The Student Scholarship Poster Competition is intended to provide students the opportunity to present their research on timely environmental issues to a wide range of environmental professionals. Six student finalists will have the opportunity to attend the Annual Georgia Environmental Conference (August 23-25, 2017 | Jekyll Island) and participate in the final round of the poster competition. The finalists will be granted full conference registration, three nights lodging, and have the unique opportunity to showcase their research ideas to conference attendees from throughout the Southeast and beyond. (Student finalists are expected to provide their own travel to and from the conference, and are responsible for the printing of their posters for display at the conference. AdditionalEligibility & Conditions are listed below.)

Three $1,000 scholarships – one for a graduate student and one for an undergraduate student from Georgia colleges, as well as a “Southeast Superlative” for a student from a college in the Southeastern Region – will be awarded after the final round of judging at the conference. In addition to the monetary award, each scholarship recipient will be recognized on the conference web site and will be offered a complimentary registration for the Georgia Environmental Conference for the following year.

Eligibility & Conditions

• For the two Georgia-based awards, eligible applicants must be degree-seeking students enrolled at an accredited higher education institution in Georgia, with a graduation date not prior to the spring 2017 semester.
• For the “Southeast Superlative” award*, eligible applicants must be degree-seeking students enrolled at an accredited higher education institution in the Southeast Region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), with a graduation date not prior to the spring 2017 semester. *Students from Georgia may be considered for the Southeast Superlative award.
• All applicants must complete the electronic application, which includes an abstract of their poster topic, and have their major professor/research advisor submit a reference (online Reference Form – see “Students” menu) by the stated application deadline.
• Poster topic and abstract must address a timely environmental issue that is relevant to the state of Georgia and/or the Southeast Region. For ideas regarding topics, applicants may visit the GEC Repository and view past finalists’ posters. The GEC Repository is available in the GEC Lounge link under the “About” tab on this website.
• Upon review of the applications by the Student Scholarship committee, six students will be selected to move forward as finalists in the poster competition. The finalists will be notified via email, and will be invited to prepare and submit a poster design. If a selected finalist declines the invitation to attend the conference and continue in the poster competition, an alternate student will then be selected as a finalist. Upon acceptance, guidance for the format of the poster including the size will be provided to the finalists. The posters must be designed in a solution-oriented manner instead of merely stating the issue.
• Finalists will submit an electronic (.pdf) copy of their poster prior to the conference.
• Finalists will be expected to print and mount their poster in accordance with the guidelines as provided, and bring to the conference for display. An easel will be provided for poster display at the conference.
• Finalists will be expected to set up their poster on Wednesday, August 24, and should be available as directed (conference schedule will be provided) to speak with conference attendees and the judging panel. Finalists will participate in a poster session with the scholarship judges and will give a “flash” presentation to all conference attendees during one of the conference General Sessions. Instructions will be provided.
• Finalists will be expected to participate in the conference by attending topic sessions.
• Finalists will be expected to attend the evening Scholarship Awards Reception on Thursday, August 24, 2017.

Schedule

• Application submission deadline – 5 p.m. on SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017
• Prejudging of applications – May 2017
• Finalists announced – June 1, 2017
• Finalists participate in Poster Presentation Session – 9 a.m. on Weds., August 23, 2017
• Finalists’ posters set up in Exhibit Hall – 11 a.m. on Weds., August 23, 2017
• Scholarship award recipients announced at the conference evening reception at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs., August 24, 2017

2017 Student Scholarship Committee

• Ganesh Krishnan (Chair), Geosyntec Consultants
• Keith Cole, Ramboll Environ
• Alex Lehocky, Kennesaw State University
• Cliff Lewis, GA EPD
• Scott Hitch, Nelson Mullins
• Reggie Taylor, USDA
• Camilla Warren, U.S. EPA

For More Information

Dr. Jill Geraghty
678.630.3275
JGeraghty@CentergyGroup.com

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