Student Awards & Recognition

The John T. Snow Study Abroad Scholarship was established in 2010 to honor John T. Snow’s 16 years of service, from 1994- 2010, as Dean of the College of Geosciences and subsequently the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, and also in recognition of his efforts at promoting international experiences for undergraduate students. 

The Pugh Pioneer Family Scholarship was established by Dr. Ed Pugh and his wife Shirley to recognize a geography undergraduate major with an outstanding academic record. Ed Pugh received his Ph.D. in geography at OU in 1996 and was a very strong supporter of geographic education in Oklahoma. 

The Oklahoma Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America established a scholarship in 2017.  It has been given out annually since. 

The Vernon & Sandra Nutter Award is presented to a student for superior academic performance. Vernon Nutter was a 1970 Geography graduate who, upon his passing, wanted to assist outstanding students in the department.

The Ralph and Margaret Olson Scholarships were established by a very generous donation from the late Ralph and Margaret Olson. Ralph Olson was a member of the Geography faculty for more than 30 years. These scholarships recognize students who have demonstrated commitment to geography, academic excellence, and financial need.

The Charles Standley Memorial Award is presented to a graduate student for an outstanding publication. 

The John Michael Caldwell Memorial Teaching Award was established in memory of Dr. John Caldwell, who earned his Ph.D. in Geography from OU in 1982. Dr. Caldwell was a professor of geography at Louisiana Tech University and an outstanding college teacher. The award goes to graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in college teaching. 

Clyde F. Bollinger was the first geography faculty member to be hired at OU, in 1920. The Clyde F. Bollinger Award is presented to a graduating senior who has shown an enthusiasm for the discipline and has exhibited exceptional involvement with the department.

The James C. Davis Geography Early Scholar Award is presented to an academically talented student who declared geography as a major early in his or her academic career. 

Created by the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity in honor of former Director of the School of Aviation, Ken Carson.

This Scholarship fund was set up by Ms. Jane Browning in honor of her mother Ms. Winifred Adams Holland, and has been awarded since 2008. 

This scholarship was set up in memory of J. E. Coulter who was the first Chair of the OU Aviation Department in 1946. He served 27 years in that capacity until 1973 when he retired as Professor Emeritus. He was selected as airport manager of the year in 1962 as he served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and was President of the AAAE in 1973. During WW II he served as a pilot instructor at Randolph and Foster Fields TX. He passed away in September 1995. He personally established this endowed fund during his tenure with the University. 

This Scholarship fund was set up by Mr. Randy Richison in memory of his wife, Mrs. Margie Richison who completed her flight training at OU Aviation and served as a Certified Flight Instructor here. She was an avid Aviatrix winning two Okie Derby Air Races and flew in two Air Race Classic competitions. She also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the 99s Museum of Women Pilots. She was passionate about encouraging women of all ages to learn to fly and inspired many to consider the field of aviation as a career. 

This Scholarship was made possible due to the generous donation of Mr. Walt Strong. Mr. Strong is the former Max Westheimer Airport Manager, Faculty Sponsor for Sooner Chapter AAAE, as well as long-time Instructor for OU’s Airport Operations Management class. 

This scholarship was provided by Carolyn Clark Powers to honor the service and dedication of her father, Tom Clark, during his lifetime. Tom Clark was a former Regent of The University of Oklahoma and served on the OU Department of Aviation Advisory Board. Mr. Clark was the principal owner of Tulsa Air in Tulsa, OK. 

This scholarship was provided by Carolyn Clark Powers to honor the service and dedication of her father, Tom Clark, during his lifetime. Tom Clark was a former Regent of The University of Oklahoma and served on the OU Department of Aviation Advisory Board. Mr. Clark was the principal owner of Tulsa Air in Tulsa, OK. 

This scholarship was provided by Carolyn Clark Powers to honor the service and dedication of her father, Tom Clark, during his lifetime. Tom Clark was a former Regent of The University of Oklahoma and served on the OU Department of Aviation Advisory Board. Mr. Clark was the principal owner of Tulsa Air in Tulsa, OK. 

This scholarship was provided by Carolyn Clark Powers to honor the service and dedication of her father, Tom Clark, during his lifetime. Tom Clark was a former Regent of The University of Oklahoma and served on the OU Department of Aviation Advisory Board. Mr. Clark was the principal owner of Tulsa Air in Tulsa, OK. 

This is a memorial scholarship fund for James M. Cook (1921–1992) that was set up as an extension of Mr. Cook’s lifelong practice of teaching and encouraging young pilots and pilot scientists. It has been awarded to outstanding students in the University of Oklahoma Aviation program since 2008. 

This scholarship was set up by OU Aviation External Advisory Board Member, Lindy Ritz, to assist a deserving Aviation Major in furthering his or her studies within the department. It was first awarded in the Spring 2018 semester. 

The purpose of this scholarship award is to recognize active KCLP leaders who have shown personal and professional growth while serving their community with a likelihood to give back to OU/OU Aviation after graduation. 

