2007 Winner: Angela Gorczyca, a 2007 graduate of Rutgers University, is the winner of the $1000 scholarship for 2007.
Angela was an Honors student in Ecology and Natural Resources. During her time at Rutgers, she worked as an intern for the Edison Wetlands Association, and as a lab and field tech at Rutgers. She founded the RU Chapter of Roots and Shoots, a community service organization dedicated to local people, wildlife and the environment. She received Dept. of Ecology and Natural Resources Outstanding Student in Ecology Award, and the Alpha Zeta Junior Student of the Year. Her George H. Cook Scholars Program thesis was titled "The Effect of Wildflower Patch Size and Density on Food Discovery by Butterfly Species." She is headed to Duke's Nicholas School for the Environment in the fall to pursue a Masters of Science.
The pool of applicants for the scholarship this year was impressive, and the committee had a tough time choosing only one candidate.
2008 Winner:Daniel Bingham, a senior undergraduate student at the University of Montana studying wildlife biology
Daniel is an Eagle Scout from Toms River, NJ and has volunteered with the Ocean County Community College organizing a trail-clearing project.While with the University of Montana, Daniel has volunteered studying bighorn sheep parasitism and capturing and PIT-tagging salmon smolts on the Grande Ronde River in Washington.Daniel intends on attending graduate school to study the consequences of habitat fragmentation on wildlife population genetics.In addition to the applicable wildlife coursework and volunteering efforts, Daniel is the captain of the University of Montana cross country and track teams.He was awarded the Big Sky Conference All-Academic Award and the Western Regional All-Academic Award.Daniel’s participation and leadership in college athletics and receipt of associated awards illustrates that he is a well-rounded and dedicated individual who deserved the Cookingham Scholarship Award to advance his study of wildlife biology and continue with a professional career in wildlife science and education.
2011 Winner: Lauren Cruz, a junior undergraduate student at the University of Delaware
The New Jersey Chapter of The Wildlife Society announced the award of the Russell A. Cookingham Scholarship to Bayville resident Lauren Cruz, a third year student at the University of Delaware. Lauren was selected from a pool of very qualified candidates based on a combination of academics, experience in the field of wildlife conservation, and service to natural resources and the wildlife management and conservation profession.
Lauren has participated in two undergraduate research projects that focused on water quality, and on river otters. She has interned for two summers with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife at the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center. She has volunteered for the Nature Conservancy. She has maintained Dean’s List status for 2 years.
2012 Winner: Dan Mayer, a student at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks
Dan is majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife Science, and will earn a certificate in GIS and a minor in Business Administration. Dan was a field research intern studying the effect of climate change on breeding ecology of songbirds in the shrub-tundra of central Alaska. He has been a Stewardship Team Leader for the Schiff Nature Preserve in Mendham. That role found him monitoring wood turtle nests and bluebird boxes, eradicating emerging invasive plants, and maintaining hiking trails and gardens. His participation with the Paul Smith’s College Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society has included running a volunteer deer check station, building wood duck boxes, and presenting his research to his peers.
The Cookingham Scholarship is an annual $1000 scholarship made possible by an endowment from Russell A. Cookingham, former Director of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. It is intended to assist qualified students in the wildlife/fisheries or conservation education/communication field with college and related expenses. The Division of Fish & Wildlife and the NJ Chapter of The Wildlife Society partner in the selection and award of the scholarship.
