The Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) is proud to announce its 2020 scholarship award honorees.
Traditionally these scholarship winners would be announced at the FNR Awards Banquet in the spring, but the event was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Join us in celebrating each of our scholarship honorees. A brief description of each scholarship is listed below if available, followed by the recipients.
Glenn R. Allison Scholarship – This merit and need based scholarship is available to students of all majors with Purdue FNR.
- Daniel Borrousch - Daniel is an aspiring fisheries biologist pursuing a degree in aquatic sciences with a concentration in freshwater. He is an avid bass fisherman with a passion for all things outdoors.
- Margaret Delp - Maggie is a junior in wildlife biology, and pre-veterinary medicine. She is an active member of the Wildlife Society as well as a member of the fraternity Alpha Zeta, and a member of the Disney club.
- Helen Nesius - Helen is a senior in wildlife with a completed minor in biological sciences. She is an active member of the Purdue Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. During the school year, she conducts research under the guidance of Dr. Dunning where she co-leads a project focusing on Northern Saw-whet Owls. This summer, she will be assisting with a project in tagging wildlife in camera trap photos and plans to volunteer at a raptor rehabilitation center.
Daniel Borrousch 
Maggie Delp 
Helen Nesius Claude M. Gladden Memorial Fund – This scholarship, available to incoming freshmen and current forestry and natural resources students, considers academic achievement, professional potential and leadership. It is made possible by the estate of Claude M. Gladden.
- Davis Balser - Davis is a junior from Atlanta, majoring in wildlife. He spends his free time birding and enjoying nature.
- Lina Bernabe - Lina is a junior, majoring in forestry. She is taking the alternate FNR Practicum in the fall semester and will continue being involved in the Environmental Science Club and working at Wiley Dining Court as a student supervisor.
Davis Balser 
Lina Bernabe - Grace Follmar - Grace is entering her senior year studying marine and freshwater biology. She loves all things nature and is excited to soon begin a career in her field.
- Julia Godsey - Julia is a sophomore majoring in wildlife and is an avid member of The Wildlife Society. This summer she will be participating in undergraduate research at Illinois State University, examining immune function in red-eared slider turtles.
- Logan Halderman - Logan is the newly elected treasurer for the Purdue subunit of the American Fisheries Society. This summer, he will be interning with Purdue Extension working on pond management publications, as well as working as a technician at the Aquaculture Research Lab. In his spare time, he can be found at a local creek catching smallmouth and spotted bass.
Grace Follmar 
Julia Godsey 
Logan Halderman - Madison Kresse - Madison is currently working as a forestry technician conducting research under the direction of Dr. Saunders, focusing on oak regeneration. After a summer in the field, Madison will be returning to Purdue as a sophomore studying forestry and wildlife. With a passion for preserving and conserving our natural resources, upon graduating from Purdue, Madison plans to obtain her Wildlife Biologist Certification so that she can safeguard our precious ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabits them.
- Jada Laycock - Jada is a junior, majoring in wildlife. She served on the FNR Student Council as a class representative this past year and will be vice president of the Student Council this upcoming year. This summer she is working for the Indiana DNR at the Salamonie Reservoir as a wildlife technician.
Madison Kresse 
Jada Laycock - Mackenzie Lipps - Mackenzie is a junior, majoring in wildlife. She has been honored to be on the Dean's List every semester and hopes to continue this trend. She aspires to work in animal behavior and conservation.
- Mackenzie Nobbe – Mackenzie is a senior, double majoring in wildlife and animal sciences. For the past year, she has been helping out with the Integrated Deer Management Project that the FNR Department has been conducting. Her favorite part about being in FNR is that there is a sense of community and familiarity between everyone.
- Jamille St. Hilaire - Jamille is going into her second year at Purdue and pursuing a degree in sustainable biomaterials. This summer she will be working with Rachel Cook under Dr. Fei as a research assistant. She hopes to pursue graduate research in environmental sustainability.
Mackenzie Lipps 
Mackenzie Nobbe 
Janille St. Hilaire - Samantha Smock - Samantha is a senior, studying wildlife. After graduation, she plans to give two years as a college missionary for Christ and then get her boots wet in a technician position.
- Kathryn Snyder - Kathryn is a senior studying wildlife with a pre-veterinary concentration and is a member of the Purdue "All American" Marching Band as well The Wildlife Society. She is currently in the process of applying to vet schools and hopes to become a small animal veterinarian.
