August 9, 2024
Two graduate students at the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) recently received fellowships to support their research activities and progress toward completion of their doctoral degrees.
Nicole Ibrahim
Nicole Ibrahim
Nicole Ibrahim, a 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology, was selected for a Boren Fellowship through the U.S. DOD Defense Language and National Security Education Office. Named after former U.S. Senator David Boren, Boren Fellowships fund research and language study proposals from graduate students seeking to study in international regions of critical interest to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
Ibrahim, the first UMCES Graduate Student to receive a Boren Fellowship, will spend the next six months in Kazakhstan, engaging in climate change-related research at the Chokpak Ornithological Station in partnership with the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences.
"I first learned about the program from a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while I was an undergraduate," said Ibrahim. "But I never thought I’d have the opportunity to work abroad and I'm thrilled to do so."
Following completion of the fellowship experience and her Ph.D. program, Ibrahim will be required to complete one year of federal service.
Learn more about Boren Fellowships, and other related programs, at www.borenawards.org.
Sarah Endyke
Sarah Endyke
Sarah Endyke is a 2024 recipient of a Sea Duck Joint Venture Student Fellowship. Sea Duck Joint Venture, a partnership launched in 1999 with the goal of filling research gaps related to sea ducks, and Ducks Unlimited, a non-profit conservation organization, joined together to create this fellowship with the goal of increasing the number of early career researchers interested in sea duck research and conservation.
"The funding has been instrumental to my well-being as a graduate student," said Endyke. "Beyond the security of having the funds needed for my research, the Sea Duck Joint Venture also welcomed me with open arms to the seabird community, introducing me to other women in seabird research and fostering a sense of belonging for early-career researchers like me."
Endyke, who received a bachelor’s in environmental science from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2020, uses stable isotope analyses to learn more about the migration patterns of two sea duck species: Long-Tailed Ducks and Surf Scoters. Specifically, she analyzes stable hydrogen isotopes in duck feather samples collected on their wintering grounds to estimate the locations of their breeding grounds. The two-year fellowship will allow Endyke to refine these estimates by exploring the utility of an additional isotope, sulfur, for tracking bird movements.
"Nicole and Sarah are both dedicated and hardworking students who are very deserving of these honors and the opportunities they bring with them," said David Nelson, UMCES Professor and Appalachian Laboratory Director who advises Ibrahim and Endyke. "Both Nicole and Sarah are part of our next generation of environmental scientists, and these fellowships will help them achieve their career goals and aspirations."
To learn more about UMCES Graduate Student Education, visit www.umces.edu/graduate-program.
