Florida State University Awards

The FSUCML Conservation Research Scholarship

This scholarship provides a summer (only) Research Assistantship to FSUCML graduate students who are working the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around the marine lab, in any of the following areas: (1) protection and conservation of coastal and marine habitats; (2) protection of ecologically and economically important marine species; and (3) sustainable fisheries.  This award is the brain child of Florida State alumni Tommy Warren and Kathy Villacorta who created this endowment to provide support for graduate student research.

FY23 - Rachel Biton (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Josh Breithaupt) - My primary research goals are investigating regulating effects of winter air temperatures and nutrient availability on the population growth of two resident mangrove species, red (Rhizophora mangle) and black (Avicennia germinans) at an expanding range limit in this region of northern Florida.

FY22 -

FY21 - Erica Atkins (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess) - Dharacterizing spatiotemporal patterns for the accumulation of genetic diversity in a local marine bryozoan (Bugula neritina)

FY20 - 

FY19 - Alex Hooks (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess) - Reproductive success of the voracious oyster predator, the Florida crown conch (Melongena corona)

FY18 - Bryan Keller (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) - Determining if coastal bonnethead sharks use magnetic-based navigation, which is common to other marine animals such as sea turtles

FY17* - Brian Moe (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Joe Travis) - Researching the growth and life history of deepwater sharks in the Gulf of Mexico 

*Inaugural year of award

The FSUCML Board of Trustees Scholarship 

FY24

Jenny Bueno (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisors: Dr. Sandra Brooke and Dr. Sarah Lester)

Jessica Dehn (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Annais Muschett-Bonilla (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Michael Wintermantel (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Alaina Young (MSc. student. Advisors: Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY23

Annais Bonilla-Johnson (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Jenny Bueno (Ph.D. student. Advisors: Dr. Sandra Brooke and Dr. Sarah Lester)

Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Jessica Dehn (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Emily Fuqua (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Morgan Hawkins (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Julia Saltzman (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Mariana Fuentes)

Barry Walton (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

FY22

Donaven Baughman (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Rachael Best (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Don Levitan)

Randi Bowman (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Morgan Hawkins (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels)

FY21

Erica Atkins (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess)

Rachael Best (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Don Levitan)

Nika Blank (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Ashley Dawdy (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Blake Hamilton (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Sean McCollum (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels)

FY20

Rachael Best (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Don Levitan) - Understanding the Influence of Stressors on Gorgonian Population Dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico

Randi Bowman (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) - The effects of multiple stressors on four distinct coral populations

Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) - Biotic controls of proliferating coral reef cyanobacterial mats

Blake Hamilton (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) - The effects of environmental variation on trophic and community ecology in the Apalachicola Bay system, FL

FY19

Alex Hooks (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess) - Reproductive success of the voracious oyster predator, the Florida crown conch (Melongena corona)

Bryan Keller (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) - Assessing the role of magnetic-based navigation in the spatial ecology of the bonnethead shark

Kevin Olsen (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Don R. Levitan) - Factors influencing mate-acquisition in benthic invertebrates using tunicates as a model

Cheston Peterson (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) - Movement patterns of intermediate predator, the bonnethead shark, and its primary predator, the bull shark

Jackson Powell (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess) - Do marine vertebrates with multiple life stages differ in rates of adaptation to rapid environmental change? 

FY18

Barry Walton (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Mariana Fuentes) - Spatial ecology, reproductive biology, and behavior of two species of marine catfishes in Apalachicola Bay.

Bryan Keller (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) - Do coastal bonnethead sharks use magnetic-based navigation?

Kevin Olsen (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Don R. Levitan) - Genetic differentiation on the mating system characteristics of the colonial ascidian Lissoclinum verrilli.

Lazzara Family Fund for Student Success

FY24

Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Adin Nahoa Domen (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Alexa Putillo (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Mariana Fuentes)

The Matt Beard Award for Excellence in Research 

This award is given in memory of Matthew Beard, an FSU student who intended to make the conservation of corals his life's work.  Matt's research focused on coral recruitment in the Florida Keys and identified important settlement patterns.  His research was published posthumously (citation below).  The award is given by the FSUCML, with advice from the FSU Diving Control Board to the student who best embodies all that Matt exemplified as a student of marine science and as a member of the FSU scientific diving community. Mason B., M. Beard, MW Miller. 2011. Coral larvae settle at a higher frequency on red surfaces. Coral Reefs 30(3):667-676  DOI: 10.1007/s00338-011-0739-

FY24 - Lillie Bradshaw (Ph.D. student, BIO. Advisor: Dr. Sarah Lester)

FY24 - Adam Alfasso (Ph.D. Candidate, Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

FY23 - Rachael Best (Ph.D. Candidate, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Don Levitan)

FY23 - Adin Nahoa Domen (MSc. student, Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

FY22 - Randi Bowman (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

FY22 - Bobbie Renfro (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Janie Wulff)

