NREM Spring Undergraduate Scholarships Banquet

This year the NREM Department was able to award 47 undergraduate scholarships for a total of $58,900. Following are photographs of those awardees who attended our scholarship banquet on the evening of April 15, 2025, along with many of the donors or representatives from donating companies. Congratulations to all the awardees! And many thanks to photographer and NREM graduate student Tian Zhang!!

 

 

Dr. Tim O’Connell, Chair of the NREM Undergraduate Scholarship Committee, announces the undergraduate awards.

 

 

Don Miller Scholarship in Forestry 

(Left to Right) Erin Martin, Dr. Jim Ansley and Dylan Owens,  (not pictured Bryce Gorr)

 

This scholarship was established in 2017 by the Don Miller Estate, the recipient must be enrolled in the Forest Ecology and Management option in NREM.

 

 

Lew Meibergen Scholarship in Rangeland Management 

(Left to Right) Jack Clark and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

This scholarship was established by Johnston Enterprises and was first awarded in 1995. A 1953 graduate of OSU, Lew served as Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture from 1963-1966, and was awarded the DASNR Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000. The recipient should be a full-time junior or senior undergraduate in NREM with a study focus on rangeland management and reclamation.

 

 

Thomas C. and Marie Jones Endowed Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Vanessa Rendon and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

This award is given to a junior or senior in NREM who has demonstrated leadership in civic and/or campus organizations and has an interest in the non-profit sector based on previous volunteer work, paid work experience, or relevant completed course work.

 

 

Weyerhaeuser Timberlands Company Scholarships 

(Left to Right)  David Wall, Weyerhaeuser Representative, Bryce Gorr and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

Established in 1972 by the Weyerhaeuser Foundation, this scholarship is awarded annually to full-time students majoring in the Forest Ecology and Management option in NREM.

 

 

Roque N. Nalley Memorial Scholarship 

(Left to Right)  Dr. Jim Ansley and Abigail Cunningham

 

Established in 2013 in memory of Roque Nalley. Roque received a B.S. in Forestry and Agriculture from OSU and an M.S. degree in Forest Resources from the University of Idaho. He served as an Environmental Scientist in the state of Washington. The award is given to top students majoring in the forestry option in NREM.

 

 

A.A. & Mary Lue Sewell Award 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Briana Crick and Donor Luann Sewell Waters

 

This award is presented to the outstanding upper-division Wildlife or Fisheries major for achievement and involvement in career-related activities (e.g., student professional organizations), academics, and work, in that order.

 

 

Walker Forestry Merit Awards 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Tyler Thomas, Brooke Payne, and Savannah Stephens

 

This award was established by the estate of Nat and Helen Walker. Nat Walker was a Forestry professor who inspired many forestry students. The scholarship is awarded to qualified, full-time NREM students in the forestry option.

 

 

Oklahoma Rangeland Heritage Endowed Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Nicholas O’Neil and Donors Mia and Dr. Keith Owens

 

This award recognizes the highest scoring individual in the range judging competition at the National Land and Range Judging Contest each year. The recipient must be an undergraduate in NREM at OSU.

 

 

Society for Range Management Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Kenna Tatsch, Dr. Jim Ansley and Brian Hays, President, OKSRM

 

The Oklahoma Section of the Society for Range Management (OKSRM) established this award in 2009 to recognize academic success and Range Club participation of a student who is in the Rangeland Ecology and Management degree option within the NREM department at Oklahoma State University.

 

 

Floyd Brown / Roger Erwin Transfer/Freshman Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley and Connor Simon

 

This scholarship was established by the estates of Floyd Brown and Roger Erwin, OSU Forestry alums. The student must exhibit potential for completion of the Forest Ecology and Management degree option within the NREM department at Oklahoma State University.

 

 

M.K. and Roberta Roberts Family Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Jackson Wallace and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

The Roberts Family ranched in the Seiling and Woodward area. Mr. Roberts believed in soil conservation and sound range management practices. The family endowed this scholarship in 2013. The recipient must be engaged in the study of range pasture management.

 

 

Faye Allene Rife Brown Forestry Camp Scholarships 

(Left to Right) Front Row: Eli Fillman, Bryce Gorr, Raleigh Holt, Madison Wright, Sharee Willis, and Dr. Jim Ansley

Second Row: Ethan Shuck, Savannah Stephens, Alayna Griffith, Erin Martin

Third Row: Connor Simon, Breanna Rawding, Alisa Hall, Abigail Cunningham

Back Row: Nolan Jobe, Tyler Thomas

(Not pictured: Gabe Cooper, Jackson Kidd, Dylan Owens, Corbet Weaver)

 

This scholarship was established by Faye Allene Brown, wife of Floyd Brown, who was in the first graduating class of the OSU forestry program. The award, this year to 19 students, assists them with Summer Forestry Field Camp expenses to the SE Oklahoma Camp in Idabel and the New Mexico Camp.

