UA Scores High in Academics with Two Hollings Scholars

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama’s best and brightest students are again being nationally recognized for their top-notch research.

Two UA students will receive the prestigious and highly competitive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship for 2008-2009. The students are Joy Driver of Clanton and Rebecca Long of Vestavia Hills.

For the fourth consecutive year, students from the Capstone have been recognized with this scholarship, said Dr. Gary Sloan, UA professor of microbiology and coordinator of prestige scholarships and awards in UA’s Honors College.

“This puts us in very elite company with schools including the University of Oklahoma, the University of North Carolina, Cornell University, and Eckerd College,” Sloan said. “Since the inception of this scholarship program in 2005, the University has had a total of 13 students named as Hollings Scholars.”

The scholarship provides $8,000 per year for full-time study during the junior and senior years and $6,500 for a 10-week internship at NOAA or an NOAA-approved facility during the summer between the junior and senior years. The Hollings Scholarship is given in addition to existing awards the student may already receive.

Some 110 students were chosen nationally this year. Students studying biological and agricultural sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, computer and information sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and teacher education were eligible to apply.

Joy Driver

Driver, a junior chemical and biological engineering major, is a Presidential Scholar, and a member of the University Honors Program. Through UA’s cooperative education program, Driver has worked at Southern Nuclear in the Environmental Affairs Department. Her responsibilities have included chemical inventories, waste and recycling issues, radiological data, drinking and surface water reports, and environmental stewardship programs. Driver is a member of Phi Mu sorority and is active in the Student Government Association, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Golden Key International Honor Society, and Future Alumni for Tradition and Excellence. Driver also has worked on researching fuel cell catalyst projects with Dr. Alan Lane, professor in chemical engineering.

Rebecca Anne Truly Long

Long, a sophomore chemistry major, is a member of Gamma Sigma Epsilon, Alpha Lambda Delta, Sigma Alpha Lambda, and Golden Key International honoraries. She is involved in UA’s University Honors Program and the Computer Based Honors Program. She is a Blount Presidential Scholarship recipient, and she received a Freshman Chemistry Student Award. As an undergraduate researcher, Long has worked on computational catalysis with Dr. David Dixon, Robert Ramsay Chair of Chemistry. Long has also served as a middle school mentor through Tuscaloosa’s One Place, and she works as a pharmacy technician at DCH Northport Medical Center.

The Hollings Scholarship Program is designed to improve undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research technology, and natural resource education; increase public understanding of the importance of stewardship of the environment; and improve scientific and environmental education in the U.S.