- Brandon Sosa - Brandon will be graduating this December. He intends to secure an internship with the Coral Reef Foundation during the spring. After that, he will be going on to earn his master’s degree, focusing his research on coral reef conservation.
- Margo Taylor - Margo will be a sophomore doubling majoring in wildlife and forestry. During her freshman year, she was involved in FNR Student Council and The Wildlife Society at Purdue.
- Emilie Washer - Emilie is a sophomore majoring in aquatic sciences and minoring in environmental politics & policies. She is currently working in the Human Dimensions Lab under Dr. Ma over the summer, and she eventually plans to pursue a career in environmental law.
Samantha Smock 
Kathryn Snyder 
Brandon Sosa 
Margo Taylor 
Emilie Washer John Oliver Holwager II Memorial Scholarship – This undergraduate scholarship, sponsored by Graham T. Richardson, is a merit and need based scholarship, with preference given to Indiana residents.
- Reagan Muinzer - Reagan is a wildlife major, with a minor in forest ecosystems, and an active member of The Wildlife Society, TWS Quiz Bowl, and Higher Ground Dance Company. She will be graduating in December and working in the field before pursuing graduate school.
- Kendal Paul - Kendal is a senior in wildlife graduating this December. This is her second summer screening samples for bark beetles through Purdue Entomology and the Indiana DNR.
Regan Muinzer 
Kendal Paul Joshua William Beam Memorial Scholarship
- Cody Moore - Cody is a junior and the president of the FNR student council. This summer, he is working at a nursery and landscaping business in Oxford, Ohio. In the fall, he will continue working toward his bachelor's degree in forestry and his minor in wood products and manufacturing.
Cody Moore Roy C. Brundage Memorial Scholarship - This scholarship, which is available to students pursuing degrees in forest management or forest products options, considers academic achievement (GPA, grades earned in FNR courses, and academic awards and recognition) and professional potential (summer work experience or co-op education, membership in professional organizations, professional awards and recognition, leadership in student organizations and career goals). The scholarship is made possible by an endowment established by R. Scott Brundage in memory of his father, Professor Emeritus of Forestry Roy C. Brundage.
- Rachel Brummet - Rachel works as a biological science technician for USDA APHIS Wildlife Services during the school year, and has worked in Dr. Goforth’s fisheries lab and Dr. Fei’s forestry lab. She is also the lead lab technician in the FNR Specimen Collection Lab. She spent past summers working for the U.S. Forest Service in trails/rec in Alaska, as a wildland firefighter in Montana, and in silviculture in Idaho. This summer, she will be returning to Montana to gain more experience as a wildland firefighter.
- Avery Cook – Avery is graduating in December and will be moving to Portland, Oregon. Her goal is to get her master’s degree and then focus her career on wildlife.
- Krista Marshall - Krista is a senior, double majoring in wildlife and forestry. She’s an active member of Purdue’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society and enjoys the cinema, antiquing, and a good book.
Rachel Brummet 
Avery Cook 
Krista Marshall Ewbank-Bishop Endowed Scholarship in Forestry & Natural Resources – This scholarship, which is available to students majoring in forestry or wood products manufacturing technology, considers academic performance, demonstrated leadership family involvement in the timber industry or work experience related to the timber industry. This scholarship is made possible by an endowment established and funded by Thomas A. Ewbank, Edward L. Ewbank and Alice Ewbank Bishop.
- Jacob Amft – Jacob is a senior in forestry with minors in urban forestry and wildlife. He will be the vice president for Society of American Foresters and Purdue Student Society of Arboriculture next school year. This summer, he is working with the US Forest Service on a wildland firefighting fuels crew in Idaho.
- Wyatt Crowel
- Joseph Dreiman
- Russell Duke – Russell is a senior double majoring in wildlife and forestry with a minor in urban forestry. He is a member of the All-American Marching Band, and student representative of The Wildlife Society. He is currently conducting research on oak regeneration at NSA Crane in Dr. Swihart’s lab.
- Phoebe Habeck
- Robert Martin - Robert is a sophomore studying forestry. He enjoys participating in the Society of American Foresters. He also is active in the Purdue Collegiate 4-H.
Jacob Amft 
Russell Duke 
Robert Martin Richard G. Reid Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to forestry majors.
