Max Zavell (middle left) is the recipient of a NOAA Holling’s Scholarship. Photo courtesy of Max Zavell.
A marine biology major at the University of Rhode Island, junior Max Zavell, has been named as a recipient of the prestigious National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholarship.
The Hollings Scholarship is a two-year undergraduate scholarship awarded to sophomores that allows the attendance of numerous conferences, as well as a guaranteed internship for all recipients at a NOAA Laboratory.
Zavell will be interning at NOAA’s Center for Coastal and Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, which is located in Charlestown, North Carolina. According to Zavell, he will be studying “chemical contaminants in sea urchins or another estuarine invertebrate.”
He believes that URI was instrumental towards helping him be selected for the scholarship. This is because of the many opportunities that the University offers.
“[The school] allowed [me] to pursue different opportunities, be it different research opportunities with faculty or in labs, and even in the classes,” Zavell said.
Zavell learned about the scholarship through word of mouth during his freshman year. During his sophomore year, he really started focussing on the scholarship and applying for it.
Zavell credits Dr. Jacqueline Webb, the coordinator of the Marine Biology Program, for helping him complete the application to the best of his ability.
“[Webb] was a huge help and inspiration,” Zavell said. “She helped analyze and critique my application, and was always there as a role model.”
Webb says that one of the reasons Zavell was such a qualified applicant was his past research and involvement with the environment. This helped Zavell articulate what his goals and plans were in his application and therefore helped him get accepted.
After he graduates from URI, Zavell hopes to attend a graduate program in order to further his education in marine biology.
“[I] look forward to hone different skills and techniques and discovering what [my] interests are in the realm of marine biology,” Zavell said.
Zavell believes that the Hollings Scholarship grants him an amazing opportunity to conduct research on a daily basis, which will help prepare him to decide which graduate program to pursue.
Both Zavell and Webb encourage other students to apply for the Hollings Scholarship. The scholarship is not just limited to marine biology majors. Any major that relates to marine or atmospheric science are encouraged to apply. For more information, students can visit the scholarship’s website.
Students can contact Kathleen Maher, who oversees the application for school sponsored scholarships, like the Hollings Scholarship at URI.