Hannah Birge, doctoral student in applied ecology, has earned a Dean’s Fellowship for the 2016-17 academic year.
Of the 54 applicants for the presidential, fling and dean’s fellowships, 17 won awards. Eleven were named dean’s fellows. The fellowships are awarded only to those landing in the top 10 percent of the applicant pool. Dean’s Fellowships provide partial financial support to students, who may accept assistantships or other work.
“To be recognized for my work at the university level with a Dean's Fellowship is humbling and reflects the supportive atmosphere and caliber of research being conducted in the Allen Lab and The School of Natural Resources,” Birge said. “Guidance from my adviser, Dr. Craig R. Allen, help from my labmates, and the resources of my home department have given me the freedom to pursue my ideas without fear of failure. This support system has also celebrated my successes, allowing me to reach my potential as a young scientist.
“The Dean's Fellowship will add to this support system, giving me more freedom to focus on my dissertation in the homestretch of my degree, which is an enormous gift to any PhD student. I am very appreciative to the University to have been awarded this honor.”
Birge studies cross-scale interactions, including soil processes, land management and nutrient cycling, that help explain the resilience of complex social-ecological grassland systems. Her dissertation will focus specifically on the North Central Great Plains.
- Shawna Richter-Ryerson, Natural Resources
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/6xb3