 

 

Joe Meibergen Memorial Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley and Jeremy Underhill

 

Joe Meibergen served as Vice President of Johnston Grain Company for over forty years. This scholarship was created to exemplify his many years of dedicated service to the company. The recipient is a full-time undergraduate student in NREM, with a study focus on rangeland management and/or reclamation.

 

 

Jarman Outstanding Fisheries Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Donors, Sandy and Ron Jarman (not pictured Brandon Bumgarner)

 

This award recognizes an undergraduate student studying Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology in NREM. The student must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, be actively involved with the student chapter of the American Fisheries Society, or be actively involved in professional activities.

 

 

Ted Silker Memorial Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley and Ethan Shuck

 

Established by Mrs. Cleo Silker and friends, this scholarship memorializes Dr. Ted Silker, a Forestry faculty member from 1961-1979. Dr. Silker was interested in motivating students through Forestry Camp and fieldwork experiences. This award recognizes the student who attended forestry camp the previous year and demonstrated great improvement in forestry skills.

 

 

Glen R. Durrell Forestry Alumni Association Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley and Jacob Seagraves

 

Established by the Forestry Alumni Association to memorialize Glen R. Durrell, the first Professor and Head of the OSU Forestry Department. He exhibited an untiring commitment to the development of professionalism and excellence in forestry students. This award recognizes an outstanding senior forestry student for scholarship, character and leadership potential.

 

 

Farrell F. Coplin Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Breanna Chitwood, Dr. Jim Ansley and Angelina Barrow

 

This scholarship was established to honor Farrell Copelin, who was an OSU graduate and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (1969-1972). The award is given to a full-time NREM wildlife undergraduate who demonstrates a passion and commitment for wildlife conservation.

 

 

C. Lee Clymer Memorial Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley and Dakota Doctor

 

Established by Ms. Mattie Clymer Lawless, this scholarship memorializes Lee Clymer who served as Extension Forester in Antlers, OK,1950-1977. Lee was instrumental in establishing the Youth Forestry Camp held annually in southeast Oklahoma. The scholarship recognizes the top student who completed forestry camp the previous year.

 

 

The Dave and Debra Engle Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Donor Dr. Dave Engle, NREM Emeritus Faculty, Andrew Jaurez and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

Established in 2008, this scholarship is awarded to a high achieving full-time NREM undergraduate student majoring in the Rangeland Ecology and Management option with the goal to attract first generation students into a rangeland related profession.

 

 

The Pat Daly Memorial Scholarship in Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Donors Ryan Crager, Ty Crager, Cameron Miller, Jake Miller, and Russell Vaughn from Trout Unlimited – Tulsa Area

 

This is the first year of this award. Pat Daly was Conservation Chair for the Dave Whitlock Chapter of Trout Unlimited for nearly a decade. He was a strong advocate for protecting Oklahoma’s fisheries resources. This award, created by the Tulsa-area Trout Unlimited community to honor Pat and support future generations of fish biologists, goes to a student in the Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology option.

 

 

The Craig Blair RMS Forestry Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Mary Kay Greer, Sharee Willis and Martin Beavers, RMS representatives

 

This scholarship, first awarded in 2023, was established by Resource Management Service (RMS) LLC, based in Birmingham, Alabama. It is awarded to an NREM student majoring in the forest ecology and management option with the goal to attract high achieving students from a variety of backgrounds into the forestry profession. 

 

 

Matthew Allen Scheidt Endowed Memorial Scholarship 

(Left to Right) Abigail Mulkey, Alec Schultz, Maelynn Nelson and Dr. Jim Ansley

 

Matthew Scheidt majored in wildlife ecology and earned a Bachelor’s degree in 2001. Honoring Matt’s life and love for OSU, his family created this scholarship that is awarded each year to a junior or senior in Wildlife Ecology and Management or Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology.

 

 

Dave & Merna Jo Robinson Award 

(Left to Right) Dr. Jim Ansley, Samantha Stephens and Dr. Tom Kuzmic, Emeritus NREM forestry faculty

 

Established by OSU Forestry faculty, alumni, and friends, this award honors Dr. Dave Robinson for 29 years of dedicated and enthusiastic service to the forestry profession. The award recognizes a senior who has demonstrated “special achievement” in academic performance, and also for encouraging professional development, activity, and involvement outside the classroom.

 

(Left to Right) Samantha Stephens and Dr. Tom Kuzmic

 

 

Scholarships to Those Not Able to Attend the Banquet 

 

Rigdon Memorial Scholarship 

Marilah Peters was not able to attend

 

This scholarship memorializes Harry P. Rigdon, Oklahoma’s first Extension Forester who taught forestry at OSU. Established in 1982 by Rigdon’s sister Vera and his son Melvin, the scholarship is awarded to qualified second-year NREM undergraduates in the forestry option.