The Gus VonBodungen Scholarship Award 2023

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 amount of $3,000 – 5,000 for 2 applicants.  Additionally, the AWMA may choose to award more than 2 scholarships.

The link to complete the scholarship application and register is https://laawma.wufoo.com/forms/2024-2025-scholarship-awards/

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 or 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 2024 and Spring 2025).
  3. Must have at least two semesters (or three quarters) of schooling remaining at the time of the award (Minimum (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025).
  4. Must be pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree with the major in engineering, physical or natural science, or public health. Students pursuing a law degree are eligible.  Note: Doctoral candidates are not eligible. Those pursuing a degree in computer science are not eligible.
  5. Must show through course work, 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 scale of 4.00 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 September to receive the scholarship award.

The Louisiana Section of the Air & Waste Management Association is proud to announce we awarded a combined total of $10,000 to the 2023 – 2024 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:  Application materials submitted via U.S. Mail must be postmarked by Friday, April 26, 2024.  Applications materials submitted via e-mail to the contact listed below must be received by 11:59 PM on Friday, April 26, 2024. Receipt of electronic submittals cannot be guaranteed should technical difficulties arise.  Application components submitted via e-mail must be in Portable Document Format (PDF).  Facsimile transmittals will not be accepted.  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 (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025).  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.  Announcement of the scholarship awards will be made in late May or early June.

We appreciate your interest in the Louisiana Air and Waste Management Association, and your interest and work to help us all better our environment and communities.  Thank you.

The Louisiana Section of the Air & Waste Management Association is proud to announce three scholarships were awarded last Fall for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 academic year.  The three recipients were Victoria Cedotal, a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Oceanography at LSU, Femi Awolesi, a graduate student pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at LSU, and Olivia Hebert, a senior majoring in Coastal and Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Law.  They are all excited and energetic to pursue their careers to help our communities grow and develop in a sustainable and responsible manner.  They all received between $3,000 and $3,500 to help them complete their academic goals and help us all improve our quality of life.

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.

2023 Scholarship Winners

  • Victoria Cedotal – Undergraduate majoring in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Oceanography at LSU.
  • Oluwafemi “Femi” Awolesi – Graduate student pursuing a graduate degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at LSU.
  • Olivia Hebert – Undergraduate majoring in Coastal and Environmental Science; Concentration in Environmental Law at LSU.

2022 Scholarship Winners

  • Elizabeth Babalola – Graduate student majoring in Urban Forestry at Southern University
  • Madeline Fryer – Senior majoring in Coastal Environmental Science, minor in Chemistry at LSU

2021 Scholarship Winners

  • Anna Katherine Parker – Undergraduate in Environmental Engineering at LSU
  • Kenneth A. Despain, Jr. – Undergraduate in Environmental Science at ULL
  • Seija Meaux – Undergraduate in Geology and Climatology at LSU

2019 Scholarship Winners

  • Mae Anne Mangaoil $5,000 – Undergraduate in Chemical Engineering at LSU
  • Benjamin Wolf $5,000 – Undergraduate in Chemical Engineering at LSU

2018 Scholarship Winners

  • Morgan Lauck $5,000 – Undergraduate at LSU
  • Colleen Slade $3,000 – Undergraduate at LSU
  • Nayara de Souza $2,000 – Undergraduate at UNO