FY22 - Nate Spindel (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dan Okamoto)

FY21 - Sarah Smith (Undergraduate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Janie Wulff)

FY20 - Kevin Olsen (Ph.D. Candidate, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Don Levitan) 

FY20 - Anthony Sogluizzo (MSc. student, Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) 

FY19 - Josh Manning (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

FY18 - Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

FY17 - Abigail Engelman (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) 

Biological Science - William R. & Lenore Mote Eminent Scholar in Marine Biology Research Assistantship

FY20

Danie Barnes (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess)

Rachael Best (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Don Levitan)

Ashley Dawdy (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Blake Hamilton (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Josh Manning (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

Jackson Powell (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess)

Bobbie Renfro (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Janie Wulff) 

Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels) 

FY19

Josh Manning (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

Ermine M. Owenby, Jr. Fund to Promote Excellence - Travel Award

Following receipt of a generous gift, the College of Arts and Sciences created the Ermine M. Owenby Jr. Fund to Promote Excellence. This fund provides support for women enrolled in any of the graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to present posters or papers at professional meetings or conferences

FY22 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FSU Alumni Ambassador Award 

This award was established by the FSU Alumni Association and National Board of Directors and is given to a student who demonstrates commitment and potential for lifelong leadership and innovation in their communities and around the world.

FY19 - Abigail Engleman (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Horace Loftin Endowment

The Horace Loftin Endowment was established to provide travel support to graduate students for their initial visit to the neotropical environment to conduct field research.

FY22 - Randi Bowman (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Jack Winn Gramling Award in Marine Biology

The Department of Biological Science at FSU awards the Jack Winn Gramling Award in Marine Biology to students based on faculty nomination.

FY20

Josh Manning (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) to track parrotfishes and establish field experiments to test the hypothesis that behaviorally-mediated patterns in individual parrotfish space-use drive spatial heterogeneity in benthic coral reef communities

Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) to help fund his upcoming project experimentally testing of rate influence of density-mediated indirect effects form multiple trophic interactions operating at different spatial scales on Cyanobacteria mat community trajectory.

Alex Hooks (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Scott Burgess) to investigate polyandry in Florida crown conch to describe polyandry in field populations, examine its effect on sibling interactions, and  understand whether the level of polyandry tracks with the intensity of parent-offspring conflicts.

Margaret Menzel Fellowship

This fellowship is offered to an exceptional graduate student in FSU's Department of Biological Science, based on nominations by faculty. Fellows are selected for their excellence in research at an advanced stage of study.

FY20 - Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) 

Mart P. Hill Endowment for Student Excellence in Biology Award 

Recipient must be a student in the College of Arts and Sciences within the Department of Biological Science. Preference will be given to a student focused in the areas of evolutionary biology and ecology.

FY22 - Annais Bonilla - Johnson (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Martin Family Graduate Fellowship in Biological Sciences

To provide support for graduate students focused in the area of Ecology and Evolution.

FY22 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Awards

John Knauss Marine Policy Fellow

FY21 - Abigail Engleman (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) 

FY20 - Bryan Keller  (Ph.D. Candidate, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY19 - Bianca Prohaska (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY17 - Brendan Talwar (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY16 - Alexandra Harper (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Jeff Chanton)

FY15 - Robert Ellis (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) 

Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship

FY22 - Jenny Bueno (Ph.D. student. Advisors: Dr. Sandra Brooke and Dr. Sarah Lester)

Dr. Nancy Foster  Scholarship Program    

FY23 - Laura Anthony (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) Laura's research focuses on how environmental variables impact the reproduction of habitat-forming deep-sea corals, particularly what variables drive the timing of spawns and the size of eggs. The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship will allow Laura to study the reproductive biology of reef-forming corals in the Papahanaumokuäkea Marine National Monument. She is especially interested in how the reproductive mode and output of deep reefs are changing due to ocean acidification conditions in the North Pacific.

University of Florida Sea Grant Awards

Aylesworth Foundation Scholarship Recipients

FY18 - Bryan Keller  (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Florida Sea Grant Scholars

FY17 - Bryan Keller  (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs), Abbey Engleman (Ph. D. student, Biological Science. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

Guy Harvey Fellowship

FY24 - Annais Muschett - Bonilla (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Scholars

FY22 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY22 - Blake Hamilton (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY19 - Josh Manning (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

FY18 - Barry Walton (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Mariana Fuentes)

FY17 - Bryan Keller (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs), Cheston Peterson (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs), and Brian Moe (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Joe Travis)

FY15 - Chris Malinowski (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Felicia Coleman) and Brendan Talwar (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

Awards from Private Organizations

American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) Foundation Scholarship Awards

FY20

Bobbie Renfro (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Janie Wulff) - Second Place Doctoral Award to support her research in examining changes in sponge communities across years with changing ocean conditions and among sites with varying levels of human-driven nutrient enrichment. 

