The Mark Coleman Fellowship on the Environment
2005-2006 Coleman Fellowship Flyer

• $1000.00 stipend plus reimbursement for 3 hours of tuition and fees, expenses and travel.
• Three credit hours spread over fall and spring semester for independent research on a designated topic.
• Required public presentation and 5000 word (20 pages) report.
• Up to two available.

What it is...
The Mark Coleman Fellowship on the Environment was established in 2001 to honor the former Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. Its purpose is to give an OU student the opportunity to research thoroughly an environmental issue facing the state of Oklahoma. In so doing, the Coleman Fellow gains exposure to the ways members of different environmental professions deal with this issue. The goal of the Coleman Fellowship is to make students aware of the range of factors that contribute to solving environmental problems, and of the necessity for thinking and working beyond and outside of disciplinary boundaries. The Coleman Fellowship is an annual program. For more information about the Coleman Fellowship, please visit the 2005 Report on Mark Coleman Fellowship Program.

What the Coleman Fellow does...
The Coleman Fellow spends an academic year (fall and spring semesters) researching the background, history, and regulatory context of a designated environmental issue, as well as observing how organizations and individuals from different sectors--including private industry, government, and public interest groups--work on an environmental issue that is of concern to all of them. The student writes a report that is intended to serve as a general briefing paper for the public on the issue, and makes a public presentation of his or her findings. For details about what the Coleman Fellow does please visit the 2005 Report on Mark Coleman Fellowship Program.

How it is funded...
Funding for the Coleman Fellowship is provided by ConocoPhillips, as well as several private individuals and organizations.

The 2005-2006 Coleman Fellowship...
Up to two fellowships may be awarded in the 2005-2006 year. The student will be provided with the selected topic to which the student’s research work will conform. The Advisory Committee has decided to focus on Native American environmental issues. Two related topics were identified: a survey and analysis of what the primary environmental issue(s) are for a select number of Oklahoma tribes; and an exploration of the tribal interests related to the Tar Creek Superfund Site. If two students are selected, each student would work independently on one of these topics, though they are likely to share information and contacts. For more information, please visit 2005-2006 Coleman Fellowship Flyer.

Application and Eligibility...
To be eligible for the 2005-2006 Coleman Fellowship, a student must be enrolled full-time at the University of Oklahoma during the period of the fellowship, and must be planning to graduate no earlier than May 2006 and no later than December 2007. Juniors are particularly encouraged to apply. The successful student must be able to spend time conducting research during both fall 2005 and spring 2006 semesters. Travel to other parts of Oklahoma will be necessary, so the successful student must have the time to do this travel, as well as access to a vehicle.

Schedule...
Fall Semester 2005
August 24, 2005: Official announcement of 2005-2006 Coleman Fellowship
September 19, 2005: Complete applications due to Dalton@ou.edu by 5 PM
September 26-30: Interviews of those short-listed
October 3-7, 2005: Fellow(s) selected and announced
Fellow(s) enroll in 1 hour IPE 3810 as soon as announced
The remainder of the fall semester will involve background research, identification of and introduction to significant players in the issue in the community, government, the legal profession, and the environmental engineering or consulting community.

The Coleman Fellow(s) will be expected to work through the winter break.

Spring Semester 2006
Coleman Fellow(s) enroll in 2 hours of IPE 3810
April 10-14: Public presentation
May 12: Last day to turn in final paper
End of May: Stipend and reimbursements paid out

For further information or if you have questions, please contact Deborah W. Dalton, dalton@ou.edu