To increase diversity and the number of students
from
underrepresented ethnic groups pursuing studies in meteorology, the
National Weather
Association Council in 2002 developed the David Sankey Minority
Scholarship
fund. The Scholarship was first awarded
in 2003.
Offering: One scholarship per year in the amount of
$1000. The NWA may ask the winner
of the David Sankey 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 minority undergraduate (going into
their
sophomore 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 David
Sankey 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 David Sankey: DAVID A. SANKEY (1946-2000) was a
charter
member of the National Weather Association and a private pilot. David
built up a wealth of operational meteorological experience in the
public and
private sectors. He was a mentor, a great team leader and a friend to
all those
he met. He received a BS in Meteorology from Florida
State University
in 1968 and later earned an MBA in Program and Financial Management
from West Coast University
in Los Angeles. He began
his
operational meteorology career as a weather officer in the United
States Air
Force supporting base and flight operations at George Air Force Base, California.
In 1972, after his military commitment, he joined Oceanroutes, Inc., as
a
meteorologist supervising a small support group in providing data,
analyses and
forecasts for the ship routers. In 1974, he became a Computer Systems
Analyst
for a semi-conductor manufacturing company and, in 1975, he became
an
Air Traffic Controller in Palo Alto, California.
He supervised all weather observing functions, quality controlled the
observations and trained tower observers. He joined Continental
Airlines as a
Meteorologist in 1979,
responsible for flight forecasting over the United
States, Mexico
and Pacific Ocean areas. In 1982, he joined a
small
group forming The Weather Channel and succeeded there as Deputy
Director for
Meteorological Operations. In 1986, he moved on to TRW,
Inc., as a meteorological consultant supporting the National Weather Service's Modernization
and Restructuring program. In 1991, Dave saw
the chance to use all of his experience in the FAA aviation weather
development
programs. One of Dave's most significant accomplishments was the
creation and
leadership of the Integrated Terminal Weather Systems (ITWS) Matrix
team, a
team composed of representatives from every FAA office involved with
the
development of ITWS. Using his leadership and facilitation skills, he
led this team through the acquisition process. Most important was
the way Dave promoted open and honest communication among all the team
members.
Dave led that team to success with his style of perseverance and
patience. This
was not an isolated event. Dave applied his team skills again when he
established the FAA Aviation Weather Research Program and its
leadership team.
Dave also supported professional associations. He was the volunteer NWA
secretary for many years, and led the NWA office into the computer age
developing an online computer bulletin board system in the late 1980s.
He
earned the respect and friendship of all those he met with his great
personality and his dedication to improving operational meteorological
services. He died in a plane accident on November 9, 2000. He is survived by his
wife,
Sheri, and two daughters, Kyla and Sara.
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)