SSAR is pleased to announce that it will provide funds for selected junior and senior high school students who are budding herpetologists. Our annual meeting will be held in Norfolk, Virginia from July 22-26, 2020, and provides an opportunity for young students to interact with students and professionals with similar interests and learn more about the field of herpetology. Students have the option to present their research or interests at the meeting, and the meeting is an opportunity for students and their families to learn about programs and careers in herpetology. See the following website for more information on the 2020 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH): https://ssarherps.org/meetings/.
Founders Fellowships are funded by the Weinkle Family Endowment for Pre-College Scholars, and will cover the student’s registration fees and may possibly help to defray some other expenses. These awards will support several students in 2020.
Students who wish to apply must provide the following information by email:
- A one-page, double-spaced statement about why you wish to attend and what you expect to gain from the experience. Please include your name, address, contact information, and what grade in school you will be entering in the fall of 2020. Please send this statement as an attachment.
- A letter of support from your teacher or guidance counselor endorsing your application and certifying that you are a current student at their school. Please send this letter as an attachment.
- One of your parents or guardians must agree to attend the meeting with you to act as chaperone. The parent or guardian must send an email agreeing to attend the meeting with you. Applications without this email of agreement will not be considered.
- Budget. If you need to have more than the registration fee covered, please explain what amount you would need and what it would be used for. Note that we cannot cover a parent’s expenses, and only under unusual circumstances can we allot much more than the cost of registration fees to any one student. The budget information should be included in the email message sent with your statement.
All application materials must be sent before 1 May 2020. Send to: Dr. John Maerz, Chair of the Founders Fellowship Committee, at jcmaerz@uga.edu. Only complete applications that include the four items above will be considered. Awards will be announced shortly thereafter. Checks will be presented to the awardees at the conference.
A requirement of these meeting awards is that students must provide a few paragraphs about their experiences at the meeting. (For example, Was the experience valuable, and if so, in what ways? How can the experience be improved?). This report should be sent to Dr. Maerz no later than one month after the meeting ends.
For detailed descriptions of previous SSAR meetings, with photographs, see the December 2019 issues of the society’s news bulletin, Herpetological Review.
Recipients of the 2019 SSAR Founders Fellowship presenting their research and meeting with board members of the society and prior award recipients.