DOLORES E. FISHER SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FROM MEL FISHER MARITIME MUSEUM
KEY WEST - The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society and Museum is pleased to announce the availability of applications for the Dolores (Deo) Fisher Award scholarship program.
The $1,000 annual award has been established in Deo’s name to assist women who share Mel Fisher’s wife’s passion for the oceans and who plan to pursue a career in one of the maritime fields. The award cycle begins in January of each year and closes March 15. The 2005 application is available on the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum website at www.melfisher.org. The program is open to women ages 35 and younger. The four requirements for applying are: completion of the application form; a 1000-word essay or visual document on how the award can help a young woman achieve her career goals; a written statement of career goals; and three letters of recommendation. A six-member selection committee will review all applications and notify the winner by May 15. Certificates of honorable mention will also be awarded.
Last year’s award winner, the first year of the competition, was Erica Key, who earned her Ph.D. at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami (FL). She is presently teaching tropical meteorology and circulation for INSTAR (Investigating Nature through Science Teacher Active Research). Her application included her experiences conducting sea ice research in Antarctica.
First runner-up for the 2004 award was Leda Cunningham, a student at American University in Washington, D.C. Leda is pursuing a dual master’s degree with an MBA in the School of Business and an MA in Global Environmental Policy, School of International Service. Second runner-up was Basma A. Mohammad, a marine biological technician at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Romberg Tiburon Center, San Francisco State University in Tiburon, California. She is creating an invasive species map for San Francisco Bay and providing pertinent references to accompany the invasive species teaching guide.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is an independent, not-for-profit 501 c (3) organization that has been nationally-accredited museum by the American Association of Museums. The Museum is dedicated to the exhibition, archaeology, preservation and research of our maritime history in the New World. 2005 marks the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the Main Pile of the Atocha, artifacts restored and on display at the museum.
