Release
UAlbany Junior Will Komaromi Receives Prestigious Hollings Scholarship Award in Atmospheric Science
Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150
ALBANY, N.Y. (October 11, 2006) -- William (Will) Komaromi, a University at Albany junior double-majoring in Atmospheric Science and Physics, has received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholarship Award in Atmospheric Science for his junior and senior years of study.
The Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship program was established to honor retiring Senator Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.). Known to the public through its subsidiary, the National Weather Service, NOAA awards approximately 100 Hollings scholarships annually to juniors majoring in a discipline area related to oceanic, environmental, biological, social, physical, and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, remote sensing technology, computer and information sciences, hydrology, geomatics, and teacher education. Komaromi is one of seven recipients this year from New York State and the second consecutive recipient from UAlbany. Last year, atmospheric science major Robert Tracey Jr. claimed the award.
The Hollings Scholarship provides academic assistance for full-time study along with a 10-week, full-time internship position during the summer at a NOAA or partner facility. The internship between first and second years of award provides "hands-on" multidisciplinary educational training experience involving scholars in NOAA-related scientific, research, technological, policy, management, and education activities.
Komaromi, who also received a Presidential Scholars Award from the University, plans to use the Hollings Scholarship Award to pay tuition and expenses and further his education towards a master's and doctoral degree in atmospheric science.
"The scholarship will help me financially so I can focus more on my studies, and less on how to pay for them," said Komaromi. "I'm interested in pursuing either specialized storm forecasting, like what they do at the Storm Prediction Center and the National Hurricane Center, or some sort of research position involved in the study of atmospheric physics."
Established in 1970, NOAA is a federal science agency in the Department of Commerce whose mission is "to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs."
NOAA achieves this mission through focusing agency activities around four key goals: protecting, restoring, and managing the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management; understanding climate variability and change to enhance society's ability to plan and respond; serving society's needs for weather and water information; and supporting the nation's commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation. NOAA has also identified "promoting environmental literacy" as a cross-cutting priority essential to achieving NOAA's mission in all four of the goal areas.
