Departmental Awards Given to Graduate Students

The Department of Geography and the Environment announced the 2012 departmental awards, three of which are awarded to graduate students. Niti Mishra received the Achievement Award for excellence in research, publication, and institution building. Jon Gehrig received the Leadership Award for leadership in departmental activities, and Sharon Adams was given the Teaching Award for teaching excellence, based on student evaluations and faculty recommendations. Vince Clause, who will be a geography graduate student in the fall of 2012, received the Undergraduate Award, which is given to a major in the department who excels through a combination of academic excellence and leadership.

The recipients were chosen by the faculty, and the award winners will receive a monetary award. In addition, their names will be inscribed on the department plaque.

Grads Win Veselka Field Award

Five Texas grads have received the Robert E. Veselka Endowed Fellowship for field work. The field grant--which was awarded to Marina Islas, Christine Bonthius, Jonathan Lowell, Richard Knox, and Katherine Lininger--helps to defray the high travel costs associated with summer field work and is administered annually by the Department of Geography. Students will be representing the University in a variety of countries, from Mexico to the Brazilian Amazon. The award honors Robert E. Veselka, a 1993 Texas Geography PhD who passed away in 1994.

AAG Specialty Groups Award Field Research Grants to Graduate Students

Ph.D. student Molly Polk was awarded the Chimborazo Student Research Grant from the Mountain Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). The award will help with the expenses for her fieldwork in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru, where she is researching high Andean wetlands and glacial recession. Molly was the only recipient of the Chimborazo Grant in 2012.

Master's student Christine Bonthius received the Field Study Travel Award (Master's level) from the AAG Latin American Specialty Group, which is intended to support preliminary or reconnaissance fieldwork for research in Latin America. Christine will use the award to support her master's thesis research on the Madeira River in Brazil.

Graduate Students Win Awards from the Korean-American Association for Geospatial and Environmental Sciences

Edward Park, UT Geography master's student, won the Pixoneer Scholarship from the Korean-American Association for Geospatial and Environmental Sciences for his paper presentation at the 2012 annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). The scholarship was established in 2008 by Pixoneer Geomatics, Inc. to provide financial assistance to graduate students in the research field of Geography, Geospatial Technologies and Environmental Sciences. Pixoneer Geomatics, Inc. is a GIS and remote sensing firm located at Daejon, South Korea, and the scholarship is awarded annually to students through the generous sponsorship of its CEO Jong Sik Yoon. Only two scholarships were awarded at the AAG annual meeting.

Joomi Lee, UT Geography Doctoral candidate, won the Sim AAG Student Travel Award for Geospatial Technology for her paper presentation at the annual meeting. The award was established in 2010 to support the work of students who implement GIS/RS/Geospatial techniques into his/her research.This scholarship is particularly designed to help meet the costs of travel to the annual meeting. Only two awards were provided in 2012.

Graduate Student Jennifer Alexander Receives Peter Gould Student Paper Award

Jennifer Alexander, UT Geography graduate student, received the Masters level 2012 Peter Gould Student Paper Competition Award from the Health and Medical Specialty Group (HMSG) of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). Jennifer’s paper is titled “Analysis of models using deforestation and malaria case and incidence rates for prediction of malaria in the Amazon region of Brazil.” This competitive award is named in honor of Dr. Peter Gould, whose work has especially influenced health and medical geography. Jennifer will receive a monetary award and certificate from the HMSG. In addition, her accomplishment will be announced at the AAG award luncheon at the annual meeting in New York City. Congratulations Jennifer!