Baylor Undergrad Receives EPA Fellowship

by Nincy Mathew, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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Austin Cook-Lindsay, a Baylor University senior from San Angelo, has received the highly competitive Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) fellowship from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.

The fellowship is an EPA sponsored program that sponsors research and academic travel. Next summer, Cook-Lindsay will perform a three-month internship at an EPA facility. He is the first undergraduate Baylor student to win this prestigious fellowship.

The fellowship provides support for a student's junior and senior year of college and provides up to up to $17,000 per year of academic support and up to $7,500 of internship support for the summer.

"My professors at Baylor helped me with this by facilitating open thought in the classroom," said Cook-Lindsay, who is majoring in environmental sciences. "This has been true not only for science classes or classes in my major, but in all academic departments at this school."

Cook-Lindsay said he will most likely be working in an aquatic ecotoxicology project for his fellowship, which he is preparing for this summer with Dr. Bryan Brooks, associate professor of environmental science at Baylor.

The EPA's GRO program supports fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students in environmental fields. They judge candidates based on academics, recommendations, future career plans, research experience and potential to create a positive impact on the organization and society. Cook-Lindsay's application included several short essays, a resume, letters of recommendation from faculty and a sample research proposal.