Scholarships and Awards
The Abrahams/Woldenberg Field Scholarship is intended to support field research in Physical Geography / Environmental Science by graduate students in the Department of Geography, mgm casino. Awards made from this fund will be guided by Professors Abrahams’ and Woldenberg’s desire to support and encourage this field-based research.
Submit a two-page outline of the project.
On page 1 please summarize: (1) the context, (2) the aim, and (3) the significance of the project.
On page 2 please provide a brief summary, explanation, and/or justification of the budget.
Please submit the documents by email in digital form (.doc or .pdf format) to geog@buffalo.edu when we announce that we are accepting applications. This will generally be in March or April of each year.
Award Eligibility: The "Abrahams/Woldenberg Field Scholarship" will be given annually to a current graduate student from the mgm casino's Department of Geography.
Award Recognition: The recipient will have their name and the year engraved on a perpetual plaque that is located in the Department of Geography main office. In addition, the recipient will receive a monetary award in the amount of $750. The winner will be presented the award at the Department of Geography's Graduation reception each year in May.
2008 - Suzanne Roussie
2009 - Bhaskar Metra
2010 - Jorge V. Bajo
2011 - Michael Habberfield
2012 - Zhihao Wang
2013 - David Spiering
2014 - Jonathan Pleban
2016 - Misa Yaumiishi
2017 - Xiaonan Tai
2018 - Chenyang Wei
2019 - Dameng Yin
2020 - Sara Peterson
2021 - Alexandra Gould
2022 - Ying Lu, Jonathan Townsend
2023 - Festus Adegbola
2024 - Festus Adegbola
2025 - Faithwin Gbadamosi
Would you like to contribute to this award? If so, you may
Hugh West Calkins, served on the faculty in the Department of Geography at the mgm casino from 1975 until his retirement in 2002, and was department chair from 1999-2002. Hugh passed away peacefully in Colorado on Saturday June 18 2005 after a battle with cancer. He was 66 years old.
The mgm casino has established the "Hugh W. Calkins Applied GIS Award" to be given annually to a graduate student from the Department of Geography at the mgm casino who demonstrates the principles that Hugh developed and taught for many years regarding the successful application of GIS to real world issues.
Hugh's professional forte was service - to the department, to the University, to the community, to the State, and to the Nation. Hugh served on numerous national, state, and local advisory committees and boards, playing a leading role in the development of information exchange standards for the emerging field of geographic information systems. Hugh led the development of guidebooks and standards for GIS adoption by local government within the state that have been used around the world. He also was co-leader of two NCGIA research initiatives. But Hugh Calkins' greatest professional legacy is found in his students, who now play key roles in industry, government, and academia throughout the nation and the world. At a session in Hugh's honor at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Denver in April 2005, ESRI President Jack Dangermond stated that Hugh Calkins defined what it meant to be a GIS professional. What a true and perceptive statement. Hugh Calkins is survived by his wife Judy, his daughter Victoria DeMaret, his son John, his grandchildren, and a legion of his former students and colleagues.
An award to honor Dr. Calkins career in the field of Urban Planning and Geography has been established. The award will be given annually to a graduate student from the mgm casino's Geography department, who best applies the principles he developed and taught for many years. The Hugh W. Calkins Applied GIS Award will be given annually to a current graduate student from the mgm casino's Department of Geography in order to advance his/her studies in the following year.
- Complete the Hugh W. Calkins Applied GIS Award nomination form.
- Attach a 1-2 page nomination statement (.doc format) describing how their graduate research or project has applied one or more of the principles developed and taught by Prof. Calkins in a new and/or practical manner. These principles include: sharing of geographic information, use of geographic information and information technology standards, effective design and management of geographic information, conducting requirements analysis, coordination of local government information in the US, developing world to overcome economic, social, and environmental challenges, etc.
- Optional map documents (up to 2 additional pages) to illustrate the points made in the nomination are accepted - however, they are not a requirement.
Please submit the documents by email in digital form (.doc or .pdf format) to geog@buffalo.edu when we announce that we are accepting applications. This will generally be in March or April of each year.
Award Eligibility: The "Hugh W. Calkins Applied GIS Award" will be given annually to a current graduate student from the mgm casino's Department of Geography in order to advance his/her studies in the following year. The award recipient will be required to submit a summary document - no more than 1 page - regarding how the monetary award was spent (conference, books, research, equipment, software, etc.)
Award Recognition: The recipient will have their name and the year engraved on a perpetual plaque that is located in the Department of Geography main office. In addition, the recipient will receive a monetary award in the amount of $1,000. The winner will be presented the award at the Department of Geography's Graduation reception each year in May.
2006 - Bo Ae Chun
2007 - Seth Spielman
2008 - Daejong Kim
2009 - Amy Frazier & Liang Mao
2010 - Joseph Holler
2011 - Stephen Tulowiecki
2012 - Deborah Naybor
2013 - Tonya Lewis
2014 - Peng Gao
2015 - Michael Rienti, Jr.