The purpose of this stipend award is to fund up to two active members of the KCLP program to attend an Aviation or related regional or national professional conference in the fall of 2023 or spring of 2024.

This scholarship was set up to honor the memory of OU Aviation May 2008 Alumnus, Dave Buckles, by assisting a flight student in the program to pursue their passion for flying. 

Mr. Christiansen is an OU alum, owner of Christiansen Aviation, Inc. in Tulsa, OK and current chair of the OU Aviation External Advisory Board.

This scholarship is provided by Mr. Tyler Kubala and his wife Taylor. Tyler is a graduate of the Aviation Program. He currently flies for an oil company in Midland, Texas. He believes in hard work as a key to success, and he will be awarding a Spring, Summer, and Fall scholarship. 

Open to all aviation majors in recognition of financial challenges.

This scholarship is awarded each semester to an outstanding Aviation Flight Major based on the collective vote from the CFI cadre for the student they feel exhibits the best flying skills, shows up prepared for all lessons, and has a positive attitude. 

Dr. Douglas Lilly was an OU professor of Meteorology, and was the first to hold the Robert Lowry Endowed Chair in Meteorology at OU. In addition, he was the Director of the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, as well as Director for the Center for Spatial Analysis. Dr. Lilly also became the State of Oklahoma’s first person to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. 

Dr. Douglas Lilly was an OU professor of Meteorology, and was the first to hold the Robert Lowry Endowed Chair in Meteorology at OU. In addition, he was the Director of the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, as well as Director for the Center for Spatial Analysis. Dr. Lilly also became the State of Oklahoma’s first person to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. 

Dr. Edwin Kessler was the first director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory when it moved to OU’s North Base in 1964. Under Dr. Kessler’s leadership, new and far-reaching Doppler radar research was conducted that would eventually lead to the development of NEXRAD, the Next Generation Radar System, in the early 1980s. Dr. Kessler passed away in 2017 at the age of 88. The Edwin and Lottie Kessler Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Meteorology was established to honor Dr. Kessler’s many years of service.  

The Kelvin and Lisa Droegemeier Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Meteorology was established to award full-time undergraduate students who have completed at least 45 hours of course work and have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA in their meteorology courses as well as direct prerequisites.

The Elbert W. “Joe” Friday Scholarship is named in honor of meteorology professor emeritus Elbert W. “Joe” Friday, who is in attendance this evening. Dr. Friday served as professor of applied meteorology at OU, as WeatherNews Chair, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Director of the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate at the National Academy of Sciences, among many other professional accomplishments. This scholarship is presented to a full-time female meteorology major in her sophomore or junior year.  

The Eric Nguyen Memorial Scholarship is awarded to the School of Meteorology student who is involved in developing and maintaining weather displays and visualizations as part of the HOOT Development lab. This Scholarship was founded by Rachael Sigler, Bob Fritchie, and Amos Magliocco.

The criteria for the faculty recognition for Outstanding Performance as an Undergraduate includes grade point average and other extracurricular activities, such as jobs, volunteer work and committee work.  

Since 2007, the Forrest W. Johns Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to a graduate or undergraduate student who has made a significant contribution to the Oklahoma Weather Laboratory, which is a student organized weather forecasting service for the OU campus. The recipient is selected based on the quantity and quality of the student’s contributions, which include leadership, forecast skills and overall participation. Dr. Mary Ann Johns provided the funding for this scholarship in honor of her late husband.  

The Tommy C. Craighead award was established in 2007. Mr. Craighead was a prominent Ardmore businessman and a major donor to the University of Oklahoma. This award is presented to any University of Oklahoma student or recent graduate who is the lead author on a refereed journal article (preferably accepted, but at least submitted) with a focus on radar studies of the atmosphere. The research described in the article should exemplify the interdisciplinary nature of remote sensing of the atmosphere using radar.  

The Yoshi and KoKo Sasaki Award for Best M.S. Manuscript is named in honor of the late Dr. Yoshi Sasaki, one of the founding faculty members of the OU School of Meteorology. Dr. Sasaki is recognized for developing the theory of single Doppler Radar wind analysis and was a George Lynn Cross Research Professor at OU. We are honored to keep his memory alive with this award. The Yoshi Sasaki Award for Best M.S. Manuscript was first awarded in 1999. 

The School of Meteorology Director’s Recognition for Outstanding Service to the Department as a Graduate Student is presented to a graduate student who has given freely of his or her time and talents to departmental activities.

The School of Meteorology Director’s Recognition for Outstanding Service to the Department as an Undergraduate Student is presented to a student who has given freely of his or her time and talents to departmental activities, such as participation in student groups.

The Mark and Kandi McCasland Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research is presented to the authors of a refereed journal article that was based on undergraduate research. Given the time for the journal submission and review process, the award is usually presented to alumni within one year of graduation. 

The Thomas Julian Lockhart Scholarship in Meteorological Measurements and Observing Systems is presented to a top performing student who has attained at least junior status and who has also demonstrated strong abilities and interests in meteorological instrumentation and observing systems.