The Department of Geography is very fortunate that alumni and emeritus faculty have generously supported awards for our current students. These awards, which are usually announced in Spring Quarter and disbursed in the following academic year, recognize the achievements of some of our best Geography majors and Resource Management graduate students and make an education at CWU more affordable. Applications for scholarships are available on the Forms page of the website. We are deeply grateful to the benefactors of the following awards.

The Brooks-Shaw Award

Named after Reginald Shaw and James Brooks, two early and influential faculty members in the CWU Geography and Land Studies Department, these annual awards are given to select undergraduate students majoring in geography who demonstrate academic excellence and promise. Dr. Shaw, known for his research on the Columbia River, served CWU from 1935 to 1952 after completing his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Many of his students, including Dr. Brooks, went on to complete graduate work in geography. Dr. Brooks graduated from CWU in 1950. He was professor in the department from 1961 to 1994, and president of the university between 1961 and 1978.

A list of recipients of the Brooks-Shaw Award is available here.

The Macinko Award

The award is funded by the generosity of Mary Ann Macinko is named after George Macinko, who taught in the Geography Department for more than thirty years. Dr. Macinko taught a variety of courses with a particular emphasis on conservation and environmental studies, and in his personal life has had great love of athletics and has in fact won international weightlifting competitions since his retirement. This award is given each year to a junior who has done well in classes and displays the potential to become a lifelong geographer.

A list of recipients of the Macinko Award is available here.

The Hultquist Distinguished Service Award

This award is named for Dr. Nancy Hultquist, who retired from the department in 2010 after many years of serving her students with unstinting care. The award is given to students who also go out of their way to serve others in the Geography Department, Central Washington University, or the broader Ellensburg Community.

A list of recipients of the Hultquist Distinguished Service Award is available here.

Martin Kaatz Geography Scholarship

This award was established by the Kaatz family to honor the memory of Marty Kaatz who taught in the department for many years until his retirement in the 1980s. Dr. Kaatz was also highly successful as department chair. Marty was an avid outdoorsman (especially cross-country skiing) and was deeply involved in helping to plan Ellensburg’s future.

A list of recipients of the Martin Kaatz Geography Scholarship is available here.

Joseph P. and Gillian A. Stoltman Scholarship

In late 2012, Dr. Joseph Stoltman and Dr. Gillian Stoltman gave the university $100,000 to establish a new endowment which will fund scholarships for students in Geography, Resource Management, and potentially other programs on campus, too. Joseph is a 1962 graduate of our department and a longtime professor in the Department of Geography at Western Michigan University, where he is now a University Distinguished Scholar. Gillian has a Ph.D. in Virology from University College London. In explaining their remarkable gift to CWU, Joseph noted the great significance that former geography professors (then at Central Washington State College) including Robert Funderburk, Martin Kaatz, and Otto Jakubek had in fostering a love for exploration and in helping to launch him on his career.