Freedman Prize for Student-Faculty Research

Applied Geoscience is when geological principles and methods are used to answer/solve research questions/problems. It is an interdisciplinary field that aids in solving problems related to the environment and its human inhabitants. Applied Geoscience Projects can include but are not limited to various subfields of geology, water, climate, soil, and environmental sciences, biogeochemistry, geobiology, geomicrobiology, clay mineralogy and its applications to the arts, resource management, and implementations of renewable technologies and sustainability.

This competition is open only to students majoring in one of the STEM fields at Hartwick College. Applicants have to be full-time students in good academic standing without holds on their student accounts. The proposed project has to fit within an accepted field of applied geosciences, and involve original research, and the applicant has to work in collaboration with a faculty mentor (evidence supplied by a submitted commitment letter).

The award consists of a research grant of up to $5000 in support of the project. The Freedman Committee encourages proposals with smaller budgets as well. The final number of awardees will be determined based on the requested and available dollar amounts.

The proposal will be evaluated by a committee on merit value, content, and feasibility, then ranked. The strongest proposals will be called for verbal interviews in early March. The finalists will be notified by the end of April, and are expected to present the research findings at the Annual Student Showcase of Hartwick College.

The proposal should follow the provided guidelines in the instructions as closely as possible and submit all required components for full consideration.

All Students (any majors) at Hartwick College are eligible to apply for the Open Freedman Prize who are in good academic standing without holds on their student accounts. However, the proposed project has to involve original research, and the applicant has to have a faculty collaborator/mentor (supported by a submitted commitment letter).

The award consists of a research grant of up to $2000 in support of the project. The Freedman Committee encourages proposals with smaller budgets as well. The final number of awardees will be determined based on the requested and available dollar amounts.

The proposal will be evaluated by a committee on merit value, content, and feasibility, then ranked. The strongest proposals will be called for verbal interviews in March. The finalists will be notified by the end of April, and are expected to present the research findings at the Annual Student Showcase of Hartwick College.

The proposal should follow the provided guidelines in the instructions as closely as possible and submit all required components for full consideration.

2023-2024 Freedman Award in Applied Geoscience Recipients

• Josephine Becker ’25: History & Anthropology; Funko Landfill Reconnaissance; Advisor: Dr. Namita Sugandhi
• Megan Bryla ’26: Art & Ella VanEgan,’25 Art & Psychology; Clay Cooking Pots & Material Science; Advisor: Dr. Balogh-Brunstad & Dr. Rozene
• Cassidy Markel ’26: Geology; Effect of Water and Nutrient Availability on Ectomycorrhizal Weathering of Minerals; Advisor: Dr. Balogh-Brunstad
• ChawAkari San ’24: Biochemistry; Riboswitches of the Oceanic Crust; Advisor: Dr. Carr
• Alyssa Schaeffer* ’24: Geology; Fossil coral preservation in the Pleistocene coral reefs at Devil’s Point, Great Inagua, Bahamas; Advisor: Dr. Griffing

2022-2023 Freedman Award in Applied Geoscience Recipients

• Autumn Pope ’23: Biology; Understanding type-IV filament appendages in the marine subsurface, Advisor: Dr. Carr
• Nicole Casab ’23: Biology, Investigating the Geochemistry of Basement Fluids from a Deep Borehole at Cornell University.
  Advisor: Dr. Carr
• Alyssa Schaeffer ’24: Geology, Fossil coral preservation in the Pleistocene coral reefs at Devil’s Point, Great Inagua, Bahamas. Advisor: Dr. Griffing

2020 Freedman Award in Applied Geoscience Recipients

• Gerald Meyer ’23: An Investigation to Classify a Northwestern African Meteorite. Project Advisor: Dr. Eric L. Johnson.
  • Tarrah Skye Smith ’21: Effect of Buffer Zones on Local Creek Water Quality. Project Advisor: Dr. Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad.

  2019 Freedman Award in Applied Geoscience Recipients

  • Tylisha Gourdine ’20: Investigating metabolisms of microbial dark matter organisms in the crustal subsurface environment of Juan de Fuca Ridge. Project Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Carr.
  • Brynn Marion ’20: Origins of marble corestone weathering in Northern New York. Project Advisor: Dr. David Griffing.
  • Maxwell Pizarro ’20: Mineralogy and chemical change over a deformation gradient using a metagabbro from Dana Hill in the Adirondack Lowlands. Advisor: Dr. Eric L. Johnson.

Contact Dr. Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad (balogh_brunz@hartwick.edu).