Purpose

Throughout his productive career of nearly 50 years, Dr. Thurston E. "Lars" Larson was a brilliant, articulate, and dedicated water chemist and researcher. He made numerous scientific contributions in diverse areas, including but not limited to corrosion control, treatment and distribution of domestic and industrial water supplies, aquatic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and environmental chemistry. In addition, Dr. Larson continually emphasized the need for strong graduate programs in water chemistry and related fields to train qualified, dedicated scientists and engineers who will provide leadership in efforts to improve water quality.

Larson Aquatic Research Support (LARS) scholarships honor the memory of Dr. Larson by providing support and encouragement to outstanding graduate students preparing for careers in the fields of science or engineering to which Dr. Larson made significant contributions.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you are pursuing an advanced (Masters or Doctoral) degree at an institution of higher education located in Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or the United States. In addition, Masters students must complete the requirements for their Masters degree sometime after August 1, 2005. Doctoral students should complete their requirements after December 1, 2005. Applicants are considered without regard to color, gender, race, creed, or country of origin. The recipient of the Holly A. Cornell Scholarship will not be eligible to receive the LARS Scholarship, and vice versa.

• An official application form

• A resume (that includes educational history)

• Official transcripts of all post-secondary education

• Official copies of the GRE Scores (quantitative, verbal, and analytical) sent directly from the GRE Office. Applications without the GRE scores will not be considered. For information on taking the GRE visit their web-site at http://www.gre.org.

• Official GRE Scores must be sent directly to AWWA by calling 1-888-473-7267. AWWA's institutional code for this process is 0003.

• Three letters of recommendation (one of which must be from the academic or research advisor).

• A proposed curriculum of study

• A statement of educational plans and career objectives demonstrating or declaring an interest in an appropriate field of endeavor or, if applicable a research plan (a research plan for Masters students conducting research and all Ph.D. students).

Support Provided

Two scholarships will be provided:

$5,000 scholarship for the Masters student recipient

$7,000 scholarship for the Ph.D. student recipient

Selection Criteria

A selection committee with representation from the American Water Works Association's University Student Activities Committee, the American Chemical Society, and the Aquatic Chemistry Section of the Illinois State Water Survey will evaluate the applicants. They will select the scholarship recipients based on the excellence of their academic record and their potential to provide leadership in the fields served by Dr. Larson.

The American Water Works Association reserves the right not to award the scholarship for any year in which an outstanding candidate is not identified.