Special Student Awards

Virlis L. Fischer Award—Goes to the graduating professional degree student with the highest academic achievement. Given by Bernice Fischer in memory of her husband.  

Drew McConville of Tolland, Conn.
MEM, Environmental Economics and Policy

Activities at Duke: Climate Change Policy Partnership (research assistant), Farmhand, intramural dodge ball, and activities related to Doris Duke Fellows (co-organized workshops and an MEM volunteer day, for example);

Awards/Honors: Doris Duke Conservation Fellow, University Scholar, Presidential Management Fellow;

Post-graduation destination: Washington, D.C.;

Future goals: “To live a balanced life and work for clean air, clean water, and open spaces.”

Sara LaBoskey Award—Given in recognition of personal integrity and academic excellence.

Carina Barnett-Loro of Durham, N.C.
Environmental Sciences and Policy, BA, Latin American Studies

Activities at Duke: Environmental Alliance, Project WILD (Wilderness Initiatives for Leadership at Duke), LEAPS (Learning Through Experience, Action, Partnership and Service), Students for Sustainable Living, Duke Community Garden;

Awards/Honors: Benjamin N. Duke Scholar, Student Environmental Leadership Award, Betsy Alden Service-Learning Award, Graduation with Distinction*;

Post-graduation destination: Green Corps Fellowship for Environmental Organizing;

Future goals: “Potentially environmental law, but certainly working within the environmental movement in some capacity!”

Naomi Schwartz of Morristown, N.J.
Environmental Science and Policy, BA

Activities at Duke: Peace or Pieces Coalition (group dedicated to creating dialogue between Jewish, Israeli, Arab, and Muslim Students). On Tap student tap dance group. Durham Noise Network Radio show (audio documentary/talk show on WXDU);

Awards/Honors: Graduation with Distinction*, Magna Cum Laude, Fulbright scholarship;

Post-graduation destination: “I’m heading to Cambodia on a Fulbright Scholarship to study community resilience to environmental change around the Tonle Sap, a seasonally flooded lake that provides up to 70 percent of Cambodia’s protein”;

Future goals: “I would like to pursue a PhD in either environmental science or policy and hopefully have a career in research and teaching.”

Thomas V. Laska Memorial Award—Given by the Earth and Ocean Sciences faculty to the most outstanding senior major.

Nicholas Lowman of Kernersville, N.C.
Earth and Ocean Sciences, BS, and Mathematics

Activities at Duke: Army ROTC, Club Baseball, Intramural Athletics, Gothic Bookshop student employee (named student manager), peer tutor in calculus, Math Department grader;

Awards/Honors: Magna Cum Laude, Dean’s List, Distinguished Military Graduate, ranked 33rd in the country of all Army ROTC cadets (about 4,500), Army Airborne School and Air Assault School graduate, named top cadet Army ROTC Program three consecutive years;

Post-graduation destination: “Serving a 4-year commitment on Active Duty as 2nd Lieutenant with U.S. Army, Military Intelligence Branch. After basic officer training in September, my permanent duty station will be in Italy;”

Future goals: Graduate school in the earth/atmospheric sciences

*Graduation with Distinction—Accords special recognition for academic excellence to students who successfully complete a significant independent research project on the environment or earth sciences.