Annual Scholarship Award Winners

Congratulations to Our Student Research Grant and Student Scholarship Award Recipients!

IAEP awarded a total of $15,000 in combined financial awards for student research grants and student scholarships to eight college or university students, consisting of two research grants @ $2,500 each, five student scholarships @ $2,000 each.

The Scholarship funds were raised during our Golf Outing Fundraiser. Special thanks to our golf outing supporters and donors!

2025 IAEP Student Scholarship Recipients

Winners of the $2,500 Research Grant:

  • Tayah Carlisle, Northwestern University, research entitled “Urban Roots: Phytoremediation Potential in a Chicago Savanna. Tayah is a Masters Student in Plant Biology and Conservation.

and

  • Michael Nawas, Benedictine University, research entitled “Goose Buster”. Michael is an engineering student in Mechanical Engineering.

In 2025, IAEP received 11 applications for five $2,000 scholarship awards, totaling $10,000. This year, it was particularly challenging for the IAEP board members to review and make decisions regarding the award recipients based on their essays, letters of recommendation, résumés, and transcripts. Each student who applies for the IAEP scholarship receives a complimentary one-year student membership, regardless of the outcome. The five recipients of the 2025 scholarship awards are:

  • Jenna Hoger — Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Victoria Smith — Environmental Studies, Northern Illinois University
  • Jack Casey — Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois, Champaign
  • Ashley Miller — Biology/Environmental Science, Lewis University
  • Christine Quilloy – Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Illinois, Champaign

2024 Student Research Grant Recipients:

Tristan Peterson, Loyola University

Research Project:
“The Role of Land Surface Cover on Infiltration and Surface Energy Budget with Emphasis on the Role of Invasive Species”

Hannah Willis, Depaul University

Research Project:
"The Presence and Diversity of the Greater Chicagoland Freshwater Mussels through Environmental DNA: a Comparison with Quality of Habitat Index” 

2024 Student Scholarship Winners:

  • Annaka Freve, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  • Dayton Gaughan, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

  • Franklin Oseyemi, Illinois State University

  • Megan Oddie, University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Lillian Holden, University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Julius Ross, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

Congratulations to all and we look forward to hearing about your progress in your environmental fields of studies.