Lucken Environmental Geoscience Scholarship

The Lucken Environmental Geoscience Scholarship was established by John E. and Mary Thorson Lucken, both '62 uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø graduates, in recognition of their uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø education.

The scholarship provides recognition and financial assistance, up to $8,000 ($2,000 per year), to full-time students who will enroll at uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø and major in environmental geoscience. The scholarship is awarded based on academic merit and financial need.

This year's application deadline is March 2, 2026. First-time recipients are notified within a week or two of the application deadline.

Scholarships may be renewed provided that the conditions of eligibility are met and funds are available. The criteria by which the award may be renewed for the subsequent year is reviewed at the end of each academic year by the geoscience faculty.

Application requirements

• Official high school transcripts (which should already have been submitted with the student's admission application to uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø).
• One letter of recommendation, preferably from a science or math teacher who knows the student well. Please ask your recommender to email the letter to Susan Wolf by March 2, 2026, with the subject line "Lucken Scholarship."
• A typed, 2- to 4-page reflective essay describing the student's interest in the geosciences and their college and career goals. Incoming students are not expected to have a complete college plan; the department simply would like to see how well they can reflect upon and write about a subject that interests them. Students should email the reflective essay as a PDF or Word document to Susan Wolf with the subject line "Lucken Scholarship," by the March 2, 2026, deadline.
• Though not required, an interview (in person or remote) with geoscience faculty is highly recommended. Schedule an interview by calling the department administrative assistant at 309-794-7318.

Renewal criteria

The scholarship recipient must take the natural progression of geoscience and supporting courses during the first year; declare a geoscience major and continue with the sequence of geoscience courses in a timely fashion in the second year; participate in departmental activities such as Udden Geology Club and various field trips; and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the courses required for the major.

Note: A student majoring in Environmental Geoscience is not precluded from completing another major. Many students also pursue a major in Environmental Studies and Geography!