The AEHS Foundation is pleased to offer the David F. Ludwig Memorial Student Travel Award. This scholarship was established to recognize students pursuing research in Ecology and Ecological Sciences. Dr. Ludwig’s passion for science, travel, education, and exploration are the inspiration for this award, and the AEHS Foundation is pleased to do our part to carry on his legacy. This award will be made annually at the beginning of the fall academic semester for travel costs associated with research in the field of ecology, including travel or conference registration costs to present the results of ecology-related research, or for professional development. Preference will be given to those conducting/presenting research.
Both undergraduate and graduate students of accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. are eligible for this award for travel costs associated with research in the field of ecology, or conference attendance to present the results of ecology-related research.
Up to $1000 per student will be awarded. Winner(s) will be notified by September 1st. A formal announcement of the winner(s) will be made at the AEHS Foundation Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, & Energy in October.
The Foundation is currently accepting contributions for this scholarship. Click the donate button above or send a check, payable to “AEHS Foundation/David Ludwig Scholarship Fund” and mail to AEHS Foundation, 150 Fearing Street, Suite 21, Amherst, MA 01002.
One hundred percent of your donation will go directly into the scholarship fund. All related expenses, such as administration and overhead, are paid for by the AEHS Foundation.
Dr. David F. Ludwig
Dr. David F. Ludwig was a systems ecologist, herpetologist, and naturalist. Dave had particular interest in marine/estuarine ecosystems, invertebrate biology, urban ecology, and risk/impact assessment. He saw ecosystems from tropical forests to Mediterranean deserts, from blue water oceans to swamps to alpine tundras. He turned over rocks from Philadelphia industrial yards to remote fly-in New Mexico highlands. A native of New Jersey, he obtained his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia, an M.A. in Marine Ecology from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary, and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rutgers University. As an employee of Arcadis for 15 years and Exponent, EA Science & Engineering, and the State of New Jersey before that, Dave traveled throughout the world addressing a wide range of environmental projects and issues. He taught online and university courses and published numerous scientific articles and books on subjects as diverse as the toxicology of true vipers, the historical ecology of urban ecosystems, innovative environmental assessment methods, and sustainability. For the Association of Environmental Health Sciences (AEHS) Foundation, he served as the Director of Education and Training, sat on the Editorial Board for the Foundation’s journals, and was honored with our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Sadly, he lost a hard-fought battle with cancer in 2015, and we lost a true friend and colleague. Dave’s passion for science, travel, education, and exploration are the inspiration for this award, and the AEHS Foundation is proud to be a part of carrying on his legacy.
January 12, 1953 - September 15, 2015
How to apply
1
Letter of Application
Applicants should provide a letter clearly identifying their research topic, inspiration for said research, and what he/she hopes it will contribute to the field of ecology.
Letter of Recommendation
A letter from the student’s advisor on the college/university letterhead. Letter of recommendation may be submitted together with the application materials or emailed directly to julia@aehsfoundation.org.
2
Statement of Conference Registration, Research, and Travel Cost
Itemized estimates of cost. Please include when the research, event, and/or travel will take place. Winners must provide receipts later to receive reimbursement.
3
Please note that all correspondence with applicants is done via email so AEHS Foundation must have the applicant's email address.
All materials may be sent to julia@aehsfoundation.org or mailed to AEHS Foundation, Attn: Brenna, 150 Fearing Street, Suite 21, Amherst, MA 01002.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 1, 2024
AWARD DATE: September 1, 2024
AWARD ADMINISTRATION: Travel and/or conference costs will be reimbursed directly to the student after receipts are received.
AMOUNT: up to $1,000 per student
Past Winners
2023
$1000 Winner
Corinne Vietorisz, Boston University
Ph.D. Biology
2022
$1000 Winner
Jacquelyn Galvez, University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. Integrative Biology
$500 Winner
Alexi Ebersole, University of Puget Sound
B.S. Biology
2021
$1000 Winner
Yingtong Wu, University of Missouri
Ph.D. Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
2020
$1000 Winner
Hannah Clipp, West Virginia University
Ph.D. Forest Resource Science
Click Here to See Her Video
$500 Winner
Karen Gaines, University of Kansas
Ph.D. Ecology
Click Here to See Her Video
2019
$1000 Winner
Claire Nemes, University of Maryland
Ph.D. Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences
Research: Impacts of free-roaming domestic cats on Neotropical birds during the non-breeding season
$1000 Winner
Josephine Hubbard, University of California, Davis
Ph.D. Animal Behavior
Research: How urban monkeys are adapting to human dominated environments
$715 Winner
Jonathan Dickey, The University of Tennessee
Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Research: How microbiome community structure and membership in the rhizosphere drive variation of plant phenology and reproductive traits
2018
$1,000 Winner
Joseph Kelly, Stony Brook University
Ph.D. Ecology & Evolution
Research: How microbiomes contribute to ecological distincitiveness of sponge species that otherwise lack obvious ecological differences
$500 Winner
Kirsi Oldenburg, University of North Carolina
B.S.P.H. Environmental Health Sciences
Research: The effects of degredation resistant micro-plastics on the heterotrophic capacity of coral when exposed
2017
$1,000 Winner
Angela Chuang, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Ph.D. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Research: The role of Philolema sp. (wasp) in controlling C. citricola spiders via egg parasitism in their native habitat in Spain, and comparing defensive behavioral responses by egg-guarding female spiders between the invasive and native ranges
Click Here to View Her Video
$1,000 Winner
Anusha Shankar, Stony Brook University
Ph.D. Ecology & Evolution
Research: What strategies small endotherms such as hummingbirds use to manage their daily energy budget, with particular focus on hypothermic state (torpor)
Click Here to View Her Video
$500 Winner
Noel Hamideh, University of Arizona
B.S. Natural Resources
Research: What microhabitats are available to three different species of lizards near perennial and ephemeral streams in the Chiricahua Mountains, and how microhabitat use differs or is similar between the three species of lizards
Click Here to View Her Video