WALPA Scholarship

WALPA Lake Scholarship

for work on Lakes and Watersheds

The Washington State Lake Protection Association (WALPA) awards scholarships to support undergraduate and graduate students in their pursuit of degrees specializing in the fields of Environmental Science.

WALPA is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 by a group of volunteers concerned for the future of Washington lakes. WALPA has grown to over 200 members, including lakeside residents, lake associations, recreationists, scientists, educators, legislators, and local and state agencies. Through WALPA, separate entities with diverse interests speak with a united voice. WALPA members financially support the WALPA Scholarship.

WALPA presents one $1000 scholarship and one $750 scholarship at the annual conference. The $1000 scholarship is an honorary scholarship dedicated to the remembrance of Nancy Weller. Nancy Weller worked for Washington State Department of Ecology for 13 years, eight of which were in the Eastern Regional Office. Nancy was very dedicated and interested in working with people on lakes, aquatic plants and improving the environment.

Scholarship funds may be used by recipients to cover the costs associated with education and/or research expenses. Eligible applicants must be enrolled as a part or full-time undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited college or university in Washington or Idaho and be completing course work or research related to biology, hydrology, ecology and management or restoration of lakes and watersheds in Washington and Idaho.

Both scholarship recipients will additionally receive a one-year membership in WALPA and a waiver of registration fees for the upcoming annual conference. Scholarship recipients will also be invited to give a presentation on their research at the next annual conference.

A committee consisting of academic, industry, and agency representatives will judge applications. Judging will not be done by individuals with a personal or institutional affiliation with the applicant. Winning applications will be chosen based on the quality of research topic, its significance to the fields of Environmental Science, particularly limnology and hydrology, and relevance to the applicant's interests and career goals. Previous scholarship winners can apply. However, a preference may be given to those not awarded previously.

Past Recipients

2009 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners

Recipient	Institution	Award	Project

MarySutton Carruthers	Western Washington University	$1000 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship	MarySutton Carruthers is currently working on her MS in Environmental Science at Western Washington University. Her thesis work is focused on examining the viability of using salmon analogs (dried fish pellets) as a replacement for salmon carcasses in streams where carcasses cannot be used due to insufficient supply or concerns over pathogens. Overall, this research compares nutrient movement and assimilation by periphyton, bryophytes, and leaf pack communities in streams treated with carcasses and with analogs.

Timothy Caldwell	University of Idaho	$750	Timothy Caldwell is currently pursuing his MS of Fisheries Resources at the University of Idaho. His current research is focused on examining the role of the non-native opossum shrimp, Mysis relicta, in the nutrient dynamics of Lake Pend Oreille. The ultimate goal will be to make recommendations that will contribute to the restoration of the lake ecosystem.

2008 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners

Recipient	Institution	Award	Project

Eric Larson	University of Washington	$1000 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship	Invasive benthic invertebrates in WA lakes: Distribution, landscape scale habitat associations, and potential range expansion.

Karoline Lambert	University of Idaho	$750	Development of a reliable, cheap, and comparatively rapid allelic discrimination assay to identify Eurasian and hybrid watermilfoil.

2007 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners

Recipient	Institution	Award	Project

Kelley Turner	Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University	$750 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship	Differences in aquatic insect communities between glacial and non glacial lake outlets in the North Cascades

Mel Johnson	University of Idaho	$500	Protecting corridor function; the role and influence of zoning and stakeholder education

Brittany Wilmot	Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University	$500	Elwha Dam removal project in Port Angeles; studying the lake, river and wildlife of the Elwha River Watershed

2006 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners

Recipient	Institution	Award	Project

Karl Mueller	Western Washington University	$750 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship	Shelter competition between native signal crayfish and non-native red swamp crayfish

Brooks Miner	University of Washington	$500	Study of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in nature

Elizabeth Seminet-Reneau	University of Idaho	$500	Lakewide impacts of residential shoreline development on large deep lakes

2005 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners

Recipient	Institution	Award	Project

Joe Ravet	University of Washington	$500 Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship	Biochemical and Elemental Food Quality Limitations in Aquatic Food Webs

Hans Berge	University of Washington	$250	Limnological Influences on Fish Distribution and Implications for Trophic Interactions in Lake Sammamish, Washington

Sarah Spotts	University of Washington	$250	Research on Lake Chaplain drinking water filter clogging

Jenny Newell	University of Washington	$250	Behavioral Patterns on Sockeye Salmon in Lake Washington

Chris Goodman	Clover Park Technical College	$250	South Prairie Creek TMDL Process

2004 WALPA Scholarship Award Winners

Recipient	Institution	Award	Project

Tessa Francis	University of Washington	$500	Interface dynamics between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

Ann Richter	Washington State University	$250	Effectiveness of alum microfloc using enclosures at Newman Lake

David Christensen	Washington State University	$500	Interaction between fisheries management and water quality

Rebecca Dugopolski	University of Washington	$250	Impacts of alum treatment on water quality of Green Lake