Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences awarded $1,000 scholarships to two Maine undergraduate students intending to major in the biological and earth sciences. The scholarships were awarded in honor of former Bigelow Laboratory research scientist, Dr. Maureen Keller.

The Maureen D. Keller Undergraduate Scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding high school seniors or college freshman from Maine, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Keller was an internationally renowned marine phytoplankton expert, who strongly advocated for Maine students to have opportunities to learn about the marine environment so integral to Maine’s history, culture, and economy.

Recipients of this year’s scholarship awards were Jasmine Waite of Southport and Payton Billingsley of Rockland. Waite will be a freshman at the Honors College in the University of Maine, Orono, in the fall, where she plans to double major in biochemistry and food science. Billingsley will be a freshman at Mississippi State University and plans to major in civil and environmental engineering. Both recipients have engaged in multiple environmental and leadership opportunities, which were key factors in their being recognized and supported by this scholarship.

“Maureen Keller would be delighted to support these talented young women as they pursue education in the sciences that she so loved,” said Bigelow Laboratory Executive Director Graham Shimmield.