Each year Penn State’s University Libraries award scholarships to undergraduates. The Adma Hammam Shibley Memorial Scholarship in Library Science, the Martha Conner Memorial Award and the Ava Faltz-Miller Memorial Scholarship are for students who are considering a career in library and information science. These students realize that today’s libraries include not only books but also the latest technology and Internet resources and the opportunity to focus on a selected field of study. They also realize it is a profession that is people oriented and offers opportunities to work with individuals to inspire learning.

Three other scholarships include the Cynthia M. Joyce Trustee Scholarship, the Irene Cheng Memorial Award and the James E. Wright, Jr. Memorial Endowment in the Life Sciences Library Grant-in-Aid.

This year’s winners:

• Matthew Barnish, a sophomore majoring in security and risk analysis with a specialization in information and cyber security, states, “I appreciate the Irene Cheng Memorial Award for its help in paying for my education, and I am honored to receive it as I enjoy every day in my job at Media Technology Support Services.”
• Emily Holland, a senior majoring in English with a concentration in literary and cultural studies in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University Park, notes, “Preservation library science is my dream career field as it perfectly blends my love of books and history. Thanks to the Ava Faltz-Miller Memorial Scholarship, I will be able to finish my undergraduate studies in English this December. Then it is onward to library school! I couldn’t be more excited. I am so grateful for and honored by this gift.”
• Shelbie McCurdy, a senior majoring in English at Penn State Greater Allegheny, is the recipient of the Martha Conner Memorial Award and the Adma Hamman Shibley Memorial Scholarship in Library Science. She says, “Earning these awards relieve the financial burden of my last semester as an undergraduate, and it helps me to focus on saving for my masters degree. I am very appreciative of receiving these awards.”
• Lisa Miller, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State University Park, is the recipient of the James E. Wright, Jr. Memorial Endowment in the Life Sciences Library Grant-in-Aid. She states, “My goal is to get students engaged with science with the use of digital signage and social media.”
• Mary Pillot, a sophomore majoring in sports broadcast journalism at Penn State DuBois, notes, “To be recognized and receive this Irene Cheng Memorial Award is a tremendous honor. I wish to thank all of those who were responsible for selecting me.”
• Morgan Wald, a senior majoring in labor and employment relations and psychology in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University Park, shares, “I am honored and grateful to have been chosen for the Cynthia Joyce Trustee Scholarship. This award will not only assist financially, but it is also a source of encouragement in my academics and toward achieving my career goals.”

Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply each year. The deadline for submission will be the last day of classes in 2015. Details about each award and an application form are available online at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/scholarships.html

For more information, contact Sandy Confer at slb3@psu.edu or 814-863-3665.