ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Oct. 10, 2005 - Eckerd College Juniors Jacob Brock, Elise Coffey, Heather Hunsperger, and David Nagle have been selected as 2005 Hollings Scholars. Awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program is in its first year.

Hollings scholarhips were awarded to 110 students from 72 colleges and universities. Eckerd College shares the distinction of having four or more scholarship recipients with only five other schools - Penn State University, Cornell University, the University of Alabama, the University of Maryland, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

From the NOAA Hollings Web page, www.orau.gov/noaa/HollingsScholarship: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings scholarship program is designed to: 1) increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities; 2) increase public understanding and support for stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere and improve environmental literacy; 3) recruit and prepare students for public service careers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other natural resource and science agencies at the federal, state and local levels of government; and 4) recruit and prepare students for careers as teachers and educators in oceanic and atmospheric science and to improve scientific and environmental education in the United States.

The Hollings Scholarships provides over $28,000 to college juniors to be used during their junior and senior years. Recipients major in a discipline area related to oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education, supportive of the purposes of NOAA’s programs and mission, (i.e. biological, life, and agricultural sciences; physical sciences; mathematics; engineering; computer and information sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and teacher education).

JACOB "JAKE" BROCK '07 is double majoring in physics and math. While at Eckerd, Jake performs in the Concert Band, participates in the Young Democrats Club, and has a marine paleoclimatology internship. Jake attended high school at the International School of Prague in Prague, Czech Republic. He is the son of Ann and Charles Brock of University Place, Washington.

ELISE COFFEY '07 is majoring in marine science with a concentration in biology. She’s in the Honors Program, serves as an Eckerd Ambassador, and is a member of the Marine Biology Club. Elise attended John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Manchester, Missouri. She is the daughter of Kevin and Jackie Coffey from Eureka, Missouri. Elise has interned at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg where her project focused on horseshoe crab prevalence and sizes in Florida. This past summer, she interned at the World Aquarium in St. Louis where her project focused on "Decreasing High Nitrates and Anoxia within Closed Ecosystems: Possible Solutions for Dead Zone." Elise plans to spend her 10-week paid NOAA summer internship studying humpback whale observations in Hawaii or coral reef ecology in the Florida Keys.

HEATHER HUNSPERGER '07 is majoring in marine science with a concentration in biology, minoring in biochemistry, and researching crab immunology. She is a member of the Earth Society, serves as a teacher’s assistant, and enjoys sailing and kayaking. Elise attended Presentation High School in San Jose, California. She is the daughter of John and Mary Munch of San Jose, and John Hunsperger of Gilroy, California.

DAVID NAGLE '07 is double majoring in computer science and religious studies and minoring in mathematics. He is a Ford Apprentice Scholar, an occasional copy editor for the Triton student newspaper, a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and serves as Information Officer for the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean. David attended Blue Mountain High School in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Michael and Dale Nagle of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania. David hopes to continue his United States Geological Survey (USGS) Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies internship under oceanographer John Brock in St. Petersburg. He is assisting in developing the software used to work with the Along Track Reef Imaging System (ATRIS) and plans to do thesis work involving image classification of underwater photography.

ABOUT ECKERD COLLEGE

Located on 188 acres of waterfront property in St. Petersburg, Florida, Eckerd College is a private, coeducational college of liberal arts and sciences related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1958, Eckerd is a pioneer of responsible innovation - developing programs that have been adopted nationwide and earning the college an international reputation for academic excellence. Eckerd is one of only 40 schools listed in Loren Pope's "Colleges That Change Lives" and, in 2003, became one of the youngest colleges to receive a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Eckerd's Leadership Development Institute executive education program, Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC), and offerings through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Elderhostel identify the college as a national leader in continuing education.

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