Awards and Scholarships

The Soil Science Program provides the following awards to deserving students on an annual basis.

Eugene J. Kamprath Scholarships

The Kamprath Scholarships are awarded to deserving PhD students to assist in providing sufficient stipend funding during their time at NC State. These are awarded by the Director of Graduate Programs and the Soil Science Graduate Program committee.

Dr. Eugene (Gene) J. Kamprath was a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Soil Science from 1955 through 1996. He was an exceptional scientist, mentor, and leader who made a difference in the lives of thousands of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a member of the Soil Science Department at North Carolina State University, he taught the undergraduate and graduate soil fertility courses and he co-taught the Senior Crop and Soil Management course. His research projects dealt with soil fertility studies with corn, soybeans, and cotton. He was involved with the Agency for International Development Project on Tropical Soils and with research in Brazil and Indonesia. Read more about Dr. Kamprath here.

Ross Lester Andrews Award

Provided each year to one outstanding Soil Science PhD student whose research shows promise for making a difference to the environment. Students must have completed at least one year of study and have a GPA of 3.5 or better. Candidates are nominated by their Advisor and a faculty committee ranks the nominations. Currently, the award is $5,000 and can only be given once to any student.

Ross Lester Andrews was an environmental scientist, educator and poet. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the North Carolina Fellows Program and the UNC marching and concert bands. He received the MS in Soil Science in 2003 and the MS in Forestry in 2006 from NC State University. You can read more about Mr. Andrews here.

Hugh Hammond Bennett Award

Awarded annually to a graduate student whose study contributes to the sound use of our soil resources. Awarded to student with exceptional scholarship and who have completed 50% of the degree program. Candidates are nominated by their Advisor and a faculty committee ranks the nominations. Award is currently $2,500 and can only be given once to any student.

Hugh Hammond Bennett was a key figure in the soil conservation movement of the 1920s and 30s. He is considered the founder of American Soil Conservation, helped to create the Soil Conservation Service (SCS, now the Natural Resource Conservation Service) and served as the first leader of the SCS. You can read the Hugh Hammond Bennett biography here.