Environmental Studies Awards
The Environmental Studies Program Committee oversees annual awards in Environmental Studies that recognize students who have demonstrated a deep-rooted intellectual engagement with the field of environmental studies.
The Robert “Bob” Black Prize
The Robert “Bob” Black prize is awarded each year to the outstanding Environmental Science and Sustainability major. Bob was a member (and occasional chair) of Cornell College’s biology faculty from 1987-2010, when he was forced to retire due to the illness that led to his death in 2012. Bob was an avid field biologist, and the primary force behind the development of Cornell’s Wilderness Field Term, wherein courses are offered each September in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area; he co-taught Environmental Ethics (with Philosophy professor, Jim White) there in most years. Bob also regularly taught courses at the Gerace Research Center in the Bahamas. He worked extensively with research students, on projects including tracking raptor migration activity across central Iowa.
The John Mark Dean Award
The John Mark Dean (Biology, ’58) prize is awarded each year to the outstanding Environmental Justice and Sustainability major. John’s career spanned more than three decades as teacher, researcher, and chair of the University of South Carolina Department of Marine Science. John coordinated and founded the Rogers Fellowship in Environmental Studies (named in honor of his undergraduate mentor, biology professor Thomas “Ed” Rogers), offered at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in Georgetown, South Carolina, and has been an active supporter of Cornell College’s Environmental Studies programs. His interests span well beyond the natural sciences, and include environmental law and policy, literature, and sustainability planning.
Izaak Walton League Scholarship Award
The Cedar Rapids chapter of the Izaak Walton League provides a scholarship each year to a student with a particular interest in ecology and environmental sustainability. The Izaak Walton League was founded in 1922 in order to promote the protection of natural resources.
Previous award winners
2022
- Black prize winner - Parker Creech
- Dean award winner - Tiffany Serra-Pichardo
- Izaak Walton League winner - Drew Bruck
2021
- Black prize winner - Erin Hosto and Kat Armstrong
- Dean award winner - Lily Fowler
- Izaak Walton League winner - Jake Engelken
2020
- Black prize winner - Cali Pfleger
- Dean award winner - Charlotte New
2019
- Black prize winner - Sarah Palmer
- Dean award winner - Mia Farinas
2018
- Black prize winner - Mari Dettweiler
- Dean award winner - Ylana Padgett
2017
- Black prize winner - John Tesensky
- Dean award winner - Robin Bulger
2016
- Black prize winner - Alexandra Young
- Dean award winner - April Richards
2015
- Black prize winner - Alexandra Young
- Dean award winner - Caitlin Huff
2014
- Black prize winner - Caitlin Huff
- Dean award winner - Carlie Ruffalo
2013
- Black prize winner - Ellen Pajor
- Dean award winner - Megan McElhaney
2012
- Black prize winner - Joe Harrity
- Dean award winner - Elizabeth Broussard