This scholarships honors Dr. Gilbert (Gil) Hanson (1936-2023), Distinguished Service Professor and a founding member of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences (now Geosciences) at Stony Brook University. Dr. Hanson had a distinguished career as an isotope geochemist while also encouraging and mentoring students and teachers in the study of all aspects of the geology of Long Island, founding the "Long Island Geologists" and hosting an annual conference and field trips. The Long Island Association Professional Geologists (LIAPG) developed from this and the founders of this group worked with Gil to promote professional licensing for geologists in New York state.
Aims – The principal aim of this scholarship program is to offer financial aid to current junior and senior undergraduate geoscience students coming studying on Long Island and to encourage and support students pursuing professional careers in the geological sciences.
Scholarship Award Amount – The total distribution for the 2026-2027 academic year will be determined based on available funds and the Scholarship Committee’s evaluation of the applications submitted. Individual awards can range from $1,000 to $3,000.
Use of Scholarships – Scholarship awards may be applied toward any costs related to undergraduate study.
Eligibility – Junior and senior undergraduate students working toward a degree in geoscience (including geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental geology) at an accredited college or university in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York. Students pursuing geoscience degrees at institutions off Long Island who are dependents of members in good standing of the LIAPG are also invited to apply. Candidates should be on track to earn at least 30 credit hours, or 45 quarter hours, in geoscience-related courses by the end of their senior year. Students are only eligible to receive this scholarship once, students who have previously received the Gil Hanson Memorial Scholarship are NOT eligible to re-apply. Students who submit unsuccessful applications in their junior year may reapply for their senior year.
Basis of Award – The Scholarship Committee, comprised of Board members and members in good standing of the LIAPG, will make the selection of students to receive a scholarship based on their review of six required documents (Application Form, Student Letter, Faculty Letter, Resume/CV, Academic Transcript, and FAFSA Report). Any number of junior or senior students may apply from each college; however, the committee may limit awards to no more than two students from any college. The scholarships will be awarded based on academic qualifications and financial need, with career goals, projects/activities/accomplishments/educational plans, and the faculty recommendation letter providing additional supporting information. Financial need is documented by reporting the annual amount of your educational expenses and how you are currently meeting those expenses on the application form.
How to Apply The scholarship application form can be downloaded here. A complete scholarship application package includes 1) the completed online Application Form, 2) Faculty Letter, 3) Student Letter, 4) Resume/CV, and 5) Current Transcript (an unofficial transcript is acceptable). These documents should be submitted combined into a single .pdf with the filename formatted as “Lastname_Firstname_year.pdf”. The Faculty Letter should summarize the academic qualifications of the student applying and should be provided by a faculty member with first-hand knowledge of the student’s character and capabilities. The letter should ideally include information on the student’s academic qualifications and accomplishments, career goals, and reasons for supporting the candidate. The letter should be no longer than two printed pages and include at least one paragraph on each of the above listed criteria. The Student Letter should focus on discussing three evaluation criteria: career goals, financial need, and personal accomplishments. Information on hardships overcome, recent research projects, on-campus or off-campus activities, and educational plans that could aid the Committee in reaching its decision should be discussed. The applicant’s letter should be a maximum of two printed pages. The resume / CV should include your recent employment history, relevant professional and academic experience (e.g. internships, undergraduate research work, conference presentations, publications), all scholarship awards, grants, honors received, Dean’s/Provost’s lists, etc., and any record of service or engagement with school or community clubs and organizations. This document can be multiple pages in length if needed. Documentation of financial need is especially important. Each applicant must complete the Financial Needs Assessment section of the application form and additional information explaining your financial circumstances may be presented in the Student Letter. Completed applications or any questions should be submitted via e-mail to LIAPGPRES@gmail.com. if submittals are greater than 10 MB that they should be submitted through a document sharing service, such as Google Drive or OneDrive. ALL COMPLETED APPLICATION PACKAGES MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 11:59PM ON Sept. 30, 2026. |