Bob Herrington, a long-time member of the Gopher Tortoise Council who served as chair of GTC’s J. Larry Landers Student Research Award Committee for more than 20 years, passed away in April 2016. His leadership and service to the Council are sorely missed. In recognition of Bob’s contributions to the Council and his dedication to 30 years of teaching and mentoring students at Georgia Southwestern State University, the Executive Committee voted to rename the Council’s student travel grants in his honor.

These grants, which are funded through GTC membership fees, are intended to offset the costs of attendance (e.g., fuel, lodging, meals) for students who present their research at the Annual Meeting. Eligibility for Bob Herrington Student Travel Grants is restricted to those who are currently enrolled in secondary or post-secondary educational institutions or who were enrolled at some point during the same calendar year as the annual meeting.

TO APPLY:

1) Indicate in your abstract submission email that you wish to be considered for a Bob Herrington Student Travel Grant.

2) Specify your institutional affiliation and whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, and how recently you were enrolled (if not enrolled currently).

3)  Copy the Chair of the Student Awards Committee (Betsie Rothermel, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) on your abstract submission. Any questions about travel grants can also be directed to her.

Instructions for abstract submission, registration, and meeting details will be available on the GTC Annual Meeting page. Beginning in 2024, the first 20 students who submit an abstract and give a poster or talk will each receive a $200 travel grant. Recipients will be notified before the meeting and grant checks will be presented during the Awards Banquet.

Recipients

Year Recipient Institution
2022 Sean McKnight University of Florida
2022 William Stiffler Eckerd College
2022 Garrett Lawson Virginia Tech
2019 Emma Cutkomp Florida Atlantic University
2019 Allison Kelley Marshall University
2019 Andrew Marx University of Florida)
2018 Heather Gaya University of Georgia
2018 Caitlyn Jones Florida State University
2017 Thomas Radzio Drexel University
2016 Heather Gaya University of Georgia
2016 David Lucien Florida Atlantic University
2015 Carolyn Reiland-Smith Florida Atlantic University