract summarizing your research and a 250-word description as to how your research contributes to the scientific advancement of Hydrology and/or Fluvial Geomorphology

J. Dennis Lord Scholarship

UNC Charlotte Geography Professor Emeritus Dennis Lord established this scholarship to recognize students’ academic achievement in the Location Analysis concentration of the Geography Master’s Program.

Eligibility:

Major(s): Geography
Level: Masters
Credit Hours: NA
Preferences: Student’s research focus will be in Location Analysis