The Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia has launched a new fund to promote experiential learning and other opportunities for undergraduate ecology majors.
The Ecology Undergraduate Student Support Fund is intended to ensure that all students can take advantage of opportunities such as study abroad and service-learning courses, attending scientific meetings and workshops, research experiences and unpaid summer internships.
“The number of undergraduate students in Ecology has more than doubled during the past seven years,” said Sonia Altizer, interim dean of the Odum School. “At the same time, the Odum School offers small class sizes, service-learning and field-based courses, and abundant research and internship opportunities. As Ecology’s undergraduate program continues to grow, we have a crucial need to expand resources that allow students to engage in diverse learning experiences. Contributions to the undergraduate support fund will keep the full range of travel, research, and internship opportunities open to Ecology students who otherwise might not have those formative and career-building experiences.”
The Ecology Undergraduate Support Fund was initiated by donors who contributed during the 2021 Giving Tuesday campaign, including Odum School faculty and staff, who wanted their gifts to be used to enhance undergraduate education. It will be the school’s focus during the University of Georgia’s 2022 Giving Day on March 31.
The fund will support students participating in a number of different experiential learning opportunities. These include field programs offered by the Odum School, such as Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica and the Ecological Problem Solving Maymester course that takes students from the mountains to the coast across the state of Georgia.
Lecturer and undergraduate program coordinator Amanda Rugenski, who leads Odum’s programs in Costa Rica, has seen first-hand the impact these experiences can have on students.
“For me, it has been a truly rewarding and fantastic experience working with our undergraduates on research projects in Costa Rica,” she said. “Our students develop valuable skills, seeing themselves as ecologists asking questions and addressing ecological problems.”
The new fund will expand and diversify existing funding opportunities available to ecology undergraduates, including the Ron Carroll and Carol Hoffman Costa Rica Travel Award and the Thelma Richardson and Frank Golley Undergraduate Support Award.
Students can apply for assistance with travel and other costs associated with these programs, as well as undergraduate research, internship opportunities, and expenses related to conferences and workshops through the Odum School of Ecology Undergraduate Experiential Learning Program.
Gifts to the Ecology Undergraduate Student Support Fund may be made online or by check to UGA Foundation, Athens, GA, 30602.