- Mae Watson - Mae is graduating in December and hopes to continue to build her wildlife and forestry experience by working for a state or federal agency. Throughout her time at Purdue, Mae has been able to work on many different research projects studying trees, American burying beetles, saw-whet owls, packrats, and anurans. It is because of the opportunities provided by the FNR Department that Mae was able to study forestry in Ireland and travel to 10 additional countries. Mae is extremely grateful to all her professors, classmates, and FNR administrators for making the past 4.5 years some of the best in her life.
Mae Watson John Senft Endowed Forestry Scholarship – This merit-based scholarship is available in-state undergraduate FNR students. It is sponsored by John W. Dant III and Ginny B. Dant.
- Amanda Heltzel - Amanda is a senior, majoring in Wildlife and minoring in Aquatic Sciences. She will be spending her summer conducting avian point counts and vegetation surveys in the Ozarks for the US Forest Service and the University of Missouri.
Amanada Heltzel Coal Creek Pheasants Forever – Don Bickel Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to a student with an interest in game birds, typically a wildlife student. It is made possible by the Coal Creek chapter of Pheasants Forever.
- Tabitha Olsen - Tabitha is a senior conducting research on Northern Saw-whet Owls in Dr. Dunning’s lab. She aspires to be an ornithologist and attend graduate school following her time at Purdue.
Tabithat Olsen Pike Lumber Company Scholarship – This scholarship, which is available to sophomores, junior and seniors in forestry, considers academic achievement, demonstrated interest in forestry and leadership.
- Elzbieta Woronowicz
Bartlett Tree Foundation Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to students who have completed at least one year of study with a 2.00 GPA or better, that have demonstrated an interest in urban forestry/arboriculture.
- Tate Allen – Tate is a senior, studying forestry with a concentration in urban forestry. He is currently the president of the Student Society of Arboriculture (PSSA) along with being the student council representative for the Forest Products Society (FPS). He is working in Lafayette this summer at a local tree service company called T-N-T Tree Service. Tate is beyond grateful for being awarded this scholarship, and he would like to say thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts and everyone in the FNR Department that generously chose him for this award.
- Esther Mussman - Esther is a junior, majoring in forestry. She was originally going to be working for the Forest Service in Alaska this summer, but that was cancelled. Now she plans to spend her summer conducting gypsy moth surveys with the Indiana DNR.
Tate Allen 
Esther Mussman Charles H. Michler Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher in Forest Biology – This scholarship recognizes the top graduate student in the forestry disciplines of biometrics, forest ecology, silviculture, soils, tree genetics or tree physiology. This award is funding by an endowment established in 2007 by Anthony S. Davis and Amy L. Ross-Davis in honors of the first director of the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC), Dr. Charles H. Michler. The HTIRC is a cooperative endeavor between Purdue FNR, the USDA Forest Service, the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association and the Walnut Council, whose mission is to preserve and improve the genetic material of hardwood trees in the Central Hardwoods Region.
- Aishwarya Chandrasekaran - Aishwarya is currently completing her master's work on “Employing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Studying Hardwood Species.” She will be continuing her PhD with Purdue FNR under the direction of Dr. Guofan Shao. Her project will focus on hardwood species classification using deep learning techniques. She aspires to have a future in academia after finishing her PhD.
- Sarah Cuprewich - Sarah is a master’s student in Dr. Saunders’ lab. Her research focuses on the effects of prescribed fire on oak regeneration in the Central Hardwood Region, including the impacts on mycorrhizal fungi communities. She can’t wait to continue training her dog, Marla, to hunt for truffles!
- Madeline Montague - Madeline is a master’s student in the Jacobs Lab, based at the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC) and Purdue FNR. She researches carbohydrate allocation and below-ground competition of American chestnut in mixed-species plantings.
Aishwarya Chadrasekaran 
Sarah Cuprewich 
Madeline Montague Fischer Forestry Fund Graduate Student Scholarship – This scholarship, available to graduate students seeking degrees in silviculture or involved in silviculture research, was established by Dr. Burnell and Ermell M. Fischer and Burnell C. and Barbara L. Fischer.
- Aziz Ebrahimi - Aziz is research assistant under the direction of Dr. Douglass Jacobs. He is interested in phylogeny analysis of Juglandacea family across the world, and try to use genetics and genomics data to address related questions.
Aziz Ebrahimi 
