Nature & Nurture | Campaign News

Christensen Scholarship Reaches $1 Million

Thanks to the generosity of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of founding dean and professor of ecology, Norman L. “Norm” Christensen Jr., the Christensen scholarship fund has surpassed the $1 million mark. “Leading the Nicholas School was an honor,” said Christensen. “Knowing that a Christensen scholar will forever grace the halls of the school is the greatest honor of all. I sincerely thank everyone who made this scholarship possible.”

Donors to the fund wanted a scholar named as quickly as possible, and many accelerated their pledge payments during the past year. The first recipient, Arthur Fisher, entered the Nicholas School this fall to study resource ecology.

Fisher is a 2001 graduate of Dartmouth. Excellent academic recommendations reflect his intelligence, scholarship, strong work ethic, independent thinking and commitment. At Dartmouth, he was selected from among a competitive pool of applicants to study in Africa where he conducted research and lived in the African bush. An experienced field researcher, he spent the summers of 2000 and 2001 on Mount Rainier. More recently, he worked for the California Department of Fish and Game where he has done complex field surveys, earning the comment from a supervisor that “he did an excellent job of analyzing and preparing a summary of the information."

Most recently, Fisher was an environmental and outdoor educator teaching a coastal communities program to children at the Don Lee Center in Arapahoe, N.C. Arthur said that he is interested in the interrelation of species, and in the relationship of humans to these natural communities. “I believe that a Nicholas School education will give me the foundation I need to begin a career in environmental management, whereby I can use my knowledge of ecosystems to conserve the earth’s wildlife while still allowing humans to meet our resource needs.”

Much like Fisher, applicants to the Nicholas School of the Environment come from diverse backgrounds and are among the most highly qualified and promising students. Competition among schools for the best students is steadily increasing and financial aid is often the deciding factor for prospective students. Cynthia Peters, director of enrollment services, said, “Increasing educational costs and substantial undergraduate debts often impact a student’s academic and career decisions. The generosity of the Christensen Scholarship is one way to alleviate a constraint that might otherwise push a student to select another school or career.” One of the highest priorities for the Nicholas School in the Campaign for Duke is to increase resources for student financial aid. “Awards of $2,500 to $5,000 per year can often persuade a student to matriculate at Duke rather than at a competitive peer institution. Our impact on the nation’s environmental problems will be greatest if we can continue to enroll the best and brightest.”

For additional information about scholarships, fellowships or other funding opportunities, contact Anita Brown, director of major gifts, at 919-613-8019 or anita.brown@duke.edu.