NEHA/AAS Scholarships

By offering the NEHA/AAS Scholarships to eligible undergraduate and graduate students, we hope to positively contribute to the future of environmental health. The scholarship program aims to encourage early commitment by students to pursue a career in environmental health.

Scholarship Amounts

  • One undergraduate applicant will be awarded the $2,650 - Dr. Sheila Davidson Pressley scholarship.
  • One undergraduate applicant will be awarded the $2,650 - Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey scholarship.
  • One graduate scholarship will be awarded for $3,750.

Application Process

The next round of applications will open in late fall 2023 and close in winter 2024. Award announcements will be made in spring 2024.

Applicants must:

  1. Complete the online application form
  2. Provide an unofficial academic transcript from the school in which the applicant is currently enrolled
  3. Submit one faculty letter of recommendation from the school in which the applicant is currently enrolled

Incomplete applications will not be considered. We recommend having all components ready before beginning the online application because applications cannot be saved or returned to.

Please do not mail any items associated with your application directly to us. If you have any questions, reach out to us by emailing support@neha.org.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:

  • Be an undergraduate or graduate student
  • Be enrolled in a dedicated and recognized curriculum in environmental health sciences at an accredited college or university
  • Have at least one semester of coursework remaining

The undergraduate scholarship is to be used toward the tuition and fees associated with either the junior or senior year of college studies. The graduate scholarship is to be used toward tuition and fees associated with graduate studies.

Scholarship Background

Along with the American Academy of Sanitarians (AAS), we have established education in environmental health as one of our principal goals. We believe that structured education at the undergraduate and graduate levels is important to an individual's successful professional development in the field.

As a result, our Board of Directors established a scholarship fund in 1984 that began with a gift of $1,000.00 from former NEHA President Dr. A. Harry Bliss, and personal donations from NEHA Board Members. Because of their strong belief in scholarship programs, AAS also made a financial donation to the program, allowing us to increase the number of undergraduate scholarships awarded.

In 1996, NEHA and AAS decided to jointly fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships and call them the NEHA/AAS Scholarships. In 2020, the boards of both organizations voted to name one of the undergraduate scholarships to honor Sheila Davidson Pressley, DrPH, CPH, DAAS, REHS, HHS. In 2021 the second undergraduate scholarship was named in honor of Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey, PhD, MS, RS, CIH, CHMM. These esteemed members served as champions for students and environmental health academics throughout their impressive careers.

Funding for the scholarships is continually obtained from donations, proceeds from association fundraisers, and NEHA/AAS budget commitments.