The Arthur C. Pike Scholarship in Meteorology (Application is linked at bottom of this page)

Thanks to a generous donation from the estate of the late Dr. Arthur C. Pike, the NWA Council developed an annual college scholarship fund in Dr Pike’s name starting in 2001. 

Offering:  One scholarship per year in the amount of $1000.  The NWA may ask the winner of the Arthur C. Pike Scholarship to present research work at a local or annual NWA meeting; the NWA may provide additional funding for required travel and accommodations for such a presentation.

Administration: The scholarship selection is administered by the NWA Education Committee. The NWA office announces the call for applications in January each year, applications close 15 April and the scholarship designee will be notified in late-May.

Eligibility:  Any undergraduate (going into their junior year or higher in the fall) or graduate student that is majoring in meteorology (or related field) may apply.  If the undergraduate student is classified as a senior they must either have one more fall (Sep. - Dec.) semester to complete after the scholarship is awarded, or they must document that they have been accepted into graduate school. 

Award Criteria:  The scholarship is awarded based on:

a) Academic achievement/merit (transcripts).
b) Two letters of recommendation (at least one from a current or former meteorology professor), and
c) A one page statement explaining why the applicant is applying for the Arthur C. Pike Scholarship

Logistics: Scholarship money will be transferred following the financial guidelines of the college or university involved. If there aren't any financial guidelines from the school, NWA will make the $1,000 check payable to both the student and the education institution at the beginning of the September - December semester or quarter.

About Arthur C. Pike:  DR. ARTHUR C. PIKE (1939-1988) was a charter member of the National Weather Association, a research meteorologist for the National Hurricane Center, and an educator.  He died of cancer on 25 November 1988 at home in Florida at the age of 49. He received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Chicago, and a master's degree from Cambridge University, England. He received a doctorate in atmospheric science from the University of Miami in 1971. From 1966-1981, he held a succession of research and forecasting positions at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, the Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, the National Hurricane Center, and at stations of the National Environmental Satellite Service in Coral Gables, Florida and Honolulu, Hawaii. During that period he also taught at the University of California at Los Angeles and at the University of Miami. In 1981, he took his last teaching position at Jackson State University where he was a professor of meteorology. He then resumed his lifelong interest in the study of tropical storms in 1983, when he returned to the National Hurricane Center. Dr. Pike authored numerous articles for scientific journals. He was a member of the American Meteorological Society, the Royal Meteorological Society, the National Weather Association and Sigma Xi. Donations from his estate went to the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, AMS and NWA.

 Application Process:  The application form (Linked Below) and all enclosures must be postmarked by April 15th.  Student copies of transcripts are acceptable.  Recommendations from those that will not provide the recommendation directly to the student should be submitted in a sealed envelope.  Recommendations should not be sent directly to the NWA office unless absolutely necessary. 

Please contact the NWA office if you have questions.  Telephone/Fax:  (919) 845-1546 or via e-mail:  exdir@nwas.org

APPLICATION FORM  (PDF)