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February 16, 1998

Gift provides additional support for field work in environmental studies

By Jennifer McNulty

Thanks to a recent gift, undergraduates in the Environmental Studies Department have a new Regents' Endowment to tap to support their field-study projects.

Alice Cooley recently contributed to the Richard A. Cooley Award for undergraduate field study, which was established in memory of her husband, who was the founder and first chair of the environmental studies program at UCSC. Alice Cooley's gift, combined with contributions from numerous friends and colleagues of Richard Cooley, formally establishes a fund to support field projects that result in "a tangible, positive action for the betterment of the natural environment or improvement in environmental quality." The fund will provide an annual student award of $1,000.

"This endowment supports the important field work that environmental studies students at UC Santa Cruz are known for," said assistant chancellor for University Advancement Daniel Aldrich. "The Environmental Studies Department has a strong track record of providing support for undergraduates, and this endowment underscores that commitment."

Some recent projects include a field study by Ivan Samuels, who spent a summer in Costa Rica monitoring the movements of birds as part of a reforestation project, and a project by Marcie Bilderback, who helped children in the Beach Flats community paint a mural about the San Lorenzo River. Two other students launched a long-term ecosystems monitoring project that students in the Natural History Field Quarter can continue from year to year.

The Cooley endowment dates back to 1975, when eight UCSC undergraduates met in an environmental studies class called The Political Economy of Ecology. Shortly after a department reunion in 1990, the group of graduates decided they wanted to honor Cooley, who was a strong supporter of field research and internships. They contributed $1,200 a year for four years, and students began receiving awards of $1,000 to $1,200 per year in 1991. Upon Cooley's death in 1994, the group, known as the Friends Foundation International, provided an additional $2,400 challenge grant to the department, which was more than matched by various donors.


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