Nika Blank (MSc. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) - Second Place Masters Award to support her research in identifying shifts in the community structure of hardbottom coral ecosystems along the west Florida shelf.

The American Museum of Natural History Lerner-Gray Memorial Fund for Marine Research

FY22 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate, Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) - Ashley will use this award to continue to study the habitat use of Atlantic cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) in Apalachicola Bay, FL.

FY22 - Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. Candidate, Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels) - Aaron will use this fund to cover his upcoming work on how microplastics pollution affects nematode feeding behaviors. While scientists understand that microplastics are toxic to organisms that eat them, they don’t have a great understanding as to why organisms feed on these particles. 

FY20 - Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) -  Ethan will document predation regimes on cyanobacterial mats overgrowing patch reefs in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico to better understand effects of seasonality on interactions between reef fishes and cyanobacterial mats.

FY19 - Josh Manning (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) - The major goal for Josh's dissertation research it so determine the effects of spatially constrained herbivory by parrotfishes on community assembly processes on coral reefs.

Explorers Club Mamont Scholar Grant

FY20 - Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) for investigating the influence of predation on the bloom dynamics of benthic cyanobacterial mats on reef sites offshore the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory.  

FY19 - Abigail Engleman (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke) for field research “Designing Structures with Chemical and Physical Properties the Enhance Coral Settlement.”

FWRI Forage Fish Research Program (FFRP) Fellowship 

FY22 - Barry Walton (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) to focus on two mid-level predators that rely heavily upon forage fish as a food source: red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus). These two species are of special interest to humans as they are typical table fare and highly desired by recreational fishers.

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Grant

FY20 - Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels) formmeasuring the concentrations of microplastics in ocean sediments in proximity to wastewater outflow into the Gulf of Mexico and in a pristine site to assess differences caused by human populations.

Ken and Sonia Smith Memorial Marine Conservation Scholarship

FY22 - Annais Bonilla - Johnson (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) Annais will quantify embryonic maternal investment at key gestational stages in the Atlantic stingray (Hypanus sabina). Further respirometry trials will assess possible differences in the physical performance of pregnant and non-pregnant stingrays with the potential to analyze changes in physical performance as gestation progresses.

Mote Marine Fellowship Research Assistantships

FY22 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY22 - Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels)

National Geographic Grant 

FY18 - Abigail Engleman (Ph.D. student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke) award for conservation, education, research, storytelling, and technology through its Committee for Research and Exploration.

National Science Foundation Research Fellow

FY20 - Ethan Cissell (Ph.D. Candidate, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) Ethan will use this fellowship to study environmental microbiology and how microbial interactions drive the different processes on the coral reefs of Bonaire in the the southern Caribbean.

PADI Foundation

FY20

Blake Hamilton (MSc. Student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs) to research the effects of environmental variation on trophic interactions, community composition, and fish movement in Apalachicola Bay.   

Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. Student, Bio Sci. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels) to investigate how microplastics concentrations in sediments change seasonally, and how the presence of microplastics influences the effectiveness of nutrient cycling by nematodes in benthic systems.

Save Our Seas Foundation Award 

FY24 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs). Learn about Ash and her research projects here: https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/ashley-mackenzie-dawdy/

FY17 - Bryan Keller (Ph.D. student, EOAS. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs). To protect life in our oceans, especially sharks and rays, the Save Our Seas Foundation has expanded its support of global marine research, conservation and education initiatives.  To read more about Bryan and his research click here: https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/bryan-keller-2/

The Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Grants-in-Aid of Research

FY22 - Sean McCollum (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy) This award will help fund Sean’s research on seagrass meadows as “blue carbon ecosystems.” Sean’s research focuses on how seagrass meadows help mitigate climate change by burying organic carbon in their sediments and how anthropogenic pressures impact their ability to provide this important ecosystem service. 

Southern Association of Marine Laboratories Student Support Program 

FY23 - Laura Anthony (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

FY23 - Annais Muschett - Bonilla (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY23 - Jenny Bueno (Ph.D. student. Advisors: Dr. Sandra Brooke and Dr. Sarah Lester)

FY23 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY23 - Kevin Engelbert (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Josh Breithaupt)

FY22 - Randi Bowman (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Sandra Brooke)

FY22 - Sean McCollum (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Sophie McCoy)

FY22 - Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. Candidate. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels)

FY21 - Blake Hamilton (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)

FY21 - Aaron Ridall (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Jeroen Ingels)

FY20 - Alexa Putillo (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Felicia Coleman)

FY19 - Josh Manning (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Felicia Coleman)

FY17 - Ryan Mackenzie (MSc. student. Advisor: Dr. Felicia Coleman)

Women Divers Hall of Fame Scholarship

FY22 - Ashley Dawdy (Ph.D. student. Advisor: Dr. Dean Grubbs)