Sophomore atmospheric and oceanic science major Michael Natoli was one of two University of Maryland undergraduate students to receive NOAA’s Earnest F. Hollings Scholarship for 2014. The goal of the NOAA-sponsored program is to increase student training, environmental literacy, and future recruitment and job acquisition in atmospheric and oceanic science.
Natoli, who is part of the university’s Honors College, conducts research with ESSIC Research Professor and CICS-MD Director, Dr. Hugo Berbery. Berbery’s work looks at interactions between the land and atmosphere, monsoon systems, and the physical and chemical variability of regional habitats.
The scholarships provide recipiants with up to $8,000 per year (for two academic years), a 10-week full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility, and expenses associated with travel and housing.
At the conclusion of the internship, students will present their results at a professional conference and attend the NOAA Science and Education Symposium in Silver Spring, Md.
NOAA reported that nearly 900 students applied to the Hollings scholarship program this year, with a total of 106 being awarded.
