NREM Spring Scholarships Banquet 

 

This year the NREM Department was able to award 16 graduate student scholarships for a total of $25,200. Following are photographs of those awardees who attended our scholarship banquet on the evening of April 15, 2025, along with many of the donors. Congratulations to all the awardees! And many thanks to photographer and NREM graduate student Tian Zhang!!

 

Dr. Scott Loss, Chair of the NREM Graduate Student Scholarship Committee, announces the graduate student awards.

 

 

Afanasiev Distinguished Graduate Fellowship 

Left to Right: Dr. Jim Ansley, Jayci Grosso M.S., Kyungrok Hwang, Ph.D., and Sophie Roberts, M.S. with Dr. Steve Hallgren, Emeritus NREM forestry faculty representing the Afanasiev family.

 

Dr. Michel Afanasiev was a professor in the forestry department at OSU. Eugenia Afanasiev established the Fellowship in 1982 to honor her late husband and his profession. Recipients must be NREM graduate students that are working on a forestry research topic.

 

 

Buck & C.A. Aldrich Endowed Fellowship 

Left to Right: Remy Sutherland, Ph.D. and Dylan Cooper, Ph.D. with Dr. Jim Ansley

 

This scholarship was established in 2013 by Carla Aldrich in memory of her parents, Buck and Catherine Ann, who both attended Oklahoma A&M. The recipient should be engaged in the study of wildlife management and conservation, game management and/or invasive species and their applications to agriculture.

 

 

Sally Jo Bible Scholarship 

Left to Right: Cyrena Bedoian, M.S., Dr. Jim Ansley and Shanmin Fang, Ph.D. 

 

This scholarship was established through a donation made by Mrs. Sally Jo Bible to support a program of research and education in forestry, wildlife management and/or natural resources. The fund honors overall excellence of a M.S. or Ph.D. student in NREM.

 

 

Jim and Teresa Ansley Graduate Student Scholarship 

Left to Right: Donor Teresa Ansley, Landon Neumann, Ph.D. and Donor Dr. Jim Ansley

 

This is the first year of this scholarship that recognizes special achievement in graduate student academics and research. The scholarship goes to a full-time M.S. or PhD student enrolled in any of the main topic areas (fisheries, forestry, range, wildlife) in the NREM Department.

 

 

Outstanding Fisheries Graduate Student Scholarship 

Left to Right: Dr. Jim Ansley and Wyatt Wolfenkoehler, M.S.

 

This award recognizes special achievement in academics, research, and involvement in departmental, university, or professional activities by an NREM graduate student in Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology. The student must also be active in the American Fisheries Society.

 

 

Williams Distinguished Graduate Fellowships 

Left to Right: Holly Todaro, Ph.D., Maria Bleitz, M.S., Molly Koeck, Ph.D., and (not pictured) Tian Zhang, Ph.D. with Dr. Jim Ansley

 

Established by Dr. Cletis Williams in honor of his parents to encourage graduate agriculture students. He never married or had children, but will be remembered for his commitment to furthering the education of students in the field of agriculture. Williams DGFs are awarded to full-time Ferguson College of Agriculture graduate students. Past recipients are eligible to be re-selected to receive the DGF for up to 3 years of graduate level study. This is the first year for Holly and second year for Kiera and Matthew.

 

 

Vandiver L. (Buster) Childs Memorial Scholarship 

Left to Right: Danielle Brosend, M.S. with Dr. Jim Ansley

 

Established in 2020 by Dr. Dara Childs in memory of his brother Buster Childs, who graduated with a degree in forestry from OSU in the 1950’s but lost his life in Vietnam in the 1960’s. This scholarship is awarded to a full-time M.S. or PhD student enrolled in the NREM Department who is conducting research in the topic area of forest wildlife.

 

 

Jesse Burton Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship 

Left to Right: Jesse’s parents Louise and Bruce Burton, Tian Zhang, Ph.D. and (not pictured) Matthew Turnley, Ph.D. and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

Established in 2019 by Jesse’s family and NREM faculty and staff to honor the memory of Jesse Burton, who graduated with an M.S. degree in the NREM department. The scholarship is awarded to a full-time M.S. or PhD student enrolled in the NREM Department.

 

Matthew Turnley, unfortunately, passed away two weeks before the scholarship banquet. The NREM department presented matt’s parents with a honorary Burton scholarship.