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Lisa Dent Memorial Fellowship About Lisa Dent | Fellowship Eligibility The School of Life Sciences announces a fellowship opportunity, the Lisa Dent Memorial Fellowship, which will be awarded to an exceptional female Ph.D. student studying ecology in any of the Life Sciences graduate programs. The fellowship is enabled by a Fund established with a gift in memory of Dr. Lisa Dent, who was an ecology graduate student in ASUs Biology program from 1994-1999. The fellowship, in the amount of ~$4,500, is intended to promote the benefits and educational values of diversity in the student body by increasing the representation of female students. The Donors mean for the fellowship to provide support beyond that afforded by teaching and/or research assistantships; specific details of its use are at the discretion of the Fellow.
Successful applicants will have a high grade-point average (minimum=3.0), demonstrated leadership potential, a clearly written proposal that outlines a novel research project with a high potential to make a significant contribution to the field of ecology and, it is hoped, a passion for ecology similar to that expressed by Lisa Dent. To be eligible, students must be: 1) enrolled full time in a doctoral program in the School of Life Sciences on the ASU Main campus; 2) admitted to candidacy; and 3) studying ecology. Nominations or direct applications will be accepted until March 15. Application Parts 1-4 should be prepared by the student; Parts 5 and 6 must be submitted directly by the faculty member. Please note: Both student and advisor application parts must be submitted electronically as Word or PDF files via email to Jean Chesser at j.chesser@asu.edu. Part 1: A one-page description of the student's research that describes the overall question, hypotheses tested, approach being used, relevant preliminary results, and significance of the research to the field of ecology Part 2: A one-half-page personal statement describing the student's past accomplishments and career aspirations Part 3: A one-half-page statement indicating how scholarship funds will be instrumental in helping the graduate student achieve her career goals Part 4: A current Curriculum Vitae Part 5: A letter of recommendation from the student's major advisor that details the student's academic qualifications and the advisor's opinion of the significance of the research project and the research potential of the student Part 6: (not required) A letter of nomination, if applicable, from the student's major advisor. The letter can be the same as that prepared for Part 5, but should clearly state that it is a nomination letter. Only one student can be nominated by any given faculty member (although there is no limit to the number of letters of recommendation that can be written). A three-member committee of ecology faculty members will evaluate the applications. Criteria for selection of the Fellow will include:
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Catherine Lisa Dent was a rising star in aquatic ecology who, in a brief career that was tragically cut short by cancer, published significant work on spatial variability of nitrogen in streams and multiple stable states in stream and lake ecosystems. A Canadian citizen who possessed an extraordinary intellect, Lisa entered the ASU Ph.D. Program in Biology in 1994. After receiving a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and a M.S. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon, Lisa decided that protecting the earth was more important than teaching machines to think, developing a passion for ecology that never faltered. In her five years at ASU, she was a leader among graduate students and an inspiration to her advisors and to everyone with whom she interacted. She was an ideal graduate student - always demanding more of herself than anyone else would, and always challenging those around her. She produced an exceptional scientific legacy in her brief research career, including a seminal paper on spatial heterogeneity in nutrient concentrations (Ecology, 1999) and her Hynes Award Honorable Mention paper on multi-scale nutrient heterogeneity (J-NABS, 2001). She went on as a post-doc at the University of Wisconsin to produce significant work on regime shifts in streams and lakes. The life work of Lisa Dent, and her passion for her chosen field, provide an inspiration to young ecologists. The Lisa Dent Memorial Fellowship, established in memory of this inspiring and talented graduate of ASU, will assist other young people in their academic explorations of the natural world, through the exceptional graduate studies programs in ecology at Arizona State University.