Scholarships

The Gus VonBodungen Scholarship Award 

The Gus VonBodungen Award is given to the top LA Section scholarship applicant annually. Gus was the long time Assistant Secretary of Air Quality at LDEQ. His life-long goal was to see the Baton Rouge area come into compliance with the ozone ambient air quality standard. Unfortunately he passed away before seeing that goal met. He kept a telescope in his office downtown – which faced north – so he could keep an eye on the plants in north Baton Rouge! He was a big supporter of the Louisiana Section of A&WMA and was always ready to speak at meetings. After his untimely death, the Louisiana Section named a college scholarship after him to celebrate his life’s work in improving the environment in Louisiana.

The AWMA is searching for candidates for a one-time cash scholarship award in the estimated amount of $3,000–$5,000 for two applicants. Additionally, the AWMA may choose to award more than two scholarships.

Click the link to apply! https://la-awma.org/ScholarshipApplication 

Scholarship Application General Information

Eligibility:  Individuals must meet the following minimum requirements to be eligible for award consideration:

  1. Must be a full-time student during the year of the scholarship award attending a college, university, or law school located within the geographical region of the section (Louisiana and the Sabine River Region of Eastern Texas).
  2. Must be at least a Junior and no higher than master’s level graduate student during the year of the scholarship award (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026).
  3. Must have at least two semesters (or three quarters) of schooling remaining at the time of the award (minimum Fall 2025 and Spring 2026).
  4. Must be pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree with a major in environmental engineering, physical or natural science, or public health. Students pursuing an environmental law degree are eligible. Note: Doctoral candidates and students pursuing a degree in computer science are not eligible.
  5. Must show through coursework, projects, personal interest, etc., a desire to promote air pollution control and/or solid or hazardous waste management.
  6. Must have at least an overall 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale, including all coursework through the last completed semester.
  7. Must be interviewed by Louisiana Section representatives. The interview will be scheduled by the Section after the application deadline.
  8. The winning applicant should attend the Louisiana Section meeting in October to receive the scholarship award.

The Louisiana Section of the Air & Waste Management Association is proud to announce that we awarded a combined total of $10,000 to the 2024–2025 recipients! Congratulations to every winner for your hard work in the environmental sciences. The award also includes a one-year student membership in the Air & Waste Management Association.

Application:   When the application period is open:  Only complete applications received on or before the deadline will be considered.  The following application components should be submitted:

Section 1:  General Application Information Sheet

  • Complete the attached general application information sheet.

Section 2:  Résumé

  • Enclose a one-to-two-page resume emphasizing career interests and goals.

Section 3: Interest and Award Statement

  • Provide a one-to-two-page statement of your interest in the environmental field.  Describe how the award will be applied.

Section 4:  Transcript

  • Supply a current copy of your college or law school transcript.

Section 5:  Recommendation

  • Supply a letter of recommendation from your major professor or department head which should be returned to you in a sealed envelope.  The envelope should be signed across the seal by the person submitting the recommendation. As an alternative, an e-mail can be sent from the major professor or department head directly to the contact listed below.  A recommendation letter in PDF may also be sent from the person providing the recommendation directly to the contact listed below.

Section 6:  Current Financial Awards

  • Provide a list of all financial awards, including their amounts and basis for selection (need or merit), expected to be received during the year of the scholarship award.  The amount of tuition for a full year of school should also be included.

Selection Process:  Awards will be made based on academic record, plan of study, career goals, recommendations, and financial status without consideration of sex, race, national origin, age, or physical disability.  The Scholarship Awards Committee reviews all applications received and its decision is final.  

Recent Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to every winner for your hard work in the environmental sciences.  The award also includes a one-year student membership in the Air & Waste Management Association.

2024 Scholarship Winners

These students received a total of $10,000 in aggregate and plan to utilize this money to help them continue their education.  

  • Emily Phillips-Deshotels – University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) and majoring in Environmental Science
  • Julia Morales – Louisiana State University (LSU) and majoring in Environmental Management Systems – Risk Analysis
  • Brylee Buford – Louisiana State University (LSU) and majoring in Coastal and Environmental Sciences

2023 Scholarship Winners

Three LSU Students were awarded with the 2023 LA Section Scholarships this year. A total of $10,000 in awards were gifted to:

  • Olivia Hebert 
  • Oluwafemi Awolesi 
  • Victoria Cedotal 

2022 Scholarship Winners

The Louisiana Section of the Air & Waste Management Association is proud to announce two scholarships were awarded for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 academic year.   Both received $5,000 to help them pursue their academic goals and help us all improve our quality of life.

  • Elizabeth Babalola – Graduate student majoring in Urban Forestry at Southern University

  • Madeline Fryer – Senior majoring in Coastal Environmental Science, minor in Chemistry at LSU