UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sierra Melton, a doctoral student in the Penn State Department of Geosciences, was selected as one of 110 doctoral students in the United States and Canada to receive the prestigious $20,000 P.E.O. Scholar Award. The P.E.O. Scholar Awards program, established in 1991, provides substantial merit-based awards for U.S. and Canadian women who are pursuing a doctoral-level degree at an accredited college or university.
“My mom is a Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) member, and last year I presented a talk to her chapter about my work studying glaciers and a trip to Greenland,” said Melton. “The P.E.O. members appreciated my talk and encouraged me to apply for this award.”
Melton studies glacier and ice sheet behavior and their responses to climate warming. Using satellite imagery, mathematical models, and geophysical technologies, she investigates the melting and fracturing of glaciers into icebergs. Her research, and further understanding of glaciers, is critical for predicting future global sea-level rise.
Melton plans to travel to Greenland this summer to conduct research at Helheim Glacier with her faculty adviser, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, professor of geosciences. While there, she plans to attend a summer school focused on "past and future changes in Greenland climate" on Disko Island, a large island off the west coast of Greenland.
While much of the travel and research costs will be covered through research grants, Melton’s award will help cover additional travel costs and help ensure that she can pursue training relevant to these experiences. Melton also plans to use the funds to purchase software necessary for her to process data. The funds will also allow her to travel to conferences, such as the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, to present her work.
“This recognition is such an honor,” said Melton. “Especially coming from an organization so committed to supporting women in higher education. It gives me renewed confidence and motivation to know that a group of accomplished women thought my research was important and exciting enough to invest in my future with this award.”
Since P.E.O.'s inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 119,000 women pursue educational goals by providing more than $398 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.