Faculty Contributions and NIOSH Help Fund Scholarships for 30 Students
Jan. 18, 2011
FLORENCE, Ala. – Paying for college just got easier for students majoring in chemistry and industrial hygiene at the University of North Alabama. The Department of Chemistry and Industrial Hygiene has awarded 31 deserving students with endowed scholarships, faculty contributions and grant money from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Dr. Brent Olive, department chair and associate professor of chemistry and industrial hygiene, said the endowed scholarships were initially funded when former UNA professor Raymond Isbell made the decision to retire in the early 1990s and volunteered to continue teaching for a year, with his salary going toward a scholarship for incoming freshmen from Colbert County High School.
Since Isbell’s retirement, other former UNA professors, including Dr. Charles Richman and Dr. Tom Murray, followed suit and gave their salaries to separate endowment funds upon retirement. Faculty members in the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Hygiene also contribute a small portion of each paycheck to a separate scholarship for deserving students.
“As always, giving scholarships is about the recruitment and retention of students who need the money,” Olive said. “Books can be very expensive. One of the books for my class is $200, and that’s not even counting lab costs. It’s about providing financial aid and helps us recruit and maintain students in this department.”
The department was also awarded a grant from NIOSH, which works with the Center for Disease Control to prevent illnesses and injuries in the workplace. Olive said NIOSH supplies thousands of dollars in grant money to UNA, which is then divided into numerous scholarships for students majoring in industrial hygiene.
To qualify for the endowed and NIOSH scholarships, students must make satisfactory progress toward graduation with a degree in professional chemistry or industrial hygiene, enroll in at least one chemistry or industrial hygiene course in the fall and spring semesters, maintain a 3.0 GPA in courses related to their major and keep an overall 3.0 UNA GPA.
The following UNA students are receiving scholarship funds for spring 2011 semester:
Endowed scholarship recipients:
Haley Albright, a Professional Chemistry junior, of Lexington
Jonathan Bigham, a Professional Chemistry and Industrial Hygiene freshman, of Killen
Ethan Cagle, a Professional Chemistry junior, of Killen
Justin Coleman, an Industrial Hygiene freshman, of Killen
Alexander Edwards, a Professional Chemistry and Finance freshman, of Florence
Dylan Haddock, a Professional Chemistry sophomore, of Lexington
Leslie Harvey, a Professional Chemistry freshman, of Athens
Mary McDaniel, a Professional Chemistry and Physics sophomore, of Florence
Tasha Mckinney, a Professional Chemistry junior, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
Chelsea Moon, a Professional Chemistry freshman, of Tuscumbia
Mary Motes, a General Chemistry/Secondary Education senior, of Russellville
Allyson NeeSmith, a Professional Chemistry freshman, of Florence
Allison Norton, an Industrial Hygiene freshman, of Leighton
Kathryn Russell, a Professional Chemistry freshman, of Killen
Stephen Smith, a Professional Chemistry junior, of Muscle Shoals
Corey Williams, a Professional Chemistry junior, of Russellville
One-semester faculty contributions scholarship recipient:
Allison Brown, a General Chemistry senior, of Killen
NIOSH scholarship recipients:
Robert Bailey III, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry senior, of Florence
Caleb Beck, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry junior, of Muscle Shoals
Hayley Borden, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry senior, of Killen
John Adam Butler, an Industrial Hygiene sophomore, of Lexington
Ronald Crow, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry junior, of Tuscumbia
Chris Haynes, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry junior, of Lexington
Samantha Hunt, an Industrial Hygiene, Chemistry and Biology senior, of Savannah, Tenn.
Heather Kelly, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry junior, of Killen
Kyle Patterson, an Industrial Hygiene senior, of Double Springs
Theus Rowell, an Industrial Hygiene post-baccalaureate, of Florence
Jacob Smith, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry junior, of Lexington
Clifford Stout, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry sophomore, of Killen
Hannah Summers, an Industrial Hygiene and General Chemistry freshman, of Hartselle
For more information on funding an endowed scholarship at UNA, contact Missy Pettus, endowed scholarships coordinator, at 256-765-4757 or rmpettus@una.edu.