DURHAM, N.C. - The Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû has been awarded a total of $508,050 from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to renew and expand its Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship support for the current year and next two years of the program. 

The Nicholas School is among eight host universities participating in the fellowship program including Florida A&M University; Northern Arizona University; University of California-Santa Barbara; University of Michigan; University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Yale University.

The fellowship identifies and supports future leaders dedicated to conserving the environment in the United States.  The program, launched in 1997, originated with the New York City-based Doris Duke Charitable Foundation which seeks to improve the quality of people’s lives by preserving natural environments, nurturing the arts, seeking cures for disease and helping to protect children from abuse and neglect. 

Based on the size of the school’s student body, the foundation will provide funding to the Nicholas School for up to six fellowships in 2006-07 and in 2007-08.  It also will award four additional fellowships each year to be divided between host schools, to promote diversity among the next generation of conservation leaders.

Fellows are selected by the host schools.  Each fellow receives up to $31,000 to support tuition and a conservation research project or internship at a nonprofit conservation organization.  In addition, the host university receives $5,000 to enhance career development programs. 

To date, fellowships have been awarded to 66 Nicholas School students who are pursuing Master of Environmental Management or Master of Forestry 91ÉçÇø¸£Àûs. 

The Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship is open to individuals regardless of race, national origin, religion, age disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or gender.  It encourages individuals from groups historically underrepresented in environmental conservation to apply.

This year’s fellows are listed below, by home state and town, along with their program of study at the Nicholas School and their internship organization.  Additionally, these fellows have been awarded a $2500 supplemental grant for their submitted proposal to create a leadership mini-course to be implemented in the spring of 2007.

NORTH CAROLINA
Carrboro -- Lucy Henry, conservation science and policy; North Carolina Environmental Defense

NEW JERSEY
Kearny -- Jocelyn Tutak, conservation science and policy; Nature Conservancy – Washington Chapter

VIRGINIA
Charlottesville -- Miranda Smith, environmental economics and policy; NatureServe (Hawaii)

WASHINGTON
Bainbridge Island -- Lisa Lurie, conservation science and policy; North Carolina Environmental Defense