FIRST DOLORES E. FISHER AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED BY MEL FISHER MARITIME MUSEUM IN KEY WEST
Erica Key, who recently received her Ph.D. at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami (FL), is the first recipient of the Dolores E. “Deo” Fisher Award.
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 around March 15. Details on the 2005 award application process are available on the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum website. Women ages 16-21 (Category A) and ages 22-30 (Category B) may apply for the award. Applicants provide reviewers a 1000-word essay or visual document on how the award can help a young woman achieve her career goals.
Award winner Key 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 is 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 is 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.
