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Kathryn Hobart, a second-year geology major and chemistry minor, has received the . The two-year award provides up to $8,000 in tuition assistance for both years, and a 10-week, full-time summer internship at a NOAA facility during the second year.

The scholarship is designed to increase undergraduate training in atmospheric science research, technology, and education. The summer internship provides Hollings scholars with hands-on, practical training in NOAA-related science research. The award also includes travel funds to attend conferences where students present a paper or poster, as well as a housing subsidy for scholars who do not reside at home during the summer internship.

Hobart, who is from the San Francisco area, is researching the rate of microboring infestation in modern conch shells from the Virgin Islands as a method of characterizing the way shells are degraded in different oceanic environments. For her summer internship, she says she is interested in biogeochemical processes, including the process of fossilization and climate records.

Outside of geology research, Hobart has been involved with the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Musical Theater Association as a designer, technical director, and stage manager. She credits geology faculty members Karla Hubbard and Zeb Page, as well as Assistant Chemistry Professor Jesse Roswell, for supporting her studies.