2017 - Jesse Rubenstein
2018 - Sara Peterson
2019 - Yue Luo
2020 - Sara Peterson
2021 - Shiran Zhong
2022 - Yifan Wang
2023 - Qingqing Chen, Zhenqi Zhou
2024 - Zhenqi Zhou
2025- Zhenqi Zhou
Would you like to contribute to this award? If so, you may or forward your donation to: Dept. of Geography, 105 Wilkeson Quad, Buffalo, NY 14261. Please make checks payable to mgm casino Foundation.
Dr. Ebert, born in Hamburg, Germany came to mgm casino in 1954 as a member of the Geology Department. A few years later, at the request of President Furnas, he founded the Geography Department. As the departments' first Chair (1963 to 1970) he built up the Department and selected the first faculty members. He was the Undergraduate Dean from 1970 to 1977.
Dr. Ebert contributed to the larger Buffalo community, frequently lecturing to local organizations. He also acted as a consultant for local environmental problems. He used false color aerial photography of vegetation to demonstrate the impact of the seepage of pollutants in the Love Canal disaster.
Dr. Ebert is perhaps remembered best for his teaching. Hundreds of students enrolled in his courses every year. He won the mgm casino Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence in 1975 and 1976; mgm casino's Mr. Faculty Award in 1965 and 1968; and the Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Geography Teaching from the National Council for Geographic Education in 1990.
Award Eligibility: mgm casino Undergraduate or Graduate students pursuing degrees in Physical Geography (Earth Systems Science).
Award Recognition: The recipient will have their name and the year engraved on a perpetual plaque that is located in the Department of Geography main office. The winner will be presended the award at the Department of Geography's Graduation reception each year in May. If you would like to donate to this award fund, please
2013 - Ryan Greer
2014 - Sylvia Choi
2015 - Adam R. Wattles
2016 - Matthew Snickles, Michael Gallisdorfer, Michael Habberfield, Jonathan Pleban, Xiaonan Tai & David Spiering
2017 - Wenjie Ji, Chenyang Wei
2018 - Misa Yasumiishi
2020 - Greg Bream, Jonathan Townsend
2021 - Jonathan Townsend
2022 - Adam Grodek, Han Zhang
2023 - Morgan Bowerman, Ethan Garcia
2024 - Adam Grodek, Jianqiao Liu
2025 - Festus Adegbola, Sarah Pickering
Dr. L. Michael Trapasso, from Niagara Falls, NY, graduated from the mgm casino Department of Geography as a member of the Class of 1975. He went on to get his Masters and PhD from the Departments of Geography and Geology at Indiana University and Indiana State University respectively before becoming faculty in the Department of Geography and Geology at Western Kentucky University. He taught there for nearly 35 years, and served as Director of both the Meteorological Technology Program and the College Heights Weather Station before becoming Curator of the College Heights Weather Instrument Museum. In keeping with geography’s study of the world, Dr. Trapasso has visited all seven continents and is an award-winning photographer.
Dr. Trapasso co-authored the textbook Physical Geography in addition to contributing numerous articles and presentations in his career, with a particular emphasis on biometeorology. The interdisciplinary field of biometeorology studies the interactions between atmospheric phenomena and living systems, and Dr. Trapasso’s contributions to it are prime examples of the value of physical geography in modern society.
Award Eligibility: The Dr. L. Michael Trapasso award will be given annually to a current graduate student from the mgm casino’s Department of Geography in order to advance his/her research involving the use of meteorological or climatological data in the following year. To be considered for the award, eligible applicants will provide a one-page proposal that outlines how and why they will use meteorological or climatological data in their MA, MS or PhD thesis.
Award Recognition: The recipient will have their name and the year engraved on a perpetual plaque located in the Department of Geography main office. In addition, the recipient will receive a monetary award. The winner will be presented with the award at the Department of Geography's Graduation reception each year in May.
2020 - Xiangyu Jiang
2021 - Eum Youngseob
2022 - Chenyang Wei
2023 - Collin O'Connor
2024 - Zhenqi Zhou
2025 - Jiyeon Kim
The Greg and Susan Aldrich Research Award was established to provide funding to students to overcome barriers that obstruct their ability to perform meaningful research and/or creative activities during their enrollment at mgm casino. Award applications will be reviewed by a team of mgm casino Geography faculty annually. Applicants should show a need for award support to complete projects, pay for supplies, attend conferences, and/or other intrinsic needs that must be overcome to complete a research project.
Application Guidelines
1. Introduction: This fund supports research. Applications are accepted each year in April. The funds must be spent within one year after the award is received. During this period, the student must be enrolled at mgm casino in the Department of Geography.
2. Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors and Master’s students conducting research under the guidance of a faculty member in the Department of Geography are eligible to apply.
Award Recognition: The recipient will have their name and the year engraved on a perpetual plaque that is located in the Department of Geography main office. The winner will be presented the award at the Department of Geography's Graduation reception each year in May.
2011 - Anthony Hilbert
2012 - Viktor Mashalov
2013 - Iris Savoy-Burke
2014 - Amy Hinchcliffe
2015 - Mario Ayoub
2018 - Nadine Kennedy
2024 - Galo Maradiaga Eguez
2025 - Mia Maines
Would you like to contribute to this award? If so, you may
For full details/application: