Two-panel photo with three people standing outdoors, including the 2023 Dietrich Scholarship winner, in the left panel, and two people standing outdoors, including the 2023 Shrake-Culler-Culler Scholarship winner, in the right panel

December 12, 2023

Sam O’Donnell and Allie Mazurek awarded Dietrich and Shrake-Culler Scholarships

The 2023 recipients of the David L. Dietrich Honorary Scholarship and the Shrake-Culler Scholarship were announced at the department’s fall graduate and awards recognition event on December 7. Sam O’Donnell received the Dietrich Scholarship, and the Shrake-Culler Scholarship was awarded to Allie Mazurek.

The Dietrich Scholarship, funded by Fort Collins-based Air Resource Specialists Inc., is presented to students who have demonstrated outstanding research in air quality. ARS President Jessica Ward and Vice President Genevieve Lariviere were both in attendance.

O’Donnell was nominated by his adviser Jeff Pierce, who presented the award virtually. Pierce described O’Donnell’s research impacts, including a manuscript in progress on using 3D modelling to understand the overlooked role of airmass advection in biasing observations from stationary sites. O’Donnell gave a brief presentation on this research. In addition to his research, Pierce emphasized that O’Donnell is “very hardworking, humble, and helpful.” O’Donnell is always ready to help, and he “views issues in the Atmospheric Science field as bigger than himself but wants to be part of solutions.”

The Shrake-Culler Scholarship is given annually to a senior Ph.D. student who has passed their preliminary exam, has a GPA of 3.5 or above, and has demonstrated a strong work ethic and enthusiasm for higher education.

Russ Schumacher presented the Shrake-Culler Scholarship to Mazurek, describing how she ensures that her work is as good as it can be and strives to help others succeed. “[Mazurek] has been a leader in our research group, the department, and the broader scientific community, demonstrating her enthusiasm for higher education,” Schumacher said. Mazurek gave a presentation on her Ph.D. work centered around identifying what artificial intelligence and machine learning systems use to create severe weather forecasts.

Congratulations, Sam and Allie!

Photo caption: (left panel) ARS President Jessica Ward, Sam O’Donnell, and ARS Vice President Genevieve Lariviere; (right panel) Allie Mazurek and her Ph.D. adviser Russ Schumacher.