BOSTON - A student at University of New Haven in West Haven was among 5 New England students and 34 students nationwide studying environmental science and related fields of study at universities and colleges across the nation awarded grants to work at the E.P.A. in their own field.
Rebecca Andreucci, a biochemistry major from Hamden, Conn., was chosen for EPA's Greater Research Opportunities fellowship program, which provides students with a paid internship at an E.P.A. facility working with scientists in their field. The award-winning students are undergraduates entering their junior year.
"Being an award winner means I can gain valuable work experience without having to settle for an unpaid internship or worry about costs of relocation," Andreucci said. "It means that I have the opportunity to work with leading environmental professionals, setting me apart from the competition once I begin the job search."
"The studies being done by these students will help create a more sustainable future," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office. "EPA knows today's students are tomorrow's environmental scientists and engineers who will lead the way in protecting human health and the environment."
The fellowship provides up to $20,700 a year of academic support that includes both stipend and tuition support as well as $8,600 for an internship during the summer for a combined total of up to $50,000 over the life of the fellowship. Previous fellows have gone on to become government researchers, engineers at the Missile Defense Agency, university professors, and high school science teachers, and many have been acknowledged as leaders and educators in environmental health and science.
For in excess of 30 years EPA's GRO Fellowship has provided students in fields related to environmental science with the tools to succeed not only in their undergraduate studies and internship, but also in their future careers. In excess of 150 fellows have completed EPA's plan and used their knowledge and expertise in the workplace.
The other 4 students were Eden Bonjo of New York City and Spring Hills, Penn., a sustainability major at Smith College in Northampton; Ashley Funk of Mount Pleasant, Penn., an environmental studies major at Wellesley College in Wellesley; Thomas Gumbley of Cranston, RI, an economics and environmental studies major at Stonehill College in North Easton, and Allison Wood of Tuftonboro, NH, an environmental engineering student at University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH.
The solicitation for the next round of GRO fellowships is expected to be coming out this spring.
More information:
- This year's GRO Fellows: http://epa.gov/ncer/14GROfellows
- EPA's GRO Fellowship Program: http://epa.gov/ncer/fellow/
