Geography, Geology, and the Environment Funds

Total funds:  20

John Wesley Powell Fund

Illinois State University's first geologist was John Wesley Powell, the famous scientist-explorer who led the first expedition through the Grand Canyon and became the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey. The John Wesley Powell Fund was established in 1980 and provides support for geology students, faculty, and programs, with particular emphasis on initiatives related to field experiences, student and faculty research and travel, and field camp.

Geography, Geology and Environment Department Fund

The Geography, Geology, and the Environment department houses the Geography and Geology Programs. The Geography Program at Illinois State is one of two or three oldest in the country and was one of the first programs established on the Illinois State campus. The Geology program was established in 1969. The purpose of the Geography, Geology and Environment department fund is to support program development and operations.

Geography Excellence Fund

The Geography Excellence Fund supports the activities, programs, students and faculty in the Geography Program, GEOMAP, and the Illinois Geographic Alliance at Illinois State University. Gifts help enhance the quality of the Geography Program and ensure that its teaching and research facilities, scientific instrumentation, and laboratories, remain up to date.

Michael D. and Patricia A. Sublett Geography Professional Development Fund

The Michael D. and Patricia A. Sublett Geography Professional Development Fund was established in 2020 to support professional development for students in the Geography program at Illinois State who are Geography and Geography Education majors. The Sublett family moved to Bloomington-Normal in August 1970. Geographer Michael served as a professor in the Department of Geography-Geology between September 1970 and August 2015. From 1978 to 1988, he chaired the Department. Patricia managed the University Registration Office from 1971 until 1978. Michael developed and implemented the Geography Internship Program in 1985 that majors in Geography complete prior to graduation to this day. He also oversaw the publishing of the first 40 volumes of our Department yearbook, Glacial Deposits. This award is a testament to the Subletts' continued commitment to the success of Geography students and the program.

Geology Excellence Fund

The Geology Excellence Fund provides support for the activities, programs, and operations, including named commemorative scholarships and awards, of the Geology Program. Gifts help enhance the quality of the Geology Program and ensure that its teaching and research facilities, scientific instrumentation, and laboratories, remain up to date.

Eunice Blackburn Geography Scholarship

The Eunice Blackburn Geography Scholarship was established by Jane Blackburn in the name of her sister, Eunice Blackburn. The Blackburn Scholarship provides support to seniors majoring in geography who are pursuing their undergraduate capstone experience.

James and Lucy Patterson Family Geography Field Trip Endowment

The James and Lucy Patterson Family Geography Field Trip Endowment was established by Lucy Patterson and family members in 2013. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to the Department of Geography for field trips and/or scholarship support for geography students to participate in field trips. James Patterson was a regional geography professor at Illinois State University from 1957 to 1986. During his tenure at ISU, he received the first Bone Award for outstanding teacher at ISU and was the recipient of the Illinois Geography Society's Distinguished Geography Education Award. Patterson combined his passions for teaching and travel by organizing and leading cross-disciplinary student field trips. Students were taught in the classroom at a nearby university and then taken into the field to observe firsthand the geographical, biological, historical, and archaeological aspects they were studying.

John W. Foster Hydrology Lecture Fund

John W. Foster began teaching at Illinois State University in 1982 and was Acting Chair of the Department of Geography/Geology from 1987-1988. He proposed and was the principal designer of the University's first geology graduate program, Master of Science in geohydrology. The purpose of the fund is to defray speaker-related expenses (honorarium and travel) to provide an annual John Webster Foster Memorial Geohydrology Lecture.

Douglas Clay Ridgley Endowed Fellowship in Geography

Professor Ridgley was an early leader in the development of the study of geography in the United States and served as chair of the department at Illinois State Normal University. This endowment was established in 2000 by George and Martha Means. The funds are used by a full-time permanent faculty member to (1) continue a Ridgley lectureship that would bring a geographer to campus to speak on a relevant topic, (2) travel for the purpose of expanding the geography program at Illinois State, and (3) provide summer salary to further the professorship recipient's research and course development.

Geography Distinguished Speaker Fund

The Geography Distinguished Speaker Fund provides support to bring a distinguished geography lecturer to campus in even number academic calendar years. In odd academic calendar years, funds should be used to support student research or field experiences.

George R. Means Geography Scholarship

The George R. Means Scholarship provides financial support and encouragement to students in the Department of Geography-Geology at ISU who are of high character, show strong promise, and have potential to improve society. Each year, the graduating class will normally include one or more George R. Means Scholars.

Herbert L. Zobel Geography Education Colloquium Series Endowment

The Dr. Herbert L. Zobel Geography Education Colloquium Series Endowment was established in January 2013 through a generous bequest from Dr. Zobel. He received both his BSE '48 and his MSE '49 from Illinois State University. He received his MA '60 from Northwestern University and his Ph.D. '64 from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Dr. Zobel was an emeritus professor at Kent State University. The purpose of this fund is to defray expenses associated with the weekly geography education colloquium series.

Lathrop Watterson Scholarship Award

The Lathrop Memorial Scholarship endowment was established in 1966 in memory of Harry Lathrop by his family. The scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a degree in geography or geology.

Louis E. Miglio Geography Education Scholarship

The Louis E. Miglio Geography Education Scholarship fund was established by Louis E. Miglio. He maintained a close relationship with Illinois State University and truly felt these endowed funds were a way to make a small payment for the good education he received at Illinois State. Miglio served in the Navy, graduated from Illinois State in 1949, and was awarded a Fulbright Teacher Exchangeship with England. His love of history was expanded there through seeing historical sites that made history come alive. Miglio taught in Pekin for three years and earned his master's degree. He then taught in Decatur from 1952 through 1982. He always told his students, "No matter what occupation or career you choose, be the best you can be and enjoy it!" Each candidate for this fund must be admitted as a student at Illinois State University with a declared major of geography education and demonstrate a financial need.

Margaret Means Geography Endowment

The Margaret Means Geography Endowment provides stipends that encourage and enable students in the Department of Geography-Geology at ISU to prepare fully for a career of teaching or service without compromise imposed by financial constraint. Financial awards are available for three sets of activities: 1. Practice teaching. 2. An internship involving community service, either without any remuneration or at less than minimum wage. 3. Off-campus travel and formal study in foreign lands or distant parts of the United States as part of the Departmental Regional and Area Studies course.

Steve and Lori Nalefski Endowed Scholarship Fund

The Steve and Lori Nalefski endowed Scholarship Fund was established by Steve and Lori Nalefski to create support for students that are majoring in Geology. Steve and Lori are both earned their undergraduate degree from Illinois State University.

Fluder Geography Impact Fund

To establish a fund supporting student scholarships and other program needs in Geography and Environmental Sciences

Illinois Geographic Alliance Endowment Fund

The Illinois Geographic Alliance Endowment Fund was created in 2018 to support K-12 geography education in Illinois. The amount available to spend will be determined in accordance with the Foundation's Investment Spending Policy and shall be used in whole or in part to support programs conducted by the Alliance to improve K-12 geography education in Illinois.

Dr. Gary P. Holland Scholarship

The Dr. Sharon Brown-Hayes Scholarship was established by Sharon D. Brown-Haynes in order to support Earth and Science Space Education students. The scholarship is meant to support students with financial need and to promote diversity of educators by providing awards for first-generation college students and members of traditionally underrepresented populations to the major.