Atmospheric Sciences Scholarships

Kate Sweely Fund for Atmospheric Sciences

In memory of their daughter, Doug and Lori Sweely established the Kate Sweely Fund for Atmospheric Sciences to celebrate Kate’s enthusiasm, dreams, and aspirations in the field of meteorology. Kate loved to study the atmosphere and delighted in the academic environment in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences before she passed away after a short illness prior to her junior year. The goal of the fund is to support and improve the academic experience for atmospheric sciences majors at UNC Asheville. This generous gift allows the department to supply free textbooks to every student in upper-level atmospheric sciences courses, gives students the opportunity to attend national conferences at no cost, supports the purchase of technological tools for students, and assists students in financial need.

Kate Sweely Scholarship

Kate Linn Sweely was a student at UNC Asheville majoring in atmospheric sciences with a minor in mathematics. She passed away in the summer of 2011 following a cerebral hemorrhage after a short illness just before her junior year. In high school, Kate was known for both her extraordinary academic achievement, particularly in science, and her proven musical talent. During her college years, Kate served as an intern at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, working on a study on particular cloud formations and their impact on climate. She loved all weather-related phenomena and was known for her interest in the societal impacts of weather. She was also a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Kate’s talents were merged with her deep spiritual beliefs. She had a servant’s heart and served as a missionary in a small bush village north of the Arctic Circle. She was a member and president of the Baptist Student Union at UNC Asheville. She also served as worship leader for the ministry and was very active in other campus ministry functions, including prison ministry and Bible study. She had a passion for mission work and had traveled to New Orleans to help with Hurricane Katrina cleanup twice, as well as to many other states yearly to participate in mission work throughout her middle and high school years. Whether it was her beautiful voice, her contagious smile, her friendly personality or her incredible intellect, Kate Sweely touched everyone she met. Her parents, Dr. H. Douglas Sweely and Mrs. Lori Crum-Sweely, have established an endowed scholarship in her honor.

Award Criteria

The Kate Sweely Memorial Scholarship award winner is selected by the faculty members in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. The recipient must be a rising junior or senior majoring in atmospheric science, must demonstrate financial need as defined by the Office of Financial Aid, and typically maintains a very high GPA among his or her peers. The one-year award generally totals several thousand dollars. There is no application process.

Scholarship Award Winners

Jozi Renken, 2025–2026
Abby Grulick, 2024–2025
Steven Rearden, 2022–2024
Taylor Ross, 2021–2022
Meredith Avison, 2019–2021
Ryan Jenkins, 2018–2019
Rachel Dunn, 2017–2018
Andrea Fenoglio, 2016–2017
Jacob Radford, 2015–2016
Massey Bartolini, 2014–2015
Kelly Gassert, 2013–2014
Candice Boling Jordan, 2012–2013

Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Scholarship in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences is made possible by the generous contributions of our graduates. It was established in the 2020–2021 academic year and is awarded annually each spring.

Award Criteria

The Alumni Scholarship is awarded to an Atmospheric Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional performance in major classes. The student is selected by consensus of the Atmospheric Sciences faculty—there is no application process.

Scholarship Award Winners

Michael Caves, 2025–2026
Andrew Price, 2024–2025
Annalisa Striplin, 2023–2024
Wayne Morley, 2023
Evan Fisher, 2022–2023
Alice Monroe, 2021–2022
Brittany Hodge, 2020–2021

Asheville AMS Scholarship

The Asheville Chapter of the American Meteorological Society provides a scholarship in the amount of $250 to one or more UNC Asheville students. The scholarship is intermittent and was last awarded in 2020.

Award Criteria

All current and active members of the Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society at UNC Asheville are eligible for the scholarship. Each applicant must write a one-page essay stating what he or she plans to do with a degree in meteorology and how his or her eventual career will benefit society. Look for a call for applications in the fall semester.

A panel consisting of at least three members of the local Asheville Chapter of the American Meteorological Society will judge the applications based on 1) expected societal benefit, 2) demonstrated knowledge of career plans, and 3) writing quality. Applications are generally due in mid-December and the winner is typically announced at the January or February meeting of the Asheville Chapter.

Scholarship Award Winners

Meredith Avison, 2019–2020
Marlee Burgess, 2018–2019
Justin Condry, 2017–2018
Kyle Noel, 2016–2017
Kelly Dobeck, 2015–2016

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