| ARRL member Ben Schupack, NW7DX, the first-ever recipient of the prestigious ARRL William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship, has won a $120,000 graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The stipend will enable Schupack, a senior at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, to undertake three years' of research in Iceland and Greenland. Schupack says that he's planning to take Amateur Radio gear along when he heads into the field. "My graduate studies will not involve radio directly, but I will continue my involvement on the air, and I anticipate bringing along radio equipment to my proposed field sites in Iceland and Greenland," he told ARRL. A geology and environmental studies major, Schupack, 22, plans to attend the University of Colorado -- Boulder in the fall, where he will be working within the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). His research will focus on the interaction between volcanic eruptions and Arctic climate variability, and he expects to undertake ice-core and lake-core field work in Iceland and Greenland. Schupack says he believes Amateur Radio played a role in his getting the NSF award, which typically goes to graduate students. In one application essay, Schupack mentioned his interest in Amateur Radio and the infinite questions that stem from studying Earth sciences. "The atmosphere, geomagnetic variations and solar conditions are among just a few of the many threads that help unravel Earth's history and predict future dynamics," he explained. He also says his background in electronics and ham radio has come in handy on countless occasions, from installing remote solar panels to measuring battery discharge cycles and interpreting ground-penetrating radar surveys. Thousands of undergraduate and graduate students across the US apply for the NSF fellowship each year. Whitman College Geology Professor Bob Carson lauded Schupack's talents and academic success. "As an undergraduate researcher, he's presented at four professional meetings, three of which were national, and they've been on four different subjects," Carson said. In addition to his scholarly endeavors, Schupack is lead trombonist in Whitman's jazz band, and he's a member of the school's award-winning cycling team. Last year Schupack took part in a semester abroad program in tropical marine ecology with the School for Field Studies in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Schupack and research colleague Elizabeth Stoner of Skidmore College analyzed the impact of fish-processing plant effluents on the surrounding waters and mangrove forests. As a result of their research, the processing plant owner's decided to use an ultra-violet filter to eliminate dumping of bleach into the ocean. Labels: scholarship |
